A Chocolate Pumpkin Loaf Recipe from Food52

One of my favorite parts about this season is the permission we finally have to make yummy, warm, pumpkin-baked goodies.

Okay, we obviously don’t need permission; we can bake whatever, whenever we want! But it helps capture the spirit of fall and what makes this season so great. Fall is all about feeling warm and cozy and fuzzy, and that’s exactly what this chocolate pumpkin loaf from Food52 tastes like. Food52 always shares the most delicious looking recipes, and they seem to always post exactly what I’m in the mood to make, even before I know what I want. Funny how that works out…

It’s not too sweet, it’s not too chocolatey, it’s not too pumpkiny, it’s just the right amount of all three whisked together, and our family has been snacking on it for the last couple of days. My advice? Best eaten warmed up and with a lot of butter on top.

Does it get better than warm bread with melted butter on top? Especially this time of year? The answer is no. No it doesn't.

Full transparency: I baked ours for the recommended time of an hour and it was a little dry. I could have probably taken it out 5-10 minutes earlier and it would have been perfect, so depending on your oven (you know it best!), you may want to take your loaf out a little sooner than an hour. If you don’t like your bread soft and moist, then an hour bake time should be just right.

Here’s what you’re going to need, straight from Food52.com.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
  

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
  

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  

• 15 ounces canned pumpkin
  

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
  

• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease two 8- by 5-inch loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, and canned pumpkin.

3. In a heatproof bowl, melt the semisweet chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave until fully melted. Set aside.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger.

5. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined.

6. Add 1 cup of the pumpkin batter to the melted chocolate chips and stir until smooth and well-mixed.

7. Pour a 1-inch layer of the pumpkin batter in the bottom of each of the prepared loaf pans. Spoon a layer of the chocolate batter on top of each pan, taking care to keep the chocolate from spreading to the very edges.

8. Divide the remaining pumpkin batter between both pans and carefully smooth it over the chocolate filling so that it completely covers the chocolate.

9. Bake for about 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out on onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Happy fall, and happy baking!!! xx

PJ Started Decorating for Fall!

Just a few things here and there. I can’t wait to show you all of it, but we’re saving the big reveal for an upcoming collaboration we’re doing with a dream company of ours (one that we’ve wanted to work with for years), so it’ll just have to wait.

We’re a little late this year on getting our fall decor out; usually we start at the beginning of September so we can enjoy them for as long as possible since we start decorating for Christmas at the beginning of November (I don’t want to hear it!!). Nonetheless, they’re out now, and so are all the warm, cozy feelings they bring with them.

xoxo

This Time of Year Always Brings Feelings of Nostalgia; Even More So Now with Kids

The last week I’ve felt great, all but fully recovered from my covid diagnosis. It’s a beautiful day today after it rained cats and dogs last week, and the fall light is shining through the windows the same way it used to when I was growing up in this house. There are many reasons why autumn is my favorite season, but I think a big one, one that I’m just now realizing, is that it brings feelings of nostalgia for my childhood spent in our home.

Back then the house wasn’t in the best shape, and even though my parents renovated it from top to bottom in the 80’s, it was already considered dated, with tears in the wallpaper and cracks in the tile floors. My friends all had newer, prettier houses (in my opinion) and if I’m being honest, I was always a bit jealous of them. But not in the fall. In the fall our house seemed to come alive. The 1924 oak floors shined in the afternoon light that was pouring through the old windows as the dust settled on them, making our already old house feel even older in the most charming way.

My mom would go all out for fall, decorating our house with decorations both handmade and store-bought. We would watch Halloween movies for two months straight and eat chili and spaghetti and other foods that I now associate with this time of year. The coolness of the air around this time (that we’re all still patiently waiting for) also always gets me excited for what’s to come.

I think raising kids in this house has a lot to do with the nostalgia I feel lately. We’re raising three kids (two older boys and a younger sister), the same way my mom raised me, my brother and my younger sister, in the same house, on the same street, that I grew up in. Of course I would feel this way, right? How could I not?

