Seasonal Treats

There seems to be an abundance of green tomatoes from our garden, as well as friend's garden's.  So, this past weekend I whipped up a batch on 'Janie's Green Tomato Jam'.  It was super easy, and very tasty, especially with cheeses.  It filled up five very small mason jars.  With a little bit of fabric tied on top of each jar, it made a nice little housewarming gift for some good friends of ours.  If you'd like to make Janie's Green Tomato Jam for yourself, or as gifts, here is the recipe, out of one of my favorite cook books:  Forgotten Skills of Cooking.

Ingredients:

18 oz. green tomatoes

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

finely grated zest and juice of one organic lemon

Wash & slice the tomatoes and put into a large pan with 1 1/2 cups of h2o.  Bring to a boil & simmer 50-60 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients over low heat, stirring to dissolve sugar.  Once sugar is dissolved boil rapidly for 10-12 minutes.  Fill into sterilized jars, cover and store in a cool dry cupboard.

I made this Butternut Squash Gratin for lunch on Saturday.  It will make a great dish to bring to some upcoming holiday parties.  The best part: it's made with kitchen staples!  It's also super affordable and quick to make.  I followed the recipe from simplebites, a source for many of my recipes.  Get the full recipe of Butternut Squash Gratin here:

http://www.simplebites.net/butternut-squash-gratin-recipe-family-favorite-side-dish/

quarter of a century old.

My grandmother, uncle and I all celebrate October birthdays.

 Brunch at The Seelbach's Oakroom.  Ice sculpture surrounded by oysters & artichokes & the best cheese plate i've seen in a while.

 I'm not one that is big on Halloween, but the theme at the brunch was pretty cute.

 Picnic at Bernheim Forrest.

Mulled Wine, Goat Cheese, Apples, Crackers, and my incredible husband, all on one blanket.  Probably one of the best birthday treats.

Making my birthday (and the cake) last.

It was a great birthday weekend.  25.  Now I can say I'm starting to feel old.  I'm no longer in my 'early twenties'.  I've now entered the 'mid twenties', and only a couple more years until 30. (which i hear is the new 20.)  Life is such an adventure, and every year is another blessing.

It was good to celebrate with family and eat yummy cake, a tradition we've held for years.  My birthday, my grandmother's and my uncle's are all in the same week, so we all celebrate together.   Sunday morning Tim and I got all dressed up and enjoyed brunch at the Seelbach's Oakroom. (Tim and I stayed a couple nights there on our honeymoon.  It holds a special place in our hearts.)  Brie on scrambled eggs?  Yes please.  Bacon AND sausage?  Yes!  Five different kinds of cheeses with oysters?  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  It was a great meal.  On my actual birthday Tim took me to a favorite spot of ours.  We've been going to Bernheim Forrest every autumn since we began dating.  We shared a sweet picnic then walked around the pond.  Here we saw a family of deer, a heron and geese migrating!  We tend to recieve these gifts almost everytime we are out on a hike.  I love coming across such grand surprises with my husband.  I would take those moments with him over pretty much anything.

ATL visit.

 

 Tim and I spent last weekend visiting Atlanta.  It had been two years since I had last been there.  I liked visiting (opposed to living there) and seeing the city through a different view.  We went around one day and saw parts of town I never got to enjoy while living there.  We met our dear friend Catherine at Ria's Bluebird for breakfast in the Grant Park Neighborhood, then wondered across the street to a newly opened Octane coffee.  The coffee = delicious!  We wandered on foot to the Krog St. Tunnel.  I so badly wanted to take Tim there because his love of graffiti art.  It was a sight to see!  We had wondered through Cabbage Town and found a little memorial garden (this is the photo up top).  It was placed for a couple who was very prominent in the neighborhood.  We came to find out they owned Little's Food Store for 70 years!  A few gals recently started renting it and is holding down the historic fort.

Though we thoroughly enjoyed wandering around, our best times were spent visiting friends.  I hate to say it, but we didn't get any photos of this!  But, those times will surely last in memory and in heart.  We spent some great nights at the dinner table with our sweet friends Adrien and Alysia, and their three little ones.  We also had a good afternoon stopping by to say hello to an old neighbor, whom Tim had really wanted to meet.  Our time with Dave and Marg (ones I really wished lived here in Louisville. Jus sayin'.) was so encouraging, and we even got to spend an evening catching up with an hold roommate of mine.

I was so glad to make the trip.  It was great for Tim to touch base and see and feel and hear some important history in my life.  He now understands me a bit more because of it.

The Men of the House.

Izaak was pretty mesmerized by Tim and Jason chopping wood one Friday afternoon.  It was pretty wonderful when I looked out the window and saw the guys had set up a 'scene' for Izaak.  They took two pieces of already split wood and held them together.  Once Izaak's 'ax' came down on the wood, Tim let go...and look!  Izaak has chopped some wood too!  You got to start 'em young.

Site Launch & Doulapalooza 7

My Doula Website is now launched!

http://stephaniestrader.wordpress.com/

Also...The annual Doulapalooza (number 7!) is this coming Saturday, October 15th in conjunction with the Douglass Loop Farmers Market.  It is on the south-facing lawn of Douglass Boulevard Christian Church, 2005 Douglass Blvd at Bardstown Road in the Highlands.  

From 10 a.m. till 2 p.m. you can meet area doulas, midwives, lactation consultants and other birth enthusiasts who promote positive and informed child birth.  There will also be live music from a few local musicians, food and crafts for kids.  I'll be working at the Babyology Booth, so stop by and say hi, and come pick up one of my newly printed business cards!

Speakeasy

A few weeks ago, Sunergos Coffee (the shop Tim works at) was voted the number one coffee shop in the city of Louisville!!!  A local publisher called Leo Weekly, holds the Annual People's Choice Awards every September.  Tim and I got to go celebrate the win at the The Leo's People's Choice Awards Party with our good friends in a great Speakeasy theme. These friends have worked very hard over the past seven years on perfecting a great cup of coffee, and just a damn good business.  By staying frugal, relational with customers and creative, and a ton of work, they have a successful shop with a great reputation...and really really really good coffee & espresso.

 

Brian, co-owner, with his wife Michelle.

 Matthew, co-owner, with his wife Aleasha.

 Tim & Aaron making coffee for all the party goers.

 So the Magbooth was there...thanks to Horseshoe Casino.  Is it that obvious???

It was fun nonetheless.

Clean Up.

I saw this little bottle sitting on the counter after coming home from a long day of work one recent Saturday.  Tim greeted me sweetly then walked me into our bathroom to take a look at the bathtub.  It was the cleanest I had ever seen it!  Not only did my wonderful husband get down on his hands and knees for who knows how long to scrub the tub...he also made the cleaner!!!

We have been long time vinegar users for cleaning, and It works great...except when elbow grease needs to be involved.  Tim found a great recipe for a surface scrub online:

-castile soap (he used our Dr. Bronners)

-baking soda

-an antiseptic essential oil (he used lavender)

We tag teamed bathroom cleaning today and this stuff works so well.  And yes, I am very proud of my husband for not only cleaning, but taking the initiative to make a new house hold cleaner we can both use.