Pumpkin All the Things

As soon as the leaves change color and children head back to school with crisp shirts, organized backpacks, and clean shoes, the season is upon us. Welcome to stores, coffee shops, and bakeries everywhere: all things pumpkin! It is a favorite of mine and thusly I have been inspired to try anything and everything pumpkin flavored and craft a list of 10 pumpkin treats that I have tried and enjoyed (or not so much). This list is in no particular order. 

1. Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Celebrating it's 10 year anniversary this year (2013), Starbuck's Pumpkin Spiced Latte has been a staple and a sure symbol that fall is upon us. Over the years, either my tastes have changed, or the syrup has, but I have to request less syrup as it is far too sweet with all the pumps of syrup that go along with a Grande Nonfat PSL (what those in the know refer to it as). None the less it is delicious and I always enjoy the warm spice and caffeine boost. It is a nice alternative to the Chai Latte.

2. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Pumpkin Latte

Until this year I was solidly in Starbuck's corner in support of their Pumpkin Spice Latte, however upon receiving a text message from a well trusted fellow pumpkin fanatic I was persuaded to try Coffee Bean's version: Pumpkin Latte. I felt like I was cheating on Starbuck's, but it came highly recommended and I could not pass up the opportunity to try it. It is really lovely. Just as sweet as Starbuck's, it is smoother somehow and a little more pleasant. I hate to say it, but I think I prefer this over my beloved Starbuck's. Please, no one tell the Mermaid.

3. Pumpkin Pie Poptarts

Ah, nothing beats a pastry treat topped with frosting and weird looking sprinkles - or whatever those things on top of the tart are called. Pumpkin pie poptarts are wonderfully delicious tasting more sweet than anything with a pumpkin pie spice flavor rather than actual pumpkin.
Bonus: they make the house smell like baking pumpkin pie when toasting.

4. Trader Joe's Pumpkin Walked into a Bar Breakfast Bar

This is not much different than any of those other breakfast bars we have come to know and see in stores, but I like that it is offered in this flavor. It is fun for fall and I like that it is a seasonal thing. I do not know that I would qualify it as a breakfast food, but it is a nice afternoon treat.

5. Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies

These cookies are not terrible as cookies go, but slightly disappointing. Made by Pepperidge Farm they are neither very cheesecake-y or pumpkin-y. They are filled with white chocolate chunks and have an orange tinge which is, I guess, what makes them "pumpkin." I would pass on these for something more satisfying.

6. See's Pumpkin Pie Truffle

Again, I am convinced tastes change. When first I tried these delectable treats I was completely taken with them and promised to buy a pound of them next time they were available. I did such and was completely let down. Somehow the pumpkin flavor and the chocolate fight with each other and I am not crazy about the outcome in my mouth. It's just a mess. The chocolate is missing a smooth flavor and does not convey the warm lovely feeling that pumpkin usually bestows upon the one partaking.

7. Ghirardelli Pumpkin Spice Caramels

Where See's candy went wildly astray with their truffles, Ghirardelli nailed it with their caramels. Smooth, soft and perfectly pumpkin spiced these are certainly a favorite to all those who love chocolate, caramel and pumpkin. They literally melt in your mouth. One square is usually enough to satiate your need for pumpkin deliciousness so a bag lasts quite a while, meaning you can still enjoy these treats well into spring if you are disciplined enough (I am not).

8. Noah's Pumpkin Bagel

Clearly I like all things pumpkin. I like Noah's pumpkin bagel because it is not super sweet on its own. Very mild is the pumpkin flavor, and I appreciate that. This way you can top it with whatever you like.

9. Noah's Pumpkin Schmear

Now, to turn that mild pumpkin bagel into a dessert just add Noah's pumpkin schmear. It is amazing!! But fairly sweet. That's ok though because it balances well with the bagel. Another pumpkin cream cheese that is good comes from the ever wonderful Trader Joe's.

10. Dreyer's Pumpkin Ice Cream

When I was younger, there was a frozen yogurt store by my house that made the most perfect pumpkin yogurt. Well balanced between creamy, pumpkin spice and sweet it was always a fall favorite. Sadly, as years went on and privately owned companies of any kind went belly up - so did the charming frozen yogurt shop with its amazing pumpkin yogurt. Since then I have searched for a match, but nothing has been as good - until this year. I am sure Dreyer's has made pumpkin ice cream for ages but somehow I have missed it. Let me tell you, it is delicious!! I easily devoured the first carton I bought and now I can't find anymore but it is creamy and meets all the qualifications for an excellent pumpkin treat. Suggestion: add some crushed graham cracker or a little whipped cream - or both!!

