Recipes: Spaghetti Squash & Butternut Squash

This year Thanksgiving is obviously a little bit different for me and what originally was going to be a pot luck dinner with my friends has turned into a small very chill night with just a few of my favorite people. In all honesty, I think I kind of forced Thanksgiving on them because I didn't want to be alone. But to make up for it I am cooking an amazing meal (everything but the bird which someone else is taking care of) as my way of saying thank you for putting up with me, not only today but over the last three months.

I have to say, in the past when I've gone through hardships I've generally opted to do things by myself and shy away from life then emerge out of my cocoon more or less looking like a deformed butterfly. This time around I said things would be different, but even if I hadn't made that decision I don't think my friends would have let me do things any other way. Right now, more than any other time in my life, I have the most amazing support system and some of the best friends ever. I don't know if I'll ever be able to show just how much gratitude I have for them; hopefully making huge meals like this for the rest of my life will be a good start.

My menu consists of:

- Caramelized onion and goat cheese quiche
- Dressing (that's stuffing just not in the bird)
- Green bean casserole
- Butternut squash
- Spaghetti squash
- Ice cream for dessert (I was vetoed on actually making any dessert)

I am a little bit disappointed that my famous smoked gouda mac and cheese which is my contribution to most holiday meals and pot lucks is not on there, but I'm making it tomorrow for another get together and I couldn't do it two days in a row. But all of my other favorites are there, including multiple kinds of squash. I love 99% of squashes out there. Chalk it up to my obsession with the fall, but it's hard for me to be disappointed with this vegetable.

Here's the two recipes I used for the squashes listed above.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Cranberries:

- 1 Butternut squash halved and de-seeded
- 1/2 cup (or more depending on the size of the squash) of Cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the squash directly on the oven's top rack with a cookie sheet on the bottom rack underneath (or if you're doing this at the same time as the other squash, put that baking dish underneath) to catch the juices that fall so that they don't burn and dirty your oven.
3. Cook until the squash is soft when pricked with a fork. Then let cool for 5-10 minutes.
4. When the squash is not hot anymore, peal the skin off (you should be able to do it with your hands, but you can also cut it with a knife or scoop the squash out with a big spoon).
5. Next cut the squash into chunks and place it in a small baking dish. Add the cranberries.

I've cooked this two different ways before so you have some choices with regards to the rest of the flavor:

Option 1:
1. Sprinkle in blue cheese and chopped walnuts. Stir to evenly distribute.
2. Add a drizzle of maple syrup on top then bake for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

Option 2:
1. Add 1/4 tsp of clove, 1/2 tsp of nutmeg, 1/4 tsp of cinnamon (all of these can be adjusted to your taste) and mix evenly.
2. Cut up 1/2 of a stick of butter and place all around the dish then bake for another 10 minutes until melted.

Spaghetti Squash:
(recipe adapted from this one by Emeril)

- One spaghetti squash
- water
- 1/2 stick of butter
- hazelnut oil (or olive oil)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of Adobo
- 1/2 tablespoon of Rosemary

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise and place, cut side down, in a baking dish. Add enough water to come 1/2-inch up the sides of the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.
3. Bake for 45 minutes, until the squash is easily pierced with a fork. Turn squash over and cover with foil again and continue to cook another 15 minutes, until the squash is very tender. Remove from the oven, uncover, and allow to cool slightly.
4. Add butter to pan and melt it on medium. Using a spoon, remove the seeds and discard. Using a fork, gently pull the strands of squash away from the peel and place the squash strands into the pan.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of oil, rosemary, and Adobo. Saute the squash for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Serve while hot.

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter everyone! Hope the Easter Bunny treats you well. Originally our plans were to have my Aunt over from Chicago, but then she canceled on us. As I'm a planner who tends to plan way in advance, I had bought a lot of the nonperishable food I needed already. So rather than let a good meal go to waste we're having a few friends over to gorge ourselves. Not going to go too crazy (well, for me), but we'll definitely have some yummy things to eat.

Here's what my menu looks like...

Dinner:
- Roast Beef with potatoes and pearl onions (and maybe Bearnaise sauce)
- Sauted Asparagus
- Green Bean Casserole
- Quiche with peas, mushrooms, sausage (maybe?), and goat cheese
- Smoked Gouda Mac and Cheese

Dessert:
- Banana Cream Pie
- Ice Cream
- Baked Brie

The Greatest Gift for Valentine's Day is You!

