Butternut squash & cranberry risotto ♥

Good Morning Friends and hello lovely November! ♥

The older I get, I have a whole new appreciation for November. I used to not give her that much thought, as she served just a bridge to December.  But really, November deserves her moment.  It's a month of calmness before the chaos.  A month of anticipation and preparation. I hope she takes here time because I actually love her. 

 And she's pretty too ♥

The colors are in full bloom now and every day it looks like it's raining leaves.  

Nature is prepping for winter ♥

 And so are we.  It's freezing. Have you put your heat on yet? I held out as long as I could but we had to do it.  The house is toasty and I'm looking forward to many cozy fires this season.  

I didn't get as many trick or treaters as I'd planned for.  It was the least amount we've had in years!  Has "truck or treats" squashed old fashioned trick or treating? I'm not sure, but what I do know is I have way too much candy left over and that's not good for anyone around here.  Especially since we're about to enter the biggest eating season of the year.  Ugh!  

Somebody stop me! ♥

*Breakfast of champions*

Right now I'm in that weird state of savoring every last bit of cozy fall while simultaneously being so excited for Christmas and wanting to decorate and do all the things!  I'm slowly putting away pumpkins and a bringing out holly and twinkle lights.  I want to have the most Christmassy Thanksgiving we've ever had.  I've started to make my menus and lists galore! Have you ever heard of baked brie cranberry bites? Me either but I want to make them :)  

Yes it's early, but I don't care.  The tree is going up soon. The music has started and so has the decorating and the shopping.  It doesn't mean I don't care about Thanksgiving.  It's only making it better in my opinion.  The holiday season is so short as it is, so why not start early. 

♥

Here's a weird thing about me... I find it very comforting to scroll Pinterest for DIY Christmas gifts that I will probably never have time to make, while listening to David on QVC talk about kitchen products that I'll probably never buy.  Why do I love that so much? I don't know but it's my happy place and I do it almost every day.  Do you watch David?  He's been part of my life my years.  I adore his commentary and kitchen tips.  

And speaking of kitchen....♥

Today I wanted to share with you a yummy recipe I posted years ago but deserves another moment.  It's a very easy butternut squash and cranberry risotto.  I make it as a side dish but I could easily just eat this for my meal.  It's perfect for this festive season! 

 

1 butternut squash (medium size)

2 tbsp olive oil

6 cups chicken stock

6 tbsp butter (3/4 stick)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup risotto (Arborio rice)

1/2 cup dried cranberries 

salt & pepper

Peel butternut squash and remove the seeds.  Cut into 3/4 inch chucks.   Cook in microwave (on fresh vegetable setting) until tender.  (*could also be roasted in oven*)  Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in a covered saucepan.  Leave it on low heat to simmer.

In a large saucepan melt the butter and saute the onion - about 10 minutes.

Add the rice and stir to coat the grains with butter.  Cook for 2 minutes.

Add two ladles of stock to the rice (about 1 cup) and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. 

Stir and simmer until stock is absorbed, 5 - 10 minutes.  Continue to add stock, 2 ladles at a time, stirring every few minutes.  Each time, cook until the mixture seems a little dry, then add more stock. 

Continue until the rice is thoroughly cooked (and you are out of stock), about 30 minutes total. 

Remove from heat and stir in the cooked squash. Then stir in the dried cranberries. The mixture will be thick and creamy. 

Transfer to a pretty dish (because that is what this risotto deserves to be served in) and enjoy!

Have a great day my friends! I must get some work done now and do some Christmas dreaming.  

Need more coffee too! ♥

Stay cozy! xoxox

Happy Halloween! ♥

Happy Halloween, Friends! ♥

 

Today happens to be a cold blustery and gloomy day, which is very fitting for Halloween.  It actually feels like Halloween today. It's in the air.  

John and I treated ourselves to a McDonalds breakfast this morning (because it's been a week and we really needed it : ).  It was soooo good! ♥  

This afternoon we'll carve our pumpkin and I'll cook up the seeds.  Something I do every year!  He's off to a friends house tonight but I'll be home with Rob and my Dad giving out candy to the trick or treaters.  We have a lot of kids in our neighborhood so I'm sure it will be busy.  I made a big pot of soup last night that we'll have for dinner tonight with some crusty bread I got from the bakery.  I really wanted to make mummy dogs like I used to but since John isn't even going to be here I don't feel they will be appreciated...lol 

Right now he's in the other room watching Texas Chainsaw Massacre and I just can't bear it.

Times have changed : ) 

 

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After all the kids are gone I'm looking forward to settling in for the night in the most cozy way.  Watch a movie and get a good nights sleep. 

 Because....tomorrow....it begins...

Have a happy Halloween, my friends! I'm wishing you all the milk duds and snickers bars you can bear! 

Have a great weekend!

It's also daylight savings weekend so don't forget to set your clocks back tomorrow night too.  

Cozy season is here. No turning back now! 🎄

Ordinary October Days...♥

Hello Friends! Happy Friday! ♥

October is in full bloom here this week.  I had a quiet week working at home, but at least I had a nice view!  We started with rain early on, but once that cleared and the sun came out, I was treated to some nice colors outside my window. 

This is my favorite time for this view.  A close second would only be when the river is frozen and all the trees are frosted with snow and ice.  I know that sounds horrible to some, but it's really quite pretty.  It will be a marshmallow world soon enough.  For now, it's Fall I love and I'll enjoy the days for as long as I can.  I still have to get some pumpkins and prepare for Halloween next week. Next week?! Wow, that came fast, didn't it? 

The mornings are actually very chilly now.  I have an old cardigan sweater that I wrap up in as I shuffle off to the coffee pot first thing.  While the house is heating up and the coffee is warming me up, I take a peek outside and see what's happening.  It's a little more golden than it was yesterday.  

So what's new???   

This week I've been reading What Alice Forgot for my book club.  It's wonderful! Have you read it? A few months ago I started a book club with three of my friends. Our kids grew up together and now that they're not in school together anymore we miss each other! We all love to read so it's a great way to get together every month, eat snacks, and catch up. OH and talk about books.  We take turns hosting and picking the books. It's been fun! 

I also started a little cross stitch project that I've been working on in the evenings.  I went to Michaels and picked up something beginner level to get me started. It's a learning curve but I love it.  I'm settling into cozy season and it's helping my stress levels go way down. 

And I've found it to be slightly addicting : ) 

Last week my friend Jen and her family were visiting from out of state.  We've known each other since first grade! She only comes back this way a few times a year, so when we see each other, we really make it count. 

We had the best time catching up over a long breakfast, which turned into an afternoon of talking and laughing for hours. 

It was a great day that was so good for my soul ♥

My Dad is feeling very good this week! He's the best he's been in months (thank you God!) and I'm so happy about that.  We've got all his meds and diet on the right track and it's really showing.  I'm really hopeful for a better holiday season this year. He'll be able to enjoy it more.  We're hosting Thanksgiving again and I already said he's carving the turkey.  We miss my mom so much and it's still so unbelievable that she's gone.  With the holidays approaching it's especially difficult, so I'm trying my best to stay positive and give my Dad (and me) things to look forward to, probably to an annoying degree :) 

  I know he's sad, but somehow life goes on.  

This weekend Rob and I have a coffee date Saturday morning (something I look forward to all week).  Something about us...we are coffee shop people! We are happiest in the morning having coffee and pastries at our favorite local spot. Then we go for a long drive, listen to music, and talk. We prefer that than going out to dinner on the weekends.  I'd rather cook (or get take out...wink, wink...) and stay in and watch a movie on a Saturday night.  Especially when it's cold out and I can snuggle up in my pj's and cozy blankets, with no place to go ♥

John has a band rehearsal here tonight, so the house will be full of music. My Dad actually loves this the most because it's very entertaining! (and thankfully it's good music!) Saturday he's going to a Haunted House (John, not my Dad! lol) which is a tradition he's been doing for years with his friends.  The place is scary! There are live people dressed up that wander around the parking lot....to get the scary vibes going I guess.  I got chased to my car one year dropping him off and haven't been back since. That was enough for me.    

 On Sunday we'll go to church and then I plan on a nice walk and some fall baking while the rest of the house watches football.  Sounds good to me! ♥

What are you up to? 

And that's about all the excitement there is around here, my friends.  Just ordinary October days.  Today I have applesauce in the crockpot (checked that off my list!) and I really want to make soup for dinner.  Who doesn't love soup and sandwiches on a Friday night? Hopefully not my family because that's what we're having! 

Have a wonderful weekend friend!  Stay cozy and enjoy the little things!  ♥

Wednesday Wisdom: cursive writing & magazines ♥

Hello lovely Friends!  Happy Wednesday! ♥

The sun is shining today after three days of heavy, heavy rain and I feel like October is smiling on us today.  

Do you want to know something very random that I've been thinking about?  I think it's so very sad that kids aren't taught cursive writing anymore. It suddenly dawned on me (for reasons unknown!) that the generation after John will never know how to properly write cursive and it's basically become obsolete.  He was taught in first and second grade how to write the alphabet and sign his name, then it stopped.  The kids were given computers and that was the end of that. These days everything is electronic and at the doctor's office or CVS we sign our names on a pad with our finger.  Am I the only one who thinks this is sad.  Technology is a great thing I know, but somewhere along the way we've lost our charm.  

