fete et fleur: September 2008

The Romance of a Sprained Ankle and other Weekend Tidbits

Well, it happened. My very first sprained ankle! They always seem so romantic in books and movies, and of course the most famous sprain is Marianne’s in Sense and Sensibility, when she meets the philandering Mr. Willoughby.

Well, this wasn’t romantic. One minute I was walking, the next minute my ankle was giving way and I was bouncing down to the ground. My ankle was turned underneath me and a burning, searing pain took my breath away, and made my eyes smart with tears. It was so painful, but I laughed my head off when it happened. I don’t know why I laughed, but it was the reaction that followed. I didn’t know how bad it was, so I lay in the path sprawled at an awkward angle for quite awhile before attempting to put weight on it. When I finally did get up, I realized it wasn’t too bad, but it did hurt. I was covered in dirt and there was debris from the forest floor clinging to me everywhere. Not very romantic. Luckily, I’ve already found my Mr. Darcy and have no one to impress.

This morning I’m actually doing pretty well, and the ankle doesn’t look so bad. I can put weight on it, but I have to be careful not to twist it too fast in any direction or “YOWZA, that hurts!” comes from my mouth.

I actually have some photos of me sprawled, but I can’t bring myself to post them, so you will just have to use your imagination.

I do have some lovely photos, though, of what happened earlier in the day that I think you will like. All photos © Fete et Fleur 2008

We then took a drive into the wine country and visited a favorite spot.

This store is like an old general store. It has an impressive array of merchandise, including some amazing antiques as well as some of the best gourmet lunch food in the area.

Candy Display

Beautiful apple butters and jams

Look at this cutie!

Peek-a-boo

I love this old vintage stool.

This quill pen was absolutely gorgeous.

Pretty ink bottles

These journals were made from cotton.

I was facinated by these glitter balls.

They had quite a bounty of beautiful food.

The antique section

Fun little doll vanity

He's defintely up to something!

Baubles

Spinning vintage top in action

A pretty vase of fall flowers on their picnic table.

We drove the roads and saw beautiful vineyards everywhere. All in all, a wonderful day.

Vineyard

Wine grapes. . . they're almost ready for harvesting.

There is something I do want to include about our walk in the forest. Something very curious happened. The woods in the surrounding area where we live are old. I mean, really old! They are quiet, majestic and beautiful. If you are silent enough, you can hear the whispering of the trees beneath their canopy. As I walked, I dreamt about the Ents in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. That was when I noticed this.

What do you think?

I'm so glad to see that some of you are enjoying the cookie recipe below!

Pumpkin Iced Cookies

The smell of baking goodies on a cool autumn day. . .

These cookies are some of my favorites. I love to use fresh pumpkin when I bake. It really makes a big difference in the taste. I usually use sugar baby pumpkins. I have to watch out though! They do pack a calorie count. I make sure that after I bake them, I give most of them away. I never seem to have any trouble giving them away. ☺

Photo Flicker

COOKIE
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree or fresh ( I try to use fresh)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FROSTING
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

(I always add a bit of pumpkin spice or a little cinnamon to this frosting. It spices the cookie up a bit)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

4. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency.

5. Add the spices I suggested as well if you want a cookie with a little zing. I would add about 1/8 of a teaspoon or to taste.

I've added a suggestion below from someone who has baked this cookie. Her suggestion should make the cookie a little moister and sweeter.

This recipe is very good. However, I needed to make a few adjustments. I followed the recipe exactly and the end product was this: a cookie that was bready and not sweet (enough for her), so for my second batch I added more pumpkin and more sugar and decreased the baking time to 12 minutes.

Beware! Eat at your own risk.

This recipe is modified from allrecipes.com

Autumn

The summer has gone and the leaves are turning beautiful colors of yellow, red, and bronze. In the morning sky the haze lingers and then it reveals its brilliant blue in the later day. Thoughts turn to cozy fires, soft blankets and twinkling candle light. I thought it would be fun to chronicle the glories of fall. My time is not my own these days, but I will do my best to capture the romance of fall for you.

Photos Clipart

Inspiration

Miss Sandy's Quill Cottage is a place of inspiration. I love Miss Sandy! She is one of the first people I met in blogland. Her genuine love and care for others shines through in her posts. And her writings give deep food for thought. If you have time, pop over and visit her magical inspiration today. Click here.

Art

There are few subject matters in art that seem to soothe the human aching soul more then the theme of mother and child. They represent in art, gentleness, hope, life, and new beginnings.

I was doing some more packing today and came across a miniature ACEO painting that I love. The setting is fantastical, but the emotion is clear and steady.

Enjoy!

Sweet Temptations

Here are some goodies for you to enjoy. I recently discovered two wonderful artists on Etsy.

The first artist is Donna of Cookie Sunshine. Her whimsical illustrations capture the imagination. I fell in love with the two drawings below.

I have always wanted to draw and these give me inspiration every time I look at them, though I haven’t attempted any drawing yet. ;~)

Of course the theme of the second drawing would be shoes!

The second artist is Gigi of Pinks and Needles.

I went head over heels for her adorable pâtisserie pins! Who wouldn’t? I’m afraid I might be addicted to these now.

I had this amazing little stool for one of my fairies and I turned it into a pin cushion for these delectable sweets.

For some more fun please check out their links here and here.

Have a Beautiful Weekend!

September

The month of September is my birthday month and it is the beginning of a new year for me. I take time to examine the year that has passed and I pray in hope for the things to come.

The signs of fall are arriving early this year. The nights are cold already. Tonight I wandered my little cottage and thought of all the happy memories that have happened in these rooms. My heart throbs. I begin to light candles around my home and I drink in the stillness of the evening.

A French mirror and candle holder

Colette

Details on a shell mirror

Sweet glass oil lamp

A Wonderful Soiree! ~ And a Fabulous Giveaway!

I discovered the most beautiful blog about Marie Antoinette through Constance of Rochambeau. This blog is hosted by Gabriela Delworth and she is having the most scrumptious Soiree Giveaway. Her blog is a treasure trove of information on everything Marie: her life, likes and loves.

Please visit her here. I promise you will be enchanted.

Happy Birthday!

Hi Sis!

I just wanted to say Happy Birthday! Even though we are so very far away from each other my heart is with you, celebrating, laughing, and wishing I was there with you.