It’s taken a while to figure out a good routine with the baby… umm, toddler? How is my little baby already 14 months old?! But I’m finally here and ready to dive into all the fall fun we’ve been having around here lately.
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Fall
This past Saturday was, yet again, another perfect day for hiking so Brady and I went down to Shenandoah National Park with my dad, brother, step-mom, and step-sister. It was a day full of crisp autumn air, colorful trees, and mountain views. I think the last time I was in Shenandoah was back when I was in middle school when I didn’t appreciate long drives so I can easily say that I appreciated this trip way more than I did back then. Adventuring with my husband is probably the biggest upgrade. ๐
We started our first hike just before 11 am with a .7 mile hike from the Lower Hawksbill Trailhead to Hawksbill Summit – which is the highest peak in the park. The hike was pretty much straight up hill from where we started but the views were worth the effort.
This year has been flying by and it’s hard to believe we’re sitting just about 2 months away from Christmas and the beginning of a new year! Brady and I have been trying to soak in all the great weather and fall colors while it lasts. A month ago we hiked the Billy Goat Trail, we were at the beach in Delaware a few weekends ago, then we went backpacking, then hiking with my family, and this past weekend we went out to Western Maryland to ride the rail trail and enjoy some fall colors!
The specific trail we rode on has 2 parts: the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) that runs from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MD and then it continues on to Washington D.C. via the C&O Towpath for a total of 335 miles. We started at the Eastern Continental Divide and rode the last 25 miles of the GAP trail down into Cumberland on Saturday afternoon. The best thing about this section of the trail is that it’s all downhill (1800 ft elevation drop <- I wouldn’t want to be going the other way!) So it’s not like you can just sit there and coast but even with breaks and minimal effort, you can make the trip in 3-4 hours. The only thing that’ll be sore after this trip is your tailbone if you don’t ride often.
It was a 2 hour drive to get out to Western Maryland and the weather Saturday morning was abysmal. Dreary, misty, foggy, damp and overcast yucky weather. As soon as we started driving up the mountain to our start point, we left the clouds hanging on the mountains behind us and we were in instant sunshine! By the time we rode our bikes into Cumberland a few hours later, it was if it had never been overcast at all. The weather for our ride couldn’t have been more perfect. It was 70 degrees with just enough cool in the breeze to keep you from overheating while riding in the sun.
Hello there and happy Thursday to all you lovelies! I’ve had a bunch of random thoughts lately that aren’t worth turning into a blog post each so here are some of my Thursday Thoughts <– linking up with Running with Spoons.
- In my quest to be an overall healthier individual, I’ve been getting quite a few groceries from Whole Foods recently. The last few times I’ve been, they’ve had an enormous jackfruit for sale at $1.99/lb which means those things cost at least $20-30. I know that jackfruit turned into fake meat is a big trend in the plant based world at the moment but it doesn’t look that appealing to me. I haven’t tried it yet and I don’t think I have the desire to either. Maybe it’s because I’ve never had pork (or any meat) so I don’t feel the need to replace it with anything.
- Where are you, autumn? This weather is crazy. I live in Maryland and it’s been too hot to even consider running outside this week. 85 degrees outside and 92-100% humidity. Not cool Maryland, not cool. I may be writing this while sipping on a cup of hot cinnamon apple tea but that’s just because it’s supposed to be fall and I’m ready for it. This was fall a year ago…
We haven’t been backpacking since July and the weather this past weekend was calling us. We did an out and back section hike of the Appalachian Trail in Maryland. For this trip, we did an out-and-back from the Route 40 parking lot down to Rocky Run Shelter – overlapping a previous backpacking trip by about 1 mile. This means we have done 27 of the 41 miles of the Appalachian Trail in Maryland.
Happy First Day of Fall! I thought fall had started a few weeks ago because the temperatures had dropped into the 60s. I was just about to pull out my fall sweaters and all of a sudden it was warm again. Some of the trees have started changing color but it’s still overwhelmingly green and pretty hot around here. Either way, to commemorate the start of a new season, Iโve got one of my favorite recipes – Cornbread Muffins! – to share with you as well as a few Friday Favorites!
Cornbread Muffins Recipe
My mom was an amazing cook and even more amazing because the majority of what I ate growing up was vegan AND sugar free because of my dad’s dietary restrictions. One of my favorite meals and often requested for birthday dinners, was my mom’s homemade chili and cornbread muffins.
Most cornbread recipes out there call for way too much sugar and the muffins basically end up being a dessert with the amount of sugar in them. These have a minimal amount of sugar but it doesn’t take away from the fullness of flavor or fluffiness in the muffins. This recipe is especially healthier if you plan on adding something sweet on top.
As with any baked goods, cornbread muffins are best when taken straight out of the oven, split open and buttered right away to let the butter melt in. These are perfect with some jam or honey on top or you could do as my husband does and just break a few up and let them soak into a warm bowl full of chili. If you happen to have leftovers the next day, pop ’em in the toaster oven for a minute and they’ll be just as good as straight out of the oven.
If you’re vegan and don’t eat honey, just switch it out for cane sugar, rice syrup, or a natural sweetener of your choosing.
However you decided to eat them, these cornbread muffins are definitely a treat you’ll enjoy!