Kids aren't even given schoolbooks anymore because everything is downloaded on a device.  We broke our backs walking home with book bags that weighed a ton and you know what?  We didn't have to worry about Wi-Fi or low battery or technical difficulties. And it was so fun to see whose name was written in the book, so you knew who had it before you : ) It all seemed so much simpler.  And with the disappearance of cursive something inside me feels like we're going backwards instead of forwards. I guess I'm a dinosaur, but these are the things I ponder.  My Dad told me that at some point the penny is going to disappear from existence as well.  WHAT? Are you telling me my grandchildren will never know cursive wiring or know what a penny is?! I can't even fathom it.  

 All I can say is that I'm thankful I grew up in a world with cursive writing, heavy book bags, and pennies. Because those things are important. 

And while we're on the subject of my never-ending nostalgia, did you know that you can borrow magazines from the library? I didn't either until just recently. Last week I accidentally wandered over to that section and found all my old favorites that I hadn't seen in ages.  Gosh I love the library! 

I used to love magazines!! One of the best parts of going to any appointment was the waiting room with all the magazines!  Once we got phones no one seemed to care about them anymore and once Covid hit they disappeared from waiting rooms entirely. Have you even been to a doctor appointment and didn't have your phone? I have and it's terrible just sitting there with no People or Us Weekly to flip through like in the old days. 

The other thing is magazines are expensive now. One can cost up to $10 and that's just crazy. Probably because they want to us read them online.  But doesn't that defeat the whole purpose?  It's so satisfying to flip through a good magazine!!!  

And thanks to my local library, I can! ♥

And that's all I have to say about that!  ♥

Thank you for listening to my rant : ) 

Have a great Wednesday, friends!  xx 

My weekend and a little holiday decorating ♥

 Hello Friends!  ♥

Happy Monday from wet and stormy Massachusetts! 

 I hope you all had a lovely weekend and your Monday is off to a good start.

We are having quite a rainstorm today.  It's windy, dark, and gloomy, but as long as we're cozy inside I'm not minding it at all.  In fact, I rather like it. I have a pot roast in the oven that's been simmering away all afternoon.  I usually cook pot roast in the crock pot but this way the kitchen stays nice and toasty and it smells good in here too  ♥

I'm nothing if not practical :) 

 Anyway, how was your weekend?  They go by too quickly, don't they?  

On Saturday Rob and I celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary! (I know!).  We went to lunch and a walk on the cape cod canal.  

Most of the seafood places in the cape are closed now but we found one right across from the bridge that's still open. They were closing the next day! Lucky for me because I had the best lobster roll of my life. 

We took a nice walk and watched the boats go by ♥ 

Cape Cod off season is so much nicer than peak season.  Same scenery and food. Less heat and crowds.  

I'm in  ♥

Looking like Fall and I'm loving it!  ♥

On Sunday I decided to go after that shelf I was telling you about. Is it a bit too early to bring out the Christmas village? Yes, of course it is.  Did I do it anyway?  Yes, of course I did! 

October 12th...and so it begins!  ♥  

fa la la la.....

You have idea the amount of DUST that was up here!  I took all teapots and knick-knacks down, cleaned them, and wrapped them up for storage.  

Then I unwrapped all THIS.  That's when the fun started  ♥ 

 Now I realize it's not even Halloween yet and I by no means am trying to rush the FALL or wish it away, but I cannot even begin to tell you how happy seeing this little village makes me.  

Plus my Mom loved this village.  It was the highlight of our Christmas decorating.  Next to the tree, this was her favorite thing.  I felt sad doing it by myself, but happy at the same time because I know she would have loved it.  My Dad said so too. 

My goal was to have it done by Thanksgiving.  

Ok, so I'm a little early, but now it's off the list.  One less thing to do when the holiday rush starts.  

I thought I was going to get a lot more teasing from my family than I actually did.  I think everyone around here is ready for holiday season.  Last years wasn't the best so we're hoping for a much happier (and healthier) one this year.  Why not start a bit early? I'm ready ♥

Well, I'm off to check on my pot roast.  What are you having for dinner tonight?  

