Thanksgiving Style

As much as I am enjoying talking about Thanksgiving recipes with Andy (most evenings) or texting MK about my table, the real thing I want to talk about for this upcoming holiday is what to wear! I tend to host on the casual side of things so I keep my attire fairly casual too. Jeans are my go to so I'll likely be wearing a variation of this next week. But its fun to think about other variations on holiday attire too.

 via Atlantic Pacific

How fun would this get up be if your Thanksgiving is a little more fancy?

via Sequins and Stripes

Or maybe something a little playful is more your style?

I'm loving all these looks for this upcoming holiday. What will you be wearing on Thanksgiving?

- Heath

PS at risk of sounding like a HUGE nerd, I'm going to recommend you determine what style Thanksgiving you are hosting/attending before attempting to pick out your outfit. Read - rustic Thanksgiving may not go with heels and a fitted skirt!

Jeans: Joe's Jeans; Booties: Lucky Brand via Piperlime; Sweater: Gap; Watch: Form Function; Necklace: Heather Hawkins via Piperlime; Earrings: Hyla DeWitt via Furbish

Turkey Day Tables

I'm hosting Thanksgiving this year and while it's just for a small group i'm taking it very serious. I'm already thinking about it nonstop. How to set the table, sides, cocktails etc. So the next few weeks will probably have a lot of turkey day talk as a result. I like to keep holidays pretty traditional but I also think its the perfect time to start new traditions and try new things. So I've been thinking about my table style lately and pinned a few of these photos for inspiration.

via unknown and Martha Stewart

via I Suwannee 2012 and 2013

via Eddie Ross and Uma Stewart 

via Better Homes and Gardens and Ador by Melissa

Still trying to really nail down what I want to do but I think right now I may be set on a mix of traditional and rustic. What do you guys think? What's your turkey day table style? I'm hoping MK is up for helping me acccomplish this - most of my hosting requires her help. She's an expert(IMO)!

- Heath

top image via The Kitchn

Cold Weather Cocktails

It's no secret that I love a good cocktail and something about how much of a homebody I am really draws me to cold weather cocktails. Whether you're snuggling underneath a warm blanket or hosting a festive dinner party I think these cocktails would be good additions to your repertoire. I'm going to try a few in the upcoming weeks too so I'll keep you posted on any new favorites.

Honeycrisp Bourbon Spiced Cider - can't go wrong with a classic fall cider

Irish Coffee - good ole easy peasy standby

Pear, Ginger and Sage Cocktail - if I can figure out how to obtain pear nectar (Andy can you make that happen for me?) the depth of flavor in this one sounds sooo good

Mulled Wine - perfect winter sangria

Spiced Manhattan - fall take on the traditional bourbon cocktail 

Classic Sazerac - classic with serious flavor from the whiskey, absinthe and bitters

Also a weeks work of hot toddy's here! And I'm dying to try this or this chai recipe. Don't they both sound delicious?

- Heath

Grilled Cheese Party

A few weeks ago MK talked about some of our favorite Fall foods but we neglected to include one of my absolute favorites, the perfect grilled cheese. I love a grilled cheese year round but it’s usually best in the fall when the melted cheese makes your entire body feel all warm and fuzzy. Oh and dipping it in the perfect tomato soup is bonus!  I love Gwyneth’s tomato soup and MK loves Giada’s too!

We did a little experimenting a few weeks ago with different combinations and came up with a few keepers below.

Three cheese (cheddar, gruyere and fontina) with pickled jalapenos (super easy to make homemade!)

Gruyere and granny smith apples

Fontina with prosciutto and red pepper flakes

We also decided that this would be perfect for a fall football party. You can have all your toppings and ingredients prepared in advance and then let everyone make their own grilled cheese on a panini press or cast iron skillet whenever they’re ready. Super casual but super accommodating because everyone gets exactly what they want. Perfect for a long day of football!

What’s your favorite combination?

- Heath

PS I’m dying to try this one!

Fall Beer Tasting

Last week a few of us got together to taste some Fall beers. We took notes so we could all determine our favorite. I decided Fall may be one of my favorite seasons for beer, there's so much flavor in a good fall beer and there's just nothing that compares to the taste of a good beer on a crisp fall day. We went to Good Bottle Co., which I highly recommend if you're local,  to get their expertise on some of the best fall options and were really pleased with the choices.

Here's a breakdown of what we tried and a few of our thoughts.

Southern Tier Harvest - hoppy, spicey brown ale

Abita Pecan Harvet Ale - nutty (hence the name!) but smooth and mellow

Anchor Big Leaf Maple - a mix beteween red and brown ale

Anderson Valley Fall Hornin' - full of fall spices, almost pie like with cinnamon and nutmeg (syrupy)

Atwater Vanilla Java Porter - chocolate and vanilla with too much imitation flavor (more wintery)

Omme Gang Scythe and Sickle Harvest Ale - perfect fall beer, full of spice and flavor 

Victory Golden Monkey - spicier wheat beer 

Hofbrau Oktoberfest - traditional smooth Octoberfest

Downtown Brown - dark, typical caramel brown flavor

Dogfish Head Punkin Ale - good solid pumpkin flavor, not too strong or syrupy

Blue Point Toasted Lager - standard toasted lager but a bit heavier

We've also heard Sierra Nevada Flipside is good so I may pick that up next time as well as a Noda Brewery Pumpkin Ale if you're local.

