In the early mornings you can detect the slight shift from summer to Fall…finally. I just returned from another week in Connecticut and saw so many fall pumpkins, gourds and chrysanthemums in stores there. If that doesn’t put you in the fall mood, I don’t know what does! Here are five fabulous fall recipes that aren’t pumpkin focused but represent other wonderful ingredients of the autumn season.

Apple Cider Donuts

My husband and I have the quintessential memory of these aromatic, warm, delicious donuts. After driving the curvy back roads in New England, we find an apple orchard on a chilly, windy day in October. Inside the quaint store at Averill Farms, they are serving warm apple cider and these warm donuts. Needless to say we devoured an entire bag and I have learned to make them since.

In my recipe, the donuts are baked not fried (you save a few calories there). And I think this year I may experiment with a maple syrup glaze instead of the cinnamon sugar. Either way, they are delicious and easy to make. To see how to make these scrumptious donuts, click here. If you need donut pans for baking, here is a good resource.

Also the most time consuming part of this recipe is boiling down the apple cider to reduction. I always make extra and freeze it so I can whip up these donuts on a moment’s notice. They are addicting!

Turkey Chili with White Beans

This is my go-to recipe for chili. Made with ground turkey and white beans, it is chock-a-block full of good protein and flavor. Adding unsweetened cocoa powder is the key to this wonderful recipe.

Topped with sour cream, freshly chopped cilantro and red onions make this a hearty meal for the cooler weather. See all the instructions here.

Cute pumpkin ceramic bowls are from Williams Sonoma.

Roasted Squash and Kale Salad with Spiced Nuts, Cranberries and Maple Vinaigrette

This salad combines sweet roasted butternut squash with roasted kale in a vinaigrette flavored with maple syrup and sherry vinegar, along with some spiced pecans for crunch and dried cranberries for a nice chewy texture. It’s a delightful salad when it’s made fresh, but the flavors and textures actually get even better as it sits in the fridge overnight.

Next time I make this salad, I may add a protein for a full meal. It is the essence of fall flavors and so appropriate if you are having a dinner party. Make it ahead of time and just toss it before your guests arrive. Again, you cannot go wrong with recipes from Serious Eats. Find it here.

Clementine Thyme Margaritas

We can always use more Vitamin C, right?!? Though the original inspired recipe calls for freshly squeezed tangerine juice, tangerines are difficult to find this time of year. Instead, you can readily purchase clementines (or Cuties in the grocery store) instead of tangerines.

If you haven’t made simple syrup, it is very easy to do and you can flavor it with a variety of fresh herb~basil, mint, lemon balm, rosemary, thyme and lavender. In this recipe, the herbal flavor of thyme is a lovely addition to this cocktail. See the recipe below.

Pear and Caramel Pie

In the fall, everyone thinks of apples. But pears are equally abundant. This pie is a welcomed change from your expected apple~using pears and caramel.

The only times I have made this, I did use the Kieffer pears from our tree in the mountains. However, any ripe, firm pear will do. If you haven’t made your own caramel sauce, it is very easy. And once you taste this you will never purchase caramel sauce in a jar again.

This pie keeps well and is excellent for breakfast or dessert the next day. As a short cut, you can use a pre-made pie crust too (my favorite being Trader Joe’s frozen pie crusts). See recipe here.

Do you have any favorite fall recipes? Please send them to me as I am always looking for new things to try (my email is marycrz@cox.net). I am so excited to start cooking again as it is hard to turn on the oven or stove during our hot summers.

Being back home is such a joy and hope to be posting on a regular basis again. Happy Tuesday!

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So many people are posting fall items now, but quite honestly, it’s hard to think of autumn when it is over 100 degrees. Inspired by this dilemma of a hot summer but longing for cooler temperatures, here are two seasonal tablescapes, utilizing some of the same elements, but creating two totally different vibes.

There are two talented women who encourage me to think out of the box when setting a table. Chloe from Celebrate and Decorate oozes of talent and innovation. You may recall, Chloe using a large antler shed last November and making the centerpiece of a gorgeous table out in our orchard. See that post here.

Though I have never met Bonnie Chase from Bonnie Chase Designs, I follow her on Instagram and drool over her beautiful tables. Check her out at @bonniechasedesigns. So channeling my inner Chloe and Bonnie, I set forth in creating a summer and fall tablescape.

Summer Tablescape

In the most recent My French Country Home box, the theme for August is Saint-Tropez. (If you are unfamiliar with this quarterly subscription, see more information here). A pretty raspberry and white striped fouta is made exclusively for My French Country Home and is just stunning. What is a fouta, you ask?

The fouta is a piece of thin patterned cotton or linen fabric of Yemeni origin used in many Mediterranean countries and Yemen. Among other uses, they were worn, by both men and women, wrapped around the body while at the public baths in 19th-century Syria. However, this large fouta is perfect as a tablecloth.

