'SHADOWS OF A THOUSAND YEARS RISE AGAIN UNSEEN ... '

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion."

~Henry David Thoreau

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,

Voices whisper in the trees,

`Tonight is Halloween

~ Dexter Kozen

“Men are like pumpkins. It seems like all the good ones are either taken or they've had everything scraped out of their heads with a spoon.”

'Self portrait'

Franklin Cider Mill

FAREWELL SWEET FADING GARDEN (A song of praise ~ An expression of love)

"A garden really lives only insofar as it is an expression of faith, the embodiment of a hope and a song of praise."

~ Russell Page

"We only part to meet again."

~ John Gay

Oakleaf hydrangea

(Hydrangea quercifolia)

Autumn's fine colors

(Hydrangea - Heuchera)

Golden days

(Hosta)

Fine autumn faces ~ whose friends have gone to bed

(Toad lily, Pansy, Coneflower, Heuchera, Autumn daisy, Hydrangea)

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"To cultivate a garden is to walk with God"

~ Christian Nestell Bovee

AUTUMN JOY COMFORTS THE HEART ~ MUGSIE'S WILDCAT STEW

"From morning till night, sounds drift from the kitchen, most of them familiar and comforting... On days when warmth is the most important need of the human heart, the kitchen is the place you can find it; it dries the wet sock, it cools the hot little brain."

~ E.B. White

A day at the lake

(Hint of a rainbow and remains of the day)

Autumn glory

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MUGSIE'S WILDCAT STEW

~ So easy, so comforting, so good

5 lbs. lean beef stew meat, in 1-inch cubes

6 onions (med) cut into wedges

12 carrots, sliced in big chunks

2 (28 oz.) cans tomatoes (one diced and one stewed)

2 cups chopped celery

2 heaping tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. salt

6 tbsp. minute tapioca

1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

• Mix all together and bake at 325 degrees for 4 hours.

Note: Thanks Kelly for sharing the delicious and now favorite family recipe.

'Cooling the brain'

AUTUMN MOSAIC ~ AUTUMN DESSERT (Pear Tarte Tatin)

"Winter is an etching,

spring a watercolor,

summer an oil painting

and autumn a mosaic of them all."

~ Stanley Horowitz

FALL ABSTRACTS

(AUTUMN LEAVES)

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PEAR TARTE TATIN

~ Delightful and easy autumn dessert from A Taste of the Canadian Rockies Cookbook (Lake O'Hara Lodge, Yoho National Park)

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5-6 peeled, cored and sliced pears

4 Tbsp. butter

1/4 cup sugar

cinnamon to taste

nutmeg to taste

12-inch pie pastry (1/8 inch thick)

Whipping cream

• On stovetop, in an oven proof skillet, melt butter. Add sugar and caramelize (be careful as sugar burns very easily). Remove from heat. Add pears, sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover with pie pastry and with paring knife stab vents through pastry top.
• Bake 10 minutes in preheated 400-degree oven, then reduce heat to 375-degrees and bake for 20 minutes.
• Using oven mitts on both hands, remove from oven, invert large platter over skillet, turn skillet and platter over together sot that tarte is now on platter, pastry side down. (Watch for hot caramelized sugar that may leak over edges of platter.)
• Cut and serve with whipped cream. (8 servings)

AUTUMN MOSAIC

OCTOBER JOY ~ AUTUMN MINI-ROAD TOUR (HUBBARD LAKE, MI)

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October."

~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

Up driveway and overhead sky

(Click on all photos for larger view)

'Wa-gi-daa-king' Autumn

South shore drive

South Shore view

West Branch River

West Shore Drive

Tamarack Island

Old Marina

Down hill Mt. Maria view

Down hill Mt. Maria

Remains of the Day

(October Sunset)

'OCTOBER SYMPHONY' ~ CHICKEN PECAN QUICHE SPINACH, BASIL & PLUM SALAD

"October is a symphony

of permanence and change."

