Cooking with Friends

I am so loving my new blog buddies at Cooking with Friends and all of their incredibly tasty entries! My first wake up call was "No Knead Bread". ( No- I don't really NEED it...) But, I mean- it's so sinfully simple and satisfying! A must try. These gals seem to be completely tuned into my internal appetite gauge. The most recent thing I made from there was the Root Soup- spectacular and not too sinful. Mine came out a bit richer in color, but that may have been from the type of squash I used. I , for some reason, was inspired to add a dollop of Greek yogurt and some toasted pumpkin seeds. We served it with grilled sausage and a salad with persimmon and a balsamic vinaigrette.
I must also add, it looked pretty dazzling on my new autumnal place mats made with Laura Gunn's Lantern Bloom line- mix and match, flip 'em over- all of these colors work for me , especially this time of year. Please go visit Alison and Shannon at Cooking with Friends. They have some really great holiday menu ideas, and they would love to hear about your favorites, too.