fall flowers

there is a hydrangea tree in our yard outside our kitchen window that produces the most beautiful white flowers every august.  we always look forward to seeing it bloom at the end of the summer each year.  the weather was so wacky this year that our hydrangea tree bloomed a month late.  the flowers bloomed white as they usually do, however, over the past few weeks they have started to turn a pale pink/purple color.

the other day we were out in the yard doing some work and i just had to stop to admire how pretty the flowers looked on the hydrangea tree with the late afternoon sun hitting them.  it's so nice to see such pretty flowers in our yard . . . especially in mid-october!

have a wonderful weekend!

love, laurie

baked apple chips

we always seem to have an abundance of apples around our house during this time of year.  i'm certainly not complaining.  we love apples and we eat them in and on just about everything.

over the weekend we used a couple of our apples to make baked apple chips.  these baked apple chips are ridiculously easy to make.  all you have to do is just slice up the apples, sprinkle spices on them, and throw them in the oven.  it's hardly a recipe!

the hardest part is waiting for them to bake.  they take 2 hours to dry out in the oven, but it is worth it because once they are done they are wonderfully sweet and crisp.  they make a great healthy snack!  you can use any type of apples that you like (our favorite types of apples are honey crisp and mcintosh).

a nice added bonus is that your house will smell amazing while these apple chips are baking.  you just can't beat the smell of fresh apples baking with fall spices during this time of the year.

baked apple chips
prep time: 5 minutes
baking time: 2 hours

ingredients:
2 large apples
2-3 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

directions:
preheat your oven to 225 degrees F.  core the apples to remove the seeds.  using a mandolin, slice the apples 1/8 inch thick.  arrange the apple slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (be sure that the slices do not overlap).  dust the apple slices with pumpkin pie spice.  bake for 2 hours, flipping the apple slices every 30 minutes.  once crisp, remove the apples from the oven and allow them to cool before serving.

enjoy!

love, laurie

touring grey towers

over the weekend, we took a trip to the town of milford to tour grey towers.  i have been to grey towers several times when i was younger, but it has been years since i was there last.  ryan has been wanting to see it, so we took trip up there with my mom on saturday.

grey towers was the home of gifford pinchot who was america's first forester, founder of the usda forest service, and served as governor of pennsylvania.  it was built in 1886 by gifford's parents as a summer retreat.  the 20,000 square foot L-shaped mansion has 3 floors, 19 bedrooms, and 23 fireplaces.  it cost $44,000 to build in the mid 1880s, and it sits on just over 100 acres of land.  the estate is now a national historic site.

we toured the mansion and the grounds.  everything was beautifully decorated for fall.  even though it was a cool overcast fall day, we had a nice time visiting grey towers.

^the widest front door i have ever seen^

^looking out a window to the yard below.  such a beautiful view!^

^the pinchot family had an outdoor dining table that was filled with water which they referred to as the finger bowl.  there was a rule that no one was allowed to pass food to each other side-to-side.  instead, they floated the food in wooden bowls across the water to each other.  during one meal, a twenty-five pound turkey sunk to the bottom because it was too heavy for the bowl it was in . . . the water is five feet deep!^

love, laurie

roasted acorn squash seeds

yesterday i shared my recipe for vegan creamy acorn squash soup.  when cooking with acorn squash, there's no need to throw away the seeds.  you can roast them just like pumpkin seeds!

acorn squash seeds look just like small pumpkin seeds, and when roasted they are just as good if not better.  we roasted our acorn squash seeds with a little bit of olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper.  they make a great fall snack!

roasted acorn squash seeds
prep time: 5 minutes
baking time: 10 minutes

ingredients:
seeds from one large acorn squash
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

directions:
preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  remove the seeds from an acorn squash.  rinse then pat dry with a paper towel.  place the seeds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  lightly drizzle olive oil over the top and season with salt and pepper.  toss with your hands and evenly spread the seeds out on the baking sheet.  bake for 10 minutes, until dried out and golden brown.  allow to cool before serving.

enjoy!

love, laurie

vegan creamy roasted acorn squash soup

it was a bit chilly this weekend.  to combat the damp cold weather, i made a big pot of soup.

soup is such a great comfort food when the weather is cold outside.  it's like a liquid blanket that warms you from the inside out.

we bought a lovely looking acorn squash at a farm stand recently, so i was excited to put it to good use in a pot of soup!

i roasted the acorn squash with pumpkin pie spices and then pureed it with sauteed onions, garlic, vegetable broth, and coconut milk.

