Thanksgving in Napa

Just an eight hour drive North of Dana Point and the most beautiful colors of autumn that you could ever hope for awaited us in Napa, California.  It rained through the night and there was fog in the hills, but the sun came out and it was the most beautiful Thanksgiving day.

The colors were amazing . . . everywhere you looked, something was blooming.

We've had some memorable Thanksgivings over the years...a lot of them spent with family and friends and cooking big feasts, but others just as memorable where we've traveled and made it seem like Thanksgiving...even on the train from London to Paris, or this one, where it wasn't until Thanksgiving morning when my husband had made several calls to make reservations for our Thanksgiving meal.  This time of year always reminds me of what I'm most thankful for. . . my family.  I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving. . . wherever you are.

Central Park in November

Last Saturday was the perfect day to be in New York's Central Park.  The winds were calm, the temperature was in the 50s and the park was filled with people enjoying the day.  What I love about New York is that anything can happen and once in a while you can see something that will warm your heart.

This is sweet...a small child enjoying music and onlookers enjoying both.

As we walked past the fountain we noticed the man taking photos so we of course did the courteous thing and started to walk around him...then my daughter noticed what we were witnessing.  A marriage proposal-- right there in the middle of the courtyard by the Bethesda Fountain.  Friends were holding signs that read..."will you marry me?" and he was even on bent knee with a box holding a ring.  So sweet.  We could not believe our timing.  You don't get to see something like this everyday.

casual dining room + thanksgiving table inspiration

Casual Thanksgiving...

Our house is very casual and that includes the dining room.  I think it's more the mood created by candlelight, music and the meal itself that lends to a little bit of formality.

The painting is from Barclay Butera in Newport Beach, but I cannot stop thinking about this painting I saw on Etsy.  I think it would be perfect on the white brick and for this time of year.  It's called Whisper. 

My husband made our dining room table when we were first married.  We've used it in every apartment or house we've ever lived.  A few years later my sister and I found the chairs at Pottery Barn for $30 each...I keep thinking we'll replace them, surprisingly they are very comfortable.

Looking into the kitchen from the dining room.  Originally the opening was only as wide as a normal door.  We opened it up, added an arch and brick.  It makes the kitchen appear much larger, but the actual footprint stayed the same.

We will be away for Thanksgiving this year, but when we return on Saturday we'll pretend it's Thanksgiving all over again.  I was inspired by the photo below taken at the Union Square Greenmarket last Saturday.  It was not practical to bring these little bundles back so I went with a similar feel, but used things out of my own yard.  The color palette I was going for was gray, silver, white, natural and a little bit of denim.

My inspiration...natural from the wheat and grasses, the gray on the ground, blue (notice the person standing wearing blue jeans in the top right).

                                                                          Participating in:
                                                             Rooms by Rooms - Dining Rooms
                                                                    Tablescape Thursday
                                                                   Made By You Monday

autumn in new york

One of my favorite things to do in the fall in New York is to stroll through Union Square Greenmarket.  The colors, textures, smells of the season are all around you.  We shared a pint of the freshest and sweetest apple cider I've ever tasted. 

                           The market was filled with ideas to set a beautiful table for the holiday. 

I loved all the colors of the season, but this is what I was most drawn to...bundles of wheat, grasses...all different textures.  I even loved how they looked wrapped in brown paper against the gray honeycomb pattern on the ground.  Maybe next year bundles of these down the middle of a long table with a natural linen gray cloth and simple hurricanes with ivory candles?  How will you be setting your Thanksgiving table?

 

more butternut squash + salad

Ina Garten's roasted butternut squash salad with warm cider vinaigrette reminds me of the warm spinach salad of the 1980s.  It was on every menu and they typically served it table-side so the spinach would not wilt.  This salad is made with arugula, butternut squash and dried cranberries...a perfect fall salad.

I actually used leftover butternut squash that had already been roasted.  Put it on a baking sheet, added a few dried cranberries and roasted for about another 5 minutes.

The salad dressing is right out of the pantry.  I had everything on hand which is sort of evident because I probably would have purchased fancy cider vinegar and apple juice if I had to make a special trip...but with these simple ingredients it makes this salad over the top delicious!

