Puppies and Pumpkins

This past weekend Paul and I had an opportunity to head up north and spend some time with my family and enjoy the fall colors. Going up north in the summer is nice because it's great to enjoy swimming in the lake and spending time at the beach. Going up in the winter, well, is also nice sometimes because its hard to beat seeing huge snow flakes piling up on a forest full of pine trees and viewing this all from your couch being cozy under a warm blanket with a hot ovaltine (I am obsessed with ovaltine!). But lets face it, there is nothing better than being up north when you can enjoy the peak of the fall colors. Because I have limited time to go see my family, sometimes the visits are touch-and-go because the weather is not dependable. However, this past visit was perfect. The weather was gorgeous and the colors were stunning. Oh, and did I mention my parents got a puppy?

Let's Eat.

Aside from all the obvious benefits of vacation (not being at work) one of my favorite parts is the food. My plan is always to eat as much good food as I can by both eating out and cooking. There is a fine balance between cooking and eating out when on vacation. For example, I have a very low tolerance for 'road food' and pretty much cant wait to cook a nice meal once we reach our destination. Cooking is something I love to do but don't do as often as I should. Or at least as creatively as I should.