The Day After Turkey Day

All the preparing, stressing, family gathering and it is over in a flash, a snap of your fingers. That brings us to "The day after Turkey Day " and there is nothing better than the glorious leftovers on "The day after Turkey Day".

After you have stuffed yourself to the gills and you swear you will never eat again, somewhere around midnight you are famished and so you raid the fridge! That first leftover turkey sandwich of the season, is somehow, the best one of all!

(Image found here)

Turkey Day

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Gather Here

We are just a little over a week away from Thanksgiving. Not a holiday here in England, but we still celebrate it in our little cottage. There is something to this time of year, as we approach Christmas, there is just so much more hustle and bustle and everything takes on a more frantic pace.  There also seems to be something in the air lately, everyone seems to just be fed up!

Maybe, it is because evening crawls in sooner and with less hours of daylight we feel pressured to complete more tasks than usual. Maybe, it is simply the pressure the media puts on us, there is not one store I have entered lately that is not stock piling their Christmas displays or has already decorated to the nines. It seems that as we approach Thanksgiving there is more pressure than ever.

Thanksgiving, can be a stressful time for many, you are possibly dealing with family that you would prefer not to see, you are anxious that your turkey will turn it out just so; the new bride cooking for everyone for the very first time. All this pressure, seen and unseen, seems to mount for everyone and comes to a head.

I think, of all the Christmas gifts, I have to buy and what seems like no time to do it in. I think of all the things I have to do at home and only the weekend to complete everything. I feel the pressure, that Thanksgiving seems to be the "hurdle" we have to get through on our way to Christmas, and once Christmas comes we can all sit back and take a breath.

I refuse to look at holidays like that. I want to enjoy them for all that they are, I want to soak up every drop of time I spend with my family. I want to simply take a breath and be open to just being, not be pressured by society to have everything just so and by a certain date, I am willing to just take it as it comes and drink in the moments as they present themselves. Because, I believe that I am where I'm supposed to be right now and I will come to it with not only an open heart but a grateful one!

(Image by Craftily-Ever-After)

Orange You Glad?

Orange you glad that as it gets darker sooner outside, it gets cozier sooner inside? I am! My candles are lit as soon as I get home from work and my cozy lamps make the rooms feel cheerier in this Fall season. We are not long away from twinkle lights and late nights up talking over a cup of hot chocolate for me and a cup of hot tea for Mr. Michie.

When the seasons turn to evening coming quicker and the air gets frosty, I love to have breakfast for  dinner. We do it so many ways; we will have Southern breakfast with biscuits and grits, or maybe French style, a Croque-Monsieur with a fried egg on top and a dressed salad, or a fluffy cheesy omelet with toast or simply a nice stack of pancakes, dripping with syrup.

After receiving my last "Willard" from the lovely Susan Branch, I went to check out her new homepage and in reading, discovered the following recipe, I think it will be going into our "breakfast for dinner" stash of ideas. I can't wait to try it!

(Image copyright Susan Branch click on the image to go to a larger version)

Pumpkin Party

 

Doesn't this picture just make you want to have a pumpkin party? It certainly makes me want to have one! I can see the picnic table now, covered with newspapers and pumpkins all sat at the ready to have bewitching or bemusing faces carved into their rich orange ribbed flesh.

As your guest carved away you could serve popcorn balls, apple slices with oozey goozey caramel to dip or maybe fresh baked doughnuts rolled in cinnamon and sugar and hot apple cider.

Candles lit as night falls in, good music playing while everyone carves away and just enjoys each other's company and a lovely crispy fall evening for it to take place in... I'm ready for a pumpkin party, how about you?

(Image Country Living)

Pumpkin Hunting

The weather has turned and it feels deliciously like Autumn outside now! We have woken up to a grey morning, but the pinkest of pink skies is beginning to form over the rooftops and I think we might get a little sparkle of sun today.

I don't mind what weather we have today, because I spotted my first pumpkins in town last week and I am planning on going pumpkin hunting! I can't wait to see what I can find, which little pumpkin or two will jump into my hands and come home with me, along with a couple of flats of pansies.

My tiny grocery store in town had the most beautiful blackest of black velvety pansies and I want to grab some and mix them with orange pansies to make up a little Halloween planter outside. I am also crossing my fingers that they still have the yellow and white pansies as well, that mixed with orange will be candy corn colors bringing happiness to my garden!

Pumpkins are just such beautiful things to me. They seem to hold the essence of Autumn, in their bright orange blush that meld into hues of yellows, sometimes a touch of red. So today I am putting on my green polka dot wellies, grabbing one of my wicker shopping baskets and going pumpkin hunting, to bring a taste of Autumn inside...

