Reprise -- The Witch Is In . . .

I love Halloween -- not adult parties but the children's activities for Halloween is really a child's holiday! And for Halloween I love dressing up as a witch for the children. It's fun to get your candy from an old "crone"!

Tonight I'll be dressed up in my witchy costume once again as I hand out full size Snickers to those coming by and saying "Trick or Treat".

I posted this last Halloween and am sharing it this Sunday, Halloween 2010. So please join Chari at Happy to Design for her Sunday Favorites.

This is "Jack" -- the Lantern that welcomed Trick or Treaters at Linderhof on Halloween.

Under the portico is my Witch's Lair -- my Pumpkin Palace . . . with a row of plastic jack o lanterns with electric votives lining the drive way up to the Witch's Lair to the large real jack o lantern by the "Witch". A plastic tub/cauldron of full size candy bars await the trick or treaters!
Ravenswood the Crow and a rusty candelabra add to the ambiance of the Witch's Lair.

Halloween is always a fun evening at Linderhof and we enjoy all of the little trick or treaters.

Now the pumpkins are put away . . . the witch's costume is ready to be put back in the attic.

Halloween 2009 is just a memory!

Sailor's Delight

The old poem goes like this . . . .

Pink Sky at Morning . . .

Sailor's Take Warning.

Pink Sky at Night . . .

Sailor's Delight!

It's been delightful weather on the prairie and we've had the prettiest pink skies as the sun sets. I thought of the old poem and how true it is.

It's Pink Satuarday so please join Beverly at How Sweet the Sound for other pink posts.

A Chicken Story

One chicken -- four meals!!! Four meals for two, that is!!! We get the best chicken here on the prairie from Gannon Family Farms. And their chicken is not just chicken but a treat!!!

We love roasted chicken and Ina Garten's Lemon Roast Chicken is one of the best recipes for roasted chicken.

Meal One: Ina Garten's Lemon Roasted Chicken (served with Brussel Sprouts sauted with bacon and finished with balsamic vinegar) and herb roasted onions. A comfort meal for a coolish fall night.

Meal Two: A cold roast chicken lunch. A favorite of ours -- a joint of chicken and a salad with Linderhof vinaigrette. Some bread and butter if we have it.

And then the chicken is transformed into:
Chicken Pot Pie. A favorite of Husband Jim. It makes for a great dinner and no one would suspect it was leftovers!
My recipe is a bit of a "cheat" -- it's simple and goes together quickly. But it has great eye appeal and great flavor and everyone I've served it to thinks that it's quite yummy!

Meal Three: Next night dinner. Chicken Pot Pie, a green tossed salad with Linderhof vinaigrette and a hot poppyseed roll.

Meal Four: Lunch the next day -- the remaining two pot pies. Served simply -- just a pot pie and a big glass of iced tea for lunch! Fresh raspberries with a shower of sugar and a pour of cream!

It's Friday so that means it's time to join Michael at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday!

THE RECIPES:

INA'S LEMON CHICKEN WITH CROUTONS

1 (4 to 5 pound) roasting chicken

l large yellow onion, sliced

good olive oil

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons, quartered

2 T. butter, melted

6 cups (3/4 inch) bread cubes (1 baguette or round boule)

Preheat the oven to 425

Take the giblets out of the chicken and wash it inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers. Toss the onion with a little olive oil in a small roasting pan. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper. Place the lemons inside the chicken. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels, brush it with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with chicken string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until the juices run clean when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Cover with foil and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. (The onions may burn but the flavor is good).

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan with 2 T olive oil until very hot. Lower the heat to medium low and saute the bread cubes, tossing frequently until nicely browned 8 to 10 minutes. Add more olive oil as needed and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the croutons on a serving platter. Slice the chicken and place it, plus all the pan juices, over the croutons. Sprinkle with salt and serve warm.

NOTE: I did not make the croutons. Just did the Lemon Chicken.