Just a gentle toss and this salad is ready!

It's soup season

I love fall and I love to cook in the fall...it's not exactly soup weather here in Southern California, but the temperature did dip below 70°, so soup is on the menu!

 One of my favorites is Butternut Squash Soup.  The ingredients are simple and I think it's the Dean & DeLuca Chili Powder Blend that makes all the difference.

This time I made home-made croutons to go with the soup.  In the freezer I had an assortment of left over bread, including a cranberry bagel.  I cut the bread into cubes, drizzled a little olive oil and added some dried herbs and baked in a single layer for about 20 minutes in a 400° oven.

A lot of the flavor also comes from slow roasting the squash.  I use one large or 2 medium butternut squash and peel, seed and cut into 1 inch dice.  I mix it together with course sea salt, freshly ground pepper and olive oil.  Place on a baking sheet and bake until tender, turning once.

While the squash is baking...Dice one large onion, 2-3 shallots and three cloves of garlic.  I use a 7 1/4 quart Le Creuset which is the perfect size for this soup.  Saute all the vegetables in olive oil until soft, season with salt and pepper and add 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Add about a tablespoon of all-purpose flour and stir constantly for a few minutes until it's almost like a paste.  Be careful not let it scorch.   Then add 1 quart hot vegetable broth.  You can use chicken broth, but we prefer vegetable stock in this soup.  Add in a tablespoon of tomato paste and simmer for about 30 minutes.  While still hot, blend until very smooth with an immersion blender or blend in small batches using a regular blender.  If using a regular blender, remove the small inner cap and cover with a clean towel.  Right before serving, you can add a little milk.  It's delicious without it, so we usually skip it.

October + Halloween

What I love about Halloween is that it's in the fall and I LOVE fall.   And I love that it's at the very end of the month so I can decorate on the first of October and enjoy it until the end. 

This makes me happy every single Halloween.  My friend Nancy (the same friend that gave me the thank you fold out book I wrote about here)gave me this little photo album to be  filled with photos of my kids and their friends dressed up in costumes throughout the years.  From Piglet to a Rockette, to Darth Vader and Dracula.  I love them all and it's so fun to look back through the years. 

                                                                   

hello there fall . . .

It is officially fall today and I'm thrilled.   I love that the days are getting shorter, that  means I can light candles a little earlier everyday.  I love to cook in the fall and there are so many great things to cook and stew once the weather turns cooler.  Or maybe it's my love of the color orange.

 1.  My favorite Burberry scarf in orange plaid.  2.  Trade Joe's tomato soup and mini cheese panini sandwiches.  3.  Arizona desert flowers.  4.  My laundry room with orange and yellow kid art.  5.  California sunset.  6.  My sons monogrammed white shirt.  7.  Butter nail polish in Minger.  8.  My husbands favorite tie, Brooks Brothers.  9.  Veuve Clicquot champagne.  (Thank you Sydney)!

dinner on the patio

As the days get shorter it just makes us want to eat dinner outside every night.  The temperatures in Southern California may not change all that much, but as soon as it starts getting dark early it seems we no longer want to have dinner on the patio...we're ready to light a fire and have dinner inside...just not tonight.

It's fall at Roger's Gardens in Newport Beach, CA

Roger's Gardens is decked out in autumn colors and even here in Southern California where the weather can be pretty warm and it may still feel like summer,  at Rogers it definitely looks like fall.

They have plenty to choose from if orange is not your color.

Inside there are some pretty interesting Halloween decorations.

               Do your weekend plans include a a trip to a nursery or a pumpkin patch in your area?

madeline's favorite muffins

Yesterday I made Madeline happy with the Missoni from Target so I thought I would continue the good cheer and make her favorite pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.  

Just to be sure I did not disappoint, I used the same recipe I used when we lived in Connecticut.  It's from the New Canaan Elementary Schools cookbook.  I love the smell of the house when something is baking in the oven.

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

1 stick unsalted butter
1 c sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 c mini chocolate chips

preheat oven to 400 degrees
grease mini muffin tins

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add eggs and beat well.  Mix in pumpkin.  In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients and gradually add to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, depending on size of muffin tins.