Food | Love, Laughter, and Life

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 27, 2025 by Angie 2 Comments

October 27, 2025
by Angie 7 Comments

2025 Pumpkin Report

Like last year, the “new seeds” portion of the pumpkin crop was off to a slow start. I repeatedly replanted several sections of the various garden areas I have. Not to great results.

BUT the “toss out some old pumpkins and let them rot and self-seed” portion of the crop performed with glee! Pumpkin glee!

pumpkin patch after first frost, before harvest

Keep reading to find how many pumpkins were harvested in 2025!

Especially productive was the raised bed we have way out in the pasture. That’s where I left several pumpkins from 2024: a white one my son surprised me with after a trip to a pumpkin farm stand, a smaller orange one, and one of those tiny pumpkins. They rested in the bed over winter and sprouted early. Hundreds of sprouts. I had to rip out handfuls to give room to the rest. By pumpkin harvest day, the spread was huge! We actually had to curb the growth as it headed over to the horse pasture (not ours) next door. It took many hours to harvest them. And then more moving them, ripping out the vines, stepping gently to find any lost ones.

Also productive were the tiny pumpkins planted (but also I left some from 2024, so it’s a toss-up which ones actually sprouted) in the sunflower forest bed. I love these, because they vine and grow up. We had them climbing pumpkins, shrubbery, and some of the pine tree (which began as a twig with roots from the Arbor Day Foundation, and is slowly taking over said sunflower forest and patio). I love discovering where these cuties show up.

I had some muscle to help haul in the heavy wheelbarrows!

We even ended up with a wagon of rejects (partially eaten) for the animal farm on the other side of the pasture.

Plus 40 in the trunk to go to church for a potluck!

Finally, here are the 2025 pumpkin harvest totals! Drum roll please . . .

White pumpkins: 17

Tiny pumpkins: 67

Orange pumpkins: 158

For an amazing grand total of 242 PUMPKINS!

So thankful for a wonderful harvest! Can’t wait until next year!

Just for fun, check out totals from last year here.

October 26, 2025
by Angie Leave a comment

Sunday Peace

pumpkins, Bible verse, Romans 12-18, peace — Fall Pumpkin Harvest

Yakima Valley

October 16, 2025
by Angie Leave a comment

Haiku Moment: beach time mystery

as I walked one day-

random sunbathing surprise

beach time mystery!

dog toy? picnic side?

fallen barbecue baked dish?

~~couch~~ beach potato

beach time mystery by Angie Quantrell

Grayland Beach State Park, WA

October 13, 2025
by Angie 7 Comments

Five Ways to Foster Friendship with Pumpkins by Author Laura Sassi +Giveaway

Author of Pumpkin Day for Boo and Belle (Paraclete Press, 2025) Laura Sassi is here to share a special blog post about encouraging littles to grow friendships. Paraclete Press is offering to give a copy of Pumpkin Day for Boo and Belle to one reader who comments below on this blog (US only). Be sure to read to the end for details and comment on this post. Thank you, Laura and Paraclete Press!

Now, let’s hear about 5 ways to foster friendship with pumpkins. Welcome, Laura!

Five Ways to Foster Friendship with Pumpkins

Children love the pumpkin patch setting of my newest book, Pumpkin Day for Boo and Belle, because we all love pumpkins! And since celebrating friendship (despite misunderstandings) is a central theme in the story, I thought it would be fun to share five ideas for fostering friendship with our kids using pumpkins! I hope they spark even more ideas for celebrating friendship, pumpkins, and thankfulness.

1. Take a field trip to a pumpkin patch with your child and a friend or group of friends. Explore the pumpkin patch together. Look for the tallest, plumpest, biggest pumpkin, etc. Count all the pumpkins you see in a row. Maybe even enjoy a cup of cider or water while sitting on pumpkins! Afterwards, give thanks together for special friends and special days like this.

2. With parental supervision, using fresh or canned pumpkin, have your child and a friend bake a pumpkin treat to eat…together! Have the children take turns as they stir, mix, pour, etc. When the treat is ready to eat, cut a slice for each friend to enjoy. Before taking that first nibble be sure give thanks, once again, for the wonderful gift of friendship and good food.

3. Ahead of time, get a pumpkin for your child and each friend. Then, set up a painting station outside and paint some pumpkins! (Alternatively, carve the pumpkins—but this is harder for our littlest friends.) As the children enjoy each other’s pumpkin-y creations, encourage them to let each other know that they appreciate their friendship.

4. Have your child and a friend gather a few of their favorite stuffed animals, then have a pumpkin-themed story time! Check my guest post at Read, Discuss, Do for some of my favorite fall picture books that include pumpkins. Do you think my newest book Pumpkin Day for Boo and Belle is on the list? Yes!

