a nontraditional midwest fall

woah woah and woah, how in the world is it already the last week in october?! man, this fall, it's been a quick one! this year my fall wasn't the typical midwestern fall where you spend hours drinking tea, crunching through leaves, or apple picking. which is sad, because i love all of those fall things. but it has been one filled with adventure. over the past two months i have been in 5 states and 3 countries. kind of crazy!! but nonetheless. im still diggin this whole fall thing. and loving how cool plaid is, you know now days you can mix and match different plaids, layer it all together, and be looking cool! im into it. know what else has been inspiring me lately? american made! that is why i love these fun pieces from stormy kromer, and, you can too!  all honeebee readers can get 20% off their purchase using the code: SAVE20HK that way if you have felt like you have missed out from all of the good, traditional midwest things, you can snag a few items and pretend to ride out the rest of the season with these products.


outfit details: shirt// madewell vest// stormy kromer  hat// stormy kromer 

get aways are a good thing for the soul

oooooh hi fall. you are more beautiful then ever. this past weekend chad and i snuck away up to the family cabin, which is three  and a half hours from the cities, a half an hour from good ol canada.  so when we made our way up there we were greated with  a beautiful sea of colors. the colors are just starting to change down here, so it was amazing to get a preview of what is to come! the best part of the weekend was that the temps were warm and even in the 80s. let me tell you folks who are not from minnesota, this is a very rare thing that northern minnesota is in the 80s, at the end of september! it was great. we got to see the beautiful lake by boat, in t-shirts, shine it's fall colors.

i am trying to be more active, so i did a couple runs down some dirt roads while we were up there. it is funny what getting away does to you. we were only three and a half hours away from home, but it felt like we were in another state. i can't lie, but i have been stressed these past few weeks trying to finish up my schooling (let's be honest, i have been pretty stressed working and attending school these past two years, but it is getting to the end, soon, i will no longer be a graduate student, nor be a stressed lady!! granted, some of my best baking as happened as i am a stress baker, but i am sure that i will still love to bake, despite not being stressed ;) ha!)

two days away, it was great for the soul. now back to the grind. only a few things to check off that to-do list that was pretty big a few weeks ago... now, it is looking real good. have a happy thursday!

jeans// paige shoes// minnetonka moccasins shirt// target hat// scarf// crochet this

a few recipes, a few rants

as much as i was complaining about fall (look here), it actually has been pretty great so far. the leaves are slowly starting to color and the air is so crisp.  i went for a run this morning and it felt so peaceful. so fall is really starting to grow on me again (to clarify i have always loved fall but i am not ready for that winter stuff, we had an awful one here in minnesota last year... and i am not ready for it to show up again, stay away winter!!!)

 another nice thing about fall is that our weeks are not as chaotic as they were in the summer. our weeks and weekends have been more laid back, more relaxing, and that is exactly what this soon to be graduated graduate student needs. on saturdays, i have been sneaking off to do early market runs on saturday mornings to gather my produce for the week (and let's be honest, get some pastries for chad and i to nibble on through out the slow saturday morning). and that fall crisp air, it gets me every time.

this year i have frequented the market much more then i have in past years. my garden did not do so hot this year (i blame the move) and i have had a pesty tomato thief who seems to always just take the ripe tomatoes. i don't know if this is a human, or an animal, but either way, i am not happy with this thief and i would really love to eat my favorite food out of the garden!!!!

anyway- change of seasons means change of food. something that always makes me excited. bring on the squash! carrots! potatoes! yummmmm.

i slowly have started to transfer some of our herbs from the garden indoor. i am slightly nervous about this, but am hoping that at least the basil makes it through the winter. i get so much inspiration with the herbs hanging around the kitchen. i just pick and place in whatever i am cooking! i feel french ;) i have also started drying them indoors. trying to capitalize on whatever i have left from my garden.

a couple yummy recipes that i have whipped up lately:

apple-basil eggs(scrambled)

2 eggs
dash of milk
dash of salt
your favorite cheese, grated (i chose gouda)
apples diced
handful of fresh herbs

scramble eggs as one normally would but add in the basil, apple, cheese.
results are life changing. a different but delicious taste.

kirsebom chili has made an appearance again...


spaghetti squash with home made marinara (from giada)

1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves , chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of  freshly ground pepper
2 (32-oz) cans crushed tomatoes (due to it being tomato season i chopped up my own tomatoes and then crushed them myself. results were a success!)
2 dried bay leaves
1 spaghetti squash

1. in  a large pot heat oil over medium high flame, add onions and garlic and saute until onions are translucent (10 minutes)
2. add celery, carrots, and salt and pepper. saute until the vegetables are soft (10 minutes) then add in tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens (1 hour)
3. remove bay leaves and season sauce with salt and pepper

somewhere in this time frame, maybe after everything has been added, preheat the oven to 350. cut squash in half and remove seeds. bake for 1 hour (but varies based on the size of the squash). let the squash cool, then scrape out the "noodles" with a fork. serve with sauce served on top.

