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It’s that time of year… the fall season is ending, leaves are falling from the trees and a frigid chill is in the air. The days get colder and the nights get longer. Soon the snow will be upon us. There is a lot to think about to prepare for winter. Just like the squirrels gather nuts and make their nests, we need to get out the winter clothing and stock up the pantry. 

I love to cook cozy comfort food on a cold winter evening.  Light a candle, build a fire in the fireplace and wrap myself in a warm and comfy blanket. It only gets better with a bowl of something warm and tasty that says “Winter, bring it on!”

Nothing is better than a meal that brings back childhood memories. 

One of my favorite childhood memories is coming home to our warm home after a long day of skiing. The smell of a delicious meal in the oven which undoubtedly meant mom has been cooking all day. The anticipation for that meal to fill our hungry bellies and give us the nourishment felt like forever. 

We would run to the kitchen table when heard mom holler “Dinner!  Come and eat.”  It was a table filled with stories and laughter from our adventures on the ski hills. 

Any dutch oven by Le Crueset, like this Deep Teal color, is the perfect vessel to make that lovely cold day warmth giver. The enameled iron and perfect fitting lid not only looks beautiful but, does the job you need. 

This recipe brings me back to those good old days. 

The pantry items and winter veggie is the perfect combination. Give it a try… And may it create new memories for you and yours.

Fall is definitely here – the leaves are changing, nights are cold and the bright colored summer flowers are replaced by the rich jewel tones of mums and cabbage. It is also the time of year that many of us fill our homes with fall decorations. My daughter has a November 1st birthday and when she was younger, my house was filled with Halloween decorations to help us get ready for Halloween themed birthday parties which were an annual event at our house. Witches, ghosts and jack-o-lanterns were in every room.

Now that she is older I may take out a few of our favorite ghouls, but I tend to decorate for the fall with pumpkins, gourds and prettier items. I love seeing the inside of my home reflect the colors and feel of the season.

When I started working at Marcels, I was fortunate to be introduced to one of my favorite things – Plush Pumpkins. These handmade, velvet pumpkins with real pumpkin and gourd stems are beautiful and make stunning displays on a tablescape or tucked in a corner of a shelf. The new Plush Pumpkins have arrived in the store and the colors are beautiful. Stop in to see them and all the other fall decorations we have – from whimsical Halloween items to beautiful Simon Pearce pumpkins. And don’t forget to take advantage of our Simon Pearce Gift With Purchase promotion (through November 16th). When you make a purchase of $225 or more in Simon Pearce glassware, we will give you a Small Twist Glass Pumpkin as our gift to you (while supplies last). How’s that for fall inspiration?!

Happy decorating!

For most families, birthday celebrations typically involve presents and cake for the guest of honor.  It is difficult to comprehend that prior to March 2020 and our COVID-19 quarantine, we actually encouraged the birthday person to BLOW directly onto the cake to make a wish.  What were we thinking???

My family loves cake as much as the next, but when it comes to our private birthday celebrations, ours will most likely involve a birthday pie. We have tried them all…fruit, cream, frozen, graham cracker crust, cookie crust, etc.,  etc.  A favorite at the moment is a Peach Blueberry that I recently made for my son’s 31st birthday. It was full of flavorful Michigan peaches and Michigan blueberries and a streusel topping of brown sugar, pecans and butter. How can you go wrong with that ingredient list? And because of all the yummy juices, it needs to be eaten quickly … so be sure to go back for seconds!

I have to confess that I am NOT an online shopper. I love to shop in person – see the merchandise displays, touch the fabrics, and talk with knowledgeable salespeople. But times have changed and COVID restrictions have changed shopping in person for many people.  My family has now been shopping online for things we never thought we would – from basic groceries to even a new car! Believe me, that never would have happened before 2020. 

Did you know that Marcels’ has a new online shopping experience? We have always sold cooking classes on our website but now we have added some of our wonderful products (cookware, electrics, tableware, glassware, home decor, gift boxes) for you to shop online too. You’ll find hundreds of items from the brands you love – Le Creuset, Swiss Diamond, Vitamix, Juliska, Simon Pearce and so many more! 

In addition to gift boxes for the holiday season, we are now offering excellent gift packages year round. Delight your friend or hostess with this “Girlfriend” Margarita gift set. Or treat someone with a gift set celebrating all things local with zip code stemless wine glasses and a Railroad Spike Bottle Opener from one of our favorite Glen Ellyn vendors, Muirwood Reclamations.  

We can ship anywhere in the continental US and we also have many customers who like to shop online and then pick up curbside – we will help you shop in whatever way you feel most comfortable.  

For your first ONLINE purchase, we’re offering a 10% discount coupon code (online10)* to be used on any one item or gift package. So sit back, relax, and shop any time of the day (no masks needed)! 

*valid on one regularly priced item 

Almost 30 years ago we moved from a charming adorable home to a house across the street with “potential” for the future.  It was a brown house, hidden by overgrown evergreens, smaller than our current home, but had a third bedroom that we needed for our family of 5, eventually becoming 6.

In November we walked all our belongings, one toddler and two babies across the street and into that brown house.  I wasn’t sure about all the “potential” or even about the house itself.

That winter we snuggled in our home and we lived without the amenities we had grown accustomed to. (The lack of air conditioning was probably the hardest adjustment, but we wouldn’t know that until summer!)  We cleaned and painted and made it our own.  We stayed warm and cozy all winter long, loving and appreciating the gentle warmth of radiator heat.

 Then came spring. I may not have loved this house at first, but the back yard- I LOVED it in all it’s blooming glory.  First came the snowdrops. The crocus, hellebores, trillium, and daffodils following soon after.  The backyard blooming continued until fall.  The rhubarb came with the lilacs and the peonies.  I was so excited to see the rhubarb.  The rhubarb came with all the potential.  What to make first?  A traditional strawberry-rhubarb pie or maybe something more adventurous?

Rhubarb to me is old fashioned. I believe it’s a Midwestern thing.  I nurtured and tended to my plant.  I protected it and finally moved it to the front yard.  It has a history with this house.  Those that lived here before us probably ate from that plant and shared it with their neighbors.

My family looks forward to eating rhubarb squares every summer (see recipe below).  I would share photos of them but sadly they were devoured before I was able to take that Instagram worthy photo.  This year I also made a Rhubarb liqueur and a Rhubarb Rosemary Jam to share at Christmas.  I love to preserve a bit of summer to give in winter.  Part remembrance of last summer and part anticipation of warmer weather to come.

We moved to this brown house for what it held for our future.  The move-in condition may not have felt perfect or ideal.  We lived a little crowded and limited for a few years.  Every spring the backyard unleashed it’s beauty and we enjoyed it.  The home now has more space, lots of love and memories, and air conditioning!  The yard continues to provide beauty, joy, and a bit of food for us and all the wildlife passing through. 

It may feel like right now we have all moved into the small brown house-it’s crowded, lacking amenities, and we’re not sure we like it. But oh when spring arrives, I look forward to the bounty of beauty that awaits us!