decorative gourd season

Because it's decorative gourd season, motherf**kers...

via create.your.happy

And because I have so much to share but I don't know where to begin. I guess starting somewhere is better than not starting at all.

between fall and winter

It's somewhere between fall and winter. That time of year when leaves get frozen in ice puddles and there's still a hint of warmth in the air but as the days go by it slowly becomes a faint memory of what once was. As the coldness arrives there's a feeling that you just don't know what's coming next.

{images via create.your.happy}

chile lime roasted pepitas

One of my favorite things about fall is all the delicious flavors and one of my favorite fall flavors is pumpkin. I pretty much love anything pumpkin, especially pumpkin seeds. But carving pumpkins to get all the seeds is a bit too much work for me so I buy pepitas instead. I made these chile and lime roasted pepitas over the weekend and they are deliciously spicy. I've been carrying them in a little container in my purse all week. I love having a healthy snack while on the go.

Next time I'm going to try this, this, or this.

fall adventure

Ebert and I are back from our fall adventure in Michigan. Our little cottage was nestled in the woods. It was a little more rustic on the inside then we had expected, and not in a modern and hip way, but it served its purpose of offering us a place to getaway from the routine of our every day. What we liked most was that even though there were houses nearby it was always quiet and at night there were no street lights which made the dark that much darker.

We enjoyed the beautiful fall foliage...

and said hello to the local residents on the short walk from the cottage to the lake.

It was picturesque both at sunset and during the day but we were always the only ones walking along the water, which was a little eerie, but probably because it was so windy and cold.

Sometimes the lake looked like the sea rather than a lake as it did when we went hiked through the Saugatuck Dunes.

We'd walk around the little towns of Saugatuck and Holland, then hang out at a coffee shop drinking espresso or tea, reading and writing...

but mostly staying warm when it snowed.

We went cider tasting...

and apple picking. We also stopped at the orchard's pie shop and got apple pie and apple cider donuts. Of course, we had to try all of the local favorites!!

And we ate at this restaurant twice. The food was delicious, the cocktails superb, but the best part was...

the amazing bread they served with house made butter and salt and pepper. Luckily for us they sold their bread by the loaves so we were able to enjoy it on the nights we stayed home and cooked. We bought two loaves of bread in 5 days, that's how much we loved it!

It was a fun getaway but it was really nice to come back on Friday and have the rest of the weekend to relax in the comforts of our own home. Now it's time to get busy and kick some creative butt. I can't believe there's only two months left of this year. Plenty of time for creating my happy!

chicken tortilla soup

chicken tortilla soup

This chicken tortilla soup is my go-to soup recipe. It's delicious and really easy to make and perfect for the chilly fall nights we've been having in Chicago. It's even better the next day after all the flavors have mixed together and there's just a bit more kick to it. I would recommend doubling this recipe. You will definitely want leftovers.

roasted sweet pepper soup

roasted sweet pepper soup

I recently bought a 2-pound bag of mini sweet peppers at our favorite local grocery store. I had no idea what I was going to do with that many peppers but at $0.49/bag I couldn't resist. Eventually I came across this recipe...sounds delicious, right? Well, it is pretty delicious but I would recommend adding some cayenne pepper to give it a little extra kick, otherwise it's slightly bland tasting. It's the perfect type of soup for this crisp fall weather. We cooked kale chips to have on the side but a crusty loaf a bread would be good too!

sunday supper: sweet potatoes

It's a warm Sunday afternoon in Chicago and I'm loving it. There were some flurries of snow earlier this week and my heart sank - I am not excited about winter this year. Hopefully, I'll get into the spirit by cooking and baking. Speaking of cooking, one of my favorite fall foods is the sweet potato...sans marshmallows. The sweet potato is such a delicious and flavorful food why would you ruin it by putting fluff on it? When Ebert and I buy sweet potatoes we usually turn them into fries but after perusing numerous recipes I think it's time we try something new. Hope you enjoy!

roasted sweet potato & beet salad via hungryfoodiespharmacy

smoky sweet potato & carrot soup via thecafesucrefarine

vegetable pot pie w/sweet potato biscuits via fiveandspice

sweet potato gnocchi via acouplecooks

white chocolate, cranberry, pecan & sweet potato cookies via evilshenanigans

Happy Cooking!

sunday supper: butternut squash

I was going to share some pumpkin recipes today in honor of Halloween, and also because I love pumpkin but then I remembered that's what I did last year. Even though I haven't been writing and sharing as much as I'd like to I certainly don't want to get lazy with my posts by repeating myself just because it would be easy. So I spent more time than usual finding delicious recipes of another fall vegetable- the butternut squash. Now I don't cook with butternut squash very often and not because I don't like this squash, mainly because it's a lot of work to peel it and cut it up. I think the last time I cooked a butternut squash was when I made this soup. But after seeing all these yummy recipes I think I'm going to have to add it to this week's grocery list.

butternut squash, feta & jalapeno quesadillas via vegetablematter

baked butternut slices via blessherheart

butternut squash, arugula & goat cheese pizza via tastyyummies

spinach & butternut squash lasagna via thekitchensinkrecipes

buttermilk butternut squash bundt via foodlibrarian

Happy Cooking!

sunday supper: pears

I haven't done much cooking with pears. The extent of my pear use has only been to put slices of them on top of lettuce, but for some reason I'm craving this fall fruit. Maybe it's because the trees outside my front window are barren and I'm wearing wooly socks. In any case, here are some fall pear recipes— excluding poached pears because those just don't sound good— for this chilly Sunday evening.

panini w/pears, brie, caramelized walnuts & arugula pesto mayo via vegetablematter

quinoa salad w/pears, baby spinach & chick peas via glutenfreegoddess

fresh ginger pear bread via smellslikehome

pear & cranberry pecan coconut crisp via seasonsandsuppers

Happy Cooking!

sunday supper: apples

Because it's that time of year, which just so happens to be my favorite time of year, here are some fall inspired apple recipes for your Sunday. And if you happen to be in Chicago here's to the gorgeous weather we've been having - I love fall when it's 77 degrees outside.

grilled apple & cheese sandwich w/sage pesto via thekitchensink

roasted apple & broccoli soup w/whipped garlic feta via ledelicieux

apple, goat cheese & walnut pizza via thehealthyfoodie

cinnamon-roasted sweet potato & apple salad via sweettreatsandmore

apple spice cake w/maple cream cheese frosting via eggsonsunday

Happy Sunday!

sunday supper: figs

I bought a carton of figs at Trader Joe's the other day. Can you believe that was my first time buying fresh figs? What's even more shocking is that up until then Ebert had only ever eaten a fig in the 'Newton' form. He was pleasantly surprised with how much he liked them. We have know been eating a lot of figs - for dinner I made a spinach, blue cheese, and fig salad with an olive oil and fig balsamic dressing. I've been putting fig and banana slices on top of yogurt with almonds and walnuts for a delicious, healthy breakfast. And I've been eating them whole for a quick and easy snack. I haven't been able to cook with them yet, maybe with the next carton I buy I'll be able to try some of these recipes.

rosemary-scented mascarpone fig tart via mikestable

quinoa salad w/figs via dishingupdelights

I also want to try her fig yogurt cake, it looks so yummy!

chocolate-covered figs w/sea salt via circlebkitchen

rustic fig & goat cheese pizza via sproutedkitchen

Happy Cooking on this dreary Sunday!

fall fun

{all images via create.your.happy}

I went to the Lincoln Square Apple Fest yesterday afternoon. It was my first official fall fun activity and it really got me excited about the change of seasons. I'm now looking forward to the crisp, cool air (although it's raining today and I am not excited about that), the aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg, and the wearing of scarves and boots. I was very tempted to take home that big skillet of homemade apple pie, but I decided that a bag of apples would be a better choice - I am now rethinking that decision. I love just walking through the crowds of people as I make my way to each vendor's tent to admire their artfully organized displays. There was something peaceful about watching people stand in line for a cup of apple cider, couples sharing an apple pizza, and parents helping their kids pick out the best little pumpkin. Maybe it was just all the smiles and laughter that filled the square, but whatever it was it was apple-tastic!

Here are some other fall fun activities I'm looking forward to -

Oktoberfest at St. Alphonsus

pumpkin donuts in a pumpkin patch at Pumpkinfest

apple picking and cider donuts at Kuipers Family Farm

autumn beer tasting in the garden

There will also be lots of new recipes to try this fall. I actually kind of missed cooking and baking this summer.

What are some of your fall fun plans?