I don't know about you, but my budget for Valentine's Day this year is drastically reduced in comparison to last year. Normally we exchange presents and then go to our favorite restaurant in Tappan, NY, Il Fresco, and have an amazing meal (complete with a free rose for me). This year I've got class until 8pm and no money to go out to eat so we spent a minimal amount on gifts and I'll be making my smoked gouda mac and cheese along with a TBD dessert from my new cookbook that Nick's sister got us for Christmas.

In all honesty, as much as I know Valentine's Day is just a Hallmark Holiday, I'm a little bummed that I'll be in class as late as I have to be. Nick and I tell each other we love each other every day and we're constantly finding ways to show that love as well. Our anniversary is less than a month before V-Day too. So it's not like we really need another excuse to say we love each other, but why not say it? Why not make it special? I'd love to have some fun with it instead of getting home at 8:30, starving, shoving food in my mouth, throwing some gifts at Nick, and then passing out after 8 hours of reading and 4 hours of class with cooking and baking mixed in. I'm sure we'll find something to do, wink wink, but if I had all day at home and could really have some fun with the holiday I might plan something more special.

In the past I've done lists and scrapbooks for guys saying all the different ways I loved them, or showing them memories of our relationships. I'm not sure how much guys appreciate that kind of thing. While I do think Nick would find it sweet, how often would he actually look at that? Once, then it would take up space somewhere. Maybe my kids will find it when they're 20 and find it mushy and gross. Ok, so it'll get looked at twice.

In Google-ing fun Valentine's ideas I think my favorite thing I came across was the scavenger hunt. You start off with a note left for your honey giving them a clue or direction. Each time they find a note there is another clue which eventually leads them to some amazing surprise at the end. You can get other people involved and have your S.O. drive all over town eventually winding up at a restaurant, hotel, special spot, or back at home. You can make it a smaller affair and have them travel from room to room in your home or around your yard. You can leave presents or a picture at each clue. One person also had a puzzle and her husband had to put it together to figure out where to go at the end. I actually really wanted to do a scavenger hunt when I took my B-Pics (I told Nick I booked the hotel room as a surprise for him to relax from all the stress at work), and have him arrive at the hotel as the last thing with dinner waiting in the room. But I opted not to do that because it was already a complicated enough affair to orchestrate.

I still haven't given up hope that one day I'll be able to put something like that together with many intricate plans and steps all leading some place where I'll be waiting with a bow on my head. "Happy Valentine's Day! Your gift is me!" Isn't Nick lucky? Hahahaha.

And if you really must buy something, I think any guy/punk rocker/Cancer survivor/vulture enthusiast would love this t-shirt from People Like Me. All proceeds go to help my friend, Kerry Kelemen, in her battle with cancer. And it's a way cool design. Why wouldn't you want to buy it?

Decorating for the Holidays

I guess I'm a little late on this considering Hanukkah is already almost over, but better late than never!

We transformed our apartment from Thanksgiving to Christmas themed the day after Black Friday. Unfortunately, because we won't be here Christmas morning we didn't buy a Christmas tree. The extent of the decorating consists of a lawn ornament, wreath, lights & some ornaments in the window, and a few knick-knacks placed around downstairs. Last year on the other hand we went all out because we hosted Christmas at our place back East. We hung up garland and set up a really nice tablescape too. I think it'll be awhile before we get to do that again...

Since we aren't really getting into the decorating this year, I lived vicariously by going to Crate and Barrel.com and picking out my favorite decorations they have for the season. It's cheaper that way, anyway. Haha.

Holiday gift ideas

I have to admit, I am completely done with my Christmas shopping. What can I say, I am a freak. I do all my shopping as early as possible this way when the holiday season comes if I think of something last minute that's it. No going crazy, waiting on long lines, and being stressed for me!

I don't want to reveal anything that I got for anyone, but if I had to think of some cool ideas to give as gifts this year I might think of these.

For my brother (who is a HUGE LOLcats fan):

$9.99 from Modcloth.com

When you're recently married (or have kids) you can never have too many picture frames. This one is perfect if your wedding was earthy themed, or you're the groom and you want a frame that's not too fancy pants:

$14.99 from Modcloth.com

For the foodie/person who has everything:

Wine Country Gift baskets range in price from under $25 to above $200.

