PUMPKIN CHIP MUFFINS AND THE PERFECT DAY!

See that big smile on my face? Well, that's because when Big Daddy was snapping that picture, I was thinking to myself, "Self, I am just having the most PERFECT day!" And it's not just because I had myself a big ol' truck bed full of pumpkins and gourds, and not just because I had a new black crow figurine under my arm,  although that was all part of it.....I'll "splain".....

B.D. and I took off early on a slightly overcast and crisp September Saturday morning, headed for the darling town of Cazenovia, New York. I know, I know, you've heard me go on and on about my friend Marianne's shop, Old And Everlasting, FOREVER !!!, but this weekend was special, as it was their annual Fall Open House. And my nickname isn't Mrs. Punkin Pie for nuttin'....I just love autumn and anything having to do with this awesome season, so any chance I get to take a road trip to a fabulous shop that contains everything I adore, PLUS a chance to go to a huge pumpkin patch this time of year, well, sign me up!

Old and Everlasting was busy, busy, busy, even at 10:30 in the morning, but I did get a chance to snap a few (shhhh, don't tell Marianne!) photos inside and out.......her shop is in the country, off of Hwy 13, just south of Cazenovia...........

See where all of my inspiration comes from?...........

   She even has GOATS grazing next door...............

See that cute green sweater I'm wearing at the top of this post? B.D. bought that for me on this trip, plus a gorgeous scarf, some stationery, candles and the cutest tea towel with a pumpkin embroidered on it. Quite a haul.....I felt spoiled!

And no, those pumpkins and gourds in the truck weren't all for me....we were doing official business for our dear friend Jimmy, who is a florist and is doing an autumn wedding in a couple of weeks and needed lots of fall decor, so when he heard we were heading to Critz Farms, also on Hwy 13, just south of Cazenovia, he kindly talked us into loading up! Jimmy, you know I'd do absolutely anything for you........

If this place doesn't get you in the mood for FALL, then nothing will! Critz Farms boasts a pumpkin patch, apple orchards, petting zoo, hard cider mill AND a corn maze. B.D. was NOT disappointed....he got his beloved deep fried apple fritters! Look how seriously he takes his eating (hee hee).....

Here's a few more photos I snapped around the property..........

Only I would be sure to get part of an outhouse in my pumpkin patch photo.....

 
I think we took home all of these..............

Too soon, it was time to head back on up the mountain with all of our "booty" (that's pirate speak for stuff)....all in all, a perfect day!

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Last year, there was a pumpkin shortage--do you remember? I just remember having a difficult time finding canned pumpkin for the baked goods and soups I like to make this time of year. So far,  I haven't heard anything about a pumpkin "drought" this year......good thing, because I LOVE to make these muffins for friends each Fall--some people say they're some of the best muffins they've ever eaten!

To get started, mix together eggs, sugar, pumpkin (canned) and oil until smooth.............

In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt............

Add to pumpkin mixture; mix well. Fold in chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate instead of semi-sweet)................

Fill muffin cups 3 / 4 full. Bake for about 18 minutes (careful--these burn easily!). These are great muffins to give as gifts, or to have for a delicious Autumn snack, perhaps with a cold glass of apple cider............

Enjoy! Here's the recipe...........

PUMPKIN CHIP MUFFINS

Makes 2 dozen muffins

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 can (15 oz.) solid-pack pumpkin

1 and 1 /2 cups vegetable oil (I use canola)

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

optional: chopped pecans or walnuts

In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3 / 4 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR.....

***My wonderful husband who makes me so happy!

***Methotrexate and other drugs--think they're finally, finally starting to work (knock wood~)!

***The brisk walk to town I took with Wee Willie this morning--invigorating!

WE'RE ROCKIN' THE AUTUMN THING ON SPRUCE DRIVE!

"Now's the time when children's noses

All become red as roses

And the color of their faces

Makes me think of orchard places

Where the juicy apples grow

And tomatoes in a row"

--From Autumn Song, by Katherine Mansfield

 It's HERE, it's HERE, my most favorite, favorite time of the year. That's right, FALL. When energies shift from BBQ's and red Geraniums and Georgia Peach Pie to crisp apples, pumpkins, candlelight, mums and hearty stews.

