Fall Pumpkins

The last of the Halloween decorations are put away and all that remains are a few pumpkins and fall wreathes around the house.

Over the weekend, I picked up a couple of Pottery Barn mercury pumpkins.  I have been waiting for them to go on sale.  A nice addition to my white ceramic pumpkins (Tuesday Morning).

I can’t wait to pack away the pumpkins and get out the Christmas decorations!   Just a few more weeks…

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Halloween Haunts in the House

Halloween is such a fun holiday.  I love creating Halloween vignettes around the house with decorations I’ve collected over the years.

Here’s a peak at some of our Halloween haunts …

In our entry, we have an old pine bench.  I change out the pillows each season.  I found these sequined black & silver pillows at HomeGoods.  Love them!

Across from the bench, I have an entry table with a large mirror.  I like to hang seasonal wreaths from the top of the mirror.  A black fuzzy bat hangs out during October.

We have an old black bar in our living room.  It makes a great place to display apothecary jars filled with seasonal items.

Last year I bought several silver beaded spider webs (from Roger’s Gardens).  They are great to drape over mirrors, pictures or chandeliers ….

I found strands of orange & black bulbs at Target — they make great fillers for large apothecary jars.  And I couldn’t pass up the “Keep Calm” sign, another HomeGoods find.

I still have some apothecary jars filled with sea shells left over from the summer.  I added a few spiders to make them fit the Halloween theme.

Spiders add a creepy surprise!

I added a few Halloween touches to some bookshelves …

And every Halloween, I change out my hall cabinets — displaying my Halloween plates.

Happy Haunting!

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An Italian Thanksgiving

Every other year, we end up having two Thanksgiving celebrations.  (Being part of a blended family has it’s unique challenges come the holidays, but we always try to make the best of it!)

This year, instead of having two turkey dinners, we decided to have an Italian Thanksgiving dinner the day before Thanksgiving (when we have the kids with us).  It’s been fun planning the menu.  We’re going to get everyone involved … it should be great fun!   And, my sister and her family will be with us (down from Seattle) – so we’ll have a house full (which I always love!!)

Here’s a peak at our menu:

Before the meal (Antipasti):

• Italian Salami, meats & cheese — from Claro’s, our favorite Italian Deli
• Brushetta — haven’t decided on which type
• Wine
• Special Cranberry Prosecco Cocktail
• Sparkling Cider — for the kiddos

First Course (Primi):

• Homemade Gnocchi — Natalie & I are going to teach my sister & my neice how to make it
• Insalata Mista – green salad

Main Course (Secondi):

• Clams & Linguine — if time allows, we may make homemade linguine
• Chicken Paillard — we may let the boys pound the chicken
• Garlic Bread

Desserts (Dolci):

• Tiramisu
• Panna Cotta or Ricotta Cheesecake with Sugared Cranberries

It’s making my mouth water just thinking about it!   I’ll be sure to post any new recipes … Ciao!

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So Cal Fall Colors

Breathtaking … isn’t it?  These are just a few snapshots of the grounds at Roger’s Gardens.  Does it inspire you to replant for the fall?

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Fall Flowers

I love the combination of fall colored flowers with blue.  Whether it’s blue flowers, like hydrangeas or blue and white ceramics – it’s one of my favorite combos!

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Save the Date … 9/13 Missoni @ Target

You’ve probably seen the ads in all the fall magazines and heard the buzz … Target has partnered with Missoni.  They debut the line on September 13th at all Target Stores.

You’ve got to love Tar – jay!!!  Apparently, it’s the largest collaboration Target has done with a designer … some 400 products in all!  And clearly a 60s vibe.

Will you be waiting in line for the stores to open on the 13th?  I will definitely make a store visit on the 13th.

In previewing the Look Books, here’s what I’m most interested in seeing…

These pumps look pretty darn cute!  We’ll see how they are constructed in person.

This black outfit is pretty nice – especially the black cardigan.

I love the scarves … great for tying on to a handbag or tote.  And what cute makeup bags.  They even have makeup brushes to match!

I’m probably most excited about the cute laptop sleeve!  And, can’t you just imagine drinking espresso in the cute cups?

See you at Target …

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Prosciutto Pear Wraps

This is a simple, fresh appetizer that I’ve been making for years.  I believe I found the recipe in an INStyle Magazine — many years ago.  I always make this for our annual Christmas party.  It’s such a nice combination of flavors.

