FINALLY A FALL WEEKEND AND A THANK YOU

I began this post a few weeks ago and it has been hectic here with a little touch up painting and staining doors mixed in with football weekends and a little travel. Now I am ready to enjoy getting ready for the holidays. Thank you to all who have sent me notes to say I was missed!

Hello sweet friends. First I want to say Panama City, Florida is in my thoughts and prayers. Such a terrible hurricane leaving so much property damage and now hardships for those living there. A beautiful town with sugar white beaches. We know it well, a favorite vacation destination and  my daughter-in-law's family and friends living there. 
Update: All power has been restored to Panama City. Clean-up and rebuilding will take a long time after so much devastation. 

~~~~~

Jim and I have been traveling with our son, daughter-in-law and grandson. When we left home our highs were in the mid nighties. Returning home the weather channel promised the first cool front for the weekend.  Now we have our first weekend here with fall temperatures and I finally feel like adding a few fall touches around the house. 

I like to keep it simple so I added my velvet pumpkins on the dining room table with my Juliska Flint charges. 

We always enjoy cooking out but fall is a favorite time. We love to watch SEC football outside while we enjoy the cooler temperatures. We have been grilling fish a lot lately, my favorite. It is such an easy meal to prepare. Spray the fish with EVOO and use your favorite seasoning. We like to blacken our fish so I use Paul Prudhomme's Magic. 

Serve with favorite sides

I have a lot of catching-up the next couple of weeks. I will be adding more fall touches inside and out. I'm overdue for a visit to the pumpkin patch! 
I'm sorry I've missed some of your posts so I will be visiting with you soon.
As always, thank you for your visit. I love for you to leave a comment, it's the only way I know you stopped by!

Thank You!
I want to give a shout-out to my friend Deb at Mountain Breathes for a chance to win this funny cookbook, The Burn Cookbook by Jonathan Bennett and Nikki Martin. My name was the lucky one drawn. Thank you Deb! I will enjoy the recipes and the laughs. Visit Deb here to read all about this entertaining cookbook. I've already found several recipes I can't wait to try.

The Burn Cookbook

I have to make this for my husband

And, this Citrus Salad I will make for myself

TOMATOES

Tomatoes are grand in any language!

This is a favorite book of mine, everything you want or need to know about the history and culture of the tomato. Fruit or vegetable? The once know "poisonous apple," technically classified as a fruit has come a long way to the accepted vegetable of the modern world!

Amazon Synopsis

American home grown beauties

The All American (Southern)Tomato Sandwich 
White bread, mayonnaise, salt, pepper 

Penne with tomato basil sauce

 Tomato of the beautiful

Italy The Beautiful
a favorite cookbook of mine

Pepper and tomato stew

Peperonata (Pepper and Tomato Stew)

3 ripe tomatoes

6 red and yellow bell peppers

1/4 cup extra virgin OO

1 onion, sliced

2 garlic cloves, chopped 

salt

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano 

a few basil leaves

Plunge tomatoes and peppers into boiling water for a few seconds;, drain and peel. Chop tomatoes; seed and slice peppers.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté until translucent. Add pepper slices and salt to taste, cook for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and oregano. Cover, reduce heat and cook slowly for 30 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add basil and cook for a few minutes more to blend flavors. Transfer to bowl and serve. Delicious!

Garden tomatoes

Wonderful recipes in Monet's Table
Tomatoes farcies (sauce) and 
Stuffed tomatoes

A kitchen vignette, using fresh basil and tomatoes

As summer days wind down, so will the bounty of fresh tomatoes. We love them here and I think of them as a staple, preparing favorite salads and recipes.  

Let's not forget the greens!

Have you ever tried 

Fried green tomatoes?

 Delicious

Caprese salad
always a favorite

Bruschetta

My Bruschetta recipe here

Thanks for your visit. You know I love to hear from you so please leave a comment so I will know you stopped in.

Linking

Mosaic Monday
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FRENCH-STYLE PECAN PIE

Sweets for my Sweet!

Celebrating Valentine’s Day is a good excuse to bake up something special. This day of all days should include having a sweet treat with absolutely no guilt! One of my favorite go-to recipes is this tasty little miniature Pecan Pie Tart. A friend served them at a party years ago and she shared her recipe with me. A dainty and scrumptious dessert, perfect to serve at teas and showers. I’ve also served this delicious treat all dressed-up for holidays.  My family and friends love these pies so I thought I would share this recipe with all of you. You can make these ahead of time and freeze. They also travel well, perfect to send across the miles if your sweetheart is away. I just whip up the topping before my guests arrive and dessert is ready to serve. Perfect for those unexpected guests too!

Recipe for French-Style Pecan Pie

3    Egg Whites (Room Temperature)

1    Cup Sugar

1    Cup Graham Crackers Crumbs

1    Cup Pecan Pieces

1    Pint Whipping Cream

1    Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

1    Tablespoon Almond Extract

1/2 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/2 Tablespoon Almond Extract

Beat Egg whites till stiff (If no copper bowl, add cream of tartar). 

When very stiff and dry, fold in sugar, crumbs, pecans, baking powder (I mix with sugar), vanilla and the 1 T. of almond extract.

Butter or spray (I use Baker’s Joy) mini-sized muffin tins. Fill about 3/4 full. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. 

Let pies cool in tins for about 15 minutes, then remove from pans to cool on rack completely. Makes about 30 bite-size pies. 

When ready to serve, whip the cream with 1/2 T. almond extract and frost. 

While the pies baked, I added a few Valentine’s vignettes to The French Hutch. I love bringing out old vintage cards I collect and special cards from friends and family. Fresh flowers are required, I love to use tulips, daffodils or hyacinths.

Easy,  fun and ready for Valentine’s Day! Now it’s time to enjoy a cup of coffee and French-Style Pecan Pie while I get my valentine’s cards ready to mail.

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day? Do tell!

Linking

Home and Garden Thursday
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