This time of year is so, so hectic (though we probably always feel like our lives are crazy busy, right?). When I think of an easy fall dinner, I often base its viability on a simple pre-trick-or-treating test. Basically, is it something that could be easily made and quickly served to a family (friends included!)…
For the Pinteresty time of year: Applesauce spice cake
Like any other self-respecting, seasonally driven Pinterester, I’ve spent the better part of the past month searching the interwebs for fall-filled recipes and holiday décor ideas. There were the pumpkin spice latte copycat recipes, the “12 ways to decorate with gourds” kind of posts and plenty of outfits involving riding boots and scarves. And I…
Fall in New England: Apples, waffles and a hooray for new seasons
I’m sitting here at my desk with a 50-degree breeze coming through the window and feeling almost too chilly to be comfortable. It’s wonderful! It seems fall comes much earlier in New England, and I’m so, so happy for it. This transition to Boston has been tougher on me than I expected. It’s busy. It’s…
We will be morning people: Cinnamon pumpkin oatmeal
Years from now, when we’re 30-something grownups with real(er) jobs, our own house and a hopping household, I envision our mornings going something like this: 6 a.m.: The alarm clock rings. Jared and I awaken, alert and well rested after eight (yes, eight!) consecutive hours of sleep. 6-7 a.m.: I go for a run, Jared…
Chilly weather means chili weather
I had originally planned to begin this post with the line, “Fall has arrived in North Carolina!” And it had when I made this chili last week. It was a cool morning, the air was crisp and the leaves were blowing. I think the high that day was 58 degrees. It was beautiful. But you…
An experiment in fall flavor fusion: Punkin’ snaps
Fall is home to two of the very best flavors in the entire universe: pumpkin and ginger. Once the chilly weather hits, few weeks go by when our apartment doesn’t dance in the scent of all that baked-goodness wafting from the kitchen. In fact, the decision of what to bake this time of year is…
It’s the Great Pumpkin Muffin, Charlie Brown!
Happy belated Halloween! I hope everyone had a spooky, wonderful holiday full of tricks, treats and enough sugary bliss to last until the turkeys thaw for Thanksgiving! I love Halloween for a lot of reasons, but I think I love it most because it’s the official kickoff to my favorite time of year. Yahoo, holiday…
It’s flying from the stovetop! But it’s the prettiest of soups.
Some foods are so pretty that a single look is all it takes to fall in love. Some foods taste so amazing that one bite clears away all the stress and worries of the day. And then there are some foods that look so pretty and taste so amazing that it’s impossible to decide whether…
Fall favorites: Spice-filled scones, oatmeal and cookies galore!
Last night while clicking through baby-related inspiration on Pinterest, I came across a recipe for labor cookies. Have you heard of those? Apparently, whipping up and consuming a batch of these puppies is a surefire way (notice the use of the word “apparently”) to meet your new baby bean before the week is over. Of…
Dear Ms. Witch. Your house smells good: Gingerbread cake
Remember the story of Hansel and Gretel? The little kids who stumbled upon a witch’s gingerbread house while walking through the woods, only to be wooed inside by the promise of sweets and fattened up so the mean old witch could enjoy some tasty kid stew? No matter what version of the story you heard…