5. Organize a pumpkin-themed “act of kindness” for your child and a friend to participate in together. This could be something as simple as baking a pumpkin treat (see idea #2) and then delivering it to a neighbor in need. Other ideas might include making cards that feature a pumpkin (and a short hand-written note of encouragement) to mail to shut-ins, for example, or others going through a hard time.

Wow, great ideas! Thank you, Laura! I love that you shared ideas for fostering friendships that were based on pumpkins. It’s the perfect time of year for pumpkin fun. In fact, today I had to harvest my pumpkin patch. There were SO many pumpkins (over 100!). I bet some of them would work just right with your ideas. I am thankful for God blessing our pumpkin crop this year!

Friends, Pumpkin Day for Boo and Belle is an adorable book about friendship. To get your name in the hat for a chance to win a copy, make sure to leave a comment below. Maybe you can share something you enjoy doing with pumpkins and friends, or maybe you have another idea of a fun activity littles can do with pumpkins and friends. Do share! We love ideas AND littles!

A winner will be chosen in one week, Monday, October 20.

Thank you, Laura, for being our guest today! Congratulations on your newest book!

July 22, 2025
by Angie Leave a comment

Snoqualmie Tunnel I-90

Here we go, headed into Snoqualmie Tunnel!

We headed out for a cool walk/hike last weekend. Located at the top of Snoqualmie Pass just off of I-90, the Snoqualmie Tunnel is an old railroad tunnel that stretches about 2 miles one way. The distance is not the same as other places I looked, but let’s just say 2-ish tunnel miles to get to the other end. If you want to get back to your car, then 2-ish tunnel miles to get back. LOL

Take the Hyak exit and follow the signs to the large parking area. Restrooms are available. The parking lot sits next to the Palouse to Cascades Trail, so if you don’t want to walk in the cold damp dark, you can head east and walk along the backside of Keechelus Lake (which is very low this year due to drought).

Just inside the tunnel. The light at the end looks like it’s just right there. But there are two miles to go before it’s just right there.

There is a short walk (the sign says .4 mile, but it didn’t feel that long) to the tunnel entrance. It felt cumbersome to be dressed so warmly when out in the sun, but we dressed for the cold dark tunnel. Coats, long pants, gloves, hats, flashlights. If you have a scorcher of a day, this hike is a great way to escape that heat!

Our obligatory “here we go” selfie at the beginning of the hike.

It’s always a bit disconcerting to see nothing but a tiny dot of white far in the distance. But your eyes adjust and you get used to seeing nothing except that bit in front of the flashlight. The tunnel runs pretty straight and mostly flat, but at both ends there are areas where the center is higher than the rest. There are also ditches along the sides, mostly with wood coverings, but some covers have broken through. I wouldn’t want to fall into one of those places, so I’m quite happy to carry my flashlight to make sure I keep away from the edges. Expect wet areas of dripping water.

In the tunnel selfie. No turning back now. Haha. But we did see one couple head in with 2 little dogs. And pretty soon he came back with 2 little dogs while she continued on. The dogs were NOT a fan of the tunnel.

Noises are amplified and echo back and forth. We arrived early and mostly had the tunnel to ourselves as we headed west. It was quite relaxing. The views once you get out of the east entrance of the tunnel are beautiful. You can hear traffic on I-90 and see far down the valley. We watched a small plane looping around doing some sightseeing. Wildflowers are blooming like crazy right now, so I had fun snapping photos. There are a few picnic tables and a forest toilet (no running water). The trail continues on, but we were not equipped to keep going. ONE day we will be, because I would love to go on to Annette Lake.

Almost to the west entrance (the end of our 2-ish mile one way walk) where we hung out for a bit before heading back.

We hit the crowds on the way back. Multiple groups with electric bikes passed us in both directions. Some people were walking, a few with dogs. I think we only saw one person with a manual bicycle. This was definitely the most traffic we’ve seen in the tunnel over the numerous times we’ve visited.

Pretty foxglove stealing the wildflower show!

Despite the crowds, we had a lovely hike. Cool, dark, refreshing. Ahhh. And snacks waiting for us back in the ice chest.

Vibrant wildflowers at the east tunnel entrance.

April 29, 2025
by Angie 2 Comments

A Panda Tea Set Adventure

I so enjoy a cup of tea! I’ve even blogged a few times about tea experiences. My last tea post was about the time I read a picture book featuring Masala Chai and then made my own following the recipe in the back of the book.

All good fun. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from someone who enjoyed that post. I was skeptical. But this person represented Umi Tea Sets, which turned out to be a real tea company in China. That was the first thing I checked. Just to make sure.

I loved digging through the Umi Tea Sets website to see what types of teas, teacups, tea sets, and other tea items they offered. There is a wealth of tea information on their website too. They offered to send me something to test and share with you. How nice is that?!

Umi Tea Sets sent the cutest little panda travel tea set! It comes in a molded travel case. The complete set has a tiny teapot (the panda body) with room for 3 cups of water. Not our measurement of 1 cup, but the adorable teacup=1 cup of tea (the panda head is a teacup, 2 total panda head teacups). The other tiny pot (the second panda body) is for tea leaf storage, which easily holds enough tea for several outings. So. Much. Fun.

