Costume Drama

Unlike seemingly every other woman (and tween girl), I'm not down with the whole 'it's ok to dress slutty since it's Halloween' trend that has taken over the most sacred of all pagan holidays. Unless you're going as Sexy Boris Yeltsin, because that is just awesome. Hence, I tend to wear whatever the heck I want, which has led to some interesting choices over the past few years re: Dickensian street urchin, Sarah Palin, Don Draper's new secretary, Miss Havisham. Now, I realize that some of these costumes could be considered 'sexy' (I'm looking at you, Miss H), but remember: There's a difference between sexy and slutty. Sometimes less is actually more, and other similar idioms.

So, what do I have lined up this year? A couple options for a few different nights:

I picked this lovely number up at Garment District ($10). Perfect for going as Norma Desmond/Washed Up Movie Star!

I also bought this weird/awesome 70s dress for I-don't-know-what because it was cheap ($12!)

I was originally going to where the blue dress but since I'll be heading up to Boston tomorrow I figured I should wear something a little more conducive to running around The Bean all night.

Enter: Annie Hall

Oxford Shirt from TJ Maxx via The Limited: $14

Men's Hat via Penguin: $15

Ridiculously baggy/pleated khakis from Savers: $4

Tie (not pictured): $3

Vest from my time as a Ruth's Chris employee: free!

Maybe I overspent a little, but I know I'll use the shirt again. As for the hat...well, I'll just have to make it work.

Note: When you find a gross hat at Savers don't put it in the washer and dryer. Just save your two bucks and spring for the Penguin.

Happy Halloween!

The Apple (Orchard) Of My Eye

On Monday James and I made our annual trek to Belltown Hills Orchards in South Glastonbury, CT to buy pie, some heirloom apples, and continue my quest to eat as many apple cider donuts as possible. 

Now, you might think that I'm one of those people who loves to pick their own apples. It's just so wholesome and New England-y. Well, you're wrong. As a child I was subjected to seasonal fruit-picking masked as fun. You know what isn't fun to a six year old? Picking blueberries with your grandma in the middle of a field under the hot June sun. The only good part was at the end of the day when she made Blueberry Buckle, so I guess it was worth it. Maybe as an adult it would be  different because I could leave when I wanted instead of being told to 'Stop whining and fill your basket.' Yes, Grandma. So, in celebration of my adulthood and the personal freedoms I enjoy, I choose to not go apple picking. 

However, I still enjoy visiting apple farms and reaping their bounty, or something.

                                               Ahhh, apple country

James Fun Fact #1: He is allergic to raw apples, which also happen to be his favorite fruit. Aw, sad :(

He can, however, eat cooked apples, which leads me to James Fun Fact #2: His favorite pie is apple.

Belltown was out of regular apple pies so he settled for Apple-Cranberry over the gross-sounding Maple-Apple (bleh.)

While James was perusing pies I was checking out their apple selection. As I've written before, I'm working on a book that, in a nutshell, marries literature with cooking. I've been trying to recreate a particular recipe from a particular novel that takes place in the English countryside circa 1800. The problem is that apple varieties are cross-bred so much that it can be difficult to track down the same kind of apples that existed 200 years ago. Enter heirloom apples: 

I would have preferred  Bramleys but settled for some Pippins, which were among the first apples to be brought over to the U.S. from Europe and are considered a cooking apple. Perfect!

However, while I was bagging my apples I looked over and spotted these:

I have been reading about quince since I started this book project last winter. The problem was 1.) It wasn't fall and 2.) The once popular fruit can be hard to find. It isn't exactly the kind of fruit you'll find at the supermarket (or even Whole Foods. I checked.) So, I was super excited when I saw these. Can't wait to cook with them!

Once we were loaded down with pie, apples, and quince it was time for donuts:

Belltown makes apple cider and pumpkin donuts every day and they are awesome. Light, soft, and flavorful. The pumpkin donut is particularly good. One bite and I wanted to take back all those stupid, over-sugared Dunkin Donuts versions I've had. Totally not worth it. Belltown donuts? Definitely worth it.

 

Plus, you get to eat your amazing donuts outside surrounded by mums! Who wouldn't like that?

Pumpkin Everything: Semi-Homemade Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Fall brings many wonderful things: eye-popping foliage, flattering women's fashion, and pumpkin-flavored everything (well, almost). My love of all things pumpkin is well-documented on this blog, and this post is no exception...

The other night I was thinking about making pumpkin muffins from a Trader Joe's mix in the morning--because that's a totally normal thing to think about while trying to fall asleep-- when I had a brilliant insight: What if I added cream cheese to them?? I could make my own version of those yummy pumpkin cream cheese muffins from Starbucks and probably for far fewer calories.

I made the batter according to the instructions and filled a muffin tin pan accordingly. Then I mixed about a cup of cream cheese, (I used Temptee; a whipped lite cream cheese) with some vanilla and a little sugar, and placed a dollop on top of each muffin. Then I sprinkled them with some light brown sugar and popped them in the oven. I added a couple of minutes on the baking time because you want the muffins to get a little golden brown on top. 

I'm sure this can be made with any pumpkin bread mix; or you can make your own mix from scratch---if you're super annoying.

Finding Some Autumnal Balance

                                    Image via UBEU Lifestyle

I found this image during my internet travels. I could always use more of the first three, but particularly right now. I'm fully in 'school mode', which is always tiring, and the last whispers of Indian summer are finally gone. It's getting darker earlier and staying darker later. I hate that. I hate waking up in darkness. I feel tired all the time and I'm stressed, so I'm not eating as well as I should. I went to the doctor the other day and I told her about my rising stress levels. When she asked what I was stressed about I said 'Life.' She chuckled to herself and said something about everyone being stressed about life.

