Wander[lust]: A Minnesota Sunrise

Do you ever have that moment where the stars align and deliver you to that perfect place at that perfect time? Well that happened this last weekend in Minnesota after watching Laura's fiancé and his band play on Saturday night. My mom, stepdad and I left at 5:50am so we could get back to Michigan at a reasonable time. We stopped at Starbucks along the way for a little bit of fuel for the hours ahead. As we rounded one of the bends on the highway, this happened:

I am so use to seeing gorgeous sunsets on Lake Michigan, so a sunrise on a small lake in Minnesota was a perfect way to end a road trip.

World, you're pretty cool.

If you're a traveler like us over here, check out my friend Cat's blog as she travels solo around Europe for 6 weeks!

xoxo, K

Miniature Pumpkin Pies

Last night I went over to Katelyn's house, and I picked up some pumpkin pie ingredients on the way. It seemed like a perfect night to make fall desserts and drink lattes. When I got to Katelyn's, I asked her if she had pie pans because I had completely forgotten to purchase some disposables while at the grocery store. She didn't have any. Laura's new solution to no pie pans: muffin pans. 

I always wanted to try out my idea of "mini pies", but hadn't done so until last night. This was the perfect opportunity for us to test out personal sized pumpkin pies made in a smaller pan.

It wasn't until later in the baking process that we noticed she had two pie pans up in a cupboard somewhere, so we made a regular sized pie as well. It all worked out, as we made a double batch, anyway.

What you'll need:

pie crust

(1) 15 oz can pumpkin

(1) 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon 

2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Whisk the pumpkin, condensed milk, and eggs in a bowl. Add salt and spices, then blend well until smooth.

Cut out the pie crusts in the size/shape you need. For the miniature pies, we used the rim of a mason jar for the perfect sized circle to fill the muffin pans.

 

Once you have your pans covered, pour your pumpkin mix into the crusts. 

Put them in the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for another 30-35 minutes. 

Don't forget your whipped cream! 

Enjoy. 

xoxo,

Laura

Gearing Up for Black Friday // A Giveaway!

Although it's only mid-October and snow isn't yet on the grounds of Michigan, we're already thinking about Black Friday. Why, you ask? Because if the two of us girls are afraid of two things, it's the following: 

1. Crowds

2. Christmas Shopping

So what do we do to prepare for Black Friday? SHOP ONLINE DEALS!

Here is our list of favorite online stores that we like to shop in order to avoid Black Friday crowds:

Best Buy -
Because there is always someone on that Christmas List
that wants an electronic and the lines at these places are just terrifying!

Target -
This one is self explanatory.

Forever21 -
Again, another larger store where avoiding teenie boppers is ideal.

It's also smart to create a checklist for yourself. This way, you can figure out your budget, and check some things off your list one at a time. Nobody likes to spend one entire paycheck on Christmas shopping, so start early and pace yourself! Try buying one or two items per paycheck, so you aren't panicking about your finances the week before Christmas.

Did we mention you can do things like drink homemade lattes while shopping the same deals as those in the store?

That even leaves you time to hangout with your kitty.


 Check out these amazing Black Friday Sales and Coupons.com Coupon Codes!

Coupons.com is giving one lucky reader a $100 e-giftcard to Sephora! You have can enter several entries below to increase your chance of winning. Enter below!
The giveaway will end on Monday, October 21st at 12:00 am.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How do you prepare for Black Friday? We'd like to hear your thoughts and preparation tips!

xoxo,
L&K

 

En Route

I really hope everyone is enjoying this perfect fall weather as much as we are! Katelyn is currently on her way to Minnesota to watch Steve Rivers (Laura's fiancé) play in the Texaco Country Showdown! I can't wait to see Laura, Tieka and Laura's family on Saturday! The drive on the way to the Upper Peninsula in Michigan was so perfect in every way. I can't believe how much it amazes me every year how beautiful fall can be. Here are a few photos from my trip so far-

Cute sign at the Mackinaw Bridge lookout, Michiganders are so hospitable :)

Gorgeous Autumn colors

Officially in the UP

Layer on layers on layers

That would be Michigan showing off again with one of its sunsets.

What's everyone else up to this weekend?

xoxo, K

P.S. Happy 28th Birthday to my stud muffin of a husband who passed his Level 1 Sommelier test yesterday!

Wander[lust]: Capture the Colour

Hello all! Katelyn here. I've decided to share all my travel inspirations with you guys weekly by starting  a new series called Wander[lust]. I'll post all my travel musings, all travel related things I'm lusting over, items on my personal bucket list, on mine and Alex's bucket list, etc. This happens to be the perfect week to start it because a few of the travel blogs I read have entered in the Capture the Colour contest, and by golly gee I want to rummage through all my travel photos too! Here are the photos' I've selected for the various colors, enjoy!

Red

[In a tetería in Granada, Spain]

Green

[In the Irish Country]

Blue

[Granada, Spain]

Yellow

[Maria Jesus' Paella; Madrid, Spain]

White

[Paris, France]

Perhaps not to be is to be without your being,

without your going, that cuts noon light

like a blue flower, without your passing

later through fog and stones,

without the torch you lift in your hand

that others may not see as golden,

that perhaps no one believed blossomed

the glowing origin of the rose,

without, in the end, your being, your coming

suddenly, inspiringly, to know my life,

blaze of the rose-tree, wheat of the breeze:

and it follows that I am, because you are:

it follows from ‘you are’, that I am, and we:

and, because of love, you will, I will,

We will, come to be. 

Pablo Neruda

xoxo, K