Harvest Time + Charlotte

Fall is the season where I always start romanticizing life on a farm. All of the animals make for the most envious visions, and then with my sort-of green thumb, the idea of growing things for a living seems fulfilling. Getting back to the land and all.

Then I remember it's vigorous work, all day every day, and I snap out of it. I'll take small scale gardening with my family any day.

Gardening has always been in my blood, as year round, my dad (the master gardener in the family) has the yard packed with all kinds of thriving trees or blooming buds. The summertime also means taking a swing at growing vegetables on top of everything else.

Not acres, but rather a large yard with raised beds was the setting for this summer's most victorious crop. Zucchini is still taking over every meal I eat and corn was feasted on for the entire month of August.

Over the weekend the Fall chill flew in and the growing season came to a close. The final crop picked consisted of two baskets of ripe tomatoes, and three boxes of those that are still ripening. The house is brimming over with recipes for salads, salsas, and sauces, which can also put the surviving basil plants to good use. Margarita pizza mmmm...

[The Haul]

Harvesting is no exception to forget about the movies, and this event reminded me of an old favorite.

For most of my childhood I refused to eat pig products. My first memory of catching someone in a lie is when my dad told me that it was turkey bacon, only to discover in horror, after eating a piece, the "Real Bacon" package in the garbage.

As was true for many other children, this was all due to the fact that I was obsessed with Charlotte's Web. It was E. B. White's fault for making a little piglet so loveable.

As I was picking tomatoes all of these lovely memories about the 70's cartoon movie came floating back to me: I wanted to live on a farm, rescue a pig from being our breakfast, take Wilbur on a swing, and then have him break into song with the rest of the barn yard gang!

This is definitely how my vision of life on a farm gets spun into some sort of fantasy land. I may view the world too much like Kenneth Ellen Parcell...

For your viewing pleasure, the theatrical trailer:



Those songs are still good! I'll sing along while a boil down some tomatoes for a sauce.


On a complete side tangent, I'll also be cooking and busting out the Peter Gabriel after catching a video for this epic night over the weekend at the Hollywood Bowl. I love Cusack for honoring his roots.

Now & Then

(G-Ma Rita's "Banana" Posts + G-Ma Julie's Pin)

Perusing antique shops tops a list of the many ways I like to spend most afternoons. Any place crammed wall to wall with tacky whos-its and whats-its, and endless other treasures just waiting to be discovered, is a beacon to my eyes and will instantly draw me inside off of any sidewalk.

The thrill of the hunt rarely needs to be limited to shops already filled with belongings from strangers, sometimes the best booty can be gifted from your nearest and dearest.

I count myself lucky that throughout all of my 24 years on this planet (and hopefully for many years to come!), I have been able to have a life filled with grandparents. All of my parents' folks are still kickin' and I have been able to reap the benefits. Not only from their endless love and company, but I have tons of loot from digging through unwanted belongings in their own personal antique shops; their attics!

(Mom's 20-something scarf + clutch)

Family history and genealogy is fascinating, so I truly covet these items that used to belong to, mostly, my grandmothers. Over the years many of these things have become all time favorite pieces; from my "banana" shaped post earrings (or so I hear they look like bananas) and floral tea cups, to a gold floral pin (perfect for jazzing up boring dresses), and a clutch that, even after fifty years, still has a lil' sparkle left in-crested on the lace fabric. Even my mom has begun gifting things to me, including, a purple checkered scarf she picked up in Europe during the 70's.

To me, anything with a story, or just having the knowledge that it was owned by someone you love, makes any item just more special every time you wear it or have it near. It's a little representation of a person, a memory. (Side Note: This is how people become hoarders.)

(Great G-Ma's clutch)

Recently a possession, other than clothing and jewelry, was passed along into my safe keeping;  I now hold  my great-grandmothers recipes. All the secrets to the recipes of yore, neatly transcribed from a typewriter onto note cards, and placed, quite handily, in this great handcrafted wooden box.

Being a baking/cooking fiend as well, I couldn't ask for more in this memorable gift. The contents from this box runs the gamut, from an epic chocolate cake that my G-Ma makes for my birthday to "Overnight Layered Green Salad". Yeah...those folks from the 50's and 60's lived on various kinds of salads.

After testing out one tasty treat this past weekend (a Banana cake that got gobbled down in about 24 hours), I had an idea for a new mission: whenever I need to bring a food item to a party, I will be pulling a index card from this box. In the next weekend I will get my first chance to test this idea out, as we celebrate my grandpa's 80th birthday.

Whatever you love most, out of all those possessions we own, live it up with it in whatever way you can. Someday that story will live on and someone will cherish just knowing it was owned by you.

Go For The HAM!

Inspired by Wednesdays cookie-fied episode of Top Chef, all I wanted to do was get into the kitchen and bake some delicious, and creative cookies.

So, it was logical that I ended up making...cream puffs. 1970s Betty Crocker Cookbook, you got me again! Whenever I crack that thing open I get distracted by some other recipe.

Cookies or Cream Puffs, it's all a delectable sugary treat.

Although, I'm pretty sure that one of the guest judges of the show that night (aka the expert of all things COOKIES), would be disappointed with my choice; cream puffs might be a little messy for Cookie Monster to aggressively "nom nom nom" his way through. We wouldn't want his precious blue fur to get ruined. Plus, there wouldn't be that great crumb flying action.

I don't want to grow up and Cookie Monster will always be hilarious. It's hard to put his magic into words, but visuals explain everything; at one point during the quick fire challenge, he gets impatient and begins gnawing his way through the tablecloth. Oh, Cookie Monster.






As if it couldn't get any better, the big challenge was basically a fancy Supermarket Sweep.  Only the greatest show ever, and who didn't want to be on that? Although, it was always the most frustrating show to watch, because everyone just wanted to get in on the action. Why are you grinding coffee? Go straight for the hams!

Top Chef took Supermarket Sweep and raised the bar, because it didn't just involve any old supermarket, but instead my personal heaven; Target. The chefs could go grab any cooking equipment and ingredients to cook a dinner for Target employees, and it all had to be done inside the store, without an actual kitchen. Tricky!

Somehow the chefs pulled themselves together and concentrated on finding ingredients. I don't know how they did it, because I would be distracted looking at all the great stuff around the store.

How amazing would it be if there was a new show called "Sweep Target"? I'm gonna make that happen.

As the season is winding down, I'm all Team Carla, she has to win this time!  I could watch THIS all day. It's quite mesmerizing.