This is a short week for us so I am keeping things fairly simple. Also, Tom and I are still not working with our usual grocery budget, so just trying to make do with what we have. No Crockpot Wednesday this time, but I will be back in action for next week (I'm thinking a Coconut Chicken Curry??!)!

Monday: Leftover--Bowtie Pasta in Homemade Sauce (what we canned this summer)

Tuesday: Ground Beef Tacos with Homemade Tortillas (so amazing...definitely check out the link found at Finding Joy in My Kitchen) and rice.

Wednesday: Leftover--Butternut Squash Soup (SO TASTY! I add curry powder, garlic, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and a touch of sea salt to mine)

Thursday: Cheeseburgers and sweet potato fries

Friday: Packing sandwiches and hitting the road to visit family for the weekend!!

So, I LOVE to cook with the seasons. Today, my sister and I made Butternut Squash soup for friends while we all enjoyed the Bears football game.

Next week I am definitely going to find some recipes with acorn squash. I bought one on Saturday at the Farmer's Market before actually knowing what I want to do with it. I am thinking something where I can stuff them, as I have never cooked anything like this before...we'll see! I also want to make baked apples for a dessert next week!

Oh, Autumn, you are definitely my favorite!!

*You can find more tasty recipes HERE!!

giving thanks a little early this year...

Here's Tom and I enjoying a visit at the Garfield Park Conservatory. I just love it there! I already want to go back! This picture was taken in the Fern Room which was designed by Jens Jensen (as was a lot of the conservatory). Some of the plants in this room are over 300 years old!

So, I am so surprised that this Wednesday Tom and I will celebrate our 3rd year of marriage! I am excited for the future. Things have not been easy, mostly due to going back to school/finances/trying to find our way in a city we've never lived in and hardly knew anyone/etc.

But, I am SO thankful to have this man in my life. I had a crush on him from the first time I met him at the end of my freshman year. I didn't know if we would ever date- all I knew was that I was smitten and that I needed to pray about it. So many memories of this time flood my memory...

My bracelet that I wore all summer while in Thailand, our brief time of letter writing, the Pixies concert and the drive home, TD's CD's and LP's, meeting for lunch in the union, Roman history class together, chatting on instant messenger, making tacos on Thursdays at the Villas, all the times we hung out with friends at the Villas, and then of course, our trip to Nashville and Memphis where we visited Stax Records, Sun Records, The Civil Rights Museum, Graceland, and his proposal on St. Patrick's Day along the Mississippi River.

I was SO SHOCKED that we were already at that point! I had no idea how things would work out, but they just fell into place so smoothly. I'll never forget our car ride home from Tennessee, talking the whole way about our future together. Here's to more laughter and striving to bring out the best in each other...

-Sarah