A is for Apple

I've really been enjoying autumn this year, and apple picking was no different.  Honey Pot Hill has been our apple picking spot of choice for four years in a row now.  There are always hundreds of beautiful apples to choose from, and we never go home disappointed.  It doesn't hurt that their donuts are delicious, too ;)

Perfect Apple Pie
Taken from MotherEarthNews.com
  
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
6-8 tart apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (approximately 6 cups)
Pastry for two 9-inch, deep-dish pie crusts (try making your own with this awesome recipe)
2 tablespoons butter
sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.  Fill a large bowl with cool water and the juice of half a lemon. Peel, core and thinly slice apples and place in bowl of water.  In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Drain apples and combine with dry ingredients.  Line a 9-inch pie pan with pastry.  Fill with apple mixture and dot with butter.  Put on top crust, cutting slits for steam to escape. Seal edges and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for 50 minutes.  Serve warm or cool.

Autumn in New England

 It's amazing how quickly time goes by. At this time last year, we were making plans for our big move to the west coast. We were packing boxes, sorting through belongings, and saying goodbye to family and friends. We were ready to say goodbye to New England, winter and all, and hello to the sunny beaches of California. On New Years Day 2012, we packed our pickup truck and started driving west.

We were ready for an adventure.

And oh boy, did we have an awesome adventure.  We drove through states we had never seen before. We visited family in Texas, saw the Grand Canyon, spent a couple of days hiking in Sedona, and met good friends on the beach in Santa Monica.  We took our time and really, truly, enjoyed the ride. 

And for 7 months, we lived in Northern California.  I don't know quite how to explain it, we just wanted to try it out.  We met some very nice people, some very interesting people. We spent a wonderful weekend in Napa, and took some amazing hikes through the Diablo Valley Foothills near our house.  We went to lots and lots and lots of farmer's markets, and ate the best tasting kiwis and mangoes we've ever had.  We put together a small garden, and ate fresh lettuce as early as April.  Our dog, Napali, even befriended a very sweet, gray cat who lived next door. 

 It felt like a dream to be in California. We had talked about it and planned our move for such a long time.  It was hard to believe we were actually there.  We had space and time to be just the three of us. We took long walks and had long talks and late night candle lit dinners. It was beautiful.

But it was missing our families, and our friends.  It was missing that feeling of home. And the truth is, it just wasn't a good fit for us. So on July 28, 2012, once again, we sorted through our belongings, packed up boxes, and our pickup truck, and planned our move back to Massachusetts.  

Only this time, we went camping :)  Driving a different route through Nevada, Wyoming, Nebraska etc. We stopped along the way and set up our little tent at remote campsites in some of the most incredible landscapes I have ever seen.  And when we arrived home again, it was the best feeling ever. It was right. And we were happy. 

I can hardly believe we have been home for almost 3 months now. We have been so busy since we got back. But the friendly reminder of the passing time is all around us.  And as the leaves change color, and fall slowly to the ground, I am looking forward to the first dusting of snow.  Because the truth is, without the seasons, I feel a little lost. I look forward to the changing landscapes, and my palate does, too :)

De'Arbol Peppers & Early Girl Tomatoes

These De'Arbol Peppers are really fun because they grow upside-down! We are so excited to have had such success with them and can't wait to try cooking with them :)  We also plan to try drying any and all red ones that we get into a beautiful ristra that we hope will last all winter long.

In addition to our peppers, I am particularly excited about our early girl tomatoes. This plant is full of happy little tomatoes just waiting to turn red and juicy. No matter how much, or how little space you have available, there is always room for a couple of fruit bearing plants. Grow something you love to eat and you can't go wrong :)

Golden Gate Bridge Bike Ride

It's been a very busy month for us here in California. We've spent a lot of time reflecting on our move to the west coast (which we made just this past January) and thinking about our future. As it turns out...we really miss all the great people we left behind on the east coast, and we don't want to see them once or twice a year, we want to see them all the time!  Soooo we're packing up and getting ready for our second cross-country trip this year...back to the east coast.

Since we made our decision earlier this month, it has been crazy town at our house, packing and making arrangements to move home.  We're also trying to say goodbye to California and fit in a few last outings before we leave. So this past Sunday we headed into San Francisco one last time and biked the Golden Gate Bridge. It was awesome. and windy. and cold. and refreshing. It was the perfect foggy day in San Francisco and I'm so happy that we had the chance to visit one more time.

Here's to the Golden State. We'll miss your sunny rays :)

Grilled Chicken Pesto Pizza

This is seriously the best pizza I have ever had.  Use fresh, organic ingredients and this pizza will sing!

Grilled Chicken Pesto Pizza

         -makes two 10" round pizzas-

2 bags Whole Foods fresh whole wheat pizza dough (or try making your own!)

1 cup fresh basil pesto (find the recipe here)

1 container bocconcini (buffalo mozzarella balls)

1/2 lb. organic chicken breast, grilled and cut into small pieces

Olive Oil (approx. 2 tbsp.)