I relish in the fact that our kids will have warm, comforting memories in our family home as they get older the same way I do now. At least, I hope they do. It wasn’t perfect then (goodness it wasn’t perfect) and it’s not perfect now, but it’s home. You know what I mean?

I love that PJ loves to decorate for seasons, too. We lay out our fall garland and our wreaths. PJ displays pumpkins (both real and fake) on various tables throughout the house. We incorporate pops of orange here and there. It feels like home to us: safe, inviting, lived-in and comfortable. Our house was always a mess growing up; not dirty, but definitely messy, like you could 100% tell that a single mom with three young kids lived there. There would be piles of laundry all over the couches and stacks of papers on the dining room table. Details. Little things.

And even though there’s two of us, and even though we work from home, our house is also messy, cluttered and easily identifiable as to how many kids live here. And I absolutely love it.

As we walked to school the other morning, we had to bundle up to stay warm. Fall is here, at least for this week (it will most likely be back in the mid 80’s next week because that’s how weather in Tennessee rolls), and all the nostalgia is rushing back with it. And I welcome it every year.

How could I not?

The Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan is Deteriorating Dramatically. What Can We Do About It?

As citizens of any country, if we’re in the position to help others, I believe we should.

When U.S. troops pulled out of Afghanistan last month, hundreds of thousands of Afghan citizens were left even more vulnerable than they were before. The hard truth is that when the media coverage dies down (and it will), the majority of Afghans will still be in Afghanistan facing violence and persecution, especially for women and girls. This year alone, violence and insecurity in the country has forced more than 570,000 people to flee.

There will still be a humanitarian crisis with people in desperate need for assistance, which is why they need us- governments, humanitarian organizations like USA for UNHCR, and ordinary citizens like you and me- to stay the course and do what we can to help.

USA for UNHCR has shared some facts with us, and there’s no way around it: they’re hard to swallow.

• Around 3.5 million people have already been displaced by violence within the country – more than half a million (600,000) since the start of this year. Most have no regular channels through which to seek safety.

• Some 80 percent of these newly displaced are women and children.

• Evacuation flights from Kabul ended on August 30th, but the needs in Afghanistan remain enormous with half the population requiring humanitarian assistance. Their priority needs remain shelter, non-food items, livelihoods and cash assistance according to the most recent inter-agency assessments.

USA for UNHCR has continued its humanitarian response by providing support for those in need, so far to over 332,000 newly internally displaced persons in 2021, including over 115,000 between August 1st and September 7th, 2021.

They explain that, “In recent months, there has been a striking decline in the security and human rights situation in large parts of Afghanistan. The situation remains uncertain and may change rapidly. The upsurge of violence across the country and the fall of the elected Government may have a serious impact on civilians and cause further displacement.”

Because of the violence and fallout, many Afghans will inevitably need to seek shelter in neighboring countries. As citizens of the world, they must be able to exercise their human right to seek international protection, and for this purpose alone, borders must be kept open for them. It’s imperative that other countries share this humanitarian responsibility in order to bring help to those who need it.

USA for UNHCR goes on to say that, “New arrivals in countries neighboring Afghanistan will join over 2.2 million registered refugees from previous waves of violence and a further 3 million Afghans of varying status including many undocumented persons who have been generously hosted in Iran and Pakistan over the past four decades.” Those numbers are hard for me to take in, and the fact that most of the newly displaced are women and children is heartbreaking.

If you are able to help, please click here to make a donation to USA for UNHCR, who is continuing to help the Afghan people and displaced persons around the world.

Thank you, friends.

PS- further reading on the subject:

• Afghanistan Refugee Crisis Explained

• Where Are Afghan Refugees Going?

• Afghanistan Emergency Page

(images and info via USA for UNHCR)

Hello Old Friend

We look forward to September 22nd all year long.

Our favorite time of the year is here! Though, of course, it doesn’t truly feel like it just yet, as it never does at first. It will still be in the 80’s for most of the week, and the leaves won’t begin to change for a few more weeks. But we already knew that, didn’t we?

