colors of the season at Pike Place Market

The florist on the right hand entrance to Pike Place Market was carving out the innards of these little gourds and making the prettiest of floral displays. Makes you glad for all the rich and abundant royal tones that is requisite for FALL.

I LUV brussel sprouts - but, alas, they do not love me. I thought this gila monster on the sprouts was totally appropriate - you either love the little green buggers or hate them.

Cabbage roses - the bloom of Autumn. The bouquets began at a mere $5 and had the lovely tones of ivory and purple. The whole family took some home for display.

Pike Place Market/Seattle
on 1st Ave. in downtown
a great destination in any season

What I saw today in Renton

Autumn

No spring nor summer beauty hath such grace
as I have seen in one autumnal face

Autumn quote by John Donne

Come and get your pumpkin cupcakes - Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes

Sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too. If you are nice, believe in the power of the pumpkin patch and share bites (occasionally, when forced ) of your cupcakes, then you just might come out ahead. The Picaroon certainly did yesterday, when taste testing the newest flavor at the Common Ground Coffee & Cupcakes - Pumpkin. Pumpkin flavored icing on top of a moist pumpkin spice cake. Heavenly harvest, come to mama!



The sweet side of blogging about Renton is getting to know the lighter fare of our little burg's life. Other bloggers have gone where The Picaroon has tread - and with far more serious and investigative baking intents. One food blog that I love to peek in on, Cakespy, visited our dear downtown to have cupcakes on a handful of occasions and then wrote a review. On the very day Cakespy wrote about our tasty little frosted treats, an even bigger blog began featuring her on her blog's front page, the wonderful Bakerella. So now, people across the globe were wishing they were in Renton and eating our deserts. So I am sincerely hoping that you are not taking Common Ground Coffee and Cupcakes for granted and that you will soon be heading in for some fall festiveness. Little iced pumpkin cakes, cup sized and crazily scrumptious.

Common Ground Cupcakes and Coffee
900 South Third St.(425) 235 - 1717
www.commongroundcupcakes.com

Sometimes art IS life

Sometimes art is life and life is art. The colors we find in nature, reflected right back at us in our manmade constructs. Weirdly wonderful - these orange and blue synchronicities.

The new First Savings and Loan building on Wells Street is full of spry Fall colors, and so are the neighborhood trees.

Jones Park gets a dose of Fall

Everywhere the new coating of fall colors begins to be worn. Here, Jones Park on Wells Street begins to get a new change of "leaf".

Last Day at the Pea Patch

Another harvest is taking place - it is the last of the "P" Patch crops. The local Renton Community Garden is closing for the season and all the plot owners are clearing out the last of their crops. Lucky me - a kind neighbor and friend will be sharing some of her tomatoes with me this day as she reaps the benefits of her hard work one last time. Here are some photos on a lovely Fall day of the place where green thumbs spent laborious hours these last few weeks.

The color of the sky, the leaves as they begin to turn and the slight chilling of the air. I am basking in it.

A cake to bring the season in with- Apple/ Cranberry Cake

In keeping with the season and eating the fruits and vegetables that are fresh for the taking - it is time to start looking at apples once again. This recipe is completely inspired by my foodie blog crush, Smitten Kitchen, but modified to suit what was in the house and what the tastebuds demanded. Here I give you my take on the recipe, but click the above link and return to the original as well.

Fresh Apple Cake with Cranberries

4 apples, cored and diced into chunks (any kind will do, really)
1/2 cup cranberries (frozen is just fine)
1 Tbs of cinnamon
5 Tbs of sugar
1 Tbs lime or lemon juice, squeezed over the freshly cut fruit

3 cups of flour
1 Tbs of baking powder
1 tsp of salt
1 Tbs of cinnamon
a bit of ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 tsp of vanilla
1/4 cup of rum ( or lemon juice/orange juice - whatever you've got)
1 cup of oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 pan (or bundt pan). Cut up apples and toss with cranberries, lime juice and cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix the 2 sugars together with the eggs and vanilla. Add the oil. Then add the flour, baking powder,salt, cinnamon and nutmeg (which many would like to first sift together separately - which I would do if not so lazy). When well mixed, stir in the fruit and then pour into the greased pan. Cook for about 40 -45 minutes, and then begin checking to make sure your cake does not overcook. Cool completely and dust with confectioner's sugar. Will taste just great the next day.

Delish!

Harvesting cute thoughts

The Fall Harvest Festival & Chamber Expo is almost upon us - which means that there will be lots of window displays and storefront scarecrows. I love the decorating that goes on at this time of the year in Renton, and things are just beginning to heat up on that score.

Above, is just one of the festive windows at Happy Delusions on S. Third St. in the DTR, a home to artisans and craftsmen and a place for you to buy original goodies. I love Mary Clymer, owner of HD's, verve and holiday spirit - so why did I only nominate her window for the cutest of the moment? Because she may have some good competition springing up this week - so stay tuned and The Picaroon will bring you more cute windows as the week progresses.

Speaking of cute - what are you going to wear for Halloween this year? Junebug here, already has her outfit picked out. She is going as a Strawberry Marshmallow. Makes her highly squeezable and keeps her warm. Junie couldn't wait till the end of the month to wear her new favorite outfit, so if you are lucky, you will be able to see it yourself sometime soon.

Don't forget to put the Trick or Treat & "Olde Fashion Halloween Party in the Main Street Square (entrance at the 200 block of Main) on your calendar. Saturday, October 31st from 1 til 4pm. It is right behind the top block of South Third and free and family oriented and tons of fun.

The Fall Harvest Festival & Chamber Expo takes place this Saturday at the Piazza & Spirit of WA Events Center from 10 am till 4pm and is also free, family fun. The scarecrow contests that runs all week long in preparation for this event is enough to bring you downtown.

Renton is rolling in pumpkins

Need I say more? Found on my walks and meanderings in Renton. Gorgeous to behold. Harbingers of the season.

Fall on a Renton doorstep

"Tell me, what is it
you plan to do with
your one wild
and precious life?
A ship is safe in port
but that is not what
ships are for"

Mary Oliver

The Picaroon begs your indulgence - we are off sick, and will catch up more with you another fine day.

Adding a little Fall color

Although we have blue skies above, the crispness in the air tells it all. Time to brace for the onslaught of Fall.

I personally love to embrace the colors of the season and sprinkle them about the home front. Cugini Florists is a place I love to indulge in on occasion when looking for a special new "something" to add to the scheme of decorations. The shop is such a colorful joy to visit and each year the buyers treat us to a plethora of new goodies that I never see anywhere else.

This potted plant has a little birdie nesting amongst the foliage.

Every season you should stop in at this Renton institution on our main drag of South Third Street. A visual treat each and everytime. The inclusion of the Native American Indian statues was a welcome sight - not everyone has ancestry that includes a pilgrim, if you know what I mean...

Cugini Florists
413 South Third Street
Renton, WA 98057
(425) 255 - 3900 (800) 733 3901

A look at our town

Can you believe this is Fall, folks?! Blue, blue skies and sunshine - though a nice little nip has finally entered the air. Shots of our illustrious historic downtown. Taken from the Veteran's Memorial at Main and South Third looking down the main drag. Gorgeous.