fall frenzy.

fall is by far my favorite season... i look forward to that moment each year when i first feel a brisk crispness in the air, inviting me to pull my sweaters out of storage.

other things i look forward to:

1. incorporating this food into my diet-

oatmeal, smoothies*, ravioli, bread, cookies... i could go on and on.  it's a superfood so don't be shy!

2. buying new sweaters-

i just received this purchase and i love the unique back details. 

3. impending holidays!  i look forward to thanksgiving and christmas all year: spending time with my family and eating tasty food by a fire... it doesn't get much better.

4. riding boots.  i find myself wearing them everyday.  with leggings and a cozy sweater dress, it's the perfect fall ensemble.

if price was no object, these loeffler randall boots would live on my feet:

5. holiday parties.  i love an excuse to get gussied up and wear sequins!

what's your favorite fall festivity?

*i drank a pumpkin smoothie post-run this morning and it was absolutely delicious!

taste-of-fall smoothie

serves 1

1 cup vanilla almond milk (or milk of your preference)

1/2 cup of pumpkin puree (plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix)

1/3 cup greek yogurt (i prefer fage)

1/2 cup frozen banana slices

cinnamon and/or pumpkin pie spice to taste

a few ice cubes

combine all ingredients and blend thoroughly.

delicioso.

i spent a week in colorado earlier this month where i managed to consume more than my fair share of delectable food, but one item stands out: the farro salad at montagna at the little nell (a side dish of all things!)

this salad was so good, i started sifting through the little grains of wheat mid-meal to determine all the components of the recipe... then i took notes on my i phone so i wouldn't forget any of the key fixings.  luckily, a quick google search revealed the recipe was documented.  ryan hardy of the little nell shares the recipe on the culture website.

as the chef notes, changing seasons = adaptations to the recipe.  when i tasted this salad, it contained a hearty amount of golden raisins (and i highly recommend you add these... they imparted a great chewy, sweet taste contrasting the other ingredients.  i would also recommend rehydrating the raisins by boiling them in water briefly before making the addition... as i suspect the chef at the little nell did the same thing.)

i'm making this salad for my 4th of july soiree, so i will provide any other amendments to the recipe post-holiday.  enjoy!

Farro Salad:
1 cup farro
1 1/2 cups organic apple juice
1 1/2 cups water, more as necessary
Salad:
40 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced into half-moons
1 cup arugula, stemmed
1 bunch mint, leaves only
1 bunch Italian parsley, leaves only
1/2 cup shelled pistachios, toasted
1/4 cup good quality extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Pecorino shavings

THE FARRO: Combine the farro, apple juice, and water in a three- to four-quart saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Cook the farro, adding water as necessary, until the grain is tender and there is very little liquid left, about 45 minutes. Strain off the remaining liquid and cool the farro by spreading it on a baking sheet.

THE SALAD: In a large mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, arugula, mint, parsley, pistachios, and olive oil. Stir in the cooled farro. Squeeze the lemon over the top of the salad and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter, and top with Pecorino shavings.

recipe and photo courtesy of ryan hardy via culture.

i'm back... fo realsies.

it's been almost 3 months since my last posting! a lot has happened in 3 months...

1. i had a lovely wedding shower thrown by my wonderful sister-in-law.

2. i planned all last-minute wedding details (transcontinental style.)

3. i got married!

i'm itching to see the rest of the professional pictures... from what i've seen so far, i'm impressed!

now that the wedding is over, i can share all my top secret wedding details:

• my kick ass day-of-wedding paper resource: baumbirdy. sarah was so easy to work with and the i loved the quality of the paper (coupled with the reasonable prices.) i first learned of baumbirdy from martha. the nella pocket program (seen below) was featured on martha's website. once i scoped out the etsy shop, i decided to simplify things by having sarah do my programs, menus, place cards, and seating chart.

even though wedding planning did consume a large portion of my time, it didn't occupy every second.... here are a couple discoveries:

1. pure barre.

after attending my first class i committed to a 1-month unlimited membership. if there's a studio near you, go. now. you will experience an addictive burn that will keep you coming back. if you're anything like me, you will feel stronger within a couple weeks... and your lululemon wardrobe will increase exponentially.

2. immersion blenders.

simple and inexpensive, this has become a favorite kitchen tool. i was hitting the green monsters hard prior to the wedding, and this little gadget makes it so easy (you can make it in a large cup, so cleanup is nothin.)

3. j. crew minnie pants.

they've updated these pants a bit since i purchased them (mine have a zipper with a hook-and-eye in the back) but the classic shape is still there. i was wearing these constantly on my trip (until an unfortunate accident involving abby and a carton of organic milk.) they are the perfect pants for travel and everyday.