Just got back last night from a fantastic week in Costa Rica.  We spent a week near Playa Santa Teresa on the southwestern side of the Nicoya Peninsula.  Rainy season is just finishing up, and we had some really great weather.  I heard rumors that it was snowing at home in Denver, and while I was quick to put it out of my mind, returning to DIA and walking to the car last night slammed me, quite rudely, right back into reality.  The snow is still hanging around, it's cold and windy.  Just to prolong our vacation, I'm sitting here next to the fire, and we are planning a dinner of fish, beans and rice to keep ourselves in vacation mode, until the dreaded Monday comes.  Anyway, back to vacation.  I read a book that any one who loves a dog should absolutely read...Garth Stein's Art of Racing in the Rain.  It's a charming book written from the point of view of Enzo, the family dog and his life with his family.  We ate, we laid around, we slept, we went to the beach, we hung out around the pool, all in all an incredibly relaxing time.  I made the mistake of trying to carry on a few shells that I collected on the beach and the security officer confiscated them.  Bummer.  I've posted lots of pictures on my facebook page, and I'll be adding some to the gallery page here on the site.  Now, I just start the countdown to the next vacation in December and start getting ready for the holidays.

I spent the last two weeks in Illinois, with a few days in Iowa thrown in, and got to enjoy Fall at it's finest.  The leaves turning were so beautiful.  Saturday I got back to Denver, for what will surely be the longest week of the year.  Isn't the week you're leaving on vacation the one that takes the longest????  Anyway, Saturday night we went to dinner at Watercourse Foods.  It was one of those places that had been on my list of restaurants I wanted to try, but just hadn't gotten to it.  Watercourse Foods is a 100% vegetarian restaurant.  The thing that attracts me to it, is that it's vegetarian, COMFORT food.  So many things sounded so delicious, and I was torn (what's new) about what to order.  I settled on a Thai Stir Fry with crispy tofu.  Brown rice, tons of vegetables and a spicy peanut sauce.  It was so filling.  Dan had a Country Fried Seitan with mashed potatoes and country gravy.  It looked like something straight from Paula Deen, and it too was delicious.  It is definitely on my "visit again" list...here is a link to their website.  http://www.watercoursefoods.com/
And now, this long week before vacation begins and the countdown to Costa Rica is on!

What a perfect week of fall weather.  I've been home in Canton all week and couldn't have asked for better weather.  I went of the Spoon River Scenic Drive today with my sister and Jacob.  Completely underwhelmed.....I remember growing up as a kid, all the handmade crafts that people spent months creating to sell on the 2 weekends of the drive.  What used to be an opportunity to see how someone could turn a milk weed into wall decor, or make owls out of sunflower seeds, or whatever it was that the crafty, artisans were making has turned into miles and miles of other peoples junk and mass produced "crafts" that are created in a factory to resemble a handmade item.  For the past few years, it's been a bit of  a mix, but what kept me going back was the food.  Food off a trailer can not be beat.  Walking tacos, corn dogs, pork chop sandwiches, elephant ears, funnel cakes, apple fritters, all of it at your disposal.  Today, I ate some kettle corn...wah wah.  But the beautiful fall weather was more than enough to make up for the rest.  When I arrived back at my mom and dad's, I whipped up a pumpkin sheet cake with cream cheese icing.   It's a fall staple, deliciously moist  with just the right amount of spices to keep me relishing in the season.   (Another plus to the afternoon...its snowing at home in Colorado today...)