Sweet Saturday morning scene in my kitchen...

The taste of Autumn officially arrived in my kitchen this morning...

... in the form of Harvest Oatmeal for my boy!  

Find the recipe HERE.

In The Kitchen: Harvest Oatmeal recipe

Rain, glorious rain brought lovely Fall temperatures to St. Louis over the last 24 hours.  High of 66 today! As soon as the weather begins to turn, Casa de Nenonen goes into full-on Autumn mode.  Apple season is underway and gorgeous produce has flooded local orchards and markets recently, inspiring a return of one of my favorite breakfast recipes.  Harvest Oatmeal is simple and quick, yet delicious... this recipe is the perfect hearty start to a cooler September day!

🍁 Harvest Oatmeal 🍁

(serves 4)

1.5 cup apple cider
1/2 cup water
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal (not the quick cook)
1 large apple (or 2 small)- diced (I leave the skin on)
1/4 cup of pecans 
Teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
Tablespoon of Brown Sugar
Dash of Salt 

Bring cider, salt, water, brown sugar, spices, and diced apples to a boil on high.

Bring heat down to medium high and add oatmeal, stirring occasionally.  Cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat, add pecans, stir, and let sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cinnamon or cinnamon sugar and serve.

NOTE: Oatmeal will thicken as it cools, so if "watery" upon removing from heat, do not fret.

------> See other Nenonen recipes HERE.

Cinnamon Apple-Stuffed Crepe recipe

Unfortunately, the older my boys get, the less time I have with them as their busy schedules take them from sports practices to music lessons.  The one time that always seems to be ours as a family, however?  Sunday morning. While teenagers are not typically eager to rise early on a Sunday morning (ha!), sweet smells from the kitchen always seem to naturally beckon them so I don't have to. 

Every family has their weekend ritual.  While ours is typically Finnish Pannukakkuh, I often like to revisit MY childhood Sunday morning memories when my father would wake the family with stuffed crepes.   He tended to fill them with whatever was in season at the time: berries in the summer, apples in the Fall, or even homemade mousse if feeling unusually decadent.   

I share as his basic crepe recipe is fool-proof and is the one that I still use to this day. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Apple-Stuffed Crepes

Basic Crepe Recipe  

Ingredients:

1 large egg
1/4 cup + 2 T milk
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup flour
1.5 tablespoon melted butter
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Dash of cinnamon
Additional butter or pan-coating spray for pan

NOTE:   I double this for our family of 4, to allow for mess ups and 2 hungry teenage boys.

If using the basic recipe for a savory crepe, I omit the cinnamon and vanilla.  I often add garlic powder and chives.

Directions:
Mix ingredients with a whisk.  It will be runny! Heat pan on medium to medium-high. Grease pan with butter/spray. Pour approximately 1 ounce of batter in center of pan and swirl until it is spread super thin. Cook for 30-45 seconds and flip.  Cook for another 15-30 seconds and remove to a plate.  Layer them in between small squares of wax paper until batter is gone.

Cinnamon Apple Filling Recipe

Slice 3-4 apples.  Toss in a pan with 1 tablespoon of butter or coconut oil, 1 tablespoon or brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon, and an 1/8 tsp of salt.  Saute until soft.

Assemble, garnish, enjoy! =)

Under Contract: #1826 Fairwood Forest in St. Peters

Wow... it was a busy weekend in real estate for me and my clients!  

I got word late last night that my Buyer contracted this adorable brick ranch in St. Peters.  From the private wooded lot adorned with fruit trees to the incredible subdivision play complex with pools and tennis courts... it is the PERFECT match for this adventurous family of 4!   

A HUGE congrats to the H family.  I can't wait for your new beginning in July. Your jealous Realtor wants to come peach and apple picking!  =)

St. Louis Weekend Happening: October 24-26

Kimmswick Apple Butter Festival 

October 25-26, 2014
10am-5pm

This festival is one NOT to miss!  In fact, Steve and I have taken the boys to this annual fall festival since they were babies.   Drawing almost 100,000 people per year and less than 30 minutes from St. Louis, escape to Kimmswick for casual day of Fall fun, including crafts, holiday shopping, pumpkin carving, live entertainment, food, drink, and more.

In addition, watch the Kimmswick Historical Society make fresh apple butter in front of your eyes and purchase a fresh jar.

Festival is FREE, though parking is $5.00


WEB: http://www.missourimarketplace.net/applebutterfestival.html 
FACEBOOK:  https://www.facebook.com/applebutterfestival 

Halloween in the Central West End 

October 25, 2014
11am-12am

Set in the vibrant cosmopolitan Central West End with a backdrop of tree-lined streets and stately turn of the century mansions, the annual CWE Halloween is the can’t miss celebration of the season. Festivities kick-off with family fun daytime activities and as the sun sets, the party continues with an adults only bash…the Adult Costume Contest and Party-legendary for its elaborate, complex and outrageous costumes.