(Image Marththa Stewart)

A Secret Nook

Tonight as the rain softly falls and the wind whips around the house, I crave to just be still, to sit in silence and just be in a secret nook where I can hide away and get lost in a deliciously good book. There is nothing better than getting lost in a book, what a guilty pleasure that is! Especially if it is enjoyed with a hot cup of cocoa with lots and lots of marshmallows.

Alas, I still have a lot of work to get done this evening and a Christmas gift that I am beginning to work on early for someone special. I want to take some time to read the directions for it and then work on blowing up the pattern, I can't say any more at the moment because it is a secret, shhhh!

But, as I work away I will dream of hiding out in a secret nook like the one above surrounded by walls and walls of gorgeous books.

(Image from "The Holiday" found on Hooked on Houses)

A Kiss Goodbye

Today, as September comes to a close the last little taste of Summer is clinging to it. Even though the sun shone bright this morning, through the mist on the common, it was still so cold. Our breath hung in little icy moisture droplets above us as we waited for our cherry red bus to come.

I love Summer and all it holds, but I love this time, when seasons change from one into the other and as the curtains draw on the final little bit of Summer and we kiss it goodbye, I welcome, with arms open-wide, all the best that Fall has to offer us. And one such thing is a bounty of gorgeous apples. I grew up on a farm and one of our staple crops were apples. There was nothing better than when my Dad, came home with the first of the year's apple cider in frosty jugs for us to gobble down.

Apples in season, meant ever-ready bushels of sweetness awaiting us. Thin sliced apples with crackers and hoop cheese, fresh frosty cider, my Dad's applesauce for breakfast and my Mom's apple butter spread over hot biscuits. Fall holds a sweetness to it all of its own, a beauty of color and taste.

As we truly kiss the last of Summer goodbye and welcome in Fall, I found a recipe that I thought I would share with you, I have had cookies similar to this growing up and this was just something to delicious not to share!

Iced Apple Cookies

• 2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) nutmeg
• 1 1/3 cup(s) (packed) light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup(s) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup(s) pecans, chopped
• 1 cup(s) raisins
• 1 cup(s) chopped Red Delicious apple
• 1/2 cup(s) apple cider
• 2 tablespoon(s) apple cider
• 3 cup(s) confectioners' sugar

---

Directions

1. Make the batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Cream the sugar and 3/4 cup butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Stir in the pecans, raisins, apples, and 1/4 cup apple cider.
2. Bake the cookies: Drop by heaping tablespoon, 2 inches apart, onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Flatten each mound slightly and bake 18 to 22 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, remaining cider, and butter until smooth. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of icing over each cookie. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

(Recipe & Image copyright Country Living)

Round the Buses

We take the bus into school most mornings and pretty much every evening, unless we miss it and then we walk home breathing in all the goodness of fall (tonight I smelt my first fire of the season, the air was crispy and the woody mossy smell of logs crackling, was dancing through the air as we waited at our stop).

As we stand at our stop in the morning, our breath clinging in puffs before us, it is quiet, tranquil. Everyone around us still seems to be asleep just running on auto-pilot.  The bus driver turns up, and as we are stepping on board he has our tickets printed already a few cheery "Good Mornings" and we take our seats.

You see the same people, a little nod and smile to some, others don't care to be bothered. The bus is quiet, there is no talking, everyone appears to be mentally preparing themselves for the day ahead.

This, however, is not the case on the afternoon bus. Our bus driver is not a happy camper by any means, I greet her with a friendly "Hello!" and get either grunts or no acknowledgement in reply. She usually has a terse word with someone over nothing and she drives like a maniac.

It is like being on a rollercoaster ride, today my stomach was doing flips by the time we got home, from all the twisting and turning and short stopping and almost hitting people, animals, cars. I just hold my breath.

We have been back at school for two weeks now and she has not changed, her attitude seems to be stuck to her like glue, but I refuse to bend! I will continue to be as cheery as always and continue to tell her "Hello!" whether she likes it or not!

As Anne of Green Gables said, "I refuse to be poisoned by your bitterness!" and I think that can also go for being jaded. I refuse to be jaded by someone because they have a sour disposition about the world. I have my own thoughts, beliefs, dreams and I refuse to let them be destroyed by someone who has no imagination. Because to have no imagination must be the most unhappiest of existences I could dream of!

Whew! Ok, hold on...I am stepping down now and putting my soapbox away...

Crab Apples

Last night we walked home from work and even though I ended up with a blister the size of Texas, I loved our walk.

The sun was just beginning to set, the air was so crisp and clean and as we passed the park, a gorgeous crab-apple tree stood before us.

Its boughs laden with little yellow and red apples. Some had already fallen from their branch and they stood out so cheerily from the dark green of the dewed grass, others had been munched on by woodland creatures. They were little orbs of swirled autumnal colors laying at our feet.

And they made me smile.

