It's here, I am sure...

 Fall...

Aconitum..monkshood is last to bloom here..

Poisonous..so beware:)

We have 2 lovely crabapple trees and one on our borrowed landscape..

 

Those blossoms turn into cute little hard as rock apples until they fall on the ground and some get mushy..SOOOO many this yr..

I could fill at least 4 wheelbarrows..but I didn't..

Pelting rain..much cooler..falling leaves..  All of a sudden hier après-midi..fall is happening after a neverending summer.

One of the beauty days we had burgers on the BBQ.We make all the patties with several  ings  not purists here.. and freeze them ..One thing we have discovered..is that home made buns are best.

I vary recipes..

This one was good..you can find it here..

Bread machine is my way for sooo many doughs..not for actual baking...

Speaking of which..I made a challah recipe I have made before.. you can find the recipe here.. but I fashioned it this way.

T..my friend ..often sends me posts she thinks I will enjoy or we would both enjoy..this was one of them..She is a great bread baker on her own..and I am grateful for her links:)

When the boys were Littles..I decorated for Halloween..now..no..lol just a few touches..I do wish I had fall fabric for the porch swing and wicker furniture..We have one fabric store.. ap 20-25 mins away. and if you are not a member you pay so much more.I'd love a JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby here.More affordable.My next Hobby Lobby trip a few meters of fall.

OMGEESH the cost of things now is ridiculous.

Nothing is $1.00 at our dollar stores.. I know it's now $1.25 in the US..but here? Many items are now $4.00 ..many many many many..most.

This is small scale..Home! Rents! Food! What is happening? How will all our littles be able to manage?

And with AI?

What about that..

Covid changed so much..pre-covid..things were not as pricey..

Travel must be through the roof..Staying put.

Time to gather your herbs and make bouquets garnis again:)

I took the opportunity of making several when I brought in my herbs to make the bread.. ..they have to dry before I tuck them in a jar.

Froze lots of things for winter..I'll be glad to pull out a bag of  leeks and make soup:)Tomato starters..hrebs..basil especially..pestos..

All of it.

Home Sweet Home.

So grateful .

For my Family .

Fitting..it's Thanksgiving weekend here.

Take care..

Looking forward to feeling so much better about everything~

And..it's snowing.
Baked some easy egg/challah bread..made the dough in the machine then shaped..it makes a small loaf and that's great for J and I.
The recipe is so easy..

La recette~

3/4 cup water
2 eggs
1 tbsp butter
3 cups flour
3 tbsps sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsps yeast

All in the bread machine..  remove ..shape..

I followed the shaping here as I forget from time to time..

Let rise ..brush w/ egg yolk mixed with water..sprinkle sesame seeds.
Bake in a pre heated 350 oven for 25 mins..I think I did 375F.

Another dish that was so good..reminds me of my youth ..is Un Macaroni Chinois:)
I found the recipe at Cinq Fourchettes..Nancy is a QC blogger /recipe developer.cookbook author.

I know many don't read French so I wrote it quickly for friends..in English..



Here you go..not my best calligraphy nor my best pic..mini Ipad pic..recipe written early morning to share on IG..

Footnote
PS..Don't use the roasted sesame oil to sauté..just to flavor..use reg oil for the sauté..and IF you use the SPeppercorns..make sure you crush a lot..either by dry roasting first and grinding ..or another method..or just use ord.pepper.
Linda was kind enough to tell me the proper ways:)

Still playing with paints and just wanted to share a great IG story by Kateri Ewing about using color dot charts to create our own unique palettes with colors that speak to us.
I've always liked them..as you can see from 2017 and The Holbein card..and from a home made one bottom right.I make messes of them..that's fine..I have so many pristine cookbooks and who cares if they are pristine:)?
It's really not easy to stay home..and not be so very concerned with everything going on.
The death toll in CHSLDs here is very tragic.
How can you live a whole life..and end up old and alone ..being cared for by not enough staff..
Even in private places that charge up to $10,000.00 a month?
I just don't get it.They paid taxes..most raised families.
A crying shame.

This is just a tip..so much is so different.

You just can't turn a blind eye.

I find it very hard to be anything but introspective right now.

I am forever grateful to have hobbies.

I always liked to dabble in things...
but one day.I realized they would be floating devices.
Who would know these things?

Oh my..I know in one of my families..the parents are working from home and busy.. 3 boys ..who are out of school ..with..no structure like in school..I know their bonds just grow stronger and stronger..and they never complain..but as a mom ..I worry about all of them.
Our other family..one son..the dad is a policeman so still works..the mom at home..because she's a teacher..so Noah is alone..with mommy being his end all..she's used to it but now it's 24/7.
It has to be exhausting for parents.
I find my children are excellent parents and that warms my heart.

