Fall Leaf Forecast

Fall Leaf Forecast:

Best Spots for Leaves Around Asheville, NC

 

 

a view from the top

Leaf season is here, which means it is time to go for a hike, walk, or drive to view some gorgeous colors. One of the best areas to see spectacular autumn leaves is the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smokey Mountains. By mid-October the leaves are usually popping, for the lower Blue Ridge Mountains, late October and early November is usually the best time to admire the beauty. There are lots of places to go, but the next few blogs will feature some favorites over the years.

 

standing under a large rock

 

Mount Mitchell

 

Entering the parkway off of Highway 74 (also known as Charlotte Hwy), stop by the visitor center on the left and ask about trails and directions toward Mt. Mitchell. The representatives are very helpful and have given this family much advice on good trails for children and pointing us in the direction of amazing views during and not during leaf season. If going to Mt. Mitchell, take a left out of the visitor center and prepare to be amazed!

 

Known as the highest spot east of the Mississippi, this leave viewing venture will take travelers by famous spots such as Craggy Gardens, and the best part is, there are several visitor centers and the Folk Art center on the way to the Mountain.

 

Trails at Mt. Mitchell

 

Once there, picking trails may be difficult. One can choose to park and just walk about a quarter of a mile to the view point or go on a Sherwood forest type hike with wonderful views. It is located across from the Mt. Mitchell Gift Shop and Concession Stand (where one can warm up with coffee, hot chocolate, or apple cider). The trail is easy travel, a bit of a climb, and features some awesome rocks and a few rock caves.

 

Fall Morning Fog

The two shorter trails are Balsam and Deep Gap. There is a Mt. Mitchell trail going from Black Mt. Camping site to Mt. Mitchell. The first two can be found from the summit parking lot. Both have signs along the path about wildlife and history of the mountain. Once at the top, take time to really enjoy the cool air and the 360 view.

 

Happy Fall!!!

 

 



Halloween Table Setting: Cobwebs and Skulls

Cobwebs and Skulls Tablescape

 

Tis the season to be creepy....

 

Not only does this Halloween Table setting scream Halloween, it is affordable. Using this Halloween idea for a buffet style gathering is perfect and all items mentioned are on sale for up to 60% off at Micheal's and can also be found at Wal-Mart or other retailers easily.

 

Scary Jack-O-Lantern

Materials:

 

• Jewelry Holders
• Candle Holders (no matter what type or size)
• Electric (battery powered) Tea-light or Pillar Candles (optional)- note: please do not use real candles due to a possible fire hazard.
• Black Tablecloth
• White Cheese Clothe Tablecloth (optional)
• 3-4 Packs of Webbing
• 1-2 packs of plastics Spiders (also available at Target for under $2)
• 3-4 Skulls
• Plastic Rats, Stacks of fake books with bones or skulls on them (available for 1/2 off at Micheal's) or old books from home-no dusting required)- all optional

Directions:

 

1. Place the black tablecloth over the table, place the cheesecloth tablecloth on top.
2. Place jewelry and candleholders in a line or bunched up over the middle of the table.
3. Place skulls around the candleholders, place battery powered Tea-lights or pillars inside the candle holders and around the display.
4. Weave the webs and place spiders in them.
5. Place the food on the table and put rats, books, and some of the spiders around the items.

Such a fun Spooky Halloween buffet decoration, perfect for adult parties and older children. Happy Halloween!!!





Panera Bread's Autumn Soup and Sandwich

Panera Bread's Autumn Soup, Cranberry Turkey Flat Bread, and Pumpkin Spice Latte=Fantastic Fall Flavor!!

 

 

Holy moly folks. Just got the Turkey and Cranberry Flatbread and Autumn Soup combo at Panera Bread, think this girl has fallen for their autumn combo. For anyone who loves this season, this is a must try. The combo is very filling, the Turkey and Cranberry Flatbread or Autumn Soup by itself would be enough for a meal, but the two definitely compliment each other and after a cardio blast class and an 8.2 mile run, this combo and the exercise is enough to make one wish it was Thanksgiving Day so she could just lie down on the couch and watch Football.

 

To add to the mix, their Pumpkin Spice Latte is, in the words of the Grinch, "Fabulous!" The flavor is perfect, not syrupy tasting not overly sweet, and the best blend of pumpkin, spices, and coffee. A great morning drink, afternoon pick up, or treat to carry while walking around an outdoor shopping center.

 

So, check it out. This is really good and remember to hold on to the receipts and go online to get deals and discounts on the next visit. Happy Happy Fall Ya'll!!!

Fall Party Menu

Fall Party Menu:

Pumpkin and Apple Pizza's and Opened Faced Tomato Basil Sandwich

 

This is the time of year that parties and festivals seem to occur multiple times a week. Parents are hosting Autumn and Halloween parties, churches seem to celebrate homecoming in abundance or at least have harvest gatherings which means POTLUCKS, schools are holding fall festivals, and communities are coming together to eat, drink, and enjoy favorite seasonal foods. Since this is the season for apples and pumpkin, it would not be right to exclude them from the menu, these homemade pizzas make a great dish for parties or dinners. Made with Ciabatta and French or Italian Bread, delicious Munster and Mozzarella cheese with fresh Parmesan and some garlic paired with other spices, one bite of these treats certainly lets everyone know, fall has arrived.