For my mom:

$13 from mylavaliere (my favorite Etsy store EVER)

For the fashionista who wants to protect her designer bags:

$9.99 from Amazon.com

From my Dad (a Beatles fanatic):

$27.94 from Amazon.com

For little kids:

This was one of my favorite toys growing up. My mom and I still buy them for all the little kids in our lives. $24.95 from Amazon.com

For your Ipod/Iphone addict:

Earbuds are $20, case is $25 from Neiman Marcus

For Nick:

$17.99 from Amazon

For me? I've been watching these booties from Modcloth for awhile (and psst. Nick, they're back in stock!)

$39.99

I couldn't find any pictures, but The Gap also has great sunglasses right now that are Ray Ban style for $24.50. They come in blue, green, purple, orange, red, pink, and a few other colors. A must have for all the teens/hipsters in your life.

If you're still stuck, try looking at wishlists and reading this older entry about how to give a good gift. Maybe it'll help spark an idea.

Another way to give this Holiday Season

I am very upset, I completely forgot to mention another way to give during the Holiday season.

Since I was young I've always had a soft spot for our armed forces. Regardless of your political feelings on the war, it's important to support the men and women who's job it is to risk their lives far away from home. It is no secret the physical and mental strain this causes them, and showing support whether large or small is important. After the recent death of a soldier I never met, but had indirect ties to, I have been that much more moved to support.

One of my family members is very involved in supporting the troops. She's collecting encouragement / thank you / Christmas cards to send to a specific unit who needs extra support during the holiday season. The cards are needed by December 10th, comment here with your email if you'd like her info to help out.

Soldier's Angels - Through this program you adopt a soldier and provide them with care packages and letters on a regular basis for the length of their deployment (6-18 months). You can also donate care packages or other help.

AnySoldier.com - A similar program as Soldier's Angels except you can send to a specific branch of the military and the letters and packages will go to random soldiers who do not get much mail.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out in the blogosphere!

This year, since we can't afford to go home for both Thanksgiving and Christmas we're doing a small celebration at our place. A friend from school and her family who are in from LA are coming over to the feast I prepared. I say prepared because even though it's 9am here on the West coast, I cooked most of the things yesterday (or at least prepped them enough so all I had to do was pop things in the oven today. I love to cook, and I'd much rather spend two days cooking at my pace than spending one day going completely crazy doing all this cooking, and having no time to be with my guests.

So what did I make? Here's my menu (I've linked to the recipes on this blog):

Appetizers:
- An assortment of cheeses and crackers
- Blue cheese stuffed dates wrapped in bacon
- Caramelized onion puff pastries
- Baked Brie with Brown Sugar and Walnuts

Side Dishes:
- Asparagus with Hollandaise sauce
- Cornbread Casserole
- Smoked Gouda and Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Dressing (that's stuffing just not in the bird)
- Smoked Gouda Mashed Potatoes
- Green bean casserole
- Roasted butternut squash with blue cheese and walnuts
- Orange Cranberry sauce

Main Course:
- Rosemary Chicken with Apple salad and pearl onions (I hate turkey)

Dessert:
- Pumpkin Pie
- Blackberry crumble

But of course Thanksgiving isn't just about food, it's about being thankful for all the things you have in life. Last night Nick and I watched one of the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving specials. This one was about the Mayflower Voyagers. I really hate the tradition of going around the table and saying what you're thankful for (as ironic as this will sound, I'm not a fan of being put on the spot and sharing my intimate thoughts in front of people), but the little cartoon did get me thinking about things.

Regardless of how you feel about Thanksgiving and what it may or may not stand for, the Pilgrims still took a big gamble coming to America and many of them died. Meanwhile we get to sit here and be comfortable in our warm houses and eat a ton of food and take for take for granted the true meaning of the holiday.

So if I had to choose my top five things I'm grateful for this year it would be these:

