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Like most places around the country, autumn in California’s San Joaquin Valley is a beautiful time of year.  While we might not have as many vibrant colored leaves as other places, we do have fruit trees.  Pomegranates, persimmons, lemons – these are our fall colors.  Take a drive through the country or just about any older neighborhood and you’re bound to run across some of these beautiful trees with their red, orange, and yellow fruit.  Persimmon trees are my fall favorite.  The trees drop their leaves as the fruit ripens, leaving nothing but the spectacular glowing orange orbs – it’s quite a beautiful sight. Continue reading →

Some of you may remember that I started jogging for the very first time last year.  Well, I managed to keep it up through the holidays, finished the Couch-to-5K program, and even completed two different 5K races without walking – one of which took me jogging through fields of artichokes in Castroville, CA.  It was a huge accomplishment for me and one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. Continue reading →

I was really looking forward to making a sweet potato pie this week for Fall Fest.  I’ve never made one and I’m pretty sure that I’ve never even tasted a sweet potato pie.  Yes, it’s a shame, and I’m hoping to remedy the situation soon. But you may have noticed that I have been baking (and eating) a lot of desserts lately.  And after yesterday’s amazing Praline-Pumpkin Cake, I just couldn’t bring myself to bake a pie. Continue reading →

You won’t believe how easy this cake is.  Delicious, too!

I usually have a couple of boxes of yellow cake mix in my pantry in case I need to whip up one of Nana’s Lemon Jello Cakes – it’s just good to be prepared.   But last night I was craving pumpkin cake.  I had planned on throwing together a quick pumpkin spice cake from scratch until a Google search led me to this Praline-Pumpkin Cake from Betty Crocker. Continue reading →

Yes, I ate this.

If you want to read about this decadent sundae and learn about my experience using Ghirardelli chocolate in my favorite recipe for hot fudge, head over to my Pinch My Salt Reviews now.  You’ll be rewarded with delicious recipes plus a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card provided by BlogHer!  Read more here.

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It’s definitely time for another installation of Food Blog Friday and this week I’m featuring a gorgeous Caramel Apple and Pear Cake recipe from the wonderful baking blog Zoë Bakes, written by pastry chef and cookbook author Zoë François.

Even if you aren’t familiar with her blog, you might recognize Zoë as co-author of the popular bread baking books Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  The books are great and so is the Artisan Bread in Five blog, but it’s really been a pleasure getting to know Zoë through her personal baking blog over the past few years. Continue reading →