look for less: cozy cardigan

All this talk of heavy rains and strong winds is making me grateful that I spent a lot of time outdoors this past week. I even wore shorts on Friday! I started going through my winter clothes bin the other day as a step towards a closet makeover and I was surprised by how many sweaters I already own. Most of my mine are thin or are 3/4 length because I get hot easily, but I love the look of chunky sweaters. I'm really loving this one from Target. From the picture it looks like it might be the perfect thickness for me - warm but not stifling!

view items and prices here
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total outfit: $105
(the black top is $8, not $6)

bonus look! everything from both of these outfits is from Target.

view items and prices here
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total outfit: $98

Sweater Weather

by Lisa Shields

I was chilly with the November breeze, and it was a courtly thing you did draping the sweater over my shoulders, taking care to smooth the wool with a touch that whispered that later you would claim the garment, and the shiver taking it would bring was something you coveted with breathless avarice. “Sweater weather,” you said. And I am swept like a crisp oak leaf into a duvet and down dream, where the pillows do not speak of the warm, the moments large and small when I nestle near you, demanding that arms dress me to close kept comfort. Arms around my waist, legs entwined to akimbo, and my last thought before sweet drowse is that fall will never come without you to chase the cold in the season of sweater weather.

little cries

Do you ever have a little cry? Why am I even asking? I know you do. I was having one earlier (see the second to last reason for why.)

Sometimes I shed tears when I see a commercial involving dogs and people growing old together.
When I feel misunderstood.
When someone is in pain and I don't know how to help.
When I'm mad at someone and I'm half clinging to the anger and half aching to let it go.
When I'm overwhelmed with love for someone.
When I watch a really fantastic live performance.
When I feel foolish.
When I have a nightmare.
When the sky looks pretty. (So I pretty much shed a grateful tear every day.)
When I pray.
When I'm happy.
When there's a sappy moment in a tv show or movie.
When I get a hug at just the right time.
When I'm reminiscing.
When I feel lucky to be somewhere.
When I recognize I'm being unloving or I'm having road rage or I'm in a funk and I wonder what's wrong with me?
When I think things are going to go a certain way and they don't.
When I think about my grandparents and how they aren't here anymore.
When there is no good reason to cry but it happens anyway.
When I can't stop laughing. (That cat video cracks me up. While watching it I thought, "it's like watching a guy comfort a girl!")

break

back in a week!
xo

reading list

I finished our book club book (Little Princes by Conor Greenan) and now I'm about a hundred pages in book 5 of the Harry Potter series. I bought a bunch of books at Goodwill recently and can't wait to get started on them, but that hasn't stopped me from eyeballing some titles I've been hearing of. Have you read any of these?

I'm hosting our first book club discussion and I toyed with the idea of making some Nepalese dishes to share, but I quickly dismissed that as being too much work and settled on pies and coffee. Any ideas for future book club books?

Laura’s chilly day corn chowder

It's soup season! We both love soup and even though we eat chili year-round, I tend to save the majority of my soup making for fall and winter. Every year Andy requests a big pot of clam chowder for his birthday, but we gobbled it up so fast last week that he didn't get to have any on his actual birthday (this past Saturday). Solution: more soup! We settled on corn chowder and I searched the web for a recipe that had great reviews and simple directions so I could whip it up while also getting the house ready for our weekend guests. I ultimately decided to merge several different recipes into one based on what I thought sounded yummy. I love one pot meals, especially ones that feed lots of people!

a somewhat similar chowder from BH&G

Laura's chilly day corn chowder
serves 8 generously
prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 45 minutes

6 strips of bacon
1 leek
3-4 green onions
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 red pepper
1 bay leaf
24 oz chicken broth
2 pounds small white potatoes
2 cups half and half
4 cups frozen corn
1 can creamed corn
salt and pepper

1. Dice the bacon and cook it in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium low heat. While bacon cooks, finely chop the leek, green onions, yellow onion and red pepper. When chopping the green onions, separate the white bulb parts from the green parts. Keep an eye on the bacon and stir occasionally. Once cooked, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, spread out over a paper towel and set aside. Remove all but one tablespoon of oil from the pot.
2. Cook leeks, green onions, onions and peppers in the bacon fat over low heat until tender, stirring often (about ten minutes). While veggies are cooking, cut the potatoes into one-inch chunks. Peel if desired (I didn't).
3. Add chicken broth, bay leaf, potatoes and several pinches of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
4. Add frozen and creamed corn, the half and half and the cooked bacon bits (save some for topping the soup if you want). Continue to cook on low heat for about ten minutes.
5. Remove bay leaf and add more salt and pepper to taste.
6. Use an immersion blender to thicken the soup OR separate half of the soup into a stand blender, blend until smooth and add back into soup. The result should be a thick soup that still has some potato chunks in it.
7. Spoon soup into bowls and top with the green onions and any remaining bacon bits. Cheese and sour cream could also be added.

enjoy!