SIMPLE CHICKEN POT PIE

1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup

1 package frozen mixed vegetables (your favorite-- I used peas and carrots)

cubed cooked chicken

1 Pillsbury pie shell from the refrigerated section (or use your own one crust pie pastry)

salt and pepper to taste

Mix soup, vegetables and chicken. Put into an oven proof dish (I used 5 inch gratin dishes). Cut one pie crust into 4 pieces. Place over chicken mixture. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cut three vent holes in top of pastry. Bake at 350 until golden brown and heated through (about 20 to 30 minutes).

A Quiet Breakfast In the Garden

Some mornings Husband Jim has coffee with "The Boys" and off he goes leaving me on my own for breakfast. And I find when it is a breakfast for one, breakfast on a tray is perfect!

A clean dish towel makes a great tray cover. This particular one (as well as another equally lovely) was a surprise gift from Bernideen from Bernideen's Tea Time Blog when I had my first knee surgery.

My usual weekday breakfast -- steel cut oatmeal, orange juice, coffee, and a slice of apple oatmeal bread. The recipe came from friend Mary at One Perfect Bite. It's a great bread and it gives me a second dose of breakfast oatmeal!

The table under the pergola is the perfect place for my breakfast for one. Amidst October pumpkins and some marigolds. They are perfect centerpieces for breakfast in the garden. No tablecloth because everything is on a tray.
As I eat my breakfast, I can sit and watch over the herb garden and enjoy the antics of the birds brave enough to not let my being in the garden bother them. It was an enjoyable half hour -- even though I was alone.
And the bread . . . apple oatmeal bread via Mary of One Perfect Bite. Her recipes are always the best and this is definitely a good breakfast bread as well as an afternoon tea nosh bread. (Especially good with an orangey cinnamon tea).

It's Thursday which means that it's time to join Susan at Between Naps on the Porch to see what great Tablescapes there are this Thursday.

Blue and White and Silver

It's not a tabletop but a chest top -- the Asian Chest in the dining room which holds the crystal, the silver trays, and assorted serving pieces. It is filled to the brim with "things"!

And on top -- three special blue and white bowls (in which we place our wine corks), a silver entree cover and part of our collection of silver napkin rings.

The blue and white bowls are not used but rather are for decoration (unless you count wine cork storage as usage). And unfortunately, the silver entree cover is not either. Mostly, at dinner parties, our entrees come to the table plated.

But the napkin rings are -- the collection started by Husband Jim when he found two at a garage sale here in our town on the prairie. Many are reminders of trips -- an easy piece to bring home -- small and nonbreakable and can go in the checked luggage. A few are gifts from friends who know how much we enjoy the napkin rings.

We use our napkins like they did a century ago -- over and over again -- not a clean one for ach meal. And because of the napkin rings, we know which is which!!! (Of course, when we have company, there is a freshly ironed and laundered napkin for each guest -- but they are always in a silver ring).

The picture behind the bowls is a Japanese Woodblock print -- a tryptic -- dating from early in the 19th century. Brought home by Husband Jim when he had an annual tour in Tokyo.

It's Tuesday and that means that we need to go to visit Marti at A Stroll Thru Life to see other tabletops this Thursday.

More Light Shed in the Guest Room

I've been on a quest for a while -- for new lamps for the guest room. It's not that I "hate" the ones that are there -- it's just that I think I could find something better.

They're tall and when reading in bed you have to really stretch to turn them out -- and after reading to get sleepy you don't need "exercise" before you lay your head down on the pillow.

And this weekend we were in the city . . . and we happened to stop by Tuesday Morning and there was a lamp -- a wonderful lamp -- at a great price -- but it was just a lamp! And I needed two. I bought it anyway and then went on another quest . . . . to find a second.

And at the second Tuesday Morning, there was another. In my hurry to snag the lamp I almost knocked down two ladies who were looking at a different lamp! Sorry!!! But that one was mine!

One for each side of the bed. I like them. They're floral as is the wallpaper but it's tulips rather than roses. But there is a yellow tulip on each as well as a red one which picks up the red of the pillow on the bed.
They have a metal shade which gives a nice downward glow which is great for reading in bed. And the switch is by the base -- no endless reaching to turn off the lamp.
The background of the shade is a soft blue and the tulips appear to be handpainted. The base is dark metal and the "candlesticks" are where the light bulbs go. It's reminds me of a bouillotte lamp and it's Tuesday Morning price tag of $49 certainly seems like a bargain to me for it looks more expensive. (The Tuesday Morning tag said it retailed for $149 each -- so at $49 it certainly was a good buy over retail.)

It's Monday which means that it's time for Met Monday -- and my lamp switch in the guest room is a metamorphosis of sorts. So I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday and since the lamp shades are a soft blue it's also time for Blue Monday with Smiling Sally!

Roses are a "Knock Out"

We have several kinds of roses at Linderhof but the line of roses that separate the patio from the herb garden are "Knock Outs". They bloomed their heart out this spring and were absolutely beautiful.

And then the heat of July and August hit and the roses just sat there . . . and sat there.

But come Mid September, rain and not cold but definitely cooler temperatures than July and August and once again . . .

They burst forth in bloom! They are as stunning in October as they were in May . . . and we dread the night that the killing frost comes.
The roses are a pinkish red -- they're not really red but they're not pink either.

It's Saturday and what better way to celebrate Pink Saturday than with pink roses. Please join Beverly at How Sweet the Sound to see other Pink Saturday posts.

A Thank You Gift and a Nosh for Tea

I'm being released tomorrow from Physical Therapy -- two weeks of at home PT and 3 weeks of outpatient PT. I'm a good patient and I've accomplished everything that I need to so . . . . the therapists that I've spent the summer with (or so it seems) I'll be saying goodbye to tomorrow.

But I can't just say goodbye -- no, I have to leave them with a treat and since it is so close to Halloween -- what better "thank you" than a sack of Candy Corn Cookies!

They're not my invention, but rather I found them on Cathy's blog -- Wives with Knives. She's a lot cleverer with them than I was -- but they are fun cookies! To make and to eat!!!! And they are so cute!!!!

They are small cookies -- about a couple of bites per cookie and the recipe does make a lot -- so what did I do with the remainder?
Had tea, of course!!! They're a perfect pre-Halloween tea nosh!!!
A new little Victorian silver bon bon dish with some white pumpkins and my share (or at least with this pot of tea) of the candy corn cookies.

Actually, there are more left, and I'm sacking up some more to drop off at some of my friend's homes for their grandchildren.

I do miss the trick or treat days of my youth when your trick or treat loot included some great homemade cookies as well as apples and popcorn and popcorn balls. Wouldn't any little ghoul or goblin just love a sack of these Halloween night?

Sigh, we give full size Snickers instead.

It's Friday which means that I'm joining Michael at Designs by Gollum for Foodie Friday. It's always fun to see what everyone has been doing in the kitchen over at Michael's!

CATHY'S CANDY CORN COOKIES

1 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 T. orange juice

2 t. orange zest

1/8 t. salt

3 cups flour

1/2 t. baking soda

orange gel food coloring

yellow gel food coloring

Sanding sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and orange juice and zest. Mix well. Combine flour, salt and baking soda, mix well, and add to butter mixture. Mix until well combined.

Divide dough into 3 equal parts. Add orange food coloring to the first part and blend well. Add yellow food coloring to the second part and thoroughly blend. Use enough coloring to make vibrant colors because they fade during baking. Leave the third part plain.

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Press the yellow dough evenly onto the bottom of the pan. Press the orange dough evenly over the yellow dough, and press the uncolored dough on top. Wrap the parchment paper over the dough and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

When ready to bake cookies remove parchment paper and slice dough into 1/4 inch slices. The the pieces into triangles, dip one side in sanding sugar and bake on a parchment lined sheet at 375 for 7 to 9 minutes. The sanding sugar adds sparkle and crunch to the cookie and really dresses it up.

