thankful.

This may be a little late, but I am thankful for:
lemons that have finally ripened, kir royale and surprise on-sale lace dresses, Scrabble with my sisters and their loves (and champagne), Moroccan carrot salad, comfortable love, cheap beer, new friends, a night drinking and laughing just like high school, and a day out getting fresh air, unexpected toad-in-the-hole, and a glass of white wine with my dear Mum.

c'est arrivé!

Today, the third Thursday in November, we welcomed the arrival of Beaujolais nouveau with un poulet rôti, des frites, and a chilled bottle of this year's "bo-jo".
Beaujolais nouveau stands out because it is such a young wine, bottled and sold only a few weeks after the fermentation process has begun.  Across France and among oenophiles worldwide, this wine is greeted with banners and one-minute-after-midnight tastings.  Reviews are mixed among the French; critics cannot get past its youth, but it seems that its devotees believe a comeback is brewing (or fermenting, so to speak).
I liked what we tasted tonight.  Though its initial introduction is a bit astringent, I found the taste grew more rounded.  And it was a perfect accompaniment to our easy, tasty meal on this chilly autumn evening.

Bienvenue, bo-jo.

And as a side note, is there anything better than a rotisserie chicken?  Moist, flavorful, topped with a juicy skin-- not to mention incredibly convenient after a long day at work.  Paired with some Trader Joe's oven fries and a salad, it might just be the perfect dinner.  At least I think so.

oh, how the light has changed.

Autumn is a season of changing light.

The light of the early morning is the perfect place to enjoy that first cup of tea, though the air is still cool and bed beckons.

There are delicious long runs on Sunday afternoons, each one a race to beat the dying day.  An end to the weekend that leaves me juxtaposed between flushed cheeks and skin that is cool to the touch.

Darkness falls earlier in the city these days.  The shadows of buildings and skyscrapers lengthen and meet the setting sun, the warmth of the light fades, and a chill moves in.

This is my favorite season.  I guess I've always loved change.

the glass is half-full.

Things, other than my cute cat (even though she's much bigger now), that make me glad:

1. this track featuring Sufjan Stevens-- and yes, it's by Chiddy Bang
2. discovering Polaroid 600 film on Craigslist for a very good price
3. mum's freshly-baked lemon muffins
4. the last of the beautiful autumn colors in the trees
5. the Modern Love column in the weekend NY Times
6. tights!
7. crossword puzzles-- lots of crossword puzzles

Have a great weekend!

november!

Rabbit, rabbit!! (See more on this here)

Happy November 1st, everybody. Time is flying by... officially 72 days until I leave for Durban. Unbelievable.



Photo courtesy of JoshuaDavisPhotography.com

the glass is half-full.

Orange and black decorations? Is this Halloween, or Princeton Parents' Weekend?
I need to know whether to be scared, or proud of my cousin.
30 Rock

A spooky Halloween weekend happy list:

1. reminiscing about last year's shenanigans with my roommates-- dressed up as Mario Kart characters!
2. pumpkin bread
3. candy in packages small enough to not be that bad for you (right?)
4. a chance to reuse my fantastic Wilma Flintstone costume -- thanks Becky!
5. pumpkin soup
6. scary movies that make me jump even after having seen them hundreds of times

7. still having that magical Halloween feeling at the age of 22

Have a spooky, silly Halloween! I hope everyone gets a chance to dress up today, even if it's only in a Phillies or Yankees jersey...

apples to apples.

My parents have been off enjoying themselves in Europe for the past two weeks, first stopping in Ireland to visit with family and then entertaining and being entertained at our little cottage in the Loire Valley in France. While my sisters and I have been missing them-- especially when we realize all the things they take care of for us-- we've really been enjoying our independence since they've been gone. And no, I'm not talking about raging parties and staying up way past our bedtimes.

We've spent a lot of time in the kitchen together. Before Niamh came home from college for her fall break, Meg and I planned our breakfasts and dinners every day-- banana chocolate chip pancakes, veggie bacon & eggs, spicy black bean burgers with homemade guacamole, and homemade pesto pizza were just a few of our efforts. Now that Niamh's home, our culinary endeavors have only continued just as successfully, with a bit of added silliness and a lot more rap music.

Tonight, after a day of hardcore cleaning in preparation for the return of our parents tomorrow, we decided to make a hearty, warm meal to fend off the chilly autumn temperatures. Niamh took it upon herself to lead the way on this one, and messed with a few vegetarian spaghetti bolognese recipes from the internet. She eventually came up with a concoction incorporating elements of a few different ones. We also cooked with tempeh for the first time, and it added the consistency of a turkey-type meat to the dish. It was delicious!



Since I'd spent a perfect Saturday afternoon picking apples from an orchard here in Bucks County this weekend (an activity I highly recommend!), I wanted to make something with the fruit (har har) of my labors. So, I scoured some of my favorite food blogs to find a suitable recipe, and came up with this apple crostada from Bread & Honey.







And it was delicious. We ate it with vanilla bean ice-cream as we caught up on Season 3 of 30 Rock.

I didn't have high hopes because I used different apples than the recipe called for, and I was nervous making pastry as I've never really made my own pie crust before, but this turned out really really well. I also substituted grapefruit zest for the orange zest in the recipe, and I loved the sweet tang it added to the crostada. I can't wait for mum and dad to try my creation when they arrive home tomorrow afternoon!

With warm apple cider, this was the perfect way to end a really lovely long autumn weekend. And I've still got six apples to use up; anyone got any suggestions? I might try apple turnovers, but with work starting up again tomorrow, I may not have time to attempt those until next weekend. Hurry up, Friday!!

the glass is half-full.

Since it's a long weekend (for some-- sorry to everyone else!), I'm allowed to post a weekend list on Sunday night. So there.
Things making me happy this weekend:

1. my sister being on fall break this week :)
2. going apple-picking for the first time on Saturday
3. surprises involving gummy bears
4. apple cider donuts*
5. the return of my parents this week from Europe
6. spending 6 dollars on today's New York Times, featuring this and this
7. brunch in NoLibs today & catching up with old WXVU friends

*This blogger cannot be held responsible for how many of these delicious treats she may or may not have consumed this weekend.