Friday Favorites ~ has anyone seen my fuzzy socks?

This week the air turned crisp, the apples turned beautiful and the strawberries in the store turned ugly, the fuzzy socks were located (from the depths of the sock drawer…and under the bed) and on Tuesday I smelled something kind of burning in my house and then realized the heater had come on (I quickly turned it OFF.  Denial ‘aint just a river in Africa).

Fall has arrived…and this week’s favorites list is here to prove it.

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1. Sunday afternoon naps to the sound of football
TOPPING the list of my favorite fall pastimes.  No lie.  And if that makes me sound lazy and pathetic, it’s because I pretty much am. Self-awareness is sexy.
But lying on the couch in my sweats and gigantic Vikings jersey (I’m not that sexy) and dozing to the low volume of the crowd roars, beer commercials and the sweet, sweet sound of Al Michaels’ voice is like a freakin’ lullaby to me and renders me powerless.  I’m asleep by the second quarter.  It’s a big reason football is my favorite sport.  I’m a bit depressed when it’s over and my Sunday afternoon naps are harder to take…until golf season starts.

2.  Brownie Brittle –

Brownies are, hands down, my favorite of the cake-like desserts (not to be included in the same category as the frozen desserts, the pie desserts, or the pudding desserts).
I’m not ashamed to admit that on more than one occasion I’ve made a pan, taken a fork and eaten all the way around the pan in one sitting.  Because, as most brownie aficionados know, the crispy edges are the best.
So imagine my delight when I discovered this bag of crack brownie crispiness at Costco last weekend.
The back of the bag describes the brittle as tasting like “the crispy edges of brownies”.  I was skeptical.
So I grabbed a bag, opened it up right there in Costco, took one heavenly and crispy and brownie-ish bite and immediately grabbed more bags (and wondered how long of a shelf life a bag had as I seriously contemplated the entire pallet).  Plus, the nutritional information claimed that 6 pieces (28g) had only 130 calories.  This is what a piece looks like.

I was so excited I ate like 10.

Then I came home and weighed 6 pieces.  Craaap.
This is what I’m thinking a piece is supposed to look like.

Whatever.  Some things are simply worth it.
In related news, we’re out of Brownie Brittle.

3.  Pumpkin candles…and lattes…and bread…and muffins…and cookies…. –

Funny how much better all things pumpkin taste and smell in the fall.  Ever had a piece of pumpkin pie in the spring?  It just tastes…wrong.

Yesterday I went to Bath & Body Works to stock up on the fall fragrance essentials.  I’m not a fan of the bake-shop smelling candles, but will buy pretty much anything with a hint of cinnamon.  
My favorite for fall?  Hands down the one burning above….’Leaves’.  This little candle burned for about 2 hours last night and no kidding, my entire house smelled like fall (and I have some pretty open and high ceilings).  Now if only I could figure out a way to not suffocate from the smoke when I blow it out…
This week also marked the first PSL of the season.
Gotta go half pump, though (that’s what she said..haha), otherwise it gets too pumpkiny.  And local kids, don’t even try to compare Caribou’s pumpkin latte to the magic of the Starbuck’s PSL.  Caribou definitely has things it does better (like all the Holiday drinks – but that’s another post for another time), and even a Caribou barista admitted to me once that their pumpkin spice drinks were inferior to Starbucks.  
The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte ~ Often imitated, never duplicated. 
(I’m totally sending that to their marketing department.  Be right back.)
4.  Fall weather – 

Fall in Minnesota is lovely….and quick.  Almost as soon as the days cool off and the leaves turn colorful we’re pulling out the tubs of hats and gloves and cursing ourselves for forgetting (again) to take the parkas to the cleaners last spring (but I wouldn’t know anything about that).  
But for a few weeks, it can be glorious.  Crisp mornings and nights and mild, sunny days that absolutely make the maple trees blaze.  Days where it’s criminal to stay indoors.
So last weekend while the Things were at rehearsal, Husband and I took our bikes to a state park about 15 minutes down the road and hit the trail.  It was the kind of day you stop and take photos of so that in February when the thought of riding a bike outside (in short sleeves) seems like maybe something you once dreamed you can pull them up and say, Nope! Here’s proof! We can be outside without losing an extremity to frostbite in Minnesota.

An easy addition to the favorites list.

Today is gray and rainy and cold, though, and already I’m wondering if there will be any more bike rides before May.
Thing 2 is home with a whopper of a stuffy nose (and so it begins…).
The Leaves candle is burning and the house smells lovely (too bad she can’t smell it).
I think a nap is definitely in my future.
Too bad there isn’t a football game on.

9 Comments

  1. Sally on September 21, 2012 at 3:29 pm

    Pretty sure you should be recording a few football games as part of your weekday napping strategy!

    Those were my Sunday afternoons growing up… along with Fireside apples… kind of like old school Honeycrisp. So good. Have a great weekend!

  2. Mrs. Newlywed Giggles on September 21, 2012 at 4:48 pm

    I am now going to rush to Costco to get me some bags of the brownie. Genius whoever thought of that!

  3. Carolyn on September 21, 2012 at 5:07 pm

    Love this! Seriously… fall is my favorite time of year, and I hope that Minnie knows to make it last longer for us this year. 🙂 Football is the best thing ever to take a nap too! LOVE IT! I need to go buy some of those candles… YUM!

  4. Jen Grantham on September 21, 2012 at 6:07 pm

    Hi Michelle! I’m your newest follower. I found you via A Prince and Prozac. You had me at “Self-awareness is sexy” and your love of football and naps. Well played.
    Jen @ CraftyMisAdventures.com

  5. Jennifer fromFUMC on September 21, 2012 at 6:26 pm

    So funny, per usual! My life is not going to feel complete until I get one of those leave candles…

  6. Melissa on September 21, 2012 at 7:30 pm

    Totally on with you on napping during football games! Why IS it the perfect lullaby?? I also agree on the Caribou vs. Starbucks pumpkin spice latte battle. But I have to say the BEST pumpkin spice latte I’ve ever had is from a vendor at the Mill City Farmer’s Market. It tasted so REAL and not like fkaey syrup. But you better believe I drink my fair share of Starbuck’s version and love them.

  7. Becky on September 21, 2012 at 10:23 pm

    Love this fall post! I don’t know if I should hit up Costco and get the brownie things…I really really want them but what if I can’t stop eating them?! The difficult decisions I face in day to day life 🙂

    Have a great weekend!

  8. this hive. on September 22, 2012 at 9:21 pm

    loooove this post! i need to head to b&b works asap for some fall goodies. still 106 here in phoenix. lovely.

  9. kyna... on September 26, 2012 at 12:26 am

    OMG, Brownie Brittle????!!!!???? I NEED to try it!
    ♥ Kyna

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