i always freeze/store the leftovers of the sauce, you never know when you will want a piece of toast with yummy sauce and a fried egg, or what you want actual spaghetti. i also usually add some type of meat to the sauce. we are still on a sausage kick in these parts, so i added cooked italian sausage to the sauce, highly recommend.



oven roasted tomatoes

however many tomatoes you would like to have slow roasted, i did about 4 tomatoes, sliced thinly. it does work great to do cherry tomatoes though
whole cloves of garlic unpeeled
olive oil
dried herbs, i used herbs de Providence
dash of sugar
salt and pepper

1. preheat oven to 225
2. place tomatoes in a deep baking dish lined with parchment paper. add the cloves of garlic, mixing it up where you put them.
3. drizzle with olive oil, add herbs, a dash of sugar, salt and pepper.
4. bake for 2.5-3 hours, depending on your tomatoes/oven. when they look curled and shriveled, take them out.

serve on top of anything yummy or delicious. i snacked on some, put some on a roast beef sandwich.. added it to a pasta salad... the options are endless!

teal dish c/o corningware

*****

i have kept up with my posting on honee bee eats, describing all of the random and delicious (not to mention easy!) things to eat, so check it out! 

what have you been eating lately? any fall food i should be eating?

striking against fall

i've been on strike against fall this year.

this may sound like an oxymoron.

everyone loves fall.

don't you love the newness, the freshness.

and i do. i really do. but, i am not looking forward to that thing that comes after fall. so i am refusing to accept it. well, i was. but, after a conversation with a friend, i realized that it is inevitable. fall is here. and it is a great thing. and few things can be worse then last winter. this year winter will be great and manageable. so with that, my attitude has changed. now i am going to pull my summer loving self together and dive fully into fall! today i went down to our storage unit and brought up my sweaters. and they do feel so nice and cozy. i found my favorite, warm and worn scarf- and spent the afternoon reading outside in the fall breeze. i even got so excited that i baked some pumpkin oatmeal and sipped on espresso. then went back and grabbled my favorite blanket because it was getting a wee bit chilly.

fall, you do feel good... after all, we are getting closer to christmas time ;)



pants// paige boots// nordstrom jacket// nordstrom shirt// madewell scarf// target (2 years old) glasses/ firmoo lipstick// relvon purse// coach

we're going on an adventure!

have you ever heard of that little kid song, "we're going on an adventure... to see what we can find..."

well that is how i am feeling because chad and i are going on a cross country adventure, road trip style!we have been wanting to do some type of trip for a while now. something that we have never done. so when chad recently purchased a topper for his truck, we decided that we would turn it into an adventure! we are going to be road tripping from minnesota to colorado, utah, arizona, new mexico, oklahoma, and then up to kansas city. hello beautiful mountains! the grand canyon!amazing hiking spots!

we will be camping in the back of his truck/topper for the entire ride. i am so excited for our little trip, and we are starting to figure out the logistics now.

anyone have any recommendations or must see stops along the way? i would LOVE your recommendations. also, anyone gone on an extended road trip? tips?

if you would like to follow along on our adventure we will be tweeting/instagraming with the hashtag #HomeInTheRange (we are driving around in Chad's Ford Ranger, aka our home for 12 days!)

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into the woods we go!

 

 

we had an incredible weekend camping on the st.croix with some of the best of friends. the fall colors were at their peak, and made for a breathe taking sight. the entire time i was giddy. i couldn't get over the beautiful colors, all of the lovely trees, and even the crispy air. lucky for me, we got to do quite bit of hiking to see all of the different beautiful spots. i loved taking advantage of the last bits of fall and cooking all of our meals over the fire. it was AMAZING. this mini-vacaction was such a reminder to take time and see all of the beauty that surrounds us. each season provides a unique feel and beauty, but it is only here for a short moment and it is up to us to take it in. that is something that i am trying to work on. being content in my circumstances and seeing the beauty that surrounds us. (because too often i don't realize how incredible something or a season was until its gone... the joy of life comes from all of these little things )how easy it is to let it pass us by.  so go enjoy the rest of the fall colors, take it all in!

sweater weather

sweater: nordstrom scarf: target pants: american eagle boots: clarks 

i think that almost everyone can agree with me when i say sweater weather is the best weather. what is more cozy? and cute? and what can be cozy and cut at the same time, the lovely sweater. over the weekend my friend katie and i headed downtown to relive our glory days of when we were roommates living in the city. we headed to the farmers market and got coffee at our favorite spot. the whole day was beautiful, with the perfect among of chill and warmth. sweater weather, you are a treat.

backyard dreaming

to celebrate the first day of fall, chad and i decided to go to the apple orchard and get a little festive ;) we headed down to my favorite apple orchard, emma krumbees. i grew up going to "emma's" and have always loved going there. and because chad knows how much i love going to that orchard, he always makes sure to take me. it was one of those really lovely days outside, super sunny, warm with just the right amount of breeze. we walked around, collected some apples, and checked out the scare crows that they showcase every year.

hello fall

picking wildflowers, watching sunsets, and hiking through trails. its safe to say it, fall we are ready for you.

him: shirt// h & m jeans// nordstrom, apc brand boots// redwing hat// twins baseball hat

her: jeans// american eagle jeggins shirt// jcrew vest// old navy  scarf// target shoes// ralph lauren

linking up with sami!

