BANANA NUT MUFFINS

 GOOD MORNING LOVES.....
Who is in the mood for a good bakery style muffin?
It's a lovely way to start your day as you sip
on that lovely first cup of coffee in the morning
and you smell that lovely aroma of banana bread baking....

I am featuring the Dolly brand of muffin mix today
as I have been impressed with Dolly Parton's brand of
baking mixes of which I have tried quite a few.....

So if you are in the mood for banana bread but find yourself
without the bananas...I highly recommend this,,,,

And, just know, this uses a whole stick of butter...
yes mama....therefore, you know they're gonna be good

Now, while our days are becoming warmer...

who is planning their Spring and Easter look?

I have always decorated for Easter and learned so much

from Mother....my color scheme will look much like the photo

and I do look forward to this....

Y'all take good care until next time....

THE BEST OF FALL COMFORT FOODS

Fall foods are the best....they warm your tummy and warm your soul....
Create the heart of your home in your kitchen...
these are foods I grew up on and that's a good reason
I make these recipes each and every year ...
the creative part is making recipes that others have loved
and shared with others....
there is no better apple cake than Mother's, but this one
proved to be pretty darn delicious...and beautiful too!
And, oh honey....my chicken and dressing 
is homemade goodness...
and of course, please treat yourself to afternoon
tea or coffee, accompanied by a Pumpkin Spice Muffin....
what a beautiful season we have been given....

The fall season is prime time to bake with apples...
I do not peel apples when baking,,
to me, the peel is beautiful and tastes so good....

Can't you just smell the aroma of apples and cinnamon
in this beautiful cake....

PERFECTION

Here is the recipe link.....

FRESH APPLE CAKE

It was a rainy Sunday evening when I served my
homemade chicken and dressing....
Cowboys football, cozy throws and the magnificent aroma
of this comforting aroma coming from the kitchen.....

3 cups crumbled cornbread
2 cups breadcrumbs..use a good french bread
1 tsp each: Creole seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, sage, thyme
1 chicken bouillon packet
3 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/3 cup butter
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 onions, chopped
3 eggs
5 cups chicken stock

Mix breads, seasonings, bouillon, and chicken in a large bowl.
Sauté celery and onions in butter until tender; add to bowl.
Stir in eggs and stock until mixture is soupy.
Pour into a greased dish and bake at 375°F for ~50 min, until golden brown.
Homemade Chicken Stock
Ingredients
1 whole chicken
6 cups water
3 celery stalks, 3 carrots, 3 garlic cloves (all chopped)
1 tbsp each: Creole seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, Kinders caramelized onion butter, mixed herbs & spices

I use Martha White Cornmeal Self Rising mix'
recipe on the back of the package

I sometimes enjoy using a baking mix rather
than using all the ingredients needed to bake from scratch...
this muffin mix from Bettergoods is a proven winner....

The spice is just the right amount and you can bet
I will serve these at Thanksgiving.....
they smell divine when  baking too

Fill your home with peace and contentment...
Serve good food to your family
Say your prayers at night....
Be grateful for your days....
Enjoy the beauty of Autumn....

Little Lucy

PUMPKN MUFFINS from LICK SKILLET BAKERY NOW BEING SERVED IN THE DINING ROOM

 

Good Morning Loves....
hope you are all doing well....
I am making my way through the house to sprinkle
some fall goodness around....

I so love this wreath and felt I would
display it on Mother's buffet until Thanksgiving.....

The cutest look on the bar cart is this darling
little Mud Pie tea towel......

the formal dining table is exactly the look I wanted.....
very calm, and soft with soft greens and ivory....



As I have stated on several posts,
both Mother and Grandmother had Friendly Village dinnerware
and it has been my dream to have a few place settings to bring
back those lovely memories....

I plan on waiting until it begins to darker in the evenings
before lighting up all the flickers which will include

these beautiful wax pumpkins....

I normally take a few days of living with a design and
see if I want to add a few finishing touches...
which I did....such as a favorite felt maple leaf on the lantern....

And, two glass candlesticks with the long time favorite
beaded taper holders which were a gift from a loved one....

There....I think we have the finished look for autumn....

