Tuesday, October 30

Copper Pink


This is my new favorite colorway from Madeline Tosh!  It's called Copper Pink and I chose the DK weight version.  Isn't it gorgeous!  I'm not quite sure what it will become yet...  maybe another bulky Honey Cowl?

Sunday, October 28

Apple Fun!


Come along with us on our annual trip to the apple orchard! It was a beautiful autumn morning. I'm glad that we got to get our apple cider doughnuts, apple cider slushies, and pick our apples before it started to drizzle!

Saturday, October 27

Friday, October 26

Friday





Today was a great day! The boys and I popped into our little health food store in town to buy a pumpkin candle to give to friends who just bought their first house!  While I was there, I noticed that there were tights and leggings on clearance for very low prices.  I've been looking for tights and leggings that have a high percentage of cotton and these fit the bill!  I am thrilled!

We visited our friends in the evening so that Father could bless their house.  It is a gorgeous old home (nearly a century old!) and I fell in love with all of the nooks and crannies.  The backyard was particularly charming! Dinner was amazing:  vegan tacos filled with beans, kale slaw, roasted cauliflower, roasted sweet potatoes, avocados, cilantro, and a drizzle of tahini dressing (tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and paprika).  Dessert was a vegan pear cake. It's wonderful to visit people in their homes (especially people who are good cooks!).  I love to see how they decorate and live.

Thursday, October 25

In the Stands



While the boys play basketball, Sugar Plum and I keep pone eye on the drills and one eye one our embroidery, dolls, knitting, and homework.  It's quite a productive time!

Tuesday, October 23

How to Polish Silver Quickly and Easily


Today I'm sharing an easy way to remove tarnish from silver so that polishing is a snap!

Monday, October 22

A Quiet Monday


Oh the joy I feel when a big event is past and all of the hard work is done!  Grandfather Bear stayed over last night, so I made a big breakfast for the men and boys after I came home from dropping our sweet girl off at school.  Grandfather had to leave at about 9, so by mid afternoon all of the dishes from Sunday and breakfast were finished off, laundry was folded, and I even had some time to iron my breakfast cloths while watching a little bit of an episode of Vera. We homeschooled in the afternoon and I started the camel stripes on my shawl.  It was a pretty productive day, but felt positively relaxing to do the quiet little everyday chores instead of the more demanding ones that I was doing last week.

Saturday, October 20

Saturday




 After a good breakfast, Sugar Plum and I got right down to work baking and cooking.  She made Monica's Award Winning pie recipe and then a regular pumpkin pie and decorated it with a rose motif after watching a pie decorating video by Duff Goldman.  I made a Sour Cream Apple Pie, Christmas Cauliflower, Green Bean Casserole, and the Sausage Stuffing that I will use tomorrow for the stuffed pepper appetizers. 

We also had a wedding this afternoon and my sister-in-law and brother-in-law arrived just before Vespers.  I was really excited to give them this tiny baby sleeper that I bought their little one (due November 1st!).  I'm so glad that they liked it!  Sugar Plum knitted them a tiny black rabbit and little knit carrots to go with it.  It was really nice to give these little gifts to them and anticipate the baby's birth!

Friday, October 19

Fleurs


I went grocery shopping at Walmart last night to get most of the things that we will need for Sunday's feast, but I saved the more gourmet items for a trip to our fancier market this morning.  I bought cheese, meat, olives, and fruit for the charcuterie board, perfect roses, and fresh rolls (that I enjoy toasted for weekday breakfasts).  After quickly putting everything away, it was a joy to take out my secateurs to trim the roses and look through my vases to select the perfect vessel for the centerpiece.  It was a moment of peace in an otherwise crazy day.

Wednesday, October 17

Cleaning Windows and Blinds



It smells so clean in here!  I've been scubbing the house since Monday to get ready for our faux Thanksgivin with my in-laws on Sunday.  I even washed the windows and blinds in the dining room!  I'm hoping to have the discipline to wash all of the windows and blinds in the house before the end of October.  It is quite a job (and one that I have not tackled in several years)!

Tuesday, October 16

Plum Torte and Foggy Morns



One of the best things about autumn (and, actually, spring) in this area, is the fog.  It makes the morning landscapes more mysterious and magical, I think.  The beauty of a foggy morning is a nice treat for those of us who have to be up before the sun. 

On our recent trip to the apple orchard, I crossed my fingers that there would be little cartons of Italian plums for sale in the orchard's market and there were!  I quickly mixed up the batter to make a Plum Torte on Sunday evening to enjoy while I prepare for our family's Thanksgiving Feast this coming weekend.  I find that having a little treat helps spur me on in my work.

:::::

    ¾ to 1 cup sugar
    ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
    1 cup unbleached flour, sifted
    1 teaspoon baking powder
    Pinch of salt (optional)
    2 eggs
    24 halves pitted purple plums
    Sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon, for topping

  
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the sugar and butter in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs and beat well. Spoon the batter into a springform pan of 8, 9 or 10 inches. Place the plum halves skin side up on top of the batter. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and lemon juice, depending on the sweetness of the fruit. Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, depending on how much you like cinnamon. Bake 1 hour, approximately. Remove and cool; refrigerate or freeze if desired. Or cool to lukewarm and serve plain or with whipped cream. (To serve a torte that was frozen, defrost and reheat it briefly at 300 degrees.)

**  My Notes:  I don't sprinkle with lemon juice and I also combine my cinnamon and sugar before sprinkling it on top of the batter.

Monday, October 15

Our Thanksgiving Menu


It's hard to believe that it is that time of year again!  We will be celebrating Thanksgiving with my  In-Laws early this year.  We normally try to hold our feast in early November, but this year we have our niece or nephew arriving at that time, so we will celebrate early!  I bought the turkey at our local butcher shop and it is currently defrosting in the coffee hour room's fridge. Hopefully I'll be able to shop for all the other things we'll need on Thursday and Friday.  I really look forward to hosting this every year!  All the work is worth it!
Here's our menu:

Hors d'oeuvres
Vegetable and Dip Platter
Flatbread with Goat Cheese, Figs, and Prosciutto
Cheese Platter
Main Course
Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes*
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce*
Dessert
Vanilla Ice Cream 

* made by my mother-in-law

Sunday, October 14

The Start of a New Knitting Project





I'm excited to be casting on to a new knitting project!  I'll be doing a Biased Striped Shawl based on a project I spotted on Pinterest.  The yarns I am using are MadelineTosh Farmhouse White, MadelineTosh Black Onyx, MadelineTosh Dr Zhivago, and another fingering weight yarn in the Cumin colorway.

Wednesday, October 10

Floral Pumpkins



 It's become my tradition to take a trip to the farmers' market in autumn to pick out a pumpkin or two from my favorite flower stall.  The farmer, Terri, decorates them with beautiful dried flowers.  These beauties usually keep for the whole year.  I spray the flowers with hairspray to help preserve the color.

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