Pavlova is like a big meringue cookie topped with whipped cream and fruit.  It has a gooey center, which is the result of the chemical reaction between the egg whites, vinegar and starch.
I thought it might be fun for Halloween to make a chocolate pavlova with something orange on top.  It was good, but very rich.  The kids were bouncing off the walls all evening from the chocolate.

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When we are in Utah, my family and I like to go up to snowbird to attend the Oktoberfest they hold every year.  The kids enjoy all the activities, and though we never drink any of the beer, we enjoy all the food.  Unfortunately, we missed the festivities this year (They started back in August and finished up the first weekend of October–sorry everybody.), and we had to make our own potato pancakes and applesauce to serve at home.  We found the best chicken and apple sausages and bratwurst we could find, and served it all together.  Sometime soon I’ll have to come up with a great strudel recipe.

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Tasha Tudor passed away this summer.  You may recognize her work from the covers of The Secret Garden and A Little Princess (when published by HarperFestival).  Having lived a full and fascinating life based on the styles and habits of the 19th Century, she was the Thoreau of her time.  Her book, Pumpkin Moonshine, has always been the book that comes to mind when I think of the fall. It is the story of a little girl and a runaway pumpkin.  It is sweet and simple—reminiscent of an era gone by.

Here are some of the books you all listed for our harvest of great books dialogue:
The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything by Linda Williams
Max’s Halloween (Max and Ruby) by Rosemary Wells
I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie (Picture Puffins) by Alison Jackson and Judy Schachner
The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg (my favorite of his after The Polar Express)
A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman and Jeff Shelly
Four Scary Stories by Tony Johnston
The Hallo-wienerby Dav Pilkey

Thank you everyone for all your other marvelous suggestions.  If you haven’t had a chance yet, you can peruse them all in the comments section.

A special thanks to Erin who reminded me of the name of the book I rambled about on that post.  It was called  Pumpkins: A Story for a Field by Mary Lyn Ray and Barry Root

I have one more suggestion.  Jerry Seinfeld Halloween.  My husband and I laugh over this until we almost cry.  We were both the kids who had to go trick-or-treating with our winter coats on . . .  you’ll see what I mean when you read the book.  We bought the book for ourselves, but the kids love it, too.  I must warn you, though, it is a little rude in some parts (he uses the words shut-up and stupid, and is ungrateful to a nice old lady), at which points I will either switch in another word, or say things like, “We don’t say shut-up.  We don’t treat people like that.”  Then I just laugh on the inside so the kids can’t see.

My husband just emailed me a YouTube link where you can see the pictures, and hear Jerry perform the stand-up routine that goes with it.

Sorry for not putting this up yesterday, or the day before.  I got sidetracked with my major award!
The orange zest in this cider hints at the orange glaze on the brioche doughnuts, making it the perfect complement.  Enjoy!
Oh, and if you don’t have all the things like cardamom pods or whole anise florets, just toss in whatever you have.  It will still taste good.

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I know, I know: “easy brioche” is an oxymoron.  And let’s be honest—homemade doughnuts aren’t that easy, either.  But these are so delicious, you’ll be happy you made them.

Although the ingredients are very similar to what is in brioche, I cut out most of the steps—making a dough sponge, refrigeration time and multiple risings—which are required in a traditional brioche dough.

I developed this so you can be inspired to make a little before lunch time, and have them ready by the time the kids get home from school.

And if you’re feeling like a supermom, be sure to whip up a pot of spiced apple cider.  Click here for the recipe.

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This trip reminded me why I love New England.  The trees were magnificent; the weather was glorious.

I am sad to be back.

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I’m still on vacation, so today I’ll post a recipe I made up over a year ago.

I love these. I make a big batch, let them cool completely, wrap them each in plastic wrap (you could also use paper towels), and then freeze them in a large sealable container such as a gallon size ziploc bag. Whenever I want a healthy lunch or dinner, I just heat them up in a skillet with a little olive oil, and serve them with the guacamole. I never even miss the meat or cheese.

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My nieces and nephews call this place Narnia.  Nestled among trees and streams, stand the ruins of an abandoned mill.  We spent a few hours in this lovely place, drinking in the the beauties of a New England fall day.

Emphasis should be placed on the word lucky. I never get to do stuff like that.
And unlucky you—I don’t have the recipe for those gorgeous things.

My sister lives in Western Massachusetts, and she’s been telling me about this unbelievable chocolate shop for years.  This weekend, while we were enjoying the Berkshires in all its fall splendor, we took the kids to Chocolate Springs which was worthy of every cry of praise I’ve heard.

After our trip to chocolate utopia, we stopped at Guido’s, the local gourmet shop, and bought what we needed to make a cheese platter.  You probably can’t tell at first glance, but some of the pears are only a little bigger than the grapes.  The two varieties are called Seckel and Forelle.
We took the platter to my sister’s friend’s house for a fall party.  The word party is a huge understatement, though.  How do you put into one word the epitome of a New England autumn celebration?  There was a huge inflated slide for the kids, a square dance in the barn, a fire ring with s’mores, old fashioned jars full of candy, and crates of freshly picked apples.  It was perfect.

While we were there, I saw a friend from college, and met Gabrielle Blair.  Most of you know her as DesignMom.

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I’ve been visiting my parents who have two cast iron pans which are about as old as my father.  Sadly, I do not have one of my own yet.  (I would love to have a Lodge Signature Series skillet.  They look perfect.)
I made this frittata in one of their their well-seasoned pans on a rainy day.  Sadly, the pictures of how I made it are too dark, so you will all have to use your imaginations.
I also made a low carbohydrate version by omitting the potatoes, which was just as good.

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