August, Die She Must

Whenever we approach the change of seasons I think of the Simon & Garfunkel song, "April, Come She Will." There is something so melancholy about the words and the music strategically written to accompany them. I always listen to that song with a little bit of heartache. "August, die she must. The Autumn winds blow chilly and cold; September I'll remember a love once new has now grown old." It captures the fleeting passage of time so well, and even though it is emotional for me it is one of my favorite songs by the odd couple.

As Summer winds down and prepares to leave us for another 9ish months, an intense feeling of bittersweet loss sweeps over me. I love Fall, the colors, smells and spices, its gentle prelude to the holiday season and Christmas. It is not that I begrudge its coming on, but this has truly been one of the happiest, most fun Summers of my life and I hate to see it end.

I have soaked in the sun and laughed late into warm nights. I followed that laughter wherever it led me this Summer. I spent a week with amazing friends in Napa learning all about wine and sipping it in the surrounding beauty of the valley and its vineyards. I have stretched my creative legs through baking, writing, and crafts. I have seen more movies than I ever have in a Summer since I was probably about 18. I had an encounter with a rattle snake and came out unscathed. I spent quality time with the people most important to me. I watched the Dodgers win and waited anxiously for Packer football. I did not waste any moment of this beautiful Summer and I definitely made memories that will last me a lifetime. 

I know that time must move forward and it is only in the fact that seasons change that we come to wait impatiently for their arrival and mourn their leave taking. I will think of this summer fondly. I was given such a gift in these long, languid days.

And with that I say, bring it Fall 2013. Do your very best.       

I Mustache You a Question, but I'll Shave it For Later

What is this newfound preoccupation with the male ability to grow hair above their lip? I have no answers. I have started my own mini hoard of mustachioed accessories.  If it is emblazoned, embossed, or painted with a mustache, I must own it immediately. I am just as infatuated with this trend as the next hipster kid with too-tight jeans, nonprescription glasses, a flannel shirt, completed with a sloppy yarn beanie. I am not sure where this blog is going yet - I have no endgame. Just wanted to ponder "aloud" what this is all about.

Does it come from those who came before us? Was it, at one time, a class distinction between the poor and the rich? It is incredibly dapper. Or is it just a symbol of pure and complete manliness? Something only a man's man can grow? I am not saying I adhere to this belief. I know many manly men who can't seem to convince the hair to come in full and glorious above their lip.

Let's think about some of the greatest mustaches we have ever witnessed: Ron Burgundy, George Clooney, Robert Goulet, Burt Reynolds, Freddie Mercury, Ben Affleck, what is a "mustahce," Alex Trebek? Even Zac Efron, with his baby face can pull off a decent mustache.

But let's not forget the pièce de résistance: Tom Selleck. Have you ever seen a more glorious mustache? Or a mustache so undeniably perfect that you would not even dare to think what that face would look like without it? And we have seen his face without it. Still handsome, but not my favorite. Just look at this face! Mr. Selleck, you make the rest of us jealous. You are a gentleman and a scholar. Witness:

And let's not forget this up and comer who is probably my new favorite: NICK OFFERMAN. "Man" is right there in his last name, so there is no debate. In the words of Nick Miller, "You smell like strong coffee and going to see a  man about a horse." He is marvelous.

THE END

I Just Felt Like Running

If you know me at all, or have known me for any length of time - you may know that I am not built for running. In my mind's eye, I run like a gazelle, graceful, quick and beautiful. The reality is, I probably look a lot more like a basset hound unsuccessfully trying to keep up with the group and tripping over my ears. I am sure if someone took a picture of me running I would be grimacing. I would not be the poster child for running as a fun sport. The truth is, my body much prefers the fluidity of water, the peaceful calm and solitude of being beneath its surface.

However, about 4 months ago I was suddenly without a gym. I needed to continue working out as it is amazingly therapeutic for me and allows me to eat pizza in the obscene way I want to. I began jogging around my neighborhood, hesitant about how far I could push myself. The first few jogging attempts were tough. I would stop frequently to catch my breath, but I began to like the feeling of accomplishment that accompanied the end of my 2 mile jaunt. The more I ran, the more addicted I became to seeing what exactly my body was capable of. I also realized that the 30-45 minutes I spent jogging, I also spent meditating, sorting through jumbled thoughts, painful feelings, or just allowing my mind to be quiet for a short while.

