Happy Halloween!

I hope you are all having a wonderful day.  Germans don't really celebrate Halloween, so it has been a quite night in for us.  We had pumpkin and ricotta ravioli with sage and butter sauce and I watched Spooky Buddies.  Yes, I know it is totally made for children, but I just don't care. Dogs running around in Halloween costumes is freaking adorable.

I hope you are having a slightly more festive day and a fun, safe Halloween!

Weird weather

As everyone on the East Coast of the U.S. prepared for Sandy this weekend, here in Germany we were dealing with freak weather of another kind: snow.  Although it's not unheard of to have snow this early in the season, it is certainly not usual.  And, boy was I excited to wake up to a nice white dusting on Saturday morning.   We made it to Coburg on our summer tires (to get them changed, ironically) and I played in the snow with a little friend of mine.  It was a beautiful day and the kind to be thankful for.

I hope everyone on the East Coast is staying safe and dry! We'll all be sending positive thoughts your way today!

Food on Friday: grilled cheese for grown ups

Growing up in the 90s, I didn't exactly eat healthy snacks when I came home from school.  Sure, we had baby carrots in the fridge--although usually in a little plastic package with ranch dressing for dipping attached--but my sister and I most often microwaved a plate of Totino's Pizza Rolls or ate leftover Mac n' Cheese.  Saved By The Bell was almost always involved and then, luckily, since it was still the 90s, we would go outside and play and burn off all the junk we'd just consumed.  

When Peter came home hungry from work at 2:00 p.m. yesterday, it felt like an after school snack kind of moment.  It was overcast and cold out, so comfort food was calling my name.  Hence, the grown up grilled cheese.  

I decided on two flavor combinations: apple, cheddar, sage and tomato, basil, pecorino.  I used some delicious, slightly sour, crusty bread and generous amounts of butter (this is not one of the healthier recipes on here).  Every once and a while, a chilly afternoon just begs for a little bit of fat.  

The recipes on here aren't exact and I suggest just using your best judgement. This isn't science and, as long as there is cheese involved, there is pretty much no way to mess it up.  

Apple, Cheddar and Sage Grilled Cheese

Makes 3 sandwiches

6 slices fresh bread (don't use sandwich bread)

1 apple

100g (3.5 oz) cheddar cheese

3 sage leaves, chopped

2-3 tablespoons melted butter

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Brush one side of one piece of bread with melted butter.  Layer cheese, apple and sage on the opposite side (with no butter).  (I have found that the sandwich sticks together better if you do some of the cheese below the apples and some on top of the apples.)  Brush the outer side of another piece of bread with butter and use that to finish off the sandwich.  Repeat for two more sandwiches.  Place on skillet and on both sides until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown.  Watch it carefully so that it doesn't burn.  

***

Tomato, Basil and Pecorino Grilled Cheese

Makes 3 sandwiches

6 slices of good fresh bread

1 tomato

8 basil leaves, chopped 

Sliced pecorino (I used pecorino with spicy paprika)

1 ball mozzarella 

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Brush one side of one piece of bread with melted butter.  Layer one thin slice pecorino (it's a strong cheese, so you don't need a lot), tomato, mozzarella and basil on the opposite side (with no butter).  (Again, I have found that the sandwich sticks together better if you alternate pieces of tomato and cheese.)  Brush the outer side of another piece of bread with butter and use that to finish off the sandwich.  Repeat for two more sandwiches.  Place on skillet and on both sides until cheese is melted and bread is golden brown.  Watch it carefully so that it doesn't burn. 

Enjoy these sandwiches at home on a rainy day or with a little tomato soup...maybe even this weekend!  We have the perfect grilled cheese weekend coming up:  it's supposed to be cold and rainy out.  We may even get our first snow tonight!  Can you imagine that?

Happy Friday and have a fantastic weekend!

Just walking to work...

Are you sick of my autumn pictures yet?  Yes?  Well, you are out of luck because we've got probably another week of this natural amazingness and I just can't help myself.  I have to document it.  Every day is insanely gorgeous, blue skies or gray, and I am head over heels in love with life and the season and everything I see!

This is what my walk to work looked like today.  And, this is why October is my favorite month.  

3 quick ways to warm up your space for the colder months

As the temperatures cool here and I pull out all my scarves, hats and gloves, I thought I would give you a little insight into my favorite "small changes" to make your home cozy for winter.  Winter, as gloomy, cold and long as it can be here in Germany, is often a difficult time for me.  I love the slow pace and the coziness of it, but can't stand to be stuck inside with little to no sun for week after week month after month.  Making my home extremely warm and inviting helps make winter a little brighter and cheerier! 

1.  Play with textiles, patterns, texture and color.  

The more the better.  Furs (real or faux) are simple fixes for making a room cozier, as are velvet and suede.  Jewel tones and darker colors--such as caramel, deep red, peacock and emerald--add richness and pops of color on bleak winter days.  Graphic patterns contrast nicely with more earthy textures and colors, while tribal and western prints make your home feel like a fire lit cabin.

2.  Switch out your art.

Go for pieces with winter themes and/or warmer, richer colors.  Also, pay attention to the frames--chunkier, natural colored frames and gold frames warm up a room when the temperatures drop.  

3.  Bring in natural elements.
Whether it's a sheepskin draped over a chair, a pair of antlers, an owl motif or simply some pretty pine cones and winter berries, bringing the outdoors in is a necessity in the colder months.  You aren't able to spend as much time outdside enjoying nature and bringing it in allows you to continue to enjoy it.  Additionally, natural elements provide a warm, lodgey feeling and often are full of texture and color.

Friday adventures in the Fränkische Schweiz

Last Friday Peter, a friend of mine and I drove, on a whim, to the Fränkische Schweiz (or Franconian Switzerland).  We had no idea where we were going and only knew that we wanted to take a little hike and get outdoors and enjoy the beautiful day.  What we found was one of the most breathtaking places I have ever been, the best apple-pumpkin butter I have ever tasted and a Friday afternoon which will forever remain in my memory.  

We stopped at a few farmer's stands to pick up pumpkins and other nice treats and then drove on until we reached a big cliff with castle ruins on top.  We hiked up to the ruins and had the most fantastic view.  It was spectacular.  The warm and vibrant sun we had that day has  since given way to a bone-chilling fog, but at least we were able to fit in one last autumn hurrah.  

I highly recommend stopping in the Fränkische Schweiz if you are ever in the region. There is excellent hiking and it is very authentic in a lot of ways.  Seeing old ladies dressed in their fancy clothes and walking through the village to the church on a Friday evening was hilarious and visiting the farms was wonderful.  Plus, the region is downright gorgeous!