Recipe { Thanksgiving Pumpkin Lasagna }

Happy belated Thanksgiving! I hope you had a good one. D and I had a quiet Thanksgiving at home this year. Since it was just the two of us, I'd thought I'd be adventurous and try a non-traditional Thanksgiving meal of pumpkin lasagna made in a 6-quart crock pot. It turned out so well, I'm sharing the recipe with you.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin and Sausage Lasagna
Ingredients

• 2 15 oz. cans of pumpkin
  
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  
• 1 cup half and half or light cream
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
  
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
  
• 1 small red onion, chopped
  
• 1/2 pound sliced baby bella mushrooms
  
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
  
• 5-6 turkey sausage, veggie sausage or Italian sausage links
  
• Freshly cracked pepper to taste
  
• Sea salt to taste
  
• 9 no-cook whole wheat lasagna noodles
  
• 15 oz. ricotta cheese
  
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  
• 1 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, saute sausage. Slice and set aside.

In a medium skillet, saute mushrooms, onion and sea salt to taste. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, cranberries, cream, sage, nutmeg, pepper (to taste) and sea salt (to taste)

Cover bottom of crock pot with a layer of pumpkin mix.

Top with a layer of noodles. Cover with a thick layer of pumpkin mixture. Add a layer of cheese mixture. Add a layer of mushrooms. Add a layer of sausage.Repeat until there are three layers. Top with the remaining pumpkin mix and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Cook on high in crock pot for 3-4 hours.Serves 6-8.

Serve with a rich, full-bodied white wine, like Nissley Vineyards Topaz Select (for those of you in PA) or Cakebread Chardonnay.

Happy holidays and enjoy!

Shop Ruche this weekend and get 15% off!

We all know how I love this site and now you can, too, to the tune of 15 percent off. Details below (just click the image to start shopping).

Read this { packaging and textiles }

For the graphic designer or textile lover on your holiday shopping list:



Boxed and Labelled-
New Approaches to Packaging Design from gestalten
Textiles Now by Drusilla Cole, available at Doe

Get organized { mod style }

I might use my iPhone for planning my life and remembering events, but nothing beats an old-fashioned planner, like this one from ModCloth, when it comes to keeping my work meeting notes organized. No more sorting through random notebooks for notes I took at that meeting a few weeks ago. With these stylish, colorful datebooks, I can just flip right to the date of the meeting (which of course, is stored in my iPhone) and pick up right where I left off.

Attention typophiles! (And fans of NYC and San Francisco, too.)

What do you get when you combine typography with two of the world's greatest cities? Some very cool art by Gemini Studios.



New York streets and neighborhoods original graphic art collage on canvas
San Fransico streets and neighborhoods typography collage on canvas
PS- If anyone feels like buying me a Christmas present, I'm down with both of these pieces. And this beagle painting is pretty neat, too. Jus' sayin'. :-)

Ruche Winter Lookbook { Love! }

Ruche just unveiled their newest lookbook, A Winter Romance. As always, the styling is perfect and the photography is beautiful. Check out my favorite looks below and shop all the styles here.

Get local { Lancaster, PA }

It's not very often I get too excited about where I live since I have my sights set on much larger cities, but even I have to admit downtown Lancaster, Pa. has a decent scene. Sure, it's not San Francisco, New York or Philly, but it still has its own vibe- sort of like a miniature version of Old City in Philadelphia. Whether you live here or you're just visiting, get the most of out Lancaster with Fig® and Fig ONE.

J. Crew spring 2010 sneak peek

The weather outside may be frightful and there might be presents under the tree, but the fashion world is already full spring ahead. J. Crew creative director, Jenna Lyons, and company recently rolled out the spring 2010 presentation. In typical J. Crew fashion, looks were layered and juxtaposed with feminine/masculine touches. Neon and pastel shades popped against a neutral base, reminding me of the quaint little surf town of Capitola Village with its sandy shores and brightly colored buildings.



J. Crew image source: Women's Wear Daily


Capitola photo by me.

Holiday dressing { the perfect dresses for your holiday parties }

From your best friend's cocktail party to the office gathering to dinner with the in-laws to New Year's Eve, be the belle of every holiday ball this season with these gorgeous dresses.

Frankly, scarlett


Ruffles and roses



Shades of gold


Sequin sparkle


Ribbons and lace


Green goddess


Prints charming



Lady in red (left to right)
She's a Lady dress, ModCloth
Red Cocktail Dress by Jax, Edressme
Crimson off-the-should-dress by A.B.S., BlueFly

Ruffles and roses (left to right)
Grand Cru dress, Anthropologie
Moved to Tears dress, ModCloth
Sweet Jasmine dress, Lulu's

Shades of gold (left to right)
Tiered Empire dress, Forever21
Hello Sunshine dress in mustard, Lulu's
Golden Light dress, Anthropologie

Sequin sparkle (left to right)
Sequin single strap dress, Forever21
The Tina Dress, ModCloth
Nanette Lepore "Love Theme" sequin dress, Bloomingdale's

Ribbons and lace (left to right)
A Trace of Lace dress, ModCloth
Nanette Lepore "Love Triangle" lace dress, Bloomingdale's
Love Lace navy embroidered tie dress, Ruche

Green goddess (left to right)
Gathered Together dress, Anthropologie
Grecian Green dress, ModCloth
Corcia green dress, Lulu's

Prints charming (left to right)
Midnight Blooms dress, Ruche
Ikat bow monde dress, J.Crew
The Frances Dress, ModCloth

Giveaway winner!

Thanks to everyone who participated in my first giveaway. And thanks to Dawn of Daisy Petal Designs for offering on of her pretty headbands as the prize. As promised, I'm announcing the winner today.

As generated by random.org, the winner is Belinda (comment #1)! Congratulations, Belinda! Contact me at shopbloomingwildflowers@gmail.com and we'll get you in touch with Dawn so she can design your headband.

What to wear { Holiday shopping with friends }

Jeans? Nah. Whether you're strolling downtown or battling the mall crowds, get your holiday shopping done in style with a feminine sweater dress, flat boots, textured tights and vintage-inspired accessories.



Style tip: Get extra mileage out of your favorite summer sundress by layering a cozy sweater dress over it.

Where to buy:
Modern Victorian Sweater Dress, Ruche
What Dreams May Come dress, ModCloth
Bronze filigree chandelier earrings, Ruche
Rustic Garden Nature Brown Bracelet, Serenite Designs on Etsy
Moonbeam tights, Anthropologie
Crinkled boots, Anthropologie
Deux Lux Embroidered Satchel, Urban Outfitters

Lip lickin' good { Winter Cordials from C.O. Bigelow }

If my current favorite color combination were a yummy lipgloss, it would be Hot Buttered Rum Mentha Lip Cordial™ by C.O. Bigelow® (pictured left).



It's so tasty, I just want to keep piling it on and licking my lips. But I do my best to refrain from that lip licking part because I'm pretty sure it isn't meant for consumption, even if my taste buds say otherwise.

Get yours at Bath & Body Works along with other delicious Winter Cordial flavors like Ginger Mentha (top right) and Warm Spiced Cider Mentha (bottom right). (And bonus- they're buy 2, get 1 free!) Good enough to eat. But, um, don't.

Giveaway! { Daisy Petal Designs } - Extended!

I'm excited to be running my first giveaway on this blog! I'm also excited that it features one of my friend's Etsy shops- Dawn recently opened Daisy Petal Designs and her shop is stocked with whimsical pieces including flower headbands, clips and romantic beaded jewelry. I just love her stuff and I think you will, too.

To help her get the word out about her shop, I'm running a giveaway here. So, here's the scoop, readers- Dawn will make a custom flower headband to the winner of this giveaway (see the bottom image in the picture below for an example). Cool, right?

Here's how to enter:

1. Visit Daisy Petal Designs and find your favorite item.
2. Come back to this post and leave a comment, with your name and with the name of your favorite item in Dawn's shop.

Start submitting your entries today (Sunday, November 1, 2009). The last day for entries is Saturday, November 14, 2009. I'll select the winner randomly using random.org and I'll announce the winner here in a blog post on Sunday, November 15. I don't need your e-mail address, just make sure you check back here on November 15 to find out if you won.

Feel free to spread the word about the giveaway!


Here are just a few of the adorable items available at Daisy Petal Designs:


Top left: Eternity bracelet
Top right: Deep blue necklace
Bottom: Champagne and chocolate headband

Remember, this giveaway isn't for the items pictured. It's for a custom-designed headband. Choose your color, choose your style! And spread the word! Just do it before Saturday, November 14, 2009.


Giveaway disclaimer:
No purchase necessary. We reserve the right to close the contests early or late without warning. We will post the name of the winner on November 15, 2009. Upon winning, you agree that your name can be published on this blog at the close of the contest. You must contact us within 7 days after the winner has been annouced to claim your prize.