Have a cozy evening friends!  Make a cup of tea, curl up under a blanket, and watch something comforting tonight.  If it's still stormy I might just read my book and go to bed early  ♥ 

Cause adults can do that.  Byeeeee! xo 

Hello October ♥

Hello Beautiful October and Happy Friday! ♥

As I type this post I'm listing to a playlist on YouTube titled "Halloween 1945 Nostalgic Vintage Music Playlist for Autum Vibes".  It's so cozy and perfect and I'm linking it HERE for you so you can listen too!  The vintage Halloween images are just as wonderful as the music and it makes me really wish Halloween was still like that.  

Maybe somewhere it is...:) 

Speaking of Autumn vibes, they have arrived! I can feel the shift in the air and I'm loving it.  

This morning was 50 degrees, which is the coldest it's been in a while.  I felt it when I stepped out of the house to run to the post office at 8:15am. I had to grab a fleece and zip it up over my PJ's. 

 Funny thing about me is, my level of standard of what's "acceptable" to look like in public has drastically changed since I turned 50.  If it's a quick errand, and it's early morning...anything goes.  

But anyway...back to what's important :) 

Last weekend we went apple picking (a Fall tradition with friends) so my house is now full of apples galore!  Since it's been cold and gloomy today (and I say that with nothing but love and happiness in my heart) I decided it's comfort food night so we're having breakfast dinner...something I do often this time of year. I'll make Susan Branch's German Pancake and add apples and cinnamon to it. It's one of my favorite comfort recipes. 

I did a video and blog post with the recipe a while back.  Here's the link.  It's super easy if you feel like comfort food tonight!  

We had a beautiful day to pick apples! We went to an orchard that I'd never been to before.  We usually go to a little farm.  This was a much bigger place and what was shocking to me was we had to purchase tickets and get wristbands, theme park style.  Because of that, the experience lost some of its charm for me.  I guess I just prefer the smaller places.  It was still lovely, don't get me wrong.  It's just amazing to me how things change.  

Me and John, my friend Julie, and her two boys Sean and Michael.  John's known them since kindergarten. We've been doing this every fall for years and years! ♥

I tried a corn maze for the first (and last) time.  I won't tell you how long it took me to get out of this thing! Its the stuff horror movies are made of.  

Regardless of that trauma, I got what I went for.  The mother load! ♥

My Dad's birthday is Sunday and I've promised him an apple pie.  I also want to make apple sauce. 

I remember once in the Fall a few years ago I was visiting my friend BJ and her daughter Madison had made homemade applesauce in a crockpot.  We had gone for a walk on a chilly afternoon in her neighborhood and we when got home we had a bowl of Madison's homemade applesauce.  It was like Autumn in a bowl!  It was delicious and made me so happy.  That's such a nice little memory for me and ever since I make applesauce every October (her recipe of course!).  

Side note: that same weekend BJ made us pumpkin spice lattes in the crockpot and that's when I knew we'd be friends for life ♥

Meanwhile, we're settling into October very nicely.  I'm still on leaf watch.  No major color changes yet, but it's coming.  The birds, squirrels, and chipmunks have been very busy.  They are getting ready.  

As for me, I've gone into nesting mode.  I decided I want to take up some kind of sewing or needlepoint so I'm off to Michaels or Hobby Lobby find a project. My mother always sewed and did craft projects on cold dark nights while drinking tea. I love the idea doing something with myself besides doom scrolling on my phone. Something I've been doing too much of lately.  I would rather make something and be creative while listening to an audiobook.  

Doesn't that sound cozy? ♥  

I can never resist a supermarket bouquet of autumn flowers!  These were calling my name, so I brought them home today.  The colors are everything right now ♥  

Soup has officially been added into the meal rotation again. 

 I LOVE having soup for lunch this time of year.  I like to make a big batch on Sundays and then we have it all week long.  

Minestrone is my favorite! 

Have you tried this tea yet?  

It reminds of those cinnamon candies we had as kids, except better.  

It's been my afternoon treat lately, with a cookie or piece of dark chocolate. 

Yum ♥

...And speaking of my Dad, many of you ask for him which I appreciate so much.  I realized I haven't shared that many photos of him lately.  I took this picture yesterday when we came home from an appointment. He's feeling and looking very well these days.  On Sunday he'll be 86 and yes, he still has all his hair! 

This weekend Rob has promised me a coffee date, which I am very much looking forward to.  Sunday we are taking my Dad out to dinner and sometime in between I plan on doing some housework, reading my book, and hopefully going for a nice walk.  Is it too soon to start watching Hallmark Christmas movies? Well, not for me but I think I'll watch some Fall themed ones first.  Nothing too heavy, and the cornier the better. Oh heck, maybe I'll just have a Meg Ryan fest : )  

Have a great October weekend my friends.  We only get 4 of them so lets enjoy them! ♥

Byeeee! ♥

xoox