I will say, however, that it is currently 55 degrees outside as I sip my coffee, and the high today is only going to be 70, so in fact, it seems like we’re starting the season off just right. This might as well be a blog dedicated to all things fall now, huh? Would you really mind if it was?

Happy fall, friends!!

We’re Traveling for the First Time in Over a Year and a Half (!)

Well. This was unexpected.

A very last minute travel opportunity came up and we decided to say yes to it! The last time we were on a plane was in January of 2020, right before the pandemic shut everything down. It feels weird to be traveling on a plane again, and especially weird to be away from the kids, but it’s a super short trip and we’ll be home by tomorrow night.

The funny thing is that the last trip we took before everything came to a screeching halt was to Utah and now, our first trip in forever is also to Utah! I almost forgot how beautiful Utah is, with the looming mountains hovering over us everywhere we look. It’s a magical, if not a little mysterious, place.

We miss the kids pretty bad, but we keep telling ourselves it’s good to get a break every now and then, especially after over a year and a half of being together every day. We will see them tomorrow night when we get home and when we do, we plan to give them the biggest, squishiest hugs ever.

Feeling Better Every Day & Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, friends.

How was your week? Ours was spent working at the farm every day and getting a ton of things accomplished (PJ) and staying home recovering while finally getting some housework done (me). Sounds like a win-win, right? Because PJ’s been at Holiday House nonstop every day, the thought of actually being able to stay in there this winter is becoming a real possibility. He has been getting back into the swing of (and enjoying) working there lately, getting inspired and letting his creativity shine. I love it. It’s going to be the cutest little cottage when it’s finished. And in regards to the pond saga, the photo above is a recent one I took the other day, though there’s been even more development since I took this!! You will have to see today’s newsletter to see what I’m talking about.

In other news, I feel better with each passing day, and every day seems to be my “best” one yet. Also, I’m happy to say that, as of today, it’s officially been 10 days since I felt my first symptom, which means I can be around humans again! Great way to start off the weekend isn’t it?

Our next newsletter goes out in just a few hours, so make sure you’re signed up!! You can do so here.

Hope you have a good one, friends!! xo

The Two Most Frustrating Parts of the Last Week with COVID-19

Tomorrow will be a week since I tested positive, but 10 days since I started feeling symptoms of covid 19.

And you know what? I feel about 90% better! My only areas of improvement right now are I’m still pretty lethargic and get tired easily, and I still have no sense of smell or taste. Weirdly, that’s probably been the biggest annoyance of this whole thing. Once I got over the fever (that only lasted about three days) and the aches and chills, the lingering side effects of no taste or smell have been the most frustrating parts.

I told this to my sister who reminded me, ever so nicely, that people are dying every day from covid and that I have it easy, to which I replied, of course. Absolutely. Things have been horrifyingly life-changing for so many because of this virus and I would in no way ever play down that fact. I am speaking only on my personal experience with this virus, one that I chose to get vaccinated against months ago in order to protect myself and my family, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am that we chose to get those two shots at the beginning of summer. I know I sound like a broken record, but I can’t imagine how much worse this whole ordeal would be if I wasn’t vaccinated.

So at the moment I am counting the days until I can smell and taste again and feeling grateful for how quickly I am recovering. It’s funny how quickly you miss things you take for granted every day. And of course we take smelling scents and tasting food for granted! They’re like blinking for most of us. But when they’re gone, they leave a big empty space where a sense of normal life used to be.

If you’re going through these same frustrating, annoying and peculiar symptoms too, let’s go through it together, shall we?

PS: how sweet is sis helping me bring in the chicken noodle soup my mom made for us last week?

Graydon Carter's NYC Apartment

Today was spent in our room organizing tax paperwork while continuing to watch the 9/11 documentary. Riveting stuff. So why don’t we look at something a little more beautiful and inspiring?