Ok, so what can I do about it? *sigh*

Luckily, I read this post the other day on the No More Dirty Looks blog that talked about some Ayurvedic tips for 'seasonal balance' and I've tried adapting them into my life. One tip is to eat warm foods over cold foods, like salad. I already hate eating salad, so that was an easy one. I also traded my yogurt for some slow-cooked oatmeal. I mix it with some applesauce and season it with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of agave nectar for sweetness. Tastes almost like apple pie!

Goals for the rest of Fall:

Sleep more (especially on the weekends)

Make soup...I'm thinking cumin lentil

Go to the Coventry Farmer's Market

Use my new sewing machine

Spend more time outdoors while I still can (I hate the cold...)

Eat more apple cider donuts

That's enough for now.

Coffee Time With James

James and I both have Sundays and Mondays off. The former is usually spent recovering from Saturday night, while Monday tends to be our day to do"Jemily" stuff. 

But because I am now getting closer to 30, Sunday wasn't quite enough time to undo Saturday night. 

So on Monday, in the midst of a pretty epic couch session, when James asked me what I felt like doing I said "Afternoon tea" without really thinking about a) the fact that I didn't want to move and b) it was already 4--kind of late for tea time.

But surprisingly, he went with that and soon tracked down a place on Yelp: The Coffee Trade; a combo antique store/cafe in Avon, CT.

I managed to rally because nothing fills my cold, black heart more than the idea of drinking a latte surrounded by old doll clothes.

No, really. 

Ok, not really. But the place sounded pretty cool and after day two inside, I figured I could stand to get some air. 

In case you aren't familiar with Avon, CT, it pretty much represents 'Old New England' but with more $$. The name alone sounds so WASPy: Avaawwhnnn.

I don't go there much, but I was willing to make an exception for a place with a 4/5 star rating.

The catch to this place is the fact that they roast their own coffee right in the store, which is cool. They also have a ton of different coffee drink flavors with quirky names like "The Cold Shower" and "The Blondie"; just don't ask me what's in them. I had the salted caramel latte, which isn't clever, but it was delicious. 

If you actually do enjoy drinking lattes surrounded by doll clothes, you can sit inside.

But we opted for the lovely patio outside:

Manly lumberjack not included.

How to make swiss chard not gross

I've been rather underwhelmed by the farmer's market offerings the past couple weeks. Whereas Summer produce is like Best Of: Mother Earth Edition, Fall's harvest is all root vegetables and hard fruits. I can only eat so many apple pies a month, so I picked up some giant swiss chard stalks today. 

The problem is swiss chard can be....bleh. Ok, perhaps bitter is perhaps a better word choice--at least more adult. I suppose buying some was a bit of a personal challenge--like  Iron Chef, except without the time limits and talent. But after doing a little internet research I learned that freshly picked swiss chard has very little to none of the bitterness. If you don't grow your own, definitely pick some up at your local farmer's market.   

I liked this recipe I found, but I didn't use any butter, doubled the garlic, along with the crushed red pepper, and added a few tablespoons of lemon juice at the end for some zing.

 Before...

 After...

Then I tossed the swiss chard with some leftover pasta and topped with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Verdict: delicious!

I guess Fall isn't so bad after all...

Dear Julia

Hey girlfriend! I know we haven't talked in a while. I've been pretty busy teaching, but I just wanted to let you know that I purchased my first Le Creuset pan yesterday. And (you're gonna love this part) I got it for over 50% off! I know! 

Now, it's not one of those massive French Roasters--I'm working my way up to that. Instead, it's a cute 1 3/4 qt oval dish perfect for....? I guess that's why I'm writing. I was so blinded by the fact that there was a cheap Le Creuset pan at TJ Maxx that I didn't really consider what I could make with it. James suggested a quiche. He's so cute.

But seriously, I want to break this baby in with something good, you know? Something worthy of the handcrafted stoneware it's baked in. I checked out the Le Creuset website and it says this dish is 'ideal for narrow roasts, pasta bakes, and enchiladas.' Come on now. I figured you'd have some better ideas. Let me know what you think!

xoxo

Emily

Forever Brunch

As I mentioned in my last post, I went to a wedding in good old Boston last weekend. After a wonderful night spent celebrating the happy couple, I woke up feeling...well...not so great. Luckily, I was in walking distance of Central Square and the friend I was staying with mentioned that ZuZu's   (best known here for hipster dance parties) now offered a pretty great weekend brunch. We lumbered on over to ZuZu's looking somewhat worse for wear, but I for one soon perked up after glancing at the menu: interesting ingredients (green tomatoes), unique vegetarian options (crispy tofu), fun twists on breakfast standards (thyme waffles)? I'm in!

 

I started out with some freshly squeezed OJ while my dining companions raved about their Bloody Marys. 

Then it was on to The Kathy Bates: an oat waffle topped with fried green tomatoes (get it??), poached eggs, avocado, and their awesome Hollandaise. A menu item both clever and delicious? What more could I ask for? (answer: nothing.) While we waited for our food (an admittedly long time, but hey, it's Central Square) we quizzed each other with the Trivial Pursuit cards provided on the table. 

Wait. This place combines brunch with punny names, great ingredients, and the opportunity to capitalize on my vast knowledge of useless trivia? 

...

Why did I move back to CT?

Oh. Right. 

But the best part was on Sunday when worlds collided and James accompanied me to ZuZu for brunch. Again.

Then, I may have gone to Flour's newish Cambridge location and may have gotten a basket of treats:

Maybe.