brooklyn pumpkins

 

Once we went to Brooklyn a day after Halloween.  The jack-o-lanterns on various stoops were terrific.  Here are some snaps of just a handful.

Happy Halloween!

everett 1.5

Everett newly walking 3.5 years ago.  Time does fly.

holiday cookie workshops @ JAM!

YAY! 

p a p e r   s c i s s o r s  O r a n g e s
h o l i d a y   c o o k i e   w o r k s h o p s
@

December

13 - 17
choose one day
 Monday through Friday

4 - 5 pm 

children ages 4-11

your child will decorate one half dozen BIG holiday butter cookies
using icing and decorations galore...
along with painting and embellishing a box to put them in!

cost: $45

click here to register at JAM

first come first served!

pasta with butternut squash, sweet italian sausage & sage

I once had a dish with Butternut Squash, Sweet Italian Sausage & Sage with penne pasta at a restaurant called Quattro Pazzi in Fairfield, Connecticut.  It was so delicious and only available in the fall.  Fall is here.  The cool air and turning leaves and big fat butternut squash at The Double L was reminding my taste buds of this yummy concoction.  So I googled the ingredients and found this recipe on a blog called Closet Cooking.  I made it Sunday eve for supper and boy was it out of this world.  Everett ate two huge bowls.  I had it for lunch on Monday.  It was even tastier.  Try it!  You will like it!  A perfect fall meal. oh one more thought to add;  It was a cinch to make.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic chopped)
red chili pepper flakes to taste
2 tablespoons sage (chopped)
2 links Italian sausage (casings removed and crumbled)
1 splash white wine (optional)
1 cup chicken stock
1 butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes)
1 bunch Swiss chard (optional, rinsed and cut into bit sized pieces)
1 pound pasta
1 splash heavy cream (optional)
parmigiano reggiano to taste (grated)

Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and sage and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
4. Add the sausage and saute until cooked, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.
6. Add the chicken stock, squash and and chard simmer until the squash is tender, about 10 minutes.
7. Cook your pasta.
8. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce along with a splash of heavy cream and remove from heat.
9. Plate and garnish with parmigiano reggiano.

photo and recipe from closet cooking

favorite wall art

These are photos of some of my favorite pieces of art 

the children at paper scissors oranges created over the years 

on our wall!

marilyn's room

How about Marilyn's digs?  So now.  Great blue wall and cozy place to read...and the lamp...love the lamp.  Her outfit is perfectly casual too.  Have a relaxing weekend!

Photo from Vanity Fair

booties for baby

Ok, so these are a little baby version of the booties from yesterday...the ones I like from anthropologie.  These are made by Kina and are available at Fawn and Forest.

booties

I keep going back to these shoe-booties from anthropologie.  Love the laces, the shearling, the height of the heel.  They are cozy, right?

lovely rooms for babies

found on bloesem kids

piper's birthday celebration

 little baby doll good luck doll with birthday cake

 big bro Everett excited for Piper's birthday

 flags Gretchen made for Piper's baby shower are the perfect birthday bling

 Piper's best bud, Torsten comes to celebrate

 Torsten's mom, Kathleen with both babies

 Torsten and Kathleen made Piper's birthday hat!

 the peepster is one!

t

the peepster and the cake her mama made

happy first birthday piper jayne!

Happy first birthday to my girl!
Love this needlepoint birthday cake.

design*sponge

fall and halloween books for children

Here you will find our favorite books for fall and Halloween. 
I have pulled them all and they are sitting on a table next
to our couch for cozy reads with Everett.
He loves the entire list.  I will read each one at least 20 times.
Click one the links below if you would like a copies for your own library!

Hurry, Hurry, Mary Dear by N.M. Bodecker

The Perfect Pumpkin Pie by Denys Cazet

 

Pumpkins by Mary Lyn Ray

The Spider and the Fly by Tony DiTerlizzi

The Moon Quilt by Sunny Warner

How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman

The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

The Gigantic Turnip by Aleksei Tolstoy

Three Little Ghosties by Pippa Goodhart

A Woggle of Witches by Adrienne Adams