I’m sure a lot of you know that Halloween is my favorite day of the year. I start thinking about my costume months in advance.
We had a Halloween party at the Arlington Inn & Spa across the street from us. It was great fun and everyone who attended was thrilled Buzz & Tabetha did it again this year.
The best part of the Halloween party was Noah and Aja meeting us there. They were dressed as Rip & Beth from Yellowstone.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw them. My son looked like a handsome cowboy and Aja was stunningly beautiful.
It was a mom’s dream that they chose to hang out with us. It made my heart so full and happy.
I love getting dressed up as you may already know. My makeup was pretty amazing if I do say so myself.
I went through my costume closet and was able to pick out the perfect vampire costume.
It was a full moon on Saturday. This was a powerful hunter’s moon. It was magnificent! It disturbed many people’s sleep days before, including me.
No filter on this image. It was beautiful out!
We were up late on Saturday night so we had a slow Sunday morning. We had to work after a yummy breakfast.
We have a big order to fill so we put our heads down Sunday afternoon and cranked out a lot of spätzle.
Pumpkin pancakes and bacon.
It was a fun production with great music. The time passed quickly. We got a great start in filling the big order.
Tomorrow is Halloween! I look forward to handing candy out to trick-or-treaters. I put lots of candles on our front porch.
I’ll wear my regular street clothes but will do a simple dialed-back vampire look. I always have to dress up on Halloween day.
You are never too old to dress up or go trick or treating in my opinion.
Happy Halloween!! 🎃👻
***Posted from my iPhone so pardon any grammar mistakes
It’s happened slowly over time, but the pandemic pushed it over the finish line; I am a homebody. I know, I can’t believe it myself.
There is nothing wrong with being a homebody. As much as I like staying home, I still like small, intimate outings with friends and family.
I wrote about hygge a couple of months ago, and since then, it’s like I’ve transported myself to a different place.
In case you didn’t read myhygge piece, here’s the word’s definition. It’s pronounced two ways: hoo-ga or hue-ga. That shit below isn’t any help. Lol.
hyg·ge /ˈho͞oɡə,ˈho͝oɡə/
noun
A quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture).”why not follow the Danish example and bring more hygge into your daily life?”
This weekend has been a perfect example of being cozy as fuck. Marty is away at an EMS conference with Sam, so I’ve had the weekend with Nelly & Klausie.
I used to be antsy and bored alone, but not anymore. Yes, I miss Marty, but my alone time has been divine.
The cold, rainy, and raw weather provided the backdrop for coziness. I enjoyed the weather from the comforts of our home.
I didn’t set this weekend up, thinking it would be a hygge weekend since I’ve been living this way this fall. It just happens, and I love it.
I cooked and baked some of my favorite foods: cozy af foods. Again, there was no menu planning; I just ate what I felt.
Cozy af foods, aka comfort food, fit the bill this weekend. Each item was made with as much love as when I cook for others.
Delicious food = pleasure for me, even if it is a simple bowl of flagrant steamy rice topped with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of salt.
So what kind of cozy af food did I make? Food that felt like a big fat hug?
Friday afternoon, after Marty and Sam left, I made a pumpkin pie, one of those foods that should be made and eaten more than one day a year.
Friday night, for a late lunch, I made legit fried garlic and rosemary french fries, which are possibly one of my favorite foods that I couldn’t live without. ☘️
After reading a blog post that my friend Maria wrote. On Saturday morning, I recreated a dish her mother made for her. I texted her immediately and told her I couldn’t wait to make it.
She was going to make it also, “It’ll be like we are having breakfast together,” she texted back.
I made a warm bowl of milky rice porridge topped with a pat of butter and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar. It smelled so good.
You want to talk about a big hug; holy shit, it was so good! I’ll be making this again whenever I have some leftover rice.
Come to think of it, I may even make rice just for this porridge. I’ve been on a porridge kick using the word and the dish. It’s a seldom-used word that I happen to think sounds cozy af.
