Changing Seasons, Cilantro, Macarons, and Songs that Fill Moods

Autumn never seems to last long enough.  Summer and Winter are the forever seasons while Spring and Autumn tug back and forth between the first two, never getting a true fair shake.  Last Tuesday was north Utah's last day in the 70's, and now we are in a temperature freefall, bouncing about here and there with a chance of snow on Sunday.  Yippee!! :P 

Anywho, in other news, I told my Mom that cilantro is really good for detoxing.  Read that somewhere, so it must be true.  And it must be why green smoothies always list it as an ingredient.  And then I told her that some people have a gene that makes cilantro taste like soap.  Sadness.  She's never had a problem with cilantro before, but bought a tiny bunch to try.  While having lunch yesterday she ate it and declared, "It tastes like soap!"  I told her it must be in her head, because she's never had this issue before.  After a few chews she decided that it was 50/50.  The cilantro tasted normal to me. *shrug*

Now lavender sometimes taste like soap in things.  But tasty soap!!  Oh my goodness, there's a little shop in the Paseo Nuevo outdoor mall in Santa Barbara called Le Macaron French Pastries, and I just checked and they seem to still be in business.  That's fantastic.  They have a pastry chef from France, and they make Lavender macarons that are so good.  But want to know the best flavor??!!  Rose!!!!  It's so good.  And no other macaron place I've been to has them.  I haven't been to Santa Barbara in well over a year.  It's probably going to be awhile before I get the chance to visit California again.

Please tell me other people are like this... have you ever loved a song so much that it goes on loop, sometimes for days?  A couple weeks ago I was digging "Fallin' (Adrenaline)" by Why Don't We.  Slow beginning, but goes into a great beat.  Then it was Rascal Flatts album "How They Remember You."  That lead me to discover the song "Ocean" by Lady A (formally known as Lady Antebellum), and that song went on loop a full two days.  It fed a mood.  And it crazy slowed down my productivity. -_-;;  Oh, and then I went on a Radio Disney kick and discovered the song "Lie Like This" (clean edit) by Julia Michaels.  It has such a nice chorus.  And now I'm digging the Christian song "Haven't Seen It Yet" by Danny Gokey, which has three versions, and they're all nice.  

Hope you're having a great day! :D

 “Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves, we have had our summer evenings, now for October eves.” ~ Humbert Wolfe

 

'Tis the Season for Pumpkin Goodness

A couple weeks or so ago I said I wasn't ready for Autumn and everything that comes with it, but that's changed.  Maybe it's the occasional lower temperatures mixed with remnants of Summer.  Maybe I've fallen victim to supermarkets bringing out seasonal Autumn goodness.

Pumpkin goodies really are the best.

While at Trader Joe's, which is quickly growing to be one of my favorite places (thanks to the most interesting items), I spotted this Danish Kringle.  It was obscured in paper, no hints peaking through.  What was it?  What could it be?  What loveliness lie within?

Visions of Solvang, that glorious place that's totally worth a gander if you've never been, sprung to mind.  Variations of Danishes taunting their various flavors.  My Mom tried a sample of this Danish Kringle earlier in the week and said it was heaven, so I had to try for myself.

 This Danish Kringle from OH Danish Bakery was so good and tasty, one of the best Danish pastries I've ever had, and that includes all the many, many times I've visited Solvang growing up till now.  It's $21.49 on their website, but at Trader Joe's it was about $7.99 or so, maybe more.  Can't remember the exact price, but reasonable enough to try something new.

 And now I'm ready for Autumn!  More pumpkin goodness and apple crisp please.  And, gasp, I'm even starting to itch at seeing a Christmas Hallmark movie, though I really shouldn't get ahead of myself! 0_0.

Enjoying Wonderful Pastries in France

May, 2016: You can't go to France and not try pastries!  Seriously a sin of some sort.  There were so many pastries to try in Issoudun, a few good shops.

Really, it's all so dangerous, but so yummy.

(You just need to be careful when you take them home.)

Photos by Sarah and Robin Stufflebeam