Leaves

The weather is changing now, as if Mother Nature knows everyone has gone back to school. Summer is slowly but surely dipping into Fall.  We went on a walk over the weekend and the crunch, crunch, crunch of leaves under our feet made a happy sound before it melted into the sludge of wet ones buried underneath on the wooded path. 

The evenings are getting darker sooner, the mornings are taking longer to light and there is a cozyness in that, we are moving into hot chocolate weather! I miss not being home this time of year. I grew up near the prettiest mountains on the face of the earth and I got to watch them evolve with the seasons.

This is the time for hay bales and pumpkins, Indian corn hung on your door in fat bunches, apples dipped in warm ooey gooey melty caramel and harvest moons. The leaves are beginning to crunch under our feet, I feel that it will soon be Fall.

Happy Thanksgiving

(Image by Norman Rockwell, saying from "simple country pleasures", Country Living)

Time for Pumpkin Pie

Its time for pumpkin pie! This is my favorite part of Thanksgiving, as much as I love turkey and dressing and sweet potato souffle oozing with marshmallows on one 1/2 and pecans on the other, I live for Thanksgiving dessert!

Especially, pumpkin pie! I am a Libby's canned pumpkin kinda gal and fortunately for me, I am able to get this at my local grocery store. I make my pumpkin pies the day before Thanksgiving. I love rolling the dough out and picking one of my mini pie cutters to cut out shapes that will decorate the edge of the crust. I usually use the maple leaf or the star shape to encircle the pie in a wreath of autumnal beauty.

I love the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg and cloves being folded into the creamy batter and then gently ladling it into my pie shell and finally placing it into the oven. The smell of it slowly baking permeates the house with the first smells of Thanksgiving. I make my whipped cream while it is baking, beating in sugar and vanilla, to taste; in preparation for the Big Day; as the timer goes off and I pull the pie out of the oven to slowly cool, I can only hope it survives the night and greedy hands and taste buds that can't wait don't get the better of it before Turkey Day arrives!

(Images from The Retro Press)

Pumpkin Pie Update (11/27/2009):
It was delicious! I had a slice with whipped cream for breakfast this morning!

Home for the Holidays

Unfortunately, we do not get to go "home" for Thanksgiving, but we celebrate with each other in our house. It doesn't seem quite the same at times; no shuffling around in your pajamas, no breakfast casserole, no Macy's Day Parade on TV and no parents in the kitchen laughing and talking while they make stuffing and get ready to roast the bird.

We make our own holiday memories here in England. I still prepare a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings and pumpkin pie for dessert of course! Some years we have had friends round to join in with the festivities, but, this year, it will be just the two of us, a romantic Thanksgiving.

It wouldn't be the season if I didn't get to watch Home for the Holidays. What a movie! My family and I love this movie! There are moments you can relate to, even if you, like me, are close with your family, you can relate it to other family members.

There is a great scene after the parents pick their daughter up from the airport and as they are driving home, with the mom chatting away in the back they pass another car with a fellow "kid"; his mom is leaning over the seat going on and on, and the two "kids" just stare at each other through the car windows, in this perfect moment of understanding. So much is said with that look.
I know this look. My husband and I have been with some people where that look between us gets used a lot. This movie sums up all the craziness of this one day. Days, that some people use not to be thankful for, or to see the blessings in, but as a forum for themselves to just act as nutty as a fruitcake.

So to everyone, who loves going home (I do!) and for those who are ready for Thanksgiving to be over with already and back in their own homes away from their families, this movie is for you!

Hats & Mittens Weather

It is definitely hats & mittens weather. Yesterday, as I went traipsing through the woods on a morning walk, I could see my breath in front of me. The sky is silvery again, gone is the very blue sky of Autumn and it is bone chillingly cold here. I am going to have to get out my bag of hats and scarves and mittens.

It is one of my favorite rituals, going through all the wonderful colored scarves and mittens I have, some bought, some handmade, all bright and happy to mix and match with any outfit.

This little image from Belle & Boo reminded me of the crispy days of Autumn. When you don't quite need your winter coat but definitely a hat and possibly a scarf, to keep you warm on a long walk through the woods with your sweetie pie.

If you have not come across Belle & Boo, it is a real gem. The drawings, for me, harken back to a 60's-ish style of children's art work. The simplicity, sweetness and whimsical nature of Mandy Sutcliffe's creations are pieces that work for any age group. Not only are there prints of her artwork, but among other things she also has a stationery line. One of these adorable gift tags tied to your little parcel and it would take on a whole new life. They are just too cute!




Click on the Image below to visit the website:



















(Images used copyright Belle & Boo)

Pumpkin Patch Love

I love the festive look of these Pumpkin Patch cupcakes from Martha Stewart. We went pumpkin hunting this weekend and I came back with another pumpkin to add to my collection. He is small with a cute curl of a stem, and has lots of personality!

