Welcome to my new home

If every cloud has a silver lining, this is most certainly mine.  Every day I fall more in love with this place and it's honey colored floors, huge windows and teeny tiny kitchen.  The way the light shines in in the morning, the clang clang of the old pipes and the adorable little Hausmeisterin on the 4th floor who is always so friendly, chats with me in German about life and wears her slippers everywhere she goes.  Ich fühle mich wohl. 

Food on Friday: Pumpkin risotto with herbs and nuts

About a month ago, on a crisp October Friday evening, I had a dear friend of mine over for a cooking/pigging out session and we made pumpkin risotto.  It was the bomb.  End of story.


…Just kidding…With Thanksgiving coming up next week, I thought it the perfect time to post this recipe so that you have something to make if vegetarians happen to be coming over for dinner (make it with vegetable stock in that case).  This risotto is creamy and delicious and contains all of the wonderful and bold flavors of autumn.  It would be perfect served alongside chicken or turkey, but is actually a perfect main dish on its own.

I used this recipe but didn't puree one half of my pumpkin.  I just put the chunks in.  I also added some leftover mushrooms I had, fresh herbs, some small and crispy bits of sausage and roasted hazelnuts on top!  For the herbs, I added fresh sage and a bit of thyme.  My friend, a meat eater, wanted to add the sausage and I have to say, it really added a richness to the dish.  You could also use bacon pieces or something similar.  We garnished with parmesan and roasted hazelnuts, which was as delicious as it was pretty! Then we stuffed our faces with it and watched like 6 episodes of Revenge. It was pretty heavenly.  I love friends.  And I love Friday evenings.  Hope you're enjoying yours!

Snapshots of the new apartment

Just a few details from the new place, how it is coming along and what I have been up to the past week or so.  There is still a lot to do and fix up around here, but I am really loving my new space.  I christened it this weekend with the first brunch and I must say it was one of the best brunches I have made before.  I served fig goat cheese and Serrano ham with pear and herbs and a delicious herbed potato and butternut squash hash.  It was so delicious and cozy and a perfect first brunch in the new place!

Only having one room and a tiny kitchen is taking a bit of getting used to and I am still going through the (emotional) process of saying goodbye to the old place, but I think this place is going to do me some good.  I will give you a tour soon, I promise.  Hope everyone had a nice start to the week today!

Saying goodbye: last pictures of the old apartment

I moved out of our old apartment last weekend with a lot of stress, emotion and heartbreak.  But, before I started packing, I took a few last pictures of the place all cleaned up.  These photographs are my last memories of an apartment I loved, of my home and of the life I thought I would have.  They're so pregnant with lost hopes and dreams.  But, there is a certain beauty to that, as well, I guess.

I am in my new place now and I absolutely adore it.  It couldn't be more mine.  I love everything about it, from it's old rusty pipes and strange, old-building noises, to the tiny kitchen with hardly any room to turn around and the pretty multi-toned hardwood floors.  I know that this isn't going to be the easiest chapter in my life, but I feel so blessed to be experiencing it in a space that feels like me, that feels like love, that feels like a new beginning.

Thanks to everyone who has written me kind words on here as I have been going through this.  It means more than you know to me.

New studio apartment mood board

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I'm terrified.  I'm sad.  And I am really freakin' excited.  That's life for you.  As of next week I will be living in the tiniest, girliest studio ever.  Here's my inspiration mood board.

Food on Friday: Bauernfrühstück (farmer's breakfast) with pumpkin and sausage

Today was cold and damp, a perfect first day of November.  It was a holiday, too, so I spent the day wrapped up in a blanket with candles going and warm coffee in my hand.  In the afternoon, I went walking around the lake with a friend and tried not to think about how cold my nose and hands were.  

This breakfast is absolutely perfect for days like today. It's hearty and cozy, while still being relatively healthy.  It contains some of my favorite autumn ingredients, like pumpkin, herbs and sausage and is like a warm smile for your heart.  It's super easy, too.  

I didn't really use a recipe, so I will just explain how I made it here and you can alter the amount of the ingredients based on how many people you want to serve.  

Ingredients

pumpkin (hokkaido) 

olive oil

salt, pepper

butter

onion

garlic

herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme), chopped

eggs

milk or cream 

spicy paprika 

italian sausage, cooked in balls 

toast

parmesan cheese

Coat pumpkin with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven until very tender.  While the pumpkin is roasting, heat butter in a pan over medium heat.  Chop onions and sauté until soft.  Add garlic and herbs and let cook until fragrant.  Scramble eggs with a little milk in a bowl.  Add salt, pepper, paprika to taste.  Add to pan.  Cook like you normally would for scrambled eggs.  when it's almost finished add sausage and pumpkin.  Make toast.  

Before serving, grate a little fresh parmesan on top.  Garnish with fresh herbs.