Fall Fun in the Kitchen

The leaves have begun to sport their autumn colors.

Mornings now are quite chilly.  The furnace hasn't been turned on yet, although it won't be long I'm sure.  

One morning this week I sat out on the patio hoping to see a hummingbird visit the freshly filled feeder.  

Never saw a one :(

It seems like only a week ago there were many.

I'll be keeping an eye out, but I fear they have begun their migration.

On that note, have you seen the David Attenborough documentary on hummingbirds?  Fascinating!

If that is of interest to you, check it out here.

Our next door neighbors just let us know that they are putting their house up for sale.  I will really hate to see them go as they have been such wonderful neighbors.  We moved in within weeks of each other and have enjoyed getting to know them.  Anyhow, she asked if I might be interested in her Kitchen Aid mixer.  I have been on the fence for many years about purchasing one.  Two things stopped me...

1).  I wasn't sure I would use it enough to warrant the price.

2).  (Don't laugh). I could never decide on a color and I was afraid I would wish I had gone with a different choice.

Through the years it just seemed easier to avoid that decision altogether.  Ha!  

So, now that I don't bake nearly as much as I once did, this beautiful mixer falls into my kitchen.

I know for a fact I would not have picked this brown color even though it is a pretty choice.

When I saw it I instantly thought it needed to be decorated for the fall season.  I tucked into a corner and nestled a couple of autumn themed garlands around it.

Once that was done, it was time to test it out.

Fall always puts me in the mood for Soft Ginger Cookies.

Having never used a stand mixer, I consulted the manual and got busy.

Soon the kitchen was filled with the sweet scent of cinnamon, ginger and cloves.  Yum!

I fixed up a plate to take to our neighborhood Mexican Train night.

A small way to share the generosity of this gift.

With the holiday season approaching, I expect to be getting a lot of use out of it.  Tell me, do you use a stand mixer?  If so, what are your favorite things to make with it.  I'm thinking it could really come in handy for mashed potatoes.

The recipe I use.

Wishing a very Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers.

I imagine your kitchens will be seeing a lot of action in the coming days.

First Fall Touches

Well, Hello There ...

Didn't mean to be away so long.

I've been having problems with being able to upload photos to my blog.  Since I'm not fond of blog posts with no photos, this was beyond frustrating.  My tech skills are very limited.  I tried my usual methods ( restart, turn off, unplug, etc.) to no avail.  Since I wasn't even sure what the problem was, I wasn't sure how to even "google it".  Today I made a stab at it and am feeling quite happy with myself that I somehow made it work.  Not sure if I just got lucky or what, but it's good to be back to it.

The weather here has been delightful.

The cooler temperatures and shorter days have inspired me to clip some hydrangeas for fall decor.

I rounded up several vases and filled them with some of my clippings.  Once the water evaporates, they should be dried and ready for adding to the various baskets and pitchers around my home.

While rounding up the vases, I went through my collection and sent most of them to new homes at the local thrift shops.  Lately I have been in the mood to declutter anything and everything around here.

Since retiring, I am looking at things with a fresh perspective and trying to organize our home (and garage) to align better with this new phase of life.

These limelight hydrangeas were picked a few weeks ago and have dried nicely.  I love how they pair well with my collection of brown transferware dishes.

Starting to sneak a few fall touches into the built ins.

While the calendar is still showing summer, the weather is hinting at fall which always puts me in the mood for nesting.

🍁🍂🍁

Two Bags Full

Today we have been treated to an unseasonably warm February day.

73 degrees fahrenheit currently.

This called for opening the doors and a few windows.

When I opened them this morning I thought it would be for a little airing.  They've been open all day without the house getting too cold or too warm.  Delightful!

The jasmine growing on my trellis had gotten really wild looking.

It has been bugging me every time I walk by it.

The beautiful weather acted as a magnetic force pulling me out the door. 😎

Technically I am working my job from home today.

During a slow moment this morning I snuck out with my pruners and a garbage bag.  Here a snip, there a snip.

This isn't the easiest thing to prune as I can't reach the top and the ground slopes toward the 4 ft. drop off so getting on a step stool is out of the question at my age.

I took my light weight rake and pulled down as much as I could from the top, then got on my tip toes and snipped some more.

I spent the day going from my desk to the trellis and after a few hours ended up with two bags full of clippings from the jasmine.

Also managed to finish my day's office work.

While I was out there I checked in on a few of my herb plants.

