Friday, October 19, 2012

Pumpkin Patch


We ventured to the patch last weekend to grab our stash.
We are definitely quickly running out of room for pumpkins! Who knows what we'll do next year with THREE littles?!

We are very much into "If he does it, so do I" stage.
And they are pretty much inseparable. Fingers crossed that helps with moving them in together in a few months!





Our rule for pumpkin selection: have to get it to the wagon. This was E's solution.
We gave in due to creative thinking.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Roasted Salmon in Miso Sauce

Real Simple's October 2012 issue had an absolute gem. They did a piece on a five-day meal plan for an entire month. And included a shopping list for each week. Talk about making it simple. What I love most about the recipes are that they push me outside my normal, but not in an overwhelming way. Feeling adventurous, but still only having to complete 3 or 4 steps per meal.

We've ventured to Ranch 99, discovered radicchio and fennel, and resurrected a love for chorizo. I've been doing one week on their plan and following it up with a regular, no-frills week. It's been the perfect mix.

With any adventure, there's been some major hits and major misses. One of our absolute favorite thus far was last night's dinner. Everyone, including my picky eater, cleaned their plate! Success.

1.5 lbs of new potatoes {halved if large}..i just got a 1.5 sack of small goldens; less work
1 bunch of broccoli, cut into florets
3 T + 1 t canola oil
kosher salt and black pepper
3 T white miso {soybean paste; found in fridge section of supermarket}
1 T rice vinegar
4 6-oz salmon fillets
1/4 to 1/2 t crushed red pepper...opted out of this

*Heat oven to 425. In baking dish, toss potatoes and broccoli with 2 T oil, 1/2 t salt and 1/4 t pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender. About 25-30 minutes.

*Meanwhile, in small bowl, whisk miso, vinegar, 1 T of remaining oil and 3 T water.

*Heat remaining t of oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Season salmon with 1/4 t each salt and pepper. Cook until opaque throughout, about 5-10 per side. Drizzle with sauce, sprinkle with crushed red pepper and serve with veggies.

Party in your mouth. No joke.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Gettin' Spooky {decor}

A few weeks ago, the fall box came down and slowly but surely our house is turning a bit spooky! I've made a new front door wreath which I'm in absolute love with. Already scheming up Christmas ideas so I can keep it out!
{tutorial found here}

Our entryway inlet has a few added touches:
I got the print a few years back and added my mustache hoop art that wonders around downstairs without a permanent home. The beware sign was a dollar store score.

Our mantle:
At this point, just a hod-podge of what was already on it plus a few random additions. The candy corn garland I made out of felt and is hung on black ric rac. The witch print is found here. And the centerpiece pallet sign is incomplete {still need words} and will eventually go to another home. But it works there for now until I mail it off. 

The winning space thus far is our bat wall! It turned out so awesome. Amazing what 50 little card-stock bats can do! The flight of the bats:


{tutorial found here}

Happy harvest month!