Yesterday was the most stunning Fall day!
We started out our day with a long walk around a wildlife/bird sanctuary and capped off our day with a trip to the beach for ice cream!
I’m thankful that Jacob got some quality time with his grandparents/family on the island this week and that he got to enjoy being outside in the autumn sunshine!
Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in our to do lists but it’s also important to just hit pause and take a week to just breathe.
September is my favourite! Fall is my true seasonal love. The air gets a little crisp, the pumpkins start to appear everywhere and things just slow down. The leaves show us how spectacular change can be!! I know that most people feel spring is the season of renewal but I honestly feel Fall is a season of renewal as well. Fall is a stark reminder that nothing new can blossom without allowing ourselves to slow down, embrace the change and allow ourselves to be rejuvenated.
I’m so thankful for all fall offers! The colors, the slow down, quiet nights, cozy weekends, Thanksgiving, halloween and pumpkins!!
This week Jacob harvested the last of the pumpkins from the garden with grandpa and it was honestly a little bitter sweet. I honestly think this will be my parents last Fall in that house and it just hurts my heart a little. So I was so grateful to watch Jacob and him harvest those beautiful pumpkins we all lovingly tended to all summer. 🎃
Hello September 🍂
What a wild ride 2020 has been so far! This week has been a tough one for me personally. After an awesome adventure with my little family I found it tough to settle back into the day to day and harder yet to face the reality of dealing with our new normal. I’m really doing my best through all of this to find a bit of calm but when weeks like this hit it’s tough.
So this week I’m beyond grateful for a few friends who take the time to check in. For friends who ask questions to be sure I’m truly ok. Friends who pick up the phone and call me or send a text! Friends who don’t have an agenda! Friends who care enough to ask why we came home early from our trip. Friends who take the time to listen when I need to vent about how hard the current situation I’m facing with aging parents truly is. Friends who are true and real!
So thank you to those friends! Thank you for the unguarded love. Thank you for the mutual respect. Thank you for being you.
Happy Belated Thanksgiving Canadian friends!
I hope everyone got to take a few minutes this past weekend to give thanks for the things in their life! I was lucky enough to get two turkey dinners. One with Kevin’s Family and one with my sister in laws family. Both were delicious and I definitely feel like I should probably eat a big salad for dinner tonight! 
I’m extremely Thankful for many things but the last couple days I feel foggy. I need to get my head clear. I’m not sure how to do that or what I need but I definitely feel I need some quiet “me time”. Jacob is currently going through a phase that is testing my whole being. 
This photo was taken after he had his first real MAJOR public meltdown! He lost it at the pumpkin patch on Saturday and in hindsight I should of seen it coming because he had a full and exciting few days prior to Saturday. Yesterday morning he was incredibly upset when it was time for me to go to work. When I arrive home he instantly turned into a head strong little tyrant and it didn’t stop until he fell asleep on the couch at bedtime! Parenting is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. It’s exhausting and demanding. I love him ferociously but sometimes I have to remind myself that he’s just a child and no matter how strong my emotions are dealing with all this his are just as strong and he doesn’t yet have the tools to deal with these big emotions. 
So my goal for today is to turn it all around. I definitely need to get my head together and just breathe. Let’s hope Jacob can get on bored. 
This isn’t my normal recipe post! Normally I have photos of each step. This time though is just the basics!!
Fall can’t come soon enough!! Tonight I had to bake something pumpkin spice to get me through the craving!
Ingredients
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Epicure’s pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
3/4 cup pumpkin purée
1/4 milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 tablespoons coconut
Directions
Whisk together dry ingredients.
Cut in butter until crumbly
Make a well in the centre
Mix together wet ingredients
Gently fold wet into dry, mixing just enough to bring every together.
Place in greased 8×8 pan
Mix together brown sugar, coconut and pumpkin spice. Sprinkle over batter
Bake for 50 minutes in 350 degree oven
It’s officially October meaning we are fully submerged in Pumpkin everything!! I admit my pumpkin season started in August…don’t judge me!
I decided to bake some maple pumpkin spice muffins because warm fresh baked muffins are a crisp Fall morning necessity. These muffins don’t require a fancy mixer or a lot of time! They taste great with butter or better yet pumpkin butter. Feel free to get creative and toss in a few walnuts, raisins, chocolate chips etc! I left mine plain and served them with pumpkin butter.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cooking oil
1 cup cooked pumpkin (without spice)
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp maple extract (vanilla also works)
Method
Mix dry ingredients (except sugar) into a large bowl.
Crack egg into small bowl and beat until frothy.
Combine egg with remaining wet ingredients in bowl with sugar, stir to combine.
Once wet ingredients are well combined add them to dry ingredients, stiring to combine.
Once combined divide into 12 standard greased muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees or until toothpick inserted in muffin comes out clean.
Once baked allow muffins to cool on wire rack.
These muffins are quick, easy and bake up light and fluffy. They are not overly sweet and are fantastic with pumpkin butter, peanut butter, jam, etc!
Enjoy!
It’s almost the middle of September! Pumpkin season is in full swing!!! I decided today was a good day for some Fall inspired baking! These cookies are pillowy soft and delicious but the maple frosting is the show stopper!
Ingredients 
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon instant coffee
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pumpkin spice liquid flavouring (optional)
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Method
Combine pumpkin, egg, oil, sugar, vanilla, and, instant coffee, liquid pumpkin flavouring in medium bowl.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin spice in another bowl.
Stir wet ingredients together and use a fork or whisk to combine dry ingredients.
Combine wet and dry ingredients, stiring just to combine.
Drop by spoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to fully cool before frosting.
To make the maple cream frosting simply combine the following ingredients.
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup light cream cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vanilla coffee creamer
1 teaspoon maple extract
I used my immersion hand blender outside on the patio but if you don’t have a sleeping baby just toss them in a mixer!
Frost cookies and enjoy!
Note: This is the liquid pumpkin spice flavouring I used. It’s available at baking stores, online and micheals crafts.
I’ve decided to get back to sharing more of my life on the blog as well as the recipes and reviews.
I think sharing more about my eating, exercises, and life in general helps keep me more accountable. Plus who doesn’t want to see more of this little charmers face?!?
Today was a quiet day. I cancelled plans with a friend and just embraced the rain and being at home. I got lucky this morning and once again was blessed with a beautiful double yolked farm egg for breakfast.
I long to own my own farm with my own chickens!
This evening I took some “Me time” to make a beautiful Fall center piece for our coffee table. I was inspired by the ones I saw yesterday at Homesense.
While I liked the above store version I felt I could make one myself! My brother helped me build the Wooden box out of reclaimed wood. I love how it turned it!
My other productive activities today consisted of cleaning, vacuuming, and baking a Zucchini chocolate chip loaf.
I love this time of year. Fall is well in it’s way and I long for cozy blankets, candles, cuddles and tea. I adore the fall decor, seasonal scents and the pumpkins everywhere!!
I look forward to sharing my Fall season with you!
Life With The McGavins 