Pistachio Basil Pesto

My basil plants were out of control, so I froze some leaves, dried some and then made pesto.....here's a different flavor of pesto, using pistachios rather than pine nuts!

Easy Veggie and Cheese Flatbread

Veggie and Cheese Flatbread

Here's a good way to finish up the leftover veggies you might have.  You can alter this recipe using any cheeses that melt well and any veggies that cook quickly.

TOMATOES.....IT'S THE SEASON! Easy Bruschetta recipes....

La Tomatina is an annual festival in Spain, where people throw 150,000 tomatoes at each other!!  Why waste a good tomato?

Bruschetta (pronounced "broo-SKET-tah")

Game Day - and An Easy Pasta Meal....

We get together often with friends for a "game day", so I made an easy pasta dish ahead of time for dinner.

Thanksgiving Breakfast for Two

Once again I am joining Rita from Panoply where a group of us share our seasonal table settings. 

We won't be home this Thanksgiving as we will drive the 7-8 hr drive to Ohio to spend the week with our daughter and her family.  So, this table is staged for a breakfast for two!

A Halloween Al Fresco Dinner

It's time for another Tablescape Blog Hop, hosted by Rita @ Panoply  Visit the links at the bottom of this post for some seasonal inspiration!

     It's Pumpkin Season!

The summer weather is coming to a close in Central NY, so we relish the warm afternoons on the front porch.

Here's a cheesy appetizer recipe......

CRESCENT ROLL TOMATO-BASIL SQUARES

Apple Picking at Beak & Skiff

Beak & Skiff has been named the #1 Apple Orchard and every year we visit.  This year we enjoyed the morning with Caitlin and our grandsons

We drank Apple Cider and Moscato cocktails in "apple cups" - try it, it's delish!

We picked lots of apples, too!

Here are a few Apple recipes to try:

There are lots of apple farms in our area of NY and this is one of our favorite salad recipes - John likes it on a sandwich and I like it on a bed of lettuce!

Chicken-Apple Salad

1 cooked chicken breast, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 crisp apple, chopped

2T red onion, chopped

1/4 c mayonnaise

salt and pepper

Mix it all together

You can add walnuts, too!

Serve it in this Fluted Breakfast Bowl !

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A favorite recipe from Susan Branch:

I didn't add the cranberries!

Easy to make and delicious to eat!

Serve it in this cute bowl:

MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check Enamel Ice Cream Bowl 

Try an Orchard Palmer: Honeycrisp vodka, lemonade and apple cider!

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Cider Sangria

3 oz white wine

2 oz apple cider

1 oz sprite

Pour over a glass filled with a few chunks of apple, 3 cranberries or blueberries, a cinnamon stick and ice

FYI:

I hope you found some APPLE inspiration!

Saturday Football....

It's Football Season!

Here's an easy snack for the guys to enjoy while watching football:

Almond Flour Sugar Cookies

I love almond flavor.  

I first had these cookies in Florida, last year at a Super Bowl party, and HAD to have the recipe!  These are so quick and easy to make and are DELICIOUS!

Pineapple Delight

The pineapple is a symbol of welcome, warmth, friendship and hospitality.  The other day I welcomed three friends to an afternoon of "pineapple tastings".  I prepared a simple summer sangria, Fireball Pineapple Bites, and Pineapple Banana Bread.  

A Valentine Breakfast

Today I am joining Rita @ Panoply and a group of creative bloggers for a table setting blog hop!

A Christmas Tea

Have you read this book?

It's Soup Season!

I think I could live on soup alone - What's there not to like?  It can be loaded with lots of fresh veggies, and/or your favorite poultry or meat, and lots of flavor! 

Apple Galette

Galettes are so much easier and quicker to make than a pie - and because there are only two of us,  this is dessert for two days!

Feeling Blue?

The color blue  calls to mind feelings of calmness and relaxation and it is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure, and orderly.

Do it Over Designers - Broken Dishes!

What can you do with a $50 MacKenzie-Childs plate that is broken?

Break it up some more!!

A few fall table settings....

This table was set for a simple dinner for two in the dining room:

I stacked pumpkin plates from Hobby Lobby on top of MacKenzie-Childs Royal Checked enamel dishes on blue chargers from the Dollar Tree:

Dinner was simply a spinach salad and a bow tie pasta bake.

The coordinating blue buffalo checked pumpkin and the blue stemware were from the Dollar Tree.

MacKenzie-Childs Royal Check Enamel Dinner Plate

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In this table setting for two I used my MacKenzie-Childs flutes edged ceramic dishes and topped them with Salad dishes from Walmart!

I adore the Black Tie flatware and Tango goblets:

A simple but elegant setting for a dinner of garden salad, roasted chicken and mashed potatoes!

MacKenzie-Childs Courtly Check Fluted Dinner Plate

Here are some old photos of past fall tables:

Scan to SHOP MacKenzie-Childs: