Flavor of fall Hodgepodge (with a side of travel)

  Yep, it's Wednesday, so it's time again for the Wednesday Hodgepodge, where Joyce poses the questions and bloggers fill in the answers.  It's great fun and also a good way to come up with an interesting blog post.  If you'd like to join in,  just head over to From This Side of the Pond and get the questions from Joyce, then answer them on your own blog. Here are the questions for this week:

1. Just your weekly mid-week reminder that it's fall y'all and it's my favorite. I love nearly all the flavors of fall but let's weigh in with an either or today...pumpkin or cranberry? hot apple cider or pumpkin spice latte? cinnamon or maple? apple or pear? ginger or sage? carrot or butternut squash? Yes you have to choose. What's a favorite dish made with one of the flavors listed here? 

Either/or -- oh, this will be fun! Fall is my favorite also.  Here are my choices (since I have to choose):

🍂 Cranberry.
🍂 Hot apple cider.
🍂 Maple.
🍂 Apple.
🍂 Sage.
🍂 Butternut squash.

By the way, I'm  not sure when maple became a fall flavor.  I know it's been a few years since I first noticed the phenomenon.  I always think of maple as a spring flavor, since maple syrup is produced in late winter/early spring.  But it surely does taste good with the flavors of fall!

Here is my favorite recipe involving cranberries: Cranberry Coffeecake

And here is one of my favorite recipes involving butternut squash: Hearty Butternut Squash Soup

2. Do you miss traveling? In this season of almost no travel do you think you've grown anxious or fearful about traveling again? Or has all this staying home not going anywhere made you restless to get out and see the world? What book have you read or what movie have you watched that has inspired you to travel? 

I do miss traveling, but we have also done some traveling this summer and fall and have not really felt anxious about it.  In June and July we flew to Utah and embarked on an 8-day tent camping trip with family, spending a second week in Nevada with loved ones.  In September we took a trip up to northern New Hampshire for several days in a cabin.  And  so far in October we took a getaway to another spot in New Hampshire and have also attended a couples' retreat.

Grand Canyon was only one of the places we visited this summer.

At Back Lake in northern New Hampshire

Another view of Back Lake

These photos are from Deering, New Hampshire -- some of the very best foliage viewing in our state.

The traveling that we haven't done involves a train trip we were gifted with.  If Amtrak ever stops requiring masks, we will take that trip.

3. A time you felt like you were 'flying by the seat of your pants'? Explain. 

I've sort of felt like that through this entire covid thing. Regarding so many things.  What to do for church, how to manage without certain ingredients when cooking and baking, how much to see family and friends, the best times to grocery shop, and on and on.

4. Do you struggle with road rage or are you more of a 'Sunday driver'? Do you like to be 'in the driver's seat (literally and/or figuratively speaking) ?

I don't struggle with road rage, although the occasional inconsiderate driver causes me to grit my teeth a bit.  I don't know about where you live, but in our area we frequently see people running red lights.  Of course that is something more than not being considerate.  It's breaking the law and taking a horrible chance.

I tend to be more of a Sunday driver.  I don't drive far and rarely speed.

As for the driver's seat, I feel that God belongs there and not me.

5. Something you've recently 'put the brakes on'? 

Consuming sugar.  Last Saturday we embarked on our second 40-day sugar fast. 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We were blessed today to have lunch with old friends we hadn't seen in three years.  What a blessing to pick up where we left off and to be encouraged as we shared things God has been doing in our lives.

Beautiful graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

 

And that's it for this week's Hodgepodge.  Happy Wednesday, everyone!