Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes~

Not yet...

But soon..

In the Interim..
Flowers from a friend~

And different snowflakes~

A new pan..

Nordic Ware..
I really really like their products..
This is a post just from me..not sponsored..no gift ..it's just a pan I came across and bought.
I saw possibilities with my fave shortbread recipes..Cello wrapped or baker's twined packages full of these for special people..(brown paper packages tied up with string..)

Every year I seem to add a cookie cutter..or a cookie pan..or an idea..or a few new recipes..

I quickly went through some of my older blog posts and found a few..

It's good to referesh our memory as we sometimes forget what turned out well and what didn't~

These are a few of my favorite things~

It's an indulgence.. a new cutter etc..and tepmtations abound..but I think the cutters will be in the family for years to come..

I have a Brown Bag shortbread mold with flowers and you cut the shortbread in points..  but it seems to me this Nordic Ware one works even better..

My oven was off by 25 degrees..too high..so they are browner..and I didn't have icing sugar..so used regular sugar..

2 errors and they still popped out perfectly..

That is a good thing:)

The recipe I used was the one on the cardboard that held the pan..

La Recette

3/4 cup of butter room temp

1/2 tsp of vanilla extract..(use the real vanilla..i.e..vanilla bean paste)

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

1 1/2 cups of flour

Cream butter until light and fluffy .

Beat in sugar then vanilla..

Finally work in the flour..Knead dough on unfloured surface until soft..

Pat into mold up until just under the rope detail of the pan....

Prick all of the surface with a fork.Bake 30-35 mins until lightly browned..

Cool ap 10 mins..loosen edges with a plasticknife and invert onto cutting board.

Cut while warm~

Hope you can get your hands on this mold..

Posting early in case Thanksgiving calls for cookies at your home..or if you want to get a head start in baking..

I have found in the past that shortbread freeze beautifully and even keep well simply refrigerated.

This little good quality pan gets my humble stamp of approval..

Happy Baking~

Un Peu De Bleu..

Since are autumnal colors are flying away so quickly..I thought I would..add a splash of blues:)

A few blues..I am loving.. this Bleu Lavande Tea and Honey..calming..soothing.. just right together~

I made a few Shepherd Pies..actually Cottage Pies:-)  lately..and added a few twists that I saw Gordon Ramsay do..I added red wine to my beef (he uses lamb) ..I have always used beef for these..the wine gives it a kick..and I added Spring green onions to my already rich mashed potatoes..if you are going to have mashed potatoes..I am on the rich side..I like cooking them in broth with a garlic clove  or 2 or 3.... draining..quick dry.. ricing..adding butter.. s and p..warm cream..a touch of sour cream.. parsley..and now Spring green onions.. the bed of potatoes  w/knobs of butter on top sit atop a layer of cream corn..I sometimes add kernel corn to the creamed corn..not the last 2 times.. which sits on top of the onion,wine.. beef cooked mixture..350 degrees until the top is bubbly and golden..Love this meal~ Make it in the morning..nothing to do at night:)

Love soaps for the bath....liquid or hard.. this is a line I found..there is Olive..♥..Blueberry Pie♥  etc..
The salts are from Bleu Lavande..and Nancy:)

Then..there was the discovery of Scallion Pancakes..My dear Jana sent me the idea and links etc..and sauces..and different recipes..
I am going to point you to the right direction..for a tutorial and everything..At Amy's~

Another little food find was a cole slaw with a  honey lime  sesame oil type dressing..I added some mayo..not much..but did like the sesame oil lime additions..You can find the recipe here..(And many other wonderful recipes..)I have made the pulled pork twice now and my daughter has made it also..Keeper recipes~
The blue house ..is  so old and charming inside..filled with antiques..the owner..is the owner of the Brocante/Market I like to go to early in the morning on beautiful Saturday..It's been their market ever since I moved here almost 40 yrs ago and more!Spring through Fall..It just closed for the season this past weekend~
I went inside one yr..as I sold some things..maybe 35 yrs ago there..on the last day of the season..and the owners invited all the sellers in for a sip of wine:)

It has grown so much..you have to park in the fields if you arrive late.. many many indoor outdoor booths..Mostly antiques and collectables..some organic produce..clothes ..vintiquities...jewelry.. quaint birdhouses..perennials..so much..so nice..I do love it.~
It sits at the entrance of the market grounds..~
People come from all over ..
I don't blame them..It's one tourist attraction I frequent..early:)
The gull..insisted on being included..
He's so vain.. he probably thinks this post is about him:)
Have a great week~
.

