Magic Cookie Bars - Hello Cookie Season!

This weekend brought a host of holiday fairs to the Monadnock region of New Hampshire. Our little church was one of the many churches that rolled out the baked goods and homemade gifts. Every household does its part to contribute to the long bake table at the church fair. These chewy, sweet cookies bars were bagged up and offered along with a loaf of cranberry nut bread and a big round boule of herbed bread. I baked all day on Friday!

Another Meatball Soup ...

Yesterday was such a lousy, rainy day! It was a day for spending under a blanket on the couch with hand sewing or a good book or a willing partner. But no. I had to schlep wood for woodboxes and deliver some food to a friend who is ill, return overdue books to the library and schlep grocery bags from the store to the car to the house. By the end of the day, my toes were wet because my clogs have sprung a leak. My hands were clammy and chilled and my hair was damp from the trips between car and errand locations. And the rain and bluster just kept blustering. UGH!

IHCC's Mystery Box Challenge - Pumpkin Tart with Spinach and Gorgonzola

Start with a sugar pumpkin...

We Should Cocoa - Spicy Chili Chocolate Cookies

This batch of cookies will last a nanosecond, once Silent Bob gets winds of their smell. They're full of dark chocolate and cayenne pepper and they deliver a hot kick when you've swallowed a bite - that warm chili-spice heat that stays with you until you swallow some milk.

An Aside ...

No flying geese here ... little red birds flying around the garden of kitchy 70's calico patches. I've worked up a quilt for a friend who gifted me these patches from her deceased sister's closet. I decided to use her sister's blocks to make a memory quilt for Tracy and will give it (back) to her at Christmas. She will have a nice reminder of her sister.

Little Bee enjoyed sniffing at the birds. He is turning into quite the mischief maker. Has to be right in the middle of all activity. I am learning to shuffle my feet around the kitchen so I don't tread on his little feet and tail.

My friend, Susan did a nice job of the free-hand machine quilting on the leaf border ... The central lattice stitching was an easy way to secure the central quilt blocks. So ... on to the next project! Think I'll bake some cookies first, though!

Golden Winter Soup with Turkey Croquettes - Virtual Supper Club

Virtual Supper Club's 'Thyme for Turkey' Holiday Preview !

How did it get to be November??? This year has flown by and here come the 'big two' holidays ... again! For our family, Thanksgiving and Christmas really are the biggies. We make it a point to get together in one spot, make way too much food, joke around and play Scrabble or Bananagrams, try to get some decent family photos, drink good wine and beers, and catch up on all the news. Occasionally, there are forays to the movies or an afternoon out at the antique stores or shops, an evening out at the local pub/inn, short hikes to walk off the big meals, playing in the back yard with the dogs, and hauling wood in for the fires. Ah, family life in a rural backwater!

Harissa Ravioli and a Red Japanese Maple

... there is nothing like a good bowl of veg and pasta ...