Beautiful bittersweet

I have always loved bittersweet.  I realize it can be invasive and can become parasitic -- see this article: Bittersweet: Friend or Foe? if you want to learn more -- but it is so beautiful.  (I'm sure there's a spiritual application there which I may eventually try and write about.  But for now, see a similar thought in The Return of the Periwinkle, if you are interested.)

As far as I remember, no bittersweet grew around the acreage where I grew up.  I do recall that my mother also loved the look of bittersweet and would often look far afield to gather some of it in the fall.   I remember one year that she and my dad made some very special pins to donate to a craft bazaar.  They were small wooden ovals, lightly stained and finished, and to these, in a pleasing arrangement, they glued tiny hemlock cones, yellow tansy heads, and bittersweet berries.

In more recent years, I've not seen bittersweet growing in our area, but one fall we had stopped at a rest area in the southern part of our state and saw a pickup truck with the bed overflowing with bittersweet vines.  I marveled that the driver would dare leave it unattended while he or she was in the building!

But last year, I saw some orange berries growing on a stone wall near my dad's house.  When I stopped for a closer look, I found bittersweet!  And this year it is back.  Time to hunt up a transferware pitcher.  You will find my visual inspiration for that in this post on my friend Vee's blog.

Here are just a few more photos:

You can see the stone wall peeking through here

Does bittersweet grow where you live?  Do you decorate with it?

Simple suppers for a getaway ... or a busy day

We recently returned from a two-day getaway up north.  When we go there in the fall, I have two recipes that I usually make for our suppers.  Both are simple.  It occurred to me that others might enjoy these recipes, which work just as well for a couple or a family on a busy day as they do in a small kitchen at a getaway place. 

I usually make the soup recipe for the first night as it is incredibly quick.  There are always leftovers with just the two of us, but they work great for lunch the next day.

ZESTY CHICKEN CHEESE SOUP

1 can whole kernel corn (don’t drain)
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (don’t drain)
1 small can diced green chilies (optional)
1 can premium chunk white chicken, flaked
8 ounces velveeta-type cheese, cubed

In heavy saucepan or dutch oven, combine everything except the cheese and begin heating these ingredients while you cube the cheese. Add the cheese to the saucepan and continue to heat, stirring until cheese is melted and soup is piping hot.

This recipe came from an early Quick Cooking magazine and is the fastest soup you will ever make -- just a matter of opening cans, heating and stirring -- and is also delicious!

For a getaway, I serve this simply with tortilla chips.  For a family on a busy day, I would probably serve it with cornbread or corn muffins.

The next recipe is for a simple oven supper that cooks by itself (until nearly the last minute) while you are doing other things. 

SAUSAGE-STUFFED SQUASH

1 medium buttercup squash (or 1 large acorn squash)
 Maple syrup or brown sugar
1/2 lb. bulk breakfast sausage (or links, cut up)

(These are the quantities to generously serve two people.  Obviously, you can double or triple this if needed.)

Cut the squash in half.  Remove the seeds to hollow out the center portion of each half.  Place them  cut side down on a foil-covered (or parchment covered) baking sheet.  Bake at 350º until squash is tender -- 40 minutes or longer.  When tender, turn squash halves over; add a small amount of maple syrup or brown sugar.  Return the squash to the oven while cooking sausage.

Now cook the sausage in a small skillet over medium heat, about 10 minutes.  (This time I used Al Fresco chicken sausage in the Breakfast Sausage variety.  It worked great!)

Drain off any fat and heap the sausage in the center of the squash halves.  Bake for 10 minutes longer.

I usually cook baked potatoes at the same time the squash is baking.  Works great!  Rice pilaf would be good with this also, but I like the ease of a complete oven meal.

Sometimes I will take my slow cooker along on a getaway and make a slow cooker meal.  This works great if we are doing some sightseeing or hiking and will be away from the cabin during the day.  And of course, a slow cooker is perfect on any busy day at home, too.  Not just a day when you have lots of housework to do, or appointments that take you out of the house -- but also days when you want to do something fun, like crafting or decorating.  It's a blessing to have supper all taken care of!

What are some simple suppers that your family enjoys?

November 1953

One more calendar page from 1953 and the Woman's Day calendar.  I have always so enjoyed these little calendars, which used to come bound into the center of the January issue of the magazine each year.  This November illustration is not my favorite, because it just looks too cold and snowy.  In early November, at least, the trees would not be this bare.  There would still be oak leaves, at the very least, clinging to the branches.  And we wouldn't have this much snow.  By Thanksgiving, of course, we could possibly have snow that stays for the winter.  But hopefully not!

Still, the illustration does convey a sense of the stillness and quietness (even in its colors) that we find in November.  The hustle and bustle of the harvest is over and the land is still, just waiting for winter it seems.

