Pumpkin lasagna, sheet pan chicken, three October reads, and a Stockholm home with a box bed
Good morning, friends. Happy Friday.
Is it still fall? The weather here has been so beautiful this week, warm and sunny more like a late spring afternoon than October. I am not complaining. The view from the porch stopped me more than once this week, the sun moving across the circle, the pollinators still working the garden. It is beginning to wind down out there, which means I have a decision to make: cut it back now, or leave it standing for the winter. I know the advice is to leave it for the birds and the insects, but I go back and forth every time I look at it.
I made it to the pool twice, which feels odd in October. Once we walked down to the village and sat on the edge for a while in the sun, just talking. Another afternoon we went in, and yes, the water was cold, but the sun was warm enough that drying off felt relaxing. I do not miss summer exactly. But I am enjoying whatever this season is deciding to be.
It has been a busy week, with a few projects outside the blog that have been taking up a good bit of my time. I love research and always have, and it is nice to flex that muscle again. No social plans this weekend aside from the farmers market. Quiet weekends suit me just fine right now.
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Friday Food
Pumpkin Lasagna Skillet — Skinny Taste
Pasta, pumpkin, cheese, and ground turkey in one pan. Cosy, filling, and weeknight-easy without the fuss of building a full lasagna. This one is going on the list immediately.
Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash — Julia’s Album
Halved acorn squash roasted until tender, then filled with spicy Italian sausage, spinach, dried cranberries, and pecans. It is the kind of dish that looks far more impressive than the effort involved, and the combination of savory sausage with the sweetness of the squash and cranberries is exactly right for October. Works as a side or a main and would be scruptious at Thanksgiving too.
Sheet Pan Maple Glazed Chicken with Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts — Eat Yourself Skinny
One pan, thirty minutes, and the kind of fall flavors that make the kitchen smell wonderful. The maple glaze on the chicken is everything. Perfect for a weeknight or a lazy Sunday. (link)
Something Sweet
Sneak some veggies into your next cake. This spiced zucchini cake is filled with zucchini, fall spices and topped with cream cheese frosting.
Read, Watch, and Listen
Pope Leo’s lung cancer can happen to nonsmokers too. Here’s what we know
The No. 1 Exercise to Do Daily to Maintain Shoulder Mobility, According to a Physical Therapist
How long will humans be needed for translation?
Large dog breeds die younger. Biologists think they finally know why.
How to Untangle Stubborn Knots in Common Household Items
Anne Hathaway’s ‘Cherry Noir’ Nails Are the Fall Manicure Trend That Goes With Everything
For more Fall and Winter Nails check out this post
SIMON’S BEAUTIFUL STOCKHOLM HOME WHERE OLD MEETS NEW
I’ve always wanted to have a box bed, love the one in this house made from old timbers.Â
On the Nightstand
Good Taste: A Novel in Search of Great Food by Caroline Scott
England, 1932, and the country is deep in the Depression. Stella Douglas has written one modestly received biography and is quietly bracing for her editor to tell her it is over. Instead she is commissioned to write a history of English food, something quintessentially English, meant to lift the spirits of a nation. The problem: a great deal of English food is, to put it gently, not very good, and most of what is good has arrived from somewhere else. Stella sets off across the country in search of a culinary gem worth celebrating, finds a great deal of oatcakes and potatoes, and then her car breaks down and a dashing antiques dealer named Freddie changes the direction of everything. Witty, warm, and full of unexpected pleasures. (link)
The Artist and the Feast by Lucy Steeds
A young journalist named Joseph arrives at a farmhouse in 1920s Provence to write about a reclusive artist named Edouard Tartuffe. What he finds is Ettie, the artist’s niece, who runs everything and says almost nothing, watching the world from the edges of every room. Both Joseph and Ettie carry their histories carefully, and as the summer stretches on, those histories slowly come to the surface. The setting alone, sun-baked Provence, a farmhouse full of art and mood, an atmosphere that feels like it is always about to break open, is worth the read.
Moonlight in Odessa by Janet Skeslien Charles
Odessa, 1994. Daria is a whip-smart engineer working as a secretary because there is nothing else available, and spending her evenings interpreting at an international matchmaking agency, translating between lonely American men and Ukrainian women who want something better. When a client offers her a one-way ticket to California, she has to decide what she is actually reaching for. A first novel with a lot of heart, set in a world that very few of us know anything about, and all the better for it.
You can find all of my book recommendations at My Bookshop. Most titles are also available from Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org, and on Libby through your local library.
Outfit of the Week
If you know me than you know I am mad for plaid, in the house and in my closet. This past week a flood of plaid landed in my mailbox from some of my favorite shops. Todays outfit is a simple plaid dress that you can wear from now until the end of winter and to a holiday gathering or two. Add a belt to accentuate your waist. Pair it with boots, flats or heels. The only accessories that you will need are a spritz of perfume and your favorite jewelry. If you are going out a bag, black scarf and overcoat.Â
Outfit Seperates Below
Are you still getting outside before the cold sets in, or have you already shifted into full hibernation mode? Tell me in the comments.
That is Friday Favorites. Don’t forget to join Kim and Juliet for Weekend Meanderings tomorrow. Have a wonderful weekend friends.Â
Find me on Pinterest and Instagram for more during the week.
You may also enjoy:
The Season That Asks You to Stop
On My Radar
Advent Calendars
Brooches
Please tell me the name of that beautiful book shown on your opening page about autumn.