Falling for Fall

We've survived the summer and all of it's wedding madness and have been so happy to feel our lives slowing to something comfortable and simple. I have been reveling in the quiet nights of reading and warm baths, rather than hot gluing my fingers to various DIY wedding projects. The wedding, in spite of the stress that accompanied it, was completely and totally perfect. It was a beautiful late summer day, sunny and warm, and by far the most joyful day of my life so far. The wedding took place at a local winery on the last weekend before their harvest so the grapes were in beautiful form, hanging full and heavy on the vines. I was a tangled ball of nerves in the bridal suite, bordering on panic in the minutes before I made my debut down the aisle. Thank goodness for the love and light that my friends and family surrounded me with that day. I could never thank our amazing parents and other family members, as well as all of our dearest friends, and our fabulous coordinator and friend Quinn for all that they did to make that day flawless for us!

 Bryson and Tricia

Steve and Meg

Lizz, Haley, Janice, Kristine and Jessie - Best bridesmaids EVER.

My wonderful bridesmaids held my hands, helped me breathe and then turned up the music for an impromptu dance party to shake out all the nerves before I took the walk. One of the moments I remember most clearly about the wedding is when I made it to the beginning of the aisle with my dad. I was certain I'd faint and was shaking like a leaf, gripping his arm and my bouquet for dear life. Suddenly, I looked up and my eyes locked with John's. He smiled, I smiled and in that silent language that only the closest of lovers and friends speak, I felt love and peace in every fiber of my being. Walking towards him, I became suddenly calm and felt only joy. Saying my vows to him was by far the most fulfilling experience I have ever had. Even now, just over three weeks married, I'm still reeling from the gravity of those moments.

You may kiss the bride.

Next came Mexico. We spent a sunny and very humid 7 days in Mexico for our honeymoon. It was simply gorgeous and very romantic. We ate the best Mexican food I've ever had, wandered on the beach, played in the waves and took in some sight-seeing. In spite of a mild illness that we both succumbed to during the last 2-3 days of our trip, it was still a beautiful week that we'll never forget.

Come fly with me, let's fly, let's fly away....

The decision to have an all-out wedding and honeymoon is a decision that we will never regret. We will remember it for the rest of our lives and being surrounded by so much love and support as we got married was an amazing experience. After 16 months of planning and stress, it feels great to be starting a new chapter...

Isn't there just something about the fall? I've been thinking for days of the words that could describe the feelings that fall inspires, but I'm coming up short. Alas, I'll muddle through and do my best.

Here in Boise, fall is in full swing. Jack Frost made his first visit to us earlier this week and has continued each morning since, and the leaves are turning to that quintessential fall-golden color. The air has a bite to it and my sweaters have awakened from a long summer's nap. Fall always makes me want to drink something hot, eat soup, take long walks and buy school supplies. School supply shopping, I'm sure, will take on a new meaning for me once I have children, but for now it's a memory of new beginnings - clean lined paper full of possibilities and the smell of freshly sharpened pencils. Does anyone still use real pencils? The kind that require the sharpener? For that matter, I wonder if pencil sharpeners still exist. The kind with the hand crank on the side. I wonder if my children will ever know the impossible infuriation that ensues when the lead breaks off of your pencil in the sharpener. I can only hope. These are the things I think about...

But I digress.

I woke up today inspired by a heart full of fall, so I decided to do what I always do when I feel inspired. Write... and bake. Baking is one of my all time favorite things no matter the season, but in fall and winter especially. As my husband slept before his long night shift tonight, the house was quiet and I had time to myself to pop in a good movie (You've Got Mail, my go-to fall movie) and preheat the oven. First stop: my famous chocolate chip cookies. The recipe and it's secrets are carefully guarded, although  I'm asked on a regular basis. Out of sheer, cookie-induced bliss, even my husband has asked me what my secret is to which my response is always, "Love, of course!" While I won't be releasing this particular recipe, I'll give you a photo! The recipe makes a big batch of even bigger cookies and soaks my house in that fresh-baked scent. *sniffs* Mmmmmm.... :)

Sorry, but these are not scratch-and-sniff photos! :) 

Today, as with most fall days, is the perfect day for something warm and hearty to fill our tummies, the stick-to-your-ribs, down home comfort food. Today's warm-and-hearty fix will come from a husband favorite, my ham and potato chowder, accompanied by a new recipe - homemade jalapeno cheddar bread! The chowder also comes out in a huge batch, which is perfect for hubby to take to work all week long. Add the cheesy zing of the bread and you've got yourself a winning combination.

We're newly-weds on a budget, so I use a soup mix to get my chowder started. I prefer Bear Creek. They're a high-quality soup line and are really delicious. I don't have precise proportions for this recipe, I just go by taste and instinct, so do what you prefer. Start with some diced potato and onion, along with some sliced celery (I used three medium-smallish Idaho russet potatoes, one medium yellow onion and three stalks of celery). Boil them until they're just under cooked.

Transfer them to a dish and cover. Prepare the soup as directed on the package. Heat the soup as directed, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, prepare your ham. I get mine at the deli at my grocery store - two 3/4" thick slices of black forest ham. I remove the tough outer edge and then dice the meat in comparable size to the potatoes.

Finally, add the cooked vegetables that you set aside, the ham, a small can of sweet corn and some frozen peas and carrots. You could always boil fresh carrots when you boil the potatoes, onions and celery, and sometimes I do, but this time I happened to have a bag of frozen peas and carrots in the freezer, so I decided to use it up (I used about 1/3-1/2 of a standard sized bag). Cook until heated through and vegetables are cooked to your liking, stirring occasionally, and season with salt, pepper, a touch of lemon pepper and a touch of garlic salt to taste. Add another cup or two of water or milk (I used 1 c. of milk) if it seems too thick.

Done! Delicious and relatively little work involved. It makes a huge batch so be prepared for that. In my single days, I would keep some for myself and then take containers of it to friends to warm their fall as well.

Then comes the bread.... Mmmm! Warm, spicy, cheesy, fresh-baked love in a loaf pan. That is what this bread is. I found this recipe on Pinterest (what would I do without Pinterest?). The recipe itself originates from the blog Homemade by Holman, and when I saw it I knew immediately that I had to make it with my chowder. Many thanks to the Holman blogger for sharing this recipe with the world! I agree that it's too good not to share!

First, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 8"x4" loaf pan. In a large bowl, combine 2 c. flour, 2 tsp. sugar, 1 tbsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper and 1 c. grated cheddar cheese (I used closer to 1 1/4 c. of cheese).

 Loving the color contrast between the green bell peppers and the roasted red peppers. 

Mix it together and make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together 1 egg, 1 c. milk and 1/3 c. oil. Pour the mixture into the well in the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add 1/2 c, diced green bell pepper, 1/2 c. diced roasted red pepper and 3 diced jalapenos (no seeds - I used half  of a 4 oz. can of jalapenos). Mix until just combined. The batter will be lumpy, so don't worry about that. Pour it all into the loaf pan and bake that baby for 45 minutes or until golden and the top springs back when lightly pressed. Let it cool for about 10 minutes in the pan and then remove from pan by turning it upside down with a plate and cool completely. This bread smelled divine while baking, was dense and moist inside and cut easily - all things that are important to me in a quick bread! Not to mention, it was simply lovely! The colors from the peppers and the cheese made the bread look so festive! It would be a great bread to gift, especially for the holidays.

The perfect way to warm up on this chilly fall day!

What a wonderful day of fall baking and cooking! Next on my fall baking list are Banana Pumpkin Muffins, Gooey Butter Cream Cheese Cookies and whatever else catches my whim. Care to join me? Stay tuned!