SPEAKING of mums.....went a little bit nuts at the nursery the other day and loaded up on the best kind of mums, the kind with the flower buds JUST beginning to peek open in shades of pumpkin orange and cheerful yellow......

I love to decorate this vintage wheelbarrow for all seasons.......

Found this gorgeous mum at my friend Kate's wonderful flower and gift shop, Mountain Greenery, located right here in Old Forge, on Main Street.............

I just love pulling out this little black cat pillow every single year, even though I really don't decorate much for Halloween.....BOO!.....

I love the color found in these gorgeous silk leaves and flowers, most of which I've collected over the years from my friend Marianne's shop, Old and Everlasting......

Moving inside, I like to set the table for fall...check out these cute napkins from (gasp) WallyWorld!...........

More fall color, scattered about my home........

And CANDY, don't forget the CANDY!! I love using little candy pumpkins, indian corn and candy corn instead of potpourri in glass hurricanes.....

Please join me again in a few days for an outrageous Pumpkin Chip Muffin recipe, PLUS a bonus tour of Old and Everlasting's Fall Open House Celebration.......Hey, if you're in the Cazenovia area this weekend, check it out!...................

 Big Daddy and I are making our annual pilgrimage down to Cazenovia this weekend to  do a little shopping, and maybe find some wonderful pumpkins at Critz farms while we're at it. B.D. is seriously on the hunt for some deep fried Apple Fritters.....so excited! See you soon.....Leslie

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR.....

***My super star realtor sister Debra in Tulsa, who has been giving me lots of great real estate advice recently...thanks, Deb!

***The research position that our daughter landed at UC Berkeley--great job, Little Miss Thing! She will be doing research for a professor--something to do with French Colonization. Waaaay over my little head!

***The scent of Tortilla Soup cooking in my kitchen....so delicious, it's making me hungry, with hours to go until dinner!

A BOUNTIFUL FRENCH APPLE TART!

I just love apples, don't you? Tart apples, sweet apples, green apples, red apples, big apples, little crab apples and all the in - between apples....I think they make the most gorgeous still lifes, EVER.........

I bought these beauties at our local Farmer's Market this week....all I cared about was that they were crisp and tart, so I don't even know what variety they are! For shame.......

Every Fall, I love to make this gorgeous French Apple Tart. I think I found the recipe online, from maybe The Barefoot Contessa? The source escapes me....but regardless, this dessert is very simple to prepare, and the results are MOST impressive, if I do say so myself! To make your crust, dice up a cold (very important) stick of butter (oh yes, this IS a French pastry, so you'd better believe there's gonna be lots and lots of buttah!), and place in a food processor (sorry, Julia!) with flour, salt and sugar....pulse to combine.........

Add iced water to the dough until a ball comes together. Knead dough on a floured board into a ball ; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour (so very important to keep pastry ccccooollllldddd). Roll dough out on a lightly floured board until large enough to place into a tart pan (or, if you don't have a tart pan, you could roll your pastry into a 10 x 14 inch rectangle, and place on a rimmed baking sheet, lined with parchment paper or silicone liner).............

Trim edges with a knife or kitchen scissors.............

Refrigerate while preparing apples.

Peel about 4 apples, then cut in half, THROUGH THE STEM.............

I used a knife to carefully remove stem, core and seeds. Then slice apples crosswise into 1 / 4 inch slices...............

Overlapping apples, place in a circular design in your tart crust, starting at the outside rim of the crust..............

Sprinkle with 1 /2 cup sugar (I know this sounds like a lot, but it caramelizes just beautifully in the oven) ; dot with butter..............

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until pastry is browned and apples are starting to brown. When done, heat up some apricot jelly with a little bit of water (I just used the microwave), and brush apples and pastry--this step adds a gorgeous golden color to the apples, plus a shine...........

Allow tart to cool at least an hour--serve room temperature with some vanilla ice cream, if desired. I'd say this came straight from the kitchens of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, wouldn't you?..................

Enjoy! Here's the recipe................

