Fun Autumn Surprises

~I have created a special Fun Autumn Surprise page that is dedicated to all. This category will have recipes you can download along with other fun things yet to come!

I would like this to be interactive and would love to hear what your favorite Fall recipes are along with any heartfelt stories, & craft projects too! Pictures of your homes would be most welcome sprinkled with Autumn charm!
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I have really enjoyed making this recipe for years and thought I would share it with you. It all started with some leftover chicken that I had from last nights meal. Fruit really appealed to me that day so I decided to cut up some fresh apples, add pineapple, walnuts, and other things that would compliment this dish. Very easy to make and can be served with whole grain bread either for sandwiches or also makes a great snack. From my kitchen to yours, enjoy!

~Autumn Chicken Salad Recipe *Farmhouse Style*~
~Ingredients~

One whole or half roasted chicken (Rosemary Garlic has a wonderful flavor) Note: I cheat a little as I usually buy the prepared chicken at the market....Shhhhhh!)
2 Apples (either Gala or Red Delicious)
3 Fresh Stalks of Celery
2 cups of Pineapple chunks
1/4 Cup of Pineapple Juice
2 Slices of Fresh Lemon
3/4 cup of Mayonnaise
1 cup of Walnuts (you can add more if you like)
Remove the chicken and set into a large bowl. Don't forget to save the wish bone! :) Chop the celery, apple and the slices of lemon. Squeeze the lemon juice on the apples as this will prevent them from turning brown and adds wonderful flavor to the salad. Stir in the mayonnaise. Add the pineapple and the walnuts next. Stir again, then serve either on top of whole grain bread or can be eaten plain. A glass of apple cider is a perfect compliment to this meal.

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~This next recipe is from the "Colonial American Fair Cooking Recipes"~
Apple Pandowdy is a molasses or maple flavored deep-dish apple pie. Traditionally the desert is "dowdied" before serving - that is the curst is broken up with a spoon or knife and stirred in with the filling. Oddly enough, this type of "messed-up" appearance has come more often to refer to people than deserts. It is common to describe an individual as having a dowdy appearance.

~Apple Pandowdy~
~Ingredients~

Pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie
2 1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg
dash of salt
10 cups thinly sliced peeled apples
1/2 cup molasses or maple syrup
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoon butter, melted
Roll out pastry to 15 x 11-inch rectangle; brush with some of the 1/4 cup melted butter. Fold pastry in half. Brush with more butter, fold again and seal the edges. Repeat rolling, brushing with butter and folding, Chill pastry. Mix together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt; toss with apple slices. Place in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Combine molasses, ( or maple syrup) water and 3 tablespoons of melted butter; pour over the apple slices. Roll pastry to 15 x 11-inch rectangle. Place over apples; turn the edges and flute. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325, bake 30 minutes more. Remove and "Dowdy" the crust by cutting through the crust and apples with a sharp knife. Return the pandowdy to the oven for 10 more minutes. Serve warm. Serves 6 to 8.

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I believe we are all kids at heart, so when I came across this Autumn puzzle, I thought it would be fun to figure out. Of course, if you are blessed with little ones, I am sure they would really enjoy this too! Have fun!

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Fresh Autumn Decorating Ideas
I hope this image of my Irish Cupboard will inspire you with ideas to decorate your homestead for Autumn! Pour yourself a glass of Apple Cider, light a cinnamon spice candle, get creative, have fun & enjoy!! You deserve it and your homestead will reflect your awesome personal touches for Fall!

Get inspired which leads to creativity! I used an old cast iron top from a string holder and added a small window light. The flicker flame silicone bulb was wrapped with cheesecloth and then added under the string holder. The orange cast can be seen through the variously shaped cut outs in the string holder for a neat effect that will softly light up a cupboard shelf!

Get inspired!! Take a nature walk or reacquaint yourself with your garden. I gathered these Macadamia Nuts from my huge tree, the ones the squirrels left behind, thank you very much! They look nice in an old bowl and really add color! You just never know what natures gift you will find that can be used to accent your homestead! Have fun!

"October's Party"
October gave a party; The leaves by Hundreds came ~ The Chestnuts, Oaks and Maples, And leaves of every name. The sunshine spread a carpet, And everything was grand, Miss Weather led the dancing, Professor Wind the band. ~George Cooper~

In anticipation of the harvest season I want to share with you some pictures of the exotic fruits that are growing in my garden.

Have you ever had an Asian Pear? Oh my goodness, they taste absolutely amazing! A cross between a Pear and an apple but sweet and crunchy especially if you harvest them a little early. Speaking of early, the birds definitely enjoy these too so I try to pick them early in the morning so I can be the winner!

I can't wait to see the Mango's on the ground as I know they are ready for harvest. When the tree is full you have to be careful as they drop frequently and if one hits you on the head, you will see stars when it's daylight! Ouch!

Our fine feathered friends let us know when the Persimmons are ready as small nibbles can be seen on this special fruit! I found a recipe for Persimmon cookies I would like to try this year and am sharing it with you. Happy baking!

~Persimmon Cookie Recipe by Patty Tindall~
~Ingredients~

2 ripe persimmons, pureed
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Dissolve baking soda in persimmon pulp and set aside.
3. Sift flour, spices and salt together, set aside.
4. Cream together butter or margarine and sugar until fluffy, beat in egg and persimmon. Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and raisins.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

A little nook in Lori's kitchen sprinkled with primitive Autumn touches! She lives in Southern California and is the owner of American Roots. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome picture! :)

What a delightful scene on a crisp Fall day bedecked with bright orange pumpkins, colorful Autumn leaves and an old smokehouse in the background. Don't you just wish you could jump right in!!!! :)

This cozy and inviting fireplace scene dressed with primitive touches of Autumn belongs to Kimberly in Indiana. I just love the sign and the pumpkins that add charm to the fireplace! Thanks so much Kimberly!!

Oh my goodness! Kimberly's antique Staved Bucket collection is awesome. Her old Butter Churns are wonderful too! Let's see, I'll take the one on the right, on the left, heck, how about all of them!! Thanks so much for sharing Kimberly!! :)

I would love to sit in Kimberly's Bay window with a cup of hot apple cedar and relax while I take in the peaceful surroundings of the outdoors! What a wonderful primitive homestead that Kimberly has been blessed with!!!

Graphics by Amybug’s Attic and Deb's Lost Treasures