fridays with oscar | butternut squash fritters & orange thyme old fashioned

fall, fashion, fridays with oscar, Style at a Certain Age

what a fun week it’s been over here at the blog. i love getting the opportunity to give you all a glimpse of my day-to-day with our a day in the life series. in case you missed it, on Monday, we showed you my porch refresh; Tuesday, I gave you a tour of my living room; and Wednesday, i threw a few fridge organizational tips your way. today is Friday, and you know what that means: who does’t need a little Oscar in their lives? so sit back and relax. we’ve got your weekend covered with a great outfit, recipe, and cocktail. after it’s fall y’all, and who doesn’t want to look and feel good this season.

outfit of the day

y’all know why fall is so amazing? because you get to wear things like a poncho (old similar here). i’m loving this cowlneck one from Talbots. (one of their better fall items IMO.) pair it with a pair of straight pants from J.Crew, and you’ve got the perfect fall outfit. i’ve been all about fun shoes this week. on Monday, we featured these great sneakers; and Tuesday, these slip-ons. i’m loving these animal print wedges. i think you will too.

butternut squash fritters

looking for a new way to use your butternut squash? try out these fritters. i know college football season hasn’t shaped up in the way in which we hoped, but if you find yourself gathering around the tv on a Saturday afternoon, give these fritters a try. they’re the perfect appetizer on a cool fall day.

butternut squash fritters

1 butternut squash (peeled and shredded)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried sage
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup toasted walnuts (chopped)
1 tbsp salted butter
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

heat 1 tablespoon butter in a a skillet, when butter is foaming and beginning to brown, toss in walnuts and toast in the brown butter until walnuts begin to turn golden and are fragrant. remove from heat and let the walnuts cool on a paper towel. once cool, chop walnuts.
combine butternut squash, flour, garlic, eggs, thyme, sage and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. scoop batter for each fritter and flatten with a spatula. cook until the underside is nicely golden brown, about 2 minutes. flip and cook the other side, about 1-2 minutes. place fritters on a cooling rack and immediately sprinkle with additional kosher salt.
top with walnuts and blue cheese crumbles.

placemats | napkins | bee glasses | serving platter

orange thyme old fashioned

an old fashioned has become one of my favorite drinks. when Kelly told me she had a new orange and thyme twist on this old favorite, i knew we had to share the recipe.

cocktail glasses

orange thyme old fashioned

2 oz bourbon
1 tbsp orange thyme simple syrup
1 dash angostura bitters

orange thyme simple syrup

4 strips orange zest
3 sprigs thyme
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Make the Old-Fashioned: Place bourbon, Orange-Thyme Simple Syrup (recipe below), and Angostura bitters in a cocktail shaker; top with ice. Shake vigorously until shaker is cold, 10 to 20 seconds. Strain into a glass with a large ice cube. Serve with a strip of orange zest and a thyme sprig.
Make the simple syrup: Combine 4 strips orange zest, 3 sprigs thyme, and 1 cup each sugar and water in a small saucepan. Simmer until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and cool; strain.