on to november...

halloween night after all the kids had gone home and the lights were turned off we headed

out for a late dinner.  we have a favorite local place that is actually best when it's a bit later

in the evening.  we arrived to two perfect empty seats at the bar.  before we made it to our

seats we ran into an old friend who was in town for a brief visit.  it was such a nice surprise to run into him and catch up for a bit. our friendship has spanned many, many years

so it was particularly fun to hear all the updates regarding his kids etc.  i was reminded, as always, how lucky we have been to have so many wonderful friends in our lives.   

                                             love you toby - wish we were still neighbors

when i opened the menu there were some seasonal specials and right there much to my delight was a pumpkin martini.  i have been looking for one all season. it was made with crop (organic) pumpkin vodka and a pumpkin liquor which i failed to get the name of.  i have had other

pumpkin liquors that just haven't been the same. this one was really good. i guess i will just have to go back for another one and pay closer attention to the brand. just those two ingredients finished off with a graham cracker rim (half the fun) and it was perfect.   in the meantime i decided to purchase the crop pumpkin vodka and have it on hand for thanksgiving.  and speaking of thanksgiving i have offered to host again this year so  i am already checking out menu ideas and tablescapes.   

maybe something like this  .. i love the rustic look

                                                                        kids table

so many choices.   i love pinterest.

stay tuned..

love sent, xo

hello, fall

we have officially said goodbye to summer and hello to fall.   we did get an extra dose of
summer in the south of france where it was still 80 degrees.  but we are home now and back to the grind.  but also back to our comfy bed and our routine,  which feels good.  fall is actually my
favorite time of year.  i love to throw on a comfy sweater and curl up in front of a cozy fire.
it's the perfect time to make great soups and beautiful fall desserts.  and of course apple picking and pie making.   we walked a ton while we were in france and noted that must
be how the french stay so  thin.  how could they be thin with all of those amazing desserts and
amazing bread always within an arms reach.?

while we were away i had this fantastic puff pastry wrapped pork that i was determined to
duplicate.   it was wonderful and i have to say,  i think i did a pretty good job at duplicating it. it's super easy.  your guests will never believe that you did not spend
all day on it.

puff pastry wrapped pork

1 medium pork tenderloin
2 tbsp chopped dried apples
2 tbsp coarse mustard
5-6 springs of thyme
salt and pepper
5-6 slices of thin prosciutto
1 sheet of puff pastry thawed for 30 - 45 minutes.

1 egg 1 tbsp water beaten (for egg wash)

slice the tenderloin in half.  take one side and turn it so that the bottom of one side is
now laying next to the top of the other side.
stuff the middle with the chopped dried apples.
lay out 5-6 pieces of prosciutto over lapping slightly in a vertical direction.
lay a piece of parchment paper over the prosciutto and roll over with a rolling pin so that
the prosciutto sticks together. remove parchment. sprinkle with salt, pepper and liberally with the thyme.
place the tenderloin on top of the proscuitto and roll it around it.
roll out the puff pastry to approx 12x16 rectangle spread with the coarse mustard.
lay the pork on the bottom end of the pastry and again roll it to cover.  fold down the ends
brush the egg wash liberally over the puff pastry.  Bake at 400 degrees for approximately
30 minutes until golden brown.  you must wait at least 10 minutes before cutting it so that
the pastry has time to solidify.
this is super easy and looks really elegant and  it tastes fantastic.  serve it with apple sauce, some
green salad and perhaps some roasted potatoes.
have creme brulee for dessert and you have a beautiful french meal that didn't take all day to
prepare.

so, unfortunately i deleted all of my iphone pictures this past weekend by mistake.  :(  my IT
guys tried to salvage them today but... they are gone.  i can be really bummed out about this
or chalk it up to c'est la vie...  so ... such is life.  not much i can do about it.  so you will have to take my word for it that the puff pastry wrapped pork is awesome.

sorry i lost all of my photos of the step to step.

apple picking was worth the trip.

"use what you have, use what the world gives you.  use the bright flame of fall before winters darkness. orange, harvest, amber, gold, cool nights and the smell of fire: our tree lined streets are set a blaze, our kitchens are filled with the smell of nostalgia.  apples bubbling into sauce, roasting squash, cinnamon, nutmeg, cider, warmth itself."

love sent, xo

eat well, travel often, appreciate every day.

another weekend is almost over.  i know for some lucky folks tomorrow is an extra day off, but it is a work day for me.  i am so grateful for another awesome weekend spent with loved ones, sharing some great times. we had to squeeze in some road trips in 2 days rather than 3 but it was fun just the same.
 it is amazing how relentless change is, how unpredictable.
you can be totally immersed in something one minute and in a moment it is over.  last week there was spectacular autumn foliage and now the beautiful foliage has given way to gray cold afternoons.  just a week ago the trees outside my office were a blazing red, a  spectacular sight.  when i left on friday it was cold and rainy and not a leaf was left on those trees.  but, like everything in life, change propels us forward forcing us to  release our hold on what is over. 
but there are so many gifts, offered to me daily in so many ways.  there is the gift of family, which i have been so blessed to have.  the gift of marriage, which is constantly evolving and changing, helping me be my best self.  i have been so blessed to have an amazing partner to share this life with. the gift of friendship, i am so lucky to have so many special friends.
it often seems as if my life is full of stops and starts,  as i pull myself together, i get turned around, and choose another direction.  there is always something to look forward to and always something to be grateful for.  and i always know that gratitude is a good way to go. 

 i know its crazy .. but we are still eating lobsters.  pretending it's still beach time.
                                    (thanks elaine and michael for such a fun night)

                              
                                        a weekend is not complete without potato pancakes
                                                                       (my favorite).
                           thank you mr nargi, you are the most thoughtful person on the planet

                              the last of the fall beauty.  it snowed up north this weekend.  

such good food.

hope you had a grateful weekend as well.