The Windmills..Of Your..Mind~and Speculaas~ Or..

Much ado about  nothing:)~ Except..scents..in the long  run~

Here you go..

It's her~
To set you in the mood:)
I bought a Dutch Cookie Mold at my market this summer..It's pretty big:)

I just liked it..I thought it might be Vintage..but now I think not..
I Googled and Googled recipes..
What I wanted was a Biscoff:)

In my youth one of  my best friends was Gwedolyn Brejaart~ Gwen.. GVENNIE..her mom said..
She was Dutch..we lived nearby for a short time..
Her dad was a Captain with KLM airlines and I think her mom was ..at that time we called them stewardesses:)
I wanted to be one..:)
They were from Holland.
The most beautiful family:)
I ate Speculaas at their home..and tasted Gouda and Dropjes for the first time..
Their Speculaas.. were windmill shaped.. 40 yrs ago..true authentic ones..from Holland.
Like my authentic Sterling Silver Windmill and Dutch Clog they gave me for my charm bracelet ...I was 10:)
I cannot get Biscoff cookies when I want..
So I thought I would try and re~create..
It worked..
The cookies did not hold their shape as I would have liked..and the dough was near impossible to get out of the mold..
But a small success nevertheless and the taste..so close..to  the Biscoff cookie ..
Gotta thank Barbara for the mood and Martha for the recipe~
If you cannot get Biscoff Cookies..Use this recipe..
The spices..are spot on~
I halved the recipe and it made 4 Giant Windmills~♥


Also tried a new bread..The King Arthur Food Processor Bread~
To sample my Brotform..
It didn't stick at all..but would like a darker  crust so will probably try w/ 5 minute artisan bread recipe next~
I love the look the brotform gives the bread~

The cute decorations to the right of my bread were found at this lovely blog..
Thank you:)
Have a great weekend..and week:)~

And any food processor keeper bread recipes would be appreciated..as well as keeping the form speculaas:)

The Butcher's Pasta Sauce~ Long..:)

My friend Mary posted the recipe for this Butcher's Pasta Sauce..

First I fell in love with the name..and of course her photos..and truthfully I had never made a pasta sauce in the crockpot.
My pasta sauces are varied...
stemming from  my mom's original meat spaguetti sauce..now enhanced yrs later by additions my daughter made..I add capers now..and olives:) Sometimes Jacque's Italian sausage..but always.. beef.. and it is spicy!
A friend had just mentioned to me she would like a sweeter meat sauce..not spicy..
I thought..I will make Mary's..
You can find her recipe here..

I did something a little different and used only sweet Italian sausage nad lean ground veal..as I knew my friend was getting some..
Jacques and I added crushed chili pepers to ours when we ate it..but I was happy w/ the non spicy version too..

I made some grain breads that day..and shaped 2 like small pumpkins.. this is fun to do!
But the pumpkins are much cuter using  NOT grain bread:)
Mind you..I find pasta sauces.. really good with just some Grissinis:)~♥
I loved the Butchers/Grocers.. I met in Italy:)  Every single one of them..From the top of Castelluccio..
to the quaint town of Norcia..Marlena Di Blasi was supposed to have been there when I was..I looked and looked..to no avail..
Have you read any of her books?Tuscany and Venice were my favorites.

One thing just occured to me in doing this post..

