Fall Recipe Round-Up

Autumn Chopped Salad - Iowa Girl Eats

It's the last week of September, how did that happen? Day by day the temperatures drop ever so slightly, which is basically the green light to start cooking up some yummy fall recipes! I've been experimenting with lentils and sweet potatoes especially, as well as trying recipes that incorporate lots of veggies such as soups. Every one of these recipes listed here are ones I've made myself recently and have loved. What is your favorite fall recipe? I'd love to know!

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus - Steamy Kitchen

Jalepeno Sweet Potato Chicken Chili - Pinch of Yum

Portobello Mushroom Pizzas - Life as a Strawberry

5 Ingredient Green Lentil Curry - ifoodreal

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This Weekend // September 24-27

The last weekend in September sure is packed with all kinds of fun events and parties here in DFW. Besides watching lots of football, I'm thinking about lying low and spending the cool-ish evenings outside with friends at the Woodshed but chances are I'll pop in to Rahr or Panther Island Oktoberfest to join in the German-influenced festivities. Happy weekend, everyone!

Panther Island Oktoberfest // Sept. 24-26
If you missed out on Addison's Oktoberfest last weekend, don't worry! Fort Worth has you covered. Starting this Thursday, you can partake in German shenanigans including barrel rolling, stein hoisting, and 5k and much more at Fort Worth's Oktoberfest. Of course, don't forget about the food and BEER. Giant soft pretzels, crepes, and sausage are the fare of choice this weekend. The weather looks to be pretty decent this weekend, too!

Rahr Oktoberfest // Sept. 26
Another Oktoberfest celebration not to be missed takes place this Saturday at Rahr & Sons Brewing! The day's events include a 5K, stein hoisting (I guess this is a thing?), costume contest, and of course beer drinking and lots of fine German cuisine.

State Fair of Texas // Sept. 25-Oct. 18
It's here, it's here! The State Fair of Texas officially opens this Friday. I didn't go last year so I am hoping to squeeze in a visit this fall, if only to check out the new list of fried fair foods (Deep Fried Tailgate Party? Pumpkin Spice Donut Chips? S'More Beer??), take a ride on the gigantic ferris wheel, and, oh, I can't forget about seeing Big Tex himself!

Day in the District // Sept. 26
On this day only, 10 museums in Fort Worth's Cultural Museum District waive admission fees and open their doors to the public for free! Wander the halls of The Modern or the Kimbell and see some amazing art pieces or take the kiddos to the Science and History Museum and see the planetarium!

Party on the Porch at the Amon Carter Museum // Sept. 26
This free event takes place from 5pm-10pm at the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth. Enjoy live music, a photo bus, t-shirt screen printing, and food from Taco Heads, Gypsy Scoops and more! This sounds like a pretty fun time in my book!

Lunar Eclipse Viewing at the Museum of Science and History // Sept. 27
The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is hosting a viewing party for the Total Lunar Eclipse. The event starts at 7:30pm and runs until a little after midnight. I think this would be so cool to see and witness with other star (er--moon) gazers.

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travel // st. helena

Last month, the hubs and I went to St. Helena in the Napa Valley for our annual anniversary vacation. To date, it was probably our most favorite trip yet! Rather than sticking to the popular, "corporate" wineries along Highway 29--which runs North-South through the valley--we chose some more off the beaten path wineries to try instead. This made for such a memorable, fun experience! We learned so much about wine-making just by talking to the people that worked in the tasting rooms. And because many of these weren't overrun by tourists, we got a little bit of special treatment including a private tour of one and a barrel tasting at the other (usually these types of things are added costs to a normal tasting.) If you're planning a trip to wine country anytime soon, here are my recommendations for lodging, food, and (of course) wineries.

STAY

The Harvest Inn is a wonderful place right off of Highway 29 tucked behind towering trees and a gorgeous vineyard with sunset mountain views. Our room was spacious and always clean, which I appreciated. We had our own back patio with a hot tub and lounge chair, perfect for an evening glass of vino and stargazing. We lucked out and happened to be there during the Perseid meteor shower and witnessed a breathtaking show! Every morning started off with a few laps around the vineyard and a delicious breakfast at the hotel restaurant Harvest Table. The inn has two pools perfect for an afternoon siesta in between wine tastings. The staff were impeccably professional and friendly. I can't recommend Harvest Inn enough if you plan to visit St. Helena!

EAT

The hubs and I enjoyed a delicious dinner at Farmstead on our actual 5 year anniversary. I knew it was a highly rated restaurant in the area and made it a mission to go. Because of its popularity you should definitely make reservations on Open Table ahead of time. Hubs and I split the caramelized beets and fried green tomatoes for appetizers and ordered the gnocchi and ribs for entrees. All the food was decadent and spectacular. Farmstead only charges a $5 corkage fee when you bring in a local bottle of wine, which is very reasonable! (We brought a bottle we had purchased from Plumpjack earlier.)