I’ve been obsessed with former Vanity Fair (and current Airmail News) Editor in Chief Graydon Carter’s old New York City apartment for years. It has a maximalist quality to it that you don’t see much of in today’s design world. Speaking for both me and PJ, who are definitely maximalists in our own right, I love seeing a cozy, controlled-chaos sort of style that feels relaxed and unpretentious. One where artifacts and collectibles and books and things take center stage and create an atmosphere you just want to get lost in.

The interiors were shot way back in 1996 but still feel surprisingly current. It goes to show you that good, classic design never goes out of style (that kitchen! those leather chairs! that map collection in the office!). Click here for the full tour.

(photo via Scene Therapy)

Headquarters for the Next Week

Day two going on day 20.

That’s sort of how it feels right now. Being restricted to one room of your house while you talk to your family through the door is jarring…and weird. It’s necessary, of course, and essential in keeping my family safe. And I know I’m so much more fortunate than others who have had this virus, particularly those who didn’t get the vaccine, but still. In my personal situation, covid and quarantining are both things I am looking forward to being over.

Is it normal to experience FOMO with your own family? Then again, nothing about this situation is normal. I hear the kids laughing and playing and having fun outside the door and I think, I’m not a part of that. I usually am. We spend every day with them, so it’s always at least one of us.

But lately it hasn’t been me. And it’s not stemming from feelings of envy; I’m actually so happy PJ has taken some time off renovating Holiday House and the flip house and is relaxing with the kids, eating popcorn and watching movies, and being home. How did I get so lucky with him?

He’s been taking care of me and making sure I’m getting the medicine I need. How is it that I can remember to give our. middle kiddo his medicine two times a day and our dog her medicine two times a day, but I forget to take the ones I need? Nevertheless, he has made me some Theraflu tea, given me all the medicine I need in order to feel somewhat okay, and cooked up a delicious breakfast this morning. He also made my mom’s chicken noodle soup extra fancy by adding some sour cream and paprika. I still can’t taste (or smell) anything, but I could tell it was delicious just by the texture, if that makes sense.

At the end of the day, I feel happy and grateful knowing I am feeling okay today, and that my family is safe and healthy. I know it could always be worse than it is and right now my problems are minuscule compared to those of so many. So much to be grateful for tonight.

We’re still watching the 9/11 documentary and I’ve been sending emails in between editing videos and passing out.

What a day.

Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Rest?

Well here we are. Day one out of 10 of quarantining since I tested positive yesterday for Covid-19. The above photo has been my primary view for the day. I didn’t sleep well last night, mostly because I just felt uncomfortable and kept waking up in a cold sweat.

I’m happy to say my fever is gone and has been for about two days, but I’m just so damn tired. It feels like I’m in a haze, like I constantly need to lie down. Still, I’m trying to get up and move around every now and then per PJ and my mother-in-law’s advice (they are the absolute best people to turn to when you’re sick, btw. They seem to know everything when it comes to taking care of someone!).

I’ve been keeping my distance from the kids, not letting them in our room and not getting close to them. I let their teachers know this morning they won’t be returning to school for 10 days, the recommended time that they stay out. Between them at home and me not really being able to help out around the house, I feel like this is going to be a very long 10 days.

PJ took the kids and the little dogs to the farm to get out of the house and get some fresh air. He’s sending me pictures of them roasting hot dogs and of our new project out there (can’t wait to share!!) and I find myself missing them, even after only a few hours. Before he left, he asked if I wanted to come and drive separately, but I didn’t have it in me. I run out of steam pretty fast right now. So I spent a few hours cleaning up around the house with my face mask on as I sprayed down surfaces.

Right now I’m in bed editing an upcoming YouTube video and watching the new 9/11 documentary on Netflix Turning Point:9/11 and the War on Terror. Have you seen it yet? It’s so good. My heart breaks every time I watch something about that day, but I also never want to forget it (how could I? How could any of us?). It’s wild that it’s been 20 years, isn’t it? At the same time, it feels like 100 years ago because it’s hard to remember how things were before 9/11/01.

Anyway, I’m getting back to work, but I wanted to thank everyone for the sweet well wishes on yesterday’s post. It means a lot.

