Creature comforts of the season go a long way in setting a cozy scene.
Nestling in with a hot cup of cinnamon spice tea, a hint of pumpkin wood in the air, and this month’s Country Living is the best of fall.
Two darling nephews and one picturesque pumpkin patch delights little ones and this Auntie to no end.
Cooking remains my diversion of choice.
Honing in on the flavors best known to the season and putting your stamp on a recipe to make it your own is a delicious way to create a house favorite.
Apples and spices, fresh lemon and rum extract, refrigerated pie crust (easy is the name of the game) and sprinkles of sugar mix and mingle in a flavor gala befitting a recipe you’ll label a must make.
Pie crust will roll out better if allowed to be at room temperature for ten minutes. Roll pastry out onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
In a large bowl combine apple slices, lemon zest, lemon juice, flour, allspice, nutmeg, almond extract, granulated sugar and salt.
Lightly dust center of pie crust with flour mixed with allspice and nutmeg.
Pour filling into the center of the crust.
Gently fold the border up over the edge of the apple filling.
Pleat crust with fingers to create a border design.
Brush border with egg.
Next, sprinkle border with coarse sugar.
Bake for 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.
Tradition beckons the baking of the first Apple Nut Cake of the season.
Trying out a new recipe or whipping up one tried and true celebrates the taste of the season and dishes cozy toasty fall happenings.
On a personal note, I would like to ask my dear readers to please be patient with me as I slow the frequency of postings at this time due to devastating health news received over the last two weeks. Prayers for comfort and strength are most appreciated.
Today makes it official, friends. I am so excited to greet the season with accents and accessories, tastes and scents that welcome fall home.
One would not know today is the first day of fall by the current weather in the Deep South.
Hot and humid with temperatures rising lands us in full-on fallsummoween.
High heat and humidity zaps the feel of fall, but apples paired with pears, cloves, and cinnamon offers the taste of fall refreshment.
Fall Fruit Facts:
Did you know there are 7500 varieties of apples grown throughout the world with 1oo varieties grown commercially here in the United States.
Cinnamon (also called quills) is the perfect spice compliment to sweet and salty drinks and dishes.
Pears are members of the rose family (no, not the Rose family of Schitt’s Creek fame). Origins of the pear date back to 1000 B.C.
Autumn Apple Pear Cinnamon Water
Ingredients
6 cups water
2 Gala apples cut into thin slices
1 Granny Smith apple cut into thin slices
1 pear (I used Bartlett) cut into thin slices
2 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
Directions
Fill pitcher with water. Add apple and pear slices, cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Give a quick stir to mix; cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend.
Why stop there?
Crisp mornings, afternoons, and evenings go splendidly with a warm beverage or warming cocktail.
Simple syrup or spiced concentrate added to your favorite fall hot or cold beverages amplifies the spice which in turn brings out the flavors so closely associated with fall.
Vanilla Simple Syrup
Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
In a small saucepan over medium heat bring all ingredients to a soft boil; cooking until sugar dissolves making sure to stir the entire time.
Remove from heat and allow to completely cool. Transfer syrup to a heat safe jar or container and store in refrigerator.
Autumn Spiced Concentrate
Ingredients
2 cups water
3 cinnamon sticks
3 whole cloves
Directions
In a medium saucepan bring water, cinnamon sticks, and whole cloves to a to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Your house will smell amazing during this part of the process!
Remove from heat and allow concentrate to cool before transferring to a heat safe jar or container. Store in the refrigerator.
Seasonal touches here and neutrals there decorate the dining room.
Faux stems and bushes usually don’t tickle my fall decorating fancy, but this Japanese Maple bush from JOANN is absolutely lovely.
Never underestimate the visual impact of the simple yet elegant seasonal décor accessory.
DIY wreath project success means I like the way it turned out and find it too pretty to hang on the front door just yet, so it calls the foyer welcome fall home for now.
Don’t you love when an item you’re sure will work does just that.
Our welcome fall home 2022 wishlist is almost complete.
Vintage or in the style of vintage prints never fail to catch my eye.
Tennessee has really been on my mind and heart of late.
I purchased my first Anton Pieck print from an antiques shop in East Tennessee thirteen years ago, and last week I purchased this vintage Anton Pieck 3D Paper Art print of “The Ship” to add to the collection.
Hunting dog prints hung throughout my grandparent’s house, and the vintage porcelain figurine immediately took me back so in the cart it went.
Today’s Fetching Friday is in regal remembrance of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
I am opting to stay the course of interior design and interior decorating, thus the images denoting in regal remembrance place the emphasis on interiors steeped in British influence.