"Dining with one’s friends and beloved family is certainly one of life’s primal and most innocent delights, one that is both soul-satisfying and eternal.” — Julia Child

love sent, xo

listen.

it's the end of october and i sit here this morning looking at the clouds stretched across the sky and  they look like cotton.  i walk out into the yard soaking up the sunshine between the trees and think of all the things i want to do today.  but just for a moment i stop and listen to the sounds.
i can hear the bells from the church in the center, the church we actually got married in and it makes me smile. birds churp and i can hear the rustle of the leaves, fall is in full swing.    it's all so normal the sounds of my neighborhood but it's different when you close your eyes and really listen.
today is taking on a magical shape, so even if it's just for a minute i'll take it.  

hope you have a great day.

love sent, xo

around here...

here's to good days, a good week,  and a small sampling of what was on the menu.

happy almost friday.

  

loving the view from my kitchen window these days...

simple crock pot beef and broccoli

ingredients

1 lb         boneless beef chuck roast ( the kind you would buy for stew)

1 c          beef broth

1/2 c       soy sauce

1/3 c       brown sugar

1 Tbsp    sesame oil

3 clove   garlic, minced

2 Tbsp   cornstarch

2 Tbsp   sauce from the crock pot after being cooked

              fresh broccoli florets (as many as desired)

              hot cooked rice

directions

1.      place beef in a crock pot.

in a small bowl, combine beef broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, and garlic.

pour over beef. cook on low for 6-8 hours.

2.     in a cup, stir 2 Tbsp of cornstarch and 2 Tbsp sauce from the crock pot until smooth. add to crock pot. stir well to combine.   add broccoli to the crock pot. Stir to combine.

3.    cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken).

serve over hot cooked rice

 pumpkin ice cream

cinnamon raisin bread

my work from home lunch... i love working from home

sausage soup with tortellini and kale
find the original version here  i just added tortellni and kale.

kale salad with sweet potato and bacon with butternut squash ravioli

love sent, xo

grilled butternut squash

2 small  butternut squash
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs butter (melted)
2 tsp grated orange peel
4 tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 cup chopped pecans


gas grill for direct heat. cut four pieces of heavy-duty foil. Cut each squash lengthwise in half; remove seeds. place squash half, cut side up, on each piece of foil. sprinkle with salt.
in small bowl, mix butter, orange peel and 2 tablespoons of the maple syrup. brush over squash halves. fold foil over squash so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again.
cover and grill packets over medium-low heat 50 to 60 minutes, rotating packets 1/2 turn after 25 minutes, until squash is tender. 
sprinkle pecans over squash; drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup.

simple and fantastic.

love sent, xo

bella sera

everyones idea of home and happiness are unique.   it's all to easy to be distracted by our own concerns. but by acting more loving you will feel more loved.
 i want all of this life i am living.

 i want to slow down and fully embrace what is right in front of me.

my heaven on earth are moments like this... thanks for another fantastic weekend. 

love sent, xo

family home...

a home is where a family lives together.  always warm and welcoming.  a casual space for cooking  and eating together.  monday night happens to be dinner with the kids (who have all moved out).  with lacrosse season starting this was the last night we would all be together on a monday for a while . we have coaches, we have players.  xo
thanks for the conversation, the support,  and mostly the love. 

and for the reminder that
"when we walk to the edge of all the light we have and take a step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. there will be something solid for us to stand on,  or we will be taught to fly." -Patrick Overton


and i'll  remember the line from the song we always danced to when you were little...

these are the times to remember, they will not last forever. these are the days to hold onto, cuz we won't although we want to" Billy Joel "

probably one of my most favorite songs of all time.

love sent, xo

i want to start every day like this...

via pinterest

Sunday Night Blues

Sunday Night Blues
I have really never been fond of sunday nights. Sunday nights mean weekends over playtime is over back to another crazy week, of work, work, work. But we did have a fun, productive weekend so I guess it's all good.
I did want to share a wonderful soup recipe that you might enjoy this cold long winter. It might warm you up inside. Yesterday while Tony and I were trying to decide what we might do that evening Michaela was working, a night to ourselves - a fancy restaurant? But it was pouring rain and we were not getting motivated to venture out so we decided to make a nice gourmet meal at home. We both like to cook and sometimes we can pull of stuff that is better than a gourmet restaurant. Well I must say that last night was one of those nights. It was awesome!!!

Butternut Squash Bisque

1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup diced onion

salt and freshly ground pepper

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup diced carrots

pinch nutmeg
4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash

1. Heat oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in onion and cook
until tender about 4 minutes.
2. Stir in carrots, squash and vegetable broth season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender about 5 minutes.
3. Puree soup mixture in a blender until smooth. Return to the pot and stir in heavy cream
HEAT through but do not boil. Serve warm, sprinkle with nutmeg. yum
This is very rich but very good.

So here is the whole meal from start to finish it was GREAT- a fun night for sure, romantic and we saved a bunch of money staying home it was a win all around.