 

 

Apple Pizza

 

Ingredients:

 

• 2 pieces Ciabatta bread, split in half
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 pieces Munster or Sharp Cheddar cheese
• 2 thinly sliced golden or Fuji or Gala apples
• 2 Tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

 

 

 Preheat Broiler. Thinly slice apples, lay aside.
Mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Pour and spread 1 tablespoon of olive oil over each half of Ciabatta bread.

 Sprinkle the spice mixture onto each piece of bread. Place the apple slices on top. Lay cheese over the apple slices and Broil for 2 minutes. Let cool about 2 minutes before serving.



 

Tomato and Basil Open Faced Sandwich

Ingredients:

 

• 2 pieces of Ciabatta bread, halved
• 4 large slices of ripe tomato (heirloom is absolutely delicious)
• 4 slices Munster or Havarti or Gouda cheese
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

 

Preheat Broiler. Drizzle and spread olive oil over each half of Ciabatta Bread. Mix the spices in a small bowl and sprinkle at least a teaspoon over each one. Place 1 slice of tomato on top and a slice of cheese on top of the tomato. Sprinkle more spice mix on top, if desired and broil for 2 minutes on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. Let cool 2 minutes before serving.

Pumpkin Cheese Pizza

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf sliced French or Italian Bread
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 14.5 oz jar pumpkin purée or pumpkin pie filling
• 1-2 pounds shredded mozzarella cheese
• 5-8 oz. fresh parmesan, grated
• 2 tablespoons nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons pepper

Directions:

 

Preheat Broiler. Place bread slices on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil on top of each using a spoon. Spread the pumpkin on top. Mix the spices together in a bowl and sprinkle over top each piece of bread. Mix the cheeses together and sprinkle on top of the bread. Broil for 2 minutes and prepare to serve (pictured above with tomato basil sandwich).

 

 

 

Pumpkin Apple Pizza

 

Ingredients:

 

Same as pumpkin cheese pizza (see above), add:

 

• 2 thinly sliced apples (gala, Fuji, or golden delicious work well)
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat Broiler. Spread olive oil over the bread pieces using spoon. Sprinkle half of the spice mix on top of the oil. Spread pumpkin on top. Place apple slices on the pumpkin purée and sprinkle with remaining spices. Sprinkle cheese mix on top and broil 2 minutes and prepare to serve.

 

All of these recipes, for up to 12 people, cost less than $10. Look for breads  and cheese on sale (lots of Italian loads end up being 1.99 or less and shredded cheeses can be $2 or less, depending on the store). Items such as olive oil is usually in the home already, but vegetable and corn oil can be substituted for olive.

 

Happy Harvest!!!!

 



Fall Premieres 2014

Fall Premieres

Another reason to LOVE this fantastic season is, premiere time for favorite shows and upcoming Holiday movies (not to mention 13 Nights of Halloween on ABC Family and scarier movies on channels such as, AMC). There are so many series coming back, some for their final season, some new, and others just returning because the people have watched and have liked! So prepare to set the DVR folks because here are a few dates to remember, and if there are any shows not on here (because this is a list of personal preferences for the most part) go ahead and leave others in the comment section.

September 15th

Daytime Talk show fans remember to set these shows and more to record:

• Rachael Ray -she's back!!! However, check the local cable providers for time and channel. It may be 9AM, 11AM, or 3PM on CBS, NBC, or ABC stations
• The View (not a huge fan but does help to watch on those cold or rainy days when running 6-9 miles)
• Live with Kelly and Micheal-yea, weird, but it is supposed to be the new season beginning....on this date, makes no sense because they have had new episodes all month but okay
• The Chew-it has already started the new season, but lets face it, the best recipes and autumn dishes will probably start up around this time or at least on the first day of fall this year

For other favorites, just comment.


Okay here is a longer list of new shows and old ones, so be prepared:

• Dancing with the Stars-Monday, Sept. 15, it is BACK!! And this time it will air on Mondays and Tuesdays
• The Big Bang Theory-Bazinga!-Monday, Sept. 22, on the week of Oct. 30th back on Thursdays
•  Gontham-Monday, Sept. 15th, Fox 8-9PM followed by a huge favorite:
• Sleepy Hollow-Fox, Monday, 9-10PM-this is a great show mixing history (with a bit of retelling) with the classic story of Icabod Crane and some spooky spooks-the first season has been airing leading up to the premiere.
• The Flash-a personal sucker for fun super hero shows, really enjoyed No Ordinary Family, hopefully this will have a good story line.
• Once Upon A Time: LOVE this show. For anyone who absolutely enjoys storybook tales with a mix of Disney characters, this is a must see. Before watching the premiere, catch up via Netflix or Hulu, even though these are familiar characters, their stories are not like those in the fairy tales-Sunday, Sept. 28 at 8PM. ABC
• Madam Secretary: big Lea Teoni fan, and hoping this will be a good show with some comedy mixed in (hoping). CBS
• The Middle: anyone with a family can relate to this show, it is hilarious. Wednesday, Sept. 24th, 8PM-ABC.
• The Goldberg's: Anybody who grew up in the 80's can so relate to this and it is super funny and nostalgic-Wednesday, Sept. 24, 8:30PM. ABC
• Last Man Standing-Tim Allen is at it again, but this time with 3 daughters. Even so, this show delivers the laughs and will have its season premiere, Oct. 3 (Friday), 8PM on ABC.
• Kim of Queens: For those hooked on Lifetime reality shows, or just one or two of them, the Georgia Peach of Pageants is back on, Tuesday Sept. 16th at 10PM. Looks like she is auditioning for more girls and her old ones are going to get a bit of a challenge and have to work a bit harder.
• Parenthood: The last season airs on NBC starting Thursday Sept. 25th, based on the movie of the same name, the show is wonderful and touching, lots of drama at times but worth the viewing.
• Constantine: Looks worth watching, for those who like mystery and supernatural or Sleepy Hollow, check it out on Oct. 24th on NBC.
• NFL: It's already started, so, Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays Pro-Football nights (Go Steelers!!), Fridays and Saturdays-college football (go Vols).

There is so much more out there-after living in Hawaii for four and a half years, Hawaii 5-0 has become a favorite for scenery, not really story line, but it is back.Of course, so is, The Simpsons and Family Guy, Whose Line is it Anyways?, Reign, and Grimm, along with the very creepy American Horror Story, of which this girl has not watched since season 1, might watch season 3, but 2 and 4 seem a bit too creepy-clowns are already weird (Thank you Killer Clowns from Outer Space at a sleep over), so...yea.

Anyways, there is a quick look at some new shows, lots of old favorites and looking forward to holiday programming soon. Happy Autumn!!!

 

•  

Autumn Sales

Autumn Sales!

As crazy a it is, yes, stores are already featuring Autumn sales. For those who frequent craft stores, they are trying to lower prices on fall items and putting Christmas items in their place, ALREADY!!! To add to this frenzy, just saw a pop up on the Hallmark channel saying, "8 weeks until Countdown to Christmas begins." 8 weeks until Halloween? It goes to fast.

Just to give some help for those looking for some deals, Micheal's is having a huge sale on summer and fall items. Summer items are up to 80% off and fall items are anywhere from 20 to 50% off. All Ashland fall garland is 50% off now, which is great. Old Navy has been featuring sales as well, one included $10 kid jeans and throughout the store 20-50% off, walked out with 4 items for under $30, one of the items was kid jeans, the other an adult sweater. Children's place is having a good sale on pajama's for winter and Target is featuring baby/toddler sales on items from clothes to car seats, also get $10 gift card with the purchase of 3 household items. Kohl's is doing the night owl and early bird sales, and one can be sure they will soon be offering the $10 coupons for every $50 spent here the next week or two, but they do have a lot of shoes up to 80% off, some great deals. 

For those who like fragrances, Bath and Body is having a sale, up to 75% off and 5 for $18 hand soaps and more. Yankee candles has some specials on Halloween candles and candles holders, as well as BOGO 50% off. Overall, it is a good time to look around and this seasonal gal i sure within the next two weeks, prices will probably drop again and more sales will pop up. Also, check out deals on Shutterfly, they were doing 101 prints free and have been offering free 8X8 photo books, always offering deals. Happy Fall!!! 

PUMPKINS!!!

Walked into a grocery store today and saw a stack of pumpkins!! It took everything not to grab one or two, but it made me want something pumpkin right away. It also inspired me to go through the storage closet and get out all the fall decorations, and create more. One decoration that is super fun to make, involving a scooped out pumpkin (big or small) is a flower display.

Pumpkin Flower Displays are perfect for any counter, table, or placed on beside a fire place or in a corner for a fall look. There are a few ways to do this, but here are two that seem to do well.

PUMPKIN FLOWER DISPLAY

Materials:

• Wax
• Piece of cloth
• 1 medium sized pumpkin
• Vase to fit inside the pumpkin (optional)
• 1 or 2 bouquet of flowers (enough to cover the edges of the opening)   
• Charger or large flat glass plate to hold pumpkin

Directions:

1. Wipe the pumpkin with a wet cloth and dry it with a cloth.
2. Gut the pumpkin
3. Use a towel or cloth and rub a thin layer of wax around the pumpkin (this helps it last longer). Place the pumpkin on the charger.
4. Place the vase inside the pumpkin, fill with water (if not using a vase, use fake flowers, or add some water to the pumpkin).
5. Arrange the flowers making them completely fill the top of the pumpkin, showing no cut edges.

Another way to do this is to follow steps 1-3 but do not use a vase. Save the top of the pumpkin. Drill holes in a pattern or in rows around the pumpkin. Cut flowers to fit inside the holes, use multiple flowers if needed. Place a few larger flowers inside the top of the pumpkin, and place the top of the pumpkin back on somewhat lopsided. Place in desired spot, decorate with a large ribbon if wish to and enjoy!!! Happy Autumn!!!