Honestly, the second Halloween is over all I can think about is Christmas… and because 2020 is going so well I might have started shopping before Halloween. Alex is trying to encourage me to embrace fall a little longer, at least in the kitchen. About a year ago I decided to try my hand at making homemade pesto since we were buying it so often. After I discovered how simple pesto really is, and that it is slightly fool poof, I started getting creative. I remembered trying pumpkin seed pesto on a sandwich at True Food Kitchen. I took a stab at swapping pine nuts for pumpkin seeds and boom it was really that easy. This pumpkin seed pesto is the perfect addition to a toasted chicken sandwich, bruschetta, or any pasta dish. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips. 

Print Pumpkin Seed Pesto Recipe. 

Temperatures are finally below 90 degrees in Dallas, which means it is soup season! I am not a large fan of pumpkin-flavored things (sorry Pumpkin Spice Latte), but this pumpkin soup has become one of my few exceptions. I cheat and use canned pumpkin, which makes this soup an easy and quick meal on a chilly fall day. The flavors of this pumpkin soup are very subtle and it pairs well with grilled cheese or sourdough croutons. Enjoy! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.

Print Pumpkin Soup Recipe 

4 cups (14 oz.) canned pumpkin puree (or 2 sugar pie pumpkins roasted)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 shallots, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1/4 cup marsala

5 cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 cup half-and-half

In a Dutch oven or heavy saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add shallots and cook until softened. Add garlic and thyme and cook for about 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with marsala and add pumpkin, cooking until lightly browned. Add broth and maple syrup and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Stir in the half-and-half. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the soup and stir until the butter is melted. Season the soup with salt and pepper.

To make croutons, cut two slices of sourdough bread horizontally once and vertically six times. Spread butter on one side of each crouton and place it on a baking sheet. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees or until crispy.

Sweater: Dreamers by Debut  // Jeans: Gap // Booties: Nordstrom // Sunnies: Karen Walker

This week, I finally made it to a pumpkin patch. Despite the weather not feeling like a true October, I did my best to get in the fall spirit. I found a perfectly misshapen pumpkin and tried my best to carve it (hence the word “tried” and notice there are no images of the end result lol). I went to the pumpkin patch at Royal Lane Baptist Church, but here is a list of some other great pumpkin patches in the DFW area. I am wearing this cowl neck sweater that I found durning the Nordstrom Anniversary sale. Unfortunately this sweater sold out quickly during the sale, but I found a similar sweater at Nordstrom Rack and linked multiple cowl neck sweaters at the bottom of this post. I paired the sweater with my favorite jeans from Gap and fringed booties my Steve Madden. This look can be easily layered with a jacket and is perfect for transitional weather. I have linked some of my favorite fringed booties and cowl neck sweaters below to shop! xoxo

Images via Alex Phillips.