Butternut Squash Risotto

For me, the fall is all about comfort foods and this butternut squash risotto definitely checks that box. Honestly this was my first time making risotto because the part about constantly stirring always intimidated me. My friends, it couldn' have been easier and more delicious! Another confession...I'm not a huge squash fan. I'll eat it, but I don't love it. However, the nutty, warm flavor of the butternut squash was the perfect addition to the creamy, cheesy risotto. And the pistachio topping adds the perfect crunch.  If you're a risotto novice like me and want to experiment more with this decadent dish, Fine Cooking has a great article on exploring various risottos here.

***** Butternut Squash Risotto *****

// Ingredients // 

1 small onion, peeled and chopped fine
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
46 oz.  chicken broth, heated
1 lb. risotto rice (I used Bellino Arborio risotto)
3 oz. finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 butternut squash cooked and chopped (directions here)
shelled pistachios for garnish
ground pepper to taste

// Instructions // 

1. Prior to cooking the risotto, cook your butternut squash. Ina can show you how to do that here.

2. Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a stock pot. Over low heat, saute diced onion until slightly brown. Add rice and stir until evenly coated with olive oil. Increase heat to medium. Then, add half of the heated broth, stirring continuously. Bring to and maintain a slow boil while stirring, adding the remaining broth a little at a time. Remember...continually stirring!

3. When the broth has been absorbed, stir in cheese and black pepper. Then gently fold in about 1 1/2 cups of cooked and chopped butternut squash.

4. The rice is done when it is tender, but firm to the bite, otherwise known as "Al Dente."

*photos and styling by Amy Mikkelsen

Five Ways with Pumpkin

Happy October fellow peaches! October is such an amazing time of year here in Georgia and I plan to take it all in one day at a time. One of my favorite things about this month is all things pumpkin flavored...obviously. Do you remember the pumpkin shortage last year? I'm pretty sure I was partially to blame. I've stocked up again and am ready to indulge in my favorite pumpkin goodies.

Pumpkin Bars //Pumpkin Mousse Pie // Pumpkin Bread with Maple Icing // Iced Pumpkin Cookies // Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Low Fat Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I can't believe I never thought to freeze pumpkin before now.  Silly me!  When I made my low fat pumpkin mousse pie a few weeks ago, there was a good bit of pumpkin still left in the can so I threw it in some ice cube trays to experiment with later.  It's not the prettiest thing to look at initially but my experiment eventually led me in a very good direction, resulting in this pumpkin pie smoothie.  It truly tastes like pumpkin pie and is a new favorite go-to for the boys and I in the mornings.

Did you know that pumpkin is loaded with vitamin A, C and E?  It's also a great source of beta--carotene, is low in calories and high in fiber.  It's even considered a super food!  (I had no idea) Unfortunately, up until now, I reserved my pumpkin intake for pies and breads but I have a feeling this super food and I are going to be friends well past this season.  What other flavor or fruits would you pair pumpkin with?  I can't wait to mix up more smoothie creations!

// Ingredients //

1 banana
5 frozen pumpkin cubes (I like Libby 100% pure pumpkin in a can!)
1/4 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup ice
1/2 cup orange juice
dash of fresh grated ginger (optional)

// Instructions //

Combine ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.  Serve and garnish with whipped cream and graham cracker crumbs.

French Pear Martini

It's not Friday yet but who needs the weekend to indulge a little bit?  Catch my column and the recipe for this french pear martini over on Society Social that ran yesterday.

Happy Tuesday!

Glamping Girls: Gift Bags

The excitement is growing here as my weekend in the mountains gets a little closer!  I can't wait to kick back, catch up and lounge without interruption.  Did I mention there's a hot tub?  Last year, these gift bags for our girls trip were a huge hit so I knew I wanted to recreate something similar for our glamping weekend.  I stuck to a green and pink theme and threw in several goodies to get us through the weekend.  A few toiletries, some treats and a couple of necessities like bug wipes and kindling make a perfect little gift for my glamping girls.  Here's the details of what's inside and where you can purchase these goodies for yourself!


Badger Cuticle Care Tin

Toasted Marshmallow Jelly Belly  (bought a 1 lb bag and divided them into small bags.)

Smirnoff Raspberry Vodka (at your local liquor store)

Colgate Wisp Portable Spearmint Mini Brush

Avon Skin so Soft Bug Guard towelettes

Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar

Yes Facial Towelettes

Kindling (from my yard!)

Clear Treat Bags

I bought the brown boxes and glitter tape at Michaels for a few dollars.  I was unable to locate links for these items but the brand name of the tape is Recollections.