Starting with a green basketweave dinner plate from Pier 1 Imports, I add my cherished Wild Strawberry pattern teacups from Wedgwood. I bought these at Harrod’s in London many moons ago. The embroidered “C” napkin is an online order by Jan de Luz linens in Carmel, CA.

There is something very summery about pink and green~perfect for a Sunday breakfast. Pink flowers, such as these very fragrant star lilies are cut short and placed in glass juice glasses. Have you ever seen this multi-petal lily before? My husband did buy them at AJ’ Fine Foods.

My trusty Wallace Napolean Bee flatware adds a bit of gold to the place setting. I just purchased another set of 8 as I find I am using this all the time. I cannot say enough about this flatware! You can find it here.

Since this is a breakfast table, I add my Wedgwood tea pot and sugar bowl. Pink etched glasses from Pier 1 are perfect for water (or wine or mimosas?).

I do like to add something a bit whimsical and unexpected to the table. Meet my bejeweled frog box. I don’t really like knick-knacks, but this little guy just makes me happy.

So here is my summer breakfast table for two. Now let’s move into the fall season.

Fall Tablescape

This wool blanket reminds me of fall tailgating parties and has all the luscious colors for the season. I will use this as my tablecloth. Here are some similar wool blankets. You can use many things as tablecloths-shawls, scarves, throws or a piece of fabric. Use your imagination!

Utilizing some of the same elements as my Summer breakfast table, it’s easy to change it up a bit for Fall.

Here you can see I am using the same green basketweave plate, but am adding a clear gold rim salad plate (from Leslie Roy) and Villeroy & Boch yellow and green plates and an espresso cup and saucer.

Same silverware, different napkins. These hemstitched yellow linen ones are from Sferra. See them here. You can also find similar ones on Amazon here. The wine glass has autumn tones in the stem but I cannot recall where I purchased these.

For flowers, orange hue roses and alstroemerias (from Safeway) are cut short and again, put into small juice glasses. Our huge pine tree in the front yard is dropping gorgeous pinecones every day. Using items from your yard or garden is such an affordable way to add nature to your centerpiece.

Even the frog looks at home in his new habitat!

Overall, just a few additions and you can use your dishes to change the look of the table from season to season.

Wherever you live, I hope you are enjoying the end of summer or the beginning of fall. Here it will be hot for several more weeks, but as it does every year, the cooler climate will be here before we know it.

Have a happy Tuesday!

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This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursday #675 and Thursday’s Favorite Things #560

It is that time of year to take advantage of the abundance of sweet, fresh and juicy watermelon! On a hot summer’s day, there is nothing more satisfying than biting into a chilled piece of this beautiful fruit. Here are my 5 favorite watermelon recipes for you to try.

Skinny Watermelon Jalapeño Margaritas

As an avid follower of Ambitious Kitchen, Monique’s recipes are made with fresh, healthy ingredients. These Skinny Watermelon Jalapeño Margaritas are naturally sweetened with watermelon juice and a splash of agave. Sliced jalapeños provide a nice kick for a sweet and spicy summer drink.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• Silver tequila
• Fresh lime juice
• Watermelon: pick a nice sweet one
• Agave nectar: Agave helps to sweeten them up a bit, but feel free to omit if you find your watermelon sweet enough. Agave can be found here or in grocery stores
• Jalapeño: A few jalapeño slices adds a bit of spice, but you can adjust and/or omit if you’d like.
• Coarse salt & ice (I like to add Tajin to the rim too)

The instructions allow you to make one drink or a pitcher for 8 servings. See the recipe here.

Cucumber and Watermelon Salad with Hoisin-Lime Dressing

Here are two salads with completely different flavors. This recipe is a Vietnamese-style salad that makes a refreshing accompaniment to any kind of barbecue meat.  Originally, Cucumber and Watermelon Salad with Hoisin-Lime Dressing,  appeared in Bon Appetit in July 2002 in their Flavors of the World article.

By using 7 simple and fresh ingredients, you can make this simple, yet delicious salad.  Start with cubes of watermelon and English cucumbers. A quick dressing of hoisin sauce and lime juice and top with peanuts, fresh mint and cilantro. You can find hoisin sauce here or in the grocery store’s ethnic aisle.

Avocado, Watermelon & Cucumber Salad

This weekend I made this other fresh salad, again sourced from Ambitious Kitchen. Drizzle avocado, watermelon and cucumbers with olive oil and lime juice and sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro. This very refreshing salad could not be easier to make and has amazing flavors and textures.

Isn’t this a visually appealing salad? And it’s healthy too! See recipe here.

Watermelon Gazpacho

My friend, Irma served this at her dinner party and I couldn’t get enough. You can serve this cold soup as a main course or side dish. And this is one recipe that gets even better the next day. See direct link to Taste of Home’s recipe here.