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II leaves a lasting impression, and her beauty and majesty lives on through traditions, interiors, architecture, pageantry, and regal influence.
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.
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.
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.
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.
House Beautiful
Blue and white shines as a perfectly complementary autumn accent.
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.
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.
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.
It ain’t rocket science, folks; what appeals to you is what works.
Every time.
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.
Back in our antiques auctions days I bid on and won a collection of small decorative plates including this Pheasants in flight showstopper.
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.
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.
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.”
Football and tailgating season is here, and we’re a nation of football enthusiast who live for this time of year when fans gather together with the common interests of good times, good eats and victorious scores.
PTO days have been building, work schedules cleared, weekend honey-do-list put on after football season hold, supplies gathered, parking passes purchased, hotel rooms, campground sites and flights booked, menus planned, grills and smokers cleaned, the ESPN college football app downloaded.
Initial costs sting the wallet at first, but grant a good deal of bang for your party buck satisfaction from season to season.
To this day I find burlap a neutral and inexpensive choice of table covering. Burlap does come in a good selection of colors allowing you to go with team colors game to game.
Seasonal local fruits and vegetables make excellent table and centerpiece decorations. Scatter about or stack on a pedestal in groups. I’m never disappointed with the outcome and the response fellow tailgaters have to the seemingly effortless placement details.
Stems, leaves, and branches denoting regional and seasonal beauty in varying heights and colors gathered together in vases or free form vignettes achieve the look of effortless style and casual elegance.
Decoristas have never met an end of summer retail markdown, sale, and clearance aisle they didn’t at the very least pay attention to, and at the very best pay a little for a big decorating score.
Fill each with an array of instant hot cocoa packets, marshmallows, chocolate and toffee chips, cinnamon sticks, pretzel rods, Pirouette cookies, candy canes or peppermint sticks.
Ground nutmeg and chilled cans of whipped cream top it off.
Recipes in this tailgating post give a spirited and seasoned tip of the hat to Louisiana.
LSU Spiked Blueberry Lemonade Recipe
Ingredients
2 oz. vodka
1 handful blueberries
1 pinch sugar
12 oz. lemonade
Directions
Add the vodka, blueberries and sugar to the bottom of the glass and use a spoon to muddle (or mash) everything, just until the sugar has dissolved and the blueberries are broken up. Add ice and lemonade, stirring to mix in the vodka-soaked blueberries.
Cinnamon water is my go-to option for an inexpensive and delicious alternative to leaded libations.
This stove top method brings out the flavor and color of the cinnamon.
Begin by adding 2 cinnamon sticks to 2 cups of water to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.
Simple one cinnamon stick to one cup of water math for increasing the amount. To prepare a gallon of cinnamon water you’ll use 16 cups of water and 16 cinnamon sticks.
Allow concentrate/starter to cool before adding to cold water and ice to desired strength.
I invite you to visit The Farm Girl Cooks for more farm fresh delicious recipes.
Creole Sugar ‘N’ Spice Pecans
Add as much cayenne or other spicy chile powder as you like. Pure ancho or chipotle powder are especially good here.
Ingredients
1 egg white
⅓ cup sugar
2 T Creole seasoning purchased or make your own
10 oz pecan halves
Directions
Preheat oven to 300° and place a piece of parchment on a cookie sheet. Alternatively, use a silicone baking pan liner.*
In a medium bowl, whisk egg white until frothy. Whisk in sugar and creole seasoning. Using a spatula, stir in pecan halves, making sure to coat them evenly and completely.
Pour the nuts onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, ensuring they are in a single layer. There shouldn’t be much gooey eggy spicy liquid, but if there is, don’t scrape it all out of the bowl and onto the pan. It will just stick to the parchment and will make for more difficult nut removal.
Bake the nuts at 300° for 15 minutes. Give the nuts a stir – I used a large off-set spatula to do the dirty work – then reduce the oven to 250° and bake the nuts for another 10 minutes. Immediately give the nuts another stir to release them from the parchment.
Allow to cool and store in an airtight container (something with a padlock would have been helpful here) for as long as you can stand not eating them.
Creole Seasoning
Ingredients
1/3 cup paprika
3 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon granulated onion
4 teaspoons dried thyme
4 teaspoons granulated garlic
Directions
In a medium bowl combine paprika, dried oregano, ground black pepper, dried basil, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, granulated onion, dried thyme and granulated garlic. Stir to combine. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to three months.
