Sitting by my Laughing Fire.....September in The Village!

"I love the way the colors change, how you can spend time outdoors and then go inside and light the fire, and how the food you want to eat and serve gets a little bit cozier."









The gatherings often begin with late afternoon cocktails in the yard of The Maine Home and end with dessert indoors, often around the living room fireplace. I serve the foods and even the colors of fall, and for hours we talk about the big and little things in life -- kids, money, world peace, work, love, food, spirituality, what's at the movies!

Hot Mulled Wine

4 cups apple cider
1 (750-ml) bottle red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
1/4 cup honey
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, zested and juiced
4 whole cloves
3 star anise
4 oranges, peeled, for garnish


Directions
Combine the cider, wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour into mugs, add an orange peel to each and serve.

For as long as the evening lasts....as long as the embers glow....the conversation continues....as we sit by the laughing fire!

Autumn in New England....

A whiff of woodsmoke on the wind, the first chill in the air, the woods just edged with red and gold! We have turned the calender to September. Time to air the quilts and pick bouquets of sunflowers..let's light the first fire and put the "sweet" back in Home Sweet Home!......Susan Branch

It's time for apple orchards to open their doors to autumn! We are on the motor trail to the orchard with baskets in hand. Bring fall into your kitchen and put out your pumpkins...cloves, cinnamon and spice! Fall in love with the season!

Estelles Apple Bread
1 Cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups chopped apples, cortland and granny smith
3 cups flour
3 t. cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in small bowl and set aside. Sift flour, cinnamon, soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to oil mixture gradually. Add apples and nuts. Bake in two loaf pans for 1/2 hours at 300 degrees.

This season is filled with magic and mystery, and when we spend time reflecting on the beauty around us, we are opened to a whole new world of inspiration and love. Enjoy the season and the miracles that are already here for us.

September 14th.....If I'da Known You Were Comin'...I'da Baked A Cake!

Welcome to The Maine Home....September in New England....

Birthdays! We celebrate the day of our birth....we reflect on our life and what our accomplishments have been and what possibilities lay ahead...today...is a special day and we celebrate the life of our youngest child. Since we have moved clear across the country from our Texas home to The Maine House, we have learned that we miss our family, our children and grandchildren very, very much! So....we contemplate the possibility of creating yet another Southern home.....

Estelle's is sharing the favorite birthday cake of the boys.....always requested in some form...maybe a little trouble, but so worth the smiles.....

Southern Red Velvet Cake
2 ½ cups plain flour
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp. cocoa baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 ½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
1 tsp almond flavoring
2 eggs (medium or large)
1 bottle red food coloring (1 oz size)



Directions:
Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda and cocoa powder into a big bowl that you’ll use to mix the cake.
Using a hand or table mixer, put in the milk. Mix.
Add oil and mix.
Add vinegar, vanilla and almond flavoring. Mix.
Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl. Add and mix.
Add the food coloring. Mix until the batter is even in color.
Grease and flour 3 cake pans – size 8 inches.
Evenly pour the batter into the three pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until the center tests done with a toothpick.
Let the cake cool and then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.


Cream Cheese Frosting
½ cup margarine (softened)
8 oz. cream cheese
½ tsp vanilla flavoring
1 box of confectioners sugar (1 pound)
1 cup pecans (may also want some extras to sprinkle on top)


Directions:
Beat the margarine and cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl until light and creamy.
Add vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat well.
Hand stir in pecans.
Spread cream cheese icing between layers of the Red Velvet cake, up the sides and on top.
If you have lots of pecans, then sprinkle some pieces on top.
The pecans are especially good toasted a bit in the oven for this recipe.

“If there's something that you're dreaming of then may it all come true, because you deserve it all...HAPPY BIRTHDAY.”

Happy Fall Ya'll!

I can never wait for fall to arrive...at last...it's here! I LOVE FALL! Everything about the season is wonderful. And here we are in New England where the season is probably at it's best! I am going to share something quick and easy with you today...kids are back in school, soccer is in full swing, high school football games on Friday nights and Sunday football on television....

Just take a moment and relax...enjoy the scenery...... 

Serve up our easy and most delicious ....

Estelle's Apple Cranberry Crisp 
4 large, sweet, firm apples, such as Braeburn, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 pieces (about 2 pounds)

1 pound fresh cranberries, rinsed well
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup flour                                                               

12 T.butter, cut into pieces                                                              

1 1/2 cups grated white Cheddar cheese

                                                              

                                                       

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine the apples, cranberries, walnuts, sugar, orange juice, orange zest, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, and toss well to combine.
In a separate bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. Blend the butter into the dry ingredients using your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Pour the fruit mixture into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top and bake for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until bubbly and the apples are tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is bubbly, about 6 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before serving with vanilla ice cream on top.

