There are two ways to look at a rainy day: cozy or blah.
Mine started out cozy and turned to blah! I went from happily cuddling with a cup of coffee and bowl of oats to wishing I could ride my bike across town as the sun set. If only it was as easy as flipping a switch in my brain back to cozy!
Dinner tonight was definitely a step in the right direction
Roasted Acorn Squash with Bratwurst and Cremini Mushrooms over Garden Chard
The squash went in for about 30-40 minutes at 400* simply rubbed in coconut oil and flipped halfway through. Mushrooms went in with about 15 minutes left, as did the Brats.
I picked up these organic chicken sausages from Whole Foods. I was going for a real German Bratwurst feel – until I realized we were out of MUSTARD!
We wilted the chard in the oven as well – just tossed in a little Garlic Gold.
I DO eat the skins of the squashes but I try not to! They really do a number on my intestines – too much fiber I suppose. I try to eat around them and give the leftovers to Matt (who appears not to be bothered) but I inevitably ate probably 3/4 of them tonight because they were SO GOOD!
A bit of the way into the meal, the squash just needed some coconut butter. They asked politely, please and thank you.
A little post-supper dessert came from my Hail Merry stash – a vanilla sugar cookie macaroon!
I could get used to this picture of this dishwasher!
Perhaps tomorrow we will get a visit from Little Miss Sunshine. In the meantime, Operation Get Cozy
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
Oooo your living room sure does look nice and inviting!! I would be all for cozying up on one of those couches with a good book in hand!
Dinner looks amazing! I always eat all the skins off of my squashes – I don’t tink they do me any harm and I have some pretty sensitive intestines! I’m glad though, they’re delicious!!
Shannon (The Daily Balance) says
i love rainy days! definitely cozy and a good excuse to relax 😉
Janelle says
I love squash skin too – eaten in moderation, of course 🙂
The living room looks cozy – and I LOVED “The Help” – enjoy the evening!
Gabriela @ Une Vie Saine says
Your house and dinner certainly do look cozy! Great idea to put coconut butter on roasted veggies- I’d never have thought of that. Enjoy your night in!
steph @ goeatapeach says
might i just say that your grammar in this post is impeccable, and if i could see your outfit in these pics, i’m sure that both your clothes AND shoes are quite cute 😉
Kath says
HAHAHA!!!
It took me two reads to detect the sarcasm 🙂
Lauren at KeepItSweet says
looks like such a good dinner!
Chelsea at Striking Balance says
I agree, your living room looks so cozy!
Too bad you can’t just switch back to any mood you wish, hey. That would be so nice on days when you are grumpy.
steph @ goeatapeach says
PS just got one of my birthday presents to myself in the mail- coconut butter from your Open Sky store (couldn’t resist that September sale)… already so excited for breakfast tomorrow.
Jil says
Loooove the living room set up – sooo cozy!
Erin says
I love cozy rainy days, especially when I can stay home in my sweatpants with a book and the couch. 😉
Lauren says
SUch a cozy dinner enjoyed in such a warm and cozy home. 🙂 Everything looks great Kath. You guys have settled into your new environment so nicely. 🙂
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
I love Little Miss Sunshine too…it has rained here the past two days and I have enjoyed it, but I think it is time to see my old friend make an appearance!
Shannon @ Freshman Yr of Life says
I had acorn squash in my lunch today for the first time and it was soooooo good! Your house is so darn cute.
Kristy @ KristyRuns says
Love your place! Especially on a dreary evening. I think the floor lap in the kitchen is totally working. 🙂 Also, your dinner presentation is just gorgeous!
theemptynutjar says
Hi Kath,
question about coconut oil. Its just “organic coconut oil” and it is solid ….let’s say I don’t take the time to melt it and instead just take a tablespoon of it as it is dry and add it to something…is that still the equivalent of one tablespoon of oil at liquid temperature…or more? Curious.
