Day 6: Gain an Hour My Ass

Oh, Daylight Savings Time.

You are the bane of my existence

Even though you only show up twice a year – once in our favor, and once very much against us – you are THE WORST.

Besides the fact that I will be finding clocks for the next 4 months that are an hour off, you mess up sleep.

Parents across the country are lamenting on Facebook how their children aren’t sleeping. How they're up at ungodly hours in the morning, and screaming at bedtime. 

In my house, it's a completely different story.

The only person affected by Daylight Savings Time is ME.

That’s right, I was up at 5:30am (really 6:30am) today.

Even my child slept until 7:30am!

Your only saving grace is that it’s not pitch dark out when I wake up. However, you even ruin that little perk by making it dark at 4pm.

Daylight Savings Time, you’re on notice.

Day 5: The Perfect Dinner

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Fall.

And today was the epitome of a fantastic Fall day.

I look forward to this time of year, after the craziness of Summer weekends are over, and we spend time at home. 

Of course, much of that time for Mr. KK is blowing leaves, cleaning the yard, and shoveling – yes, shoveling – acorns. 

Much of that time, for me, is cooking.

My house smells amazing right now, having just pulled dinner out of the oven.

There's something about a warm kitchen, fragrant air filled with the aroma of dinner, and a glass of red wine. 

Heaven.

On tonight's menu: Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken.

And perfect, it was.

Stuffed with garlic, thyme and lemon, this chicken lived up to its name.

Crispy and golden on the outside. Juicy and delicious on the inside. And underneath? The most amazing caramelized vegetables.

I paired it with roasted potatoes and a fruity red wine.

Thanks again, Ina, for a fantastic meal. You never disappoint.

Day 2: Delicious Fall Entertaining.

I'm a warm-weather girl for sure (the hotter the better!), but if I had to pick a favorite season, it's Fall.

The changing trees. Boots and sweaters. And every day is perfect hair weather.

My other favorite thing about the Fall?

Comfort food.

Crock pots and casseroles. Chilis and stews. Braising and roasting.

One of my favorite meals to cook when we're entertaining is chicken pot pie. I know that CPP was in its heyday in the 70s, but it truly has made a delicious comeback.

My go-to Chicken Pot Pie recipe is from Ina Garten. It's creamy and hearty and the perfect cold-weather meal.

I've made these just like Ina, as little individual pies with crusts. However, this weekend, I deconstructed them a bit, and put my own little Halloween twist on them.

Get Ina's full recipe here; see below for my adaptation.

Chicken Pot Pie

This pumpkin "crust" would be perfect for Thanksgiving, too!

Ingredients – The Filling

• 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts (boneless) OR 1 cooked rotisserie chicken
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 5 cups chicken stock (I use College Inn low sodium)
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 1/2 stocks unsalted butter (butter=better)
• 2 onions chopped
• 3/4 cup AP flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes (blanch them, trust me)
• 1 10-oz. package frozen peas
• 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

• Place chicken breasts in baking dish, rub with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast the chicken breasts in a 350 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes. Once cooled, cut into cubes. 
• If you're using a rotisserie chicken, simply remove meat from the bones and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock.
• In a Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the chopped onions over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, until translucent.
• Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
• Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce.
• Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring until thick.
• Add 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and heavy cream.
• Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.
• Continue to cook the mixture on low for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Ingredients – The Crust

Instead of making a pie crust and individual pot pies (who has time for that?), I use refrigerated pie crust to create crust "toppers" for the chicken pot pie.

• 1 package refrigerated pie crust, at room temperature for 30 minutes then rolled out flat
• seasonal cookie cutters

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Roll out pie crust on flat surface and use cookie cutters to cut into shapes
• Place dough shapes on ungreased cookie sheet
• Bake until golden brown

To Serve

Ladle chicken pot pie filling into bowls. Top each with a crust.

Enjoy!

Day 7: Friday Favorites

I have to say, being home on maternity leave, I never know what day it is. They sort of all blend together.

But I know today is Friday because I've been counting the minutes until Mr. KK got out of work so we could start our weekend together.

Let's celebrate Friday with some of my favorite things for Fall…

1. Anything Gray

I am LOVING the color gray this Fall (who am I kidding? I ALWAYS love the color gray). 

 Open-toed bootie

d'orsay pump

faux fur vest

2. Camo

There's such a thing as camo overload. So pick ONE piece of camp – jacket, sneakers, bag – and call it a day. For me, I love these pants: the new take on everyday jeans.

camo pants

3. neutral fall nails

I'm a sucker for Essie, and every season they outdo themselves. This is the neutral you won't be able to get enough of.

essie 'take it outside'

4. holiday decorating

We host Thanksgiving every year, and I love to dress up the table. I found this runner that is not only simple, but the orange matches my stove perfectly. :)

Briar table runner

5. Classic cocktails

The nights are getting cooler, we've finally lit our stove…it's time for fall cocktails! Mr. KK makes a mean Manhattan in these chic coupe glasses.

Camille Coupe glass

Happy Friday!

Happy weekend!