Saturday, September 29, 2018

Citrus Spiced Tea...

This is perfect for a cool fall morning....


...a nice hot cup of Citrus Spiced Tea....


...or you can serve it over ice!



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Thursday, September 27, 2018

Autumn Table Settings....

Just sharing a few photos of my favorite Fall table settings:










It's always fun to set a festive table!



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Tuesday, September 25, 2018

A few people have asked.....

Some have asked me how I use my Mackenzie-Childs Taylor dishes in the Fall....

It's easy....I use softer color fall items as accent pieces and centerpieces, rather than typical vibrant fall colors of pumpkins and leaves.  There are so many different colored artificial pumpkins in the stores this year and many are similar colors as the dishes, pinks, aquas and blues.  
And yes, I USE my dishes, however I do hand wash my M-C ceramics.  They are made to be used and enjoyed, not for sitting in a cabinet!


....this table was set for a lunch with a girlfriend:


Quick and easy, with a touch of fall in the center of my Courtly Check table with a glass top!


Perfect for 'chicken salad croissants' !

They can also be softened for fall by mixing with pastel yellow dishes:



The Taylor pieces also mix and match well with vintage milk glass:


The different patterns in the Taylor line offer a variety of ways to coordinate them with your everyday dishware anytime of the year!



I have also seen people use them at Christmas time and decorating the table with lots of pines, greens and birch twigs.

If you are fortunate enough to own some Taylor pieces I would love to see how you use them year round!

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Sunday, September 23, 2018

Squash Soup....

The last two days have been cool, so I am anxious to make some soup.

Here's a quick and tasty recipe:



Squash Soup:
Ingredients
1 (2 to 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled and seeded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Cut squash into 1-inch chunks. In large pot melt butter. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add squash and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove squash chunks with slotted spoon and place in a blender and puree. Return blended squash to pot. Stir and season with salt, and pepper. Serve.



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Happy Fall.....



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Friday, September 21, 2018

Have you ever made a Galette? Here are 2 recipes to try:

Tomato Zucchini Galette

I picked up some tomatoes at the local farm stand and made a galette:


These are so simple to make:  
I sliced about 4 Roma tomatoes and set them out to dry for an hour...


...and sautéed 1/2 zucchini in garlic, butter and some red pepper flakes


...then grated some vegetable cheddar cheese, mixed it with Parmesan-Regianno cheese, salt and garlic pepper and some "CNY blend" seasoning from Hey Rose ...


...I set aside about 1/4 c bread crumbs...


...pulled out my Silpat - or you could use parchment paper.


I spread breadcrumbs on a pie crust, saving about 1T, leaving about 1 1/2" of pie crust empty...


...and layered 1/2 the tomatoes on top of crumbs and topped with a little cheese mixture...


...layered the zucchini and the rest of the bread crumbs...


and then added the rest of the tomatoes, topping with the rest of the cheeses.   I wrapped up the pie crust all around the outside edges and brush with a little melted butter.


I  baked it for 1/2 hr at 375',  and cut some fresh basil from the herb garden...


...and sprinkled ribbons of basil on top when it came out of oven!


I used the pizza cutter to cut it into 6 wedges and enjoyed it!!  YUM!


Apple-Pear Galette...

Galettes are so much easier and quicker to make than a pie...


I don't use a recipe, I just wing it!
I gathered 2 different apples, a pear, some sugar and cinnamon, butter, a little flour and a store bought pie crust...


...I sliced the fruit thinly...


...tossed it with sugar, cinnamon and a little flour...


...placed the fruit on the pie crust in a circle...


...pulled up the edges of the pie crust...


...brushed a little melted butter on the crust, and baked it or about 40 min..


...a perfect little dessert for 2!

Hahaha... Only kidding, we got 4 servings!


Can't wait to go apple picking and make another - and applesauce - and apple cake - and apple bread!




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Thursday, September 20, 2018

A quick 5 minute wreath for only $3.....

I stopped into the Dollar Store today and picked up a grape vine wreath, a floral pick and a buffalo plaid fleece scarf.....


I quickly wrapped the scarf around the wreath and held it place with a twisty tie:


I added a floral pick, simply by bending the stem over the wreath:




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Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Pickle Time...3 of my favorite recipes....


Early Autumn always brings back the memories of my grandmother making pickles.  My grandfather  dug out a root cellar in his back yard in Maine and that is where they stored all of their home canned goods. It's a sweet memory for me and there is something about steaming vinegar that can clear out your sinuses in no time!!  


 I only preserve a few jars of pickles each year.  Here are some of my favorite recipes:


 These are great in a tossed salad or on a charcuterie tray:


This is a quick recipe that my Nutrition students made every year:


November 14th is National Pickle Day, so make some now and enjoy them later!

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Friday, September 14, 2018

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Caitlin's Bridal Bouquet

My daughter was married this past Saturday and carried this bouquet as she said her vows and entered a new phase of her life with her loved one:


I have been collecting rhinestones, jewels, and pearls from family and close friends for years...


...with the idea that I would make my daughter's bridal bouquet.

I used a huge styrofoam ball as a base, cutting off 1/5 of one side to create the bottom.  I started hot gluing the larger brooches first....


....and used smaller pieces like earrings and broken pieces to fill in the empty areas...


...pearls and loose rhinestones filled in other empty spots...


...gathered shear ribbon was spiraled around the flat base of the ball...


...and a ribbon covered PVC pipe was the handle!


The tiny flower at the base of the handle was a flower from my bridal bouquet, 38 years ago!



This was such a special piece, representing so many people who are special in Caitlin's life!


It was a perfect day, a glorious celebration and a great party to honor their union!

Caitlin and Pedro  9/8/18