Howdy all, happy Sunday!
It’s been a very nice day indeed around these parts. 
I slept in, went grocery grocery shopping, did meal prep for the week, then went over to my parent’s house for Sunday lunch. It’s been WEEKS since we’ve all gotten together!
Aside from getting to see the fam, I also got to revel in my parent’s backyard, which is currently off the heeze in terms of autumnal gorgeousness.
The colors of their maple trees are eye-popping!
We’re having a particularly windy day so I’m not sure how much longer these beauts will last. Glad I got to see them before it was too late though.
The wind pushed me inside where a warm and cozy bowl of Lasagna Soup was waiting for me.
I featured this soup in a Friday Favorites post a few weeks ago and both my Mom and I have been dying to make it. I actually had it on my meal plan for this week before I found out she was serving it for lunch today!
The soup is souper (…) unique in that it’s basically deconstructed lasagna with chicken broth to make it slurpy. First you dollop a ricotta cheese mixture into the bottom of your bowl,
then you cover it with a hearty, zesty soup which includes Italian sausage, fire-roasted tomatoes, noodles and Italian spices galore.
The cheese factor in here was off the chain! Melty ricotta + gooey mozzarella on top = double cheesy delight. Everyone absolutely loved this lasagna soup.
I brought a Maple Pear Salad to share which included field greens, sliced pears, feta cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries and an unbelievable Maple Dressing. I was slightly worried the maple syrup and extra virgin olive oil based dressing would be way too sweet, but it was perfection. YUM!
Since this was the first time the whole family has been together since Ben’s birthday earlier this month, we brought out the traditional IGE family cake to celebrate. Finn helped his Papa light the candles…
(Hey, get outta the way! 
)
(ps check out his haircut, ahhh – he looks so grown up now!)
and the best birthday cake on earth, aka Pepperidge Farms frozen birthday cake, was plunked down in front of my man.
Wonder what he wished for??
Probably the whole cake for himself.
Alas, Ben was in a sharing mood and we all got a sweet slice.
Presents were next, which included a hand-painted watercolor masterpiece from the Finnster himself.
So thoughtful, and quite the budding artist, wouldn’t you say?
Back at the casa it’s T minus 1 hour ’til the Trick-or-Treaters arrive, and the candy bowl is set out and ready for ‘em.
A couple people mentioned in the comments of yesterday’s post that they didn’t know kids had to tell a joke to get their candy around here.
Tough love, baby.
Have a great night, and happy (nearly) Halloween – muwahahaha!
I just made the lasagna soup yesterday for our weekend meal!! It was delicious, and I would never have seen it without your Friday favorites. So yum. Thanks!
That soup looks perfect for the cold days that are creeping up on us!
WANT! I make soup at least twice a week all fall/winter but it’s been so unseasonably warm (I’m in central Iowa too) that I haven’t gotten in to it yet this year. Definitely trying this soon. Hoping to add it to the rotation! Thanks!
wow, that soup looks… well, souper
can’t wait to whip it up on a chilly chicago night.
finn is as cute as ever!!
Such spectacular photos! Thank you for sharing, it’s currently turning into spring here in Australia so our trees are doing their wardrobe change in reverse and throwing on all their best greens and blooms in every hue of the rainbow
I can’t wait to see a real autumn one day though, there seems to be a certain romance in the ochre colour of the leaves.
I am thinking of starting the joke telling rule here too! Make the kids work for that candy
That soup looks delicious. I have been wanting to make that soup for awhile. That salad looks good too!
I grew up south of Des Moines and it wasn’t until college that I realized we were practically the only people EVER who had to tell jokes in order to get the candy for trick-or-treating. The rest of the world also trick-or-treats ON Halloween, not the night before. Who knew??!
everything looks delicious. i made a salad very similar to that last night with the same dressing. we loved it! i will definitely be making it again and again.
What a great idea for soup. I love anything deconstructed. Glad you enjoyed a wonderful family filled Sunday!
Yum! I saw that lasagna soup recipe a while back on Pinterest and have been curious about making it. Good to know it’s IGE approved!
Happy tricker treating!
I bought fun shaped noodles earlier this week to make lasagne soup. I like the scoop of ricotta on the bottom, I wouldn’t thought of that!
UNI alum here. Nice to see the panthers representing
I made this lasagna soup a few weeks ago for my family and it was a huge hit. I like it just as well without the ricotta cheese in it too. I just add a little mozzerella.
I made the lasagna soup last Sunday and we’ve had leftovers all week! TDF, totally!
Growing up in Northern Iowa I never told jokes when trick or treating but since moving to the DM area the kids and I have embraced the tradition. Unfortunately my 3 year old isn’t up to par with her joke telling so people mostly gave her a strange look and tossed some candy her way. LOL
That lasagna soup looks delish-will have to put that on my list!
My good friend who lives in DM just told me about Trick-or-Treating on the night BEFORE Halloween. I have never heard of such a thing!
I would totally use that as an excuse to get candy for two nights in a row!
Oh wow. I’m glad we don’t do the joke thing here! It would be a lean Halloween for my 16 month old, who I’m pretty sure is going to toddle up to each door tomorrow night and say ‘puppy’ (which is what she will be dressed as). We tried to get a ‘trick or treat’ – or at least a tickoteet – out of her, but no such luck!!
omg, i am absolutely obsessed with finn, he is the CUTEST LITTLE KID EVER!!! pictures of him just me smile
i’m sure his pediatrician especially adores him!!
i would totally move to iowa just to be his pediatrician, i’ll be done in med school in 4 years
just kidding lol
That soup looks delicious! It definitely seems a lot easier than making a full lasagna. Total comfort food.
Finn is so cute!!
I love your autumnal leave photos – really beautiful!
And that soup looks delicious, just right for this sort of weather
Aww I love Finn’s painting, homemade presents from children are definitely the best kind!
I have s craving for some cake now
Props to your brother for giving the Panthers a little love in a Hawkeye household. UNI Fight!
GO GOPHERS!!!!
Thanks for the wonderful looking soup recipe! Stay warm down there!
Is the early trick or treating a Des Moines or Iowa tradition? I grew up just east In Omaha and we celebrated on Halloween night. Just wondering…
Wow, those leaves are beautiful. We don’t have anything like that here in San Diego!
I’m SO GLAD you liked this soup! Thank you for sharing with your readers. Next time I make it, though, I want a plate of your delicious salad alongside my bowl – sounds like the perfect compliment!
We moved here from Utah 5 years ago. I have lived in Cali, Az, and Utah and in all those places we never had to tell a joke to get our candy. The first year I took my kids out trick or treating here people kept asking what our “trick” was and we had no idea what they were talking about! Now my kids love going around telling their jokes!
Oh yeah and that soup looks awesome!
That soup looks amazing and I love all of your pictures!
We always had to tell a joke in order to get our candy. When we moved to Wisconsin, it was not the case. I’ll be honest, I am slightly disappointed in that. Your blog is great, by the way. I am an Iowa girl at heart and really love all your creative, delicious looking receipes. I am so excited to try them!