MARRY ME CHICKEN SOUP

It's beginning to get dark outside...
it's a bit chilly as the night turns colder....
let me warm you up with a bowl of hearty chicken soup
and a slice of hot french bread..... 

Think about this....when the leaves begin to drift down and the evening
temperatures drop, it's time to get cozy with comfort food.
We can take advantage of the season's harvest....

There is something wonderfully comforting about enjoying a
warm bowl of soup on a cool fall evening.
As the air turns crisp and the days grow shorter, soup becomes more than just a meal.
 It is a simple pleasure that brings warmth, nourishment,
and a little extra coziness to the end of the day.
Imagine coming home on a cool autumn evening,
changing into something comfortable, and filling your kitchen
with the delicious aroma of homemade soup.
 The table is set, the candles are glowing, and a warm bowl of goodness awaits.

    It's Slow Cooker Season

Two chicken breasts
1/2 yellow onion
3 stalks of celery
1 red pepper
3 T. butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 T. Italian Seasoning
1 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1 32 ounce container of chicken broth
1 cup half-N-half
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 cup of Ditalini Pasta

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker
Melt butter in sauce pan and saute chopped onion, pepper and celery until tender.
Top chicken with these vegetables.
Season well.
Add sun-dried tomatoes
Pour in container of chicken broth.
Cook on low for 6 hours.
Cut chicken into small bite sized pieces.
Add half-N-half and cheese.
then Add the pasta....cook until ready to serve!

There is no need for an elaborate meal or a perfectly arranged table.

 Just something delicious, a comfortable home,
and the pleasure of enjoying the season.

FALL IN THE BUTLER'S PANTRY and HEIRLOOM COOKIES

Let's continue on with our fall decorating....shall we?
Today, we focused on our Butler's Pantry....
one of my favorite little rooms in our home....
My inspiration began with the silver tray
which was a wedding gift we received in 1972...
There is something so satisfying about polishing silver......

I have a glass turkey that I adore, so the theme became all about the holidays'
and centering selected decor pieces around him....
All of these pieces have heartfelt meaning to me....-
Items that belonged to mu mother and grandmother and items
that we have cherished for many, many years.....

I decided to make this vignette a thanksgiving theme with
a vintage turkey motif...

everything was cleaned and polished for the transformation

The aroma of cinnamon and clove fills the air, as a new
seasonal coolness is felt outdoors....
A candle glowing on a side table, beneath a stack of books
can made an ordinary fall evening feel a bit more special..
think of it as your invitation to slow down, get comfortable
and enjoy the seasonal beauty...

Let's talk cookies....
this treasured recipe was shared by Tikka,
who has been baking these cookies for the past thirty years!
She received this recipe from a dear friend of hers back in 1997!
My Grandmother absolutely loved dates, so I knew I wanted
to make this recipe and they indeed, are delicious
They are filled with coconut, dates and pecans...

The kitchen is warm and cozy, filled with this sweet smell of freshly baked cookies!
As the cookies bake, their buttery aroma fills the entire house!
There is comfort found in a warm cookie
 and a glass of milk...it's one of those simple pleasures that
makes home feel especially wonderful!

THE COOKIES
2 cups of butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups chopped dates
2 cups coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 t. salt
1 t. baking soda

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes

Cream the butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs.
In a separate bowl, blend dates, coconut and pecans.
Separately, sift flour, salt and baking soda.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix well.
Finally add the dates, coconut and pecans. 
Drop cookie batter onto prepared baking sheet by tablespoons.
Do not overbake.

The triple digits have finally broken into much cooler temperatures,,,
The Cowboys won and therefore, things are looking brighter..
family birthdays were celebrated in beautiful ways....



it may be time to buy some pumpkins and plan the harvest party.....
and...we can say it's officially AUTUMN on the 22nd....

HOME STYLING FOR AUTUMN

 
Well Kindred Spirits...
I will say, what happened to our world
when mornings register close to 100 degrees
in the early morning hours?
I continue to wait for a fall day..
I know it is coming....I can see the light changes....



Finding a purpose each day is a must, don't you think?
I often think back to when life was so busy and it felt
like you were constantly on the move, between work,
raising children, maintaining a household,,,
and then there is a change and you are left to
fill you days with a purposeful life.....
I find comfort in my home and am blessed with
finding joy and contentment leading a simpler lifestyle....
let's see what is new for this autumn season!

I fell in love....never expecting to add a touch of blue...

I spent an afternoon creating a primitive fall basket to hang on the door....

I love the ribbon I purchased this year....
the plaid, the muted colors and the texture...it's all perfect...

Oh happy day....I thrifted a vintage sugar and creamer
in the Friendly Village brown transferware
which I added to the bar cart.....

Mother and my grandmother's would have loved this....

This was an evening for southern comfort food....
salisbury steaks with gravy, fresh butter beans and rice...

