Hiking A New Park, Cookies & Looking Ahead

 Weekend Diaries & More

Hello everyone!  I hope your week is off to a good start.  This week I'm focusing on the following scripture:

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 

John 14:27

I'll start today's post with a look at our Sunday "drive" which took us to a river park here in Asheville. 

This is the French Broad River Park which is a fairly new park that continues to be developed. It now includes a riverfront walking and biking trail that we walked part of today. 

We parked in the park and then walked across this bridge to gain access to the walking/biking trail.

Here I am on the walking trail. The bike section is right beside this trail and all is separated from traffic which is very nice. There were people, but the area is so wide that it is easy to stay socially distanced. 

Almost 40 years ago, when we first came to Asheville, this is not an area of town that I would have wanted to spend time in. It's right next to the railroad tracks as you see here and is undergoing a lot of renewal. The old warehouses located nearby are now artist studios and there is lots of renovation and new construction of homes in this area. I haven't been down to this area in awhile and I was surprised at all of the growth and the completion of this walking trail. It reminds me of my trip to Pittsburgh three years ago when I walked on the trail at their river park in the old steel mill area. I have to admit that I'm not a fan of all of the hotel building and renovation of our downtown that attracts so many visitors year round now, but I am impressed with this river walk area. 

Now, how about some cookies?  I'm going to share some baking with you that I did a couple weeks ago and the recipe is easy and delicious!

I have a big sweet tooth (unfortunately) and I'm always on the lookout for a cookie that is a little bit healthier than the store bought variety. This peanut butter recipe is so easy and uses ingredients that many of us have on hand. Made with honey, instead of sugar, and whole wheat flour, rather than white flour, I feel like I'm able to indulge in a healthier treat. 

The recipe is not my own. It came from Julie Wunder over at Running In A Skirt. Be sure to check out her blog for lots of great recipes for healthy, vegetarian and pescatarian food. 

It was super simple to mix the wet ingredients and add it to the dry ingredients and stir it all together. 

For me, the cookies came out more as a drop cookies so mine aren't as pretty as Julie's but they are delicious!

Mine came out lovely and brown on the bottom...

And with more of a soft, chewy consistency in the middle. I devoured a few while warm with milk. Mmmm...yummy! Be sure to check out the link to get Julie's recipe. 

Looking Ahead

You know, here we are in November already, and I'm starting to look ahead to the holidays. I know that the holidays may look a bit different this year for folks but they are still seasons of thanksgiving and joy and, in terms of Christmas, still thankfulness for Christ's birth. I'm already excited to think about Christmas decorations and I've watched two Hallmark Christmas movies so far, so I'm getting in the spirit! I'm looking through some of my Pinterest images to get inspired for decorating.

How cute is this Christmas tree in a teapot? (credit to just-christmas.blogspot.com for this pic)

And I love sleigh displays. This one with the wreath is especially lovely. Looks so simple and yet festive.  Remember, these images are from Pinterest. I'm not taking credit for these Christmas images. (credit to faded charm for this pic)

Oh wow! Look at this beautiful tree with blue lights. How gorgeous with the white lights surrounding it and snow on the ground.  (credit to outdoormagic.tumblr.com for this pic)

So, are you like me?  Looking ahead to the holidays?  Baking any cookies?  Taking any walks?  Let me know what you've been up to in the comments.  And be sure to have a good week ahead!

Until Next Time,

Debbie