Makes about 60 pieces

1/3 lb. thinly sliced prosciutto, cut in long narrow strips

6 ripe pears, cored and sliced 1/2 inch thick

2 packages softened herb cheese (Boursin)

120 arugula leaves

Place a slice of prosciutto on work surface.  Top with a pear slice, a small dollop of cheese and 1 or 2 arugula leaves.  Wrap prosciutto around until secure.  Serve immediately.

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Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.

May the spirit of giving and being thankful continue throughout the year!

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Late Autumn in Seattle

I just returned from spending a week in Seattle visiting my sister and her family.  It was so nice to have a week of crisp, fall weather!  The day I left Southern California it was 97 degrees!!!

I love spending time in Seattle.  Besides getting quality time with my sister, nephew and niece — it’s a beautiful place to visit.  And fall, is my favorite time in Seattle, as the fall folliage is spectacular!  I can’t think of another place I have visited that has more diverse and beautiful plant life.

And for foodies, Seattle is probably the best town to visit.  They have access to incredible local produce and organic foods.  You can find every ethnic food type, and so many of the restaurants are small, quaint, neighborhood places.

I think the Microsoft money has been instrumental in making available so many wonderful food choices.  While I was in Seattle, I had Japanese, Italian, Vietnamese and seafood.

We had lunch at Serious Pie (a Tom Douglas restaurant in downtown Seattle) the day I flew in.  My sister and I had a Kale Salad and Chanterelle Pizza that were both to die for …

And then my sister (being the dessert queen that she is) ordered a piece of Coconut Cream pie from Dahlia’s Bakery (around the corner).  It was the best coconut cream pie I have ever tasted!!!  It’s a good thing we worked out every day I was there!

The kale salad we had was so delicious, that we asked our waitress for the recipe.  On Saturday, we headed to the University District Farmer’s Market to buy some fresh kale to make the salad ourselves.

Oh how I wish our farmer’s markets had even half of the produce that the Seattle farmer’s markets have.  I could have spent hours at the farmer’s market.

I was able to catch the last of the fall leaves (before the rains).  The tree below is across the street from my sister’s house.

We took my sister’s puppy on a walk in her neighborhood of Laurelhurst.  She lives near the University of Washington.  I took so many pictures ….

Isn’t it hard to believe that these purple berries are real?   My sis and her kids thought I was crazy for taking so many pictures. 

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Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese & Figs

I needed to take an appetizer to a dinner party over the weekend.  A friend suggested that I try one the appetizers in the new issue of Bon Appetit.  The Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Figs sounded delicious, so I decided to make them.

We were not disappointed!  The sweetness of the fig with the salty pancetta was a great flavor combination.  I will definitely make these again!

I was able to purchase most of the ingredients at Trader Joe’s, but ended up going to Gelson’s for fresh figs and fig preserves.  (In late October, figs are just about at the end of their season).

Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Figs

Makes 12

12 thin Pancetta slices

12 Arugula leaves

12 tsp. soft, fresh Goat Cheese

Fig jam or preserves

6 fresh Figs (You can substitute 6 plump dried Mission figs or 12 small fresh persimmon wedges)

Chopped fresh thyme

Fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place pancetta in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet.  Bake until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.  Cool 15 minutes and transfer to platter.

2.  Top each slice with 1 arugula leaf, 1 teaspoon of goat cheese and 1/4 teaspoon of jam.

3.  Depending on the size of your figs, top with 1/2 a fig.  (The figs I purchased were large, so I used 1/6 of a fig per appetizer).  Sprinkle with thyme and freshly ground pepper.

NOTES:

• By mistake, I used Prosciutto instead of Pancetta.   I simply read the recipe and translated in my mind prosciutto.  Since the prosciutto was very thin (Volpi brand from TJ’s), the appetizers were a bit fragile to transport.  If you need a portable appetizer, you need to stick to the recipe and use pancetta (thicker cut).
• If you can’t find pancetta, prosciutto does work just fine.  With the Volpi brand of prosciutto, I cut each slice into 3 pieces before placing them on the baking sheet.  This was a great size for the appetizers.  (One package of Volpi prosciutto made 18 appetizers).
• You may need to get Fig preserves at a specialty store.

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