1. I'm always grateful for Nick. He is the most amazing man/person in my life. He has such patience for me when I am stressed out over things, he always knows how to make me smile or just love me so I feel better about anything. He helps me instead of expecting me to do everything all the time, he's not lazy, and he appreciates cleanliness as much as I do. He let me get my kitties even though he is a dog person, and he let's me run around and be crazy with my ideas (we're a very Lucy and Ricky couple). He followed me to California, 3,000 miles away from our family, and he was excited about it! And most importantly, he loves me.
2. Second most important thing are all the friends I have and the new ones I've made since coming here. I'm so blessed to have a good group of people around me.
3. I'm thankful the move worked out well. No one got hurt or sick, generally our things were unharmed, we had financial assistance from Nick's job, and we made great time with the drive and the unpacking. We lucked out big time with our apartment as well.
4. I'm grateful this quarter is over. I worked my ass off, and I'm pretty sure I at least passed all of my classes. Fingers crossed the grades are halfway decent.
5. I'm grateful Nick has a job. Living on one salary isn't easy, but he at least has a salary and I can only imagine how hard it would be to make my student loan stretch thin like plastic wrap while he tried his hardest to find something in this tough economy. Regardless of where you live and what the market is like, these things don't happen over night. Having been there once, and not having enough money to pay all of our bills, it was very hard and I'm so glad we didn't have to do it again during our relocation.

Of course my list is much longer than this, but you get the idea. Hope your lists are long this year too!

Happy Holidays.

Dessert or Side Dish? I can't decide.

I got this really great recipe off of Delish for an Orange-Cranberry sauce. It's supposed to be a side dish, but as I was searching for one more dessert for my Thanksgiving dinner it dawned on me this would be really great served warm on top of vanilla ice cream. So what do you think?

You Need:
* 2 bag(s) (12-ounce) cranberries (6 cups)
* 1 tablespoon(s) grated orange zest
* 1 cup(s) fresh orange juice
* 1 1/4 cup(s) granulated sugar
* 1/4 cup(s) grenadine syrup
* 2 tablespoon(s) red-wine vinegar

1. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 6 minutes, until cranberries are soft and liquid has reduced to a thick syrup.
2. Pour into a serving bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate (or serve fresh and hot for dessert).

Great gift idea for your Thanksgiving Hostess

(or for Christmas), up to you!

My family loves to give gifts to a fault. Any excuse to buy something and we are all over it. Easter, Valentine's Day, Halloween, getting into grad school. Everything must be celebrated. When Nick and I were first dating it actually drove him crazy. He came from a family that had nothing and he didn't get how my family could be so extravagant. My family hasn't always had money, but I always appreciated whatever they gave me. I know that sounds a little spoiled, but I always looked at it from the view point that gifts in our family came from love not from the desire to just spend money. You go to visit someone who is letting them stay in your house, you bring them a little something to say thank you. It's Valentine's Day and you want to tell your family you love them too, so you get them a box of chocolates. Nothing major, just a simple act to show that you care.

That being said, with Thanksgiving less than a week away, my mother of course bought Nick and I a gift, and my aunt also got a gift for her daughter. Each of them are hosting the holiday at their house (one in New York and the other in Illinois) so I won't be partaking in their Holiday feast, but if I could, and I had to get them a gift, I think the following would make the perfect hostess gift...

My friend, Katrina, worked for Dena Designs after graduating from college and while there designed an apron:



She recently was given permission to sell the PDF on Etsy. And after reading one of the latest blog entries on Modcloth, I got me thinking, what else makes the perfect hostess gift than a cute apron and an easy recipe?

In Mod Cloth's entry they mention a great way to reuse glass jars by filling it with the ingredients of one of your favorite baked goods. Tape the directions onto the jar, put a ribbon on it. That coupled with a cute apron makes the perfect Thanksgiving hostess gift (and the whole thing probably cost less than $15 with tax).

Who said showing love had to be extravagant?

Top 5s of Partying and Entertaining: Part 4 - Holiday Drinks

So how many people have a special drink made at their wedding? I considered having this done because fun drinks are always a good thing. Who wouldn't like drinking a neon blue drink out of a martini glass that's named after them and their new spouse? I think people didn't notice that I was too overwhelmed with other planning things, school, and life to ever request that:



Whenever Nick and I have parties we try to do the special drink of the night thing. Most of the time people just bring beer and drink that, but it's nice to have the option and when you have themed parties of there is a holiday, it adds to the festive mood.

Speaking of Holidays, this Top 5 list of drinks are drinks (from various websites and my family) that would be great to serve this holiday season. So grab your Bar Shaker and let's go! (Remember to drink responsibly, and one drink=above the legal limit to drive.)

Top 5 favorite Cold Holiday Drinks

1. Butterscotch Chocolate Martini - Nick may kill me for telling you think, but our favorite specialty martini is this one which I created for our apartment warming party when we first moved in together. I think we were the only one's who drank it, but it was still delicious. Beware, this is STRONG:
- 1 part vodka
- 1 part milk
- 1/2 part butterscotch liquor
- Chocolate syrup (amount needed depends on how chocolatey you want it ;) )
- 2 ice cubes
Just add to your shaker, shake, and pour.

