More Fall Decorating

I love all styles of decorating and I was at the home of a dear friend today and I loved the way she had decorated her dining room table for the fall. I told her I would love to put it on my blog and these are her pictures. I love the simplicity of her arrangement. I think it is very striking.

Little Touches for a Bedroom Makeover

I did some work recently for a client who wanted some changes in her bedroom. She has a maple dresser and one night stand and a black wrought-iron headboard. She had recently made her red floral bedspread and curtains. She had also purchased the saying "Always Kiss Me Goodnight" that you transfer onto the wall.

I centered the bed on the wall and we went shopping and purchased 2 black night stands and 2 new lamps. We also found 2 sconces that I filled with 2 large ferns. I centered the Kiss Me Goodnight above her bed between the 2 sconces. She had 2 pictures that I hung by the window and over the window I hung a black iron piece that she already had.

My ideas for her dresser are to remove the current mirror and to buy a decorative mirror. We saw one while shopping. It had a large metal frame and had been rubbed with red paint and it will look great with her bedding. Also, a pretty arrangement of greenery with some hints of red for one end of the dresser.

She has hard wood floors and I also suggested a pretty decorative rug.

More Fall Decorating

Some more touches of fall in our home.

Dutch's Dip Beef Sandwich & Lemon Basil Potato Salad

Last Saturday my daughter and I went on a garden tour and was gone most of the day. I have a lot of hungry guys around our home so I was trying to decide what I could have for dinner that wouldn't be a lot of work but something really good that everyone would enjoy. This dip beef sandwich popped into my mind. This was a great idea because I could just throw everything in the pot put it in the oven and it cooked while we were gone. If you have my first cookbook this recipe is in it but I have made some changes to it. This was one of my dad's favorite sandwiches. So it's named after him.

When I make this for my family I buy 2 chuck roasts. There are 6 in our family and all the guys will usually eat 2 sandwiches.

2- 3-3 1/2 pound chuck roast
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
2 onions medium diced
4 bay leaves
4-5 beef bouillon cubes
4 fresh twigs of rosemary
1/2 tablespoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
Pepperidge Farm Whole Wheat Rolls (7-8" long)

Wash off the roast with tap water and place in a Dutch oven. Put salt, pepper and garlic on the roasts. Then add the rest of the ingredients, except rolls. Fill the Dutch oven 1/2 full of water. I put the water where it's to the top edge of the roast. Cover the Dutch oven with heavy duty aluminum foil and bake for 7 hours at 275. When the meat is tender remove from pan and place of platter and let it cool slightly so you can touch it. Then with a fork shred the meat or pull it apart. Take your rolls and cut them in half and lightly brown them in the oven. Remove from the oven and butter both sides of the rolls and then stack the meat onto the rolls. Ladle the broth (au jus) from where the roast cooked (this broth is wonderful, it is almost like french onion soup)into ramekins and dip your sandwiches into this broth.

These sandwiches are great by themselves (and that's what we did Saturday) but I usually fix this potato salad to go along with the sandwiches and this potato salad is wonderful.



Lemon Basil Potato Salad

2 1/2 pounds of small new red potatoes or Yukon gold
Vegetable cooking spray
1/4 cup lemon juice
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
3/4 cup fresh basil
1 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 medium purple onion, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package fresh baby spinach, cut in strips
10 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Arrange potatoes (cut into eights) evenly on a lightly greased jelly roll pan, coat potatoes with cooking spray. Bake at 475, stirring occasionally 20-25 minutes or until tender and golden. I have also boiled my potatoes until tender and that works well also.
Whisk together lemon juice, basil, Dijon mustard, garlic and salt and pepper. Then slowly whisk in olive oil. Add onions to your potatoes and gently toss with 1/2 of the dressing. Arrange spinach evenly on 6 salad plates and drizzle remaining dressing of spinach. Top spinach with potato mixture and sprinkle with bacon.

Hearing God

I have this little saying framed and it hangs in our den "Let us be silent that we may hear the whisper of God" by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Most responses from people are that God doesn't speak to me or if He does I sure don't hear Him.

I just want to share this thought. I was reading a book recently and the author said, "God is speaking to us all the time but, number one, we are not alert and living in the moment to be aware that He is speaking to us. Number two, when He speaks it is usually not an audible voice but usually our first thought and then the logically side of our brain kicks in and dispels the thought by all kinds of reasoning. It was very interesting to me because I could see where that has happened in my life. I do believe that God is speaking to us all the time!

I would like to recommended two books that I just recently finished reading. I think they are excellent. Who Switched Off My Brain? Controlling toxic thoughts and emotions by Dr. Caroline Leaf and The Gift In You by Dr. Caroline Leaf. She has researched and studied the brain for the last 20 years and her findings are amazing. The book is easy to understand and a quick read although I will probably read it again to take in all the info.

I started out talking about hearing from God and ended up talking about the brain. Seems like it doesn't fit but it really does. I'm learning how amazing the brain is and what a major role it plays in our spiritual lives along with our "heart". :)

Decorating for the Fall

I want to say that Fall is my favorite time of the year but as I have gotten older I have really come to appreciate the different expressions of each season. I have come to the place that I really enjoy them all and I can no longer say that one is really my favorite.