While in Italy I took a few photos:) LOL..
And one..I loved..ok..one of the    1000+.. I loved..so when we got home..I tried to paint a simple beautiful scene to put as the cover of the photo album of the few ....photos I actually had printed..
This is the first time..that I see.. that the photo on this book..may very well be the same scene I took~
Uncanny.


This sauce is super easy to make and makes quite a bit.. We had some for dinner..I gave one away..and have 3 pots left ap the size of that Weck jar.
The lady at the new WS store in Laval told me Weck jars were perfect freezer jars..I am trying it..but it won't be frozen long..they are too pretty for a freezer:)
The wrappers for the bread..I posted about before and in case you missed it you can find the link on where to get the download here.You will also find the recipe for the bread:) In the above I used Robin Hood Best For Bread  Multi Grain flour ~.It's very good.

P.S.
I made lasagna with the sauce too..yum.
Thanks Mary:-)

I showed you  Noah's lunch napkins for September..I thought his October ones were just as cute:)
No surprise her Elf On The Shelf was very busy last year and will be this year too..just like them:)
All the alphabet boys had a super Halloween..:)
But yesterday in our area  (s)..not so great..
Fallen trees  due to high winds..:( a trampoline ..even landed in front of our daughter's school..from who knows where!..wicked.. scary weather..

I don't remember such high winds in my youth..~

Killer Pumpkin Bars~

I bought this little teapot..about 100 years ago..I fell in love with it because it was ..so cute..like a  table,with the tablecloth and tassel..and tea set..all perfectly placed atop♥
I guess I never got over having my own little tea parties as a child (nothing like we see today mind you with tiara'd princesses and boas and linens and china and crystal).
I think I served them on my square "Cowboy motif in the corners" small card table with the 4 red metal foldable chairs ..it must have been my brothers..Cause I wasn't the comboy type.But we were far from rich..so some things.. back then had to be shared.Like my bedroom with my brother for a few yrs..
My doll had a canopy bed.. (I want that thing back..still have a small wicker cradle though:))..wonder why a little table and chair set..wasn't around..
So anyways..guess seeing that tea set.. I just had to have it..and still do.
Which brings me to the purpose actually of this post..
I got sidetracked..
These Killer Pumpkin Bars~
My friend Linda asked me if I had ever made these..that her kids had loved them..(now big boys..)..I had never..and wanted a different little dessert for our Thanksgiving table..so I thought ..:"let me try them"~
How nice is that in the first place..Linda's been absent from her blog in a little while..so I feel like I have my own personal How To Cook A Wolf  correspondant:)
The link in Linda's name leads you to another of her excellent recipes..her Pumpkin Loaf..:)
But here are her..

Killer Pumpkin Bars~

La Recette


2 cups of sugar
1 cup of butter room temp
2 cups canned pumpkin  ( one 15ozs can)
4 eggs room temp
2 cups flour
2 tsps baking soda
1 tsp each cinnamon,nutmeg,allspice ginger, 1/2 to 1/4 tsp of ground cloves..(She only uses 1/4 tsp of ground cloves)
1/2 tsp salt.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Lightly grease a 15x10 1/2 x 1 inch pan ..a jelly roll pan.

This is the one I used.. it's 1/2 inch discrepancy made no difference.It's the first USA pan I have  owned and used..This one was a gift..and I am over the moon w/ the quality..weight..feel and performance of it~

Sift flour ,baking soda spices and salt together..set aside
Cream butter and sugar until smooth.
Add pumpkin and eggsbeat until smooth.
Add dry ings and mix until well combined.
Spread mixture into pan.Bake for ap 25 mins pr until center of cake springs back (mine too 30 min)
Cool completely and frost

Icing..
3 ozs cream cheese room temp
1 stick butter room temp
1 tsp vanilla (I used vanilla bean paste..love the dots)
1/2 tsp of Orange zest..she didn't and I didn'y
2 cups powdered sugar
Beat until smooth

Add Brach's Candy Corn as a decoration:)  kids loves those..you don't need them..

