Seasonal Eating - Friday Bliss

As the nights draw in and temperatures drop, all the salads and grilled dishes of summer lose their appeal and I long for the cozier foods of fall. 

Recently I made an apple crisp and served it, once again, with creme anglaise. I'm planning to make some Apple Pastry Bars soon, too, perhaps over the weekend. 

When my brother and sister-in-law were here in early September, I made Salted Caramel Pots de Creme from Laura Calder's Paris Express cookbook. Oh my. Rich and so good with that sprinkle of sea salt on top.

We're eating more soup again, hearty roasted vegetable soups like this Roasted Cauliflower Pear soup, and 

Roasted Tomato Soup. Oh how good the house smells! Do you save your chicken bones and carcasses to make broth? I make broth in my slow cooker, adding water to the roasted chicken carcass, plus a carrot, an onion, some celery leaves, parsley stems, peppercorns, a bay leaf, and salt. I leave it on low for 8 hours and a lovely clear broth results, which I freeze in quart jars (leaving a couple of inches of headspace).

Roasted Pear Cheesecake was popular on a recent weekend getaway with friends. Some asked for the recipe. I've linked to all of the recipes (except the Pots de Creme) on my recipe blog. 

What are you cooking or eating these days? Do you eat seasonally? Any good ideas to share?

Linking with Friday Bliss, hosted by Riitta of Floral Passions in Finland. Why don't you join us?

Working Ahead

The awareness that Christmas is less than 5 weeks away startled me this week. The calendar is already filling with celebrations big and small. Feasting is a traditional part of celebrating Christ's birth, and sharing with others. 

This year, we are hosting a gathering of work colleagues on the 15th of December and I'm planning ahead. It will be an Appetizer and Wine evening. My lists are made and this past weekend, I began cooking a few things ahead. Some items will be purchased, but I like to make as much as I can. 

When I posted a photo of the empanadas on Instagram, I was asked for the recipe and for other make-ahead savoury items. I like to bake, not just sweets, but savoury treats to have on hand during the holidays.

All of the recipes above have been tested by Yours Truly and I can vouch that they are delicious. The links will take you to my recipe blog. 

On the top row:
Gougeres, aka Cheese Puffs
Stuffed Mushrooms 
Bacon and Date Snacks

On the bottom row, from the left:
Sage and Ginger Mixed Nuts
Empanadas (Pastry filled with beef and spices)
Rosemary Parmesan Coins (make the dough ahead and freeze it, thaw for 30 minutes at room temperature, then slice and bake) 

On another front, Saturday called for rain mixed with sun, and Tim thought he'd get the Christmas lights up during the sunny times. As it turned out, there was little rain, so he not only put up the lights, but washed the windows (hooray) and the front of the house. It all looks so great!

The birds seem to like bathing even on these chilly days. It's fun to watch them splashing and fluttering.

Although Saturday was good for outside work, on Sunday it rained all day. We went to see Murder on the Orient Express in the afternoon. It's a gorgeous film with stunning scenery, a luxurious set, and a struggle for justice. I loved it! 

I'd like to say Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American readers! Enjoy the turkey and the pie, but most of all, enjoy the blessings of family and friends. Thanks be to God!

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life. 

Adventure Awaits

Baby Showers. Lovely events to celebrate an anticipated birth, or a recent arrival. A couple of weeks ago, we held a baby shower for a new little one soon to be born, our third grandchild. The shower was held at the home of our daughter-in-law's sister. My two daughters and I helped with the shower.
 

Airplanes were a theme, with white clouds and paper airplanes hung from the ceiling.
 

Since it was a morning shower, we concentrated more on savory than sweet. These luscious fruit skewers were delicious and refreshing. 
 

A bouquet of red and white flowers in a blue vase graced the table. 
 

Big Sister, aka Little Miss A, attended. Who says jack-o-lantern pails are just for Halloween? She didn't want her photo taken that day so this is the best I could do.
 

Her favorite part of the shower, according to her mother, was the snack bag she received when she left. Her father called me later to find out if we had any left over. I sent them right over.
 

There was lots of delicious food. These Brie, Bacon and Onion Polenta Squares were delicious. Click on the link for the recipe.
 

Another tidbit were Bacon Date Snacks. They always disappear in a hurry. As I was packing them up to take them over, my husband said, "Be sure to bring home the leftovers." I didn't know if there would be any, so I left a couple at home. Again, click on the link for the recipe. 

The mother-to-be, our beautiful daughter-in-law. Just 10 more days of waiting, thereabouts, until we hold a sweet little new one. I can hardly wait.

From My Herb Garden - Thyme

Thyme grows year round in my garden. It's probably my favorite winter herb, adding warmth and character to stews and soups. But it's great in the summertime, too. Here I've made an Onion Tart - perfect as an appetizer before dinner, or as an accompaniment to soup or quiche. I could have eaten the whole tart myself and skipped the rest of dinner.

Thyme marries well with fruit, too. This Raspberry Thyme Vinaigrette uses whole raspberries, either frozen or fresh. It's a pretty color and is wonderful over all the fresh salads of summer.

I like to use thyme and a bit of orange zest in my beef stews during the winter. Since thyme and orange go so well together in savory dishes, I thought I'd experiment with them in a slightly sweet Orange Thyme Shortbread. The thyme adds another layer of flavor to these perennial favorites.

As always, clicking on the links will take you to my recipe blog. Is there thyme in your herb garden?

Dinner with Dessert

We invited some friends over for dinner on Saturday evening. I knew the weather would be great all day and planned to spend most of the day in the garden, not the kitchen. On Friday evening I prepared as much as I could. 

I made the marinade for the flank steak, readied the Potato Splats, made the salad dressing, and set the table. Then I lit the candles just to see what it all would look like, and took a few photos. I used votive holders at every place to hold a few bluebells, a linen tablecloth and napkins, and ended up with mostly monochrome. Blue and white is a winning combination for me. 
 

We had guests for dinner quite often while living in Ecuador. On one such occasion, as we sat down at the table with our children and our guests, our son, probably 8 or 9 at the time, said, "Oh, good. Company. That means we get dessert." 

I found the recipe for this gluten and dairy free sorbet (since some of our guests can't have those ingredients) on Tartelette's blog. Do check it out. It's a berry sorbet that captures the very essence of summer. I made a few changes to the recipe; using frozen berries, and strawberries in place of the raspberries. I've done it with raspberries too, and prefer it that way. In fact, I've made this recipe at least three times in the past two months. And I plan on making it a lot more as summer arrives.

I have one of those hand-cranked ice cream makers that you place in the freezer for 8 hours before using. I purchased it at a thrift store about 8 years ago. This year, I'm just storing the thing in the freezer so it's handy at a moment's notice. 

With everything that was done ahead, I spent the day in the garden and came in to shower at 3:00 and had plenty of time to prep the rest of the meal - roasted asparagus, carrots with onion butter, salad, plus the steak and potatoes. 

Do you have guests for meals often? Do you make dessert? How do you prepare ahead?