2. The Apple pie - This drink reminds me of college because for someone like me who hates the taste of most alcohol, this was my best option if I did want to drink.
- 1 part apple juice (or apple cider, but not hot because you'll burn off the alcohol)
- 1/2 part Goldschlager
- For an extra kick, you can add apple flavored vodka too but it's not necessary.
- 2 ice cubes.
This one can be shaken or stirred.

3. The Italian - Is there a better name for this? Probably, but this is something Nick (who is half Italian) likes to drink at Christmas since it is a family/Italian tradition for good luck, so I've name it after him.
- Sambuca (in a shot or cordial glass)
- 1-4 coffee beans
Add all to glass. Sip responsibly.

4. Pumpkin Pie - This drink I found from Drink of the Week and it looks absolutely amazing. I will probably be making some of these at Thanksgiving this year.
- 1 oz. Malibu Rum
- 3/4 oz. canned pumpkin pie filling
- 1/2 oz. Kahlua
- 2 oz. with cold milk
Mix ingredients in blender with ice and blend thoroughly on the "liquify" setting. Pour into graham cracker-rimmed highball glass and garnish with some whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

5. Wintertime Mimosa - You may not realize this, but some oranges and citrus fruit are actually in season during the winter. So even though this may seem like a summer time recipe, this could be the perfect drink to have on Christmas morning when you're opening up presents.
- 1 part orange juice
- 1 part cranberry juice
- 1 part champagne
Because of the bubbles in the champagne, you do not need to stir this otherwise you will take out the bubbles. Instead, pour all the ingredients into a pitcher (or right in to your champagne glass) and serve!

Top 5 favorite Warm Holiday Drinks

1. The Girl Scout - I've also heard this recipe called the Peppermint Patty (but that drink to me is just a shot of Peppermint Schnapps with chocolate syrup added in). Regardless of what you call it, this recipe is super simple, just make sure you don't give yours to the kids by accident!
- One packet of Swiss Miss (or whatever sweet hot chocolate brand you prefer_
- Milk
- 1-2 shots Peppermint Schnapps
Make the hot chocolate as you would normally (but make sure you use milk) and add the Schnapps at the end. This looks great in an Irish Coffee Mug garnished with whipped cream and a bit of shaved chocolate or cocoa mix on top.

2. Hot Toddy - This might be the most common and traditional of winter time drinks. Great when you want to relax, need some soothing liquid when you have a cold, or just for fun with friends, there's a reason it's a classic! (This recipe comes from About.com
- 1 oz brandy, whiskey or rum
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 lemon
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 tea bag
Coat the bottom of a mug or an Irish coffee glass with honey. Add the liquor and the juice of the lemon quarter. On the side, heat water in a tea kettle and add the tea bag to make hot tea. Pour the steaming tea into the glass and stir.

3. The Daddy (also known as Irish Coffee) - Just like the Italian is named after Nick, this is named after my dad. For years, every Holiday my dad breaks out this drink. I would guess that this is his one of his favorite parts about the Holidays, and now he's converted Nick too (not that this is a bad thing).
- coffee
- 1-2 shots of Bailey's Irish Cream (or Kahlua)
Make your coffee however you like it, then just add the liquor to your drink. Tada!

4. Hot Egg Nog - Since my recipe for Egg Nog was given to me by a very good friend, I don't want to share in case it's a secret. But I did find this drink called a Tom and Jerry, that could be a nice warm alternative.
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 oz simple syrup (or 1 tsp Powdered Sugar)
- 1/2 oz of Brandy or Cognac
- 1 oz of Dark Rum
- Hot Milk (or water)
Start by separating the Egg and then beat the egg yolk and egg white separately. Fold these two together into a mug. Add Simple Syrup (or Powdered Sugar). Add Brandy or Cognac and Dark Rum. Top off the mug with hot Milk or hot water and stir. Garnish by sprinkling Nutmeg on top.
Side note: I have not made this recipe, but I would be careful about the temperature of your hot milk, just to make sure you don't cook the egg.