Cathy says:

"A loaf pan size wasn't indicated in the recipe so I used a 9 x 5 inch pan. The cookies are perfect to fit little gift bags and boxes, maybe two small bites and next time I'll use a smaller pan to produce a larger cookie. There won't be as many cuts in a row, but they will be taller because of the smaller pan. Just a thought."

It's always Thursday which means that it's time for Tablescape Thursday -- I have either been gone or so busy this week that I've not even had time for my afternoon tea. This Thursday I rectified that and am sharing my tea for one with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch.

The Fall Garden

The garden in it's Fall Finery. At last, I was able to get out and weed which makes for more tidier beds. And with a few Farmer's Market pumpkins and some of Bryan's mums, the garden looks like fall!
The Knock-out roses are putting on another show with the cooler weather and they are just breathtaking. Adding a hint of red to the orange and yellows of the mums and pumpkins.

It's enjoyable to get out after breakfast and work in the garden -- starting to put it to bed for the season. A tidy garden in the fall means less work in the spring . . . . and soon, it will be time to plant that big bag of bulbs that are awaiting in the potting shed! This year I have lots of tulips which I'm going to plant in the bare spaces in the herb garden -- it should be quite a spring show!

It's Wednesday which means that it's time for Outdoor Wednesday with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer. Please join her and see what other amazing autumn outdoors there are this Wednesday!

Behind the Sofa

Besides the dust bunnies that reside there between cleanings is a glass topped iron sofa table. It was bought for the front porch but eventually found it's way inside when I decided that the makeshift sofa table that I had behind the sofa could serve a better purpose if I utilized it as intended.

In, therefore, came the porch table. (And I must admit that a glass top on a covered porch on a busy street mens that said tabletop is forever dusty!!!)

Which we placed behind the sofa. I like the line up of objects in front of the window and it is a great place to showcase favorite items.
A lamp which casts a glow over the sofa and table and is our "night light" when we go out for an evening (I hate to come home to a dark house and so we always leave a light on in the living room).

An Asian bowl with a plant. It's our concession to fall -- it will reside here until spring when it goes back outside to the porch (the plant -- not the bowl!).

A pair of cloisonne ginger jars. (Husband Jim loves cloisonne and it was my gift to him for the nursing care I received after my first knee surgery). They have some age on them but aren't ancient. You find lots of cloisonne vases but ginger jars are more difficult to find.

A red pottery Royal Doulton "gin jar" from the early 1800's. It was used in pubs to serve spirits (I assume that there are also whisky jars). During the colonial revival of the 20's and 30's many of these were made into lamps. Luckily ours is still intact. A dear and beloved piece.

The globe was Husband Jim's mother's. One of the few things that he took after we lost her. It was a gift from him to her and she cherished it. We do now.

A bronze Asian figure. Husband Jim likes these and I think that the metal balances the lamp on the other end.

It's Tuesday which means that it's Tabletop Tuesday so please join Marty at A Stroll Thru Life to see other tabletops.

My Newest Treasure

I love blue and white dishes and many of them reside in and on the sideboard in the breakfast room. The Spode serving pieces, pitchers and teapots as well as the cups and saucers. A perfect place for it is where I usually take my afternoon tea.

And on top of the sideboard . . . a tureen. A Fitz and Floyd red and white tureen (whose twin lives with Cass at That Old House). I love tureens and have a few others (a white ironstone one, a blue and white Asian one) but the red and white one was by far the classiest and thus deserved the place of honor on the breakfast room sideboard.

But I've yearned for and wanted for a very long time, the Spode Blue Italian one. I coveted it but alas, could not justify just buying it -- just because I wanted it!

And then I had knee surgery -- twice -- in two months. And I felt that I deserved a reward . . . and since I had saved some money during the summer since I didn't meet friends for lunch and didn't go shopping . . . . I was able to splurge and the long yearned for tureen became mine!

The Spode tureen certainly looks better on the sideboard, methinks. It's an impressive piece and, to me, completes the sideboard. It is perfect!!!! And I am so glad that I finally bought my long wanted piece. Seeing it on the sideboard, I'm just sorry that I didn't buy it ages ago -- but it is mine now!!!