I think it's going to be lovely...

and I found a classic recipe to share

from the Lick Skillet Bakery

for their most popular Pumpkin Muffins.....

I love finding recipes like this....

found on Pinterest

These are what fall tastes like.....

I second that emotion.....

\

THE WINTER BRUNCH

Company is soon coming to Texas and I intend
to serve five star meals while they are here for a short visit!
Let's start with a fabulous dining experience with
a few yummy brunch recipes!

I want them to have the Bed and Breakfast experience and be able to sleep
a bit late in the morning...linger over coffee and serve brunch around 9:30 or 10 AM.... 

We have freshly squeezed orange juice, Petite Bacon and Swiss Quiches,
and a decadent Blueberry Muffin....



I have made these tiny quiches for many, many years and sometimes
include them on the Christmas morning buffet.....they are that good!


click the link for this delicious recipe

TO DIE FOR BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

The blueberry muffin recipe is probably my all time favorite....
that buttery cinnamon crumb topping is the piece de resistance......

I promise, you will receive rave reviews and the ones you love,
will so appreciate the extra effort you made for them.....

I have had the privilege of making this little guy breakfast over the years,
and it never fails to bring a smile to my face and to his too!

IT'S ALL ABOUT FALLING LEAVES WITH THIS TABLESCAPE FOR THE PROGRESSIVE FALL DINNER

Hello to all of you this fine day.....
we are so glad to hear from you and today
will not disappoint if you happen to
be searching for a bit of seasonal inspiration and entertaining...
Some years ago, when we were knee deep in fun times with
our social circle of friends, we would arrange to
plan a night, where we would participate in a 
progressive dinner, which was SO much fun!
We would begin at one house with appetizers and cocktails
while we toured their home and admired all their fall decor.
We then traveled to the next home, to enjoy a bowl of chili
or soup, with homemade bread and did yet another home tour,
Then it was back to the first house, to nosh on a sweet ending
and finish the night with cocktails on the deck around the firepit.
Those were such great times for all of us.
So this post, is going to be a showing of
how I am preparing for the round of appetizers
and then the sweet ending of the night.......
The setting will be mismatched and casual, but very seasonal!
 

Fall is my favorite season to decorate....
and I love changing my tablescape pretty often during
the season in order to make the most of items I love!
I wanted to make the theme of this setting using "Fall Leaves",
rather than pumpkins and these napkins from previous years
were the inspiration for this look.
I would encourage you to look in your cupboards and pull together
various items that you may have forgotten you had....
it can be so enjoyable and lift your mood.
I placed vintage pink depression glass salt and pepper shakers,
along with my grandmother's sugar and creamer.
I think it's darling!

A little wooden block with an autumn saying is so cute
in little vignettes...this was found on the dollar isle.....

I used this wooden candle holder and a very, very old
mustard yellow pillar candle....I love the colors of both....

Since the theme is featuring "leaves", I pulled out this stone leaf dish
and paired it with an old cake candle, embellished with leaves and twine.

It sure looks pretty in the evening......

This is another leaf plate which I have had for years....

I found two wax melts that are also pretty old and I just love

their rustic, imperfect texture....

And...old pewter turkey salt and pepper shakers...

Now, I wanted to use this darling planter for an unexpected bit of whimsy....

I love the color of her collar....

Rather than buy new florals, I just pulled some stems from other
arrangements....

And, here I brought in two of my favorite pilgrims...

I love their muted colors and they are perfect for this
simple, almost vintage little vignette.

I used these darling little seasonal appetizer plates for this gathering....

The colors are just lovely for fall and a bit different than
the traditional fall colors.

Now, for the fall treats we were serving......

Genoa Salami with Swiss Cheese and whole grain mustard
in a flaky puff pastry.....
You can find the recipe below.....
SALAMI IN PUFF PASTRY

This appetizer was scrumptious!

And, can be prepared ahead of your party, then
baked for twenty minutes....

And the finale were these decadent
chocolate muffins!
You can find the recipe below.....

CHOCOLATE MUFFINS

I hope you gathered a bit of inspiration to use

some of your favorite décor pieces that you
may not have considered using for fall.....
it's all about creating a home of happiness and comfort!