Hope you’re staying well!

It Was Only a Matter of Time & Happy Friday

Happy Friday, friends.

How was your week? Ours was…interesting. So much progress was made at the farm this week, thanks in part to our friends Matt and Beau helping PJ install new windows at Holiday House, and the ceilings on half the house getting new drywall and paint! The pond is also coming along. It’s thisclose to being finished and it looks incredible. I was going to wait to post these pictures but I can’t. PJ sent me these earlier and I am in love with our future pond, if that’s even possible:

Meanwhile, I have been feeling awful the last few days, with a fever and chills and aches. I’ve lost the ability to smell or taste anything and have had the worst headache. I got tested yesterday and, two minutes ago, got the results in. It’s official: I have covid. Luckily, I am vaccinated and don’t think it will be as bad as if I weren’t, but still, this virus is no joke friends.

The weird thing is, I actually feel somewhat better today. I’m still very tired, lethargic and all around blah, but I have no fever (thankfully) and my aches and chills are gone. I’m hoping they don’t come back, though I know everything usually gets worse at night. The worst were the first few days, even up until last night. My fever got up to 101.8 at its highest, and all last night I was so cold. I couldn’t get warm, even in the extremely hot bath I took I was still shivering.

I think the hardest thing about this whole deal, or maybe the most annoying, is that I’ve lost the ability to smell and taste. Even when my nose isn’t stuffy, I can’t smell a thing. And in regards to tasting, it’s funny how quickly you start missing how good food is. The past two days I’ve been eating because I feel hungry, not because I enjoy the taste of food. I couldn’t taste my mom’s homemade chicken noodle soup she brought me this morning and I feel very sad about that. It’s always soooo good, but I’m afraid I won’t know if it needs more salt or if there’s too much thyme in it. Still, I was so grateful for that big pot of soup this morning. What would we do without our mothers?

So now the quarantining begins for all of us. The kids won’t be going back to school for a while, and I don’t think I will be spending much time around them (or PJ?) for the next week or so :(. My older sister, who has six kids, had covid a few weeks back and spent 10 days in her room, without her husband and without her kids, while she recovered. She is mostly better now, though she still gets tired and fatigued easily.

It was only a matter of time, I suppose. Even though I wear masks everywhere and social distance and I’m vaccinated, I still got it. I am extremely thankful I am vaccinated, because I know it could be so much worse than what it is right now. If you want more info about quarantining and isolation, here are the official rules, straight from the CDC.

I’m hoping for the best, and despite everything, I’m wishing you a happy weekend, friends.

xoxo

Update: thank you all so much for the well wishes!! Means a lot ❤️

The 2021 Peak Fall Foliage Map

Our favorite season is almost here!

Time to get excited friends, because the 2021 fall foliage map is out, meaning now we can track when the oranges and reds and yellows of autumn are at their peak (which is an extremely important thing to keep track of, obviously).

Every year, SmokyMountains.com releases an interactive map that allows you to see exactly when the colors will turn in the U.S. For example, around October 25 is when the colors will be the most vibrant in our area (another reason October is our favorite month ever). You can click here to see when it’s going to peak in your area.

The countdown has begun!!!

“I’m An Instruction Worker”

As told to me just now by our oldest while all three of them are building “ponds” for us at Ocoee Farm. And that really is such great news, him being an instruction worker and all, because the farm could use more helping hands.

There are a million of these statements coming from them almost every day and I really wish I would write them down more. They always catch me off guard and they’re so funny and innocent.

I never want to forget them!

It Feels Like Fall This Morning & Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, friends.

How was your week? Beau and Matt are still here and to be honest, I don’t know if we ever want them to leave! Tomorrow marks one week since they’ve been staying with us, and I was telling Beau last night while we were all watching TV that it’s starting to feel normal for them to be here. Like, if they were to leave tomorrow it would feel wrong and sad and I don’t think any of us would like it one bit. Who knows how long they’ll stay? All we know is we’re grateful they’re here and wouldn’t mind if they stayed even longer.