I haven't seen any teeny pumpkins yet this year, I love the little munchkin pumpkins! I thought these cupcakes would be perfect with a glass of cold apple cider to wash away those hungry pumpkin hunting appetites. They also would taste just as yummy if you cheated and used a gingerbread cake recipe instead of a pumpkin one, you decide.

Happy Hunting!

Get the Recipe

(Image used copyright Martha Stewart Living)

Pumpkin Carving

I have been so involved the last few days with all of my Christmas Fair projects I have almost forgotten it was pumpkin weather. Walking out into a crisp autumn day early this morning, to post a letter, I did remember!

It was the kind of English Autumn day where the sky was silver and the brilliant color palette of the leaves stood sharply against the silvery mist. As fallen leaves squeaked under my feet I started thinking about what I would carve on my pumpkin this year.

I love the "lantern" pumpkins that Country Living has in their latest issue. That would be a great idea for any occasion. I can just imagine having a barn party with "lantern" pumpkins guiding you down the hay bale path to a fun affair, like the Halloween party held in the barn at the end of Summer Magic, I love that movie!
They also showed how to turn mini pumpkins into votive holders. I have done that many times with pumpkins and apples, it is very effective and sets such a sweet tone to your table with leaves and ivy mixed in amongst them. It can also be a less expensive alternative to flowers if you are doing a dinner party on a budget. The votives work as both candle holder and decoration, with some foliage and twigs cut from your backyard or the woods and woven along the table you have an interesting display for not a lot of money.I did a lot of printmaking in College, so, I loved their "Cinderella" Pumpkin Flower too. The carvings with the wood tools are so beautifully folksy. Or, maybe it is just that this orange pumpkin is contrasted against a pink background and I love PINK!
What are you carving on your pumpkins? Click here to go to the Country Living website for templates to create the pumpkin "lanterns".

(All images used copyright Country Living)

Happiness Is....

After a week of dealing with boiler problems, gas leaks, and workman, happiness is: a gingerbread latte, curling up on the couch with the new Martha Stewart Magazine October issue, that my adorable husband surprised me with last night for having to put up with a crazy house all week and listening to the Fleet Foxes. I tell you, it doesn't take much to make me happy, just the simple things.

If the whimsical cover doesn't make you want to smile with all the "mushroom" gourds, I don't know what will! I love her Halloween candy bag idea with the Chinese "jack-'o-" lanterns, too cute!

(All Images copyright Martha Stewart Living)

Playing in the Garden

Yesterday was breezy and sunny and the perfect day for me to change out some of the flowers in my garden. Our "yard" is only a small space in front of the cottage, so I do all my gardening in pots. I like to experiment a lot and mix things together, everything is very higgledy-piggledy. I buy what I like and plant it, that simple.

Because my ivy has taken over in some of my pots my solution was to plant the plastic containers that flowers come in, into my flower pots. Thus, making switching over plants easier and providing me with a little more insulation than normal. Last year I had a geranium that lived through the winter in my garden and I am convinced it was because of his cozy double insulation. It was an idea that came to me while visiting Versailles a few years ago at Christmas. In Marie Antoinette's garden they had planted clay pots into the soil, leaving the rim just visible and had a mixture of primroses and ivy and other plants blooming away in the freezing weather.

To my delight I discovered the first olive on our potted tree. We have had him for 3 years now and every year we hope... but in planting pansies yesterday I peered through the branches and saw a little green olive no bigger than a pea beginning to form. Happiness.

The little grocery store in town always has a sweet collection of flowers in the store and yesterday I stocked up on pansies and miniature capsicum ( a fancy way for saying peppers) plants. The purple against the red looks very rich. They are the perfect plants and colors to move us from Fall into Winter. I find gardening therapeutic, making everything pretty, cleaning up the old to freshen up with the new. Gandhi said, "To forget how to dig in the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves."

Little, as it may be, I gain so much from my "garden", I would dearly miss not being able to play in the dirt on Saturday mornings and the smile that coming home brings to my face when I see such cheery colors canvased against our cottage.
(Image above by Mary Engelbreit)

Chilly Willy!

Brrrr! Today the weather has changed. It is blustery, cloudy and very cold. We were out running errands and upon coming back in the cottage, we knew it was chilly, because the radiators had come on by themselves and were humming away making the house toasty!

Today it feels like we might be skipping Autumn and going right into Winter! It is definitely pumpkin weather now. The perfect weather to get a hot chocolate on-the-go and take a nice crispy walk through the woods. I will have to get out my wellies soon. I will finally have a chance to use my gorgeous Cath Kidston polka dot green wellies I got for my Birthday. I can't wait for my first puddle of the season to go stomping through!

This is lit candles, wrapping up in cozy quilts and drinking hot chocolate weather.

(Image from Good Housekeeping, Jessie Wilcox Smith)