Tomorrow I'll be sharing my signature glamping girls cocktail and trust me, you won't want to miss this amazing apertif!  Looking forward to mixing one up for my favorite friends too.

Vegetarian Campfire Chili

We're right in the middle of our glamping week and unfortunately, we can't live on champagne alone. This meatless chili is a friendly fireside meal that cooks up in 30 minutes and because it's healthy, we can indulge in late night s'mores (and gossip) guilt free!  It's a meat free dish so no worries about whether or not things are cooked to a certain temperature.  My only advice is to chop everything before hand to make it as easy as possible once you're actually on site.  Serve it up with a fresh baguette and some real butter and you've got some happy campers on your hands.

PS - Don't forget your can opener! 

***** Vegetarian Campfire Chili *****

// Ingredients //

1/3 cup red pepper, diced
1/3 cup green pepper diced
1/3 cup yellow pepper, diced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. brown sugar
2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth if you prefer)
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp.salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

// Instructions //

Heat olive oil in a large pot.  Add garlic, onion and peppers and saute for 5 minutes or until tender.  Add sugar and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

Weekend Cheers: Apple Cider Bellini

If you haven't indulged in some apple cider yet, I highly recommend you go this route.  These festive apple cider bellini cocktails can be mixed in advance for large groups or easy enough for guests to mix themselves.  A simple cinnamon stick or an apple slice is all you need to pull it together!

We've got a fun fall weekend planned that involves pumpkin patches and apple cider donuts.  The boys are pretty excited and I admit, I am too.  Even though it's just a pumpkin, it's still one of my favorite traditions.    Cheers to the weekend!

***** Apple Cider Bellini *****

// Ingredients //

Champagne, chilled
Apple Cider, chilled
Apples and/or cinnamon sticks to garnish

// Instructions //

Mix 2 parts champagne with 1 part cider.  Garnish to your hearts desire!

Apple Cider & Pecan Pork Tenderloin

This time of year always make me crave heartier meals and this apple cider pecan pork tenderloin is my latest creation.   The meat will absolutely melt in your mouth and the flavor combination of the apple cider and pecans is pretty indulgent. The cider gives the pork a nice sweet flavor while the pecans boast a nice roasted flavor.  It's a low maintenance kinda meal that can be prepared in advance and ready in less than 45 minutes.  The only catch is you have to marinate the tenderloin overnight.  A little advanced planning makes this meal a real keeper.  Here's how you can make it happen.

*****Apple Cider & Pecan Pork Tenderloin******************************************

// Ingredients //

Pork Tenderloin, 1-2 lbs.
2 cups unsalted pecans
1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup apple cider
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 cup flour

// Instructions //

1.  Place tenderloin and 1 cup apple cider in a large zip lock bag and marinate in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 8 hours.

2.  When ready to prepare pork, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3.  Prepare your pecan crust by combining pecans, rosemary and salt in a zip top back.  Seal the bag and crush mixture using a kitchen mallet.  I like to do this step on a large wooden cutting board to protect my counter tops.

4.  Next, prepare three bowls for dredging and dipping.  In one bowl, place 1/2 cup flour.  In another, 2 whisked eggs.  In the last bowl, place your pecan mixture.

5.  Dip pork tenderloin in flour and coat completely; then shake off excess.  Next dip into egg mixture and shake off excess.  Finally roll the tenderloin in the pecan mixture being sure to coat evenly.

6.  Spray large baking dish with cooking spray.  Place tenderloin in baking dish.  Then cook for 35 minutes or until the pork reaches 150 degrees.  Once removed from the oven, allow the pork to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Serve and enjoy!

Five Ways to Welcome October

Fall Eye Pallet $34 // Swell Caroline Necklace $25 

October is the fastest month of the year.  Does anyone else agree?  Each year it seems to fly by and before I know it, I'm sitting in front of a plate full of turkey and dressing.  In the interest of soaking it all in, here are some ways I plan to welcome the glorious month of October!

What's your absolute favorite thing about this month?

Low Fat Pumpkin Mousse Pie

Raise your hand if you're challenged in the baking department.
Raise your hand if you love all things pumpkin with the exception of pumpkin pie.
Raise your hand if you'd rather spend your calories on a grande pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks.

(I raised my hand to all three.)

If you did too, than this pie is going to be your new best friend this fall.  It's really light but rich in flavor.  It pairs nicely with a hot cup of tea and best of all, there is absolutely no baking involved.  You need to get on this one quick my friends.

