The flavors and scents of early fall....

Fall is the perfect time to bake - the scents and flavors are so unique to this time of year.  Enjoy these recipes:

Satin and Velvet Pumpkins

The Tales of the Traveling Tote #41

The Tales of the Traveling Tote is a series of adventures that share where our Mackenzie Childs tote bags have taken us.  Four times a year a group of bloggers each write a connected post about the places we have been.

To read about how it all began, go HERE

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Fall in Central NY is just a wonderful time; the air is crisp and the sun is still warm, the leaves are turning colors and fluttering through the air and there are many local activities and festivals.  

Here's what kept us busy this past fall:

Thanksgiving Breakfast for Two

Once again I am joining Rita from Panoply where a group of us share our seasonal table settings. 

We won't be home this Thanksgiving as we will drive the 7-8 hr drive to Ohio to spend the week with our daughter and her family.  So, this table is staged for a breakfast for two!

A Halloween Al Fresco Dinner

It's time for another Tablescape Blog Hop, hosted by Rita @ Panoply  Visit the links at the bottom of this post for some seasonal inspiration!

     It's Pumpkin Season!

The summer weather is coming to a close in Central NY, so we relish the warm afternoons on the front porch.

Apple Picking at Beak & Skiff

Beak & Skiff has been named the #1 Apple Orchard and every year we visit.  This year we enjoyed the morning with Caitlin and our grandsons

We drank Apple Cider and Moscato cocktails in "apple cups" - try it, it's delish!

We picked lots of apples, too!

Here are a few Apple recipes to try:

There are lots of apple farms in our area of NY and this is one of our favorite salad recipes - John likes it on a sandwich and I like it on a bed of lettuce!

Chicken-Apple Salad

1 cooked chicken breast, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 crisp apple, chopped

2T red onion, chopped

1/4 c mayonnaise

salt and pepper

Mix it all together

You can add walnuts, too!

Serve it in this Fluted Breakfast Bowl !

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A favorite recipe from Susan Branch:

I didn't add the cranberries!

Easy to make and delicious to eat!

Serve it in this cute bowl:

MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check Enamel Ice Cream Bowl 

Try an Orchard Palmer: Honeycrisp vodka, lemonade and apple cider!

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Cider Sangria

3 oz white wine

2 oz apple cider

1 oz sprite

Pour over a glass filled with a few chunks of apple, 3 cranberries or blueberries, a cinnamon stick and ice

FYI:

I hope you found some APPLE inspiration!

Saturday Football....

It's Football Season!

Here's an easy snack for the guys to enjoy while watching football:

Almond Flour Sugar Cookies

I love almond flavor.  

I first had these cookies in Florida, last year at a Super Bowl party, and HAD to have the recipe!  These are so quick and easy to make and are DELICIOUS!

Homemade Tomato Soup with Croutons

Tomato Soup

Favorite Fall Foods with Apples.....

Apples are in season in Central NY and it's "apple pickin' time"!

Here are a few Apple recipes to try:

What's for Dessert? PUMPKINS!!

I have to admit that I am not much of a cookie, nor cake, decorator!

But I try.....

Apple-Cinnamon Galette

What's a galette?

It's simply a freeform, flat round pasty filled with fruit or vegetables, served hot or cold.

Halloween Party Ideas

Here are some fun ideas for entertaining in October....

The Apple Farm and our local farmer....

Tuesday was a grey, cool day, but a perfect one for apple picking, and visiting our local farmer up the road - NO crowds at all!

A MacFriendzie Weekend in Aurora, NY

This post is heavy with photos, but I am happy to share our weekend in Aurora, NY for the Artisan Craft Festival:

Which Witch's Hat?

Do you decorate for Halloween?  If so, here are a few cute items to add to your holiday decor:

MacKenzie-Childs Patience Brewster Witch

Cast a spell on your table with some of these fun witch themed pieces:

Shopping for witches...

Not all witches are spooky and scary, however they are thought to have magic powers, especially evil ones, and are popularly depicted as wearing a black cloak and pointed hat and flying on a broomstick.

Each year, at the end of September,  I look forward to pulling out my Halloween Decor.

Do you have any witches?

Scarecrow Munch

Are you looking for an easy sweet and salty snack to make?

Fall drinks to warm you up.....

Here are a few drinks to "take off the chill" on a fall evening: