Sweet Love and Ginger

Jessica

Our Engagement Photos

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This day was magic. I don’t know why it was the pictures
that made the whole thing real, but it finally hit me that I’m getting married!
Yes after well over a year of being engaged I finally had that gut retching
feeling of wow this is happening. And it’s awesome.

A super special thanks to our awesome photographer AndreaCho. She made the whole thing so painless and easy, and her work is
astonishing. If you are in the Burlington area you should check her out!

P.S. We did all of these photos at Shelburne Farms.

P.P.S. There are more pictures on my wedding page.

Filed Under: Wedding Tagged With:

Apple French Onion Soup

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I don’t think it’s any surprise around here that both Chuck
and I are big fans of French Onion Soup. I mean I’ve made it into pasta,
casserole, burgers, cheesy bread and a bunch of other stuff that hasn’t made it to the blog
yet.
I also think it’s pretty obvious that we love all things
apple. That list of recipes is huge, but my favorites are Engagement Tart,
Apple Pork Chops, & Smoked Cheddar, Apple & Squash Soup.
Taking this information into account I ran across a few
recipes that combined the two and knew hands down that this soup had to be made
as soon as possible.
And guys, I’m so happy I did. It was amazing. Absolutely, deliciously,
amazing.
This is going to be my new favorite fall recipe. It’s got
all of the calling cards of fall; the warm comfort of hot soup, melty cheese,
and fresh apples. What more could be needed?
Apple French Onion Soup (serves 4)
3 tbsp Butter
3 lbs onions, sliced (about 5-6 large onions)
½ tsp salt
1 apple cored, peeled, & chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme (1/2 tsp dried)
2 tbsp flour
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups beef broth (can substitute vegetable broth)
½ cup apple cider
2 bay leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
4 slices of toasted bread
8 slices of Swiss cheese
 
Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
Add the onions, and salt then cover and cook stirring occasionally until the
onions are soft and caramelized (about 45 minutes to 1 hour). Stir in the
apple, and thyme and cook for another minute before stirring in the flour.
Deglaze the pan with the wine and stir until well combined. Add the broth,
cider, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for
another 30 minutes. Divide the soup between 4 oven safe bowls, and top with a
slice of bread, and cheese. Place in the oven set to broil, and cook for 2-3
minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Easy Tuscan Bean Soup

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Tuscan Bean Soup

These are the months where soup is king. It’s loaded down with nourishing vegetables and holds the warmth and comfort we all need this time of year.

There is something about it that is just so healing.
This soup was especially well received in our house. I think the craziness of the summer and the gazillion fall weddings that are happening have both Chuck and I craving a slower pace. We need something home cooked, rustic, and hearty. It just has to happen.
Honestly I didn’t hold any hope that this would be a soup that chuck would fall for, usually he shy’s away from these light flavors, and complains about the lack of meat, but he seemed really into it. He liked the flavor that the kale absorbed from the broth, and had several bowls. The whole wheat oat bread (that I totally bought pre-made) was also a nod to a hearty rustic meal, adding some grit and texture that was a perfect match.
It was the perfect thing to usher in fall as the temperatures begin to drop, and we begin to re-establish ourselves in a new season.
Tuscan Bean Soup

 

Easy Tuscan Bean Soup
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: Serves 4
Ingredients
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 medium to large carrots, chopped
  • 2 stalks of celery, chopped
  • 4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cans of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
  • 4 cups chopped kale
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Fresh grated Parmesan Cheese for Garnish
Instructions
  1. In a large thick bottomed sauce pan heat oil over medium high heat and sauté onion until it becomes translucent (about 1-2 minutes).
  2. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute before adding carrot and celery.
  3. Cook for another minute before adding broth, thyme, and bay leaf.
  4. Bring to a simmer and add beans and kale.
  5. Cook stirring regularly until the kale turns dark green and beans are soft.
  6. Adjust seasoning and serve warm, with a sprinkle of cheese on top.