Kath says
It’s not just oil – it’s the meat too. That’s the difference between coconut oil and butter. If you pour off the oil, I’d imagine it would reduce the density/volume just a bit
emily says
What I am learning (today!) in Nutrition 100 is that fats take up more space in liquid than solid form, i.e. 1cup of solid fat > 1 cup of liquid fat. Realistically, when you are at Tbsp level (as opposed to cups, etc) the difference would be pretty infintesimal. However, I’m not sure whether the coconut oil nutritionals assume that you are doing a liquid or solid form measurement. If the small difference matters to you than the way to measure would be by weight.
Is that all correct, Kath?
emily says
Whoops, sorry, I must have hit reply the same time as you!
Kath says
Weight would be the best way to measure! And you’re right about solids vs. liquids because of air pockets, i think
Amy K. @ onehealthypeanut says
There is nothing like cooking something yummy to turn around a day (even a rainy one!) Enjoy your reading!
Estela @ Weekly Bite says
Such a cozy living room! Have a great night 🙂
Heather says
I love roasted acorn squash – my husband picks all pieces of peel off because he doesn’t like the texture – I think he is crazy!
I hope the sun comes out tomorrow – here in MA too!
Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef says
huh, never tried squash skin. maybe i will sometime this fall….
Brittany (a healthy slice of life) says
I would think getting cozy wouldn’t be too hard in your beautiful living room! 🙂
Hannah says
Is that a light in the first photo? It’s gorgeous!
Kath says
Some kind of decor in our house!
stacey-healthylife says
Enjoy getting cozy, love the acorn squash, It’s one of my favorites.
Stacey says
Looks cozy enough for me! We had rain all day here too..luckily, my mind stayed in the ‘cozy’ department 😉 And that became a problem once I went to organic chemistry class, haha 🙂 I have yet to buy any seasonal squash at the store, but your dinner makes me want to! Hope you got cozy 😀
Courtney @ Sweet Tooth, Sweet Life says
It was the same up here in NY – rainy all day, and all I wanted to do was stay curled up inside, on my couch, in my cozy sweats!
Let’s just say, it didn’t take long to find my spot on the couch as soon as I got home from work. 😉
Alyson @ YNL Blog says
I find those first few fall-like days always cozy.. but just have to remember that sometime in February :p And I loved ‘The Help’!
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
Sometimes it’s so hard to resist eating something that you know you shouldn’t..especially in the case of roasted squash skin. It’s soooo gooodd!!
I love your living room, it looks perfect to get down and cozy 🙂
joyce says
Kath!
i absolutely love the new arrangement of the living room!
looks awesome!
(as does the squash yum!)
Kath says
Thanks!
[email protected] says
Oooo, loving the addition of the bratwurst. This dish looks so delicious and comforting.
Emilee says
Is he washing dishes standing on one foot?
Becki @ Hike, Bike, Eat says
“The Help” is one of my all time favorite books! I’m dying to see Emma Stone in the movie in 2011!
Heather says
I only like gloomy days if its really cold and we have a fire going!
Ellie says
Looks very cozy
Jasmine @ Eat Move Write says
I love that low-light pic of your living room. Talk about cozy. Enjoy your rainy night. I miss having those now that I live in Cali.
Natalia - a side of simple says
Between photos of your kitchen earlier and this last photo of your living room, I’m all ready to cozy up with a good book and listen to the rain! Or.. maybe just watch Gossip Girl all curled up =)
Deva (Voracious Vorilee) says
Today was a rainy and chilly day in Cinci and I couldn’t wait to snuggle up with some hot cocoa this evening. It seems like fall is sneaking in..
Julia says
Hi! I couldn’t help but notice your Flavor magazine in your photo. I hope you had a chance to read it… especially the article about Acacia Mid-town. It’s a wonderful restaurant down here in Richmond. I encourage you to take the drive down to try it out sometime. The food is delicious and the chef is super-nice. I’m partial to the sous-chef, though… being that he’s my baby brother 🙂
Kath says
I haven’t read it yet – but browsed through it the other night. Will look for Acacia!
Kasey says
Yum for roasted squash!!!
