Sights and Flavors of fall

It gets better.  Even though life seems like it's all uphill.....you get random happiness through hump week.
Like....a lunch time run.  I was on my way to the gym to do some rowing (still grounded from the pool) and decided that a run was a much better idea.  I threw on my shorts and tee and headed out for an (almost) 5 mile jaunt along Park Ave and East Ave.  Perfect lunch hour.  I adore running in September and October, when the temperature is still warm enough for shorts, but cool enough to take the first half mile in order to actually get warm.  It wasn't a super fast run, but it was the best way to spend 40 minutes that I know of!
And then my much better day continued after work with....surprise flowers from my better half.

"Butterfly"  fall roses.  Because getting flowers in the middle of the week for no reason whatsoever is enough to make anyone smile.  Especially when it comes complete with arrangement services (isn't that pretty neat that he can do that?  I think so!)

 Or coming home after a long day to have dinner all ready to go.  Especially soup.  On such a fall like day.....chill in the air, sunny yet dark skies, and leaves turning slightly.....ahhh, I love this time of year.  So I prepped for it this morning.....10 minutes of prep, 8 hours of simmer.....winner every time!  I stumbled upon a beef soup bone at the grocery store this week on sale for 50 cents.  I've never cooked with one before, but I figured why the heck not.  So I scared up some "southwestern ish" ingredients out of the fridge and cupboard and went to work.  The result.....

 Southwestern Veggie Beef Soup

One beef bone

Adobo seasoning

3-4 small peppers

3 ears of corn (the others rolled off!)

3 potatoes (or use my short cut frozen potatoes!)

One bag baby carrots

1 medium onion

Italian dressing (bountifuls)

Adobo seasoning

Vegetable Stock

4 flour tortillas, cut into strips

To be loaded into the crock:  dice peppers, carrots,  potatoes, onions, de -ear the corn.  Add in 2 tbsp italian dressing, 1 tbsp adobo seasoning, and 2 tbsp vegetable stock.  Add in Beef bone.  Add in water to fill crock, approximately 5-6 cups.  Cover and simmer for 7-8 hours.  Remove beef bone and take remaining beef off, dice to bite sized and add to crock.  Simmer without top on for over an hour.  Toast tortillas on a dry skillet, cut into strips.  Garnish bowls with tortilla strips.  Serves 4 as a side dish, two as a main dish.

And because I am lame, I have no picture.  Blogger fail.  Either way, it was delicious.  Trust me on that one :-)  Perfect workout, beautiful flowers, and healthy, delicious, crock pot dinner.....now that's a winner of a day for me.

What was perfect about your day?  At the very least, we're over that hump and much closer to the weekend....and that's always something to celebrate!