autumn – Page 3

Dear Norah

September 25, 2013

dear norah,
thank you for…..

::being totally comfortable with who you are.
::pulling me out of my comfort zone.
::making me laugh on a daily basis.
::reminding me that you are you and i am me.
::giving the best hugs ever.
::reminding me how much i really do like pop music.
::still snuggling up on my lap.
::not caring what other people think.
::always being up for an adventure (especially going out to eat).\
::being such a goofball.
::thinking that each day is the best day ever.

you are such a gift.

A Weekend at the Shore-room

September 24, 2013

this past weekend was our annual september get away to cape may point.
my sister, nephew, my mom and the girls and i all squeezed in to our little shore room.
it was a bit cramped but cozy and most of our time was spent outdoors.
it was a lovely way to ring in autumn with absolutely gorgeous weather.
the air was cool and crisp but the salt water was warm, making for long beach days.

we sustained ourselves with picnics of hard boiled eggs, salmon, fruit and fresh cob oven bread baked just around the corner.
my mom treated us to dinner at the blue pig on friday night and lunch at the red store on saturday.
we made our way in to town for some organic homemade ice cream and a visit to the whales tale a shop that brings back many childhood memories.

the monarch butterflies have begun their migration to new mexico and cape may point is one of their major rest stops. we were able to see the beginnings of this journey.

we spent our last day on the beach romping in the ocean and playing in the sand. when the clock struck we hung our heads and trudged back to pack up camp.

we stopped by the red store for french madeleines and coffee and sang all the way home.

November 26, 2012

christmas tunes were on shuffle all day long while i danced around with greens, twinkle lights and pine cones.
i truly am happiest when at home creating and making. especially around the holidays.

i had chris go back to the house with the huge fallen tip of a spruce tree. this time with the right size clippers.
he came home with our little wooden trailer filled to the brim.
like santa and his sleigh.

https://secondandedgemont.com/2012/11/26/3020/

November 24, 2012

we spent a few days visiting family for the holiday.
i baked some goodies to bring along including a triple ginger apple crisp.
inspired by a recipe from the moosewood restaurant book of desserts i have been making this for years and love how quick and easy it is with only a few simple ingredients that i always have on hand (i now always have a fresh jar of ginger preserves stored in the pantry). it’s my go to for when i have to make something in a pinch at this time of year. i have created my own version with a little more butter and maple syrup instead of honey.
with ginger preserves, ginger snaps and ground ginger this crisp has a yummy bite to it.

triple ginger apple crisp
serves 8-10

preheat oven to 350 degrees

fruit layer
6 cups of peeled apple slices
1/4 to 1/2 cup ginger preserves
2 tablespoons hot water

topping
1 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup gingersnaps cookie crumbs (about 15 cookies.. simply crush in a plastic bag with a rolling pin)

place apple slices in bottom of baking pan. in small bowl mix together ginger preserves and hot water. pour over apple slices and coat evenly.

in a bowl combine butter, maple syrup, cinnamon,nutmeg and ginger and mix well.
stir in oats and cookie crumbs until well blended.
spread oat mixture over apples and tamp down.
bake 35-45 minutes until apples are tender and topping is crisp.

serve at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream.

enjoy!!

https://secondandedgemont.com/2012/11/24/3011/

11/21/12

November 21, 2012

i think the nature gods must have read my post a few days ago about foraging for the holidays.

:: driving to work the other day i found a large pile of osage oranges on the side of the road. i love the pop of chartreuse they can add to darker greens and they look great with red berries.

:: we visted a new park with friends yesterday which just happened to be full of pines. a short hike through the woods had me walking back to the playground with armloads of fallen branches. my friends giggled at me but then proceeded to go collect too.

:: and today was the find of the century! when driving chris to work this morning i spotted a huge fallen spruce branch dripping with cones on somebody’s lawn.
i screamed and everyone in the car jumped and just rolled their eyes when i told them why i was so excited.
i went back later and knocked on the person’s door.
no one answered. in fact the home looked some what abandoned.
i convinced myself that they wouldn’t mind my helping to clean up what would most likely be turned into wood chips.

sometimes i feel like a squirrel gathering and collecting my goods for the winter months.

November 19, 2012

my empty palette of a sunday turned into a wonderfully cozy day.
my grandparents stopped by just in time for a pot of curried chicken vegetable soup for lunch.
we sat by the fire.
we talked and laughed while i wound balls of yarn to turn into christmas presents.

not a day goes by that i don’t appreciate still having them both in my life. in my girl’s life.
hannah and norah are at ages now where they will most likely remember them when they are older.

my grandfather (pop) is the master carpenter who crafted the inside of my house. all of the built-ins, my kitchen, my bed.

there is a huge piece of him in every room of my home.

a big reason why i can never leave this place.

https://secondandedgemont.com/2012/11/19/2973/

November 18, 2012

:: i like to tip toe around in the morning when the light is just perfect and all is quiet except for a little snore here and there.

:: norah told me last night that i looked like ma from little house. i love my llbean flannel nightgown

:: i love sundays with nothing planned but some friends for dinner. an empty palette.

https://secondandedgemont.com/2012/11/18/2964/

November 15, 2012

i don’t know about you but i am ready for the holidays!
as much as i am trying to remain in the moment and savor each autumn day i am craving candy canes and have my christmas music organized and ready.

our home has been chosen to be in a historical holiday house tour this year and i am excited to spruce things up and decorate.

on a shoe string budget i have plans of using whatever i can find out in nature. fallen branches, pine cones, osage orange fruits (hedge apples).
i do something different each year depending on what i might find.

every year on our way home from visiting chris’s family for thanksgiving we stop at a pine grove on the side of the road for fallen branches, and a few snips here and there (i always keep a pair of clippers in the glove compartment).
we hope for boughs dripping with cones.

sometimes i’ll find a radio channel playing some nat king cole christmas tunes and if we’re lucky rudolph comes on.

we sing along. the car smells sweet like pine sap and our hands are scratched and sticky.

it’s time to deck the halls.

https://secondandedgemont.com/2012/11/15/2959/

November 10, 2012

pancakes and pjs is what norah suggested for a birthday party this year.
hannah and her friend were the waitresses and took orders for different shaped pancakes and toppings.

it was norah’s star birthday this year.
7 years old on the 7th.
happy birthday to my spunky girl who embraces life at it’s fullest each and every day.
life is so much more fun with you in it.
xo

https://secondandedgemont.com/2012/11/10/2949/

October 24, 2012

making poke berry ink.

https://secondandedgemont.com/2012/10/24/2927/

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