These bars are cake like..dense and moist.They freeze beautifully.
Thank you LINDA.
These are so good.
Perfect for the Thanksgiving dessert table:)
Or all fall with a cup of tea~♥
My peach Christmas Cactus is just about to pop..there will be pale yellow undertones to the peach..Unique:)♥
Easiest plants to grow..  they should bloom 2-3 times a yr for you.
Hope you give the bars and the cactus a try..
Some indoor joy~

The fragrance of the rose always lingers in the hand that gives it~

MMMMushroomy..beany soup~

Sometimes I see a recipe..like those apple tartlets..and just by looking at it..I know I'll love it..One of my daughters Pinned a recipe..and I thought:"YES"!
Will love..
And I did..
It was posted in 2011!
You can find the delicious White Bean And Mushroom Soup recipe here.

I apologize for not retyping and adding links..but since Blogger changed last yr..I have been unable to copy and paste without thick white distracting lines..Must be my dark charcoal background.
I tried..because I know FG needs a recipe..And I thought it was fun to FG..but my Blogger just cannot do it..
I'm not going to stop sharing :) So thanks for your understanding~

Back to the soup..Roasting the Mushrooms..Onions..Garlic and herbs..just puts this little hearty soup in a different mushroom soup category..
I had white navy beans(sounds so oxymoronish)..so I used those..  and I drained them.. :)  Had to..  force of habit..the rest..the same.
Hope you try it.
One of my daughters..the one who actually PInned this first:).. did and loved it also..next time she is adding more mushrooms..me too:)

I love that raccoon.
He's just the most  perfect pet raccoon you could ever have.

It's that time of year again..
My outdoor plants bid me ADIEU..
My indoor plants bid me BONJOUR~
The Christmas Cacti..Whites..Pale Pinks..Dark Pinks and Corals~
They light up my life..
Not like my pet raccoon at all..
and no..he would not eat that soup..
But nevertheless..
The indoor plants..ease the transition..from Abundance..to none..indoors~♥
Easiest bloomin'plants to grow indoors!
Have a great weekend~
Can you tell it's chilled up here?
The soup proves it:)

A Perfect 10~

 A perfect 10~


I know I have said that before..but I do ..only when ..it is a perfect 10..
Without any notes on my part..
This recipe..has a small  note..I added vanilla sugar and cardamom:)and used the apples I had on hand..Honeycrisps..
That's it!

I don't think halving it counts..
and even if it does..?
Well.. it halves perfectly:)

You will find the recipe here..for these fabulous Apple Cake Tartlets...
Bonus travel pics!

Try this recipe:)
It is undeniably perfect.
The next day if you leave your tarts  sous cloche they will have softened..but the exquisite taste remains.

The weather is hanging in there..still more leaves to fall but a lot of our garden chores are coming to an end..Amazingly some things I am cutting back..well it seems downright sacreligious~
Nepeta Catmint is full full and blooming..hated to snip it off..Some roses.. nasturtiums..Those I am still saving..and I brought in some geraniums to see if I can overwinter them.
More mess..I seem to look for trouble with wintering my plants.
But I get attached to each and every plant I grow indoors ♥You care for them and watch them all progress..
We have 2 huge Ficus trees I will finally let go of after 30 yrs:( They are too big and too messy with their sap.
The room will look bare..This coming Spring..:(

I wish my daughter's friend still lived where that view is....So sweet.
My friend Nancy came for lunch..She is in Paris as I type..she brought me roses..and carnations.The roses reminded me of the color of apples..the outer peel that lovely shade of red..and the inside..creamy ...
From a very cute and popular  Tea Room she visited  when she lived here.
Need I say I miss her too?
That's the thing about  certain special  people that move away ..physically..
When you see them again..all the warmth is there..it never goes away.
And it makes you wish they had just stayed put...
We had macarons when she came ..  for dessert that is..and I had bought them..
But I think she would have fancied a little tart also.
Pretty soon all the leaves will have fallen  and things around here will be quite monochrome..
A black and white movie instead of technicolor~
The heat went on for the first time this AM..


To every thing there is a season~