Along with my homemade chocolate pie topped
with a beautiful meringue...

Isn't it marvelous to snuggle with your fur baby and share
all the love in your heart....how blessed we are....

THIS WEEK AT ESTELLE'S

 I must keep reminding myself...this is SEPTEMBER...
and yes, I keep thinking fall is just around the corner.....
but honestly, it's becoming hard to imagine, as
this hot summer keeps hanging on
and it is putting a damper on the joy of decorating...
but, I keep on TRYING....



I honestly had no idea what I wanted the mantel theme to look like,
so it just transformed itself into am autumnal look of a windblown fall.....

I rather am pleased with pumpkins and foliage....
all the warm and moody colors of season!

These days, I like decorating around the normal decor pieces

which saves me the problem of moving and storing them elsewhere....

It's also a great idea to just add a few seasonal touches to rooms such

as a bathroom, by adding a new hand towel....

This one was perfect to me in the colors of the fall...

from the BEAUTIFUL line at Walmart....

Dove has a line of delightful seasonal scents for the bath...

I am loving the artwork I purchased for this year.....

 it's a romantic fall look and also budget friendly...

just what I wanted for my vintage guest bedroom...

I like rich textures of velvets and and soft linens for the fall

and winter season...ready for family visits....

In the kitchen. we had a few favorites this week...

a light dinner of a Greek Pasta Salad

A delicious lunch of Cheddar Broccoli Soup

And a citrus bright Lemon Bundt Cake

Sweet Otis had a birthday celebration....

The sweetest boy ever.....

he has certainly brought joy to our lives....

and I think we have brought the same to him....

I hope you found some inspiration today...

We will be visiting Austin in a few weeks

to celebrate a milestone birthday for our youngest...

Life is good...

CHERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP COBBLER and NEW FALL FAVORITES

It's Labor Day weekend...
we are finally ready to
finish out the fall decorating
and plan the fall gardens.....
Let's really celebrate the season......



 Hello Kindred Spirits...
I have a few fall finds that I am loving right now...
both are from Walmart!

They have done it once again....
brought us beautiful fall designs and scents on
their seasonal candles which cost less than $5.00 each..
I purchased the FALL FARMHOUSE scent...
it's heavenly!!!

The second item I picked up was this beautiful, soft and cozy
plaid throw!
In fact, it's a marvelous fall plaid with fleece and soft sherpa..
I purchased two and am thrilled with this throw!
Lucy has claimed one for herself.....

It's time to bring out the crockpots...
I tried a delicious new fall dessert
that is so easy to prepare and the family
loved..perfect for an evening by the firepit....
This begins with a can of CHERRY PIE FILLING...

Next up is a box of yellow or golden butter cake mix



Sprinkle in chocolate chips and one stick of melted butter

The pairing of cherry and chocolate will make your heart sing....

Slow Cooker Chocolate Cherry Cobbler
 1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
 1 package (15.25 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
 1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup chocolate chips whipped topping or vanilla ice cream, optional

 Spray your slow cooker with nonstick spray. Evenly spread the pie filling in the slow cooker. Mix the cake mix and the butter in a medium bowl. Stir in the pecan pieces and chocolate chips. Spread this mixture evenly over the cherry pie filling in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Serve warm in dishes, topped with whipped topping or ice cream, if desired.

AUTUMN TOUCHES, WILDFIRES AND DOLLY'S BUTTERSCOTH PIE

Hello Kindred Spirits...
it's been a difficult week for so many of us....
the world lost the sweetest soul, our Dolly Parton..
and parts of our beautiful Texas experienced horrific wildfires.....
I thought I would share a little catch up post as we focus on
autumn....progress has been made  here at Estelle's.... 

The family room is being transformed....

The formal dining room shows off a bird theme which I most always
love to do....early autumn



I love the first edition of Candy Corn.....

And, the bar cart sports a romantic botanical fall theme....

The entryway tables featured soft fall artwork accented with
velvet pumpkins along with acorns and my glittered pheasant....

I love displaying my grandmother's goblet filled with acorns,
alongside a pumpkin and woodland art

I fell in love with the toile pumpkin
which is part of the fall collection
from My Texas House

Lucy and I decorated the little guest bedroom....
new pillow covers, a soft cozy throw and art.....

        OVER IN ATLANTA....

Luke attended a Braves game with his friend, Lucas and his Dad...
always a good time....

He works hard which allows him to buy clothes he really enjoys wearing

We were shocked and simply heartbroken to learn of
the passing of Dolly Parton.....
she has been a part of my life since childhood...
I began watching her when she first started out
on The Porter Wagoner show long before color TV....
Dolly was a special gift from God

So, in her honor, I made one of her recipes....
The Butterscotch Pie...and it is just delicious!

Texas has been battling horrific wildfires this week....
This is smoke billowing in the distance from 
the ranch....

Please remember to pray for all affected by this tragedy...