Pink...For the Cure

So many bloggers have done pink posts to commemorate Pink Ribbon Month.  Before the month ends, I wanted to do a pink post in honor of all those fighting this terrible disease.

A perfectly pink tractor for the fair ladies to ride...

A beautiful pink rose...

A yummy pink cupcake...

And some  pretty in pink tablescapes from the past.

I hope they have raised a lot of money this month for the cure.

My niece, a young mother of 4, was diagnosed in August and underwent a double mastectomy.  She is having chemo treatments.  Her youngest child is severely disabled, and right now is in ICU , very sick.  If you could spare a prayer for them, I would really appreciate it. 

Let us hope they find a cure, and soon.

Foodie Friday

The farmers markets are loaded with heads of cauliflower, and cabbage.

I tried a recipe I saw on the Food Channel , a Polish dish called Haluski  Very easy!  I must ask my Polish friend Janice Jedrzejewski, if she ever had this.  She introduced me to a lot of Polish treats in college, as did my friend Maryann Pasinski.  All very exotic to this Irish American gal!  :)

Here's the you tube showing you how.  There are many different versions, this is the one I tried.

Mary Kay, I haven't heard from you.  Please go to my last post and pick your prize so I can get them mailed out.

Thanks for visiting.  See you this Sunday, I have a few bargains to show you from my last trip to CTS.

Joining Susan for Tablescape Thursday and

Gollum for Foodie Friday.

Black Widow Luncheon and the Winners!

I was going back through my early blog posts for Halloween.  This is a table I did for a party in 2009, Black Widows  Luncheon.  Not too many saw it, so I thought I would show it.

 

I used hydrangeas from my garden and sprayed them black.  Tucked in some Baby's Breath and surrounded a white pumpkin with them.  I raised them up on a bowl.

I draped the chandy with spiders and witches. I used fishing line to look like webs, or maybe they  were cob webs I forgot to dust away!  :)  What's a cob anyway?

I decided on the black napkin with an alabaster ring and of course a spider.

I used silver chargers, checked dishes and a jet black soup bowl.

The ladies all got a little notebook as a lagniappe, or take home.  I learned that word from a Southern gal!

Poison mushrooms held the name cards.  You can see in the pic above I cut a witch hat to write the name on. 

I decided to show this a as so many of us still have faded hydrangea that can be cut and sprayed gold or silver or what ever your little heart desires for use in arrangements  for the holidays.   They can be saved too, I have used the black ones a few years now.

For dessert to keep with the black and white theme...

The winner of the Cornucopia Pan Is.....................

Laurie from Bargain Hunting with Laurie

And the runner up is ..................

Cherry Kay at Entertaining Women  (choice of the  Waverly beaded napkin rings or the monkey name holders from WSonoma) 

        

Please email me your addresses so I can get them in the mail.

I wish everyone could win.  I have  more give aways planned for November, you know when I see things on sale a WSomoma or PBarn Outlet I stock up for give aways!

Thanks for visiting!  See you soon.

Joining Marty for Tabletop Tuesday.

Getting into Fall SHAPE!!

I love to play with my kitchen toys.  Cookie cutters make great shaped potatoes.

Apple crisp baked in a pumpkin shaped dish.

Nut molds used to make cookies. (King Arthur)

Marigene thinks these are a royal pain, but I didn't mind doing it, and they tasted good.  I used a shortbread recipe, and filled them with apricot or nutella.

I will do a post on them in November.

You can cut your biscuits with cookie cutters and your butter pats too.

Individual mac and cheese in little leaf casseroles.

Or Super size it!

Letter shaped cookie cutters so you can label your food in case you forget what you made!  :)

 

My friend Carol, There's Always Thyme to Cook, sent me these cutters from WSonoma a few years ago.  I have been using them to decorate pies ever since then!

  So today instead of just decorating the pie, I covered the whole top with leaves.

Peel and slice your apples, I used 5 and a half cups, and  used 5 different varieties of apples.  Fill the bottom crust.

Cut your shapes and start from the bottom going around slightly overlapping.  If you roll too thick, you will have gummy crust, too thin, and they fall apart.

Time consuming, but not that bad!

I brushed some of the leaves with egg wash so I would get shades.

Ready to serve...

I had some left over dough and apples, so I made some mini pies.

I hope you have a wonderful Fall weekend.  The weather here has been beautiful, still warm and everything is green.  We haven't had a frost yet, and my oil bill is happy about that!

I am joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday

Yvonne for On the Menu Monday.

Sue at Sullivan and Murphy is having a great give away from Uprinting.  Hop over and enter.

Thanks for visiting!

Please remember to ditch the word id, and make sure you have a return  email addy in the comment section on your dashboard! 