Since it was our 34th wedding anniversary yesterday, I thought about what I would order if we went out to eat; yeah, I know we rarely do, but whatever; I was pretending.
Like when I was a kid and always wanted either Italian or Chinese food for my birthday dinner, I chose Italian food: chicken parm and spaghetti, to be exact.
I get excited whenever I think about chicken parm because it’s another food I couldn’t live without. This meal is definitely a hug for me.
Chicken parm is not the act of making chicken and topping it with sauce and cheese; it’s the loving process of steps that makes it to die for, a true food of love.
I made a small pot of spaghetti sauce and let it simmer all afternoon, which smelled incredible. That familiar smell waifed through the house and was making my mouth water.
After making the sauce, I set up a dredging station and breaded the thin chicken cutlets I pounded the crap out of. I put them on a rack and stuck them in the fridge until dinner.
This rack trick ensures crispy chicken cutlets since the breading has time to stick to the chicken, and the bottoms don’t get soggy.
After I fed Nelly and Klaus, I turned on some cooking music, poured myself a glass of red wine, and began making dinner. I filled the kitchen with candles, another one of my favorite things.
We live in an 1832 historical home and love lighting the rooms with candles. I imagine what it must have felt like when the house was a servant’s quarters.
I set the kitchen island with a gorgeous placemat and cloth napkin, just like I do at most of our dinners. Just because I was dining alone, why should it be any different?
This is where Marty and I eat all our meals when it’s just the two of us. It’s a cozy af place to eat rather than the dining room. It’s like eating at a chef’s table, a special place to dine.
I fried the chicken cutlets and made my portion restaurant-style on a professional kitchen firing platter.
When the spaghetti was almost done, I threw the platter into a hot oven and watched it closely.
I no longer drain pasta in the sink since I always finish it in a saucepan. I butt the pasta pot up to the saucepan and transfer the pasta without too much of a mess.
I plated up my meal and sat down to eat. I didn’t feel lonely even though I missed Marty; I felt like I was home, not just a location, but a feeling deep down inside me.
My meal was delicious! This Jersey girl can cook Italian food like nobody’s business. My meal brought me back to one of my childhood birthday dinners at an Italian restaurant.
Sunday morning, I’m sitting on our loveseat in our back room sipping a cup of Earl Gray tea, another one of my favorite things. Those first few sips of warm tea have been sacred to me since I switched from coffee in February.
This spot in our backroom is my favorite place to write, looking out at the mountains with the light snoring from Nelly and Klaus. Talk about the feeling of contentment and coziness! How hygge!
Marty just texted me saying he missed us. I can’t wait until he and Sam get home tonight. I have a cozy af meal in mind to have waiting for them.
Life is back to normal and we have recovered from Covid. Such an annoying nuisance it has turned out to be.
Marty and Sam are heading out tomorrow morning to Syracuse for an EMS conference, something they participated in for the last few years.
It’s me, Nelly and Klaus, this rainy and cold weekend. I have no plans or expectations. No menu of food to make or projects planned.
The house was cleaned and all towels, linens and throw blankets were laundered to get rid of our sick germs. The rest of the laundry is caught up as well; and put away!!
I don’t mind a quiet weekend or celebrating our 34 wedding anniversary on Saturday when Marty gets back. No biggie.
Right now, I am enjoying the sunshine in our back room, my favorite place to hang out. ☀️
I had a Grinch like experience in the last couple of months, my hearted grew 10 times!
Christmas shopping always caused me anxiety. Come to think of it, all shopping for others always gives me anxiety.
Thanks to my mother, who was never pleased or satisfied with anything I ever chose for her is probably the root of this. Never once.
Living in the now or moment has changed me in ways that shock the hell out of me every day.
Instead if shopping for others stressing me out, the now me suddenly felt like I was looking forward to the holiday season.
