In which I update you in photos

If there's anything I've learned in the last two months of being off Facebook and Instagram, it's that I take far more photos when I'm actually planning on posting them. It took me a few weeks to get into the habit of snapping a pic just to have in my phone. ;)

But since lots of life has happened in the beginning of our autumn, here's a smattering of said photos!

My brother got married in September! We celebrated with him and his lovely bride Dana at their crossfit box down near Northfield. So now I can say I've been to a wedding in a crossfit box, which I'm assuming is not something many people can say! It was the sweetest wedding and I'm just so thrilled for both of them. :)

Jackson looking all cute with my cousin's baby Taryn.

And my niece Ava looking all cute with Mimi!

Will turned SIX a couple days later and he couldn't have been more exited about it! On his birthday, we celebrated with Legos, McDonalds for lunch, and ice cream after dinner. :)

A couple weeks later we celebrated by bowling with the family.....

And with more gifts (aka more Legos) with the fam. :)

We've enjoyed some warm fall days lately, and I snapped this while we were outside putting up Christmas lights. (Come on--when you've got 50+ degrees in almost November, you do what you need to do). ;) Tatum is our neighbor across the street and she has a brand new baby sister Zoey. It appears that she and Will are deep in conversation. Moments later one of them was arresting the other. ;)

Our church hosted its annual Trunk or Treat last weekend and it was no longer warm. Dang winter jackets. (Jackson was hosting a trunk with some friends, hence his absence in the photo)

My sweet Hermione with her pal Harry. :)

My mom found this VINTAGE Esprit shirt of mine in a closet and gave it to Leah, who has never loved an article of clothing so much in her life. What a trip down memory lane for me!

Now back to your regularly scheduled Smitten Kitchen recipes. ;)

SK week 43 | Chicken Noodle Soup

I have a decent recipe for chicken noodle soup, but it's pretty basic and just uses store-bought broth (which is actually just fine), but I wanted to try this one. (Deb also has this recipe, but it was a little more involved and I didn't feel like devoting that much time to this). ;)

(Here's the Smitten Kitchen post)

You'll need:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 pounds of chicken pieces
8 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons salt
pepper
1 large carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 ounces dry noodles
1 tablespoon fresh parsley or dill, chopped

(Just a note on my amounts, I did 1 1/2 times the recipe and that was a good amount of soup for our family of four soup-eaters--my 4 1/2 pounds of chicken was three gigantic bone-in breasts, and I only used the meat of one for the soup--the others are in my fridge for chicken salad or something).

Get your oil in a pan and sauté the onion for a few minutes. Then make some room on the bottom of the pan and get your chicken pieces in there too. Cook for about 10 minutes. I flipped mine once and then just kept moving them around so things didn't stick or burn.

Then add the water, bay leaf, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes. (These gigantic chicken breasts took closer to 30). Remove the chicken pieces to a cutting board and strain the broth into another pot (or into a bowl and then return it to the same pot--I purposely used a larger pot for making the broth so things weren't crowded, and I used a smaller pot for making the soup).

Voila--my strained broth. (If you're picky about the oil, you could let it come to room temperature or stick it in the fridge so that it solidifies, and then remove the fat before proceeding. I didn't care, nor did I have time for that).

Bring back to a boil and add the veggies and noodles. Cook until those are done. Stir in the parsley or dill. (My "usual" chicken noodle soup recipe calls for dill, so I went parsley this time).

Once the veggies and noodles are cooked, stir in the chicken and check your seasonings. I added a little more salt, but I was actually pretty impressed with the flavor. I've never had great luck making broth just from bones, so I think using actual chicken pieces (and browning them first) really helped.

Serve up with some crusty bread and pray that it helps your stupid cough/cold!

Verdict: Everyone loved it. :) Jack asked if I would make this one again or stick with my other one. And I think it depends on how much time I want to spend on it! The other one comes together SO quickly, but this was kind of a fun process too. So I'm glad to have both in my repertoire. :)

Fall top 5

Happy October!

Am I right? It's sunny and 43 right now--I could use a few more degrees than that, but this weekend will be in the mid-50s, which is the normal for this time of year. Anyway, I'm loving it. We're getting all of our "fall" stuff done--raking the yard, stacking our delivery of firewood, making soup at least once a week. :) Anyway, here's what else we're enjoying around here!