Stephanie @ Off the Eaten Path says
Those mushrooms look amazing! Yum. Making me hungry!
Ashley @ Nourishing the Soul says
Looks cozy to me! How do you prepare the squash before putting it in the oven? Or just pop it in?
Amber K says
If I don’t have to go anywhere, I definitely feel cozy. But when I have errands to run and the rain is pouring down, it is immediately a blah fest!
holly @ couchpotatoathlete says
I love the light in the kitchen — it is a very romantic glow 🙂
Good to know about squash skins — my stomach can be very sensitive to high fibrous foods, so that is one thing for me to avoid!
Good night!
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
there’s a heat wave in l.a. right now – your cozy night is looking mighty nice right now!
Camille says
Mmmm, dinner looks so good!
I usually feel more cozy than blah on rainy days 🙂
Lauren says
I hope you’re liking The Help, I loved it! If you’re looking for something to read afterwards I definitely recommend The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Weird title, AMAZING book. I read it after I read The Help 🙂
S @ extremebalance.net/blog says
I loved it until the end… I like a little more complexity in my fiction, I think. Still, a cute book, worth a read. 🙂
Stephanie @ Laugh and Cook says
Your living room looks very cozy!
Alaina @ The Jogging Concierge says
I love your house 🙂
[email protected] says
acorn squash with bratwurst has put me in a good mood before bed haha. MMMM <3
Heidi - apples under my bed says
Good work for trying to get your cozy on. Your living room sure helps with the vibe – I love how you decorated it! I love a good fireplace 🙂
Heidi xo
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
I am loving your living room!
Melissa says
Dinner looks scrumptious per the usual! 🙂 I hope you have a brighter day today! 😉
Hands in Namaste says
That coconut butter drizzle looks devine on that squash! I need to find some here in Florence!!
Sara @ myfancytuna.blogspot.com says
I finally roasted my own acorn squash!! It’s DELICIOUS. I was missing out on so much, haha! I avoid eating the skins, too, although it kills me b/c they taste so good!! That amount of fiber would KILL my stomach, though.
fairfaxmamma says
LOVE the “Virginia” book on your coffee table. We own it and I highly recommend the read!
Bee Goes Bananas says
It’s absolutely pouring here right now. Not fun! I think our campus is flooding and I have to walk all the way across campus to go to class. I wish classes got cancelled due to monsoon rain! 😉
melissa @ the delicate place says
mmmm how were the brats? i have actually never had one but would love to try! ooohhh man, squash skins WRECK me. no joke, i have to cut them off or eat around them. made the mistake once of eating kabocha skins and i was hurting!
Kath says
They were just OK. I wanted them to have more spiced flavor
Angela (Oh She Glows) says
Hmm did you re-organize the furniture in your living room? Or maybe it was always like that…at any rate I LOVE this set up! 🙂
Kath says
Yes, sometime while you were gone I think 🙂
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
Your living room looks so cozy! It’s perfect for snuggling up with a book on a rainy day. 😀
Also I haven’t eaten a sausage in years, but from the handful of times I’ve seen them on your blog, I’ve started to majorly crave them!
Kelly says
I had the exact same thought yesterday about cozy versus blah (It was rainy in Charlotte too). Since I’ve been dying for cool weather, I decided on cozy, but it turned out a little blah for me too when I had to take my run inside and then all the treadmills were taken. 🙁
I’m so sorry you can’t eat much of the acorn squash skin. I think the skin totally makes it!
anne says
Your home IS cozy! Looks like a cozy dinner too. Are you liking “The Help?” I thought it was great.
[email protected] Food Loving Polar Bear says
Your living room looks sooooo inviting. I would love to spend a rainy day on that sofa with a good book.. and that bratwurst!
Amykinz says
Is this your home, Kath? It’s gorgeous! With so much character!
Mads says
I WISH it was rainy sweatpants season here. Instead, it’s 114 degrees and we don’t have AC 🙁
Your living room is beautiful!
Jen says
Your living room looks divine and cozy!
Sarah @ going on goals says
So funny, we had the same thing for dinner last night!