Shrimp, Tomato & Watermelon Salad

I am always looking for dinner salads during the summer months. From the July-August issue of Coastal Living, this “ready in 20 minutes” dinner salad is perfect for as a complete meal. Imagine the combination of fresh large shrimp, vine-ripened tomatoes, sweet watermelon, crisp arugula and a dressing of Dijon mustard, Balsamic vinegar, garlic and spices. See recipe here.

Happy Tuesday and I hope this blog post finds you happy and healthy. We are enjoying all the glorious rain we are getting. A side benefit is the cloudy skies are keeping the heat away ~ it is such joyful weather to be having at the end of July.

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Well, summer is officially here (technically tomorrow). This week the temperatures are excessively hot. One day it was 59 degrees in the morning and the next it is 113. There isn’t much one can do but stay inside with the air conditioning. Now I think I am ready to get serious about summer. Thanks for joining me today for Saturday Meanderings as we just wander around discussing whatever!

Making Summer Different

After such a stifling year last year, I want summer this year to be extra special. Remember when we were younger and summer held an exciting kind of magic? That’s what I want to achieve this year and I feel a little late in the game. So if you have any fun and invigorating ideas please share. Lazy days at the beach, reading time every afternoon, no schedule, I’m all ears.

The painting above is my first attempt at using gouache paints. To see that post, click here.

New Recipes to try

I haven’t made these yet, but here are some new recipes that I think look so delicious. Half Baked Harvest is a great blog to follow as the very young and talented Tieghan Gerard puts forth unique and tasty recipes. Coming from a family of 10, Tieghan knows all about cooking for a big group. As a result, she is a successful culinary creator, book writer and continues to get culinary awards and recognition.

Her Peach Thyme Tarts (recipe here) on are my list to make this summer, as well as her Panzella Style Caprese Asparagus Salad (recipe here). To see all her amazing culinary creations, her website is here.

The Last of the Garden

With the sudden increased heat, the garden is looking a bit fried. I am sadly picking the last of the tomatoes and soon, it will be time to let the garden go fallow. But check out these Cherokee Purple heirloom tomatoes.

For dinner, these gorgeous tomatoes make a fabulous caprese salad with both fresh basil and mozzarella. I could literally have this every single day and not get tired of it!

Does Anyone Know?

I recently heard a story about a woman being followed by what appeared to be an unmarked police car with flashing lights. She dialed 112 to tell a dispatcher that she would not pull over until she was in a more populated area (like a gas station). The dispatcher said no police were in that area and that instructed the girl to remain calm and keep driving.

When I googled this 112 number, there seems to be some conflict in whether it is true or not. I did ask our law enforcement neighbor and he states it is a legitimate emergency number, but then other websites state it is false.

I did dial it on my mobile phone and the screen confirmed it is an Emergency Number. Just don’t know if anyone has used this?

Roman Shades

If you are looking for Roman Shades, Andrea from Design Morsels has a great post about sourcing affordable Roman shades. Andrea is my go-to person when I want more details on just about anything. She does a great job investigating and finding the best suppliers. Check it out here.

Simple Centerpiece

I am sure it is the heat, but I am all about simple, fresh and light in just about everything I do these days. We recently had friends over for dinner and instead of an elaborate centerpiece, I put pale lavender chrysanthemums in small juice glasses. These flowers are affordable, last forever and I continue to enjoy them this week.

Speaking of flowers, my June monthly subscription to The Bouqs.com did not disappoint. I just get roses now, because each month I am exceedingly impressed. Since they come directly from the grower (Ecuador this time), the flowers are so fresh.

Also, I am now an ambassador for The Bouqs so please, if you need flowers, I’d appreciate it if you would order through my blog. I will get a small reward from them and it doesn’t affect your price. You can find them here.

Dining Room Table problem

This past weekend we invited neighbors for dinner. Typically we eat outside on the back porch but the weather made us long for a cooler location. Typically I always use a pad on the dining room table beneath the table cloth. But I was in a hurry and didn’t think any guest would spill anything, so I just laid down a damask tablecloth. Bad decision on my part.

Since the table did look pretty, I left the tablecloth and flowers on until Wednesday. When I removed the tablecloth, I found this! Unfortunately, no one realized that some bourbon had splashed onto the tablecloth, creating very nasty damage.

A few friends and Google suggests using mayonnaise on the stain, so let’s see what happens. I just applied it to a small section and it needs to sit for a few hours. Wish me luck.

Attracting Birds

When I thought of planting sunflowers seeds, I did envision me cutting armloads of flowers to use in our home. However, what I am discovering is that sunflowers attract lots of birds. So I’ve have altered my romantic vision and am allowing the birds to just enjoy them. The peach faced lovebirds gather in flocks now in my garden. They love these flowers so much they do not mind if I am nearby gardening. Aren’t they beautiful?

