There are a number of restrictions standing in the way of your traditional fall spirit. Between pumpkin patch Covid scares and midterms, it has been one scary Halloween. Typically, you’ll find students with creative costumes all throughout the school on Halloween. It is the one day you get to see a pirate doing geometry next to a dinosaur. This year has looked a lot different due to COVID-19, but we won’t let that stop us from our holiday fun. Let’s get into the fall festivities!
Washington may be called the Evergreen State, but the autumn leaves here are worth some attention. Seattle looks best with a little red, orange and yellow mixed in. One of the many advantages of living in Washington are the many hikes for the public’s enjoyment. On your next outdoor adventure, stop by Kubota Garden in Seattle. From unique plants to your classic autumn trees, strolls through landscape artist Fujitaro Kubota’s garden are nothing if not beautiful. If you’re looking for more of a challenge, mask up and head on up to Wallace Falls in Snohomish or the Ira Spring Trail and Mason Lake, located in North Bend. Just remember to bring a rain jacket and the right equipment for a safe experience!
When Thanksgiving comes around this year, it will look different without the whole family, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a celebration. Holiday baking is one of the best ways to bring people together. Try making white chocolate truffles! It is fun, easy, and the perfect gift for your family and friends with a little bit of a sweet tooth.
White Chocolate Truffle Recipe
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of cream
- 9 tablespoons of heavy cream (divided)
- 1 bag (11 ounces) of white chocolate chips + 3 more extra cups of chips
- 2 ounces of room temperature cream cheese
- 2 ½ cups of finely crushed Biscoff cookies
- any kind of sprinkles for decoration
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan, heat 1/2 cup cream over low heat until bubbles form around edges for about 1 to 2 minutes. Add your bag of white chocolate chips and let the ingredients sit for 2 minutes. After, whisk until smooth and then whisk in your cream cheese. Fold in your cookie crumbs until everything is combined. Once everything is mixed correctly, transfer it to a bowl, and let it chill until firm. This process may take up 2 hours or overnight.
- Take a rimmed baking sheet, and line it with parchment paper. Then, begin to roll your mixture into tablespoon-sized balls, and transfer everything to a baking sheet. Let them freeze until firm. This may take 35-40 minutes.
- Lastly, microwave the remaining 9 tablespoons of cream and add the 3 cups of white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl (on high) for 1 minute. Make sure to whisk everything until smooth. Dip your truffles into the melted white chocolate, making sure to tap off any excess, and place them on a baking sheet. Before it dries, decorate your truffles to your liking. Enjoy!
Due to COVID-19, things haven’t turned out the way we wanted them to. Though it is very fortunate that we are having a football season this year, and you may have found yourself watching a bit more of it than you would like. It can be hard to pull away when your favorite team is making their way to score. While the stadiums are closed, games from the couch are proving to be a good runner up. When there isn’t a game on just remember there are plenty of other shows out there ready to be watched.
Whether it’s for the story or some autumn colors, if a fall feeling is what you’re after, we have movies we think you’ll enjoy:
–Fantastic Mr. Fox is an upbeat story from the perspective of animals making a living as everyday people do. The show features an animation style that favors warm autumn colors, apple cider, and apples decorated with stars.
-If you like a little more action than what a PG movie contains, Knives Out might be a better choice for you. It is a calm and comedic murder mystery with a few twists. This story will keep you wondering what is coming next, not to mention the huge creepy mansion and secret doors.
-We all know the Disney movie Frozen, but Frozen 2 features stunning forests drawn during the turning point of fall. A mysterious and powerful voice calls out to the main drawing her into the woods. This forest holds many old and magical secrets within its wall of fog.
-Who could forget Hocus Pocus, it is a fall classic containing witches, spells, broomsticks, and cats! The costume design alone is enough to draw you into the story with all crazy wigs and extravagant dresses.
These fall movies have the perfect mix of swirling leaves in November wind, warm jackets, and an orange color palette. Whatever you choose to watch, whether it’s sports or a good movie, we hope you can cozy up with a warm blanket and enjoy it.
We may be stuck at home this fall, but that doesn’t mean we have to be bored. Choose a few favorite traditions to try out this year and remember to stay safe!
