Sunday Snapshots: November Birthdays

October's Gathering the Moments...in November?

Sunday Snapshots...on Friday?

Yep. That's how I roll!

Last Sunday, we gathered to celebrate the November birthdays in our family:

Kati's 23rd

our grandson Paul's 2nd

and our grandson (and Paul's brother) Peter's 6th.

Kati loved sharing her celebration with her nephews this year, the first year that they have lived here on their birthdays. 

She told me to go fun and bright with the party decor, so that's what we did. Orange all over! Including the balloons which were a real hit with the children. (Their parents left the balloons here at Gran's house.  ~smile~)

One of the highlights of the party was watching little Paul open his gifts. Oh my goodness. He was adorable! All of the other kids were coaching him ("take out the tissue"..."now tear off the ribbon"..."now tear open the paper") and he was delightfully slow. He was thrilled with every step and clapped his hands with excitement. He clapped his hands again when he blew out his candle. So precious! 

It has worked well for us this year to celebrate all of the month's birthdays on one Sunday...two in July, six in August, one in September, two in October, three in November. Before you know it, we will be celebrating the December birthdays! Don't the months fly by? 

Homemade Pumpkin Butter

I love a schmear of pumpkin butter on homemade bread! I used to buy a jar or two of pumpkin butter every fall...when I could find it, usually at a specialty grocery store or local produce stand. But a few years ago, my daughter Kristin gave me a jar of her homemade pumpkin butter. It was delicious! She assured me that it was easy, so I made some myself.

PUMPKIN BUTTER

original recipe ~here~

Ingredients:

1 14-ounce can pumpkin

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons apple cider

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in heavy saucepan.

Bring to a boil over medium heat.

Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes; stir approximately every 5 minutes.

Mixture will thicken as it cooks.

Store in refrigerator for up to a month.

Do you like pumpkin butter? Apple butter? Do you make it yourself?

Gathering the Moments | October

As I lived and loved this October, I could not help but think back to the October of last year.

Most people who know me know how much I love autumn. I love almost everything about it: crisp air, pumpkins and gourds, fall foods...and color! I see the beautiful colors of fall and it soaks right into my soul! But last year, Ron was in the hospital for those sixteen days. Right during the peak of autumn foliage. Of course, there was much more to be concerned with than colored leaves, but oh, how I missed them! My only opportunity to see fall was on my morning drive to the hospital (it was dark by the time I drove home), and I tried to take it all in as I drove and prayed and prepared for the day.

This year, I am more thankful than ever for all of the beautiful gifts of autumn! 

So as we have gathered...

our big "thank the movers" party 

FLDC (Fashionably Late Dinner Club)

October birthdays celebration 

Feast of the Tabernacles

Sunday family meals
(including one Sunday afternoon with the new owners of The Farmhouse and their visiting parents...fun!) 

Mama Coffee

a ladies' game night

...and as we have had a normal month of homeschool and extracurriculars,

...and as we have done house projects,

...and as we have held babies and hugged grandchildren and spent time with our children,

...and as we have done simple things like cook meals and drink pumpkin spice lattes and drive around town to see autumn,

I have been mindful of the contrast of this October and last. 

I am not complaining about last year, for it was a part of His plan for us, but I am grateful for the blessings of this season!

Of course, as with any month, October has not been without its difficulties.

Our dear friend had cancer surgery. Other friends had major damage to their house due to flooding.

In one week, there were three trips to the ER for members of our family.

I suffered with dental pain.

Other family members were making big decisions.

And His Grace has been there! 

As His Grace carried us through the challenging season of last fall, it continues to carry His children through the struggles of life.

Tips for Hosting a "Last Minute" Party | Chocolate Harvest Cake

Sometimes you need to be really organized and deliberate when you entertain. Ron's surprise 60th birthday party in August, and our "Thank the Movers" dessert buffet in October both fit into that category. We made detailed plans for the menu, for decorations, and for how to get it all done in time. 

But sometimes the key is to keep it simple! 

Last weekend, when two sets of tentative plans fizzled (actually both were postponed until a later time), we made a quick decision to host a ladies' game night instead. It would be the first such evening here at Pineapple House! With less than a week's notice, we needed to keep it simple.

