Show and Tell~ Autumn is Here

  Show and Tell Friday is  hosted  byCindy at My Romantic Home.
Time for  fall!
Subdued light   helps to  set an autmnal mood for me.

I  really  love the olde world  look of   the medieval  that   really  compliments the   colors  and glow of  autumn!




 The  soft  floral  textures   juxtaposed  against the  metallic  russets   create  a  tone of  natural  antiquity.



 And that is my  beginning...  or  how I love to  recreate  autumn around the home!

Tasty Dish Low Carb

Well,   this is absolutely the   simplest and sweetest  lunch or dinner item I have ever  made and  it  is so delicious, I had to  show and tell about it...    not only that   but my  biologist daugther will be very proud of me....
Ok,  I   hate to admit it, but  my  sugar  has   hit the limit and  Im no loner  pre-diabetic.....   on  a pill now and I   refuse to   be on it long!  So  I am   making a dramatic   change in my  life  and  eating patterns and habits
When I saw this  item on Facebook last night I thought  "umm, that looks much tastier  than the meal I was planning  for   today...and it   was  so much easier and hardly any clean-up!"

Slice the zucchini in half. Slice off the bottom to keep in stable. Brush with olive oil and top with garlic or garlic powder. Top with sliced tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Use mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese or mixed blend..   Take a slice of bacon  and   cut  only the lean  bit   out and   dot the bacon pieces  on each   strip.Bake 375 for 20 to 30 minutes until soft...  

Because I have had hardly a single carb today I splurged and counted out  12  of the very best   fritoes we had....   at  under 20 carbs  that  was  a pretty   tasty  side dish!  hahahaha

These    strips   were   delish.... the only comment  my hubby offered  besides,,    "do we have  extras?"...   was   "next time  add more  cheese!"....  Not a bad  suggestion!!!!
 Oh, ok,   progress report.   in  15 days, Ive lost   7 pounds....   That pleases me!
Simple and Sweet Fridays

Show and Tell Friday

Check

Now    it must be understood   that  the week  Lynn  retired    in 2011,  I    had   major surgery....  it wasnt  3 weeks later  that my mom fell  and   my parents went into assisted living and their home   became our major focus to  work on  in preparation for   selling....   going through everything, the estate sale and the   major overhaul of the  house...  Needless to say,   my honey do list for Lynn in retirement   went b y the wayside..

Until  just  the last  few weeks....

One of our   first  items  was to  carpet  the stairs....  originally we had   wanted to   have   Karastan wool carpet.. but  that would have been  great  if it  could have happend  years ago....   but we truly  dont know how much longer we will live here so  we  decided  on   just  some  nice carpeting.

The stairs   in their  gorgeous  refinished state  are  lovely,   but that  whole  area seemed dark...

 So Lynn  started the  several   coats of  painting.. looking better already.....

 This morning   the stairs were  completed   and  I  love  going up and down!

 One project down.....   I dont want to get depressed  thinking of how many are left!   

Sharing on 

Home and Garden Thursday

Home Sweet Home 

Simple and Sweet Fridays

Show and Tell Friday

Metamphosis Monday

A Bit of Soul Time for Me

Sometimes it is just great  to set apart a special time  for oneself...  a quiet time  on a   cloudy, cool  May day   to enjoy  life's  sweet pleasures and reflect...  SO     I shared  a time with myself  devoted to beauty and   solitude...
Part of the fun of  celebrating life  with oneself is in the  planning , yet the effortless  way  such a time can  unfold...a  garden party for one  was    imagined  yesterday  as I  was enjoying the" blues" of the season.

 the majesty of the     blossoms  unfurled..

a simple  luncheon of    cucumber  sandwiches and fruit,  actually the   tangible food    was  really an after thought, for the real food  was the  spirit lifting  loveliness of the  occasion!

The tea    was my newest  infusion of    green and white tea   which I am using  for  its health benefits for  energy  and  slacking the appetite.  I found it at Fresh Market  and it  really is quite  tasty..
and the more delicious  enjoyed  from  my  beautiful  Royal Albert  Flower of the Month Series  cup  depicting beautiful For-get-me nots!

a very contemplative  teatime

to    be thankful for   wonderful family and friends and all the blessings of life!
And  to  enjoy the loveliness of simplicity and    good cheer!

even on a    "blue" and    threatening day!   
I  was so  fortunate to  find this    beautiful.  remnant of fabric at Joanne's  yesterday morning  for quite a song!!!

Bernideen's Tea Time 

 Ruth's Thursday Tea talk



1. I'm having...Infusion of green and white tea

2. I'm feeling....blessed and loved


3. On my mind....wishing everyday could unfold as wonderfully sweet as this day

4. “I am sure it is a great mistake always to know enough to go in when it rains. One may keep snug and dry by such knowledge, but one misses a world of loveliness.”  

Adeline Knapp


Katherine's Favorite Things Thursday

  Tablescape Thursday



Kathy's  Home and Garden Thursday

 Friday's Charm of the Home

 and Show and Tell Friday

at the Romantic Home

Time to Name that Bird

Sherry, of The Charm of Home ,hosts this blog party every Friday.  The Romantic Home hosts  Show and Tell, Friday as well...

