Melissa

honey candied oven roasted carrots

With all of the rain, the gunmetal grey sky, and the blustery winds coming through bluff country, you can tell that winter is on it’s way. I’m tempted to make nothing but soup and not leave the house, but I’ve made myself go out for a walk every day to soak in as much sunshine…

apple pandowdy with cognac cream

What could be more quintessentially autumn than the classic Apple Pandowdy? The name alone makes me think of farm kitchens, old school houses, red barns, changing leaves and pretty ladies cooking for their families wearing aprons made of floral, flour sack fabric and feeding a nearby stone fireplace with pine logs. This is classic, simple,…

last day of our autumn adventure ~ a six senses post

seeing the sun rise over glittering Lake Superior with a warm cup of tea in one hand and my camera in the other…feeling beach rocks underfoot and the excitement of the changing season as geese fly overhead… hearing seagulls call and beautiful live music over brunch at Pizza Luce (yes, we ate there three days…

sparkling cranberry apple crisp martini

A lovely little libation for Ladies Night! Pink drinks are so pretty! Apple, cranberry and cinnamon sparkle in this yummy drink. Enjoy! In a martini shaker, mix: a handful of ice 1/4 cup cranberry juice cocktail 1 and 1/4 oz. Dr. McGillicuddy’s Intense Apple Pie Liqueur cinnamon, sugar and red cookie sugar for rim of…

guinness chili

It’s raining cats and dogs here in Minnesota today. It’s the kind of day when you long for a big cup of hot tea, a quilt, and a good book….Oh, and this… The flavors of beef, Mexican spices, red wine, three kinds of beans and Guinness beer meld together in a rich, tomato based sauce…

autumn adventure ~ day 2

day two of our autumn adventure included: big orange pumpkins, gnarly tree branches, blueberry panckes with real maple syrup, poached eggs done just-so, black coffee and applewood smoked bacon, antiquing at a sweet place recommended to me by a photographer friend of mine, coffee bean fudge, Peace Tea for 3, chocolate rocks, mean waiters and…

autumn adventure ~ day 1

a beautiful first day of our autumn adventure. tea for two from Dunn Brothers… lunch at Pizza Luce in Duluth (pizza shown here: The Classic with extra garlic), and finally settling into our suite on lake superior’s north shore…sipping wine…sitting fireside…relaxing and reconnecting. XO, ~Melissa

romantic dinner ~ spaghetti pie

This little spaghetti pie is going to make you want to sing along with Dean Martin’s “Italian Love Songs” CD! A beautiful, warming pasta dish that’s wonderful any time of year. This photo was taken this past summer when we made spaghetti pie for date night. We lit candles and set them in jars all…

six senses saturday ~ snuggling in

feeling ~ yarn, the warmth of my fireplace and quilts… (find the free dress pattern I used and adapted HERE) seeing ~ kitties napping, a pile of thrift store books waiting to be read tasting ~ soft boiled eggs on buttery garlic toast with my morning tea…one of my absolute favorite breakfasts smelling ~ pumpkin…