1) Movies

First of all, if you're a movie lover, you need to know two things. (1) The Popcast has an annual episode previewing fall movies. This year's is episode 318 and it's great--it definitely gave me a list of things I want to see over the next few months! And (2) If you're near an Emagine theater (and I'm sure other theaters have similar deals), do yourself a favor and sign up for their free loyalty program. Dan signed up for it a few months ago and I always forget we have it until the woman ringing me up asks if I have a membership to scan. Oh, yup. I do. So last month I decided to go to a movie on a Tuesday morning (because I'm still getting used to all of this time I have on my hands with three kids in school) and she rang up my ticket ($5--I realized they must have a deal on certain days or at certain times) and then asked, "Would you like your free popcorn?" Um, yes please. So apparently if you have a loyalty card, Tuesdays are their special days--$5 tickets and a free small popcorn. Jackpot!

So on this random Tuesday, I went to see Downton Abbey. And I loved it. :) Dan and I watched the show when it was on, and the movie picks right up like there hasn't been a break at all. I quickly remembered why I loved all of these characters. It was just so lovely. So if you were a fan of the show, go see it!

2) Superstore

Dan and I realized over the summer that we have a teenager who doesn't go to bed as early as his siblings and he was encroaching on our evening TV time. :) So we invited him to join in our TV time, which was super awesome and weird and all sorts of "How are you old enough to be laughing at that joke?" We started with Brooklyn 99, which Dan and I were a couple of seasons into when Jack joined us. When that was done we weighed our options for the next show and landed on Superstore. None of us had ever seen an episode but I'd heard great things. Well, we aren't at all disappointed. This show makes us laugh so hard! And it's still on TV currently, so we'll be watching it for a while. :)

3) Pat Barrett

Pat Barrett has an amazing self-titled album that came out last year, and he has followed it with this year's beautiful Canvas and Clay. His songwriting is pretty incredible and I am so in love with so much of these albums. If you don't buy the whole thing, at least get "This is the Day" and "Canvas and Clay." So good.

4) Thai Express

Upon searching for the logo, I realized that Thai Express is a national chain. Our Maple Grove location is relatively new to us, and we've been so pleasantly surprised. Dan and I went one Wednesday for lunch and noticed that they have daily deals for almost half price. And we quickly realized that our favorite day is Saturday (curry). A close second is Tuesday (pad Thai). I don't know if we've actually had anything else--those are both so good! And everything is made to order, so it's super fresh. So if you have a Thai Express near you, please check it out. And if you're local, PLEASE check out the Maple Grove location! It's never very busy when we go and that makes me very nervous that it's not long for this world!

5) Books
Fiction:

Tell the Wolves I'm Home was a recommendation from my mom, and I loved it. It follows 14-year-old June in the 1980s, after the death of her uncle to AIDS. She ends up developing a very sweet relationship with her uncle's boyfriend, whom the family has previously blamed for their uncle's death.

I'm pretty sure The Mother-in-Law was a Popcast green light. It details the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, moving between the present time, where the mother-in-law has just died, and various points in the past. Super intriguing read.

The River was definitely a Popcast green light, and I've been waiting my turn on the library waiting list for a while. :) It was absolutely worth the wait--Heller is an amazing writer and the story is extremely compelling. It follows college friends on a canoeing trip, where lots of things pop up to complicate their plans.

Nonfiction:

I adored Anne Bogel's I'd Rather Be Reading, and I'm very much looking forward to her Don't Overthink It. But I'd never picked up Reading People, and I'm so glad I finally did. The book outlines a variety of personality-type systems (Myers Briggs, Enneagram, Love Languages, etc) and it's so fascinating to realize all the ways we are so unique from one another.

I don't know where I heard about Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, but it was so fantastic! It's the account of a therapist and the journey of four of her clients, as well as HER own relationship with her therapist. It's so beautifully written--you grow to love Gottlieb and her clients so much. And it will make you grateful for any therapist you've ever had. :)

Holy Envy was the big nonfiction winner for me this quarter. I've never read anything by Barbara Brown Taylor, but every time I hear Jen Hatmaker as her question ("What is saving your life right now?") at the end of her podcast, I think, "I should read something by her." So I did! And I picked a good one to start with. Taylor is an Episcopal priest and professor, and this book recounts her time teaching a world religions class at Piedmont College. The subtitle, "Finding God in the Faith of Others," really does sum up what this book does. She speaks of the major religions she teaches and how they impacted her life as a Christian. It's fascinating and intriguing and I didn't want it to be done. Can't wait to read more by her.

