Changing Clocks

I thought the “fall back” in time that we recently experienced would make getting out of bed a little easier. Instead, it’s resulted in pitch black driving conditions on the way home from work at night. Though I always get anxious at this time of year thinking about the long march ahead into the dead of winter, I do have a few things in store this month to keep my spirits high:

1. Spend a long weekend hosting friends from college and finding every excuse to do girly activities like a trampoline exercise class
2. Hit the strip in Andersonville and check out some bars and a restaurant that I’ve never before visited
3. Wear my new black leather booties to death
4. Check out the Wonders of the 1893 World Fair exhibit at the Field Museum
5. Continue my heavy use of the crock pot and try a few new recipes
6. Attend a local art and wine festival event with the tickets that I recently scored from a friend
7. Clean out my closet and get my massive sweater pile into the drycleaners
8. Head to Cincinnati to celebrate Thanksgiving with family and eat lots of turkey, cranberries and stuffing
9. Start to seek out the perfect item to add to my ever-growing holiday decoration collection
10. Begin planning my next warm weather vacation…

Secret Garden

Much like last year, and in another effort to squeeze every last bit of sunshine and warmth out of this lingering weather, we recently made our way over to one of my favorite neighborhood spots at dusk to breathe in the roses that continue to unfold despite the impending evening frost. I hope that these quick phone snapshots serve as a reminder to get outside and take it all in this weekend, before it's too late...

Garden Plot, Take 2

Last year, I adopted my first community garden plot and found myself really enjoying the ritual of visiting a few times a week to weed, water and harvest. When a sunnier spot nearby opened up this year, I jumped at the chance to relocate.

It’s been interesting to see the difference in plant success from one garden to the next. Last year, the wildlife claimed my dill, cilantro, beans and eggplant. This year, it’s the peppers, parsley and thyme. I’ve experimented with a few new things this time around and some of them have really taken off. Though I have yet to pluck my first red tomato, I’ve been thrilled to pick massive cucumbers, handfuls of raspberries, bouquets of flowers and bunches of sage, rosemary, basil and lavender.

Chasing Daylight

Neighboring tracks at sunset

Finally. The moment that I’ve been waiting for is here: we hit 80 degrees in Chicago today! Though I spent most of the day cooped up in an office cubicle, we raced home right after work to take advantage of the balmy weather and enjoy the start of a great, and hopefully long-lasting, outdoor season. 

Fresh fruit sangria, ready to be served al fresco in his and her mermaid-marked glasses

Work in progress: dusted-off balcony chairs and table ready for flowers and candles

The most delicious jerk chicken EVER, courtesy of this recipe

Evening stroll to the garden site to decide if I want to switch plots (chances are good--details to come!)

Dusk Blossoms

One of my favorite spots in the neighborhood is a rose garden that’s incredibly reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. Though it’s a relatively peaceful spot in town, a twilight stroll in the crisp Fall air amid its fields of iridescent flowers can lead one to look for curiouser and curiouser things around each meticulously-pruned corner.

Stuffed Peppers

The garden plot has been providing us with a steady supply of bell peppers, which is good because summer just wouldn’t be complete without this meal. It’s a relatively easy family recipe, and because it keeps well, it makes for great leftovers on those September nights when you would rather be out chasing the last few hours of daylight instead of slaving away in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

6-8 bell peppers, the more colorful the better

1 pound of ground beef

1 pound of ground hot sausage

Small onion, diced

1 garlic clove, chopped

12 oz. can of tomato paste

12 oz. can of chopped tomatoes, not drained

2 cups Minute Rice

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Set the oven at 350 degrees
• Core, seed and boil peppers until tender
• Drain the peppers and position them upright in a greased baking dish
• Brown the ground beef, ground hot sausage, diced onion, diced garlic clove, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper in a pan together
• Once the mixture is nearly cooked, add the can of tomato paste and chopped tomatoes with juice and bring to a boil
• Add the minute rice directly to the mixture and cover, stirring occasionally until cooked
• Stuff the peppers with the meat and rice mixture, and top with shredded mozzarella cheese
• Optional: Pour tomato sauce over the peppers before adding cheese
• Bake for approximately 45 to 60 minutes, or until cheese begins to bubble and brown
• Serve with a side of garlic toast and enjoy!