CWE Halloween is open to the public and free to attend. Adults interested in participating in the Adult Costume Contest are required to pay a nominal entry fee

WEB:  http://www.thecwe.org/events/halloween-in-the-cwe-2/

Oktoberfest in Hermann 

October 25-26, 2014
Times and activities vary

Less than an hour from St. Louis, Hermann celebrates its German heritage with four weekends of German music, dancing and food, all set against a backdrop of glorious fall color. This is your last weekend to enjoy the fun!

HERE is the full weekend calender!

Lemp Mansion Halloween Bash

October 25, 2014
8pm-12:30am

The Lemp Mansion, one of the most haunted mansions in the country, is home to St. Louis’s favorite Halloween party. This is the place for people who like their Halloween as spooky and macabre as possible. Dress up in your most creative costume and mix with Lemp’s authentic ghosts and poltergeists for a rowdy bash filled with food, music and tasty adult beverages. The $55 admission price includes multiple buffets spread throughout the rooms of the house, live music by several top local bands, an open bar and costume contests with cash prizes.

$60/Advance; $65/ at Door
Reservations Required, 314-664-8024

3322 Demenil Place
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314) 664-8024

WEB:  http://www.lempmansion.com/bash.htm

In The Kitchen: Cider Glazed Chicken with Browned Butter Pecan Rice

Beloved Fall has finally arrived with its cool damp mornings and beautiful harvest fruit.  Most notably... apples!  Heading over to Eckert's to pick apples is one of our favorite family activities, regardless of how old the boys get. 

I stumbled upon this Cooking Light recipe for Cider-Glazed Chicken with Browned Butter Pecan Rice last week and found the perfect opportunity to finally make it for my family last night when our neighbor gifted us with apples and cider from a local Farmer's Market. 

Hands down, this recipe is a must share-   DELICIOUS!  It incorporates wonderful flavors for the Fall season and is super easy to execute.  Sure winner.

Hint: I replaced 1 cup of water when making the rice with cider.  I also added diced tart apples to the rice during Step #3 and doubled the Cider Dijon glaze as it cooks down and caramelizes significantly. Once we laid the chicken atop the rice, I added a small drizzle of glaze over both.

Enjoy!

Apple season is here!

A teeny peek at our annual family trek to Eckert's. This year we hit the Belleville location for Golden and Red Delicious time...


NITTY GRITTY:

Eckert's Web Site for Apple Season: http://www.eckerts.com/apple.htm

Eckert's Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eckertfarms?ref=nf

Eckert's Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/eckertfarms

Signs of Fall...

Last year, around this time, I admitted my love for this beloved season to Blog World.

Love it, love it, love it!

I have to say, I am starting to feel the fever again. The leaves are slowly starting to fall from our trees, our windows have been open more than closed, we have made our first seasonal pilgrimage to Eckert's to pick apples, the boys are starting to debate costume ideas, and my allergies are driving me insane! Ha!

Anyways, besides my autumnal makeover of the ol' blog and Twitter, there are several other signs of Fall around Casa de Nenonen ...

Last call for apples...

We enjoyed one of the last apple picking days of the season at Eckert's- Grafton with friends...

I've fallen and I can't get up...

Fall... I adore it. Period.

Everyone has their favorite season, and by FAR, mine is Fall.

As we begin to bid farewell to the humid, sweltering St Louis summer and welcome the cool, crisp Autumn air... I start to feel alive again.

The colors and smells, gorgeous foliage, leaves crunching under your feet, crispy evenings, dewy mornings, cornstalks and gourds, sweaters and jeans, hay bales and scarecrows, apple cider, pumpkins on porches, colorful mums. There is really NOTHING about Fall that I don't absolutely love?!

Every year, I know that my beloved Fall is quickly approaching when apple-picking season finally arrives. What do you know? It's here!!

Yesterday we took our annual trek over to Eckert's in Belleville to pick our own apples and welcome the season with open arms...
When our children were younger, we used to hit Eckert's Millstadt location, jam-packed with a DAY FULL of activities for the little, little ones. As the kids have now outgrown the bulk of the activities there, however, the Belleville Farm is a better match for us these days.

Apple picking at Eckert's goes through mid-October. Click here for Eckert's ripening schedule, to ensure that you don't miss your favorite kind! We left the farm today with 20 lbs of Honeycrisp, our family favorite...