5. Hot Buttered Rum - Another traditional winter time drink, but I like the twist on this recipe from the Food Whore. Ice cream!
- 1/2 c. butter, softened
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Cream together mix into 1 pint of vanilla ice cream. Store in freezer. Next boil water. When the water is boiled remove from heat and scoop out about 3 tablespoons of the batter and add 1-2 shots of rum. Then fill the rest of the glass with the water.
Side Note: I don't like boiling hot liquids since my mouth always gets burned. You could always just heat up the water until right before it boils if you're worried about that.

How to give a good gift

Nick's birthday is rapidly approaching and while I have already gotten him his gift, a few other people have been asking me what he might want. In all honesty, this is one of the first years I'm not entirely sure what to say. In years past I have usually gone with clothes. He needed white t-shirts, socks, new underwear, and a general beefing up of his wardrobe (as do most guys in the first 5 years you date them). But now that he has everything he needs (and then some), he has been a little bit of a challenge for me.

Normally I'm very good at gift giving, and some of my cousins have even told me that I always give the best presents. I think a key part of this is that I care more about making other people happy than getting a thank you, or buying them the latest coolest thing that I love. So since I struggled with coming up with a list of even five things to tell my mother that Nick wanted (and didn't consist of things like "a new flat screen TV"), and Christmas is coming when I will need to do the whole process over again for him, except now I have to add into the fact that I need to figure out what to buy him from me, and what to get 3 other problem people on my list; I figured an entry about gift giving might help refocus me and help you to shop for those problem people on your Holiday lists this year.

Step 1. Figure out what your budget is, or if you have a budget at all. Compile your coupons, and shop during sales. Obviously I cannot afford to buy Nick his flat screen TV. And this year for Christmas we are trying to keep to a strict budget as well. I've always been known to give too generously and get us into trouble in the month of January. But not this year! And in my recent purchases for others (yes, I do start Christmas shopping this early) I have been pretty good about that.

Step 2. Ask the person what they want. Yeah, I know that is a no brainer, but sometimes it's just easier than playing the guessing game and always being wrong. For example: "Nick, what do you want for your birthday this year? I know some things, but I really can't think of anything that is easily feasible for most people?" "Akido lessons, a Kindle, a fan for the office." All things I had no idea he wanted. So now I have three things on my list.

Step 3. Think about what the person needs. For Nick, this is an easy one. He lives with me. He is my husband. So I know what he/we need around the apartment and things that bother him. We need a new DVD player for upstairs as the hand-me-down we have is shot. And I'd like it to have a VCR so we can play my old videos from when I was little once in awhile. He needs some new coffee mugs because a couple of the ones he has are pretty old and are starting to smell. He always needs more underwear and white t-shirts. He uses a lot of blank DVDs and CDs because he works in IT and he's constantly working on other peoples' computers and uses them up. We also need more wall art that is not photography, but I can't afford that...or maybe I can if the store is right. Ok, so now I have a few more things to add to that list.

Step 4. Think about what the person likes (ie. NOT what YOU like) and their hobbies. Nick likes Batman, Russel Crowe, things that are corny, horror movies, coffee, chocolate, physics, wine, the color blue, little gadgets, beer, steins, things that are Italian or German (his heritage), and the Dalai Lama. I do not like horror movies, physics, most beer, little gadgets, and I honestly think a lot of the things the Dalai Lama says are common sense so I don't see what the big deal is. But we're talking about gifts for Nick here, and if it's something I think that will make him happy, then I need to suck it up and get it for him.

Step 5. Compile your list (with his priorities) and don't get side tracked when you go in the store:
-A kindle
-Akido lessons*
-DVD player
-a rotating fan
-any Batman DVD
-Gladiator*
-joke books, especially if it has to do with zombies or Halloween
-gourmet coffee
-travel mugs and other coffee accessories*
-wall art
-beer guides (oh wait, he already has one. Scratch that.) Make that a wine guide for Northern California*
-Piny the Elder beer*
-a bottle of red wine
-wine aerator (already has a red one, maybe a white one? Unless that's too selfish because I'm the white drinker in the house.) So maybe the aerator stand I talked him out of getting
-a gadget from Restoration Hardware
-fancy chocolate bars or peppermint bark
-a stein*
-Dalai Lama quote books*

Step 6. Make sure the presentation is nice. And if you're not a good wrapper, that's what gift bags are for.

So I think I just figured out what I'm going to get Nick for Christmas. This was quite helpful!