After my boys were grown up, I went through a decade of depression and missed how excited I was for the holidays.
As an empty nester, I’m in a place in between having grown up children and having grandkids.
I began my holiday ideas and when I saw something that I wanted to give someone I said fuck it and bought right then and there.
Now, I am done and have no holiday gift giving stress. It’s pretty damn amazing. When the kids were little I keeping thinking they need one more thing.
Not anymore, these gifts were purchased or made with love, creativity. And not out of obligation.
The Grinch quote above resonated with me this year, “What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?”
Funny, I just let out a big sigh or contentment after I typed that last line.
Decide to make today a good one. Go into each day with no expectations and you may be pleasantly surprised. ♥️
*** No editing on this post since I am running out to the production kitchen as I press the publish button.
I woke up at 7 am and came downstairs to let Klaus out. I left Marty and Nelly, who had their heads on pillows in the same position breathing softly.
I grabbed a blanket and snuggled with Klaus and wrote a blog post about our dinner party last night. I still have to edit and let my laptop charge.
When the sleepy heads emerged, things got crazy fast since Nelly is always happy to see Klaus and vice versa.
My tiny Halloween corner in the kitchen.
They played while we sipped our tea and coffee. I put on a soft jazz playlist and lit a apple cider candle and began emptying our dishwasher and drying rack from last night.
I wanted a cozy breakfast that sticks with the porridge type food I’ve been craving. I made creamy grits with over easy eggs. It was satisfying and perfect on a chilly morning.
As I am looking out our back room windows, the foliage this years is nothing to write home about. The pounding rain took down a lot of leaves.
Tourists still visited our area for a fall getaway or one of the many weddings this holiday weekend.
Our friends Buzz and Tabetha, new owners of the Arlington Inn, reopened the old Deming Tavern after a complete, much needed, ceiling to floor renovation, opening up the tavern to accommodate more people.
The tavern is beautiful! Tab did a wonderful job sourcing the appropriate time period pieces that makes the place ooze with charm.
They purchased the Arlington Inn last year and have done non stop renovations bringing the neglected Inn back to life.
We were invited to the soft opening which was wonderful! We are so happy to have a place to go to once a week again!
Bottoms up Martin!
My laptop is charged! I’m ready to edit my next blog post! Have a great day guys! The good news for us is the skies are turning blue and the sun is coming out! Yay!
*** I didn’t edit this piece so it’s a case of it is what it is.
The Acorn Spice candle from Mrs. Meyers is lovely!
Hi! I am still here guys just busy during Oktoberfest season and filling orders.
Fall is here and I am enjoying the cooler temps but holy shit, this has been the worst fall allergy season in our area!
A summer of rain and hot humid weather made for a breeding ground of mold and bacteria.
As the leaves are falling, so is all of that nasty shit. 🤧
Fall is also a time when the veil to the other side gets thinner. I’ve been able to journey easily and have learned a few new things to help me on my journey.
I can’t wait to tell you about them, I am sure they will help anyone seeking to calm their mind and worries.
Gotta run, it time to make the spätzle. I’ll catch up with you again very soon!
I’ve lived in the Northeast my entire life, with four definitive seasons. I’ve always loved fall and got married on the sweetest day of the year, the third Saturday in October.
Last week, I felt it coming, and so did Klaus. We both entered grizzly mode this week, always hungry and tired no matter what we did. I have been saying this for decades.
Think about September, the month when we begin to prepare ourselves for winter. People crave pumpkin spice, fuzzy boots, flannel shirts and hoodies, warm, cozy blankets, harvest decor, and warming soup bowls.
I’m guilty of all of it. I got out my mini pumpkins and a small amount of Halloween decor and carefully placed them around the house.
This is our body telling us to prepare for winter, not because we see so much fall shit in every store we go in.
You begin to see comfort food recipes and photos on magazine covers near the checkout areas in grocery stores—those clever bastards.
