time in a bottle?

Okay, now I'm sure.

I know I've been yammering on and on talking about the change of seasons for awhile now, but I tend to rush things at times. Beat it to the punch, count my chickens before they hatch, cross bridges before I come to them...after all I was still seeing 70* on the thermometer and green leaves were still clinging, but now I can state, on-the-record, Fall is here full on! I converted my dining room into a haunted village, played host to several scarecrows who took up residence here, found my way out of a corn maze, peed my pants laughed my way through a haunted house, and walked in the woods among carpets of sweetly fermenting foliage and crunching nuts. And everywhere there were leaves. The entire countryside was brilliant, vivacious, swaggering, ridiculously mind-blowing. I'd been expecting it, but was caught off-guard just the same. Oh, Mother Nature, where did you learn your magic?

I drank apple cider, sat in the gazebo, watched leaves dance beneath a nearly perfect blue sky. I threw aside chores and appointments for buttery afternoons outside. I gave up structure for all things October.  For all things fall, outside, and life. Yet, while the days were still sparkly and cozy, it's started to get ridiculously chilly in the morning. I like to start each day with a walk. It gives me a chance to collect my thoughts, nurture creativity, make plans. A few short weeks ago I was skipping out in pajama pants shorts and a t-shirt, now, sweat  pants plus long sleeves plus sweaters, and a hat thrown on for extra cozy...all at once!  This is serving me well for the time being, but the chill is definitely getting chill-ierrr and it will soon be time for the heavy stuff! The blustery autumn winds swirling the leaves off of the trees and a sharp cool bite in the air, makes summer feels like a long distant memory.

 But, what I really want to talk about is time. Time baffles me...and adding to my confusion is the term Daylight Savings Time, which seems inaccurate, since I don't really believe it is possible to save time? You can save the world, the whales also are in need of saving, you can [try] to save money, save the ta-tas, but time? Can you put it in a bottle or is that just Jim's gig? It would be kinda cool if you could *sigh*...I can think of several moments in time I'd like to capture and keep forever. But, "they" figured it out!!! they saved it for us all these months, that hour we lost in the spring...and now we are getting it back, so I say, I'm all for it, I'm excited thinking about all the ways I might spend it. I think I might spend mine on a sunrise, after all it's hard not to love a sunrise.

There are1440 minutes in every day, plenty to go around. So reclaim a few of those for yourself. The things you need to do will get done [tomorrow or "someday"]. I believe that taking time for yourself  helps you become more balanced. You will be blessed with renewed energy. Take a few seconds to connect with someone else...a smile, an I-was-just-thinking-about-you-call, send flowers or a letter to someone special. So take a few deep breathes and remember it's all about how you take care of yourself and how you treat others.

[Oh, and don't forget to change the batteries in your smoke detectors.]

 This brownie puddle tart is incredible. Yes, that's right. INCREDIBLE! Sometimes brownies can be kinda dry and blah {sorry} but these, WOW, they are glorious-tiny molten pockets inside, a tad gooey, a tad fudgy, a tad crumbly, moist. While the brownie is still warm, it is poked all over with the end of a wooden spoon and rich chocolate ganache is piped into the holes. So decadent and so delicious! Oh how we loved them-loved, loved, loved them! The hubs bowed to me and kissed my feet [okay, that didn't really happen but they are fabulous]!

This recipe is from Rose Levy Beranbaum, The Pie and Pastry Bible, her recipes are always spot on, I have never had one fail me. You can visit her on her website for tons of fabulous recipes I love her lemon poppyseed pound cake!

Brownie Puddle Tart
(go here for recipe)