My Favorite Fall Recipes Roundup.

Eyes aren't even open. But that scent. An early morning waft of warm cinnamon, meandering with hints of tart apple and dancing in aroma land with roasty pumpkin. So roasty. That steamy earthy bid, "Good morning, Kristen! You made me!" That's what I woke up to this morning.

That.

It's my pumpkin apple butter, crockpotting happily for me.

SO HAPPY.

Truth be told, cooking and baking in Autumn is my favorite. It's just the best time of year to create something warm and hearty and savory. Something to be shared. Something to bite into and experience that sense of, "yessssss." I mean, Christmas cookies are fun to bake, don't get me wrong. But don't you always feel so busy at Christmastime? I don't like being rushed when I create. Which is why I love cooking and baking in the fall. You sort of just lazily slide into it. I like that.

I love that.

I love that pumpkin apple butter. It's kind of making me swoon.

My new kitchen has been hard at work lately. I've been making bread, stew, tangine, BUTTER, and a whole bunch of other odds and ends. I like to test things really well before I share them here on the blog. I don't want to share the "okay", I want to share the things that I would earnestly go back and make over and over again. Things that I would consider seasonal staples. So here you are, my friends! Only my very favorite - the fall recipes I make over and over again.

My Grandma Soup - Literally, my grandmother's recipe. I never knew her, but when I make this soup, I feel more connected to who she was. I know that sounds soooooo weird and cheesy. But I don't care. Make a pot of this soup and you will immediately feel all heirloom-y and laced with some kind of kitchen legacy. I promise it.

Goat Cheese & Pistachio-Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates - Run, don't walk, to the nearest store and pick up these EASY four ingredients. And you will be the appetizer queen of whatever fall festival party you're attending this weekend.

Lemon & Olive Chicken - Inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow's recipe in It's All Good (which I whole-heartedly recommend), we literally make this recipe at least once a month. It's so delicious and a super clean, healthy meal.

Turkey & Kale Chili - My new strategy with Everett is tell him that everything is Chili. Because once he ate this chili, he never wanted anything else. And again, super healthy and hearty! Great for when a zillion guys are coming over to your house for a football game. Or when you live with a zillion guys who EAT.

Pumpkin & Cream Tartlets - I have made these everything Thanksgiving for about 8 years now. They're my non-pie contribution to the Thanksgiving dessert table and they. Are. BAD. So bad, in fact, that you can just pass the tray to me. The whole tray. K thanks.

Pumpkin Beer Bread - Ate a loaf of this last night. Can't even talk about it. SO GOOD I COULD CRY. Wait, is it weird to talk about your own cooking like this? Am I inappropriate? Don't got time to care. MUST MAKE MORE BREAD.

Banana Oat & Date Muffins - Again, a healthy take on a warm morning muffin. Make ahead and freeze, then take out when you want them and heat up in the toaster oven. Instant, healthy, hot breakfast!

Maple Glazed Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies - These are like cookie pie. Or pie cookies. Or something. I created this cookie in partnership with Epicurious last year and I am still so proud of this one. I MADE THIS TASTE. Try it! You are sure to love it.

I bet you're wondering where that a fore-mentioned pumpkin butter recipe is, huh? Muahahhahaa. Check back here next week friends. I've got a wedding to attend this weekend. MY SISTER'S!!!!!!!

Happy Friday to you! And happy Halloween weekend! xox.

Home Tour: Stairway

I'm so excited to share this home renovation project with you today. Like, really really.

One of the first things I knew we would have to change when we moved into our new home was the carpet. The downstairs is all hardwood and the upstairs is completely carpeted. The stairs were also carpeted, and they showed signs of heavy wear and tear. So after we carpeted the upstairs in berber, we focused on the stairs.

I want to share the stairs portion of this project, because we completely re-worked the "look" and I am so proud of how it turned out. When I say "we", I mean that we had an awesome contractor, Nathan, who did the work, and we just made him sandwiches and pretended like we knew what was going on. But ultimately, the vision we had in our minds was completely translated and he did an excellent job. Thanks, Nathan!

The Changes:
1. We decided to keep carpet on the stairs, since it's the most slip-proof option (and especially because we tote a baby up and down the stairs 20 times a day, hello), but they needed a makeover. The old carpet was scary, so that was an obvious first choice: we re-carpeted the stairway in the new berber. We went with Lowes for the carpet installation and we are really happy with the outcome.

Carpet before:

And after:

2. Next, we decided to put hardwoods on the landing between the two staircases. Why? We wanted to dress up the stairway a bit and there was some leftover hardwood from when the floors were done a long time ago. Bam. New landing. And what a difference it makes!

Old landing:

New landing:

3. We re-stained the banister with a darker mahogany finish. Such a difference, from the old oak-y tone of the previous color! And not only do I love this new shade, but it will handle wear and tear a lot better because it's so dark.

Here's an attempt at a photo of the old banister (cute baby is just an added bonus for your viewing pleasure):

And after:

4. Then we repainted the trim and the banister spokes with a coat of fresh white, to keep everything looking light and lifted.

