What I'm Reading

The Thornbirds (Colleen McCullough)

Angle of Repose (Wallace Stegner)

The Sixth Extinction (Elizabeth Kolbert)

Price check in rural Wisconsin -- Horehound candy

Blain's Farm Fleet has horehound candy (Watertown, Wisconsin) for $1.49 a pound. This is made with horehound tea, comes with medicinal properties and is soothing to the throat.

Harvest Fest on St. Croix River

Pumpkin weigh off and regatta . . .

What I'm Reading

The Danish Girl
The Ladies Room
20 Retirement Decisions You Need to Make Right Now
Russians in the Past War

Recently completed:

Tapestry of Fortunes
A Frozen Hell
Capital in the Twenty-First Century
Around the World in 80 Days

(Light) Sweater Weather Arrives

So I made a sweater. This is North Fork, without the stripes and adapted for 3/4 length sleeves. The yarn is Quince and Co. Kestrel, Pebble 504. The edges are still curly as I haven't blocked it yet.

Busy Writing, No Time to Cook

I came up with this one day when I was short on just about everything (butter, flour, sugar), but husband had a couple of these granola bars in his golf bag.

Creative Double Secret NonFiction Fruit Crisp
by Anna Murray

Slice two apples or pears into a shallow pan. Take the granola bars (Nature Valley, Crunchy Oats and Honey) and soak in 1/4 cup hot water for a minute, then mash with a spoon. Throw in a handful of raisins, a pinch of vanilla, and spread over the fruit.

Bake in 350 oven for 20-30 minutes to desired crispness.

Serve with ice cream or frozen yogurt on the side.

Two servings, 150 calories each.

Paul Bunyan Double Crust Apple Pie

It's apple season, and no, I'm not talking about the iPhone 6.

My masterpiece (shown below) is a bipartisan pie recipe available online. Apparently both sides of the aisle agree that Frannie Franken makes the best pie.