 

No Poo: One Month In

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I’m going to be totally honest. I HATE THIS!
The first few weeks were all about learning how much baking soda to use, and that you need to wash it all out. It takes a really long time for me to get all of the baking soda out of my hair, but after an evening spent near to tears on my bathroom floor, because I couldn’t run a brush through it to save my life I learned that it is worth the extra time. In case you are wondering the only way I was able to comb out the tangles was my slathering my hair with coconut oil, which meant I went to work the next day with the greasiest hair you have ever seen.
I think my hair is starting to adjust because this is the first time it didn’t become a complete grease ball the day after washing. I’m going to try to hold out for another couple weeks before I throw in the towel. You can read about why I started this experiment here. 
You see it’s not just the time it takes to do this new routine, mixing up the stuff before the shower, the extra time to really rub it in, and then the time to really make sure it’s all out. I mean that’s pretty bad on its own but the fact that my curls aren’t really looking that much better, and they don’t last as long as they used to is enough to say it’s not worth it. Then there is the smell. Chuck says that he doesn’t notice it, but I do. My hair smells dirty, like old stale laundry, and I’m not loving that, like at all.
The dry skin is another thing. I want to preface this by saying I have always had this problem, that dry skin is a constant plague, and that most normal shampoos will give me this problem, so severe dry skin like this is not necessarily a side effect of the no-poo experiment (though I usually only have these problems in the deepest winter months). The skin around my hair line, my forehead, behind my ears, and the base of my neck are all so dry that the skin there is cracking and bleeding. Seriously can you picture dry skin around the hair line and a greasy mess on top and the back of my head. It’s a good look I’ve got right now. This is something that can happen to me in the
winter even if I’m using something like Head & Shoulders, so I often do hair
masks and oil rubs that time of year to ease it a bit. The thing is that it’s
not winter, and I’m getting this, which makes me think that it will only get
worse that time of year.On a positive note this is my first weekend that is totally free. Meaning I actually have time to catch up on laundry, and vacuum for the first time in months. Literally months. I’m stoked for this. So this is my one and one down for the link up over on Chrystina Noel.

I’m still holding out a bit to see if this gets any easier, but in the mean time I’d love some recommendations for Vegan, sulfite/ate free shampoos or conditioners if you have any?!

Recently No. 3

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This Guy and this article brings tears to my eyes. I’m so happy to call Burb’s a friend. We are all so proud of you man!




Do you realize that this is my 400th post. I mean 400 is a lot of posting. It’s kind of an accomplishment.


For some more woman fueled inspiration.

Oh and:
Rothblatt created this awesome/terrifying robot, and all people want to talk about is her gender? – Best quote ever from this article. I mean seriously I would give anything to spend an afternoon with Martine. 

I started learning about essential oils. Not only buying my first set, but picking up some reading material too. So far so good. The headaches are at bay, and the sleeping is so much better. Chuck May or may not be convinced they are the cause of some of his headaches, but we are working on that.

I got in touch with some friends I hadn’t seen in a while for some much needed chats. It was reviving.

September was the month of weddings. Kicked off by my future brother & sister in law over labor day weekend.

It was also the month of tomatoes. So.Many.Tomatoes.

Keeping this in mind while I plan a fall detox.

Apple Picking is a highlight for me every year, and since then I have been on an apple recipes binge. If your interested in everything apple check out some of my past recipes (Chicken w/ Apples & Fennel, Apple Pork Chops, Engagement Tart, Crockpot Clean Applesauce, Apple Spice Meatballs, & Vermonter Panini)

This Idea. WOW

Vegans talking about ex-Vegans – The concept doesnt just apply to vegans.

10 most important things to simplify your life.

And while we are on the topic, I will be doing alot of cleaning this weekend so here 5 Questions to ask yourself while Decluttering

Yoga might have to start happening more often. These poses are a good start.

I relaunched my old recipe page. Replacing my pinterest boards It’s the best I can do now, but someday I would like to use pictures as well instead of just titles. That is a lot of coding with blogger though, so it’s a ways down the road.

This is the best blogging advice I’ve seen in a loooong time.

I also launched a newsletter, that you should totally sign up for. There will be no spam, I promise. Just a once a month update that includes the tops posts from the past month as well as anything written by me elsewhere on the net and any big news I have for you. It’s totally worth it. Just sign up already!

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And because we haven’t talked music in a while, and I’m totally obsessed with song right now.

All About That Bass by Meghan Trainor on Grooveshark