The give away is now closed and the winner will be announced Sunday!

They're Off~Witches Fly Part 3

 

Busty, Dusty, Rusty and Musty

Are flying lean and mean,

They steal a song from Shelia

A curio from Christine!

 

Laurie locks  her windows

Sarah bars the door,

Pat hides all her crystal

When she hears their broomsticks roar.

 

They make a stop at Holidays

Those girls sure likes their dishes,

They leave a bowl of Groundhog stew,

Yum, it's so delicious!

 

"Let's go have a party

With those witches with no teeth,

We'll bring a little present"

And steal Wives with Knives new wreath!

Zoulah and Beaulah are horrified

They think it is so rude,

Those witches have been drinking

And flying while quite stewed!

 

"Who gives a fig about those two?"

Musty screeches off with glee

"Should we hit The Tablescaper?"

The other three agree!

 

They mess up all her linens

And steal some of her coats,

Leave to visit Gollum

And shaving cream her goats!

 

Cindy, Gail and Suzy

Warn Tess, Elaine and Kitty

Linda, La and Gina

See them heading toward the city.

 

Marsha  quickly calls Kathleen

Says they'll be there the next morn,

She plans to welcome them back home

With bowls of candy corn.

Another year of witchy fun

Those four sure caused a scene.

They think you bloggers are the best

Have a  HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

 

That's it for this year!  Moving on from Halloween.  I hope to do a table next  week for  Pink Ribbon Month, in honor of  all those who who are breast cancer survivors and those who are fighting the battle. 

If anyone would like to join me in this , please let me know.

As a little balance to all that candy we are "testing", :)

a delicious salad with brandied apples.

I had it at a restaurant recently, and decided to try and duplicate it.

Baby spinach, cranberries, toasted walnuts, red onion, feta cheese, sauteed pork strips, and apples.

Cut the apples and toss in cinnamon and sugar.  Saute them in some butter and add some apricot brandy. 

Let them reduce a bit.

Don't leave them too long, you still want  them to have a little bite to them.  Pour the remaining juice over the top of the pork on the salad.  I served it with a raspberry vinaigrette.  A nice loaf of crusty bread, and it's dinner!

I am joining Susan for Tablescape Thursday

Gollum for Foodie Friday

Table info:

white and yellow checked tablecloth old

yellow checked topper, Portuguese cotton remnant, $1.00

candy corn plates and bowls orange place mat, yellow charger,  white lace square plates ,Cmas Tree Shop

yellow Fiesta flatware Tues Morning

yellow pin dot napkins, my mom's  , old

tulip shaped glassware, Dansk

orange ramekins, HG

candy corn candles on a stick in the napkin, some dollar store

Montauk daisies from my yard on top of a candy corn bowl

Still time to enter the give away for the  Nordic pan from WSonoma... There will be a runner up prize too.

Open to all followers in the US

Must have an email address.

Some of those who entered don't have a blog and a no return addy., so there is no way to contact you. 

Please check your dashboard on your email options and make sure you have an email listed.

Leave a comment here about the post ...

and then let me know you want to be entered.

Each entry will be given a number, so if you entered last time, and this  week you get 2 chances.

Winner announced Sunday!

Thanks for visiting!

Mid October Sights & Apple Crumb Bread

Time for Seasonal Sunday again, and I took some shots of what's happening outdoors.

The last cucumber of the season from the garden.

 

The Dusty Miller is huge.  I love that these come back again in Spring, sometimes.

The asters make their last stand.

Mini carns still in the pink.

Still lots of roses...

But I know these warmer Fall days are numbered and November, will creep in and bring early darkness.

I will enjoy these days as we tuck Summer away in the shed till next year.

A little pumpkin table to chase away the thought of winter.

I found this Apple Bread recipe on Richard's Amish Stories blog.  He is not Amish, but lives near Amish Country and is interested in their way of life. 

It is called  Amish Apple Crumb Bread.

 

I doubled the amount of crumbs, as we are crumb lovers!  :)You can find the recipe here.

I also added cinnamon to the chopped apples.

He has posted lots of other recipes and interesting stories.  I find it fascinating to learn about the Amish and Mennonite Communities.  If you visit, tell him Kathleen sent you.  I think he will get a kick out of that!

There's still time to win the Cornucopia Pan, info here.

You just have to be a follower or become one, and live in the US.

Also, I must have a way to contact you.  Many of you have no reply addys .  I know some don't know they have that, going to do a post on that!

I am joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday

Yvonne for On the Menu Monday

Marty for Tablescape Tuesday

Thanks so much for hosting.

I hope you had a great weekend, thanks for sharing some of your time with me!