One of my Favorites

Every Sunday, I faithfully read The Enchanted Home’s Seven on Sunday. Tina lists her seven favorite things and it is just pretty and informative. She loves all things blue and white and above is a picture of her home in Connecticut. I like it when we all share things we love or those who inspire us. Plus she is over “fifty-something” (I consider that a plus!) Check it out here and see if you agree.

Well, that’s a wrap for Saturday Meanderings. I hope the rest of your weekend will be filled with lovely weather and lots of rest and relaxation!

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Also if you missed any posts this week, check them out here.

A Summer Breakfast

DIY Patriotric Garland

With Memorial Day this weekend just around the corner, here is a simple, delicious and festive coffee cake for your holiday. Not only can it be a breakfast treat, but a yummy afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee. Once you try this easy coffee cake recipe, you will realize how versatile it is using whatever fruit is in season.

Simple Ingredients

For this recipe today, I am using raspberries. However, you can use apples, peaches, pears, blackberries, and blueberries. I would imagine you could use frozen fruit or canned fruit too. Coffee cake ingredients include: flour, sugar, milk, eggs, lemon juice, butter, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and a fruit of your choice.

The recipe calls for 2 eggs~~and I love using our fresh eggs. Just look at the color of that yolk! Fresh eggs are tasty on their own, but I really see a positive difference when I use them in baking.

Mix and Bake

After beating the eggs and adding the “sour” milk (lemon juice and milk), mix in the dry ingredients and blend until there are no lumps.  The batter will be a bit stiff or thick. Also, if you are adding very sweet fruit, you may want to decrease the amount of sugar.

Gently stir in the fruit with a spatula, being careful not to smoosh it.

Spread the batter in a buttered or greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Top the batter with the streusel topping of butter, brown sugar, flour (and nuts are optional).

Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 40 minutes until the coffee cake is hot and bubbly. Your kitchen will smell fabulous too!

Wait for the Compliments….

Let the coffee cake cool before cutting. This recipe is truly delicious warm or cold. And it is so easy to experiment with different fruits. Every time I make this I get so many compliments. Who doesn’t like an easy, adaptable recipe?

The combination of the sweet fruit, the crunchy top and the soft cake is just amazing!

A perfect addition to breakfast or brunch or just with a cup of coffee or tea.  Depending on the size of the piece, I would say this recipe serves 15-20 people. For Memorial Day you could even do a combination of blueberries and raspberries to get in the patriotic colors of red and blue (and white for the cake)!

For other easy breakfast ideas to feed guests, check out this recipe for an egg breakfast casserole here. And an easy granola recipe can be found here.

Enjoy!

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Memorial Day weekend is less than two weeks away. Not only do I love the patriotic colors of red, white and blue but this is one American holiday we should all respect. Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the brave men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.  This year Memorial Day is Monday, May 31st.

Here are some ideas on how you can recognize this holiday at your table, while enjoying the freedoms we share.

Layering

This blue and white Indian block print tablecloth is perfect for the base of your table setting. I just love this shade of blue and the detailed pattern at the edges. Purchased through Days with Daviny – Instagram @dayswithdarviny.

If you are not familiar with Hester & Cook, they have so many lovely tabletop, party, stationery, and gift wrap items. See their website here. The paper die cut red Swiss dot paper placemat is a wonderful choice for not only a patriotic tablescape, but also for Christmas, Valentines Day and summer in general.

What is nice about a paper placemat is that is also protects the table cloth from getting stained. I am branching out and trying to do more pattern combinations with my place settings. It’s not without a bit of trepidation, but is fun when it all comes together.

The blue ceramic chargers are a long-ago purchase from Pier 1 but Amazon has an amazing and affordable collection here. The sweet flowered plates are a gift from my friend, Sandy. Made in Cauldon, England by Brown Westhead Moore & Co. between 1904-1920, I love the hand painted rose floral pattern.

A simple centerpiece of apples in an 1815 Meissen Blue Onion pattern serving bowl (for sale in my store) completes the patriotic look. Wine glasses are Waterford and the silver-plate flatware is from Oneida, Ballard Country Lane.

Additional Ideas

More ideas for your Memorial Day table. Here is another Hester & Cook item~a 20″ x 25′ red and white striped paper table runner. Instantly you have a big pop of color and by adding vintage blue plates from Etsy, you have a patriotic table. To see more details on this table setting, click here.

Often we are at our cabin in the mountains for Memorial Day. At that location I do not have access to as many dishes or linens. But, after quick trip to Walmart, you can make a lovely patriotic table utilizing what you find. To read more about this disposable table setting, click here.

Happy Wednesday! I hope you now have some inspiration to create a patriotic table for Memorial Day (or Flag Day, July 4th and Labor Day). In spite of all of the division and problems our country faces, it is still the best place to live.