happy hour: fall sangria

i saw this recipe the other day and have been dying to try it.  in the fall, i always (want to) like mulled wine, but sometimes hot, spicey wine just doesn't cut it.  i think is autumnal take on a classic sangria might just do the trick!

credit {here}

fall sangria

3 apples

3 pears

3 clementines

2-3 cinnamon sticks
2 tbsp honey or agave syrup
6 oz triple sec or cointreau
2 bottles of red wine (something fruity works best)
optional: fresh cherries

1. core and cube all fruit and put into a pitcher or carafe

2. add 2-3 cinnamon sticks & 2 honey, stir

3. add liquor and wine, stir and let sit.

it's best if you make this drink a few hours or even a day in advnace and let the flavors mariante in the fridge.  garish with fresh, ripe cherries : )

cheers & happy weekend!

fall-ish weekend recap

this past fall-like weekend found us enjoying the company of friends, yummy food and traveling to some of our favorite (nearby) places.  it was a lovely weekend, indeed.

craig and i kicked off the weekend a day early on thursday night and enjoyed happy hour drinks at our favorite little bar.  on the way home, we saw a rainbow!  we were excited and tried to get some pictures, but don't worry, we didn’t break out into tears like “double-rainbow” guy on youtube… haha

when friday evening rolled around, we headed to our alma mater, muhlenberg, for alumni/homecoming weekend.  craig and i wandered the campus while sipping some tea and soaking up the gorgeous, fall-like weather.  later, we met up my sis, hannah, and friends for sushi before venturing back to campus for a night of college-esque fun {wink::wink}

after breakfast at our hotel saturday morning, craig and i drove into philadelphia to meet with my mom and dad to look at some potential properties.  we have been dreaming about moving into philly for a few years, so we thought it would be a good idea (and a lot of fun) to start doing some “research”.

for lunch, my parents treated us to a delicious meal at tria on 12th & spruce.  we ordered some wine (it is a wine bar, after all…) and shared some small plates (homemade rosemary olive oil potato chips with truffle aioli and also caramelized onion bruschetta with feta) before indulging in the main course.  everything read so well on the menu, craig and i decided to share: 1 smoked salmon sandwich with herbed goat cheese on grilled brioche and 1 truffle mushroom & brie panini.  yum!

after lunch, we wandered around society hill before heading to old city for cappuccinos and a bit more real estate scouting. 

saturday evening found us back home in our little bucks county cottage enjoying chinese on the couch : )

sunday morning kicked-off with 8:30am yoga class.  nothing like 90 minutes of sweaty vinyasa to set you right again.  mid-day was a women-only affair, celebrating the impending arrival of my cousins’ first baby.  we don’t know the name yet, but we do know it’s going to be a november boy.  (fingers-crossed he’s born on my birthday, november 19th!)

olive, our dog-baby, all curled up on the couch.  she is seriously too cute!

 before leaving for the baby shower, i had thrown together a crockpot chili, so a lovely, hearty aroma greeted me when i walked back in the door afterwards.  craig and i got into pjs nice and early and chowed down on chili, fireside.  yes, it was cold enough for a fire in the fireplace!  i loved it!

fall check list

i'm totally feelin' fall lately.  i've been loving the subtly crisp mornings, and the fact that the world is still a little dark and sleepy when i head out to 6am yoga on tuesday & thursdays.  fall reconnects me to the things i love and value most - home, hearth & family.

so, i thought i'd share a fun little fall check list to get us in the mood for cooler days & falling leaves.

item #1 - cute "fallish" outfit.  check.

i cannot take credit for this lovely combo, but i do envy it!

item # 2 - harvesty drink.  check.

recipe for apple cider float {here}

item #3 - quintessential autumn location to enjoy my cider float while wearing my cute outfit.  check.

credit {here}

i'm so ready for autumn to be here full force, but until then, i'll drool over my check list...

so, mavens, what makes for your ideal autumn?

sinfully sweet tooth

reeses!  yum!

