Dinner Party
One of my favorite activities as a ‘real housewife’ is throwing dinner parties for family and friends. Big family/holiday dinners are few and far between right now (considering home space and distance are not exactly ideal…yet), but I’ve enjoyed having friends over occasionally throughout the last couple years to test my hostess skills and just enjoy the company. Evening meals truly are a special combination of physical and social satiation. It is a time to feed not only the body but also the soul in the company of good friends or family. My memories of family meals around the dinner table–whether on a week night or the Sunday noon dinner–are precious and will continue to edify as I apply the principles I learned at those…
What’s for Dinner?
I love cooking with fresh fruits and vegetables from the Farmer’s Market. I feel especially cool when I pick up something new or unusual and manage to use it in a tasty dish. It has been a while since I’ve used kale in my cooking (if ever), and when I saw a bunch of its bright green curly leaves at the market last weekend, I couldn’t resist picking up a big bunch. It served me well! Along with a perfect little spaghetti squash, I prepared what I’d call a perfect fall recipe…. Spaghetti Squash with Sausage & Kale(I found the original recipe here, but adapted it to my ingredients) Serves 2. Prep time + cooking time ~ 40 min. Ingredients: 1 smallish spaghetti squash (about…
Apples and Pumpkins and Squash…. oh my!
My trip to the open-air Farmers’ Market this morning was quite fruitful (pardon the pun)! I picked up a bunch of fresh apples in heirloom varieties (I can’t remember all the names, but I’m looking forward to tasting each one!) Spaghetti and Acorn squash are some of my favorites, and I’m looking forward to cooking with the two I picked up this morning. I’ll be sure to post the recipes! Back from my outdoor shopping trip, I enjoyed a ciabatta roll topped with raw milk cheese spread and fresh Bartlett pears. YUM. I would have taken a photo but it was gone before I could say “cheese”. I just love Fall and all the wonderful changes it brings! What are you favorite memories of the…
Thoughts on a Fall Morning
It is very much a crisp Fall morning here in the windy city of Chicago. A cool 57 degrees is enough to throw on an extra layer and venture out into the bright morning sunshine for a jaunt through the outdoor farmers’ market, perusing the harvest of heirloom apples and winter squashes. The advent of Fall is, by far, one of my favorite times of year. Favorite memories of this time of year include the beginning of a new school year (although by now, that is well underway); sunny Saturday afternoon Hillsdale College football games; the annual Fall Festival hosted by my elementary school; the changing colors of leaves around my northern-Georgia-foothills-of-the-Appalachians childhood home. Though fall is technically the beginning of the end–the twilight of…
Things I like, #2
Dunkin’ Donuts No, they can’t spell, but they do make good coffee. I’ve been a fan of the French Vanilla flavored ground coffee from DD for a while, and I am just now beginning to make a foray into their prepared drinks. Having a coupon* always helps, so I stopped in this morning (after dropping off DH at work… not a normal occurence, mind you) for a “Dunkaccino”. Now, I don’t want to know how many calories were in this sucker, but it sure did taste good. Plus, you really can’t be good coffee for 99 cents. *[Speaking of shopping with coupons…. that’s another thing on my “Like List” these days] Amazon.com You may or may not realize that I have a slight problem with…