It's Monday and I'm joining Sally for Blue Monday at Smiling Sally for my new tureen is blue and I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday for I think my new tureen really transforms my sideboard!!!

Reprise -- Pumpkin Soup an October Tradition

Pumpkin foods abound in October -- from pumpkin pies, tarts, cakes, coffeecakes, cookies to even soups. Not all are made with "real" pumpkin (pumpkin that I've roasted myself) but rather, alas, with the kind that comes in a can.

This is an early post -- done when I first started Lines from Linderhof. It's Sunday and it's time for Sunday Favorites. So please join Chari at Happy to Design to see other favorite posts this Sunday.

And yes, we will have the pumpkin soup next week! It's time for pumpkin!

The first cool day in October, we crave pumpkin soup. An easy soup to make for it's not made with pie pumpkins but rather with a can of pumpkin. Pie spices and cream make for an unusual soup which is a great starter for a company Saturday meal.
The blue and white dishes are perfect for soup and have little lids to keep the soup warm. I love blue and white dishes -- they need not have to match! Finding eight of these was a treasure indeed.

PUMPKIN SOUP

2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Saute onion in butter in a medium saucepan until tender. Add 1 can chicken broth; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

Transfer broth mixture into the container of a blender or processor. Process until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan. Add remaining can of broth, pumpkin, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and pepper; stir well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in whipping cream and heat through. Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving.

The Frost is on the Pumpkin -- Inside!!!!

The frost is on the pumpkin on the prairie -- but not outside -- it has been chillier but we've yet to have a freeze or even just a frost.

But inside . . . the frost was definitely on the pumpkin!

Or perhaps I should say that the frosting was on the pumpkin cake!!!

For the Lunch Bunch, I made pumpkin cakes in individual bundt molds and then frosted them by letting the frosting drip down over the cake. And to gild the lily, I added a sprig of lemon balm for green.

Shamelessly, it was not my idea for I had been to a dinner a couple of days before where the dessert had been a spice cake baked in individual bundt molds and then frosted with drippy frosting.

I thought it was so clever and cute that I made my own version! (Thank you Susie!)

It makes for a great presentation (especially when placed upon a blue and white plate with one of Mrs. Boland's dessert forks to eat it with).

The recipe made 8 small cakes instead of one large one -- so I had some to either give away or tuck in the freezer for my afternoon tea nosh. Those extra 4 I did leave unfrosted!

I do think that you could make it big bundt size and frost in a similar way instead of doing the cakes individually. You'd just need to have a bit more green on top.

Either way -- big guy or little guy, it makes for a great dessert for October . . . or even for Thanksgiving if you're a family that is not overly fond of pumpkin pie.

The recipe I've had "forever" and is a simple recipe. I just made a simple buttercream frosting, thinning it until it was the consistency I wanted for it to drip over the side. I did add some orange liqueur to the frosting for I like to add a touch of booze to icings.

FROST ON THE PUMPKIN CAKE

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

15 ounce can pumpkin puree

1 t. vanilla

2 1/2 c. sugar

2 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. ground nutmeg

1 t. ground allspice

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground cloves

1/4 t. salt

1/2 c. coarse chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Grease one 10 inch bundt pan or tube pan (or 8 individual bundt pans)

Cream oil, beaten eggs, pumpkin and vanilla together.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined. If desired, stir in some chopped nuts (I did use pecans -- the nut of the prairie). Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a plate. NOTE: The little cakes took much less time -- probably about 30 minutes. I started watching at 20 and took them out when they were firm to the touch. I forgot to look at the time when I did!

You can sprinkle with powdered sugar (our normal way of serving it) or you can make your favorite buttercream frosting and frost the cake.

It's Friday which means that it is Foodie Friday and so it's time to join Michael at Designs by Gollum to see what everyone else is cooking this Friday!

The Lunch Bunch Comes in October

After a summer of dining out -- because of my surgery -- it was nice to have the Lunch Bunch back at Linderhof. And it was a celebratory luncheon -- for my knees are done and I'm doing well. It is nice to be back in the kitchen and enjoying my three dear friends who joined me for lunch.

