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.

CLOSED: 911 Palomino Path sold FAST!

 An extra special Stone Soup Cottage thank you... 

...to my incredible Sellers on closing day!  

Gorgeous Palomino Path closed escrow today and I am so grateful to the F family for their friendship and business.❤️ High five and corks popped for an above list sale on the 1st week of showings!🍾🏡🎉

Lovely house, wonderful Sellers, and an incredibly lucky Carrie to have the opportunity to represent both. Thank you for your trust, faith, and friendship, F duo!

In St. Louis and contemplating a move?  The market is still groovin'. Let's connect! 

Just for Fun: Peach Pie at the Smokehouse

It is peach season, friends... 

...which calls for my annual sweet surprise for the family. If you have never had a piece of peach pie from the Smokehouse at Annie Gunn's, you are missing OUT, St. Louis.  It is stuffed with firm fresh peaches and is on the tart side as they don’t bog it down with too much sugar. They allow the peaches to speak for themselves.

This beauty was still warm and fresh out of the oven when I picked it up. 🍑💕

NITTY GRITTY:

Annie Gunn's and the Smokehouse Market
16806 Chesterfield Airport Road
Chesterfield, MO 63005
636/532.3314
Web: http://www.anniegunns.com/

See my other St. Louis Hidden Gems HERE.

St. Louis Hidden Gem: Capitalist Pig BBQ

Steve and I went out for an innocent lunch and ended up in the slammer 👀... 

Please send bail money, or at least extra napkins! Ha Ha.  

I love and adore a repurposed space, and Capitalist Pig doesn't disappoint.  The 3rd District Police Station, across the street from the Anheuser Busch World HQ, opened up in 1937 and served the 16 surrounding neighborhoods until it was decommissioned in the 1990's.... 

This 19,000 sqft building was eventually purchased by retired Police Officer, Ron Buechele, and transformed in to a restaurant, art gallery, event space, and private residential space.

Enter Capitalist Pig BBQ, where the aesthetic is as cool as the locally-sourced cuisine is tasty.  ...

They haven't done much to alter the space, which honestly, is what I appreciated the most. Most of the building is as it was, including the abundance of marble known as "St. Genevieve Golden Vein". This ootlitic limestone was only produced from Saint Genevieve, Missouri quarries in the early 1900's and is known worldwide for its quality and beauty...

You place your order at (what once-was) the sergeant's desk, encased by marble...

Steve and I chose to dine in the short term holding cells. This is where prisoners were held while being processed...

I am not going to lie, having never been to jail myself (I swear), I found lunch in the minty green jail cell quite amusing...

And quite delicious...

If you have never ventured to Capitalist Pig, I highly recommend it!  From the Pork Belly BLT (I think the best BLT I have ever eaten) and the ribs to the huge corn muffins, homemade pickles, mac and cheese, and beans... it was a fun and phenomenal foodie adventure in a VERY cool architectural space.

From jail intake to discharge, it was pure awesome.  St.Louis- do yourself a HUGE favor and check them out!  ❤️

NITTY GRITTY:

The Capitalist Pig

#2727 South 12th (Across from visitor parking at Anheuser Busch)

St. Louis, MO 63118

Open: Wed-Sun, 11-3pm

Web: https://www.capitalistpigbbq.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCapitalistPig
Twitter:https://twitter.com/CapitalistPig

 See my other St. Louis Hidden Gems HERE.

Hidden Gem: Plank Road Pizza and Blooming Daisy Marketplace in Cottleville

It has been far too long since my last Hidden Gem post!  A quick lunch hour run out to Cottleville to pick up Steve's race packet for the Missouri Cowbell run a couple of weeks ago...

... was the perfect excuse to enjoy a Friday lunch in the sunshine with my hubby!  My friends and coworkers have been buzzing about Plank Road Pizza... 

...so I figured it was the perfect lunch destination as they are known for their cute patio in the historic downtown area. In fact, Plank Road Pizza sits in the oldest home in Cottleville, circa 1845, and is named after the old connector road of St. Charles and Cottleville that was originally made of timber planks!  

While hello, you ARE on CDN and the City and you know that I was curious about the history of the building, HERE is the listing from when the owner purchased the property. I appreciate that they reintroduced reclaimed elements BACK in to the space so it now oozes historic charm from inside to out...

Particularly the patio, which was pure perfection on a 70's and sunny St. Louis day...

All of the hand-tossed artisan pizzas are named after streets in the St Charles and Cottleville area and are delicious!

The charming patio alone would prompt a revisit from us, though the food is the reason that we will return. Choose a sunny day and just go!  You won't be sorry. 

In fact,  choose a not-so-sunny day as the interior is just as charming as the exterior!  Warm, inviting, and cozy.  Interior photo below compliments of the Riverfront Times... 

When you visit Plank, I also urge you to walk just behind the restaurant and pop your head in to the Blooming Daisy Marketplace.  A tandem visit to these two gems is a perfect afternoon, in my opinion...