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

Wedding Blessings....August...Southern Gardens!

Your Inspiration....an August garden on a southern plantation in Savannah....soft cool breezes with giant oak trees dripping with spanish moss and glowing lanterns....

August birthstone is periodot symbolizing protection, money and healing.


August flower is gladioli and yellow poppy symbolizing sincerity, wealth and success.





I have selected Savannah, Georgia for your wedding venue. There is probably no place that can equal the southern beauty and charm of Savannah. The entire wedding party and guests can enjoy your wedding along with a weekend touring this historic city.

 A small southern chapel will be the wedding site hosting the exchange of your vows.

Invision exchanging your wedding vows in the beautiful setting of Savannah’s historic Beaulieu Plantation district. Their southern gardens surrounding the wedding gazebo provide the perfect scenery for your wedding ceremony and photos. Newlyweds and up to 20 wedding guests may celebrate a romantically memorable wedding day in this intimate historic Savannah, Georgia private Victorian Gazebo setting.

Gazebo Weddings of Savannah is a lovingly created, elegant atmosphere for your wedding ceremony or for renewing your wedding vows. Our venue includes a private garden with fountain, decorated archway, grape arbor, and beautifully landscaped grounds with pond. Located in the Beaulieu Plantation Historic District, it reflects the old southern charm of Savannah.

The Whitefield Chapel......
Built in 1740 by Rev. George Whitefield, founder of Bethesda Boys Home, the Whitefield Chapel is a beautiful brick chapel with tall, arched windows, stained glass altar, center aisle, original wooden pews and brick flooring. The chapel sets on picturesque acreage with majestic live oak trees draped in Spanish moss.
Historic Savannah Squares. Savannah has America's largest historic district which includes 23 squares filled with beautiful azaleas and magnificent live oak trees creating a canopy of shade. The city seduces in subtle shadows of green, gray, and blooms of pink azaleas. In the center of many of the squares is a lovely fountain or a historic monument. It has been said that the history of the squares is the history of Savannah. The squares are very popular for weddings. They are surrounded by historic buildings and Victorian homes. Savannah was created around her squares.





The Davenport House Garden. The garden was created in 1976 as a project of the Trustees Garden Club. It is built in the traditional formal English garden style surrounded by a brick privacy wall and has a private entrance. The Davenport House is a working museum and offers tours and a gift shop. The garden is available for weddings seven days a week after 5:00 p.m., February through September.

Forsyth Park and Fountain Savannah, GA.City of romance, called the Hostess City of the south. Georgia's "First City" defines Southern elegance, charm, and style. Savannah celebrates its beauty, diversity, mystery, cuisine, intimate gardens, and scenic squares with live oak trees. Winters are usually mild, and in spring, the azaleas and dogwood blooms create a lovely, romantic paradise. The historic city has been the inspiration for art, song, and film for generations.

Tybee Island BeachTybee means "salt" to Native Americans, but the name of this low-key seaside resort now could be romantic getaway. This small barrier island boasts a wide, 3-mile long beach that is backed by sea oat-covered sand dunes and is perfect for your seaside wedding ceremony. The island's south-end has a pier and pavilion. The North Beach has the spectacular Tybee Island Lighthouse, one of the few operational lighthouses in the country.


A low country boil is the perfect wedding reception menu for a Savannah wedding!

Shrimp and Crawfish  Boil, Mini Chicken Handle Sandwiches, Shrimp and Grits

Your Wedding Cake Inspiration.....

Your Signature Cocktail...

The Tybee Island Ice Tea

1 ounce vodka

1 ounce gin

1 ounce white rum

1 ounce white tequila

1/2 ounce Triple Sec

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup cola, or to taste

2 lemon wedges

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Pour the vodka, gin, rum, tequila, Triple Sec, and lemon juice into the shaker. Cover and shake vigorously to combine and chill.

"For hearing my thoughts, understanding my dreams

 and being my best friend,

for filling my life with joy and loving me without end, I do."

.

Wedding Blessings...July..Summertime and Sunshine on the Beach!

Your Inspiration....cool, white sand and lapping blue waves of the ocean..where else....the beach of course!

July's birthstone is the Ruby symbolizing contentment and peace.

July's flower is the Larkspur symbolizing fickleness, lightness and ardent attachment.