And to celebrate we had lunch in the dining room instead of the breakfast room. It's October and the table says October -- leaves and pumpkins and burgundies and oranges and golds.
The blue and white Spode, a special creamy cutwork napkin in the silver napkin rings, a gauzy square of burgundy with gold leaves and fringe. The menu featured a pumpkin -- it is October after all!
The centerpiece -- the big blue and white bowl filled with pumpkins, gourds and bittersweet.
A special lunch for special ladies who normally come to Linderhof once a month. A fallish menu:

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

Chicken Mushroom Pasta Bake

Freshly Baked Baguette

Individual Frost on the Pumpkin Cakes

We enjoyed a leisurely lunch. Got caught up on everything that has happened over the summer -- trips taken and meals enjoyed. It is good to be back "in the saddle" again and being able to have friends gather around the table.

It's Thursday which means that it's Tablescape Thursday at Susan's. Join her at Between Naps on the Porch to see all the other great tablescapes this Thursday!

The Heart of Linderhof

The heart of any home should be the kitchen and Linderhof is no exception. The kitchen is the heart of Linderhof (but we also think that the dining room is the soul!)

Linderhof's kitchen is tiny -- a mere 10 x 10 feet of floor space -- and it is not a decorated kitchen but rather a functional one.

As you walk into the kitchen from the dining room, the stove is on your left, the fridge is on your right and there is an island smack dab in the middle of a 10 x 10 space. Are we crazy? Probably, but I wouldn't have it any other way. It's a great space and one that is used daily!
The work space at Linderhof -- next to the stove with built in choppng block, marble counters, wooden spoons and other utensils, the Kitchen Aid and food processor and sugar and flour . . . and hanging from the upper cabinets -- measuring cups and spoons -- nice to be so near at hand.

For a little kitchen we are blessed with two windows -- this one over the stove where I keep my collection of French mustard pots, a couple of neat old molds and three bottles of my homemade tarragon vinegar.

What's a kitchen without a window over the sink . . . a great view of a small garden and a great place in the winter for windowsill herbs. There will also be a rose geranium as well as a pot of parsley. They just haven't made it inside yet to join the chives and thyme.
My English "Sweetie Jars" full of coffees and teas and sugars. As well as an English enamel bread box. Which is used for . . . . bread! The big tin of Walker's shortbread. My afternoon nosh with tea while I was recovering from surgery. Good for boughten shortbread but not as good as my homemade!

Once upon a time, I had the ceiling redone in the kitchen because of a leak. The handyman managed to get "mud" on the wallpaper of my soffit . . . and so, off I went in search for some new paper for that soffit.

I managed to buy the world's ugliest wallpaper . . . . at least that's what I figured when I put up two sheets (thank heaven they were soffit size sheets) and so . . . . I painted my soffits white, then painted grapes and grape leaves near the ceiling . . .

And searched through my box of design ideas until I came upon the one that I was looking for -- with writing . . . about wine . . . in a kitchen . . . . and so with stencils in hand, I stenciled away that saying -- one part on each of the three walls and then a fourth wine related saying on the fourth wall.

Burgundy makes you think of silly things

Bordeaux makes you talk of them

Champagne makes you do them

Chardonnay sil vous plait?

The kitchen at Linderhof -- the heart of Linderhof -- where good food begins. A bowl of fruit and a pitcher of tea are always on the island. The crock pot is full of steel cut oats for breakfast oatmeal -- so easy to make a big batch in the crock pot and oatmeal is perfect for these cool fall mornings.

The island countertop is a 100+ year old piece of marble that came out of the kitchen in the 1885 building where I used to work. It's a great pastry marble. The countertops, too, are marble -- carrera marble and I love them. There is a built in butcher block next to the stove -- I love that feature. The cabinets are painted a 30's green for the lowers and a 30's cream for the uppers. Windows are left bare to let in more light to this little space. The floor, like the rest of the house, is oak.

