KICK UP YOUR HEELS, AUTUMN IS OFFICIALLY HERE!

It happened yesterday, so fast I hardly noted the date on my calendar.  Autumn is officially here, but will pass too quickly.  It doesn't go quietly, as it storms its way out on my birthday in December.

But until then, I will savor every delicious moment of Autumn.

Wising you all joy today. 
I will keep the light on for you, until I see you again!

PSALM 92:4 

You made me find joy in what you have done, O Lord. 

I will sing joyfully about the works of your hands.

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

Poem by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And being one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them, really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh I kept the first for another day!

Yet know how way leads on to way,

I doubted I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in wood, and I -

I took the one less traveled by,

And that made all the difference.

Wishing you all JOY in the beauty of this day. 

 PSALM 92:4 You made me find joy in what you have done, O Lord. 

I will sing joyfully about the works of your hands.

SOUP & BISCUITS

When the crisp air of Autumn arrives, with bushels and bundles of apples, pumpkins and corn stalks, our cooking skills turn to warm, tummy filling goodies.  I don't know about you, but soup, soup and more soup makes me happy in the cooler weather.  I always put a tray of crackers on the table with my soups, just in case somebody still wants to do some dunking. But the bread I serve can vary.  

Today, I want to chat about the yummy goodness of soup made with left overs from the fridge. We had it at home all the time.  My mother, Peg Dunken saved all the broken-handle cups and used them for bits and pieces of veggies, meat, potatoes, pasta.  You name it!  We didn't have the plastic storage containers back in the day, so we used waxed paper and rubber bands to keep left over fresh.  In the summer we canned copious amounts of tomatoes:  full, plump tomatoes, tomato juice, tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes.  So of course this would be added to the left overs.  Any meat scraps or bones were tossed in, and we chopped stringent onions and celery leaves to add to the pot.  Bring it to a boil, and let it simmer 3-4 hours.'

In the final half hour or so we would add diced Hubbard squash, or peeled russet potatoes or fat egg noodles.  Sometimes rutabagas (I never liked those), so I would argue against it!  The pot would be bubbling merrily away, when we began the bread to finish off our dinner menu.  Cornbread, hot and crumbly with butter pouring down the side.  Or biscuits, fluffy with honey and butter, or our home made jam.

Dessert always sat on the side table. With soup we could count on a heavier, richer dessert.  Pie, cake, bread pudding.  Sometimes our home canned fruit with home made shortbread. And always a glass of whole milk for we kiddos, and coffee for the adults.  

All of this made for delicious, satisfying eating.  No problems with weight gain, because our meals were balanced and nutritious.  We didn't go hungry. And we didn't snack between meals. Nor did we take vitamins.  Bread baking day was a big day at our house, and through the years I have loved kneading the dough, and filling the house with the aroma of baking bread.

I wanted to share an updated, easy-as-pie biscuit recipe with you, today. You will be amazed at how easy these are, and how wonderfully delicious.  The recipe is below. I hope you will enjoy it, and share back with me your results.

There are a couple pages I will be drawing from for recipes.  One is Peg Dunken's Cookbook. These are recipes from my mother; I have a box full of them. The other is Sunny In The Kitchen, which are recipes I have collected along the way. I also have a kitchen-table group Friends With Recipes, which are recipes shared among friends, as the title suggests.  You may find any of these through Facebook, and I invite you to join us, just check the links below. You will find much happy and joyful eating posted on those sites, plus a few other tips and gadgets.

Blessings for your Autumn dinners.  Always make extra, you never know when someone will drop by.  Those can be the best of times, in beautiful Autumn.

7UP BISCUITS 

4 Cups Bisquick

1 Cup Sour Cream

1 Cup 7 Up (Or Sierra Mist)

1/4 Cup Melted Butter

Preheat Oven to 450 Degrees

Cut sour cream into the Bisquick. Add the 7Up and mix. This

will make a soft dough.

Sprinkle more Bisquick onto kneading board. Turn dough out and

knead into smooth, manageable ball.

Pour melted butter into 9"x 9" square pan. Turn the dough into 

the pan and gently press evenly to fill bottom of the pan.  Using a 

sharp knife, cut either 9 or 12 biscuits.

Bake 12-15 minutes until light golden brown.

Note:  You may roll the dough out and cut with cookie

cutter, if you prefer. Be sure to place in round 9" or 10" pan

or use the 9"x 9" square pan. 

Wishing you all JOY in the beauty of this day.
Please come back soon, my door is always open!

PSALM 92:4 

You made me find joy in what you have done, O Lord. 

I will sing joyfully about the works of your hands.

https://www.facebook.com/pegdunkenscookbook/

https://www.facebook.com/Rowesbuds1980Cooking/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1605823526322875/

SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN

Songwriter:  Frank Sinatra

The leaves of brown came tumbling down,

Remember .. in September in the rain

The sun went out just like a dying amber,

That September in the rain

To every word of love I heard you whisper

The raindrops seemed to play our sweet refrain

Though spring is here to me it's still September.

That September in the rain

To every word of love i heard you whisper

The raindrops seemed to play our sweet refrain

Though spring is here to me it is still September

That September in the rain

Wishing you all JOY in the beauty of this day. 

PSALM 92:4

You made me find joy in what you have done, O Lord. 

I will sing joyfully about the works of your hands.

HURRY, AUTUMN!

My toes already feel the cozy socks and warm fire. My arms search out the softest sweater to wrap myself in. My heart longs for the hot apple cider, freshly baked cookies and breads, and the tangy heat of home made chili. I want the steaming coffee, with the rich vanilla cream first thing in the morning, served up in a jug-of-a-mug.. one I can wrap my chilled hands around. Oh! The pleasure of this luxury, as I watch from my window the gold and russet leaves drifting to the ground. My feet itch to get outside for some leaf scuttling, as I breathe in the musty freshness that is autumn.  It comes too late and leaves too soon. And my heart calls out to it all year through, "Hurry, Oh! Hurry, Autumn. But, stay slowly. Stay slowly!" [Sunny Rowe 2018]

Wishing you all JOY in the beauty of this day.

PSALM 92:4

You made me find joy in what you have done, O Lord.

I will sing joyfully about the works of your hands.