There you have it! Hope your fall is treating you well and that winter holds off a little while longer! ;)

SK week 42 | Best Chocolate Pudding

I made a more involved chocolate pudding type dessert over the summer (chocolate budino) but I wanted to do this easier, more "everyday" pudding recipe too. And I'm glad I did--it was definitely easier and not nearly as rich. The budino will still be fun once in a while for something special, but this pudding is great anytime. :)

(Here's the Smitten Kitchen post)

You'll need:
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
1 cup good chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan.

Slowly whisk in the milk, making sure not to let any lumps form.

Place over medium-low heat and stir occasionally.

After about 10 minutes, before it starts to simmer, the mixture will begin to thicken enough to coat a spoon.

Add the chocolate chips.

Stir and continue to cook another 2 to 4 minutes until it is quite thick.

Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla.

Divide into small bowls or ramekins and chill until set, about 2-3 hours.

Deb doesn't mention whipped cream, but I don't think whipped cream on chocolate pudding is an optional thing. ;) So obviously we whipped some up to top ours.

Verdict: Super great! The recipe was really quick and easy and everyone loved the finished product. :)

SK week 41 | Baked Potato Soup

It's soup season, and I love finding new soup recipes that most of us will enjoy. :) I had bookmarked this one a while ago because it's one of Dan's favorites. And it did not disappoint!

(Here's the Smitten Kitchen post)

You'll need:
1 head garlic
3 tablespoons butter
2 medium leeks
5 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
salt
2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/3 cup sour cream
pepper
Toppings:
bacon
cheese
sour cream
chives or scallions

Leeks are a funny thing if you've never worked with them before. You want to cut off the root bottom and the dark green tops. You'll be working with the white and light green. And the way they're grown, they have sandy dirt in the layers. So I quarter them lengthwise (pictured left) and then chop them all up (pictured right), and then....

Dump that all into a big bowl of cold water and let it sit. The dirt will fall to the bottom. Just use your hands to lift them out of the water and onto some paper towels.

Dice your potatoes into about 1/2 inch cubes.

Get your butter melting in a pot.

Add the leeks and saute about 5 minutes. While that's going, prepare your garlic--rinse off the outside of the bulb and remove any loose papery skins. Cut off the top 1/3 of the whole garlic head. You can either mince up the garlic from the bit you cut off and saute it with the leeks, or just discard it. I discarded it.

Add the garlic head, bay leaves, salt, and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes.

Then add the potatoes and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until they're tender.

Remove the garlic and bay leaves.

Add the sour cream and cook for another few minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree some of the soup, leaving it as chunky as you want. It thickens the soup a little bit, which is nice, but I also liked having some bigger pieces of potato.

Top with whatever you want and enjoy!

Verdict: Before I even tried it, I was annoyed with the recipe. It took way too long and I get easily frustrated with my immersion blender. (Also, I blackened my first pan of bacon, so...). However, it was actually really good. :) I really liked the leek flavor in there and the hint of garlic without it being overwhelming. So I will definitely make it again and just know going in next time that it's a little tedious but worth it. ;)

SK week 40 | Pumpkin Bread

Aw, our #AYearOfSmittenKitchen is fully gestated at 40 weeks. ;)

This week's recipe is a must for this time of year! The smell of pumpkin bread baking in my kitchen is such a quintessential scent of autumn. I love this recipe in particular because it uses a whole can of pumpkin instead of just a cup.

(Here's the Smitten Kitchen post)

You'll need:
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
two pinches cloves
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon white sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan. Get your pumpkin, oil, eggs, and sugar into a bowl.

Whisk it all together.

Sprinkle in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and all the spices. Whisk well.

Add the flour and mix with a spoon until it all comes together.

Spread into prepared pan.

Mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of loaf. Bake at 350 for 65-75+ minutes. Even at 75, mine usually has one spot that's underdone (even though the toothpicks come out clean). :)

Try super hard to let it cool long enough before cutting into it. :)

Verdict: This one is a winner in our house. Everyone loves it and fights over the last pieces for breakfast. ;) Happy fall!