I'm joining Shelia today in the Heart of the Home Party -- please visit Shelia at Notesongs to visit every one's kitchen today. It should be a fun party!!!

It's October at Linderhof

When you walk into the front door of Linderhof, this table and two chairs is the first thing you see -- it's directly opposite the front door -- in front of the bookcases. You see Linderhof has no entry hall -- although there is a small "hall" at the bottom of the stairs. And so to make it seem more of an entry, we've placed this table and chairs there.

It's a seasonal table as well -- for it heralds spring, then summer and now fall.
The cloisonne lamp is always there and now husband Jim's humidor. It seems the perfect place for it and an interesting box is always good on a tabletop. An Asian vase that we bought in Texas on a trip is the perfect container for seasonal flowers -- forsythia and pussy willows in spring, summer blooms and now fall leaves and bittersweet.

The paper mache Halloween pumpkin is from my childhood and this table seems to be the perfect place for it. When you enter Linderhof, you know it's October!

And since it's Tuesday, it's time for Tabletop Tuesday with Marty at A Stroll Thru Life -- join her and see what other fantastic tabletops there are this Tuesday!

Sunday Morning Amish Cinnamon Rolls

Amish Cinnamon Rolls -- Not an Amish recipe made by my hands but an Amish recipe made by their hands!

We have a small Amish settlement north of our town on the prairie and they are regular visitors to the Tuesday and Saturday Farmer's Market -- mostly coming in their horse driven buggies -- with produce and baked goods to sell.

And for a treat, we buy a pan of their cinnamon rolls on Saturday morning. To be saved and then reheated (but not for long) so that the icing is melty and the rolls warm. It's a perfect Sunday breakfast. To linger over with another cup of French press coffee.

It's great to have someone bake "from scratch" cinnamon rolls when you're not inclined to. And it's not who makes them but how well they're made. The Amish cinnamon rolls are superb!!!!

(And I can spend more time in the garden -- not having to fuss with making cinnamon rolls for Sunday breakfast!!!)

Fresh Apple Cake with Caramel Frosting

Come September and apples come to market here on the prairie, we love to use them in desserts. Nothing says fall like an apple dessert be it a cake or a tart or a pie. We even like to take a favorite breakfast - German Baked Pancake and saute apples to top it with.

For my Wednesday luncheon which had the flavors of fall I felt that there was nothing better than an apple cake -- a fresh apple cake. Full of chopped apples (and because there were guests I refrained from adding nuts) and middled and topped with caramel frosting.
I love the look of all of the pieces of cake lined up in the kitchen waiting to be served.

The cake was simplicity. And was so moist. I chose to use the frosting just between layers and on top -- I felt any more was just too much and therefore the sides were left bare.

FRESH APPLE CAKE

WITH CARAMEL FROSTING

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

2 t. baking powder

2 t. vanilla

2 1/2 c. flour

1 cup chopped pecans

3 cups finely chopped raw apples (or grated)

Measure oil into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and eggs. Beat on low speed until creamy. Sift flour and measure. Sift again and add salt, soda and baking powder. Add a small amount of the flour mixture at a time to the creamed mixture. Beat well after each addition. When all the flour has been added or when batter becomes very stiff, remove electric mixer. Fold in chopped pecans and chopped apples with a wooden spoon. Spread evenly into a 9 x 13 pan (or 2 9" pans) lined with lightly greased wax paper. Bake in 350 oven for 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Carefully loosen edges and turn onto cake rack, remove wax paper, cool and frost.

NOTE: I added a teaspoon of cinnamon and a half a teaspoon of nutmeg to the batter.

FROSTING:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

3 to 5 T. milk

4 cups powdered sugar

Cook butter and sugar together until well blended and sugar is dissolved. Add 3 T. milk and 1 box of powdered sugar. Beat and add just enough milk to spread.

NOTE: I didn't frost sides of the cake -- just used the frosting between layers and on top.

It's Friday which means that it's Foodie Friday -- and it's good to be back in the kitchen!!!! Please join Michael at Designs by Gollum to see other tempting tasty fall treats this Friday.