I can’t believe it- with this post I am actually pretty much caught up to present day!
On November 4th, I woke up to this most tranquil view of frost beautifully covering the ground.
The little nugget sometimes stands by the fridge hoping we will open it to give him a piece of chicken. Lol. He’s obsessed with the stuff.
On November 5th, I went to breakfast with my MIL and SIL at Valley Cafe. I had been here once when I lived here, but it had a total makeover on the inside and was unrecognizable.
That afternoon I took Moose on our standard walk. I love this little alley way that has tall ledges on one side and a hilly forest and ravine on the other.
November 6th was one of my favorite days in recent memory! We started by going out on a family walk, admired the holiday decor in nearby neighborhoods and then on our way home stopped by Grabham’s candies.
I’d passed this place so many times, I couldn’t wait to finally go in and check it out!
There were so many amazing options! We ordered a box full of various treats. It was all absolutely delicious, but by far, the salted caramels were the star of the show. Next time, I think I may just get a big box of those. They’re reasonably priced too.
In the afternoon, we went to Chick-fil-A, drove around the city and just enjoyed the beautiful day. In the evening I made a meal of creamed spinach, scallops, brown rice and rolls. It was a great day together. DJ’s job is pretty time-intensive right now, so I really treasure this time with him.
That weekend we also stopped into Jubilee Donuts. I was craving donuts somethin’ fierce! 
I dedicated the afternoon to Christmas shopping while snuggling with Moose and having The Great British Bake Off playing in the background. I really enjoy the hunt of shopping for gifts, and with the supply chain concerns I decided to get a jump start on it. It was a wonderfully cozy afternoon.
November 9th, I took Moose to a new trail further away, Lock 29. It was such a gorgeous day, and we both relished walking a new path. 
That week was a big one of interviews for jobs.
November 11th, while walking our familiar route, I was amazed at how the leaves covered the path seemingly overnight. It transformed it into a lovely golden trail.
The weekend of November 13th was the first snow of the year!
Also, I just have to include these pictures of him and this empty yogurt container. We discovered he loves yogurt (his favorite only second to chicken), so we give him the containers when we pretty much empty them out. He walks around with a yogurt-covered nose after- it’s adorable!
While Moose was at Camp Bow Wow, I went for a wonderful run outside. It was a beautiful day, 50-something in November!! I also got so much done around the house & it was weird not having to look over my shoulder every five seconds to make sure Moose wasn’t getting into something. It was an exciting taste of freedom, but I missed Moose horribly by the end of the three hours and couldn’t wait to pick him up.
On November 19th, I let Moose off the leash on the trail for the first time since there was no one around. He had an absolute blast playing fetch with a stick he found (or keep away, however you look at it!).
The evening of November 20th, we went to Leo’s Italian Social in downtown Cuyahoga Falls with my mom-in-law and Gordie. I think I have a new favorite restaurant in town!! The whole downtown Cuyahoga Falls area is really cute- we have a lot to explore there.
On the morning of November 21st, I couldn’t get Blue Door Cafe off my mind. They had a super long wait since we tried to go right around the rush, but they had the option for takeout- fine by me! Their egg white omelette is one of my favorites- it is served over a perfected croissant with sundried tomatoes and avocado. YUM. 
Later that afternoon I met with my friend Kylie for some coffee at my absolute favorite coffee shop around called Nervous Dog Coffee Bar. It was wonderful to catch up as always!
November 24th I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve seen here yet.
My sister-in-law, Renee, made these cookies below and we could not get over how professional they looked!! Also, they tasted as good as they looked- easily some of the best sugar cookies I’ve ever had.
More of our family drove in from Chicago and from around town. It was one of the best evenings- just all of us being together for the first time in years, meeting our niece, celebrating my mom-in-law while enjoying the best variety of pizzas from Tre Belle, birthday cake and a pumpkin bundt cake from Nothing Bunt Cakes (have y’all tried that place?!, so delicious!).
That evening we went to my SIL’s basketball game. She and her team killed it!!
On November 28th, we started the day with some delicious protein pancakes. Side note- I know it would stress me out if I saw only that much syrup left for a whole stack of pancakes, but don’t worry, I had back up 😉
Anyway, December 1st, I was super in the mood to cook/bake something challenging. We have been on a real Great British Bake Off kick, I even got DJ hooked. He caught glimpses of a few episodes and before I knew it, I turned on an episode and he said, “I’ve actually already seen this one!”. LOL.
Back to the baking challenge. I looked at the ingredients we needed to use up in the fridge: sharp cheddar cheese (I accidentally ordered it in bulk), granny smith apples (I accidentally ordered two bags), and lots of butter (yeah, got too much of that too). I found this recipe that fit the ticket from Williams Sonoma: Savory Apple Tart with Cheddar, Onions and Thyme. Mine doesn’t look nearly as pretty as their picture, but it tasted great! I wasn’t sure what to expect with cheese and apples together, but it really somehow worked. I had DJ do a good Paul Hollywood tasting of it. He took a bite then gave me a handshake 😊. He’s kind because it definitely didn’t deserve a handshake off appearance alone- but we did enjoy it. This made me so excited to start the holiday baking!
Question for you!
- Pineapple on pizza: yay or nay?
<3,
Mackenzie