what is it about this time of year?  generally, i'm a very healthy person.  i work out 5 days a week (and enjoy it most of the time).  i eat healthy food because i like it and it makes me feel good (inside and out).  but then fall weather arrives and with it comes pumpkin muffins, halloween candy and spicy chai lattes.  and my healthy aspirations seem harder (and harder) to stick to...

i <3 halloween munchkins too!

all i want to do is bake oatmeal raisin cookies, drink hot chocolate, purchase (and consume) reeses and go apple-picking (and make apple pies, crumbles and coffee cakes...and then eat them...)  i feel like i could literally subsist on sugar, spice & everything nice this time of year.

baking apple pie : )

there must be something in the air that arrives with falling leaves, early dusk and crisp breezes.  something that makes my sweet tooth come alive with ravenous force.  luckily, i can (usually) control my voraciousness just long enough to get me through to the next celebration or holiday (or weekend).


pumpkin muffins

oh, pumpkin muffins, how i love thee (and thanks to han, i have a dozen of you in the fridge : )  ok, i can't resist.  i'm going to get a pumpkin muffin now and some tea too...


what's your favorite fall indulgence?

happy anniversary : )

today is a very special day.  it's my parents' 36th wedding anniversary : )  congrats, mom & dad!  they got married on october 19th, 1974 on a beautiful fall day, after dating since the age of 15.  this past weekend we celebrated by doing some of their favorite (fall) activities.  we went on a house tour in the adorable town of lambertville, nj and then had a delicious dinner (thanks, han!) of turkey stroganoff. 


lambertville house tour

some other special things about today?  craig & i met exactly 5 years ago today.  (i love that we met on my parents' anniversary!)  little did i know 5 years ago that i would planning a wedding (and life) with the guy i talked to at the library : )

another fun thing?  today begins abc family's 13 nights of halloween!  every night from now til halloween they'll be playing fun/spooky/halloweeny movies and shows.  yay!

happy 10.19.10!

barn sale (a.k.a. first weekend with my new camera!)

this past weekend my parents had a barn sale at their house.  it was the perfect weekend for it.  sunny.  cool.  fallish.  han, my sis, made homemade bread, apple pies & crisps and delicious soups.  (some to sell and extra for us to enjoy : )  it was the perfect way to welcome october. 

and, even better, craig surprised me with a new camera on friday!  my digital camera is very old and has been slowly dying, and i was in desperate need of a new one.  then, my mom loaned me hers, but it doesn't auto-focus.  a few blurry shots are ok, artistic even, but it gets old quick.  thanks for the new camera babe...i love it!

hope you enjoyed the picts from my new toy : )  i'm lovin' it.

squash, acorn squash

when i was grocery shopping today, i came across a squash display.  spaghetti squash.  butternut squash.  and (ahha) acorn squash.  feeling inspired and "fallish", i was compelled to purchase said acorn squash and craft a hearty meal.  stuffed acorn squash it is...

stuffed acorn squash for two

1 acorn squash
1/2 large vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 frozen veggies (i chose corn & peas)
1/4 lb ground turkey
1/4 cup red sauce
5 tsp maple syrup (i know that's a weird way to write it, but you'll see why...)
cinnamon
curry
salt
garlic, chopped

preheat oven to 375.  cut acorn squash in 1/2 and scrap out seeds and place cut-side up on a baking sheet.  i didn't have butter (oh well) so i did a light spray of butter-flavored cooking spray, a drizzle of syrup (1 tsp on each half) and a sprinkle of sea salt and ground cinnamon.  on to the filling...


i then sauteed the onion, (defrosted) veggies, garlic (about 1 tsp) and turkey.  i seasoned the filling with another dash of cinnamon & curry, salt, 1 tsp of maple syrup and the red sauce.  then i spooned the mixture equally into the two halves (there was a little extra for craig to enjoy) and covered both halves loosely with foil.

then i put the squash in a preheated 375 degree oven and baked it for 30-40 minutes, until flesh was getting tender (check w/ knife).  i then removed the foil, drizzled each 1/2 with 1 more teaspoon of syrup and baked for another 15-20 minutes.

the best way to enjoy it is to scoop out all the tender squash and mix/mash/mush with the fillings and dispose of the skin.  (it may not be pretty, but it tastes so good!)
yummy!