5. For cosmetic's sake, we hung our city pictures (all the cities we've lived in together) in the stairway because it just seemed like the perfect spot to visit that art work everyday. And I got a big plant to sit by the staircase, which I swear helps me breathe better as I walk up and down the stairs. Plants clean the air!

And there you have it folks! I know a stairway might not be the most exciting renovation you've ever seen, but it was our first one in our new house, so we're pretty proud of it. I can't believe how much brighter the stairway looks!

One more before and after. Because I want to. And because I CAN.
Before:

Aaaaaaand after!

And there you have it! Thank you for checking out my stair renovation! So, what do you think? Have you ever renovated your stairway? Got any tips for home renovation projects? I've got a few more up my sleeve...

Our Current Reads.

We are loving books in our household right now. Between my Intentional October reading goals and Everett getting chattier and Stevie following suit with my insanely early bedtime schedule, it's all getting very literate up in here. Everett is suddenly VERY into his storybooks and illustrations. When we're reading to him, he often flips back to a previous page, staring at the pictures for a minute longer. I can see him trying to understand. Pointing out the dogs, of course. Then going "Woo-woo-woo", which is his puppy sound. It's the best. For some reason, we have a stockpile of books about dogs, trucks, and New York City. Priorities, folks. I snapped a few photos of him reading with his Aunt Rachel the other day, and they are just too cute not to share :)

Our Favorites Right Now:
Little Blue Truck
This series is darling. Little Blue Truck and Little Blue Truck Leads the Way are a few of our rotating favorites, and I'm not kidding when I say that we read these books 5-10 times a day. When we open the story, Everett goes "Beep beep!" because of the sound the truck makes when he rolls into the big city. It's the best. I think the length of the book, the thickness of the board pages and the illustrations are absolutely perfect, especially for my his age.

BabyLit Don Quixote
Talk about trendy kid lit. Have you checked out these books yet? They are so cool! Everett LOVES Don Quixote: A Spanish Primer, and I will definitely be putting a few more of these on his Christmas List. We've even gifted a few - my favorites for girls are Pride & Prejudice: A Counting Primer, The Secret Garden: A Flowers Primer, Emma: An Emotions Primer & Sense & Sensibility: An Opposites Primer. The colors and descriptions are just beautiful - half the pages I want to frame and put up on my wall. Seriously.

This Is New York
I remember flipping through a copy of This Is New York in Chelsea Market when I was newly pregnant, living in Manhattan. I remember wanting to buy it, because it was such an iconic, vintage kind of thing, but then I didn't, because I felt like my secret would be out. Which is so ridiculous, because there are literally a drillion people living in that city, and I only knew about 10 of them at the time. That just goes to show how pregnancy hormones really do make a person strange. Our dear friends Anthony & Jessica (who I always brag on) gave us this book at our Gender Reveal party, and now I love reading it to Ev.

A Walk in New York
The sweetest book about a dad exploring the city with his son, A Walk in New York warms my heart every time I read it to Everett. The length of the book is a little extensive for him right now, but I think that's a good thing, because he will continue to grow into it. He always pauses on the page that shows the subway system (it's a complex picture, with hundreds of people doing different things like dancing, kissing and eating, on three different platforms!) - he studies the page so intently. Then he finally locates what he was looking for all along - "wwoo-woo-woooo!" Of course. The dog on a leash :)

How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?
I had no idea this book was part of a huge series, but it is! How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? is so cute and labels the type of dinosaur doing things like counting his toy trucks, counting his paint colors, counting the socks under his bed, hehe. It's the simplest story, but Everett adores it. He loves pointing out the dinosaur's toy trucks and trains. Of course.

Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See?
Who doesn't love these books? Other than the redundancy, the pictures are gorgeous and it's amazing how much babies love them. Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? is the perfect solution once you get reeeeeally tired of Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Polar Bear, Polar Bear. Of course, in our family, we are boycotting The Very Hungry Caterpillar for very obvious reasons, but if you like the others, you would probably like that one too.

I'm realizing that we need to invest in some more books before Christmas time! Because we are wearing these reads out. And that's a good thing! What are you reading with your kiddos right now? Any recommendations for me?

P.S. - We read more than children's books! I've been tearing through The Happiness Project and For the Love and I am feeling so motivated and inspired by these women. Stevie's reading Heart, Smarts, Guts, and Luck because he is forever a business school student.

Intentional October Update: Week 3.

This picture above is the view through my kitchen window at 5:30 am. Amazing, how it looks so much brighter in the photo than in real life. I think that's how I need to approach my Intentional October goals - they are brighter and more illuminating than they seem with the naked eye. If you're unfamiliar with what Intentional October is all about, you should check out what it means for me, and how I am attempting change this month.