I take a walk

outfit: sunglasses: american eagle// scarf h &m // vest: gap // shirt: aerie // pants: lulu lemon // boots: hunter boots

sometime you just need to stop and look at the beauty that surrounds you.

take it all in. each season is so different but so beautiful.

it is hard to believe that fall is almost over here in Minnesota. with this some extra fall walks and pumpkin-ness will be going on down at my end.

happy tuesday!

Psalm 34:10 "Even the strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those who trust in the LORD will lack no good thing"

Pumpkin pickin

my wonderful sister and I decided to pick up some pumpkins last weekend. I had rolled out of bed to go car shopping before (and got a new car-yay!) and then rushed over to the event (note why I look frumpy and have no makeup on). Anyway- Our city has an annual event where you are able to go and get them for free... so my family always makes sure to go! Now we just gotta wait a couple weeks to start carving them. I have some creative ideas of what I am going to do (coming from a not so creative person). 

and to keep comin' with the pumpkin-ness/fallness on my blog I thought I would inform everyone that I am going to be making my favorite PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE this weekend and maybe throw some pumpkin cookies or scones into the mix. It is only the season once :) 

why hello pumpkin bread

well.. what is better then pumpkin bread? not too much so if you are looking for a good recipe, I got one for you!

 delicious crafted pumpkin bread 

3 cups flour

1 tsp. ground gloves

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3 cups sugar

1 cup butter (basically melted)

3 eggs

1- 16 oz canned pumpkin

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease two medium loaf pans.
2. In medium bowl mix flour, spices, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. set aside.
3. In one large bowl add sugar and half melted butter. Add eggs. Cream together on medium speed for 2 minutes or until fluffy. Add pumpkin.
4. Add dry ingredients (recommend doing it in three pieces). Mix gently until each batch is incorporated. 
5. Pour batter into greased loaf pans.
6. Bake for 1 hour 

 tasted great. Now onto the next pumpkin thing to make... maybe some soup? 

Fall to-do

Being my organized self, I can't let fall slip by with out creating (and completing) a fall to do list. And  Fall has been SO perfect this year. I know I have done the last 5 blog post about fall but in Minnesota, fall never lasts long- meaning embracing every last bit is a must! 

fall musts:

make apple crisp

jump into crispy leaves

drink apple cider

go pumpkin picking

carve pumpkins

make pumpkin bread

go on long walks

rake leaves

get a new scarf 

wear lots of maroon and mustard

drink extra espresso

go on a hay ride

burn fall smelling candles

drink chai- pumpkin chair (yes they have this at trader joe's along with pumpkin greek yogurt!)

so far here I have made apple crisp, drank espresso, and worn lots of maroon and mustard. 

 Be expecting the best pumpkin bread recipe in a few days :)

What are your fall to-dos?

Psalm 28: 7-8" The LORD is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. The LORD gives his people strength. He is a safe fortress for his anointed king"

Oh fall

1// apple 2// fall leaves 3// fall trees 4// fall sweater time 5// crisp sunny fall day

Who doesn't like fall? I feel like it is everyone (including mine) favorite season. There is just something about the crisp air, while wearing a sweater, and sipping on some type of pumpkin or apple drink. It simply is heavenly. If only it lasted longer! 

I always try to embrace the 'fallness' as much as possible by decorating my house in festive attire, baking, and constantly having a hot beverage in my hand (all of this while wearing comfy sweaters and scarves of course). Chad and I were going to try and make it out to the apple orchard this weekend but C had to work on Sunday (boo! and now he's out of town for the next couple weekends)So that means I will just have to go another weekend with my sisters, which will be just as fun! Instead of going to the orchard we spent Sunday night trying to make life as "fallish" as possible, meaning the candles were light and we were collaboratively making apple crisp and drinking good earth tea. It was a decent substitution ;)

So with that being said here is a recipe for the best Apple Crisp around to help you embrace these lovely fall days!

Apple Crisp 

4- 5 medium sized apples, peeled

3/4  cup quick cooking oatmeal

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup butter.

1. Pare apples and slice them. Arrange slices in a greased 8'' pan
2. Combine oatmeal, sugar, flour and cinnamon.
3. Cut in butter. 
4. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes 
6. Serve warm or over ice cream

Enjoy! 

Ephesians 2:8-9 "God saved you by hi grace when you believed and you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it"