Category: autumn

Anticipating Autumn’s Arrival

Anticipating autumn’s arrival finds me caught up in the splendor of the third season in the best of ways.

Country Diary: Autumn Puzzle

Country Diary: Autumn Puzzle

As the days grow closer to the official first day of fall lovely reminders of its visual and tactile beauty build the excitement.

For some of you the look and feel of fall may be in the air in your neck of the woods, you lucky ducks.

Louisiana will not feel or see signs of fall for a while yet, but until then seasonal glory is found in photos like this.

Anticipating Autumn's Arrival

Although in full anticipating autumn’s arrival mode, I’m opting to purposely slow walk my seasonal decorating in order to get the most out of the last of summer.

Now, ordering seasonal accents and accessories sooner than later to avoid the dreaded I wanted that but it’s sold out, that task, my friends, is in steady progress.

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Updating with colors of the season include but are not exclusive to traditional choices with a few not so on the nose contenders.

Among the mounds of fall is fast approaching social media posts making the rounds I found the following a funny little nugget of truth:

Fall fans bout to mustard yellow, olive green, pumpkin orange
and cinnamon spice us to death.

For every season there is a palette and a presence association that is instantly recognizable thanks to traditional aspects blended with new traditional tones and trends.

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Tapered Puff-Sleeve Non-Stretch Jean Jacket for Women

Fall fashions lend a stylish dose of inspiration to the overall color canvas of each season.

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New England Home

Blue is often associated with a spring into summer palette, however, the fall into winter color palette of late embraces this timeless tone-on-tone classic.

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House Beautiful 

Blue and white shines as a perfectly complementary autumn accent.

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Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Earth tones-rich in depth, warmth, and the ever important cozy factor-  qualify as seasonal neutrals.

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Mushroom Ceramic Plate

Sent this pumpkin woods candle to a friend as a fall is in the house gift and the scent of the season review is in and it’s scentsational.

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Glass Pumpkin Woods Candle Brown – Threshold™

Opting to slow walk my fall on parade as not to over saturate is proving difficult, however, ordering seasonal accents and accessories sooner than later to avoid selling out not to mention the super Labor Day sales is warranted.

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Visually overwhelmed best describes the dilemma I run into when shopping sites with a gazillion offerings, so my solution is to mock-up a visual board to narrow the scope.

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Up first in my let’s decorate for the season plan is a wreath.

Where it’s going to ultimately land will be decided once its complete. I find what works best in my seasonal decorating book of tricks is to let your eye guide your placement.

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It ain’t rocket science, folks; what appeals to you is what works.

Every time.

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Antique pieces give heart and soul to a space.

Hunt and gather treasures discovered on resale sites are peppered throughout the house with most purchases arriving exactly as described, but every now and then one will arrive clearly not as described.

Decorating with accents in Pheasant theme is my thing at fall, and it is my pleasure to introduce you to the newest addition to the ring-necked Pheasant accents family.

Exactly as described, this vintage Ruebens Originals Pheasant planter is a beauty.

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Back in our antiques auctions days I bid on and won a collection of small decorative plates including this Pheasants in flight showstopper.

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Negative Oranges Framed Art Print from Kirkland’s Home

Disappointment over the pear print at Target I’ve had my eye on selling out turned into oh, this might work when finding this Negative Oranges Framed Art Print on kirklands.com.

I’m not 100% sure this will be just what I’ve been looking for to complete a gallery, but the Labor Day weekend sale price complete with free ship to home convinced me to hit the place order button.

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You never know what treasures you’ll find on an afternoon scroll. When this original oil on canvas arrives I’ll share a photo and the backstory that goes with it.

Carter Shields Cabin

Cozy is wonderfully achieved through deep rich colors, layers of texture and pattern, and the creature comforts of house and home.

“Ah, September!
You are the doorway to the season that awakens my soul…
but I must confess that I love you only because
you are a prelude to my beloved October.”

― Peggy Toney Horton

Always anticipating.

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Planning Fall Recipes

Pinpointing and planning fall recipes is part of the cozy and delicious what’s for dinner new season-new seasonings process.

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Search engines love to suggest places and pages to visit based on prior searches.

planning fall recipes

Inspiration is everywhere, and since I can’t be, I welcome the suggestions and love to share a good and tasty thing.

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Hardwood Olivia Modern Turned Leg Dining Table

Classic favorites remain in the recipe box, but how fun it is to discover several new ones perfect for page to table prep and serve.

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Photo by Katie Azi on Unsplash

Pumpkin may rule the season and seasons, but easy with a side of impressive puts the spice in my fall recipeapalooza.

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Hearty stick to your ribs dishes and delights just seem to be called for on a crisp evening when day turns to night right about 5:30 p.m., warm fuzzy socks take the place of shoes, and you have a craving for an easy dish big on cozy and delicious.

Food cozy?

Absolutely!

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Take heart and soup stock, my fall loving friends, cozy and delicious soup weather is coming.

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Every season is soup season at Places In The Home, but we especially associate fall with a hearty soup for supper meal.

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Great Northern Bean and Chicken Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon minced garlic

2 cans Great Northern beans

1½ cups cooked chicken, shredded

1 32 oz. box chicken broth

1 chicken bouillon cube

2 cups water

Directions

Melt the butter in Dutch oven (or just toss the butter in with the veggies like I do).  Add the sliced carrots, chopped celery and chopped onion.  Sauté until onions become translucent.

Once a good bubbling boil is reached, reduce heat to low and allow soup to simmer for 45-60 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and serve with crackers or cheesy cornbread.

French Style Braised Short Ribs (2)

French Style Braised Short Ribs from Closet Cooking

Fall recipes of the not soup, but oh, so tasty type are of particular interest to the something new, something easy, something fantastic side of the menu.

