What's cookin'? From the pumpkin patch

 

It's the pumpkin season and we are loving it! 

Pumpkin patch was on agenda this weekend. Four little pumpkins came home with us. We ALWAYS carve them, so this year everyone felt that something new would be fun to do.

So, we cooked one. 

Not very poetic, but let me tell you - it was GOOD. 

And my words can be trusted because in the fridge there aren't any leftovers. Considering that 4 little mouths devoured the majority of the dish,  I'm planting this one as a permanent tradition forever. 

Ingredients: 

1 small-ish pumpkin ( sugar pumpkin would be great too) 

1-2 cups of wheat (depending on the size of your pumpkin)

a handful of any nuts ( walnuts were divine!) 

a large handful of raisins

1 - 1 1/2 cups of milk

1/2 stick of butter

 2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp honey

cinnamon 

sea salt

 The making : 

pre-heat the oven to 375

wash and prep your pumpkin by removing seeds, strings and cleaning the inside well.

place the pumpkin on the baking sheet, fill up to 1/2 of it with wheat, add raisins, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. Place pieces of butter on top. 

Pour milk and make sure that all the grain mixture is well covered, tighten the "pumpkin lid", pour hot water into the baking sheet and put in the oven. bake for 1 - 1/2 hours. Add hot water as needed during the process.

When ready, pour honey over the pumpkin mixture and decorate with chopped nuts.

This recipe is really easy and variations are MANY. A year or so back I tried the savory version, and that one was a hit too. 

ARE YOU A PUMPKIN TYPE OF A PERSON? 

( i never new until i started cooking them)

An angel or a demon? Both.

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It's hard not to notice her flaming red hair and an amazingly capable body when she floats over the stage defying all the rules of gravity and human limitations. 

If you haven't seen her dance, you must.

 

Leslie Kraus graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Dance and Choreography in 2003, and subsequently danced with Curt Haworth and Robbinschilds as well as in her own work in New York.

 Leslie joined Kate Weare Company in 2006. In 2009, she was recognized for outstanding dancing in Dance Magazine’s annual list of “Top 25 Dancers to Watch.” Leslie routinely acts as Weare’s assistant director, most recently for a commissioned work on dance students at the NYU Tisch School. She was a featured soloist in an opera Weare was working on with composer Barbara White premiered at Princeton University in 2012.

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 In 2009, critic Deborah Jowitt of The Village Voice wrote: 

“(Leslie) Kraus is amazing - demon and angel.”

 Entire 67 seconds of this video I was enthralled by the emotions , so well portrayed and expressed, i didn't even notice there was no musical accompaniment when I saw this clip for the first time. I, then, watched it over and over. I loved it. 

What are your thoughts?

 

Hello, Halloween!

 

It's Halloween around the corner and all kids can talk about ( adults too, actually) is who is what for Trick or Treating. 

Honest and truthful here, I am not a fan of bloody zombies and such. I like clean costumes, and if they are easy, it's even better. As much as I wish I were super crafty, and I LOVE ( and do) all sorts of fun food things, holiday preps, and such, after seeing what it REALLY is supposed to be like in the Land of Mormon Craftiology, I realized that professional craftsmanship must not be my thing. I'm a "fast, cute and delicious *if food*" type of person when it comes to making things. 

 We've been "pirating" last couple of years ( but DIFFERENT pirates. you know, that surely makes all the difference. or that's what i've been told by the pirate crew), girls included, but , as much as I love them, going a third year as another , different, pirate was a little too much even for my - not really so much opposed to kids wishes for halloween*within limits*- self. 

So, we are Smurfing this year with a Scientist. 

Yesterday, though, I was looking through my bloglovin feed ( do join in!) and loved, loved, loved these costume ideas! Clean, interesting and EASY to execute. I love the Eiffel Tower the best.

Jordan ( oh happy day)  and Jane ( see jane blog. a DIFFERENT one) did an AWESOME job. 

 

This Bandit Crew makes ME what to dress up too.  I have not particularly done it much. Once, when Halloween-ing at the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. We went as an Artist, an Indian girl and a crew of Harry Potter, a Kitten and a Puppy ( it's somewhere in the archives... somewhere). I was named a Sacajawea within the first 5 minutes and then spent 1/2 the time talking to random kids. I didn't think about the "Night in the Museum" when I headed up for the event. 

Are you going to be dressing up? 

Is Halloween a big party time for you? 

I'm curious.

Stylish Mom and Toasty Baby

 

The November is on the doorstep and so are the cold temperatures.  It's been freezing here in the last few days hence bundling up is  up on the menu. 

Being a mom requires a lot of sacrifices, but style is the one no woman has to make. I think - and forgive me if I am wrong -  that feeling modern and beautiful is a very important aspect of for a new mom just as much as for an experienced one ( lets be honest - can one EVER be experienced enough with kids? they all are different little people). Some mommy days can be very crazy. And although everything is very gratifying at the end of the day , and the little gems , despite of the tantrums, demands, crayons on newly painted walls, are still my most important purpose in life, it IS very important for a woman to feel human, normal, SELF.  For me that means lots of walks outside.

And  that is why I absolutely LOVE Stokke for creating such eye-candy for me and a comfort cocoon for my little ones. 

No matter the weather, a baby sleeping bag, a footmuff or winter kit ( and combined together for a VERY cold day), we stroll comfortably and stylishly. And my 3 year old attachment plants herself comfortably on a riding board. 

