Falling Into Fall~Acorn Pan Give Away & a Thrifty, Delicious Fall Dinner

At 5 a.m. on the 23rd, Fall begins.  You could fool me, it still feels like summer, we  put the a/c back on today!

But to celebrate the authority of the almanac, I celebrate Fall with a give away.

This cute acorn pan, makes mini muffins or cakes.

And a runner up will get these pretty beaded napkin rings by Waverly. My friend Marigene from In the Middle of Nowhere used them in a very pretty scape last week..

Everyone who is, or becomes a Follower is eligible.  That's it!  A little way to thank those who are so sweet to follow me.  :)

The winners will be announced in this weekend's post.  Happy Fall!

I started the table with a tan textured cloth, a black placemat with a beaded edge from PB, and a brown dinner plate from the clearance in Pier One.  1.24

The taupe colored plate is from CTS.

Made in Portugal. I loved the edge.

Not bad, huh?  I have some soup bowls I got from a previous visit to the Tree, but not that price!

The pretty leaf plate is also from CTS, 1.99.

These ceramic pheasants are from Pottery Barn.  I am not birdy, { and that would be double NO on roosters :)  } decor wise that is, but the price was really right, birdseed, so I bought them a few years ago.

The centerpiece is a candle holder from Michaels with some mums poked in.

Fall fruit scatters. Black stemmed glasses,  Pflaltzgraff clearance,  5 years ago.

Shades of brown Buffalo checked napkins are  held by a gold leaf from Pottery Barn.

The flatware is trimmed in gold by Wallace.

The place card holders match the napkin rings and are from PB.

The amber votives with  a leaf charm are from CTS.  3/$1

This amber bubble glass pitcher is from the Pfaltzgraff clearance store 5 years ago.  I bought 4 of them, and gave them away.  They were  .96!!  Seriously!

All the PB purchases were from the outlet, and on sale.  You know I won't buy it unless the price is LOW!

Fall brings a change in the menu too.

I was at the farm stand here and bought a very  large head of red cabbage for $2.49.  They go by the head, not the pound there.

I made sweet and sour red cabbage with apples. Here it is cooking in the pan.

I used a recipe from all recipes as a guide, but I didn't follow it closely.  Are you surprised?  :)

Brown onions in some butter, add  chopped apples and saute.  Add the cabbage,  a handful  of brown sugar, apple cider vinegar and let cook down.  I added a 1/4 cup of apricot liqueur  as it simmered.  I let it cook on low for about an hour.  Much better than the kind in the jar! It was really good.

I served it with pork schnitzel, and baked buttered crumb noodles. Chunky applesauce on the side.

A good Fall dinner, and very economical too!

I hope you enjoyed your visit, do come back to see who wins!  Thanks!

I am joining Susan for Tablescape Thursday,  Gollum for Foodie Friday,  Sherry for Open House Thursday, and Diann for Thrifty Things Friday. 

Happy Fall you all! Or as we say in New Yawk,  Happy Fall  youse guys!  :)

One Hundred Days!

Attention, Bloggers!

While you are sweating pulling out all your FALL finery, the clock is ticking!  In 100 days, it will be CHRiSTMAS!

I remember when I was still  teaching, the Kdgn teachers would have a 100 days celebration.

So to celebrate that there are 100 days till the BIG day, I present a little bit of Christmas!  :)

I love plaid, so a little table featuring this cloth from CTS.

Same dishes, but just for 2 for an everyday dinner.

Another dinner for 2, salad plate by Mikassa.

Casual dinner for  Santa and the Mrs.!

The red glass plate and red glass here are from Dollar Tree.  Now is the time to keep our eyes open for these, they disappear fast.  I got the 12 plates and bowls as well as the glasses.  They are easily mixed and matched.

The centerpiece is a candle holder from my dear friend Gail, but I put a vase of Baby's Breath in it instead.

Ok, that's enough of the break from leaves and acorns and pumpkins and such! 

Hope you didn't mind the diversion, 100 days will fly!

Fall will start here next week, and I won't be skipping from Halloween to Christmas, I promise!

For my foodie part, I made the brioche that Cathy at Wives with Knives made here.http://www.wiveswithknives.net/2011/06/13/the-simplest-brioche-a-classic-french-bread-even-i-can-make/

It made very good French toast.

My pan was  much larger than hers, so mine isn't as high. I think I should have doubled the recipe.

I sliced some Granny Smith apples, sauteed them in butter, sugar and cinnamon, added some water and a splash of apricot brandy.  I let it simmer , then poured it on top of the French Toast. So much better than pancake syrup!

And in keeping with the 100 days till Christmas theme, some red and green!  Vertical Pear Salad with a honey drizzle., delicious and colorful. The directions can be found on my very first post in 2008!

Vertical Pear Salad
- 4 smooth skinned pears
- 2-3 cups water cress ..I used baby spinach-
1/2 cup toasted pecans used walnuts,
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese ..I used feta
- vinagrette dressing (your choice: raspberry vinagrette?.)
- honey
- lemon juice
- Cut pears horizontally into four slices each. Use a knife to cut out the cores so the pieces look like donuts. Leave the stem on the top piece. Brush lemon juice on each cut side of the pieces.
- Toss the pecans, blue cheese, water cress, and dressing until coated.
- Reassemble the pear, vertically, with the watercress salad in between each slice. Once assembled, Drizzle with honey.