Here are my tips for hosting a last minute party:

Keep the menu simple.

This time, we planned a simple supper of chicken tortilla soup and mini corn muffins.  That's it.

Your menu could be pizza or chili or lasagna...anything that you find easy to prepare and serve. Soups and other one-dish meals are super simple. 

Say "yes" if a guest offers to contribute to the meal. 

My friend Joanne asked if she could bring something, so I asked her to bring an appetizer. She arrived with a fabulous butternut squash/apple bruschetta. Mmmm.

I very rarely have a party or holiday meal, or even a Sunday afternoon family meal, without having others contribute. If someone offers, I know that they are willing to help and I accept. Of course, for occasions when there are a group of guests, I may say, "Since you brought a salad to our last game party, this time just bring yourself!" 

If time allows, make ONE special thing.

I had clipped a recipe from a magazine several years ago because it was beautiful, autumnal, and chocolate! Since the rest of the menu was simple, I decided to make this special dessert: Chocolate Harvest Cake.

Two chocolate layers...pumpkin cream filling...chocolate ganache...a few fruits and nuts for a flavorful garnish. What's not to like?!

Note: Cakes are not my strong suit. Kati and Bekah usually make the layer cakes around here. But, although this one takes a little time because of the three parts, I found it generally easy to make...and it turned out! Success! 

CHOCOLATE HARVEST CAKE

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate Cake:

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup water

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

Pumpkin Cream Filling:
8-oz package of cream cheese

1/3 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Chocolate Ganache:

1/2 cup whipping cream

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.

Mix together buttermilk, water, oil, sugar, eggs, baking soda, and salt; stir until well combined. 

Add in flour and cocoa powder, whisking until smooth.

Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until top springs back when lightly touched.

Cool completely. 

Beat together cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, and cinnamon until smooth and thick.

Place one cake layer on serving plate; spread pumpkin filling over top. Top with the second layer.

In saucepan, bring whipping cream just to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat.
Pour in chocolate chips and allow to stand for five minutes; stir until smooth.

Cool for 15 minutes. (Ganache will thicken as it cools.)

Pour ganache over cake, allowing it to drip down sides.
Garnish. (I used red grapes, blackberries, and toasted hazelnuts.)

Chill until set, approximately 30 minutes.

Do you ever host last-minute affairs? What are your tips for pulling it off? 

Plans for the Kitchen

Pineapple House has been our home for six months now! Oh, how time flies...

We feel like we have come a long way. The living room and dining room are painted and styled. The girls' bedrooms are done. (You can see Kati's room ~here~ and I'll share Bekah's room soon!) We have planted an herb garden and done some outside painting and sprucing up. And now we are turning our attentions to the kitchen. 

You know that we are DIY-ers when it comes to house projects, and the kitchen is no exception.

We plan to do our updates in stages...a little bit at a time. 

Have I told you that Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year? My friend Joanne told me of her friend who designed and built her entire house for Thanksgiving Day! I have never met Joanne's friend, but I know that I like her! Fortunately, Pineapple House is already well-suited for Thanksgiving Day. (We had a trial run a few Sundays ago when we had 25 people for dinner!) 

But back to the kitchen...

In preparation for Thanksgiving, Ron began Kitchen Updates: Phase I earlier this month with the installation of our double-oven range. I haven't cooked a turkey yet, but I have certainly been enjoying the (almost) new range!

This week, we began Phase II: removing wallpaper. 

About that wallpaper. Years ago (early 1980's), Ron and I were in a local paint store. While he was shopping for something-that-I-don't-remember, I sat and browsed through wallpaper books. I came across a pattern that I loved, kind of a sampler look with houses and baskets and pineapples and hearts and a coordinating border, but it was definitely not in the budget. Our farmhouse kitchen was large and would have required a lot of wallpaper. 

When we came to see Pineapple House for the first time, I was amazed to see that wallpaper in the kitchen!