Ok I won't keep going on because there are 1000 subjects I could broach and we all have opinions.
I must say..and you all know I'm not political..
I sure like Gov.Cuomo.

And I LOVED getting some pics through IG..from a mom and her daughter that are pretty special.. honing their craft♥
We have to focus on other things than the news at times..
Like cute photos..This little girl has excellent parents too.

I mean ..come on.
♥♥♥
Take care~

Felicity~

Pleasantness~

For some reason..I find it hard to believe that I pressed Publish..for the 900th time today since I started my humble little blog.It was just a bit of a surprise this week when I saw how many I had posted.
When my friend suggested I blog I told her I would have nothing to say after talking about a few recipes and my little ones at the time..
I just tried to find my first post..November 2008..I wnet to the next..Lucas was such a tiny thing..and he will be double digits this year'
Santa put Brut after shave in his stocking here this year..apparently..lol..it is being put to very good use his mom tells me:)
So much has changed..
Happy I stayed with it.
I enjoy it so much.
Part of my little life.
Food for the soul.
So many nice people♥

I bought tulips for the first time this past week..this winter..Bunches had frozen I think..in transport and they were $2.00 a bunch.
I took care of them and they brightened up the sunroom immeasurably during this yet again cold spell.

I made another of Josée Di Stasio's soups..this time her spinach one.And I am certain her brussel sprout topping had something to do with it~
I loved the green on green and redid it here.
I repainted my favorite chair and liked this trial better.
I cut it out because I made a mess next to it trying calligraphy in the wrong color..so I cut it out and made a gift tag.
I found I enjoyed making gift tags out of  my trials.
That really is my favorite chair here..Perusing seed catalogs in January:)
I stitched the pillow on the left about 100 yrs ago.. and the one on the right was a gift from a friend..many many years ago...I have mentioned this pillow before..it has a button from clothing her mom wore..
She is ..like I am.. a motherless daughter and we have missed them dearly..So this meant  lot..the button..since then I have tried to add my mother's buttons to things too.
I thought it was such a sweet gesture..idea..
Those Ikea chairs are great.You simply put the slipcovers in the washing machine...I really do like IKEA..every time we go..which is rarely ..I do find a little kitchen gadget..like a cookie cutter..loaf pan..that we just don't find anywhere else..I find the prices good too.
Really at my stage of the game..I don't need much..so we go maybe once a year:)

I made a little challah bread ..to go with soups and chilis..
This one proved so easy and good..I made half the recipe for 1 loaf.
This bread is excellent w/ a little honey butter..
I take my salted butter..add some honey and a bit of icing sugar.
Just put a bit on a slice..and your meal is even better.
I made the dough in the bread machine..then shaped and baked.
Still need a bit of practice on this shaping..it's not a perfect round..:)
PS..On Saturday I made it again..again halved the recipe to make just one..
Turned out just as well..I think I am getting the curving:)

La Recette for the soup:

Cream of spinach and parmesan cheese

4 portions

2 tbsps butter or olive oil or half and half..that's what I did.
1 leek chopped..white and tender green parts only  or one onion  chopped
2 potatoes sliced..Yukon Gold or Idaho
2 garlic cloves
3 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
4 cups packed baby spinach
Nutmeg to taste
4 tbsps parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

In a pot heat the butter or olive oil.
Soften the leeks or onions a few minutes..
Add the garlic..potatoes and broth..
Cook until the potatoes are tender ap.20 mins.
Add the spinach and nutmeg..(I omitted the nutmeg)
Cook until softened ap. 2minutes
Let cool add cheese and then use your immersion blender..
Check seasonings..
Warm and serve.
Garnish as you please..I blanched some brussel sprouts and topped my soups with them.


Felicity ..another of the pretty words:)

I have written about my daughter putting a special napkin in Noah's lunch every day..From Pre K to K and now grade one..every single day..It amazes me..that I took my watercolor pencils and tried to draw Paddington from a book cover..it was fun to try and use the pencils ..as I rarely use them..but I did not get his expression at all..I will show you one day..

                                                                            ♥

But my daughter did capture  his expression

Every night before she goes to bed..  she makes one ♥
I asked her if he mentions them alot..she said:"Not really..he gives them to his friends:) "
Apparently his friends ask him for them:)
I found a cute cute Paddington Treasury book for him w/ a CD..
I know he will like it..as for me I am dying to take the cello off and look at the images and read it.
But I will wait for him.