So what are your favorite Fall beers? We'd love to try them!

- Heath

Favorite Fall Dinners

Last spring, Heath and I came up with a list of all of our favorite warm weather meals.  I loved referring to these lists because I actually made of point of making my favorite dinners (I always forget what recipes JD and I really like!) and the list gave me ideas when I was in a dinner rut.  Now that things are finally starting to cool down, Heath and I have made a new list of our fall favorites, and a few new things we'd like to try.  What are your favorites that we should add to the line up?

 Dinner & Lunch Favorites:

Ina's Mexican Chicken Soup - this may be my all time favorite!  It's perfect for entertaining (especially served with jalapeno cornbread) and it's so yummy.  Heath's husband Andy is a little foodie and he requested this for his bday dinner.  That means it really is good.

Giada's hearty tomato soup with Rosemary with Classic Grilled Cheese - make a double or even triple batch of soup because you'll want leftovers.  Quick enough for a weeknight meal, and it's more substantial than most tomato soups because it has white beans and carrots.

Pasta and Provisions Seasonal Pumpkin Ravioli and Butternut Squash Ravioli - if you're in Charlotte, you have to pick up a bag of frozen ravioli to have on hand.  It's super cheap, and super delicious for a seasonal meal.

Ina's Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Curry Condiments - I love this interesting soup with all of it's fun toppings (banana, coconut, scallions, cashews.)  Her Butternut and Apple soup looks delish too.

Gwyneth's White Bean Soup with Kale - this is on heavy weeknight rotation in our house.  Quick, delicious and healthy!

Giada's Rigatoni with Steak - this maybe JD's favorite.  It's a great way to stretch a steak, and is so perfect with red wine when it's chilly.

Sweet Treats and Drinks:
Smitten Kitchen's Apple Cider Doughnuts - I've never tried homemade doughnuts (they're a little intimidating!) but these sound so yummy for a fall weekend morning.
Apple Cider Caramel's - these may sound a little intimidating too, but I think they're easier than they look.  Smitten Kitchen's description of these delicious looking caramels is enough to have me sold.
Apple Rye Punch - Apple Cider is on the tippity top of my fall favorites, so an apple cider cocktail sounds pretty much perfect, especially one like this that doesn't sound too sweet.

Alright, what are we missing?  We'd seriously love to hear your go to fall favorites.  I'd love to add them to my own rotation. 

p.s. 11 ways to use canned pumpkin this fall if you're interested!

~Mary Keller

Image via Frog Prince Paperie



Tailgate Time!

It doesn't take much other than good food (and booze!) to throw a really fun tailgate, but we've gathered a few things that may take the fun and style up a notch.  I think a tailgate should always feel pretty casual to really be fun, but cute paper products are a must.  Tervis tumblers, a classic cooler, and an acrylic beverage tub are all good tailgate essentials.  This beer making kit looks like fun, but so far this season Andy and J.D. have been all talk when it comes to homemade brew.  Add a good yard game like cornhole and everyone's happy.  If your tailgate is a little later in the year, I love the idea of this portable bonfire log that burns for an hour and a half and these cute twig marshmallow roasters.  Maybe smores during halftime?!

 

 

Acrylic Beverage Tub; Tervis Tumblers; Classic Coleman Cooler; Square Wicker Charger, Paper Plates and Napkins via Caspari; Cornhole boards via Custom Tailgate Games Etsy; Beer Making Kit, Portable Bonfire Log and Twig Roaster via Terrain

Fall Planning

Is it ridiculous to start planning for fall already?  I know the season isn't even technically here, but we've already put together our list of "must dos" and a few goals to make the most of the season.  Otherwise, the season will come and go too quickly!  (Kinda like how summer came and went with me only having one shrimp boil and NO homemade peach cobbler somehow!)

 

Heath's list has all of the traditional fall favorites - football, pumpkins, bourbon! - plus a few good goals.  My list is all about BABY!  This fall will be very different for me compared to most.  I'll consider this fall the best if we only manage to check off number one on our list, welcoming our sweet baby girl in October!  If we manage to get her in a Halloween costume, purchase a pumpkin, actually cook any meal and get her birth announcements out, that will all just be a bonus.  And I'm embarrassed that I've even written that I'd like to get my Christmas shopping and Christmas cards organized this fall, but those are always my fall goals.  I know it seems too early, but getting this done in the fall leads to a better December for me.

 

What are we forgetting?  Any fall favorites or fall traditions that you love?  We're ready for cooler temps and this change in season!

 

~Mary Keller