Fall colors, the white way

View fullsize

There seems to be a running joke in this household.

"Sure, honey, you can choose any color you like.

As long as it's white." 

Yes, yes, white is quite abundant around here. But how can you blame us? First, there are an infinite versions of this color (and I am convinced that this household represents at least 94% of those). Second, it looks clean, bright and it forces you to get creative with texture so it's not a COMPLETE snooze.  

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

All that said, welcome to our version of fall decoration: a healthy amount of white and pale yellow gourds neatly (rather randomly) stacked in a glass container. It still feels like fall and it still fits this home. And, check out all those funky shapes and sizes! So much fun to put together and photograph! 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

I think it's completely unnecessary for me tell you how easy this is to put this together (buy gourds varying in size, color and shape and insert into said glass container)... So instead, let's just thank Trader Joe's for their awesome and affordable decoration supplies and wish you one very happy Sunday!

Tasting Fall in a Bowl | Butternut Squash Soup

View fullsize

I love Panera Bread's Autumn Squash Soup.  It is the perfect blend of sweet, spicy and salty. And what is one to do when a menu item you are craving is no longer available since it is technically after Thanksgiving? Despair not! DIY to the rescue (also known as, cooking it yourself).  

I had shared this fantastic version of the Panera Bread recipe last year as part of our Holiday menu. This year, I decided to skip on a spice and substitute it with another (who knew I was out of curry?? well, hello, ginger!). The taste is quite nice still! Here are the directions below. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped (or 20 oz package precut)
1 tablespoon canola oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup apple cider
1 cup half and half
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Heat oven to 450. Toss chopped butternut squash with canola oil and salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
Using a potato ricer, press squash through ricer. (Or puree in blender if you don’t have a ricer)
In a large food processor, blend pureed squash and pumpkin, pouring vegetable broth, apple cider and half and half through the top while blending.
Pour into sauce pan and heat over medium to a gentle boil. Add honey and spices.
Simmer on low for 10 minutes and serve with roasted pumpkin seeds.

It's Fall (Y'all?)

Even if it is a toasty 84°F (29°C) outside!

Yet, despite this warm weather and my general lack of love for seasonal decor, I thought these beauties were hard to resist! Trader Joe's has stocked a lovely collection of fall bouquets right now for a fairly reasonable price. Yet, one bouquet usually runs a good $9.99 with hardly enough flowers to make one vase look full.

So, I have learned a trick - don't go for the pre-assembled bouquets but rather, go for the "filler" flowers and make your own bouquet. Today, I got a bunch of Cattail, Safari Sunset, and Mums for the total price of $12.99 and got myself three vases instead of one! And now, my living room has officially caught up to the proper season!  Happy Sunday!

Series | Shop the Sale

Sale Prices

• Knit: $101.99
• Jeans: $59.49
• Jacket: $89.99
• White Top: $35.99
• Shoes: $53.99
• Bag: $101.99
• Bracelet: $35.99

For the Love of a Good Sale 

I love a good sale. A sale on sale makes me even happier. In this section, I will showcase my favorite sales for the week! This week, I noticed that J.Crew is having an amazing additional 40% off of their Sale Items so I picked out my favorites and put together an imaginary outfit that has Katya look all over it. None of these are a splurge and they can all be utilized as versatile pieces with the rest of my wardrobe. 

The last addition to this outfit is a scarf. And what better scarf for this outfit than the stunning Violet? 

Fall is Here!

---

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla exract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 package (12 oz.) white chocolate chips

Original Recipe

It never truly feels like fall until you cook something pumpkin, don't you think? Well, last week, I did just that! And, thanks to my cooking ambitions (or nature...), Houston cooled off right in time. I loved this recipe so I wanted to share with you... Enjoy!  

Directions: 

Prepare a 9" x 13" pan by lining it with parchment paper, or greasing it with bit of butter. Preheat oven to 350*F.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices and set aside. In another large bowl whisk together the melted butter and sugars. Add the egg, then vanilla and pumpkin and blend together well with the whisk (no need for an electric mixer).

Pour the bowl of dry ingredients into the bowl of wet ingredients, add the white chocolate chips and blend together with a spatula or wooden spoon just until fully incorporated.

Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly in the pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes, or until it appears set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean. Cool fully, then cut into bars as desired.