This simple spin on an already perfect Caprese salad has become our go-to summer lunch. The sweetness of the nectarines and peaches with the earthiness of the tomatoes and creaminess of the mozzarella is just so good. This recipe is so easy anyone can make it.

Now that Fall is approaching and the weather is getting cooler we’re getting ready to get painting again, this time we think we have found our perfect true white- a pure white, no added pigments, no warm or cool tones, a perfect white. Now, we cross our fingers and hope it looks as good as the swatch we painted on the side of the house.

We wanted to wait for our new chicken coop to arrive and be put in it’s final location before we started planting and building our new raised beds. So it wasn’t until late May/ early June that things really started to get off the ground, rather in the ground. Our original plan for the garden ended up being scaled back from six raised beds to just four and the variety of plants where narrowed to the easiest to care for and the ones that could be sown outdoors. So far we have a bounty of chard, carrots, basil, radishes, and nasturtiums and are waiting for our tomatoes, corn, onions, leeks, and pumpkins to ripen. So far it’s been a very successful season despite being in aa drought and a late start.

We still can't believe Architectural Digest's Clever wanted to feature our Upstate home! Just a few years ago we were sleeping on a mattress on the floor in our winter coats when the heat went out and we were scrambling for buckets when water started pouring in from a leak in the roof. It's been a long journey and even though it's nowhere close to done, I'm so proud of what we have been able to achieve.

We adopted Jackson the rooster this summer after I nearly had to punch a hawk from flying away with one of our hens. When he arrived he immediately started looking out for predators, finding treats for the girls, and doing what roos do. Which is when we realized that we definitely needed more hens.

This winter has been really hard for me. I didn't realize home much my happiness has become dependent on the amount of time I spend outside in the sun. Since December I've been dreaming of my spring garden, tweaking my landscape plan, ordering seeds, and adjusting plant placement.

The former storage space has become one of the most loved rooms of the house. It’s a great space to sit by the fire while reading a book in the winter with a beautiful view of the woods and neighboring farm were deer love to graze.

At WKND House we raise chickens for their eggs, natural fertilizer, tick control, and endless entertainment. Watching our flock graze across the font lawn is one our favorite past times and you really haven’t tasted an egg until you tasted one straight from the chicken coop. While keeping chickens can be fun and fulfilling there’s also quite a bit of work and a lot to learn.

My favorite new tradition since moving Upstate has been planting daffodil bulbs every October. These bulbs need the cold of winter to flourish in the spring. Come spring their little green leaves will start to poke out of the ground signaling "Spring is finally here!”

Our first projects was to create a new bathroom that was fresh, clean, and comfortable but still appropriate for an 1800s farmhouse. We imagined that if the home was still a working farm the farmer would use this bathroom to rinse off after being out with the animals in the field.

Like so many New Yorkers before us we began our search for an upstate weekend house. We had one simple goal, to find a home with history that could become a pastoral escape for us and the people we love.