Other notable eats: Oakville Grocery (pictured above), La Luna, Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen

DRINK

Silver Oak, Oakville // Beautiful grounds, not crowded, great cabs.

Clockwise: Plumpjack, Saddleback, Frog's Leap

Plumpjack, Oakville // Off the beaten path, robust tasting menu, very intimate and personal. Call ahead.

Saddleback, Oakville // Off the beaten path, beautiful grounds, robust tasting menu, can do tastings outdoors. Call ahead.

Frog's Leap, Rutherford // Gorgeous grounds, much more crowded, so-so tasting, not as personal. Call ahead.

Groth, Oakville // Very intimate tasting, museum-like atmosphere, friendly staff. Call ahead.

Casa Nuestra, St. Helena // Our favorite winery. Very intimate and personal tasting experience, great wines, off the beaten path, friendly staff. Call ahead.

Next time, we will try...
Chateau Montelena, Calistoga
Lava Vine, Calistoga
Chappellet, St. Helena

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this weekend // sept 18-20

via

Three cheers for the weekend! If you're hanging around town like I am and want to enjoy this "cool" fall weather (read: low 90s) the next few days, check out these events going on in the DFW area. Have a fabulous weekend!

Brewfest // September 19
On Saturday, Crockett Street in the West 7th District will be taken over by live music, food and beer vendors. This year is also its inaugural Brewfest Games, composing of giant beer pong, a flip cup tournament, giant Jenga, and more. Sounds like a pretty awesome block party!

Beer, Bourbon & Brisket Festival // September 19
The Trinity River and downtown Fort Worth skyline will be the gorgeous backdrop for Panther Island's third annual Beer, Bourbon & Brisket Festival.  Sample sips from local breweries and distilleries, listen to some live music and chow on some awesome BBQ. Tickets can be purchased here.

GrapeFest // September 17-20
Grapevine's 29th annual GrapeFest is going on all weekend, and I'm stoked to finally go on Saturday! This festival features tons of great wineries, breweries, food vendors plus a solid live music line-up. Among the many events is a GRAPE STOMP. Channel your inner Lucille Ball and crush some grapes like it's your job. As for me, I'll just be drinking them at the People's Choice Wine Tasting Classic.

Addison Oktoberfest // September 17-20
If you've never been to Addison's Oktoberfest, I highly suggest you put it on your agenda this weekend. If you like beer, German food, and/or weinie dogs (dachshunds if you want to get technical), this is where you should be. Barrel rolling and a yodeling competition are among the list of activities you'll find. Trust me, it's an entertaining way to spend a few hours with some friends.

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fall 2015 book list

School is finally gearing down for me and I'm on the home stretch! Since I don't have many classes left, I had a lot more down time over this summer to read for fun and let me tell you, I was devouring books like nobody's business. I seriously love that I can check out books from the Fort Worth Library for free just by having a library card! I truly enjoyed these books and have recommended many of them to friends that are also huge bookworms like me. Any one of these would be great to pack along on a trip this Labor Day Weekend.

Summaries in a nutshell:

1. Single, Carefree, Mellow is a light, easy read, with each chapter basically being it's own short story about love and unfaithfulness. 
2. The Knockoff is a funny story about a woman in her 30s trying to keep up with an office of young millennials. You'll love it if you love the TV show Younger.
3. Second Life is a gripping, suspenseful novel with twists and turns galore in which a woman tries to solve the mystery her sister's murder and ends up getting wrapped up in the lifestyle her sister led.
4. Luckiest Girl Alive is a darkly humorous book about a girl who was shaped (and scarred) by traumatic events in her high school days. 
5. Nobody's Cuter Than You is an endearing memoir about friendship. It's truly inspiring!
6. The Pocket Wife is a novel in which the main character must remember and unravel details and memories about the day her neighbor/friend was found dead.
7. Hypnotist's Love Story is a delightful, light read about a hypnotist who (unwittingly) starts dating one of her client's ex-boyfriends. The client also happens to be a stalker, but sometimes you can't help but feel sorry for her!
8. Dear Daughter is a suspenseful read about a girl who was put in jail for her mother's murder. When she is released, she is determined to figure out what really happened that fateful day and discovers a whole different life her mother had.
9. The Girl On The Train is another suspenseful, thrilling read. (Can you tell I love this genre?) A girl on a train may have witnessed some details relevant to a woman's disappearance and starts trying to connect the dots herself to figure out what really happened.

Up next on my list: The Rocks and All The Bright Places. What are you reading lately?

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