first signs of fall

happy fall!

fall is almost here!  can you feel it?  (i can.)  as you know, i love this time of year - it's my fave : )  so, i've been getting very excited when i come across signs of autumn in my travels.  i can't help but smile when i see pumpkins on porches, leaves getting a touch of crimson or feel a crisp fall breeze brush by.  ahhh, fall....  you're so wonderful.  welcome back.

pumpkins

fall leaves

the first official day of fall is september 22 (and here in bucks county, pa it's supposed to be 90 degrees.  yuck!)  anyway, i still plan to usher in fall and all it's splendor.  here are a few ideas of how you too can celebrate the autumnal equinox.

-rake some leaves (i'm not big on manual labor, but it is fallish...)

-enjoy some cider

-visit an orchard and go apple-picking (the ultimate fall excursion)

-bake something "harvesty" (i suggest pumpkin bread...yum!)

-enjoy a fall cocktail : )

feeling fallish, yet?  i hope so.

falling for fall (are you a falloholic?)

pumpkins

hi, my name is cailen, and i'm a falloholic.  i love when the mornings get cooler, the days get shorter and the leaves begin to change.  when an unexpected warm, sunny day creeps in mid-september, it can put me in a bad mood. 

our thanksgiving table

i'm a fall chick.  i was born in november and love nothing better than sitting fireside, sipping hot cocoa (or sherry : ) and feeling that "fall" feeling.  you know the feeling.  that intangible splendor of crisp breezes, pumpkins on porches and golden corn stalks swaying in farmers' fields.  hay bales.  colorful maple leaves.  hearty soups.  crusty breads.  (i know, i always go to food...)  enjoying time with friends and family.  moving indoors and making home feel like it's supposed to.  warm, cozy, inviting and filled with wonderful memories. 

our driveway, fall 2009

i'm big on traditions, so this time of year fits me like a glove.  seeing kids go back to school, waiting for buses - it makes me reminisce (and dare i say miss?) the back-to-school ritual.  when school preparations fade, there's homecoming (go mules!), halloween, (my birthday and craig & my anniversary) followed closely by thanksgiving.  ahhh, thanksgiving.  it gave me that good "rush" of nostalgia just typing the word.

oh, fall.  you make me oh so happy.  here's to early dusk, hearth side gatherings and falling leaves.  cheers.

are you a sucker for sweaters, apple-picking and hot cider?  then you might be a falloholic too!  what do you love best about this time of year?

fall outfit (yay for sweaters & boots!)

Make the Most of Fall

Fall is my favorite season. I love the changing leaves, the crisp breezes and fires in the fireplace. Fall signals the end of summer - and outdoor living. That is why it's always a good idea to do a bit of fall freshening inside your home so that you truly enjoy your time indoors this season.

Bring the outdoors in. Add fresh fall-colored flowers, branches of autumn leaves or even small pumpkins or gourds to your indoor space to brighten it up. Natural elements bring life into rooms.

Add lighting. With the daylight hours diminishing, be certain that you have adequate lighting for all your daily activities. Relying too much on overhead lighting can make a room cold and impersonal. To really cozy-up your space, bring in lamps with 40-60 watt bulbs - perfect for fireside reading...

Dress your windows. With the weather turning colder, think about bringing in some longer, heavier drapes to replace summery curtains or to cover "naked" windows. Not only will drapes add drama and personality to your space, they also serve to insulate and keep cold drafts at bay.

Organize and de-clutter. In fall and winter we spend much more time indoors so it's really important to keep your home organized and running smoothly to prevent unnecessary stress on you and your loved ones. Take a weekend to tackle some small organizational projects (the junk drawer, closet or desk). I guarantee you'll feel much more relaxed afterwards!

Add new accessories. Try switching around some of your artwork, buy new throw pillows or put a favorite collection on display in a new location. Small changes can make a space feel new again, so you won't mind spending more time indoors!

I hope these suggestions have inspired you to look at your home and make some fun changes this season!

Happy Fall : )

For more information about Cailen Ascher Design or my book, Well-Designed Living, visit http://www.cailenascher.bravehost.com/ or email CailenAscher@gmail.com.