Autumn Projects - Week 3

Here we are at Week 3 of our September craft/decorate-along. How did you do last week? I hope you got something accomplished towards the Halloween or Autumn season.

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"The lands are lit
With all the autumn blaze of Golden Rod;
And everywhere the Purple Asters nod
And bend and wave and flit."
~ Helen Hunt

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PORCH SIDE ENTERTAINING

~ Use bales of hay for seats for guests and toss fall-patterned tablecloths over them.
~ Sprinkle cinnamon inside a jack o' lantern for a delicious fragrance on the front porch.
~ For porch lighting in the evening, use apples and small pumpkins as votive holders.
~ Prepare your favorite chili recipe and serve it outside with an assortment of toppings!
~ Serve Hot Mulled Cider for a crowd ~ made in an automatic coffee maker right on the front porch. Here's a recipe:

HOT MULLED CIDER

1 gallon apple cider
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup red hot cinnamon candies
4 three-inch cinnamon sticks, broken
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Prepare cider using a large automatic coffee maker. Substitute the cider for the water. Place the rest of the ingredients in the coffee basket and brew. Serve hot in tin or enamel mugs topped with orange slices. The fragrant aroma of this cider is sure to keep everyone gathered on the front porch.


(From one of my favorite books, 'My Front Porch... An Invitation to the Charm and Tradition', by Alda Ellis, with paintings by Sandy Lynam Clough. The copyright is 1999 by Harvest House Publishing. I highly recommend it!! If you can find it, it's worth owning.)

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"September: it was the most beautiful of words,
he’d always felt,
evoking orange-flowers, swallows, and regret."
- Alexander Theroux, 1981

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ANNIE'S OCTOBER HOLIDAYS LINK

I've always loved Annie's Christmas pages, as well as all the other great things she offers. Here's a link for her October Holiday pages. You'll find all sorts of information, puzzles, quotes and activities for TONS of holidays in the month of October. Enjoy!

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"There were three ravens sat on a tree,
They were as black as they might be.
The one of them said to his mate,
'Where shall we our breakfast take?' "
~ Anonymous

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This is one of my favorite muffins that my daughter, Jacquelyn likes to bake. I hope you like them as much as we do!!

JACQUELYN'S MAPLE MUFFINS
(Yield: 12 muffins)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

~ Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

~ In a large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl combine milk, butter, syrup, sour cream, egg and vanilla. Stir into the dry ingredients until moistened.

~ Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-20 minutes. Test with toothpick to make sure muffins are done. Cool for 5 minutes before removing them from pans, and finish cooling on wire racks.

Relaxing Times

The few weeks before Christmas were so busy with finishing up the school year, writing finals, grading papers, getting the house "company ready", and preparing for Christmas.


My stepdaughter was here for a week before Christmas (she's 24, our daughter 22), and we had a great visit. We spent some time here at home relaxing and decorating the tree, had delicious and nourishing meals, went out for a few dinners, did some sightseeing, spent a day down at the beach (wading... not swimming!), spent an evening at the River Walk enjoying a Starbucks treat on their balcony, looking at the lights and people-watching, did some shopping, and exchanged our Christmas gifts and "opened" stockings after a traditional Christmas dinner before she left on the 23rd. As you can see, I've included several pictures from our day at the beach.


We've been relaxing ever since, including a quiet Christmas Day here at home. The day after Christmas I needed to buy a few birthday gifts for a friend, and we went to a favorite country shop in a nearby town. On our way to the coffee shop across from the courthouse, I took this picture of their gazebo in the center of the traffic circle in the heart of the town. It's really pretty at nights with all the lights!


My husband is on vacation until the 2nd, and our daughter and I don't have to go back to our teaching jobs until January 21st, so we have lots of time to relax. I plan on getting some cross stitching done, some projects finished (being made into pillows, banners or pinkeeps), and some quilting done, as well. And, of course, I'm already making lists for next Christmas :)

Creamed Mushrooms with Cheese

This is a recipe my grandmother always loved when she'd come for a special birthday or holiday meal. A few times I made a batch and delivered it to her for a treat. It's a delicious appetizer, and also goes well with onion soup!! I'll add that recipe next :)


CREAMED MUSHROOMS WITH CHEESE
(Yield: Serves 4 to 8)

1 pound morels (wild mushrooms) or small white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
7 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Gruyere or other Swiss cheese, grated
8 one-inch slices French bread

~ Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
~ Melt the butter in a large skillet and cook mushrooms rapidly over a high heat until they begin to give off steam (about 5 to 8 minutes).
~ Lower the heat and add nutmeg, salt and pepper (to taste). Stir in the cream.
~ Arrange the slices of bread on a baking pan and make a slight hollow in the center of each slice.
~ Spoon the creamed mushrooms over the slices and sprinkle with the grated cheese.
~ Bake until golden, about 10 minutes, and serve.

Bacon-Cheddar Cheese Ball

Here's another easy and delicious snack. I usually leave out the green onions and the pimiento since none of us are real fans of them, but I think they'd give it a very festive look with the red and green :)

BACON-CHEDDAR CHEESE BALL
(Yield: about 3 cups of cheese spread)

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup chopped green onions
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons diced pimiento
3 tablespoons minced parsley

~ Combine all ingredients, blending well.
~ Form into a ball and cover with plastic wrap.
~ Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend.
~ Serve with your favorite crackers.

Monterey Cheese Crisps

I'm going through some favorite recipes as I work on menus for the holidays. I thought one night I might do appetizers and then a soup dinner when my stepdaughter is visiting for a week. I thought that would be fun, and something a little different than the usual dinners. I have three favorite appetizers, and this one is the first. (I'll share the other two tomorrow.)


MONTEREY CHEESE CRISPS
(Yield: 36 to 42 crisps)

These are very lacy and delicate looking, and quite delicious! Your family and guests will think you spent hours and hours preparing them.

1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, softened (use ONLY Monterey Jack cheese)
Cayenne pepper or chili powder

~ Cut cheese into 1/4-inch thick slices, then cut slices into circles, using a
1-1/2 inch round cookie cutter.
~ Place cheese rounds 3 inches apart on a non-stick baking sheet (cheese will spread while baking). Sprinkle with cayenne or chili powder.
~ Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Do not overbake!
~ Remove crisps with a spatula and cool on paper towels. Store in airtight
containers.

From My Summer Notebook

I spent a bit of time this morning looking through my summer notebook, and found these ideas I had written down a few years ago. I thought I'd share them with you :)

Summer Outdoor Entertaining

~ Place votives set in terra-cotta saucers along your front-porch or deck railing.
~ Set votives or citronella candles in flowerpots filled with sand to burn in the evenings.
~ Decorate trees, bushes, or a fence with tiny white Christmas lights.
~ Use a plastic tablecloth to line a child's wagon, and fill it with ice and cold beverages.
~ Use flowerpots or crocks to hold utensils for an outdoor picnic.
~ Tie pretty helium balloons to your fence or gate.
~ Hang mobiles, or tie long streams of colorful satin ribbons to tree branches.
~ Cut a watermelon into a pretty basket for serving fresh fruits.

For the kids ~
~ Set up a sandbox with extra pails and shovels.
~ If you have the space, set up an area for croquet, badminton, or volleyball.
~ Have lots of "bubbles" and wands on hand for easy entertainment.
~ Have sidewalk chalk ready for an art contest in the driveway (be sure to rope off an area to keep the cars away, and the children safe).
~ Make a tent for the kids to play in by hanging an old tablecloth or sheet over a portable table, a few saw-horses, or a clothes line.