I am guilty of loving all those things in September; I feel it inside, not because Amazon, TJ Maxx, or Better Homes and Garden magazines convinced me.
The Danish and Norwegian people have been living the Hygge way; it’s the way they can make it through a long, dark, and cold winter.
New Year’s Eve dinner last year at Martin’s place. How beautiful it looked, very Hygge.
The togetherness part of Hygge, I feel as well. Last week, I invited our friends to come for an Oktoberfest dinner party. I need to see my friends not only because I love to entertain, I need to.
In the invitation, I said I wanted to get everyone together to have cocktails or wine while eating some delicious, seasonal food made with love.
Right away, I got texts from our friends telling me they could come. Menu planning started before the invite, but now it was full steam ahead. I already have my shopping list ready. Yay!
Many people think all this fall and winter shit is ridiculous, but say that to any women at Home Goods, they will flatten you instantly, screaming, “Get the hell out of here!”
Do whatever makes you and your family feel warm and cozy—buying everyone new slippers or matching pajamas for Christmas or making Hygge baskets as gifts with items like tea, socks, a book, knitting needles and yarn, hot chocolate. You get it.
I love fall and winter candles, which make me feel the warm fuzzies. I am a person who enjoys good smells; Sam is the same way.
I was bummed that I can no longer burn any old seasonal candles. Their smell makes me cough my head off and gives me a headache. This never happened until my lung issues started.
Candles made with essential oils, as I use in my diffuser, are okay, and they are better for our home environment and my health.
I ordered a couple of fall-scented candles from Mrs. Meyers; winter scents are not available yet. Seasonal scents of candles, soaps, and cleaning products are only available for a limited time. I can’t wait until Iowa Pine is out, my favorite.
I’ve started to crave comfort food and have been freezing servings for two when I make our dinners now. Perfect to pull out of the freezer for quick and easy winter dinners. I feel like a squirrel storing acorns for the winter.
Right now, I’m drinking tea while wearing my fuzzy blush pink robe with a fuzzy blanket on my legs; Nelly is curled up beside me. It’s 44 degrees outside this morning. Hygge.
We eat by candlelight on many nights; I burn scentless pillars all year, but now, I want them in every room since it gets dark so much earlier. The warm glow is so cozy. Hygge.
I am meal planning, which I do on Sundays, choosing mostly cozy and comforting food. I’m eating oatmeal for breakfast since I am craving it big time. Hygge
I’ve picked up my Kindle again and started looking for new books to read this winter. Hygge.
I’ve switched back to two fingers of bourbon as a nightcap and want old-fashioned cocktails instead of margaritas and gin & tonics. Hygge.
I want to bake pumpkin bread, popovers, and scones. I don’t enjoy baking as much as cooking, but there is something about this time of year and the urge to bake. I love the smells from baking when it fills the home. Hygge.
I moved my flannelly-type shirts, sweaters, hoodies, and jeans front and center, tucking my shorts and tank tops behind them. I organized my scarves, hats, and gloves. Hygge.
Before 2017, when Hygge became an international hit, it was an instinctive thing we had been doing all along, just like the Danish and Norwegian people.
Sauerbraten meatballs, buttered spätzle, and maple glazed carrots.
Our presence on social media for our business was practically non-existent this year until a month ago. Depression makes you do many things, like not wanting or caring to do anything. This was me.
When I finally pulled my head out of my ass, I apologized to our followers on Facebook and Instagram for the lack of posts. Then, I got posting like I used to. People love it when we post things on our pages.
Whenever we speak to customers, especially during Oktoberfest season or around the holidays, they tell us how much they love sauerbraten but don’t want to make it.
We tell our customers about sauerbraten meatballs and suggest looking online for a recipe because there are tons of them. What a lame thing to do as a cook and recipe writer. There is no excuse except laziness or lack of motivation on my part. Boo.
Traditional sauerbraten takes three days or so to marinate a beef roast in red wine, vinegar, and spices. Then, it is braised for hours. Finally, a gravy is made.