Update.
The thing is, last week I stated that the central focus of the week would be on community; friends and family. And I had so many rich experiences with my people this week! I had the opportunity to celebrate a dear friend's bachelorette party and wedding shower, AND I threw my little sister a surprise wedding shower! Oh, that was really good stuff - she was legitimately surprised. Mission accomplished. Also, my house looks like the set of The Wedding Planner - anyone need to throw a wedding-themed anything? Because I've got you covered. But in all seriousness, I must admit - the interesting thing is that spending time with my loved ones this week often caused me to bend my core values for Intentional October. You can't go out for a fun bachelorette party and still get tucked into bed at 9:30pm. Not possible. You can't go to the gym and exercise when your son has a broken leg and is out of school for the week. And you really can't wake up early if you've been up all night, sick with a fever, only to discover in the morning that your son has one too. Well, that last scenario was a fluke, and had very little to do with my community. But it's been quite a week!

Let's be honest though. That's life, folks. Life just happens. And I want to talk about that a little.

Beating myself up about skipped goals and bent ideals is only a downward spiral. It's not super productive. So I've been learning to start fresh each day, with margins of grace. Grace for scenarios that aren't as rigid as my goals. That's the only way I will continue to stay motivated and find Intentional October continuously fun and inspired. I'm starting to think of Intentional October as my home-base discipline. It's the marathon of life, not a sprint. Sometimes I won't hit every goal of the day. But then tomorrow, I have a fresh start all over again. It's empowering.

Has anyone else run into this on their Intentional October journey? I'd love to hear about how you've been troubleshooting!

Invest in WORK.
The first few weeks of Intentional October were self-focused. Determining a few goals, creating a sustainable calendar for achievement, and getting into the habit of those chosen disciplines. If you're anything like me, those disciplines are still in flex. Continuing to find their place in my hours each day. This past week we focused on our immediate community - how to positively affect our friends and family. This coming week I want to build upon these principles and see how we can make a positive impact in the work place. What does that look like to you? For each of us, that will look different, because the range of "work place" varies significantly. I just want to encourage you to seek out someone at work that could use encouragement, affirmation, or a little extra attention. Take specific time to think through some work place bottle necks - do you have an idea that would better the environment for everyone involved? Gifting just a little special attention to these things could make a positive impact in your work place, so why not try it? Let's.

You've Got This!
I hope you are all still feeling motivated. My thing is, I want to do know that I did my absolute best at the end of this month-long journey. But I also want to know that I lived life to the fullest and enjoyed the vibrant once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Like watching my sweet modest friend don a silly tiara and veil in public at her bachelorette party. Like watching the shocked look on my sister's face as we all screamed "SURPRISE!!!" at her wickedly fun surprise shower. Like watching my son overcome his broken leg and, STILL, try to walk on it. Smiling at me the whole time. What a little bear. Oh my.

This is the stuff of life. The great moments that I'm not going to miss. And even though there have been moments this week where I've missed a goal here and there, the whole purpose of my goals is to fully embrace THESE moments. And have more of them. And celebrate them. And celebrate me. And celebrate YOU.

Life is beautiful, friends! I believe in your week! Let's make it COUNT!

PS - Did I mention my baby sister is getting married this coming weekend? I'm excited and a mess all at once. Advice for the sister of the bride?! I'm all ears. Or all tears. One of those. :)

Goat Cheese & Pistachio Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Dates.

It might be fall festival season for you, but in my world, it's wedding season! I am so excited to be celebrating the upcoming nuptials of one of my oldest friends AND my baby sister. Separate weddings. They aren't marrying each other. Two weddings. One week apart. One week away. Both occasions are coming up fast and the celebrating has already begun with showers and parties and gift wrapping and hoopla. Speaking of, I really need to pick up my dress from the alterations place. MENTAL NOTE. But anyway, in honor of this joyous season, I wanted to share one of my favorite go-to party dishes, because even if you're not celebrating a wedding, these are great holiday appetizers. And this one is SO easy, you will thank me. I'm preparing myself now - because you WILL thank me. Here is a twist on the traditional bacon-wrapped date:

Ingredients:
- 1 package of nitrate-free bacon
- 1 package of fresh dates, pitted
- 4 oz. goat cheese
- 1 package pistachios, crushed

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Stuff each date with a hefty helping of goat cheese.
3. Go ahead and stuff some pistachios in the date, as well.
4. Cut each piece of bacon in half (sometimes I even do thirds).
5. Wrap each date with bacon. Place the date with the bacon's seam side down on a baking sheet.
6. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Flip the dates, then bake for another 5-7 minutes.
7. Remove the dates from the baking sheet, allow to cool. Spear each date with a toothpick, and transfer to a serving platter. Boom! You're holding the best appetizer in the room. I promise :)

Seriously though. If these dates don't get eaten, then BONUS. You get to take them home and scarf the whole plate yourself. While watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix. But seriously, if you take these to a party and they don't get eaten - I will pay you $5. Because that's how confident I am in these delectable treats. FIVE DOLLARS CONFIDENT.

Happy wedding weekending to me. Happy hosting, to you!