Thanksgiving Highlights

What do you like to wear on Thanksgiving?

Does anyone else plan their Thanksgiving outfit with, er, expandability in the equation?  What's your preferred Thanksgiving go-to outfit?  Borderline pajama pants would be a great choice :)

Happy Thanksgiving!  Safest travels :) 

My favorite fall salad

My favorite fall salad comes from childhood.  Most salads were tolerated at best, but there was this one salad my mother made that always made me excited to eat my veggies.  While I don't need the extra encouragement anymore, this still remains a favorite. 

Lauren's Favorite Fall Salad

• Mixed baby greens 
• Bosc pears
• Coarsely chopped walnuts
• Red onion
• Feta (or bleu cheese, or something else stronger) 
• Dried cranberries
• Champagne vinaigrette: Champagne vinegar, olive oil, a hint of dijon, honey, salt, pepper

Plum Clafoutis

This is a gem of a weeknight dessert recipe.  We have Julia Child to thank for this classic French dish.  Her recipe was initially made with cherries (and I must revisit it in the summer, because cherries would be amazing).  But I had two ripe plums calling out my name, so in they were substituted.  If you bake, you probably already have the ingredients on hand. 

Mixing is a cinch in a blender.  At first I was skeptical, but I'm digging the ease and new take on a "one bowl"recipe.

Julia Child's Clafoutis

adapted from the original cherry version

1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour
2 plums, pitted and sliced (or cherries!) 

1/3 cup sugar
powdered sugar

In a blender, blend the milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour. Pour a 1/4 inch layer of the batter in a buttered 7 or 8 cup lightly buttered fireproof baking dish (I used a basic round cake pan). Place in the oven until a film of batter sets in the pan. Remove from the heat and spread the cherries over the batter. Sprinkle on the 1/3 cup of sugar. Pour on the rest of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about for about 45 minutes to an hour. The clafouti is done when puffed and brown and and a knife plunged in the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with powdered sugar to finish. 

Halloween Treat Idea: "Trick or Treat" Cupcakes

Here's a fun idea for a Halloween treat... 

Try Trick or Treat cupcakes - let your friends choose between one "trick" cupcake (a savory cupcake) or a "treat" cupcake (a classic sweet cupcake)!  

For the "trick", choose something harvest-y, like this bacon corn "cupcake" or a butternut squash, apple, and caramelized onion version.  A fall or Halloween-themed "treat" cupcake is always a fun go-to, like Martha's pumpkin patch cupcake.  I tried this for my coworkers; while most people went for the traditional treat, the trick was fun for those feeling adventurous! 

Honeycrisp Chips

I find it somewhat rare to meet someone whose favorite season isn't fall.  Have you noticed that?  There's something about the season - the cider mills, the cider mill smells, stunning jewel-toned hues, a crispness to the air that makes you reach for your favorite sweater, pumpkins and apples... 

And speaking of apples - apple chips!  Now that I live in Minnesota, home to the honeycrisp apple (yes, it was invented here), I find every excuse to eat them.  Like I needed an excuse.  

These apple chips are very easy to make, as long as you are down for some low-and-slow bake time.  Patience is required, but the reward was great.  I whipped up a goat cheese yogurt dip (some goat cheese, some plain yogurt, a little honey, all whipped together) to accompany them as a mid-morning workday snack. 

Homemade Apple Chips

adapted from Whole Living

Ingredients
Apples. (Go for your favorite kind) 

Directions
Using a mandolin, slice apples horizontally into thin disks; shoot for 1/8 in.  Remove seeds and arrange on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.  In a 225 degree oven, let the apples bake for 2.5-3 hours, flipping halfway through.  Let cool completely and store in an air-tight container. 

Will I see you in September?

This is our last post of August, and in a way our last post of summer.  September just says "fall" to me, even if it stays summertime warm for a few more weeks.

It's also a big moment for us; by Monday, L will officially be in Minneapolis, and S is already settling into her new life in Chicago.  But even in the midst of all the excitement, it's hard not to mourn the loss of a fantastic summer. 

Our up north cottage growing up was decorated in blue and yellow, and we have always associated the color combo with summer.  This Anthropologie skirt fit the bill perfectly for a casual dinner out at the end of a lovely summer.

So, to send off August, here's a song for you.  See you in September.

Fall uniform

 

Schoolboy blazer: H&M  Chambray shirt: Target  Pants: H&M  Boots: Target  Scarf: H&M  Bag: Dooney and Bourke

What I've been living in lately. Favorite blazer ever, favorite tote bag ever, and new favorite boots ever.

mini break

Recipes: Pumpkin Ginger Scones and Simplest Apple Tart

I had the most wonderful extra-long weekend in Minneapolis spending time with my love, seeing old friends & meeting new friends, and enjoying the tastes of fall. Counting the days until I get to go back (16 to be exact). Now back to work...