Flour and cornmeal for preparing pizza dough

Optional: freshly sliced organic tomato

On a lightly floured surface, shape pizza dough into a 10" round (or larger if you prefer a thinner crust).  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with cornmeal.  Transfer dough to cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and spread evenly with the back of a spoon, just enough so the dough is covered with a thin, even layer.  Bake at 475F for 7 minutes, remove from oven.  Arrange toppings and return to oven for an additional 4-5 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Toppings:

Use about half a cup of basil pesto as the sauce for each pizza. Follow with thin slices of mozzarella and thin slices of grilled chicken breast. Season with freshly ground black pepper and then return to the oven.

Variation:

Replace grilled chicken with thinly sliced organic tomato for a vegetarian friendly version. Or add sliced tomato along with the chicken for the ultimate pizza.

Enjoy with friends and family!

Visiting Wine Country

We were thrilled to have Tom's parents visit us here in California recently, and we were even more excited about spending a weekend in Napa Valley with them!

We stayed at the beautiful Harvest Inn, and looked out on the vineyards for breakfast each morning. 

No complaints here :)

The Harvest Inn is also dog-friendly, so Napali came along for the ride...and he didn't mind one bit.

Of course we visited a number of wonderful wineries. And they all had delicious wine to offer. But the icing on the cake was our tour at Opus One. Founded by Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe Rothschild in 1979, Opus One is among the best of the wineries in Napa and should not be missed. 

We enjoyed an intimate tour (only 12 people) and then had a wonderful taste of one of their delicious vintages (I wish I could remember which one!) up on their rooftop veranda. 

The whole experience was quite lovely :)

But truly, the best part of our weekend, and our favorite winery, was Chappellet.   

  We had tasted their wine at our hotel and loved it, so we decided to go for a little ride and take a peak for ourselves.  (Note: we didn't schedule a tour...which is required, and we brought Napali...which is not allowed, but we ended up having an informal, private wine tasting and a very nice discussion with one of Chappellet's amazing hosts - with the pup :)  Thank you Chappellet!

  And leaving Chappellet, was just as good as arriving, since we had this amazing view to look at as we drove down the winding road.

We could not have imagined a better weekend in Napa Valley. 

Thank you Maureen & Steve for showing us a wonderful time!

Foxtails

Foxtails are absolutely everywhere here in our area in Northern California, and from what I'm told, they're not going away anytime soon.

  Since we take Napali for walks and hikes fairly often, we are constantly on the lookout for the clinging foxtail. His long fur catches them quite easily and if not removed they can slide in between his paws, into his ears, nose and even his mouth! They slide in smooth, but they don't come out very easily and dogs in the area sometimes have to be taken to the vet for some strong pain medicine and to have them removed.

  Napali has had two so far that have actually made their way in between his toes. OUCH! I found them one day after we had been out hiking and they were almost invisible, except for a few lightly colored hairs that were left sticking out in between his darker brown hair.  Had I not been looking for them, I might not have found them and I can guarantee Napali would not have been happy about it.

Oh California, there are some things we love about you, and some things we don't. Foxtails are on the list of things we don't :(

Making a Home...Living Room Curtains

We are so very excited that our living room curtains have arrived! After searching long and hard for just the right curtains, I found these beautiful panels at West Elm :) 

They go perfectly with our golden corduroy sectional and they add so much texture and pattern to our living room which previously felt a bit like a big white box.  We found the perfect hardware at Crate & Barrel and when everything arrived in the mail, we went to work putting it all together.

But first, let's remember that big white box!

LOL!! I couldn't take it any longer!!

So let's hang some curtains, shall we?! :)

The curtains had two options for hanging, one long pole pocket, and a set of hidden tabs. I opted to hang them using the tabs since I wanted a slightly more tailored look.

The hardware was simple enough to install. Each pole came with a set of brackets. Each bracket set had one flat panel (which got screwed directly to the wall - see photo on left) and then a hook, which slid effortlessly over the flat panel (see photo on right).  The rods rest inside the hooks and are held in place by a small screw (which can be seen poking out of the front of the hook). 

Getting everything level was the trickiest part of all because we live in an old house which is not at all level!  So we just made sure the curtains hung level to the floor (so we wouldn't have one side longer than the other) and that method seems to have worked pretty well :)

Drumroll please....

It is admittedly difficult to take a decent photo of the curtains behind the sectional, since the sun is always shining through them.  But the blend of linen and cotton definitely lets just the right amount of light through without being too sheer.  We have also noticed a big difference in the temperature in our living room. It's much more comfortable throughout the day, and the curtains are the perfect fix for the afternoon sun which once baked us on the sofa.

It was also tricky trying to decide what height to place the curtain rods at on either side of the front door.  This is because the windows are much, much lower than the windows on the back end of the living room, and therefore the front door frame is much higher than the windows. Since the curtains are 84" long panels (which work perfectly in the back of the room behind the sectional), we decided to keep the whole room uniform and hang the panels in the front of the room at their full length, too.

 

 
When they're closed, it is almost impossible to tell where the window actually is and hanging them higher than the molding fits better with the scale of this large room (which also has a vaulted ceiling).  The only glitch is that the floor is so skewed, the right panel hits the floor a little more than the left. Oh well! C'est la vie! :)

This is our favorite little vignette at the moment. It's the corner of the room that feels the most complete to us and makes this place feel like home.

Oh happy day of new curtains :)