Creamy Bacon Pork Chops

Creamy Bacon Pork Chops from Salt & Lavender

Creamy Pumpkin Parmesan Chicken with Wild Mushrooms

Creamy Pumpkin Parmesan Chicken with Wild Mushrooms
from Abra’s Kitchen

Butternut Squash Pasta With Chicken

Butternut Squash Pasta With Chicken from Dinner at the Zoo

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Creamy Potato Leek Soup with Homemade Croutons from Barley & Sage

pecan soup recipe

Pecan Soup from Southern Living

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Instant Pot Chicken Soup

Good things are on the way.

C’est si bon!

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Autumn Harvest Rice

F is for fall flavor, and this Autumn Harvest Rice is a recipe developed with the intention to bring the flavors of fall to table and plate.

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Dave the Builder and I love spending time at The Buckhorn Inn when we are in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

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Travel to Tennessee has been off the table for us over the last two years, but where there’s a website and webcam, there’s a way to pop in for a virtual visit every now and then.

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The Buckhorn post its weekly dinner menu at the first of the week, and I’ve noticed Chef Frank including Autumn Harvest Rice Pilaf for fall.

Immediately intrigued and inspired to create, I decided to try my hand at mastering a main to side dish teeming with seasonal seasonings.

Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven.

Out from the cabinet comes my new Dutch oven and seasonings ready to boil, blend, steam and simmer.

Chopped apples, apple juice, brown sugar, butter, cloves, nutmeg, walnuts, and fig preserves do a fall-autumn dessert good, but can I just tell you this sweet power flavor combo delectably complements the savory of fresh mushrooms and onions sautéed in butter, brown and long-grain white rice, chicken broth, Kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh parsley in balanced and well-seasoned taste of fall perfection.

Autumn-Harvest-Rice-Recipe-pumpkins-fall

Autumn Harvest Rice

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked long grain rice

1 cup uncooked brown rice

2 cups water

2 cups chicken broth

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

½ Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 16 oz. container fresh sliced mushrooms

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon pepper or to taste

1 apple, peeled and chopped

3/4  cup apple juice

½ cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 Tablespoon fig preserves, optional

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Mix butter, water, chicken broth, long grain white rice, and brown rice in a medium saucepan, and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 45 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

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In a large skillet, melt 4 Tablespoons (½ stick) butter over medium-high heat.  Add chopped onions and sauté until onions become translucent.

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Next, add sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper, stirring to coat.

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Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook onions and mushrooms until soft, about 7 minutes.

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In a large saucepan, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (½ stick).  Add the chopped apples, brown sugar, ground cloves and ground nutmeg.

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Stir in apple juice and fig preserves and bring mixture to a boil.

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Reduce heat to medium; stir in chopped walnuts.

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Lower heat to low, allowing walnuts to slightly soften.

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Fold cooked rice into sautéed mushrooms and onions then incorporating seasoned apples and walnuts mixture into the rice combination.

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Maple sweet potato patties rounded out the menu, and the crowd went wild.

Well, our taste buds did.

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Dave the Builder put his request in for Autumn Harvest Rice to be added to our traditional Thanksgiving menu.

We aim to prepare, plate, and please.

Let me know if you make this recipe, and what you think.

cest-si-bon

Simple Autumn Accents For The Season

Simple autumn accents kick off a slew of traditional and soon to become a new tradition autumn DIY projects, dishes, and decorating ideas for the season.

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Now that’s one bright orange pumpkin- one I’m not so in love with in its present state.

Reinterpreting a dollar store pumpkin using leftover remnants from a burlap sandbag, black tulle, ribbon, wired rope, pecans, and pine cones straight out of the craft drawer and front yard fall into the category of simple autumn accents primed for projects in new to you fashion.

New season decorating is primed for a use what you’ve got project.

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Inexpensive and oh so easy to work with, using tulle for everything gift wrapping from the actual gift wrap to the bow on top of the package is the preferred gift wrap accessory found in my craft closet bag of tricks.

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What started out as the primary layer of pumpkin covering turned into just the right amount of color and texture contrast.

Seasonal oomph is the entire point of this DIY project.

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Going to a gumbo (think Going to a Go-Go by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles) keeps with Places In The Home tradition.

Believe me, cooking a gumbo on the first day of what feels like fall in Louisiana is just what you do.

Fellow Louisiana fans of our culture and cuisine posted this to her Facebook page, There Once Was A Kitchen Table, and it says a mouthful.

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Cooking a gumbo is a day long process- the low and slow principle of Louisiana cooking.

Phone calls from our son for gumbo reports begin bright and early as the taste of home plates a lasting impression.

He makes a good gumbo, but mom’s chicken and sausage gumbo has the c’est si bon of home.

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Sweet complements savory, or at least that’s the dessert justification I go with.

Simple is the main ingredient in this homemadeish cake.

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Prepare a yellow cake mix as directed with one exception.

Use 1 cup apricot nectar instead of the 1 cup water called for and prepare to have your taste buds taken to a whole new level.

Simply delicious and simply homemadeish.

sliced-cake

Remember the hand carved wood pig centerpiece platter/serving tray I referenced in the Digging The Pig Kitchen Decor post from last month?

Arrived ready to impress, it now finds itself filled with fruits, nuts, and veggies deliciously associated with the taste of fall.

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Faux pumpkins fill in the scene and seen.

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Glee over it being the first Sunday afternoon of fall is all the simple autumn accents inspiration needed to log on, shop and source, fill the cart, and place an order for the finishing items soon to be seen in a new fall clear through to Thanksgiving wreath.

Joann delivery

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Guess what’s on the agenda for the weekend and what next week’s blog post will be all about?

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