Now, just a few shorts months later I can feel good about calling myself a jogger. I am so impressed with how my body has adapted to this new hobby. I make sure that 4-5 times a week I spend that time with myself, improving my physical fitness and getting in touch with what motivates me everyday.

If 30 year old me bumped into 15 year old me and told that teenager that someday she was going to freaking love running, I know that 15 year old would scoff and find that statement completely unbelievable. But I can say with 100% certainty that I do love jogging. I love everything about it. I love the hard work. I love the sweat. I love, love, love pushing past the wall. I love the jogging high. I love my neon pink Nike Fitsoles. I love the definition in my calves. And I love being outside, running through my neighborhood or by the glittering Pacific.

Have a Little Faith

"I have been laid off," "They pink slipped me," "The company went through a restructure and I was not part of their future vision - but I received a decent severance," these are all things I have heard many times before. Solemn faces reporting what has happened to them, why they were filling their new free days with "Gilmore Girls" reruns (just me?), crafting an awesome Twitter feed, and spending way too many hours on Buzzfeed. Victims of the economy, restructure and plain casualty of the work place.

"I'm taking some time to think about my next move, what I really want to do with my life," "I am going back to school," "I am starting my own business," were all responses to what was next. I always felt sad for these folks, their responses clearly said so many times that all real emotion was bereft from their words - but also a little jealous. Dude, where is the excitement? We all say we want summers like when we were younger and now you got one! I never thought I would be one of those people, and I never thought I would dread all the time off. It is certainly a situation you can't fully understand until you are unwillingly thrust into it.

I probably don't have to tell you that being laid of sucks. Plain and simple. It never crossed my mind that it would be like mourning a family member you weren't sure whether or not you liked. Sure you got something awesome out of it, a few extra bucks or some good off color jokes about immigrants, other than that you felt you could take or leave it - but it would always be you doing the taking or leaving. You do not realize, at least I didn't, that it will be heart breaking, make you question your value, and is the most clear cut way to say you are no longer part of the cool club. 

I have felt so many emotions over the last year, but the biggest one after full on drop kicking my positivity across the football field into a lake of boiling lava, has been depression, uncertainty and a complete lack of self confidence. This was totally derailing because I have always been a pretty confident person, putting my mind to something and getting what I wanted. Regardless of the fact that everyone I had previously worked with told me repeatedly that my work was solid, I was a great employee, amazing to work with, and that I was really just a painful casualty of business, I felt like a failure. This feeling has been compounded repeatedly by sending out endless resumes, putting myself out there, making phone calls and hearing nothing. There is no way you do not begin to question whether you were ever even a tiny bit good at what you did.

It has driven home to me how homogenized and one dimensional HR divisions and companies have made potential hires. How can I get anywhere if you don't EVER see me in person, face to face? Even if it is simply so that I can ask if you are hiring. People, in general, don't want things to be messy. If they don't see you they can't feel bad or responsible about not hiring you, and they don't have to deal with your feelings regarding not being hired. This is all fine and good, they themselves are not at all responsible for my situation, but I guess I am tired of superficial bullshit. I have to agree with Meg Ryan's Kathleen Kelly from one of my all time favorite movies You've Got Mail, "And what's so wrong with being personal anyway? Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal." Personal and messy and wonderful, that is what I want. I am not an 8.5x11 piece of card stock typed in Times New Roman 12 point, responsible for writing patents and maintaining a Facebook page. I am a witty, funny, delightfully weird, warm, friendly person who likes words, writing and pop culture. And Starbucks. These things alone won't land me a job, no. But combine those things with a resume and I think I am an excellent addition to any work environment. 

All of this being said, and all of this being true, it may appear that many things have been out of my control. At least when it comes to being hired somewhere, this is true. However, there are some things I still have control over and I have neglected them. Not on purpose, but depression darkens and blurs things and you forget what it felt like to be the person you were. 

There have definitely been a few dark months in my last year. I have cried more than I care to admit, endured enough stress induced migraines for a lifetime, spent a lot of time wallowing (A LOT), and I have slept way more than a happy person should, but things are starting to look better and I feel more "me" than I have in a very long while. I am doing some ghost writing for an amazing woman who deserves her own blog post because she is exceptional and has really shifted my life over the past three months. I started seeing a therapist which has been life changing in ways I did not expect. I have applied to grad school to earn my single subject credential in English with a masters in Language and Literacy with the intent to teach high school students, and I am now looking forward to whatever comes next. I have no idea what that is, but I feel electric about it.   

Solari, out.