Sweet Paul inspiration

Another issue of Sweet Paul came out the other day and it's filled with delicious fall foods that I can't wait to taste-test, along with lovely, lovely food styling (as always), beautiful layouts, and inspirational crafts.

After a weekend with family, I was sent home with a bag full of delicious home-grown pears, tomatoes, multicolored bell peppers and lots of fresh rosemary. I was delighted to see many recipes with pears and rosemary!

Here are the recipes I'll start with:
I've tried for years for a good pretzel recipe, maybe this will be the one...

John's Pretzels, image via Sweet Paul

Dried pear slices, image via Sweet Paul

Fennel & Rosemary Roast Lamb, image via Sweet Paul

Honey Baked Fall Vegetables, image via Sweet Paul

Pear Galette, image via Sweet Paul

Pear, Red Onion & Manchengo Pizza, image via Sweet Paul

Pork with Warm Fall Slaw, image via Sweet Paul

Thyme Roasted Chicken with Pears, image via Sweet Paul

I think I'll start with the Roast Lamb with Fall Vegetables and Pear Galette, I do love the rustic and romantic qualities of a good flaky galette... so who's comin' over for dinner?

As always, well done, Sweet Paul!

Rustic Apple Tarts

Have you heard of Sweet Paul? It's an online magazine chock full of food porn. This time it's full of Fall foods, including lots of apple baked goods (It's Fall and I have an obsession with apples...).. Sometime I want to make the Apple Filled Bread, Apple Muffins, Rustic Apple Tart, Carmel Chocolate Cake, and the Chevre pizza.

That sometime was last night for the Rustic Apple Tart. I got to use the apple peeler-corer I was given a year ago, which was so fun, I even made Curly Cheese Potatoes!

The pre-baked wheat crusts.

I'll leave you with Sweet Paul's professional out-of-the-oven photo.

Verdict? Absolutely delish. The texture of the wheat flour gives the crust more depth and is the perfect balance to the tartness of the Granny Smith. I added a significant amount of cinnamon to the recipe, in the crust and in the apple mixture. And instead of adding the apple preserves at the end, I used some of the leftover cinnamon & sugar mixture from the apples to create a syrup and drizzled that on top. It's definitely going in the recipe box.

Color: Autumn

With class in full swing and the chill in the air, it is apparent that Autumn has arrived. This season, I'm really into this beautiful color palette from Heath Ceramics.

p.s. For those of you reading this in Google Reader, Google Buzz, or Facebook, I've made some updates to the blog... I'm still working on some particularly stubborn elements, but come on over and take a peek at the new look!

Things I'm Loving: Herringbone

I've inherited a love for the simple pattern from my mother (that, and any tweed or houndstooth). So, to my delight I found this charming fall sampling when I checked etsy for my hourly inspiration:

Lovely, right?

And the peek-a-boo boxes from The Harbinger Co? Absolutely stunning.

Navy + Raspberry

Photo by MeiTeng

Olive + Granny Smith

This season I'm really into deep colors as neutrals, think navy, olive, plum, etc. Here's a palette inspired by my afternoon snack... the granny smith apple!

Photo by awottawa

Gold + Navy Dust

Photo from jf

Happy Fall!

As of this minute, it is officially Fall! This Fall I'm looking forward to stepping on crunchy leaves, apple cider from my hometown orchard, jewel tones, tall boots and flowering mums.

Fantastic, Flavorful Fall Foods

Invitation design by Katie Larson

Today we had the fall party that I mentioned here. It was absolutely fantastic, it was a beautiful (but very hot) Fall day. We had a fantastic spread and lots of friends join us at the park for an afternoon of leisure, food, and friends.

The spread included: Turkey Chili, French Dip Sandwiches, Cheesy Potatoes, Corn Casserole, Stuffing, Roquefort Pear Salad, Cheese Dip & Chips, Cornbread, Pumpkin Bread, Crinkles, Derby Pie, Scotcheroos, Apple Crisp, Chocolate Chip cookies and the list goes on! I brought the French Dip & Salad, here are the recipes:

Roquefort Pear Salad
5 star rating, 494 reviews (I would give it a 5+, maybe the best salad I've ever had... although it got a little wilted in the hot sun)

1 head leaf lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
3 pears - peeled, cored and chopped
5 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled
1 avocado - peeled, pitted, and diced
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup pecans
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a skillet over medium heat, stir 1/4 cup of sugar together with the pecans. Continue stirring gently until sugar has melted and caramelized the pecans. Carefully transfer nuts onto waxed paper. Allow to cool, and break into pieces.
For the dressing, blend oil, vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, mustard, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper.
In a large serving bowl, layer lettuce, pears, blue cheese, avocado, and green onions. Pour dressing over salad, sprinkle with pecans, and serve.

Easy Slow Cooker French Dip (edited based on reviews)

4.5 star rating, 1,156 reviews (I would give it a 5, tasty, easy recipe)

5 lbs rump roast
1 can Campbell's Beef Consomme
2 cans Campbell's condensed French onion soup
6 oz beer (not light beer, add more to your liking)

1 pkg Au Jus mix

3 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. black pepper
16 French rolls

16 slices provolone cheese (optional)

Trim excess fat from the rump roast, and place in a slow cooker. Add liquids, Au Jus mix and seasoning. Cook on Low setting for 7 hours.
If oven is available: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Split French rolls, and spread with butter, top with cheese (if desired). Bake 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Slice the meat on the diagonal, and place on the rolls. Serve the sauce for dipping.

Both of these recipes were a big hit and I got lots of compliments... everything at the gathering was absolutely delicious.

It's Turkey Time!

This morning at a park near my apartment I saw four turkeys by the side of the road! It's officially turkey time. I came home and made an excellent turkey stew with lots of vegetables from my garden and my parent's garden (kind of morbid, huh?). Here's the recipe:

Ground Turkey & Garden Vegetable Stew
1 lb. ground turkey, cooked
3 large tomatoes, cubed
2 potatoes, cubed
1/2 red onion, chopped
4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup carrots, diced
3 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
3 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 dash chili powder

Brown ground turkey and chop all vegetables into bite sized portions. Add all ingredients into 2.5 quart crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Enjoy!

Nutritional Analysis calculated by Calorie Count Plus

Is Autumn here yet?

Some friends and I are planning a fall party to celebrate the upcoming season with all the best foods, like pumpkin (not my fav), apples, squash and all the other yummy goodness that autumn brings. I am excited for the cool weather and especially the beautiful color palettes! I created some mood boards to show my excitement...

Photos are from stock.xchng and Martha Stewart.