However, since it is 2016 and not 1985, the wallpaper is coming down. In fact, a good deal of it came down a couple of evenings this week. (Of course, we are hosting a ladies' game night this weekend. Nothing like a bit of remodeling chaos to make your guests feel at home, huh?) 

After the wallpaper is down, we are going to paint that space and also the space on the other end of the kitchen past the cabinets. The walls will be the same antique white that we have used in all of the other rooms. The trim will be...ahem. I'll get back to you on that. (But we're narrowing down our choices.)   

We are going to replace the shutters with paneled shutters which Ron will make. The valances are new; they will stay. 

Where the previous owners had a kitchen table, we have chosen to put our kitchen island. We considered a small table for an eat-in kitchen, but we are sentimental about the island and there was really nowhere else to put it. We purchased a couple of bar stools so that someone could eat breakfast or lunch, or just hang out with the cook.

Or hang out with a cousin. :)

Other phases, yet to come: 

1) Move the washing machine down to the basement. (Part of me will miss having it so handy. The other part of me will be happy to reclaim some kitchen space.) 

2) Replace the stained glass chandelier with one that fits our style.

3) Move the refrigerator over a bit, to where the washing machine is now. This will allow us to have a longer counter surface, instead of two short lengths on either side of the fridge. 

4) Build a new bottom cabinet to fill in the space when the fridge is moved. (This will make me happy, because I lost the cabinet that was under the cook top. Now my pots and pans are all over the place, including some down in the basement. How's that for convenience?) 

5) Install a new sink. Although we loved our large undermount farmhouse sink at The Farmhouse, we're not sure that would be right for this kitchen. We're considering a smaller farmhouse sink from Ikea, but I prefer a single bowl sink. Fortunately, that decision is a bit down the road. 

6) Replacing the countertop. We will probably go with butcher block again, as we loved our counters in The Farmhouse. Wood is so warm and pretty. 

7) Painting the cabinets. We'll probably keep the hardware. It's not "modern," but it fits with our style. 

Again, this will all be done over a period of time. Don't expect a big reveal in the next couple of weeks! But I do promise to keep you posted as we complete each phase. 

We are excited about making the changes that will make it our kitchen! 

Autumn Baking {Pumpkin Spice Scones}

  

Autumn is my favorite time to bake! There are just so many delicious flavors associated with autumn. Pumpkin is a big one, and I am a pumpkin girl through and through!

I have made this new-to-me recipe a couple of times recently, when there was occasion to share. Pumpkin Spice Scones plus a hot cup of coffee...mmmm. 

If you're a pumpkin girl too, I think you'll love them!

Original recipe ~here~

PUMPKIN SPICE SCONES

INGREDIENTS

For Pumpkin Scones:

2 cups flour
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 stick cold butter
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon molasses
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla 

For Sugar Glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons half-and-half

For Pumpkin Spice Glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 to 2 tablespoons half-and-half

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DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

Cut butter into cubes; using pastry blender, cut butter into flour mixture until crumbs are the size of small peas.
(I use my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, on medium-low speed, taking care not to overmix.) 

In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin puree, molasses, half-and-half, egg, and vanilla until blended.

Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour/butter mixture until a soft dough forms. (Both times, I needed to add a bit of flour in order to handle the dough...a quarter cup or so.) Transfer the dough to a floured surface. Sprinkle some flour on top.

Lightly roll the dough into a 10 x 7-inch rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half lengthwise; cut each long piece into four pieces; then cut each of those into triangles. You will have 16 triangles.

Make sense?

Place scones on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean. (Mine took about 13 minutes.)
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Make white sugar glaze by combining confectioner's sugar and half-and-half (a little at a time) until it is "drizzle" consistency.
Drizzle in a back and forth pattern on cooled scones.

Make pumpkin spice glaze. (By all means, do this! It adds a layer of pretty, as well as yummy flavor.)
Mix sugar, pumpkin puree, spices, and half-and-half (a little at a time) until it is "drizzle" consistency.
Drizzle this glaze in a back and forth pattern on cooled (and now sugar-glazed) scones.

While your glaze is setting (10 or 15 minutes), get that hot cup of coffee ready!

Enjoy! 

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