I love the bright colors that fall brings into our lives. The gourds and pumpkins, the falling leaves, the cool nights and warm afternoons, the geese honking over our home as they are flying in their uniform patterns as they head south, scarecrows, bonfires, roasting marshmallows and hot dogs, hot apple cider, and the first big chill when we build our first fire in the wood stove, the harvest moon as it rises over the hill behind our home, hayrides and the list could go on and on for me.

Decorating for fall is really fun for me. I seem to do it a little earlier every year because this season doesn't last long enough for me. I'm always a little sad when I have to put up my pumpkins and get out my snowflakes because it just hasn't lasted long enough. When I decorate for the fall I also decorate for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is our family's big holiday. All of our family gathers at our home for this holiday celebration. Through the years we have learned about the pilgrims and the sacrifice they made in coming to this country. Thanksgiving for our family is not only a time of great food and fellowship but of remembering our forefathers, their sacrifice and retelling their story to our children that it might be passed down to our posterity and never forgotten.

Here are my little touches of fall for our home.

Rustic Gorgonzola Pear Tart

I had quite a few pears from my pear trees and I made this rustic pear tart last Sunday for dinner. It really turned out better than I thought. My family really liked it and I hope you will give it a try. It has a little different twist. I love Gorgonzola cheese and I thought the cheese would go well with the pears and it really did. Sounds a little different but it was really good.

6 medium pears, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cups of brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 stick of butter
1 cup of coarsely chopped walnut
1 6 ounce container of Gorgonzola cheese
3-4 teaspoons of cornstarch
1 pie crust rolled out to be about a 14-16 inch circle

In a large skillet melt butter then add sliced pears. Let the pears saute in the butter a couple of minutes before you add the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir well until all of these ingredients have dissolved and made a sauce. On medium low heat let the pears cook until tender or crisp tender which ever you prefer. I cooked mine for about 20 minutes.

While the pears are cooking make your pie crust and roll it out to be about a 14 to
16 inch circle. After the pears have cooked. Put 3-4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 1/4cup of water and mix well and pour into pears and stir until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and spoon mixture into the center of your pie crust. Keep spooning mixture into the center until you have emptied your pan. Then you can spread the pears out onto the pie crust and leave a 3 to 4 inch border of pie crust. Crumble half a container of Gorgonzola cheese over the top of the pears and your coarsely chopped walnuts over that. Then fold your border up over the pears. You will probably have about a 5-6 inch hole where you can see your pie mixture. You can brush an egg wash on the pie crust if you like. Just beat one egg and brush the egg onto your pie crust. Your crust should brown nicely if you do not want to do that.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm!

Accent Shelves

These are some shelves that my daughter and I came up with for her hall. She has a long hall and it isn't totally straight. It's straight, then turns just a little at a diagonial and then straightens out again. So where the hall turns we had a trim carpenter put in two wrap shelves. We were both extremely pleased with the way they turned out and it added so much to her halfway. It is something unusual that you don't often see built into someone's hallway. It's a unique way to display special pictures and collectibles.

The Smells of Autumn

After last Saturday and that wonderful cool front, I'm starting to get Autumn fever. If you are like me and haven't made it out to buy your favorite Autumn spice candle or favorite potpourri yet try this easy Autumn simmering potpourri. You will probably have most of these things on hand.

To a large sauce pan of water add 3 cinnamon sticks, medium slices of one lemon, medium slices of one orange, 1 vanilla bean and 3-4 whole cloves. Simmer on low.

Smells wonderful!

Let's Get Physical....with Gardening :)

In looking at one of my gardening magazines recently, I was delighted to find this article. May this encourage you to do more yard work or if you are already a "worker" in the yard you will be happy to read this information.....I was!

"Gardening activities are a great way for a person to meet the recommended moderate-intensity physical activity of at least 30 minutes a day five days a week," says Barbara E. Ainsworth at the University of South Carolina School of Public Health. According to her research, a 180 pound man will burn 326 calories and a 132 pound woman will burn 240 calories gardening for one hour. While digging for 30 minutes, a 140 pound person burns 159 calories. Weeding and planting seeds each burns 143 calories.

According to a recent study at the University of North Carolina, gardners spent 17.2 percent less per year on health-care services than non-gardners. Gardening increases bone density and can help prevent osteoporosis in women over 50. Dr. Lori Turner, Associate Professor at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, discovered that women who garden weekly have stronger bones than those who jog, swim, walk, or do aerobics - thanks to the weight bearing motions of digging, pulling weeds, and pushing a mower. Plus, "gardening was the No.1 activity that women enjoyed," she says.

I have to say that I love gardening and exercise is just a wonderful side benefit for me. I will also say that after a day of working outside or even a half a day I am sore and that last time of getting up off my knees or pulling that last weed, I am walking very slowly to the house and my first stop is a hot soaking bath. I don't understand this, that as much as I work in the yard I still have sore muscles every time.

