Last chance for recipe submissions!

For December's What's Cooking?, we decided to solicit tried-and-true holiday recipes from our readers, either an original dish or a classic treasure from Grandma's recipe book. The winning recipe warrants a $100 gift card from any AM advertiser and will be featured on a pull-out recipe page alongside other honorable mentions and our own family favorites.

A full gallery of recipes will be featured online as well, so chances are you'll see Granny's Pumpkin Pie showcased in print or on our website (or both!).

Please include a photo with the full recipe. Enter your recipe here and upload your photo to our group on Flickr. Or you can bring your recipe and photos to our office at 900 S. Harrison.

The contest closes Sunday night, so Monday morning is too late! We look forward to sharing your very best with AM readers.

The Lady Buffs, High Plains Food Bank, and More!

The November issue of Amarillo Magazine comes out on Sunday in subscribers' newspapers, and if you don't subscribe, you can read (just about) everything online. In addition to our talk with Coach Gerlich, we interviewed High Plains Food Bank Executive Director Janie Singleton about their need for donations NOW.

You'll also find inspiration for decorating your home for autumn, an easy step-by-step guide to making bird feeders, cut-out recipes for better mashed potatoes and a fall forecast of the trendiest coats.

At the close of every issue, Michele and I always say, "Wow, I think that was our best issue." Well, we're saying it again, and it's not because Coach Gerlich was a joy to talk to, or that this issue's Dress Code required a trek into the wild (boy, was THAT fun!). We just love this time of year and we kept you, the readers, in mind with every section.

If you don't already, follow us on Twitter and be a fan on Facebook (links are to the left, you know).

Happy Friday, AM readers!

--Jennie

Khaled Hosseini and Doppler Dave

It's a bit of a random twosome, I realize, but I was happy to see them both yesterday.

"Doppler Dave" was a joy to interview. Friendly, personable, and a man who doesn't take himself too seriously. Look for him in our December issue of Amarillo Magazine.

Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, two books everyone should read, was an overwhelming inspiration in his talk yesterday at WTAMU. (Dr. Hosseini was the guest speaker at their Convocation. Afterwards, he sat down for a question-answer session with a captive audience.)

While I didn't attend the event to interview Dr. Hosseini, or even do a piece for the magazine, my mind was racing with interview questions. Had there been audience participation, I would've shot my arm in the air with the hope of being chosen... Alas, when it was over, they wisked Dr. Hosseini away and I could hardly refrain from saying, "But I just had one question!!"

Still, in the brief hour we spent together, me and a hundred of his closest Panhandle fans, I was captivated by every story he told about the Afghan people, their plight, and the inspirations behind his books. He spoke of the current political climate (here and abroad), what the Afghan villagers really think about our military presence in their country, and how he's used nearly all of his monies to rebuild a life for the country he so dearly loves.

Thank you, WT, for bringing him here, even if only for a night.

--Jennie

A friendly wager.

When I was hired earlier this year, part of the process was to meet the Publisher. As we talked, I learned that Les is a Georgia native, and I informed him that I had just moved from Tennessee. Those two facts weren't altogether significant - that is, until football season started.

The Tennessee Vols and the Georgia Bulldogs are longtime SEC rivals, so the only appropriate thing to do was make a friendly wager on their game. If Georiga won, then I'd have to adorn his Georgia Snuggie for a photo to go on his blog. Just the same, if the Volunteers succeeded, then I'd bring one of my husband's jerseys for him to wear in a photo for our blog. Needless to say, I was darn-near confident that I'd be wearing black and red this morning...

But, that isn't the case. Instead, I give you Les Simpson in Tennessee Orange.

Happy Monday, folks:

--Jennie

Maxwell's Pumpkin Farm and a Thank You

If you are looking for a family-friendly fall outting for the weekend, here's a shameless plug:

This isn't paid advertising, folks. Rather, it's a recommendation from one parent to another on how to enjoy the best things about autumn. We visited the farm last weekend in celebration of October's arrival, hoping that the $30 entry fee would be worth it. (Tip: Make sure you print off the $1.50-off coupon online.) Not only were we pleasantly surprised at all the activities for kids, we honestly didn't want to leave. (But you have to - at least, when your kids reach Meltdown. A three-year-old can only carry so many pumpkins.)

From the stacked hay bales for climbing and the corn box for digging, to the Golden Goat Bridge and the most intricate corn maze I've ever seen, Maxwell's Pumpkin Farm does not disappoint. So long as the weather holds up, give it a go.

Lastly, a BIG THANKS to our pal Andy Chase for an amazing piece of art for our office wall. You, sir, leave us speechless.

We're on Flickr!

Because we're always looking for ways to interact with readers, we created an AM Flickr group.

There are several ways you can utilize our photo hosting page. First, you need to create a Flickr account (if you don't already have one) and officially "join" the group. This is simple to do and takes only a couple of minutes.

Then, you are free to upload photos for our approval. Sometimes we'll ask for photos in addition to your answer for the We Ask, You Answer question of the month contest, and we're always taking submissions for the Local Exposure page (print and online). You can also use our Flickr group if you attend an event in town and want to share your photos for the Out & About page.

Speaking of the question, there's only one more week to enter your best homemade Halloween costume photos. If you're the winner, we'll print your photo on the Voices page in the November issue, plus you'll win a $100 gift card to any of our advertisers.

Be our eyes and ears in the community and share with us the moments you capture.

Globe-News to celebrate 100 years with a keepsake book

The Globe-News is coming up on its 100th birthday and is celebrating a century of publication with coffee-table pictorial book. The keepsake contains more than 160 images, some of which date back to the early 1900s, when Amarillo was quickly transitioning from a small pioneer town to a busy, thriving metropolitan.

Click here to purchase a copy of Amarillo: Through Our Eyes at a temporary discounted price. It will publish in mid-November and be delivered straight to your doorstep.