Here are some other tips to think about:
-Give gender (no chainsaws to women) and age appropriate gifts (for kids, you may need to ask parents what kinds of things they're into because for some there is a huge mental age and taste variation). This also means don't get a kid an adult gift or a young child a gift you think will teach them a lesson. Chances are they won't learn the lesson (they probably won't even figure it out when they're older) and only learn that you give lame gifts.
-Give a gift that has meaning (either to the person or one describes your relationship with them)
-Give a gift that doesn't say you don't care about the person (even if you really don't)
-If someone needs money (like a poor college student, or someone saving to for a major purchase like a house, or said flat screen tv), it's ok to give them money
-Sometimes the trendiest thing you can find is a good gift, sometimes it's not. This depends on the person (see step 4)
-Even if you get Nick those white t-shirts for his birthday, make sure you give him something else this way you're not just giving a bland gift

DIY Ways to Decorate for Fall

As we switch to the fall months and Nick and I prepare for a series of guests (it seems like every other week starting in October people will be visiting us from out East), all I keep thinking about it how to make our home festive for the season.

We have a few things that we acquired over the last couple of years, various kinds of fake pumpkins (glass, wicker, etc.), and a couple of other other odds and ends. The majority of that is great for Halloween, but what do I do after that when Thanksgiving rolls around? I can't keep my Frankenstein Garland up for that.

So this morning I set out to figure out how I can decorate my house for Halloween, but still have a few things that I can leave up when that holiday is over. Of course you can always look at the standard websites like Martha Stewart for decorating ideas and Southern Living also had a video with ideas and a few other videos talking about other projects. But after doing some internet searches the website that I found with the most comprehensive yet basic list of things to do (and how to do them) wasAbout.com.

Overall it seemed like the biggest theme was use of color and nature's own ornaments to decorate your space. For example, one of About.com's ideas was to decorate your mantle piece like these:


Mini pumpkins (which you can get just about anywhere during the season), a fake ivy garland that looks like it's leaves are turning, with some red candles in gold candle holders play with the warm earthy tones that are prominent from September-November. And some of those things you might have at home, or can keep again for next year. So really you just would need to keep buying the mini pumpkins every year. And if you want to get even more elaborate you can go to the craft store and buy some fake or dried flowers that are normally in bloom or popular for this season (like mums or sunflowers, or anything else that's golden yellow, deep orange or reds).


Even something as simple as walking through the woods or trails near your house can produce the supplies you need. Take some twigs and place them around a light like this. And About.com lays that out as the cornerstone of their decorating ideas:
"Take a Walk in the Woods - Some of the most wonderful things you can use to decorate your home for fall are probably in your back yard and won't cost a penny. With a big basket or bucket in hand, collect broken tree branches, cat tails, shafts of wheat, pine cones, or seed pods. You can use just about any natural item in a fall decoration."

A couple of other quick tips they gave that I didn't think of:

Save Your Furniture - Fresh, preserved, and dried items such as leaves, pumpkins, or gourds get soft and "bleed" after a short time. To protect your furniture, either natural wood or painted, always assemble your decoration on a platter, plastic wrap, plate, wooden board, or aluminum foil. This will make it easier to move it to another location, too.

Plan Your Storage Before You Start - If they're stored carefully, most dried corn and wheat stalks, preserved leaves, and berries will last for several years. To keep bugs out, keep your fall decorating items in air-tight plastic storage boxes. Because they tend to be bulky, you might need more than one box. Carefully label the box and store it in a dry lace. Label garlands and other decorations so you know where to put them the next year.

Other pretty popular items were red berries, grape bunches, leaves, apples, pears, gourds, corn, pine cones, and candy.

What's this you say about candy? I don't mean pint sized Milky Ways, I mean this idea from Raftertales.com:

Taking some candy corn or seasonally colored M&Ms you can put them in hurricane jars, empty bottles, or preserving jars...I think I may try this out (and hope Nick doesn't eat all the candy in a week).

And of course, switching out little things like candles, table cloths, and other linens add to the overall effect as well. My summer decor is lemon and green themed. I don't think lemons and pumpkins go well together. Haha.

I'm not entirely ready to get that into a project right now (homework is a real bummer on any fun time of the year). But now that I've whet all of our whistles I think this weekend my big chore will to be to turn our Summer apartment into a Fall one. Off the top of my head I already know which table cloth I'll use, and which decorations I want to take out of storage. And I think there are a few ideas from the websites I want to try out as well. Unfortunately for us we don't have all the great free-bee outdoor options that the East does, but I'll see what I can do. I'll be sure to post pictures to follow up next week.