This beautiful Scripture verse is another of my favorites.  If we were to read on to verse 2 of Psalm 121, we would find this clarification as to the source of our help: "My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."  The psalm goes on to detail some of the many ways in which God cares for His people.  It is only eight verses.  Why not read Psalm 121 today?  It will truly set your heart toward thanksgiving!

November goals

Aren't Gooseberry Patch calendars the best?  I purchase several each year for myself and for gifts!

And just like that, November arrives, ushering in the end of daylight saving time and reminding us there are only 54 days until Christmas.  Time for me to set some time for me to set some goals for the month:
*Meditate on a passage from God's Word each day.
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones.
* Add 4 pages to my "What Do I Know About My God?" Scripture notebook
* Continue study for Sunday School -- Following God With All Your Heart
* Continue to re-read Say Goodbye to Survival Mode; continue to journal and implement what I learn
* Exercise or walk at least 20 times.
* Get to bed by 9:45 pm each night. 
* Limit sugar and red meat.
* Drink enough water each day.
* Keep up with Kelly's missions in homemaking zones of the week.
* Spend some serious time decluttering closets
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible
* Post in this blog as often as possible
* Continue working on several UFO craft projects
* Create gift for November birthday
* Create and send belated gifts for a September birthday
* Get serious about crafting Christmas gifts
* Apply wall decals to our freshly painted bathroom wall
* Reduce grocery bill by $5 per week consistently
* Spend several hours updating my A-store.
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able
* Clean church and set up for potluck meal
*  Continue trying to help and encourage my elderly dad
* Sort out and declutter my dad's basement
* Continue transferring important items to new computer
* Have at least two couples over for supper
* Make a photo book
* Make a photo magnet
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating
* Decorate for Thanksgiving
* Plan and enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner

NOVEMBER'S HEALTHY HABITS:  Drink enough water/exercise/eat healthfully

WORD FOR 2015: RENEWAL

And here is how October went:
*Meditate on a passage from God's Word each day -- DONE!
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones -- DONE!
* Add 4 pages to my "What Do I Know About My God?" Scripture notebook -- DONE!
* Continue study for Sunday School -- Following God With All Your Heart
-- DONE!
* Continue to re-read Say Goodbye to Survival Mode; continue to journal and implement what I learn -- not done
* Exercise or walk at least 20 times -- DONE!
* Get to bed by 9:45 pm each night -- not done
* Limit sugar and red meat -- DONE!
* Drink enough water each day -- not done consistently
* Keep up with Kelly's missions in homemaking zones of the week -- not done consistently
* Spend some serious time decluttering closets -- not done
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible -- posted ONCE!
* Try and post in this blog every day in October (!) -- DONE!
* Continue working on several UFO craft projects -- DONE!
* Create and send gifts for November birthdays -- partially done
* Create and send belated gifts for a September birthday -- not done
* Get serious about crafting Christmas gifts -- have completed a few
* Apply wall decals to our freshly painted bathroom wall -- not done
* Reduce grocery bill by $5 per week consistently -- not done
* Spend several hours updating my A-store -- have done a little bit
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family -- DONE!
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able -- DONE!
* Clean church and set up for potluck meal -- DONE!
* Attend a couples' retreat with my hubby -- DONE!
*  Continue trying to help and encourage my elderly dad -- DONE!
* Sort out and declutter my dad's basement -- not done
* Finish transferring important items to new computer -- not done
* Take a little getaway with Mr. T -- DONE!
* Have at least two couples over for supper -- DONE!
* Make a photo book -- DONE!
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating -- DONE!
* Do most of my fall decorating -- DONE!
* Plan a fall get-together at our home for our church family -- DONE!

OCTOBER'S HEALTHY HABITS:  Drink enough water/exercise/eat healthfully  -- have done fairly well with this.

WORD FOR 2015: RENEWAL

Favorite coffee or tea for fall

Today as I write my final post with a fall/October theme (for 2015, anyway) I am using a prompt from Whitney at Come Home for Comfort.  Whitney did a series of vlogs for Vlogtober and she offered a list of prompts for others who wanted to join her in vlogging.  That would not be me.  I am highly cameraphobic.  But her prompts were interesting and I decided that if I needed some ideas through my month of daily blogging, I would use some of them.

One of the prompts concerned favorite fall coffee or tea.   My friend Arlene at Nanaland is using some prompts in her October blogging and chose this one to write a post called Coffee, Anyone?, which I found so interesting, I decided to use that prompt myself.  And here we are!

We just got back from The Wilds of New England and a couples' retreat there -- and it's pretty hard to beat the good coffee served in their coffee shop,  Cool Beans. I had tried a maple coffee there back in September at the ladies' retreat, and just had to introduce my hubby to it. He loved it and we had maple coffees twice over the weekend, as well as one regular coffee. 