FRENCH APPLE TART

Serves 6

Pastry:

2 cups flour

1 / 2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tblsp. sugar

1 and 1 / 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, diced

1 / 2 cup iced water

Apples:

4 tart apples (Granny Smith work well)

1 / 2 cup sugar

1 / 2 stick cold unsalted butter, diced small

1 / 2 cup apricot jelly

2 tblsp. water

Place flour, salt and sugar in food processor. Pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse 10 to 12 times. Pour in iced water until dough starts to come together. Knead on floured board into a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone liner (or, use a round tart pan, as I did, and follow the directions from above). Roll dough to aproximately 10 x 14 inches. Trim edges with a ruler and knife. Place dough on baking sheet and refrigerate while preparing apples. Peel apples and cut in half, through the stem. Remove stems and cores with a knife and melon baller. Slice apples crosswise in 1 / 4 inch slices. Place overlapping slices diagonally down middle of tart and continue making diagonal rows on both sides of first row until pastry is covered. Sprinkle with 1 / 2 cups sugar and dot with butter. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until pastry is browned and apples start to brown on edges. When done, heat apricot jelly with water and brush apples and pastry with mixture. Allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

TODAY I'M SO THANKFUL FOR......

***The nice roofing guys who are making lots of noise here this morning--so glad our roof will be properly fixed!

***The amazing hike that Big Daddy, Wee Willie and I took yesterday. We actually saw a pair of Bald Eagles soaring over the Moose River! The leaves are just beginning to turn here, and the air felt so cool and crisp.....a perfect morning!

***The trip I'm really looking forward to soon--I'm flying, all by myself, to California to see our daughter for a few days. Hopefully sometime in October--don't worry, you'll come along, too!

SUMMER'S LAST HURRAH AND AN ICEBOX TOFFEE PIE!

"By all the lovely tokens

September days are here

With summer's best weather

And Autumn's best cheer"

-Helen Hunt Jackson

Here in Upstate New York, it's the first day of school for most kids. Picking up my e-mail in my office early this morning, I saw the big yellow school bus drive by, and reality hit me like a ton of bricks--WHAM! Fall is really, truly on it's way! I still can't get over how fast summer whizzed by this year, and now it's time to start thinking about the next season, Autumn. Which just happens to be my very, very favorite season of them all. Bring it on! Especially the month of September here in the Adirondacks, when all of the trees start getting ready for their spectacular,  jewel-colored displays and our mountain air feels so crisp and clean.

And while I can't wait to start putting pumpkins on my front porch and lighting cinnamon scented candles and cooking stews and soups and roasts and ANYTHING involving pumpkins and apples, I just have to share this one last summery dessert with you--because it is so absolutely TO - DIE - FOR that I wouldn't want you to miss it! I made it for Labor Day dessert and Big Daddy (who is not even that big of a fan of frozen desserts) just raved about it. So let's just pretend it's still summer for a few more minutes and indulge, shall we?

The recipe I have for Icebox Toffee Pie calls for a pre-made graham cracker crust, but I always make my own, from the recipe on the side of the graham cracker crumb box......of course, you can do whatever you have time for...........

In a stand mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in half and half until blended....................

And before you say ANYTHING, I know Cool Whip is not one of my beloved whole foods and is, in fact, really horrible for you, but every once in a while everyone has to loosen up on their principles a little, right? Anyways, the next step is to fold in the whipped topping and some English toffee bits..............

Spoon into a cooled graham cracker crust and sprinkle with remaining toffee bits............

Cover and freeze overnight. Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving. Go to confession and say 1 billion Hail Mary's, then dig into your own little personal adios to summer! My oh my, Icebox Toffee Pie.....Enjoy!...............

Here's the recipe...............

ICEBOX TOFFEE PIE

Serves 6-8

4 oz. package cream cheese, softened (NOT low fat)

2 tblsp. sugar

1 / 2 cup half and half

1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped topping, thawed (NOT low fat or sugar free)

1 package (8oz.) English toffee bits, divided

1 graham cracker crust

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in half and half until blended. Fold in (by hand) whipped topping and half of toffee bits. Spoon into crust; sprinkle with remaining toffee bits. Cover and freeze overnight. Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in freezer, tightly wrapped.

TODAY I'M SO THANKFUL FOR.......

**The recipes our daughter is sending me--LOVE that she's sharing in my love of cooking and wholesome foods! At her age, my idea of cooking was opening a can of Chef Boy-Ar-Dee!

**My parents--today is their 49th wedding anniversary, and they are celebrating in grand style in San Diego! What wonderful role models Big Daddy and I have for a happy marriage.

**The refreshing walks in the rain lately with Wee Willie!

MY FRIEND CARRIE'S GLUTEN FREE PEANUT BUTTER MUFFINS AND MY LATEST OBSESSION!

