A Pretty Autumn Table

A table just for fun and inspiration at this time of year.

I had it in mind to create this centerpiece before the cold got the roses, the hydrangeas, and the ferns.

It just so happens that my roses go with my hydrangeas at this time of the year. The hydrangeas morph in color in the autumn.

The muted colors also work well with an assortment of transferware for the romantic autumn table.

I didn't plan on creating an entire table setup. I just had fun creating a pretty picture. 

The garden has lasted about a month longer than usual. It has yet to freeze around the house. So I couldn't let all of these flowers go to waste. 

Enjoy the season. Enjoy every day.

In Victory,

Sherry

Oatrmeal Fig Bars

I have a little fig tree that has given me enough figs, so I made fig newtons. I get a scattered harvest of figs, so I freeze them and make fig jam first. Homemade fig jam recipe here.

This is a fig bar recipe, but it reminds me of the double-crust crumble that I make.

The family liked the fig newton bars. They are rich. I think of figs as a fall flavor. 

Fig Bars

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/4 cup butter, melted

Filling: 1 pint of fig jam

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Combine the flour, oats, cinnamon, baking powder, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the melted butter and combine until completely incorporated. Spilt half of the dough and spread it in the bottom of the 9 x 13 inch pan and compress it down with a spoon or the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake this for 15-20 minutes until the edges turn golden. (I baked mine 20 minutes.) Remove and let cool. 

Spread the fig jam on the pre-baked crust and top with the rest of the crust dough. It doesn't have to be perfect and can be a bit clumpy. Bake for 20 minutes until the edges are browned. Remove from oven and let cool before serving.

Makes 16 squares.

If you want to make this with fresh figs, the recipe I used has those instructions: Oatmeal Vanilla Fig Bars.

Do you have a favorite fig recipe?

In Victory,

Sherry

Teapot & Roses

I think that autumn roses might be my favorite! They have gorgeous, shiny green foliage and no bugs. 

They were perfect today for an arrangement in my teapot. 

In Victory,

Sherry

Autumn Tea

I am taking tea in the brambly hedge today, where the blackberries grow in my garden. The leaves have almost all fallen, and just like that, some of the trees are bare. 

I have a library book I have been reading. I am a history buff, and I have been reading The Journal of Beatrix Potter. I taught my son high school, and we read a lot of primary documents sort of like this. This is a journal written by Beatrix between the ages of 15 and 30. Okay, here is the amazing thing: she never expected anyone to read it because she wrote it in a secret code. She never told anyone about the code or the key to deciphering it. So it was studied, and the translator Leslie Linder cracked the code. It was in fact the heading to verses 1-12 of the 90th Psalm, the prayer of Moses. I was fascinated all the more with her after finding this out. So many layers to Miss Potter indeed.

What lies behind the beautiful watercolors and pretty pictures she paints? 

Doing my part to bring you pretty pictures here as well. The afghan was from my great grandfather's house. It used to hang on the back of the couch. It was also at my grandmother's, and I can remember my grandfather getting under it after a Sunday dinner for a nap.

The roses that are still blooming are gorgeous! 

I have never kept pansies alive all summer, but these are still going strong and are just beautiful.

In nature, fall colors are my favorites. What is your favorite season?

In Victory,

Sherry

Herbs de Provence

For the month of October, I am making an herb blend called Herbs de Provence. This is an all-purpose seasoning that originated in the Provence region of France. I have picked my herbs and had them drying for over a month. With the herbs fully dry and crumbly, I can now make my seasoning blend.
 

This is an herb project I found in the book The Herbal Yearbook. All year I have done one project a month out of this book to get more use out of the herbs I grow in the garden.

In September I made a fresh herb basket with this blend of herbs, and this month I will use them.

The herbs have been drying for a month, and I take them off of the drying rack and now crumble them up. Herbs shown here in my blend are: thyme, rosemary, oregano, and sage. The herb blend varies a bit from producer to producer.

They should not have any moisture left in them and be brittle, not pliable.

Here, I am showing a little bag I made years ago to place the herb blend in. 

Originally posted herbs de Provence here in 2010 on the blog.

This post on The Daring Gourmet shows all the versatile ways you can use this herb blend. This book has been a great resource for using and trying out new things with my herbs in the garden. I have thoroughly enjoyed working my way through it this year. 

In Victory,

Sherry

Autumn Colors

 

The fall colors this year may be the prettiest I have ever seen them. Here we usually get dull color. This year the color is very bright.

Some say it is because of the dry weather. I don't know what makes the color more vibrant. 

But the color is really pretty right out of the camera. No color enhancing in the editing.

It has been warm this week too. I still have some summer flowers. I planted these in July to have fall colors in October.

There are still some bugs hanging around enjoying the garden also. 

In Victory,

Sherry