*****Low Fat Pumpkin Mousse Pie****************************************************

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup cold fat-free milk
1 package (4 serving size) vanilla flavor fat-free, sugar-free instant pudding
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup canned pumpkin*
1 tub (8 oz.) frozen reduced fat non-dairy whipped topping, thawed and divided
1 1/2 cup Honey Maid graham cracker crumbs 
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Instructions

1.  To make the crust, simply combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a bowl.  When the crumbs are moist, pour mixture into a 9 inch pie pan.  Using a large spoon, press mixture evenly along the bottom and sides of the pie pan.  Set aside to chill in the refrigerator.

2.  In a large bowl, beat milk, pudding mix and spice with a wire whisk for 1 1/2 minutes.  Whisk in pumpkin.  Fold in half of whipped topping.  Spread mixture into crust.

3.  Top the pie with remaining whipped topping using a flat spatula to spread evenly.

4.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Garnish as desired.  (I used a sprinkle of cinnamon!)  Store pie in refrigerator.

Cooks note:  Save remaining canned pumpkin to stir into muffins, pancakes or chocolate chip cookies.

Preserving Fall Leaves

Do you remember as a kid preserving leaves in between the pages of your encyclopedias?  My sisters and I would stick all kinds of things in those pages only to discover them months or years later!

Well now that I'm older, I'm not quite that patient.  I want that instant gratification when it comes to my crafting projects so I was quite happy when I discovered this method for preserving fall leaves. Last week, while the kids and I played outside, I gathered these gorgeous leaves from the yard to use on my Thanksgiving table.  I love using plants, flowers and just about anything I can gather from my yard because it's free of charge and nothing captures the beauty of the season like mother nature.

To preserve these leaves, I used the following steps:

1.  Gather some pretty leaves that have just fallen.  Make sure they are still soft and supple.  Avoid leaves that are already dry.

2.  Lay about 5 leaves flat, in between two paper towels.  Place them on a microwave safe dish and set them inside the microwave.

3.  Microwave the leaves at 30 second intervals until they begin to dry out. You will feel the paper towels begin to absorb the moisture from the leaves.

CAUTION: Leaves can catch fire in the microwave so please keep a close eye on this project and only heat in intervals.  Do not allow the leaves to become scorched or crisp.

4.  Once the leaves have dried, spray them with an acrylic spray on both sides and allow to dry.

These leaves will maintain their color but will still be quite fragile. I plan to use them scattered on the table or possibly as name place cards.  

Hope y'all had a lovely weekend!

Welcome November!

Photo Credits 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/

Pumpkin Patching

Can you believe we're going into the third week of October?  This time of year always seems to fly by to me and with the holidays (and my oldest son's 5th birthday) right around the corner, I have to remind myself to try to approach and accept life at a slower pace.  Our family has been battling stomach flus, colds and coughs since my return from Charleston but we did surprisingly manage to hit the pumpkin patch this weekend for a little fall fun.  I'm really a fan of it.  This was our third year visiting this small family farm which is just my speed and I highly recommend it to my local readers!

This year, Luke was obsessed with picking a perfect pumpkin with "no dents."  He surely gets that from his father because perfectionist I.am.not.

And for Jett...well, he was running around and throwing every little pumpkin he could manage to pick up with his sweet little hands.  Wow, what a difference a year makes!

Not gonna make it to the pumpkin patch this year with the kids?  No worries.  Really, it's just not worth it.  Read this, again.  It changed my life.  

But I'm still not giving up my pumpkin patch.  The pink pig, yes....the pumpkin patch, no.

Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze

The flavors of fall are so absolutely decadent that many of us who don't consider ourselves "cooks" often find ourselves in the kitchen trying a new recipe or two.  Pumpkin. Apple. Pear. Cinnamon. Maple.  Who can resist them?

Today I found some time to make this scrumptious pumpkin bread which was almost too easy.  Before I started, I knew I wanted to glaze the bread with Ree Drummond's maple frosting that she uses for her infamous cinnamon rolls.  Ever since my friend and I made them last fall, I've been thinking of ways to incorporate this frosting into my life.  

So, long story short, I married two wonderful recipes and this is it's first born child.  It's practically perfect.  I urge you to try it...soon.  It's not glamorous but it tastes divine.  And like my beloved banana bread it yields two (or three) loaves, depending on what size pan you use.  Today I made two (8x5) loaves, as well as 12 mini muffins and still had some leftover for a small rectangular cake.  Here's a photo just to show you.  Please excuse the aluminum baking dishes.  I needed them to be portable.