I am joining Susan for Tablescape Thursday, and Gollum for Foodie Friday and Yvonne for On the Menu Mondayy.

I was a very lucky winner of a the generous ML West give away, a $50 Amazon gift card.  Thank you so much, ML!

To celebrate the arrival of Fall next week, I will be giving away one of these acorn pans from W Sonoma

 

and some of these Waverly napkin rings.  Anyone who is a follower and leaves a comment will have a chance.

 

Please come back next for a chance at the give away!

I am also joining Saturday Evening Pot for the 100 days till Christmas Food Countdown. Check out the button on my sidebar. And of course, my shopping marathos buddy, The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

9/11/11 Ten Years and Millions of Tears

I know we are all praying for those who lost loved ones on 9/11/01.

Seeing the pictures of the children this year who were born after their fathers were killed is emotional. I wonder about how many unborn babies were killed that day too. I am sure there were women who were pregnant killed that day. We will never know.

And so , on this beautiful September Sunday, I again post those who were killed in NY.

I know BJ at Sweet Nothings did her post on Todd Beamer and those killed in Pa. And another on the Pentagon and the many who were killed there.

May they all rest in peace, and may their loved ones find comfort.

God Bless America.

We will never forget... Please click, and as you scroll through their names, say a prayer.

And...hug your loved ones.

I am joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Apple Time & Amazon Gift Card Give Away!

The gremlins have been here today.  First, I tried to change my header and blogger wouldn't let me.  So I was HEAD er less for awhile.

Then Live Writer was being difficult.  BUT, finally, I shook it up and down and it worked! :)

Everyone who leaves a comment here today has a chance at a visit from the Fairy Hobmother.

Check out their site, www.appliancesonline.co.uk/blog/

I was the lucky one picked when I visited Joni's wonderful blog, Red Couch Recipes. 

The Hobmother gave me a 50 dollar Amazon gift card!

So good luck to you, and do let me know if you are the  winner!

It's apple picking time here on Long Island, and time to use my apple plates again!

Checked rim, green band, and a basket of apples in the middle!

They were purchased maybe 5 yrs ago at CTS in Rhode Island when I went to visit my friend.  Service for 12, how much you ask?

$15.00!  Not Spode , but cute for a yearly apple time table.

I used a deep green and white striped cloth.  It is a heavy almost canvas cotton I got in WalMart a few years ago for a dollar a yard.  I bought the bolt.

Rattan charger from Pfaltzgraff.com last summer, about 2.00 each, I used apple baskets, Michael's 50 cents,  to hold the napkins, a dark green and a Vera apple motif napkin.  I have had them for many years!

The red flatware is by Cambridge via CTS.

A green BEE glass and red glass mug by Aroroc for our apple cider, both from CTS.

Eaten apple scatters , and ceramic apple s and p's.

An apple basket for our bread...

and a wicker basket holds the crackers for our soup.

The centerpiece is a rustic cart filled with real apples, apple pics, and a few flowers.  Apple red votives and apple name cards, and that's it!

Some fresh APPLE crisp would be good for dessert!

Or maybe some apples dipped in chocolate, caramel, and sprinkled with nuts.

Applelicious!

Ok, now it's your chance to win!

Go check out the Fairy Hobmother...http://www.appliancesonline.co.uk/blog/

Make a wish, leave a comment here, and good luck!

I am joining Susan BNOTP  for Tablescape Thursday, Gollum for Foodie Friday, Diann for Thrifty Friday and  Ann On Sutton Place for Open House Thursday.

Thank you, Ladies for hosting!

I haven't picked my gift from Amazon.com yet, but I am having fun narrowing it down!

I appreciate you stopping by, see you this weekend for Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescapers, and On the Menu Monday at Yvonne's Stone Gable. 

Blue Skies, Thank the Lord!

Last weekend at this time we were being smacked around by Irene.  But, as I reported in my last post, we bid her good riddance with a funeral party!

Since she left town, the skies have been blue and the weather beautiful!

I took this shot from our beach. 

My 4 gkids enjoying their last weekend before school begins Tuesday.  I will miss having them out here at the beach.  I don't see them that often once school begins and they go back to their  home.

After a day of fun in the water, we attend Mass on the lawn.

Our very dear friend, just celebrated his anniversary of 50 years as a priest.

He has been there for us in the best of times and the worst, from the joy of Baptisms and weddings to the sorrow of funerals.  He is truly a wonderful person.

During his vacation, he says Mass under the blue skies with the Bay breeze at his back. 

The setting is very conducive to remembering to thank God for our blessings!

Here the "congregation" waits for Mass to start. 

I will miss the days at the beach with the kids...

But come Tuesday, I will sit on the front porch with my coffee and newspaper, and be very happy I am retired and don't have to leave here during September.  It is one of the most beautiful months in Southampton.

Some fresh blueberry apple muffins made by dh.

There are plenty, so please join me!

I am joining The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday, Stone Gable for On the Menu Monday, and Susan for Outdoor Wednesday.

Please come back for Tablescape Thursday.  The Fairy Hobmother will be picking someone who leaves a comment to visit and deliver a gift card!

Thanks for visiting and have a good week!