Writer's Workshop - Pin Me

Pinterest inspired! Try something you saw on Pinterest and share the results.

My Pinterest feed

has been full of all kinds of 

pumpkin delights

lately.

And,

being a HUGE Halloween fan

I thought I'd try a couple. 

Here is the 

Healthier Pumpkin Spice Latte

I found. 

(Click on the picture to go to original site)

Now,

I don't have a pretty clear mug

to show off my creation.

(Note to self:

Buy some clear mugs to show off drinks)

I also opted not 

to add the whip cream.

I can already hear my trainer

bug me

"Why are you drinking coffee?

Didn't I tell you to cut back?"

The last thing I need is for her to bug me

"Whipped cream? Are you serious?

Does your coffee really need whipped cream?"

So now,

I have an open can of pumpkin

with two spoonfuls missing.

Obvioulsy I need to try something else.

Thank you

Pinterest!

It looked good.

And easy to make.

So how hard can ot be,

right?

Very easy!

And fabulous!

I made it for my son

to eat as breakfast,

but am not sure I'm willing to share.

Here's my version.

Have your tried any Pumpkin

treats?

Fifth Grave Past the Light - Darynda Jones

I love Charley.

I believe,

if she were real,

we'd be awesome mates.

We both love coffee

and we both love Reyes.

I think

Fifth Grave Past the Light

is my favorite one to date.

Here,

our favorite Grimm Reaper

discovers her apartment is filling up

with dead blond women.

Twenty-seven women 

to be exact.

Charley needs to figure out

where these women are buried

and who killed them.

Oh, 

and let's not forget the arsonist.

Yes, 

someone has been burning down vacant lots.

Charley suspects she knows who it is

but can she prove it?

Then there's the husband

of a client.

She wants Charley to prove her husband is cheating.

The husband isn't too happy with Charley.

Yes our dear friend

gets into a lot of trouble.

But we'd never take Charley

any other way!

Chocolate Fruit Leathers

Ethan has been loving the fruit leathers

I have been making.

He has been bugging me

for a few weeks now

to make chocolate ones.

I decided,

if he wanted them,

he could make them.
So he did!

Ethan chops the bananas

Blends them with cocoa

We have to add here, 

we used pure cocoa powder from

Chocolate Mamas.

I LOVE their chocolate.

The cocoa is awesome

as there is no added sugar.

Ethan helped me spread the mixture out

onto trays

and off in the dehydrator they went.

Yes he loves them!

High Five for Friday

It's been another lovely week,

filled with love, friends,

and wine.

Highlights include

Wine and yoga pants

There was a cute picture on Facebook

about yoga helping with de-stressing.

It went on to joke,

that the best way is to have a glass of wine

while wearing yoga pants.

I've got to add,

that wine and yoga pants

are a great way to relax

on a Sunday evening!

Flowers

In Zambia,
Ethan use to buy me flowers every week.
It was great.
Our dining table
always had a vase of
fresh flowers.
This week,
a friend of mine gave me a bouquet.
I have flowers again!!!!


Almond Butter

I made almond butter.
Yes, me!!!
Ok, granted,
it's not that difficult.
It just takes a lot of patience,
and well,
since I tend to lack in that department,
I'm pretty chuffed!!

Sports Day

Ethan had his first Sports Day
of the school year.
The third graders
are placed in Houses.
Ethan's a Mamba.
Today's events were track and field.
Not working,
meant I got to spend the whole morning
cheering him on!


Training

I have a fantastic trainer.
She comes 3 times a week
and makes me sweat
and feel pain.
Lately she's been on a burped kick.
Which,
since I've gotten better at them,
I don't seem to mind so much.

The Taking - Kimberly Derting

The idea behind this story

has potential

to be great.

Kyra and her dad

are driving home from her softball game.

They're talking about college

and they disagree.

Kyra gets out of the car,

to protest.

Suddenly she sees a white light

and hear her dad scream.

She wakes up behind a dumpster

still wearing the clothes from the day before.

She heads home,

but it's not her home.

It would seem,

she's been gone for 5 years.

A lot happened in 5 years.

Her father,

who saw the light,

is believed to be crazy.

Her parents divorced

and her mum not only remarried,

but also has a new child.

Her best friend is now dating her boyfriend.

And her boyfriend's 12 year old brother,

is now 17 and gorgeous.

But here's the thing,

Kyra doesn't seem to interested

in learning what happened to her.

Whether she remembers the light 

or not,

she doesn't support her father.

She's upset over,

rightly so,

about "the husband" and "brother"

but never really deals with it.

And when things do start getting interesting,

it ends.

Granted,

you'll probably learn more in the next book,

but do you really want to wait?

And do you really care?

The Truth About Lord Stoneville - Sabrina Jeffries

For a few years now,

my dear friend,

Sarah,

has been raving about

Sabrina Jefferies.

So, 

I asked Sarah to recommend a book.

It was high time

I discovered first hand

what the fuss was all about.

This is a historical romance.

A period piece.

A lovely read.

Oliver Sharpe

and his siblings

live a life with no rules,

or morals

and Grand Hetty will take it no longer.

She has given all her grandchildren

an ultimatum.

Marry within a year,

or be disinherited.

Well, 

Oliver will not be told what to do.

So he sets off to the brothel

to hire a woman to pretend to be his 

love.

This will surely shut Grandmother up.

But then he meets

Maria Butterfield.

A young American

who made the journey to England

to find her missing fiancee.

Oliver strikes a deal,

she pretends to be her fiancee

and in return,

he'll help her find her beloved.

But things don't always go as planned.

Thank you Sarah,

for introducing me to a great read.

High Five for Friday

It's been another fabulous week.

I'm finally settled back home

after our extended summer vacation

and Ethan is happy at school.

This week's highlights include:

Dinner with great friends

at Salt.

Peter and Nina will be leaving Dar soon.

It's sad when friends leave.

But being able to enjoy an

awesome meal at Salt

(Katy's new restaurant)

makes saying goodbye 

easier.

Chocolate

Really?
Need I say more?

Birthday dinner with my boys

This year,
instead of a big birthday dinner
I spent the evening with my two favourite boys.
We had dinner at Osaka
and came home to cake.
It was perfect.

Watching Ethan at his first skateboard
activity

I was a nervous wreck.
Terrified he'd fall and spend
the rest of the year
in a body cast.
I love how his mate,
an advanced skateboarder,
helped him
and was so patient.
And he didn't break any bones.

Ladies night

We tried a new Iranian place.
The owner brought out
a sampler for us to,
well,
sample!