Autumn Bliss-Better Days Ahead

Hello everyone! Can you believe it is October 1st?  I feel like a snowball headed down

the mountain and I can't seem to stop myself from going faster and faster! Summer has passed and now we are heading into the winter months!  But not before we thoroughly enjoy fall! 

 So I wanted to join in with Melissa over at

The Inspired Room

for 31 days of Autumn Bliss.

31 wonderful days of posts...posts of favorite fall things...

recipes, crafts, projects, DIY ideas, BEING CONTENT....endless fun and eye candy.

Have you thought about joining in? Be sure to check her site for

plenty of fall goodness and bliss. 

After all that is what blogging is all about!

 It is definitely my favorite time of year. I love the nice weather, our flowers are blooming like crazy...there are pumpkins everywhere...Pumpkin Spice Lattes, 

Pumpkin Scones, Apple Cinnamon Donuts...you notice I'm mentioning food?  

 Even our chickens are wearing their fall feathers...this one matches my fall quilt I made!

 The crow has eluded the scarecrow and is hiding out on my front porch!

Hahahha...one of the best ways to celebrate this time of year.

 And then there are the wonderful Yummy smelling candles that go with the season...and then the decorations....pulling out warmer blankets, soft cuddly throws, fuzzy robes for the cooler nights...

I love it all.

In the living room each night, we light a wonderful smelling candle, cuddle up with a soft throw on the couch, drink some hot apple cinnamon spice tea or cider and just enjoy the beginning of the fall season. 

How about you?  Are you beginning to enjoy your favorite fall things? I hope so! I will be posting each day for 31 days....many wonderful things I already have planned to share with you. I have a

 gameplan....big smile...can't wait for you to be a part of it!  See you again soon.

blessings,

Debbie

"Better are the days ahead of you...." Ecclesiastes 7:8

Little canning jar apple pies for Autumn

Baking just seems right at this time of year...and I am a baker. I'm a good cook...hubby is an incredible cook.  But I can bake so I lean where my giftings are!  One funny thing happened when we were

cooking dinner for our kids...my middle son said "you know mom, you use the same ingredients

as dad...but his food seems to...." right then my older son cut in and told him to shut up.

We all had a good laugh because we all knew he was

going to say "dad's cooking is really good(which meant

better)!"

So with that little funny thought I have pulled

out my vintage rolling pins, whisk and orange

bowl to do a little baking!

This Gooseberry Patch cookbook is just amazing...

I actually drool while reading some of the recipes.

But I landed on my own standby...Apple pie with crumble

topping. This time I am baking them in little canning jars.

My pie crust recipe which works every time...

3 cups flour

1 tbsp sugar

1 cup shortening

after you cut the shortening into the dry mixture

you add 1/2 ice cold water

that has 1 egg stirred into it, with 1 tbsp vinegar.

Mix till doughy...yes that's a word...and roll 

out onto a floured board.

I used a biscuit cutter and cut out circles of dough and then placed

them in the canning jar.

Next added my apple pie filling...

topped with the crumb topping...

it looks like a french apple pie..

a little rustic looking

but delicious tasting!

I placed my jars into 13x9 pan for baking...I didn't want them

burning on the bottom.

It bakes down quite a bit...smells divine...tastes even better with a little whipped topping and of course

a cup of coffee!

Now just a quick egg tip that will help you save a great deal of time.

 We have an egg ranch and are always cooking with eggs! Because they are so fresh there is no air bubble inside the egg...which makes it easier to peel. An egg must be a couple of days old before there is a small air pocket inside to make peeling easier. So....my technique for quick removal of a hard boiled egg is this...

 Take a sharp knife and (whack) cut the egg in half....use a small teaspoon inside the shell and remove the egg from both halves.

 You can remove 12 hardboiled eggs in less than 1-2 minutes with my technique! No more frustrating peeling!

Thanks so much for coming by!

Joining in for Vintage goodness with
http://laurieannas.blogspot.com/

http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Feather your nest @http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Fall, Chickens, Kitchen Buffet-Decorate

I'm just about done fluffing for fall...how about you? I love bits of oranges, reds, golds, blacks

all over the house.

I don't know about you but we have more guests over during the fall months, dinners, football games,

church get togethers, ladies fall Bible studies....

so I enjoy bringing out the cozy...and having everyone enjoy food and warmth at our home.

For years I struggled over not having new furniture in our farmhouse, all the right stuff...you know...that matches...but I realized people enjoyed coming over because

1. we cooked for them

2. made them feel welcome

People didn't care that things didn't match or

that we weren't in a new home in a new neighborhood....our house was surrounded by

barns, and chicken sheds...I was embarrassed

at first...especially when people asked to go 'see the chickens'....I would squawk! You want to

go down to the barn?

So we would head to the barn with egg cartons in hand...

I always asked them to gather some eggs to put in 'their' carton to take them home. They acted like we gave them a gift of great worth.  I realize...they enjoy the experience, and the fresh eggs.

slowly I learned to let go...

of things that were temporary....

and hold on to contentment...

content at the good things I have been blessed with by God.

Friendship is precious no matter the surrounding...

giving something that has value....a kind word, a word filled with hope...caring...

making people feel that they are valued...even if it is a carton of eggs....I'm learning while living in my old farmhouse...that value is important in the long run....that like a good home cooked meal

people will come back for more when friendship is offered.

A friendship that tastes good to the soul....

Vintage pitchers, enamelware, kitchen scale, flour sifter, little egg crate....lovin' that vintage feeling in the kitchen!

I'm glad you came by for a visit today...

The chickens would love to visit with you...the girls are just pecking grains and bugs and have been awaiting your visit.....

 we could gather some eggs

 pet the sheep...

I'll tell my husband we need to cook something delicious for our company!

Blessings,

Debbie
http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

 and

http://decortoadore.blogspot.com/

http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/

http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/
"A wise woman builds her home..." Proverbs 14:1

Fall-Crow DIY collection

Love this time of year so much. I enjoy the cool crisp air in the morning when we go outside to feed our animals. Our farmhouse is surrounded with beautiful flowers that have struggled all summer and now embrace the autumn weather.

Inside the cupboards and bookshelves all get a new look...with pumpkins, stitcheries and CROWS! 

 I've found several free crow graphics that I just love, some new, some vintagey...

I print them out and frame them in Black frames. Simple way to add to your fall decor.

I've stitched some fall pumpkins, put them next to little dollar store pumpkins atop metal candleholders...

 Above I filled a glass jar with fall leaves, spray painted the lid black and attached a black crow...

love to decorate with simple ideas....

 The white cupboard was found while thrifting last summer, it had been left on someone's outdoor porch....the shelves are a bit warped but fill up nicely with fall decor. I've found everything looks a little better after it is painted! The best DIY projects for me have been painted!

Joining in with these lovely parties for the week!

http://decortoadore.blogspot.com/

http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

http://dittledattle.blogspot.com/ 

 http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Blessings,

Debbie