Spooky Spider Cookies

I needed a quick and relatively easy Halloween treat for tomorrow. These cookies (the inspiration came from Pinterest) fit the bill perfectly.

Use your go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe (here are a couple of good ones), but only put in 1/2 to 3/4 of the chocolate chips. When you drop them onto the cookie sheet, use the remainder of chips to create spider bodies on the tops of the cookies (I used about 5 per cookie). While they're baking, melt chocolate in a saucepan. Spoon it into an icing bag with the smallest tip possible. Once the cookies are baked and slightly cooled, pipe on their legs.

Let's Try This Again

The last two weeks have been a bit crazy. Big events at work, weekends away and the early sunsets of winter have meant that sleep has come first and this here blog has come last (tied with my barre challenge. Oops!). I like to do this thing where as soon as I see that I have some free time, I instantly fill it. Weekends of relaxation turn into weekends of babysitting, running errands, doing work around the house, etc. What is up with that? Anyways, it would appear that things have slowed down ever so slightly which gives me more time to get back to blogging. Wait...did I just do it again?

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Alberta

I've spent the last couple of weekends in central Alberta- one weekend camping near Caroline, and a Thanksgiving pig roast near Sedgewick. Driving through this province always reminds me of how stunning and diverse it is.

My Very Favorite Dress

There's frost on the ground this morning, but I still have to share this dress with you. I wore it all summer- to weddings, picnics, on our honeymoon- and with the addition of a denim jacket, it could easily transition to fall. Plus, it's on sale!

Roasted Breakfast Pears

My sister in law made these incredible roasted pears for our family brunch on Saturday.

Not being much of a morning person, brunch is one of my favorite meals. The fact that you can make these ahead of time, get an extra hour of sleep, and still impress your guests makes them a big winner in my book.

Roasted Breakfast Pears
From Better Homes and Gardens

4 largeripe, yet firm, Bosc or red Anjou pears
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons finely shredded orange peel (set aside) or Triple Sec
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Finely shredded orange peel (optional)
1/4 cup granola
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Halve pears; core. Using a melon baller, scoop out a 1-inch depression in the center of each pear. Brush cut sides with lemon juice.
Spread butter in the bottom of a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar and salt; add orange juice. Arrange pear halves, cut sides up, in a single layer in the baking dish.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or just until pears are tender, spooning cooking liquid over pears several times during baking time (baking time depends upon ripeness of pears).
Remove from oven; stir vanilla into cooking liquid. Let cool completely. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours, turning pears in liquid at least once during chilling time.
To serve, in a small bowl stir together yogurt and maple syrup. Spoon the mixture into each pear half. If desired, sprinkle with additional orange peel. Serve with granola and toasted almonds.

Barre Challenge

I think my mind must've blocked out the time I did 30 days of yoga, because today marks the first day of a 30-day barre challenge at Barre Body Studio.

After hurting my hip in the summer, I've found that my body needs a bit of a break from high impact workouts. Barre is great for strengthening your legs and core, and while you might not work up the same sweat as you would during a run, your legs will be burning by the end of it.