Umi Tea Sets even included three packets of tea leaves to try. The photos show Da Hung Pao, which is an oolong tea. Mmm.

My granddaughter is smitten with the panda tea set, so we can have our own tea parties and sip away. She likes books too, so maybe we can sit, sip, and read together. We can go anywhere, since this is a travel tea set!

Heads up to plenty of tea adventures when these pandas go along! You can learn more about Umi Tea Sets travel sets here. Or search for any other tea needs. Thank you, Umi Tea Sets!

April 2, 2025
by Angie 2 Comments

Haiku Moment: spring fashion

cotton candy fluff

buzzy busy bees adorn

pink tree spring fashion

spring fashion by Angie Quantrell

Lateral A, Yakima Valley

I was inspired to write this haiku after I read this poem by Danna Smith.

March 5, 2025
by Angie 4 Comments

Time for Chai (and a Picture Book)

I’m a tea lover, and I’ve enjoyed my fair share of chai tea. But once I read this picture book, I knew I had to follow the recipe for myself and make homemade chai.

Masala Chai, Fast and Slow

Written by Rajani LaRocca

Illustrated by Neha Rawat

Candlewick Press, 2023

I may have mentioned once or twice that I really enjoy reading picture books about food. Being able to learn about traditions and families and such deliciousness is a treat for my heart. Masala Chai, Fast and Slow plus deep sips from a pretty teacup. Ahhh.

I watched a webinar where Rajani was sharing about her picture book and masala chai. Thanks, 12×12! After I requested my library purchase a copy, I was the first one to check it out (I love that). I kept it out for the maximum of time. Later, I checked it out again. But this time (also nearing the maximum time=number of renewals I can do) I made sure to collect all the ingredients to steep my own masala chai.

The recipe makes quite a bit of chai, so I needed to make it on a weekend when I could share. Which is the point of masala chai. Sharing and connecting with family and friends.

I gathered the ingredients suggested by Rajani in the back matter recipe (I love it when recipes are included in a picture book, and back matter is the bomb): milk, black tea bags, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns, cardamom pods, whole cloves, fresh ginger, and sugar (or honey).

I decided to actually follow the recipe the first time around. Shocker, I know, since I usually wing it when trying new recipes. The resulting chai tea was delicious! Warm, spicy, fragrant. Ahhh. This recipe is a keeper. Good thing too, because I have a big bag of whole cardamom pods.

Masala Chai, Fast and Slow is delighfully tasty. I can’t wait to brew another batch.

January 23, 2025
by Angie 2 Comments

Book Share: Be My Yummy ABC by Joyce Wan

Be My Yummy ABC

Written and illustrated by Joyce Wan

Hippo Park, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, 2025

Joyce Wan celebrated the book birthday of Be My Yummy ABC just recently on January 14. Congratulations, Joyce!

Thank you, Hippo Park, for sending me a copy of Be My Yummy ABC. I requested a copy through PW Grab a Galley and was happily surprised when my grand brought me a package. I wasn’t expecting any books, but there it was. All bright and shiny and pink and gorgeous. And TASTY. Sorry, but my phone camera did not catch the true vibrant colors.

I may have mentioned a time or two that I love books centered around food. Ahem. Still true. This alphabet book delivers. But let’s talk about layers. The more layers there are in a picture book, the more hooks there are for different readers. A hook is what grabs a reader and keeps them coming back for more reads.

Be My Yummy ABC has numerous layers and hooks:

~food (pretty much everyone I know is invested in food)

~multicultural foods (plus pronunciations, thank you!). I love this connection to the wide world around us

~alphabet, which is always a hit with me and any other preschool or kinder teacher

~alphabet chart included! Yes. This is so clever. Joyce designed the thick book jacket cover to include a vibrant alphabet chart on the back. One just needs to unfold the book jacket and voila, a yummy food-based alphabet chart.

~valentine connection. Be My Yummy sounds just like a valentine greeting, so this book can also be used during the month of pinks, reds, valentines, and love

~rhyming! Wow. I can only imagine the challenge to create a picture book with foods beginning with each letter of the alphabet, adding fun words, and making it all rhyme! But Joyce did a wonderful job and it’s a fun read aloud book.

~wide age range. The brightly colored illustrations will appeal to babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary students. What a nice span!

~great gift-ability, as I can see parents and grandparents giving this alphabet book as a gift

~back matter giving food name pronunciations and information about each food

~I’m sure there are more layers I’ve missed.

Be My Yummy ABC is a tasty treat for my eyes, my mouth, and my mind!

P.S. In case you think I’m going to eat the book, I will clarify: my eyes (looking at the delightful illustrations), my mouth (the words are tasty to read aloud), and my mind (I can learn more about language, the alphabet, and multicultural foods).