~ Bonaro W. Overstreet

Autumn Abstract

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CHICKEN PECAN QUICHE

~ Symphony of flavors, perfect for an autumn brunch

(adapted from Jan. 1999 Southern Living)

1 cup flour

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 tsp. coarse salt

1/4 tsp. Hungarian paprika

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup organic chicken broth

1/4 cup good mayonnaise

3 large lightly beaten organic eggs

2 - 2 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken

1/2 - 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup minced onion

3 drops Tabasco sauce

1/4-1/2 cup pecan halves

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• Combine flour, cheese, pecans, salt, and paprika. Add oil and stir well. Press mixture firmly in bottom and up sides of 9-inch deep dish quiche or pie plate. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool completely.
• Combine sour cream, chicken broth, mayonnaise, and eggs. Stir in chicken, cheese, onion, and Tabasco. Pour chicken mixture over prepared crust. Arrange pecan halves over chicken mixture. Bake at 350-degrees for 55 minutes or until set. Allow to rest 10 minutes before serving. (8 servings)
  
  
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  SPINACH, BASIL & PLUM SALAD

  ~ Memorable salad from June 2007 Food & Wine

  
  

  2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

  2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

  2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice

  1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

  1 tsp. grated orange juice

  1 tsp. grated lime zest

  coarse sea salt (preferabley red)

  freshly ground black pepper

  2 5-oz. bags baby spinach

  2 cups torn fresh basil leaves

  2 halved, pitted and thinly sliced black or red plums

  
  

  • In small bowl whisk olive oil with lemon & orange juices, vinegar, and orange and lime zest. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
  • In large bowl, toss spinach, basil and plums. Add dressing and toss well. Sprinkle with sea salt & black pepper and serve immediately.
    
    

PLEASE MEET MY 'NEW FRIEND' (ONCIDIUM EXCAVATUM)

'In joy or sadness, flowers are our constant friends."

~ Kozuko Okakura

Oncidium excavatum

(Hollow excavatum)

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Oncidium excavatum

Intergenerics are a large group of cool growing South American orchids. Many sizes, colors and shapes of long lasting exotic flowers

Light: Bright filtered light. No direct sun

Feed: Twice a month with half strength balanced liquid feed

Water : Keep evenly moist

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Here is an good link for beginners ~ basic care and identification of orchids.

( http://www.aboutorchids.com/identify/index.html )

HAPPY 'AUTUMN COMPANIONS' FEED GARDEN AND SOUL (Echinacea - Toad Lily) ~ BABY GREENS with CHICKEN, DRIED CHERRIES, PEARS & PECANS

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”

~ George Eliot

October Garden Abstract

(Toad Lily ~ Echinacea)

Echinacea

(faces still shining early October strong)

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BABY GREENS with CHICKEN, DRIED CHERRIES, PEARS & PECANS

~ Memorable autumn flavors blend together like perfect plants in the garden ... a taste of autumn at its best (Fine Cooking - Oct 2008)

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1 medium garlic clove

coarse salt

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 tsp. fresh thyme

freshly ground black pepper

1 peeled, cored, diced firm-ripe pear

1/3 cup dried tart cherries (Michigan dried are best)

8 oz. (8 loosely packed cups) mixed baby greens

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

(Rotisserie chicken easy and tastes great)

1/2 cup toasted pecans

Gorgonzola or Feta cheese

• Chop garlic, sprinkle with salt, and mash to paste with flat knife side of chef's knife. Put paste in large serving bowl and whisk in olive oil, vinegar, thyme, and pepper.
• Gently stir in pear and cherries. Add greens, chicken, and pecans. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with crumbled gorgonzola or Feta cheese. Serve immediately. (4-6 servings)

Tiny Toad Lily

No fall garden should be without toad lilies. These Asian curiosities bloom with orchid-like flowers that demand a close look, when the garden is winding down in fall. They do best in light shade in humus-rich soil that retains moisture, and are suitable for borders or less formal parts of the garden and among shrubs gradually becoming large clumps. Some self-seed but not aggressively.

"Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things."

~ Author Unknown

'BITTERSWEET' OCTOBER ~ DEEP DISH DUTCH 'SPY' APPLE PIE

"Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter."

~ Carol Bishop Hipps

AUTUMN MUM

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DEEP DISH DUTCH 'SPY' APPLE PIE

"Good apple pies are a considerable part of our domestic happiness."

~ Jane Austen

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(October is the best month for apples ...

do yourself a favor and make a pie. If you choose,

omit the crust and make apple crisp.)

1 10-inch unbaked deep dish pie shell

Topping:

1 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

2/3 cup unsalted butter

Filling:

7-9 large baking apples (Northern Spy best)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 Tbsp. flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 heaping tsp. cinnamon

dash salt

dots of butter

• Make topping: Combine flour and sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender until mixture is consistency of coarse cornmeal. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 400º.
• Make filling: Core apples and pare, slicing into large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
• Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Toss with apples. Turn into unbaked pie shell distributing evenly. Dot with butter. Cover with topping.
• Bake 45 to 60 minutes (apples bubbling).

October Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Front Door Autumn Containers

(Pansies, Autumn ferns, 'Caramel' Heuchera)

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"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.

For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."

~ Edwin Way Teale