the acorn squash is sweet and delicious, and the pumpkin pie spices give it great fall flavor.  the coconut milk makes this soup so wonderfully creamy, you would never know there isn't any dairy in there.

this soup is so very easy to make.  you just need a little bit of patience while the acorn squash is roasting in the oven.  (which, by the way, will make your whole house smell absolutely amazing!)

this soup is packed with great flavor and it is super nutritious too!  it's healthy comfort food at it's finest.

vegan creamy roasted acorn squash soup
prep time: 10 minutes
baking time: 45 minutes
cooking time: 20 minutes
yields: 6 servings
adapted from oh my veggies

ingredients:
1 large acorn squash
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

directions:
preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  chop the tip and the tail off the acorn squash, then cut it in half length-wise.  scoop out the seeds (you can discard them or you can save them and roast them like pumpkin seeds).  drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the squash and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and salt.  place both squash halves (cut side up) on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.  roast the squash for 45-50 minutes, or until the flesh is very soft.  once baked, use a spoon to remove the squash flesh from the skin.  discard the skin.

heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  saute the chopped onion until translucent.  add the garlic and saute for an additional 2 minutes.  add in the coconut milk and the vegetable broth.  add the mixture to a blender along with the roasted squash.  blend until completely smooth.  return pureed soup to the soup pot and warm over low heat.  season with salt and pepper to taste.  serve warm.

enjoy!

love, laurie

fun links

wow, this week sure flew by.  i can't believe it's friday already.  thank you to everyone who sent us comments this week about the new blog layout and design.  we absolutely love it and we're glad you do too!

here are a few fun links that i found around the internet recently:

1. i am totally impressed by these beatles pancakes

2. how cute are these mini pumpkin pie slice cookies?!

3. caramel dipped pears are such an elegant twist on traditional caramel dipped apples

4. 41 ways to reuse your broken things

5. what it’s like to fly the $23,000 singapore airlines suites class . . . whoa!

6. a clever way to pack a hat in your suitcase

7. confetti biscotti

8. i really want to try making homemade sprinkles

9. and since halloween is right around the corner, 17 no-carve pumpkin decorating ideas

have a great weekend!

love, laurie

orange chocolate chip pancakes

is there a support group for pancake addicts?  if so, sign us up.  we are totally pancake fanatics.

weekend mornings are for pancakes.  especially saturday mornings when the sun is shining through the windows so beautifully, and you are still in your pajamas, and everything is quiet, and it seems like the world is standing still.  those are the types of mornings that call for pancakes.

i have been in love with adrianna adarme's pancakes cookbook ever since i got it for my birthday last january.  when i saw a recipe in there for orange chocolate chip pancakes i just knew i had to try it.  ryan and i both love chocolate chip pancakes (really, who doesn't?) so we were intrigued to try them with orange zest.  the addition of the orange zest really brightens them up and gives them a great flavor.  such a tasty spin on traditional chocolate chip pancakes!

orange chocolate chip pancakes
prep time: 5 minutes
cooking time: 5 minutes
yields: 2 servings
adapted from pancakes

ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 large orange, zested
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
1 tablespoon salted butter, melted
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

directions:
combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and orange zest in a large bowl.  add the milk and eggs and whisk until just combined.  stir in the melted butter.  heat a lightly buttered griddle or frying pan on medium heat.  pour 3 tablespoons of batter onto the griddle for medium pancakes.  drop a few chocolate chips in each pancake.  cook for 3 minutes, until small bubbles begin to form.  flip the pancakes when they start to bubble, then cook for 2-3 minutes, until they are golden brown and cooked throughout.  once cooked, transfer the pancakes to a baking sheet and place in a preheated 200 degree F oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining pancake batter.  serve warm with warm maple syrup.

enjoy!

love, laurie

a trip to ritter's cider mill

on saturday our parents came up to visit.  while they were here, we took a little trip to ritter's cider mill.  we discovered this local family-run cider mill two years ago, and it is becoming a fall tradition of ours to go each year.  they sell many different varieties of apples and they make their own apple cider.  i am convinced that they make the best apple cider that i have ever tasted.

while we were there, we walked through their corn maze, saw their farm animals, and tasted warm apple cider doughnuts.  we came home with a bag full of apples and a container of fresh apple cider.  it was such a nice little fall outing.

^i absolutely love sunflowers!  they are such pretty flowers.^

^the goats were so funny, this one was trying to kiss ryan through the window!^

 ^these two llamas were a riot.  they were so friendly and had such personalities!^

 ^you can never have too many apples this time of the year!^

love, laurie

. . . 

previous trips to ritter's cider mill: 2012 and 2013