My recipe for sauerbraten meatballs takes about an hour from start to finish. Now, whenever you have a hankering for sauerbraten, you can make it that same day without all the muss and fuss.
We first heard about sauerbraten meatballs about three years ago. I searched a ton of sauerbraten meatball recipes and didn’t like them. Notice how this always happens?
The problem is that home cooks sometimes write the recipes, and other bloggers copy and paste the same recipe using the same photos. Oh, how I despise that.
I read some recipes from Betty Crocker and other trustworthy sites and combined a little of this and a little of that. I made the meatballs, and they were meh at best.
I decided to try again just in time for Oktoberfest. This time, I went to an authentic sauerbraten recipe and remembered the red wine in the marinade. I have a great palate and the ability to duplicate recipes by taste. That’s how I came up with my sauerbraten meatballs on Saturday.
I tested my recipe and made minor tweaks. I knew exactly what I wanted them to taste like, and finally, I was satisfied. We had them for dinner that night, and they were right on the money and delicious.
My meatballs had the flavor of real sauerbraten, unlike the other recipes that were more like sweet and sour meatballs with a hint of spices.
I typed up my recipe and emailed it to Marty with a photo. He will print and laminate a copy for our farmers market table and put it on our website.
I have a few delicious original Oktoberfest recipes I will share with our customers over the next couple of weeks. I am super inspired to write recipes for our business again, even if they aren’t spätzle recipes but sides and mains.
Next up, my red cabbage recipe, which I served to a bunch of Germans from Germany at an LGB train meet at our house. I’ll tell you about it next week.
Below is my recipe for sauerbraten meatballs in case anyone wants to make them this fall or over the holidays, which is another popular time for people to have sauerbraten.
Guten Appetite! 🇩🇪
Sauerbraten Meatballs
Ingredients
Meatballs
1 1/2 lbs ground beef or meatloaf mix 3/4 cup dried breadcrumbs 2 Tbsp dried onion flakes 1/2 cup milk 1 egg 1 tsp kosher salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/4 tsp ground allspice 1/4 tsp ground ginger 2 Tbsp oil
Gravy
1/4 cup flour or 2 Tbsp potato starch 2 cups beef broth or stock 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 red wine 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 bay leaf 3/4 Tbsp ground ginger 1/8 tsp ground cloves 1/8 tsp allspice 1/8 tsp black pepper Kosher salt and pepper to taste.
Directions
In a medium-sized bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly with your hands. Shape into small meatballs.
Heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet or nonstick pan. Add a few meatballs at a time to the hot pan. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan. Brown the meatballs on all sides and remove them from the pan.
After removing the meatballs from the pan, sprinkle flour or potato starch over the drippings. Whisk flour or potato starch into the pan drippings, creating a roux. Add a tbsp of butter or canola oil if there aren’t enough pan drippings to make a roux.
Add the beef broth, apple cider vinegar, and red wine to a large measuring cup or bowl. Stir to combine. Whisk the ground ginger, cloves, and allspice into the roux. Cook until the roux is bubbling.
Whisking briskly, add the beef broth, apple cider vinegar, and red wine mixture to the roux. Whisk until smooth, getting rid of any lumps.
Add the brown sugar, black pepper, and bay leaf. Cook until the gravy thickens. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding kosher salt & pepper to taste. Use water or beef broth if the gravy is too thick, 1 Tbsp at a time.
Add the meatballs to the gravy and stir to coat the meatballs thoroughly. On low heat, cook the meatballs for 30 minutes in the gravy, stirring often and gently. Add water or beef broth 1 Tbsp at a time if the gravy becomes too thick.
Remove from pan. Serve with buttered spätzle, noodles, or mashed potatoes.
Enjoy!
Serves 4-6
*** please note in gravy it is 3/4 Tbsp not cup. I edited the recipe. Thanks Dianne. 🤦🏻♀️
