Spiced Apple and Walnut Pie Recipe

I found this recipe in an old book dated 1991 on Country Kitchens that was published in the UK. This recipe was in the last chapter and I thought it sounded very good and so easy to throw together. I just happen to have a small bag of self-rising flour in my cupboard too. I must now go to my friend's house to pick some apples for this Georgie Porgie Puddin' and Pie. I don't know what vanilla essence is but it must be pretty strong since you only need one drop. I'll just use my regular pure vanilla extract and add about a teaspoon. I'll use raw Turbinado sugar and Avocado oil. I don't have any walnuts but I have a big bag of pecans. What do you think about this sweet batter pudding that looks like a pie or flan? You can google instructions for making your own self-rising flour if you don't have any. Will let you know how it turns out with all of my substitutions. Do you do that too? Some people I know are afraid to improvise in the kitchen. Not me!!! xo

Red Leaf Still Life

This one was too pretty to rake into the pile so I set it aside for a photo session. 

My Handsome Companion

Webster loved being outside yesterday in the nice fall weather. He "helped" me rake leaves and he slept like a log after being out in the fresh air and so did I. We both woke up this morning before the alarm went off even though we "lost" an hour because daylight savings time ended. 

I really did adjust the position of my sundial yesterday when it was in full sun. It registered 1:00 and I turned it back to noon. I'm always amazed at the accuracy of this timekeeper. 

Lamb's Ears in My Garden

Lamb's Ears are the perennial that keeps on giving. This is a cropped detail of the photo below. The tall flower spikes from the summer have been cut down ~ the bees loved them.

I have thinned and moved these plants three times and shared them with friends since 1976. Are these plants still being sold in garden centers? I have no idea. I probably got my first mother plant at Well Sweep Herb Farm in Port Murray, NJ

Thin Ice This Morning

There was a very thin layer of ice this morning on the birdbath. Can you see it? I went outside in my pajamas with bare feet and I was very surprised to see anything frozen because it didn't feel cold at all. The weather this year is perfect for Halloween trick or treating. Don't eat too much candy!

Vintage Halloween Postcard Video w/ Music

Click here if you can't see the embedded video above.
H A P P Y   H A L L O W E E N

Gorgeous Day at My Cottage

We have a glorious week ahead of us. No rain for 7 straight days and daytime temps in the 60s and 70s. Yippee. I see a lot of raking in my future and maybe some mowing towards the end. I like to crunch up the leaves with my Snapper in certain areas instead of raking them. The American chestnut has dropped all of its leaves on my lower driveway and I must rake them because all of those dreadful pricker balls are hurting poor Webster's feet. He tries to dodge them but there are way too many. 

Vintage Halloween Photo from NJ

Isn't this a wonderful photo? There was a story yesterday in the Star Ledger about Vintage Photos of Halloween in New Jersey and this one was my favorite. It was taken at a Halloween parade in Dover NJ and is undated. I hope the person who was pushing this Pumpkin Pram was in costume too. The pumpkin boy's expression is hard to read but I don't think he's too happy about being trapped inside this fabulous hand-made costume. I think it's adorable and perfect for keeping him nice and warm.