Some Things I Just Love...

Oh, man. I had so many things bookmarked to share here for Halloween. Lesson learned that I should never wait this long into the season, because things sell out so fast!
Have I mentioned that I love Halloween? I do. I think it might be my favorite holiday. Here's a selection of some things I love for this October 31st.
a. A fun & festive Trick or Treat banner. b. Handmade treat buckets. Love these!! c. Handmade, scary chalkboard centerpieces. d. Check out these handmade ceramic tombstones...along with all the other great stuff available from this artist. e. I'm obsessed with vintage chenille Halloween ornaments. Martha shows you how to make your own here. f. These Halloween glittered candles are great because they can be used year after year.

Pumpkin Picking 2010

Another great year at Warrup's Farm, in Redding, CT. We love that place! This was our 4th year going & it was by far the busiest we've ever seen it. Although, in comparison to some other places around Fairfield County, pretty low-key.
We went with friends...some that come every year with us & some new to the place. We also had my brother-in-law & my two nephews with us this year. It was our biggest bunch yet & the kids all had a blast.
Warrup's has other things to offer besides pumpkins too! They have fields of beautiful, fresh produce & flowers. You can grab a pair of scissors from the little hut there, go pick what you want & pay for it by the pound. Most of the vegetables are done for the season...but, they still had cold weather crops, like lettuce, parsley, squash, peppers & green tomatoes.
Previous years Pumpkin Picking adventures can be seen here & here. I love looking at them & seeing how much all the kids have grown. Warrup's hasn't changed a bit though!

Beef, Mushroom & Snap Pea Stir-Fry

I love stir-fries. They are generally easy to make, quick-cooking & healthy. In the past, I've made chicken stir-fries, this delicious spicy tofu one, veggies only varieties...but, steak? Never made one.
Maybe because I think of them as being healthy...a lot of the time, diet worthy. Somehow adding red meat to the mix seems counter productive. But, I live in a home with three boys...and, my boys love steak.
So, when I saw this recipe in the October issue of Bon Appétit, I thought I'd give it a try. It looked so good & I knew my family would love it.
The original recipe didn't really need any tweaking, but I did change a few things to suit my taste. It called for using shiitake mushrooms, which I love. But, I decided to add in some portabellas too, because I love the combination of steak & portabella mushrooms. I also substituted sugar snap peas for snow peas...I'm not the biggest snow pea fan.
While making a stir-fry is quick in the pan, it usually requires a bit of effort in the prep department. This one is no different. But, once you get everything washed, peeled & chopped, the actually cooking part is super quick.

Apple Picking 2010

Three Lily Soup

A very long time ago, I worked next door to a gourmet food shop in Darien, CT, called the Good Food Store. Those of you from these parts will remember it, as it was quite popular. They had the best soups & I often bought my lunch from them. I remember one day seeing "three lily soup" on the menu & wondering what on earth it was. The salesperson explained to me that it was an onion soup, made with shallots & garlic...all vegetables from the lily family. I had to try it & remember that it was delicious.
Since then, I have had that soup in the back of my mind...thinking someday I would find a recipe for it. I had looked several times, on the internet, but nothing. Then, recently, I tried looking for Four Lily Soup & found it! I discovered that Gourmet magazine has published more than one variation over the years...nothing that's published officially online. But, I found a few different methods on message boards & such.
So, I took what I read about them & came up with my own version. The names vary as well...anything from Three, Four, or Five Lily, depending on what's used. I used red onion, sweet onion, shallots & garlic. But, leeks, or even chives, are also options.
I also added a bit of potato, to thicken the soup up a bit...also, to mellow out the flavors.