This 1910 farm house turned wonderfully eclectic boutique, dedicated strictly to providing booth space to local artisans, oozes charm (and goodies)!  NOTE: Check out the photos of this old listing before you visit as you will be SHOCKED that it is the same structure.  The space is amazing now!

Blooming Daisy carries everything from clothing and jewelry to home decor, personalized monogrammed items, and antiques.  You rarely see the same item twice as the vendors  continuously rotate their seasonal stock, making it a terrific gift destination. They also host monthly pop-up markets where they invite DOZENS of local vendors to fill their lawn and sell their newest goods!  If you enjoy shopping Etsy, Crafted In St. Louis on FB, or Joy's Collective... you will ADORE Blooming Daisy!  Parent Tip: bring the kiddies along, as they are encouraged and allowed to feed the goats in the back acreage.  Yes, I said goats.

Want a glimpse of what is in stock? Their Instagram is updated regularly with their latest and greatest items.  They are a must-follow for me!

NITTY GRITTY:

Plank Road Pizza
5212 Highway N
Cottleville, MO 63304
WEB: http://www.plankroadpizza.com/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/PlankRoadPizza
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blooming Daisy Marketplace
5541 Chestnut St
Cottleville, MO 63304
WEB: https://squareup.com/store/blooming-daisy-marketplace
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/bloomingdaisymarketplace/

See more of my local Hidden Gems HERE!

Hidden Gem: Nathaniel Reid Bakery in Kirkwood

St. Louis Hidden Gem Alert!  There is nothing more special...

 ... than a delicate little treat from Nathaniel Reid Bakery in Kirkwood.  Scrumptious as it is pretty! This particular itty-bitty bursts in your mouth with lemon and raspberry, topped with a white chocolate flower. ❤️ 

If you have never been, St. Louis... hurry, hurry, hurry! Our family favorite? Their deliciously perfect chocolate croissants.

Nitty Gritty:

#11243 Manchester Rd
Kirkwood, MO 63122
(314) 858-1019

Web: http://www.nrbakery.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nathanielreidbakery/

See my other local hidden gems HERE.

A weekend in Chicago: Art, Architecture, and Anniversary fun!

If you follow me on Instagram, you are aware that my husband recently surprised me with a long weekend trip to Chicago to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary...  

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NOTE: Despite numerous trips to Chicago over the years, we have never taken the Amtrak. What an incredible alternative to driving and flying?!  The ride was comfortable, scenic, and oh so EASY.  Once in the city, Uber was a dream.  Highly recommend.

Blessed with a gorgeous and unseasonably warm forecast...

...an Executive level room at the historic Palmer House, circa 1875...

... and sought-after tickets to Hamilton ...

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 ... it truly was a weekend to remember!  Yes, Hamilton lives up to the hype.  It was incredible.

We enjoyed the sights under blue sunny skies...

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Shared a number of memorable meals...

Soaked in the historic architecture...

 ... and shared many lazy hours at the museums...

 Steve certainly knows how to make a girl feel appreciated and loved, not just this weekend but every single day.  I am so fortunate. 🎔

While the entire weekend was perfection, one of the highlights for me was an afternoon in Oak Park...

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If you have read my blog for awhile, you know my love for historic homes and my affinity towards local real estate when I travel. That being said, however, I have a pronounced connection with Frank Lloyd Wright homes and always have.  The fact is, I am the daughter of two FLW aficionados. I grew up touring his properties and enjoying books of his work, which sat on the coffee table of my childhood home.

Frank Lloyd Wright, 1867-1959, was the ultimate trailblazer in American architecture.  I have toured HUNDREDS of late 19th century homes over 15+ years as a Realtor and none of them aesthetically compare to a FLW home. His design was way before its time-  clean, seamless, practical, thought out, and purposeful.  I highly recommend reading "Loving Frank" for a closer peek into the his life and work. Entertaining read about a very complicated yet brilliant man.

Personally, I have always been drawn to the symmetry, simplicity, utility (genius built-ins), and organic nature of his design. Wright strived to have the interior and exterior of a home interact with one another to create a harmony of space and nature, achieved by the use of angles and intricate stained glass.  The end result? Clean and bold geometric design drenched in painted natural light.  Truly glorious!

Per the video above, the property in Oak Park is significant as it is the VERY first home that he built and is essentially where his career began .  While the property is not as pristine and original as many of the other FLW homes I have toured, it is no less important.  In fact, Steve and I found it interesting that MANY of the features of this home are key elements in most of the FLW designs to follow, like the signature fireplace nook.

This property uniquely offers a $5 press pass, allowing me to share photos with my blog.   Um, yes please.  Without further ado, here is teeny peek inside the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio through my eyes, friends.

The residential home:

The attached work studio:

There are many spectacular Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the Chicago area.  I highly recommend touring one (or more) the next time that you are in the area!  Regardless, I had to share.

Thank you for a wonderful getaway, Chicago...

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Happy Anniversary and THANK you for the weekend of a lifetime, Steve!

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