let the light in

photograph by kristen bach

window light

photograph by kristen bach

peeling paint

photograph by kristen bach

frosty leaves

photograph by kristen bach

patched tin

photograph by kristen bach

pear compote

'tis the season for potlucks, entertaining, and eating.  i love creating massive cheese plates with fruits, nuts, and compote.  and leftover compote is always good to spread on toast or as a topping for pancakes.

i made this pear compote with some country pears from my parents pear tree but you can use any pear or apples too!

ingredients:

4-5 pears or apples
a cup of water, only use what you need
a pinch of sea salt
a dollop of honey
1/2 tspn more of cinnamon

directions:

-peel and seed the fruit
-dice them and put them in a small saucepan
-add honey
-add a swig of water to the pan
-cook on medium heat
-add more water when liquid evaporates
-stir frequently
-when the pears or apples are cooked down, add cinnamon and salt
-let cool and serve along side your favorite nuts, cheeses, and delicious breads

photograph and recipe by kristen bach

open to wander

we always love to take the backroads.  on a recent trip through the NC mountains, this house caught my eye.  i slowed the car and noticed the open door.  we walked in and wandered through this place someone once called home...

photographs and words by kristen bach

fall beauty

photograph by kristen bach

fall leaves

photograph by kristen bach

pinks

photograph by kristen bach

sand beauty

photograph by kristen bach

twin tops fish camp

a few weeks ago my husband and i listened to a gravy podcast episode about fish camps around gastonia, north carolina. we were so intrigued.  so, on a recent trip to charlotte, we headed over to gastonia.  at 3pm twin tops fish camp opened and people flooded in.  by the time we left, nearly every table was taken!  our server treated us like family; i thought at one point she may sit down at our table.  

it was a treat for sure!  a southern homecooked meal with a dose of southern hospitality. you could tell it was a tradition for many families to dine here at their local fish camp.   

photographs and words by kristen bach

fall light

photograph by kristen bach

herbed salt

we always grow a variety of herbs but you can only use so many fresh herbs.  this year we wanted to preserve them so we could use them through the winter months.  we decided to try making this herbed salt.  it was a really simple way to preserve them and will be a great gift to give throughout the holidays.  enjoy! 
ingredients
6  cups of fresh herbs (I used basil, rosemary, sage, and thyme)
4 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup sea salt
directions
finely dice all of the herbs with a chef's knife.  you want them to be diced very very fine!
-do the same to the garlic
-combine all of the ingredients
-spread the mixture out on a parchment paper lined baking pan
let dry out for a day or two.  if you have an oven that is cooling you can also stick in the oven when oven is warm, just to dry it out a bit quicker
-store in a closed containers when salt is completely dry

photographs and recipe by kristen bach

a day on the farm

we have written about our many visits to sweet olive farm here on the blog. it is such special place to us all and we enjoy all of the peaceful moments that we have out there. 

my daughter and i love to go and help do chores whenever we have a spare moment. it seems that those days are few and far between, but always welcomed. 

we recently went out and helped scoop up poop for the day and help socialize some of the new animals. we are so lucky to have this special place in our community that rescues animals and provides educational opportunities to our community.  we love you sweet olive farm! 

photographs and words by kristen bach

dyeing with flowers

photographs and words by kristen bach

abandoned shack

i have seen many shacks that look just like this one.  somehow they never get old.  i love peeking inside and getting a glimpse of what once was and seeing how the vines have worked their way in and are making it their home.  it is part of southern beauty.

photographs and words by kristen bach

fall light

photograph by kristen bach

a forgotten home

we were driving through milledgeville, georgia and this home caught my eye.  this traditional southern home was by far the largest, most stately home on the street.  It made me wonder, why was it left here to rest...why was it forgotten.  

it is now in major disrepair, covered in vines...left for the squirrels but was once a home to someone.

photographs and words by kristen bach

fall leaves

photograph by kristen bach