See how many people you could make happy with this recipe?  And by the way, this is my official taste tester.  He loved it!

Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze 

Yields: a lot

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Bread (Recipe found here)

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg\

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

Maple Frosting (adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon maple flavoring

1/4 cup milk

1/8 cup melted butter

1/8 cup brewed coffee

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

2. Grease and flour loaf pans.  In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg.  In a separate bowl, mix together the pumpkin and oil.

3. To the pumpkin mixture, add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add pumpkin mixture.  Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.  Pour batter into prepared loaf pans and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until a wooden pick comes out clean.  (You will have to adjust the baking time for muffins.)

5. While the bread bakes, combine the ingredients for the maple frosting.  You may want to adjust it a bit to suit your taste or preferences on thickness.  Just go with it.

6. Once the cakes have cooled, generously add the maple glaze.  Allow the glaze to set a bit, then slice, serve and enjoy a little slice of fall goodness!

10.11

October is here and like many of you, it's one of my favorite times of year!  I'm looking forward to trying some new savory recipes, lounging under the warmth of a heavy blanket and marveling in the beauty of nature.

This week, I hope to break out the fall decor which is simply some garland for the mantle and a tablecloth change.  Nothing too complicated.  I'll continue to transition our closets and unpack the sweaters, as well as plant my spring blooming bulbs in the garden, followed by some pansies.

I also have a couple southern road trips planned for the month and some exciting news that I can't wait to share with you!  I hope you'll visit often and I wish you a very, very cozy October!

Photo Credit: 1.2.3.4.5.6

Fall Fashion Inspiration

Hi there fellow peaches!  A cooler season is here and that means it's time for me to start transitioning the closets from summer to fall.  In fact, it's one of many things on my to-do list for the weekend!

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a few fall picks that I have my eye on.  We'll see how many of them actually make it into my closet!

top to bottom, left to right: bracelet, field jacket, neon sweater, scarf, gold flat, zebra belt, handbag, chandelier earrings, suede flat, green trouser

Fall Firsts

We're not even one week into fall but I'm embracing it 100%.  Here are just a few ways I've been welcoming the new season.

Happy Fall Ya'll!

My favorite holiday

I'm gonna go ahead and say this.  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  Yes, I enjoy Christmas, Easter and the Fourth of July but the simplicity of Thanksgiving is so unassuming and lovely.  There's no Santa, Easter Bunny, gifts, office parties or fireworks.  All Thanksgiving requires is a grateful heart, friends, family and a HUGE delicious meal.

The tradition of Thanksgiving dates back to a feast held among the Pilgrims and the Native Americans where they celebrated the bounty of their harvest.  These days, people just march into the nearest Publix and take for granted all the items so readily available to them.  Of course much of my own Thanksgiving celebration is indeed centered around "the meal" but when I step back and reflect on all the sweet blessings in my life, I begin to truly enjoy "Thanksgiving."

Now, in late October we begin to see retailers displaying Christmas decor and such.  I admit that sometimes I too am tempted to jump right into the Christmas season because it is such an exciting time of year!  However, I really try to make a point of fully recognizing and appreciating Thanksgiving before I even think about Christmas.  Doing this allows my heart to be fully open to the season of "Giving" and helps get me in a good state of mind as Christmas approaches.

Wishing you a full and happy Thanksgiving season filled with a million reasons to give thanks!

Pine cone Swag

Hey ya'll!  So, I finally got a minute to do something with the pine cones I gathered from my neighbors yard last week. I have this swag hanging on the front door and it will take me all the way through Thanksgiving. It was so easy to make with just a little ribbon and some cup hooks which I found at my local craft store.

First I screwed the cup hooks into the base of the pine cone and then I secured the ribbon with a knot. I did use some pliers to squeeze the cup hook and make the opening a little narrower. This kept the knot from slipping off as easily. After I had all the pine cones ready, I gathered all the ribbons and tied one huge knot at the top and hung from a wreath hanger.

I still have a ton of pine cones....More garland photos to come!

Stovetop Potpourri

Don't you just love the aromas of fall?  Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Cloves, Pumpkin, Apple.

When my husband and I first started dating, I remember his mom making stovetop potpourri a lot.  I would walk in their house and it always smelled like she had been baking all day!

I love using this to make my very own Stovetop Potpourri. It gets my home smelling all kinds of good!  What a way to welcome your guests or even unexpected visitors.

You can use anything you have on hand such as apples, oranges, lemons but be sure to include some nutmeg and cloves.  These two ingredients really make your home smell like fall.