More Fall Decorating

A Wonderful Autumn Salad

I love salads that have fruit and nuts and different greens.  I made this for dinner last night and I loved it.  Gary liked it and thought it was good but his favorite salad is all veggies with ranch.  :)
I used organic mixed salad greens and added some red leaf lettuce and some arugula from my garden.
I sautéed one cup of roughly chopped walnuts in one teaspoon of butter.
I thinly sliced one apple and one pear
Tossed all these ingredients together and sprinkled blue cheese crumbles over the top. Then drizzle with the dressing.

The dressing:
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon paprika
1 heaping tablespoon of finely chopped onion
Put all the ingredients in a bowl except olive oil.  Whisk the ingredients together then slowly add the olive oil while you whisk.  The olive oil will emulsify and the dressing will thicken as you whisk.

Sun and Moon

When I was looking for a sun and moon for the "Landing Zone" this was one of the pictures I found.  I loved this but I knew this would be hard to replicate on the barn.  Just wanted to share it, a fun rendition.  :)

Fall Arrangement

This is a horn of plenty that I picked up at a garage sale this summer.  It was unusual and rustic and I knew it would look good with the things in our home.  I'm happy with the way it turned out.

These Will Make You Smile

I love whales but I also love polar bears.  I found these wonderful pictures and wanted to share them with you.  They make me smile!  This post would go on and on if put them all up.  I'm starting a nature wall in our family room.  It's going to be sketches and pictures of animals as well as interesting rocks and flowers and leaves I have pressed from different places I've been. I'll show you pictures when I get it complete.

Spiced Waffles with Caramelized Apples

I made this for dessert for my hub but these make a great brunch dish.  Omit the ice cream and add a dollop of whipped cream.

2/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
large pinch of ground cloves
large pinch of ground white pepper
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons honey
1 large egg, separated
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons, (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Whisk first 12 ingredients in a large bowl to blend.  Whisk buttermilk, honey, egg yolk, and orange peel in medium bowl to blend.  Whisk buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients.  Stir in melted butter.  Beat egg white in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry; fold into batter.
Spray 8 to 9 inch square waffle iron with nonstick spray and preheat.  Pour half of the batter (about 1 cup) onto hot iron.  Close top and cook until brown and set, about 3 minutes.  Transfer waffle to large rack.  Can stand at room temperature up to 3 hours.  Or rewarm in oven at 350 for about 5 minutes.  When ready to serve plate and top with caramelized apples and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Caramelized Apples

6 tablespoons (3/4) unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 pounds of Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2/3 cup whipping cream

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat; sprinkle with sugar over.  Stir until sugar begins to melt, about 1 minute.  Add apples.  Saute until apples are brown and tender and juices form, about 10 minutes.  Add cream and simmer until sauce thickens slightly about 2 minutes.

These were a hit and it is a wonderful spiced waffle.  You could make these waffles and just served with warm maple syrup.  A wonderful fall breakfast!

Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower

This turned out to be a wonderful recipe. I teamed this cauliflower with some steamed squash and onion and I'm still getting garden tomatoes from our farmers market.  It was a light and satisfying dinner.

11/2 pounds of cauliflower, halved, cored and cut into l inch florets ( 6 heaping cups of cauliflower florets)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup of pine nuts or almond silvers
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In a small bowl combine the oil, garlic, turmeric, cumin, red pepper flakes and salt.
Place the cauliflower florets in a large bowl, drizzle the oil-spice mixture over the cauliflower and toss to coat.
Spread the cauliflower on a large rimmed baking sheet.
Roast, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is lightly browned on the edges and tender, 40-45 minutes.
Meanwhile, roast the pine nuts or almond silvers in a pie plate for about 5 minutes until lightly toasted.  Set aside.
Remove the cauliflower from the oven, top with the nuts and cilantro and serve hot.