In general, for out and about, we like coffee from Cracker Barrel, McDonalds and Dunkin' Donuts -- pretty much in that order --but we seldom get to Cracker Barrel. Sometimes we have bought their packaged coffee to bring home.  Dunkin' Donuts has become a favorite accompaniment to an overnight getaway:

On a daily basis we drink whichever coffee we've found good deals on -- Folger's, Maxwell House, New England Coffee. Sometimes our local supermarkets will have deals on Green Mountain Coffee or Dunkin Donuts packaged coffee. We don't own a Keurig but may eventually get one.

As for flavors, hazelnut is probably our favorite, but we also enjoy pumpkin spice, blueberry cobbler and all sorts of seasonal flavors.

We used to buy the delicious flavored creamers that are available, but decided to stop using them as we are trying to eat more healthfully.  We now tend to buy more flavored coffees and just add a healthier creamer to them.  Mr. T usually puts vanilla almond milk in his coffee, and I usually use fat-free half and half.

For tea, I have found that my favorite fall tea is the Pumpkin Spice black tea from Bigelow. 

And there you have it!   What is your favorite coffee or tea for fall -- or anytime?

 

"When the Birds Go North Again" -- another lovely poem

Photo from Pixabay

I am not sure if this should be categorized as a fall, spring, or even a winter poem.  But I think of it in fall when the birds are leaving for warmer climates.  Sometimes it can make us a bit sad to see the birds leaving and to realize there is a long winter to get through.  But they always come back!  And we know the winter will eventually end.

My mother loved this poem so much that my sister had it done in calligraphy and framed for my mother to display in the living room.  It would make a lovely cross-stitch, too.

When the Birds Go North Again

Oh, every year hath its winter,
    And every year hath its rain
But a day is always coming
    When the birds go North again.
 
When new leaves swell in the forest,
    And grass springs green on the plain,
And the alder's veins turn crimson
    And the birds go North again.
 
Oh, every heart hath its sorrow,
    And every heart hath its pain--
But a day is always coming
    When the birds go North again.
 
'Tis the sweetest thing to remember
   If courage be on the wane,
When the cold dark days are over
    Why, the birds go North again.
^__Ella Higginson
 

Nature Pictures by American Poets
Selected and Edited by Annie Russell Marble
(New York: The MacMillan Company. 1899)
Page 75

Isn't this such a lovely, meaningful poem?  I just may think about working up a cross-stitch design for this to help me get through the winter!

Favorite October posts from the archives

New Hampshire Troubadour, October 1950

I've noticed that some bloggers post links to favorite posts each month for the same month from years past.  I find that interesting, so decided to do that myself for one of my daily October posts.  I think it's probably especially appropriate since 2015 marks my ten-year blogging anniversary.  I went through my archives and here are the October posts I picked to share with you all!

From 2005, Kitchen Memories is a post about my kitchen memories from growing up in the 1950s and 1960s.  If you enjoy reading about that era, you might like to take a look at this.

From 2006,  I chose this post: A comforting Friday night supper.  It includes a yummy recipe for Zippy Cauliflower which you might enjoy.  I know I am going to make it again!

From 2007, I picked a slow cooker recipe that's perfect for fall and winter: Round Steak Italiano.  This can be made with any inexpensive steak like chuck, london broil, etc.

Photo from Taste of Home

 It comes out SO tender and flavorful.  An added bonus with this recipe is the fact that baked potatoes cook along with the meat in the slow cooker.  Just add salad or a veggie at serving time, and you're done!

From 2008, I chose a post with basic instructions for my Fall Fabric Ornaments.  These are quick, easy and fun to make.

From 2009,  I decided to show you From my antique postcard collection.  I was blessed to inherit a collection of these antique postcards, trade cards and Scripture cards.  Enjoy!

From 2010,  you might like Testing two zucchini breads. I reveal the results of testing two recipes with the thought of using these breads for Christmas gifts.  One was a double chocolate zucchini bread; the other, Paula Deen's chocolate chip zucchini bread.  The post includes links to both recipes.

From 2011, A taste of heaven tells the story of the ladies' retreat from that year.

Worth the read if you enjoy fall foliage and would like to see more of The Wilds of New England, plus a link to a good book.

From 2012, this brief account of an important lesson God taught me at a lakeside cabin: Lift up your eyes on high might encourage your heart as well.

From 2013, Hearty Butternut Squash Soup is a keeper recipe a friend shared with me.  I'm going to be bold and try making this soup with no meat at all.

And lastly, from 2014, read about a vintage find, Words of Silver from the Bible.

Hope you've enjoyed this venture into the kitchen table archives!