guess who’s coming for dinner

This takes “dress to impress” to a whole new level. I adore these place settings by
Kelly Wearstler! Swoon!

in praise of pumpkins

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I’m in pumpkin mode! And nobody does pretty pumpkins like Martha. Can you imagine adorning your home with these gorgeous gourds?

oatmeal raisin pecan cookies for bookclub

I belong to a women’s bookclub. I can already see your eyes rolling. Let me defend myself. We’re not a bunch of 50 year old women sitting around with The Joy Luck Club. And we’re not a group of teenieboppers drooling over a stalker vampire named Edward. Our bookclub is a niche bookclub. We read women’s biographies. From Marie Antoinette to Zora Neale Hurston, we read books about women from all corners of the globe. Our latest? An emblem from our own backyard: Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was a toughie. Sad and looong. She had a rough life. We needed a pick me up. Introduce oatmeal raisin pecan cookies. Yum.

Raisin Oatmeal Pecan Cookies
By Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

11/2 cups pecans

1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 extra large eggs, at room temperature

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

11/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. kosher salt

3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

11/2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. Chop very coarsely.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together into a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins and pecans and mix just until combined.

Using a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with a damp hand. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.

Makes 30 to 35 cookies.

lonny magazine

Have you seen it? Have you seen it? Oh dearie me, I’m over the moon right now. The former editors of Domino magazine have returned with Lonny Magazine. Orgasmic.

bruce pit

There’s this awesome dog park in Ottawa called Bruce Pit. Oh how Libby loves it!

roasted butternut squash salad with warm cider vinaigrette

Oh butternut squash, how I love you. How I apologize for not being able to tell you apart from your cousins spaghetti squash and acorn squash. And how I’ll never overlook you again. Le sigh. Thank you, butternut, for coming into my life.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad With Warm Cider Vinaigrette
By Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics
serves 4

1 (1/2-pound) butternut squash, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
Olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
salt and ground black pepper
3 tablespoons dried cranberries
3/4 cup apple cider or apple juice (I had apple juice on hand)
2 tablespoons minced shallots (I suspect I’ll have a similar post about shallots – I didn’t use them because…*grimace* I don’t know what they are!)
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
4 ounces baby arugula
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the squash on a sheet pan and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper and toss. Roast the squash for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until tender. Add the cranberries to the pan for the last 5 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, combine the apple cider, vinegar and shallots in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Off the heat, whisk in the mustard, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Place the arugula in a large salad bowl and add the roasted squash mixture, the walnuts and the grated parmesan cheese. Spoon just enough vinaigrette over the salad to moisten, and toss well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve.

hitting the books

Do you remember your first day of school? The butterflies swarming about in your stomach? The hope of making new friends? I love the idea of taking a snapshot of that day: from preschool to university. Check out how Brooke and Angie marked the moment: a pic of their pumpkins holding a sign of the grade their heading into and their new teacher’s name.

roasted pepper and goat cheese sandwiches

Brown bagging it can get boring really fast. Solution? Yummy nummy sandwiches you’ll never get sick of.

Roasted Pepper and Goat Cheese Sandwiches
(Serves 4 to 6)
by Barefoot Contessa at Home

4 large red or yellow bell peppers
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons drained capers

For assembling
1 large ciabatta bread, halved horizontally
1 (11 ounce) garlic and herb goat cheese
8 to 10 basil leaves
3 thin slices red onion
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place the whoe peppers on a sheet pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the skins are completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred, turning them twice during roasting. Rove from oven and then cover pan tightly with aluminum foil. Set aside for 30 minutes or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.

Meanwhile, mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

Remove the stem from each pepper and cut them in quarters. Remove the peels and seeds and place the peppers in a bowl along with any juices that have collected. Throw out the stems, peels and seeds. Pour the oil and vinegar mixture over the peppers. Then stir in the capers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread the bottom half of the loaf with goat cheese. Add a layer of peppers and then a layer of basil leaves. Separate the onions into rings and spread them out on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with the top half of the ciabatta and cut into servings.

peach and blueberry crumble

This is the perfect inbetween dessert when you’re not quite ready to give up summer fare. This way you get a taste of both.

Peach and Blueberry Crumble
Another hit by Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa at Home.

For the fruit
6 to 8 ripe peaches
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup fresh blueberries

For the crumble
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Immerse peaches in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute until their skins peel off easily. Place them right away in cold water.

Peel the peaches and slice them into wedges and place them in a large bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, sugar and flour. Toss well and then gently mix the blueberries in. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes and then spoon into a 9×12x2 inch baking dish.

For the topping, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and butter in a food processor and pulse 2 or 3 times just until the butter is the size of peas. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the tops are browned and crisp and the juices are bubbly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

{1st Image: Ezra Pound Cake}

dote the tote

What perfect bags to tote your groceries!
{Print Liberation and Little Glowing Lights}