The oregano is showing signs of new growth  and, while the chives are looking a bit bedraggled, they are also showing some new growth.  There were a few weeds popping up in there.  They are now relocated to the garbage bag.

The pansies that were covered in ice in my last post have begun putting out a few new flowers.  I gave them a weak dose of fertilizer to help them along.

Our high temperature tomorrow will be 20 degrees lower than today.

Looking at the weather forecast for next week I see two days featuring snowflakes.  That could all change by then so for today I am just enjoying this delightful day breathing in the fresh air and tending my little garden with thoughts of the pretty flowers that will soon begin blooming.

⚘⚘⚘

At The Start Of A New Year

As the new year has unfolded, I have been taking my time putting the Christmas decorations away and restoring order to each room in the house.  It's nice to have the time to do this at a leisurely pace.

The charcuterie board above was a gift from my brother and sister-in-law.  On New Year's Eve I made a pot of vegetable soup to go along with the delicious cheeses, nuts, dried fruits and salami.

Yesterday I was texting back and forth with my brother as they live in Los Angeles very close to the wildfires.  He said they haven't been told to evacuate, but have a go bag in the car in case that becomes necessary.  It is horrifying to see the videos coming out of that area of California.  I can't even imagine how that must be for the people living through it and my heart goes out to them.

We have snow in our weekend weather forecast.

It's been years since we've seen any so I'm secretly hoping to see a pretty snowfall.

I'll keep you posted on that.

❄❅❆⛄❆❅❄

My Happy Holiday Home Tour

Hello and Welcome to my happy home

all dressed up for the holidays.

Last night when I was taking these pictures, a gentle rain was falling.

Our holiday lights combined with those of our neighbors made the gloomy evening much brighter and cheerier.

Welcome in.

Feel free to hang your coat.

I've got my hat & scarf parked here with high hopes that we will see at least one snowfall this winter.  Fingers crossed.

Could I interest you in a cup of hot chocolate?

The foyer table is dressed up for the holiday season.

It will come as no surprise that shades of blue feature prominently throughout my home.

Across from the foyer table is the living room.

The tree in here features my parents collection of ornaments.

This is where I start my day with the tree lights on, a warm cup of coffee and often a cozy Christmas book to peruse.

Just past the living room is the large island that is kind of a central point in the house.  In the fall I purchased this large wooden tray and enjoyed decorating it with pumpkins and gourds.

Here it is all spiffed up for Christmas.

In the background you can see the kitchen.

You've seen it before, but I'll take you in to see a few little vignettes.

This wooden tray was found at the thrift shop.

I added a bit of vintage whimsy and tucked it into the corner where it brings back memories of childhood Christmases.

While doing the dishes, this is the view.

Christmas cards seem to dwindle more each year.

I do appreciate those that I still receive and enjoy seeing them and being reminded of the special people who sent them.

Just past the kitchen is the dining table and hutch.

Everything on the table was thrifted, including the table runner which looked brand new and couldn't be more perfect for the color scheme I was working with.

Finally we make it to the family room.

Christmas music is playing and the fire is lit.

The presents are wrapped and soon it will be time to gather together and make new memories.

Thank you for visiting today.

As you leave through the garage door, my whimsical snow couple and I would like to wish you

A Very Merry Christmas

and

All Good Things in The New Year!

Gourdgeous Fall Days

Luckily that frost I was concerned about in my last post didn't happen.  So, my houseplants are back on the patio enjoying these  gourdgeous  gorgeous fall days we are now having.

I had some jobs I wanted to tackle indoors today.

Although it was hard to be inside on such a lovely day, I opened the doors and windows and got busy.

First on the agenda was cleaning under the kitchen sink.

I find the best way to do this properly is to empty everything out,

wipe the cabinets, edit what is lurking under there and then put things back in an organized fashion.

All done.

A few things got tossed and the remainder is now better organized.

The hardest part of this task was getting up and down from the floor.

:D

I discovered a container of stainless steel wipes under there and decided to shine up the fridge, dishwasher, microwave and oven.

Thought briefly about cleaning out the inside of the fridge and freezer and decided that job could be for another day.

Before the sun set on this day I wanted to get outside and see what was happening in the garden.  Couldn't resist snipping these late hydrangeas as the variation of color is so beautiful.

Prior to getting started on my cleaning tasks I brought out a couple of kitchen helpers.  A new to me soup recipe is simmering away in the slow cooker while a loaf of potato bread is baking in the bread machine.  

It's such a nice feeling to know that when dinnertime rolls around, all we have to do is serve ourselves.

All in all it was a most satisfying day in the kitchen.

Fabulous Find at the Thrift Store

It seemed a patriotic touch was in order for our Memorial Day weekend.  I took the spring wreath down and scrounged through the cupboards for a few things to bring that touch to the front entrance.  Those little flags come in handy for so many things.

The big flag was also hung and we called it good on the outdoor decorating.

Since we don't have any big plans for the long weekend, I did some leisurely putzing on the inside of the front door this morning.

In the foyer to be exact.

It all started with this chair.

Something about the blue and white topiary fabric was calling my name loudly at the thrift store yesterday.

It was in beautiful, clean condition (which isn't always the case at the thrift stores). It looked like it had just been upholstered.  I went through each of the rooms in my home wondering where I might have a place for it.  Nothing was immediately popping into my head.  Knowing I had to make a quick decision before somebody else grabbed it, I decided I just couldn't pass it up.  Especially when I saw the price tag.  Would you believe it was only six dollars and 99 cents?  I had to look twice to make sure I was seeing correctly.  

Next to my foyer table it will be a nice spot to put on one's shoes before heading out the door.  It will also come in handy when a spare chair is required as it matches the furniture in all of the other rooms.

This long foyer wall has needed something more to fill it better.

I just wasn't sure what was needed.  Sometimes the answers to these dilemmas come in unexpected ways.  I love when that happens.

***

Let There Be Flowers and Strawberries

When we left for vacation, the daffodils were just starting to bloom.  I was happy to see them still blooming when we returned home so that I could enjoy at least one bouquet before the season came to a close for another year.

When the daffodil bouquet needed to be replaced, the tulips began to make their presence known.  I planted a mix of colors.  So far the yellow are the only ones in bloom.  How fun it will be to anticipate more bouquets in shades of pink and peach.

The spring flower show is underway and I couldn't be happier.

  On Saturday I made my first visit to the garden center.

The plants all looked so vibrant and healthy before the heat sets in.

The colors of the calla lilies and clematis above were so pretty against the green foliage.

I felt it necessary to take several sniffs of this lilac.

Lilacs don't grow as well here in the south as they did up north.  In

fact, I couldn't tell you when I've had the opportunity to savor that scent so I took advantage of the situation.  sniff sniff sniff

After reading the tag on this one, I was surprised to learn that it will bloom twice (spring and fall).  Somehow I don't associate lilacs with
fall.  I do, however, enjoy the scent so maybe it would be nice to have that opportunity twice per season.

When we were in Florida strawberry season had just begun.  We saw several roadside signs advertising strawberry festivals.  Unfortunately the dates didn't coincide with our visit.  Just thinking about seasonal strawberries made me crave them so when these bright red flowers caught my eye, I went in for a closer look.

Sweet Berry Strawberry

Into the cart went this beautiful plant.  

The tag tells me that it will thrive in the container it's in and provide delicious sweet strawberries throughout the growing season.

I have high hopes for a plentiful harvest.

It seems there is so much to look forward to in the spring garden.

🥀🍓🍓🍓🥀

Decorating for Easter and a Quick and Delicious Cake Recipe

Last week I was inspired to pull out the bunnies, colored eggs, chicks and tulips to set the stage for Spring's arrival (one week from today) and Easter at the very end of the month.

The cotton branches adorning the top of the hutch were a gift from a friend.  I once mentioned to her how amazed I was the first time I spotted cotton growing in a field along the country road I was driving on.  Not something one sees in my home state of Michigan.  The next time I saw her she presented me with a huge bundle of cotton from her brother's farm.  At Christmastime I put it up there thinking it looked a bit like snowballs.  Now I am letting it morph into cottontails for the Easter season.

See?

One little cotton ball that broke off has turned this bunny into Peter Cottontail.

Yesterday I had a guest coming for an impromptu dinner.

Wondering what I could come up with for a quick dessert, I remembered this recipe for King Arthur's Original Cake Pan Cake.

It goes together super quick with ingredients that I generally have on hand.  Perhaps this is one of the reasons that it is one of King Arthur's most requested recipes.

Wondering what else I had on hand to fancy it up a bit, I opted for a dollop of whipped cream and a fresh raspberry.  

Moist, chocolaty and they'll never know how easy it was.