I was looking over my notebook on herbs and was reminded of this way to preserve herbs. You can cut up whatever herb your wanting to preserve and put it in an ice cube tray and cover it with water. After it is frozen, put the cubes in freezer zip lock bags. This is another way to preserve herbs if you don't want to dry them.

Happy Nesting!

I recently picked up a bird nest in the yard while I was working outside. I find them occasionally when the wind literally comes sweeping down the plain and up roots the tiny fragile homesteads.

I find it so interesting that there is sometimes some odd piece of something that does not even relate to a birds nest. A little piece of cord or a strip of material interwoven into all the twigs, straw and soft feathers of the nest. I wondered what made the bird pick this up. Was it the color or that it sparkled.....who knows. It was carefully woven into the beautiful design of the nest.

This is such a picture of how I am with my home and I think a lot of women are like this. My motto is, "if it puts a smile on my face it comes home to my place." I know there is no such thing as a perfectly designed room. If there is, it's not lived in. Rooms are treasures of our hearts, collages of our lives. They contain things that seem a little wacky or eccentric but when pulled together with love everything fits.

So how can I judge the little nest with it's odd piece of cord. The bird wove the cord into it's nest because the bird saw it and loved it.

Roses

Some of the last roses of summer.

A new twist on Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies? As hard as this is for me to believe, I do have several friends and relatives who can take chocolate or leave it. So if chocolate is your forte then I think you will love this recipe.

I buy whole wheat bread from a bakery and they also make the most wonderful peanut butter chocolate chip cookies I have ever tasted. I have thought about those cookies a lot and this recipe is what I have come up with. Not quite what the bakery makes but they are pretty good.

Just use the Nestle's chocolate chip cookie recipe on the back of the package and add
1 cup of Smucker's Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 cup of oatmeal
1 cup of coconut
1 1/2 cups of chopped pecans (coarsely chopped)
Mix altogether and bake on a greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for about 13-15 minutes.

California Cobb Salad

This is a recipe I have wanted to try all summer and every time I mentioned it my family they turned up their noses. Last night, I made it even though I was getting negative vibes from some of my family. It really turned out great! My husband went on and on about it. I hadn't really planned to put it on my blog but after I took one bite and my husband took a bite he said "get the camera and take a picture and put this on your blog." It is a very flavorful salad and we loved it.

This will be a long time favorite at our home and I hope you enjoy it too!

1 Head of Romaine or Red Leaf Lettuce
1 Head of Butter Bib Lettuce (I used half of this for 4 servings)
2 large ears of fresh corn
2 medium zucchini
4 medium tomatoes (cut in fourths, then sliced medium)
2 avocados (cut in medium chunks)
4 cloves of chopped garlic
2 bags of jumbo shrimp (about 26 shrimp per bag) raw, quick peel
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons of Agave Nectar
salt and pepper to taste

Remove shell and clean shrimp. Put clean shrimp in bowl and add olive oil, salt and pepper and chopped fresh garlic. Mix well and sit aside. Shuck the corn and trim off the ends of the zucchini and cut the zucchini in half. Start your grill. When the grill is ready lay the corn and zucchini on the grill. Lay the zucchini cut side down. I have a grilling basket that I put my shrimp in on the other side of the grill. So the veggies are on one side and the shrimp are cooking on the other side. The shrimp will cook in about 7 to 10 minutes. Watch it closely. As soon as the shrimp turn pink they are cooked. Keep turning your corn and I turned the zucchini once. When the shrimp is done I removed the veggies also. I had already prepared my lettuce and had it cut in my salad bowl along with the avocados and tomatoes. When veggies have cooled to touch slice the zucchini in chunks and slice the corn off of the cob. Add to salad. Pour dressing over salad and toss well.
You can arrange the salad on the plate and place the shrimp on the top of the salad or you can add the shrimp when you add the corn and zucchini and toss the shrimp into the salad. I arrange the shrimp on the top of the salad.

Admitting Defeat

If you have been following my blog, I started heirloom tomatoes from seed and my goal was to save seeds from the tomatoes and be able to plant those seeds next year. I'm sad to say my heirloom tomatoes didn't make it through the heat. I have learned a lot this year from starting my plants from seeds. And I'm anxious to try again next year. It's true that there is always hope in a gardner's heart.

I first started my tomatoes to late. I started the seeds in February and next year I will probably start them the first of January. The plants were too tender to survive such blazing heat.

Well, my motto is "try, try again!"

Coming Home to the Country

These are some of my favorite things. Beautiful sunrise, our barn, our neighbor cutting our field and baling the hay and the look of the baled hay setting in the field.

Ah, country life!

Lemon Cucumbers

I went to our little farmer's market yesterday morning and found something I had never seen before, "a lemon cucumber." They are really cute. A little bigger than a lemon and they smell lemony and the flavor was a big surprise. As I was cutting it up in a salad last night I tasted it and it was wonderful. Sort of sweet, it first reminded me of a sweet cantaloupe but it's not totally the cantaloupe taste. Anyway, if you see any, try them they are wonderful. Saturday, when I go back to our farmer's market I hope there are more. I will definitely buy a lot of them and I'm going to look for seeds to grow them next year.