To any of you that are on the market for a stroller - do trust my words. This post is not sponsored. First few years with our first two children were spent on finding a stroller that would work. After wasting money on a pram ( or a pushchair) after a pram that neither served their purpose in comfort for the baby or did not hold up in the quality,  we were very hesitant in purchasing Xplory.
We were sold on the "walking" part  ( did you know Xplory can walk the stairs?!) because living on the 5th floor of a walk up and carry 50lbs of stroller weight up and down twice a day was tough. The day we had our Xplory delivered ended our ever-going stroller search. Trust me , it is worth your every penny. 

Fast forward to 4 years later. We've discovered the fabulous accessories that , really,  are SO SMART. I get asked at least twice a day about those "mittens" that I have on the stroller. Now tell me - is this not a wonderful feature? So many companies compete between themselves about coolest baby gear, but does anyone else think of a mom? Those "mittens" kept my hands toasty all winter long and a little pouch in them kept my phone and other necessities right at my hand reach.  Add to it that ALL the accessories are interchangeable with the newest models that Stokke just released, this shows to all that Stokke cares for their customers unlike some other companies where customer's wallet is the priority.  

It's windy and cold outside, but we are staying stylish, toasty and comfortable. Stokke is the best, hands down, and will always be such because they think, care and deliver. That's all.

 Wishing you a great day wherever you are! 

Have you seen Stokke's newest additions?

 What do you think?

ps: please, note this is NOT a sponsored post. my personal feelings shared in finding that Stokke IS the best for covering my children's ( and all children's)  needs is true and i hope you can experience it too.

If you are....

 

If you are a fan of Downton Abbey, you might have a soft spot for this extremely talented Beauty , that does not need to be named. 

I am blown away but the power of transformation Michelle Dockery keeps under her belt. These photos -  a few shots from the "Interview Magazine" ( which I highly recommend)  - I think are perfection of feminine beauty and power. Let's make it short - I LOVE them.

And as to the article, which if you haven't read yet,  find it here. 

 

 

I'm in love with the second photo. 

Do you have a favorite? 

A fall story...

 

My dear Friends, 

forgive my sporadic posting last little big - I must admit I've taken on more then I expected. Few not so expected things came up which has taken over my life for a little bit. 

I miss you all and am eager to get back as soon as possible ( which I will in a day ) 

Until then - I want to share some of the pictures I snapped last weekend. The Fall is gorgeous. The beauty of nature is magnificent. The air is delicious. And my little persons found it just as enjoyable as I did.

 

  

I hope your day is great!

 Enjoy the beauty all around us!  

Insta-bits and little pieces

 

Here is to some insta-bits and other pieces from our lives lately. 

 above - this holding on to each other's shirt had me laughing almost all the way home. They played "horses" alternating the leading over and over again. Those of you that ask if kids ever get tired because we walk so much ( but in reality it's only a 1/2 the manhattan route and a 1/4 european way of living that I grew up with) , this is UP hill ( and steep one too!) and they RUN up with backpacks and all, while I had my tongue over the shoulder panting behind them with the stroller. So, the answer is no, they don't get tired. But they sleep good ( and eat too) .   

 Now, how do YOU walk home? 

From the weekend plans - Cornbelly's giant chair. Rather comfortable too. If it was my way, I think it would make a great addition to the yard, and I can see a total piece during the story time - nobody will be fighting about who gets to sit on my lap.

 

We were freezing ( note the sweater over blazer fashion statement i'm sporting. I was thinking about making it be the trend (jk) , but it didn't work as well as i was hoping ) , and the polka-dotted Wonder in her faux fur sweater kept telling me how "sweaty she is". I think I'll be jumping about around more next time too.

 

So, the blue-jean wonder and I went into the car to warm up a few times. 

 

And I am not the only one who loved to hand on to a warm cup of coffee

 ( no worries , it is completely empty. but she LOVES holding one - that is a grip of death over there, there is NO way of taking that cup away. we actually get her a steamed empty cup every time we get coffee - otherwise there is no way to enjoy it). 

 

This is so bitter sweet - more and more I see a little girl taking place of where my little baby was just yesterday. Time does not slow down, and my heart flutters every time I see a new stage coming up. I wish I could linger just for a minute longer every time.

 

Item of the business : yell at the person in the mirror and tell her to get something "there" : done.
Realize that that person is self - not quite there yet.

 

Two is always better then one: why eat just ONE apple when you can eat TWO simultaneously? 

Our apple picking attempts have not been successful yet ( it seems that all the orchards decided we went to decided to not let pick this year), the wild apple trees in the part seem to be a perfect fit for us : those small apples are delicious and are just the right size for the little hands.  

 

 

And we are not getting much done around the house ( not that we have much time to hang out in it between all our schedules, schools, practices, rehearsals and such) , because of this attachment lately. Apparently, holding on to one ( OR BOTH ) of mama's legs is the thing of the year.

 

If there is one way to my heart - this is it. A baby cuddled on Daddy's chest. They were talking too. Melted my heart as I was walking out of the store and saw this through the window.

 

This is a historic moment, friends! Yeva informed me that "timeout is not fun" ( that she landed because she was cartwheeling while trying to eat lunch *unsafe!* and that is after nearly 3 years of thinking that timeout is another way of doing jumping jacks in the room or corner) . And all I could think was " HAAAAA- LLELUJAH!!!! HALLELUJAH!" It sunk it!

  Now it's just simply the matter of offering her some timeout time , and the "peace" button turns right on with food being eaten without circus entertainer practices. I've been waiting long 4 years for this moment. 

I love it.

 

Has been on my IPod lately:

 

Getting more things done for StyleTheology. New issue is upcoming - stay tuned! 

 

The Fall is gorgeous in the mountains. There is no way to get enough. We just tried to take in as much as time allows. 

Isn't this beautiful? 

 

If you like, please, feel free to add a link to your bits and pieces. I'd love for us to connect with each other!

Wishing you a best day yet! XOXO