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love, love, love anything on the Food Network. Seriously. Especially Ina Garten's The Barefoot Contessa, Drive-ins, Diners and Dives and of course, Paula Deen, the undisputed Queen of all things butter and calories and fat. Did you know that her show, Paula's Best Dishes, is THE most watched show when people are on treadmills and stair-masters in most gyms? I love that statistic........But now I must confess : I have a new obsession , and it's with these two adorable women.....

If you have a moment, check them out on the new Oprah Winfrey Network, called OWN. The show is called Anna and Kristina's Grocery Bag, and it airs (around here, anyways) at the unGodly hour of 6 and 6:30 a.m. on Saturdays. Probably other times, too, but I haven't taken the time to find out when yet. Anyways, Anna and Kristina, who are VERY Canadian, test out recently published cookbooks in their own kitchen, and the results are often HILARIOUS! Because at the end of the show, the frazzled duo must endure a critique from a Michelin 3 Star - caliber chef, and lemme tell you sister - mama - friend, these visiting chefs do not hold back on what they really think. In the end, Anna and Kristina give the cookbook they're testing a "buy" or "pass", which I find very helpful. So if you'd like to find out more, you can find Anna and Kristina's website HERE.

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I have a very dear old college friend named Carrie who is quite famous in the blogisphere......isn't she cute?..................

Carrie lives in the gorgeous Portland, Oregon, and has a husband named Stan the Man, plus two adorable children. Some of her family cannot tolerate gluten, like so many these days. I never used to have any problem with ANY food (well, except for oysters....I won't go into what happens to me when I eat them), but lately I find that I do much, much better, digestion-wise, if I stick to proteins or oatmeal in the mornings. Which means bye bye to my beloved Kashi Cheerios-like cereal and even whole grain toast. Most days, I just scramble up a couple of these, maybe sprinkle on a little bit of shredded cheese, and I'm good to go for hours......

Back to Carrie....she has a blog, called LOVE, and it is the very first blog I check out, each and every day.....you can become addicted to it, also, by clicking HERE. A while ago, Carrie sent me her recipe for Gluten Free Peanut Butter Muffins, and I put it in my old newspaper column. Let me tell you, I heard RAVE reviews from many, even those who don't have to go GF. Hard to believe a muffin with no flour, whatsoever, could be so delicious!

The other day I whipped up a quick batch for our little three day trip out of state, for fear that I wouldn't be able to find anything except for maybe donuts or bagels where we were going, and I just can't go there, especially while on the road. This is truly a one-bowl recipe ; who doesn't love that? To start, measure out 1 cup peanut butter (Carrie recommends organic) into a greased measuring cup (another Paula Deen tip--helps the peanut butter and honey slide out so easily! I just use spray oil.)......................

Add some honey, a couple of eggs, baking soda and chocolate chips.....these particular chips are my most recent favorite---dark chocolate chips by Hershey's--so good for you, and nice big plump chips!...............

Mix everything together and pour into greased muffin tins. This recipe makes 9 regular sized muffins. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 300 degrees. Pour yourself some coffee and enjoy a gluten-free breakfast...thanks so much, Carrie!................(I ate 2--these are the remnants)

Here's the recipe......

MY FRIEND CARRIE'S GLUTEN - FREE PEANUT BUTTER MUFFINS

Makes 9 muffins

1 cup organic peanut butter

1 / 2 cup honey

2 eggs

1 / 3 tsp (Carrie says just eyeball it--weird amount!) baking soda

1 / 2 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Pour into greased muffin tins (I filled mine about half-way full). Bake for 20-25 minutes at 300 degrees (please note--Carrie tells me that since oven temperatures may vary, check your muffins after 15 minutes).

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TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR......

**Old friends and new friends, near and far!

**The bookstore on the UC Berkeley campus, for keeping our daughter on to work for the rest of the semester (they only choose a few to stay on, after the back to school rush has ended). The customers and her bosses must have been dazzled by her work ethic and sweet smile!

**The job I've been "dabbling" at this summer (I obviously do NOT have my daughter's work ethic!), watering and pruning and tending to the flowers and herbs and  vegetables at the club my husband manages. Sadly, with fall on its way here I fear my gardening days are coming to an end, but I have truly enjoyed my time there, digging in the dirt!