Happy Halloween!

XO

Pumpkin Creativity

Halloween is only 1 week away meaning it's time to carve pumpkins! We made a trip to the pumpkin patch on Saturday and picked up 4 beautiful pumpkins that are sitting on the porch ready to be decorated. We have a neighborhood full of little kids this year so I'm feeling the need to impress with my pumpkin carving more than ever. No matter how you carve your pumpkins, I hope you have a fabulous Halloween!

XO

Posters I Love

What I love about posters is they can represent the places you've been, the art you love and the hobbies you partake in. They can be rolled up in a basement for years, taped onto a teenage bedroom wall or beautifully framed to become an artistic masterpiece. The framed posters in my house are often the most asked about "pieces of art", demonstrating that beautiful artwork doesn't have to be expensive. 

Here are a few of the posters I've been digging lately:

Ork Posters (Based in Chicago). Choose your City!

Pop Chart Lab Posters

Happy poster shopping!

XO

Winter Delights

When you live in MN, the thought of winter is on the mind as soon as summer ends. Some people dread it, others tolerate it and some love the time of year when the ponds freeze over and the skis and skates come out. 

Call me crazy but I'm one of those people who loves winter (at least for the first 2 months). The excitement of a huge snow storm, cozying up by the fire to read a book, making a delicious stew on a snowed-in Sunday afternoon...sometimes I just can't get enough!

You might have realized by now that mentally I am always one season ahead. I'm not sure why that is (other than the fact that the high tomorrow is in the 40's), but because I am I thought I'd illustrate a few of the reasons why I love winter...

Enjoy!

XO 

Minnesota Apple Picking

It's one of my favorite times of year in Minnesota. Fall is here, leaves are falling, people are buying pumpkins and it's time to go to the orchard and pick some apples! 

The University of MN is home to an incredible fruit breeding farm that is at the center of fruit research. Some great varieties have come out of this program including Honey Crisp, Honey Gold, McIntosh and most recently the Sweet Tango.  

It's no wonder Apple Picking is one of my favorite (new) traditions that I will be partaking in for years to come!

XO

Puppy love

Everyone loves a cute puppy but when that puppy is actually your own little guy that's what we call true puppy love. Bascom finally came home on Saturday and has been (mostly) a joy ever since!

XO

DIY Pasta Sauce

I love nothing more than a good family tradition, especially one which corresponds to the changing of seasons. Although I do not yet have a family of my own, I've decided to get a head start over the past couple of years and start my own traditions (many of which I've simply adopted from my parents and our family growing up). 

One such tradition is the annual pasta sauce making day. Growing up in California we were lucky enough to have a garden FULL of juicy tomatoes, basil and any other fruit/vegetable you can imagine. This not only led to amazing home cooked meals but a plethora of homemade pasta sauce to freeze and eat throughout the year. I don't have the luxury of growing my own vegetables but I do continue to make pasta sauce from the family "recipe" each year. Nothing is better on a cold snowy winter evening then thawing some homemade sauce and enjoying a nice big warm bowl of spaghetti. 

I won't divulge the whole recipe but below are a few of the ingredients/steps which make the sauce so delicious and tasty:

1. Start with a LARGE pot (this year I will be investing in a 16-20 quart Le Creuset)

2. Get the juiciest, freshest tomatoes possible (I use a mix of fresh, canned and tomato paste)

3. Porcini Mushrooms: this to me is the key deliciousness factor in our sauce. Soak dried porcini's in boiling water for a few hours before chopping and adding.

4. Bulk hot italian sausage (sans casings) to give things a slight kick

Combine with a whole lot of vegetables and love and enjoy for the whole long, cold winter (and year!)

XO