  

Even though  our  bluebird house  is hosting a family of wrens this season,   we have two other    birdhouses   that  are also raising families of fledgling  youngsters....    and  a robin's nest high up in the persimmon tree.  Last week  one of the  sweet fledgling robins  fell out of the nest  ...   Strong enough to flutter up to  the  seat by the window  we watched a drama unfold.



..                                                                 the day  was dreary with mist, and photographing through the screen  made for      fuzzy  photos,,  but  these are the best I can offer....   







  The little fellow   stood  sentinel  on the    chair back  waiting patiently to be noticed by momma!



YOU can just about  tell  his discomfiture about  his  predicament....  missing the cozy togetherness in the nest up above...

 Finally, Mrs. Robin  spied him and  came  bringing a tasty regurgitated worm   to share with him....   couldnt  capture the moment...   but  he seemed a bit more  content thereafter....





and  brave...   for soon after this shot  he  flexed once and fluttered away... I  never saw him again... hope he made it somewhere safe....

This handsome fellow  resides in the Williamsburg pottery  house on the  eave of our   house

His   song regales us each morning  around 6am.
  
 He never ventures too far  from  his happy perch in the persimmon tree...   so much activity   there this season!

 Although there are    illustrious bluebirds in the vicinity..   they  havent  made their abode in our    yard this year.... 
 Sharing     our home with  God's  wonderful creatures  is what makes    home sweet!!!!
Time to bring out  my  bird watching   journal  and    really  study  our  new neighbors  who bring us  so much joy!

Hydrangea Time's A Comin'

Sherry, of The Charm of Home ,hosts this blog party every Friday

The sunroom  takes my attention this week because tis the season  of  the long awaited hydrangeas   that bloom right outside the window!

  So I am either  enjoying their  beauty in here in faux style  all year round...

 or in live, living color!!!


So as    my wonderful  hydrangeas  are maturing


I am  looking forward to   months of    enjoyment
whether fresh..
or dried..


Hydrangeas  make  our Home Sweet....

I am also sharing this today on  Show and Tell Friday a t The Romantic Home...

My Early Morning Garden Tea

Bernideen's Tea Time is a lovely site for  getting your  inspiration for  all things tea!  And today she is  inviting everyone  to  participate in a garden tea....   what a lovely  week this  will be....   with all the errands I have for  later today,..,.   it was marvelous to  have a leisurely  garden breakfast tea , just the two of us.... ( I love  that we are both retired now!)
So  early this morning, I set the stage....

fresh picked flowers from the garden...

bowers of flowers from the house... hehehehe

lovely   potted flowers  on the porch... all greeted us as we  gathered  for the fun!

On the menu....   cranberry walnut scones and baked eggs....  oops. the oven could  do with a cleaning!!!!

 Now our daughter, Amanda, would have loved to  have joined us this morning!

I never baked the eggs before, and now it is  my   manner  of choice.....  delightfully  delicious....
Our tea..

was Earl Grey....   my favorite!

My sweetie  even dressed for the occasion!  HEHEHEHEHE


A truly amazing time  to share this morning....
and the scones.

were   perfection...

Cranberry  Walnut Scones

3 c  Virginia’s best  self rising flour

1 T baking powder

½ c sugar

¾ c butter…slice in  tablespoon  slices  to make  working it in  easier

1 c fresh cranberries… I added golden raisins to make a cup

½ c chopped  English walnuts.. I used pecans

1 1/2 T orange zest

1 c buttermilk  I used  clabbered milk  ( 1 cup milk  with 1 table of  white vinegar)

To top  unbaked scones.

1 T cream or milk

1 T sugar mixed with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Stir together all dry ingredients at top  of list..   Rub the butter  slices into the mixture until  only coarse crumbs form…   Like  cornmeal….  Incorporate the butter evenly.. no large  chunks….Stir in cranberries, nuts, and  zest. Add buttermilk and mix with a fork until evenly moistened.  I  didn’t  mix  it too much  and  as soon as I saw it coming together  I  poured it out on a floured surface and  shaped it into a  ball.   Pat the ball into a  ¾ inch thick circle.    Don’t work the dough too much…   it should be  fairly easy to  work with   you will have a lot on your fingers 

   As it will be moist. So  incorporate just enough flour     so not so sticky

   But  keep it   pliable.

Cut  rounds with a biscuit cutter and place on a greased sheet. Brush tops with the cream or milk and  sprinkle the sugar mixture on top.    Bake at 400 for 14-16 minutes or until  golden…  if you desire  lightly sprinkle with  powder  sugar.
I am also sharing on the Bunny Hop today!!


 Ruth's Thursday Tea talk

1. I'm having...Earl grey, and  we  are  loving it!
2. I'm feeling....like this is the first day of the rest of our lives....

3. On my mind....We serve a mighty, loving, merciful God  who directs our path and provides our needs!!
4. The very idea of freedom presupposes some objective moral law which overarches rulers and ruled alike. Unless we return to the crude and nursery-like belief in objective values, we perish.
 ~C.S.Lewis

Katherine's Favorite Things Thursday

  Tablescape Thursday



Kathy's  Home and Garden Thursday

 Friday's Charm of the Home

 and Show and Tell Friday

at the Romantic Home