-Places In The Home
Country Living – Photography by Brian Woodcock
Caramelized Onion Dip with Crispy Shallots
Ingredients
¼ cup olive oil, divided
3 large sweet onions, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 shallots, sliced into thin rings
1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
Pretzels and potato, beet, and sweet potato chips for serving
Directions
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are a deep golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon; cool completely.
Combine sour cream and onions in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Top with crispy shallots and chives. Serve with pretzels and chips.
Preheat oven to 400°. On a rimmed baking sheet, roast sweet potatoes until tender, about 1 hour. While sweet potatoes are still warm, peel and pass them through a food mill into a large bowl. Add egg yolks, tasso, cheese, Cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper. Using a spatula, gently combine.
Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Prepare 3 shallow bowls of pastry flour, egg, and panko. Roll each sweet potato ball in flour, egg, and bread crumbs, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze overnight.
In a large Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 4 inches, and heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry or candy thermometer reads 325°. Add sweet potato balls, in batches, and cook until golden brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus 12 tbsp. cut into 1/2″ cubes and chilled
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1⁄2 cup Crystal hot sauce
1⁄4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. Creole seasoning
4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1⁄2 lb. head-on large shrimp, unpeeled
Kosher salt, to taste
French bread, for serving
Directions
Heat 3 tbsp. butter in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; cook until soft, 1-2 minutes. Add hot sauce, Worcestershire, juice, Creole seasoning, and pepper. Bring to a simmer; cook until sauce is reduced by half, 5-7 minutes.
Add shrimp; cook, flipping once, until cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in chilled butter to make a smooth sauce. Season with salt. Serve with French bread.
On bottom halves of muffuletta bread, layer half of salami, prosciutto, mortadella, soppressata, and provolone on each bread half. Top each with 2½ cups olive salad, add top half of the loaves; slice sandwiches into quarters, and serve.
Muffulettas may be made up to a few hours in advance. Cover, and refrigerate until serving.
Four Generation Olive Salad
Ingredients
1 anchovy fillet
2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
3 cups coarsely chopped cured green olives with pimento
2 cups coarsely chopped black olives
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced carrot
1 cup thinly sliced fennel
1 cup finely diced cauliflower (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup capers, chopped
10 baby artichokes, boiled and quartered
1 thinly sliced lemon
¼ cup fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (optional)
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
Directions
In a large bowl, combine anchovy and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mash with a fork until combined. Add olives, celery, carrot, fennel, cauliflower, garlic, capers, artichokes, lemon, and oregano, stirring to combine. Add remaining ¼ cup olive oil to just cover mixture, and stir well. Cover, and refrigerate 1 hour.
Taste mixture, and add lemon juice, salt, and pepper as needed.
***When I can’t find muffuletta bread I use a loaf of Everything Italian Bread from the bakery at Walmart.
When only the original will do, and no recipe I’ve tried quite captures that New Orleans sweetness, place an order for these original creole delights guaranteed to be a sweet hit.
Directions
Place your order online or by phoning Aunt Sally’s Original Creole Pralines direct at (800) 642-7257
Talk about the Big Easy!
New Orleans Beignets
Instructions
1 package (¼ ounce) active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water (110° to 115°)
1 cup evaporated milk
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
4-½ cups self-rising flour
Oil for deep-fat frying
Confectioners’ sugar
Directions
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk, oil, sugar, egg and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky). Do not knead. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Punch down dough. Turn onto a floured surface; roll into a 16×12-in. rectangle. Cut into 2-in. squares.
In a deep cast-iron or electric skillet, heat 1 inch oil to 375°. Fry squares, in batches, until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Roll warm beignets in confectioners’ sugar.
Sweet thought provoking quotes, seasonal scenes in garden light and summer night silhouettes, and photos of pretty little pooches all in a scroll keep the dog days of summer tolerable.
Light of a late summer afternoon paired with garden blooms in perfect palette and placement gives visitors a visually impressive summer place to admire nature at its colorful best.
Pumpkin may rule the season and seasons, but easy with a side of impressive puts the spice in my fall recipeapalooza.
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!
Take heart and soup stock, my fall loving friends, cozy and delicious soup weather is coming.
Every season is soup season at Places In The Home, but we especially associate fall with a hearty soup for supper meal.
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.
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.
Searching for tips, tricks, and general cucumber information, I ran across a line or two of pickle humor and thought it sweet and dilliciously delightful.
Cucumbers hate becoming pickles.
For them, it’s a jarring experience.
Hope your Friday is filled with beauty and laughter.
Show & Tell
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