Harvest Moons & Farm Dinners!

This is my favorite time of year! Who doesn't love the fall?? The perfect weather, the leaves starting to change color, fun things to grow in the garden, delicious soups, chilis, warm dinners paired with yummy red wines, and endless baking. We can't forget all the football we can handle, fest beers, (my personal fav!) fall festivals,hay rides, and pumpkin picking. The list is endless for me. I'll even travel 4 hours for the day just to hike through the mountains, pick apples, visit small farms that offer more than my little coastal town can produce while dragging a 1 and 3-year-old quickly behind me!With fall comes September's harvest moon! I think the best moon we have all year! (but I have a small obsession with the moon.) :) Perfect for gardening and farming into the night, the moon rises earlier than normal this time of year and provides more light than any other full moon. Allowing us dirt and vegetable loving people to continue to work and harvest into the night. The Harvest moon always is breathtaking in its perfect shade of reddish-orange and it always seems bigger, brighter, and hangs lower in the sky! If you live near the ocean sometimes you can watch it rise over the ocean. I've seen it happen a couple of times and it's one of the coolest things I have even seen. Make sure to look for it tomorrow night!And we can't forget about all the farm dinners. Whether it seems to be a trending experience taking over the way we think about going out to dinner or I'm just a little more strange than I thought I was before. But I have been trying to get to every single one I can! The weather has left me disappointed on a few and they've been cancelled. But recently I went to one for a local farm and had the best time. I met lots of fun new people, kids and dogs played together, everyone brought a pot-luck dish to share. And we all enjoyed great food, great company, and a fabulous dinner in the middle of a farm powered by lanterns as soon as the sun disappeared. Can't beat it!Then, this Wednesday night to celebrate my 5th anniversary! My hubby and I totally splurged and crossed one thing off my bucket list. This farm dinner has been something I've wanted to do for 2 years now and I've actually been stalking this man and his vision as he travels around the world setting up tables in the most exotic places, farms, beaches, vineyards, forests, sunflower fields, you name it he's done it. Even in a small town of Radda in Chianti, Italy. A place that holds a special place in my heart. (How cool would it be to sit in the middle of a small Tuscan town with Italian chefs bringing you the best of the best food in the world? Priceless!)So, this spring sitting on the couch searching the internet-working the tons of ideas that pass through my brain all day and night. I screamed as soon as I found out they were coming to the small coastal town just 25 minutes away from me. Guaranteeing they were already sold out. I couldn't believe my eyes there was still space so of course I grabbed "two tickets to paradise" and I counted down the days of summer till Wednesday night finally came.10 days out from your reservation they tell you the undisclosed location, the local chefs, vineyards, farm, and waterman that contribute their knowledge, expertise, and incredible talents. You show up, have drinks and appetizers over looking gorgeous views, and a history about how your food was caught, prepared, and soon to be served is passed along . And in no time you are enjoying the best dinner you've had in a long time with another 130+ strangers that have traveled afar, some well over a 1000 miles just to experience this incredible night! We met great new friends, enjoyed local flounder, wines, fruit, greens, and vegetables from the hardworking people in my immediate local area and we even got to spend sometime with the mastermind! Now I can't wait till next year to see where I can get myself too for the next one!! This one is for the books!! I'm so excited that I got to experience it, something I've been passionate about for a long time and sharing it with my hubby!So here's to inspirational evenings with beautiful harvest moons and unforgettable farm dinners!