With a few vibrant splashes of color, a white cascade exudes an exotic splendor. Tropical yellow-and-pink cattelaya orchids punctuate ivory clouds of lisianthius and sweet peas. Lithe gloriosa lilies enliven the bouquet. A silk soft yellow ribbon trails down your gown accenting the white and light agua of your reception colors.



What is more romantic than a walk on the beach? Getting married on the beach, of course! We had to incorporate a beach summer wedding. After all...we have had such memorable family vacations on the beach. There is nothing more majestic, peaceful, calming and somewhat ethereal as sitting on the beach and being mesmerized by the lapping ocean waves...so this is our chosen venue...

The wedding menu can take many forms, from a simple self-service buffet to an elaborate five course meal served by waiters. In the most traditional version, a seated dinner is generally preceded by a cocktail hour with hors d'oeuvres and contains three courses: a first course, a main entree, and a dessert. The first course is typically a small, composed plate -- an artfully arranged salad of oranges, fennel, and olives, or a trio of prawns with a garlicky aioli, for example. The main entree usually includes a meat or fish, such as filet mignon or poached salmon (you should have a separate dish for your vegetarian guests), accompanied by a starch (herbed rice, mashed potatoes with truffle oil) and a vegetable (glazed carrots, grilled eggplant). Dessert may or may not be your wedding cake; some couples serve a separate dessert -- something light and refreshing, like a lemon tart -- and save the wedding cake for later in the reception, say, during the dancing.

...Inspirations for guest seating

Inspirations for table centerpiece..... 








Your Wedding Cake Inspiration....





Your Signature Cocktail...The Ocean Breeze!
1/2 measure amaretto
1 measure white rum
1 measure Blue Curacao
1/2 glass pineapple juice

Let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of heavens dance between you!

Wedding Blessings....June...Together...like Peaches and Cream!

Your Inspiration... Welcoming summer..the warmth of the sun and calm colors....

The June birthstone is the pearl symbolizing love, success and happiness.

June's flower is the Rose Honeysuckle symbolizing generosity.

The month of June is the most popular month out of the year to host a wedding. Summer can be very warm right at the beginning of the June month depending on your area of the country. If planning an outdoor wedding, it may be best to host the reception inside the venue chosen. For our June wedding, we are selecting a soft shade of peach, accented with sage green and ivory.

 Four our wedding party  gowns, we are accenting the bride with soft sage....flower girls accenting both colors...

The venue for our June wedding selected is The Forth Worth Botanical Garden venue. What more romantic image does a botanical garden convey? It is breathtakingly beautiful, fragrant and peaceful.There are a variety of garden areas to choose from, among them are The  Fuller Garden which is a secluded area featuring a stone gazebo and a waterfall with a grassy area for guests. The Oval Rose Garden where you may surround yourself with roses in a quiet area just off the North Vista, the Lower Rose Garden containing a sparkling fountain and the Reflecting Pool also graces this area and the Fragrance Garden, an intimate area with a small fountain and overhanging trees, suitable for wedding parties with fewer than 30 guests.

For your reception, a summer menu would include...

A round table with a fruit and bread centerpiece displaying seasonal fruit to include cantaloupe, honeydew and pineapple, displayed with grapes, strawberries, raspberries, kiwi, mango, papaya and other fruit and herbs and the best of European cheeses both soft and hard ripened chosen from the following: Cornilly, Aged Gouda, Manchego, Livarot Petit, Epoisses, Gorgonzola Dolce, Blue d’Auvergne, Brin d’Amour,Camembert Reaux, Chevrot, Munster, Pie d’Angloys, Pont l’Eveque, Reblochon, Selles Sur-Cher, Vacherin, Morbier, Stilton, Tomme de Savoie or P’Tit Basque served with breads and crackers garnished with berries.

........Your Wedding Cake Inspiration











Your Signature Cocktail.....The Peach Breeze Cocktail!

4 large ripe fresh peaches
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 (750 ml) bottle cold dry white wine (or 3-4 cups lemonade)
15 ml orange liqueur (optional)
peach, wedges or fresh mint or lemon balm, for garnish


Directions....


Peel, pit and coarsely chop peaches; place in blender.
Add sugar and ginger; puree until as smooth as possible.
Whirl in water, then lemon juice; puree until mixed.
In 2 freezer containers, stir together peach puree, wine and orange liqueur, if using.
Cover surface with plastic wrap.
Freeze for about 30 minutes or until very cold, stirring once or twice.
Serve in martini-style glass garnished with peach wedge and fresh mint.

Grow old with me! The best is yet to be. ~Robert Browning