Also. Something happened this morning that hasn’t happened in months. I opened the doors to let the dogs outside and I was greeted with fresh, cool and crisp air across my face and I instantly felt refreshed. It was 63 degrees. You know that every year around this time I start itching for fall to hurry up and get here, and even though we’re still a few months away from crisper weather being the norm (and it will get up to 84 later on today), I am relishing in the fact that at least for the next couple of weeks, we will have cool air in the mornings.

We went out to the farm last night to check on the pond progress and I can’t believe how good it looks! It’s smaller than PJ envisioned though, so last night we talked it over and PJ decided he’s going to have the pond guy make it even bigger. He has a vision for the exact look and feel he wants for the farm, the pond, and what will eventually be our house (long term goal!!), so he makes each decision carefully and puts a lot of thought behind them. Though, to be honest, sometimes it feels like we both just make impulsive decisions without giving them much thought, but at the end of the day PJ is extremely cautious in what he decides.

Right now the plan for tonight is to go to the farm and have dinner and make s’mores. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect way to spend a Friday night? PJ and Matt are there currently working on the living room at Holiday House, the boys are at school, and I’m at home with sis and Beau while we all do our own work (for sis that’s virtual learning and for me and Beau it’s social media). It feels like a good way to start the weekend off right.

Hope you have a great weekend, and if you’re not signed up for our weekly newsletter yet, you can click here to subscribe! The next one goes out later on today :).

xoxo

It’s The Little Things, Isn’t It?

When the school year started, I wasn’t sure if I would like walking the kids to and from school every. single. day. It sounded nice in theory: quality time with them, fresh air, a little exercise. But doing it four times a day (since the boys get out at different times) seemed like it would get a little…repetitive? Monotonous? And what about when it rained or snowed?

I used to walk our oldest to school over a year ago before he did virtual learning for Kindergarten and I remember loving it, especially when the weather was nice. But four times a day? I had my hesitations. 

But now it’s about three weeks in and I. love. it. It’s become one of my favorite parts of the day. The walks to school in the morning with the boys (and sis if she feels like tagging along) have become part of our routine as a family and something I now look forward to doing.

In the mornings, we talk about school and what they’re going to eat for lunch. We talk about new friends they’ve made and their teachers. Right now their favorite thing to do is to try and find bugs on the sidewalk and shriek when they actually do (most of the time they think they see one but it’s actually just a piece of mud). Last week there was a grasshopper that our oldest found that looked like a leaf, and he told me all about how they camouflage to protect themselves from predators who might want to eat them. Isn’t that so cute?

He gets so excited about insects and bugs that he almost can’t control himself, and he’ll say things like, “My heart is beating so fast right now and I am shaking”. So cute. Lately they’ve been finding dead cicadas on the sidewalk and they think they’re the coolest things ever. Me, not so much.

On the way home, they tell me about their days and what they learned. It’s like for a few minutes a day, it’s just them and us in the world and we get to hear about the good, the bad and the fun they had during their few hours at school. They tell me what they had for lunch and if they liked it or not. They sing me songs they learned from their teacher. They tell me their friends’ names and always get so excited when they’ve made a new one. They carry their backpacks home with pride as they skip out the school doors. There’s nothing in younger brother’s at the moment, but that doesn’t stop him from holding onto it for dear life on the way home.

I just got back from walking them to school this morning and, after all the rain we’ve been having, the air was cool, crisp, and refreshing. It felt like fall. I’m already getting excited for our walks to and from school in a few weeks; seeing the leaves change and fall to the ground, wearing layers to stay warm. Little things to get excited about.

Speaking of little things, I didn’t mean to write as much as I did on this post, but I suppose I feel very strongly lately about appreciating the little moments in life that bring joy. You know, the ones you don’t really even think about too often because you’re too busy or you have a million things on your mind, but when you take time and actually do think about them, you realize they might be more important than they first appear. They might equate to the big moments that mean something and add up to a life of wholeness.

Yes, it really is the little things. But, maybe, they’re not so little after all.