Big happening going on in our cozy Annapolis home…and a whole lot of mess before the transition in over. My view from my kitchen window is not pretty at all right now, but I still cried happy tears at first glance.
Day 1
Give it a few months and it will start looking so much better…and a brand new kitchen window in a brand new kitchen!
As the back half of the house takes shape, the front is still dressed in its finest fall best.
Cozy couchPumpkins on the fireplace French Pumpkins Lovely fall elementsBrave Princess is recovering well.
It was a hard week. Our brave Princess had her 5+ surgery with a difficult recovery. She is a trooper, however. I greatly admire her strength and tenacity. I was eager to get her home to our cozy house. Cozy just in time for the start of fall…sweater weather! It is time to pull out the pumpkins and light the Cider Lane candle. Time to make applesauce and put away shorts. I love fall. It makes me happy. I’m hoping for a break in the rain to take a walk through the crunchy leaves. I am glad this rain is only a minor inconvenience. Prayers for those who have suffered from this storm.
Enjoy my fall touches!
I love my kitchen window dressed for fallI love all things pumpkins. Fall is meant for cozy family time. Greeting you in my foyer. I admire her bravery!
I will just admit it, I’m a fall junkie. I love it all, Navy Football, apple picking, pumpkin spice, boots, comfy sweaters…you name it I adore it. So, although it is still 78 degrees out and shorts are still the wardrobe of choice, I am baking today! Inspired by the cider doughnuts we traditionally enjoy while picking apples and, of course my love of all things cake, I present the Apple Cider Doughnut Cake. Not for nothing, even my house smells like fall!
The Usual Cast of Characters
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 3/4 cups natural cane sugar
1 cup apple cider
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Generously butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan; use a pastry brush to be sure to get into all the crevices.
3.In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
5.In another bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups sugar, cider, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs.
6. Add egg mixture to flour mixture; whisk until combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
7. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
8.Transfer pan to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet; let cool 15 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, mix together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
10. Invert warm cake onto rack. Brush with melted butter, then sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar. Let cool completely before serving. Cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature up to 2 days.
We had a wonderful weekend, a quick getaway to the Philadelphia area to visit family, pick some apples, arrange some flowers, eat the best pizza and visit some awesome scarecrows. The time was short, but lovely. I hope your weekend was grand as well.
Feeling a little Fall like today and it makes me want to bake! Thinking about coconuts and it makes me want to bake Coconut Pound Cake…why not. It’s sweet, moist, tender and oh so delicious. It is also wonderful to tuck into a lunchbox for a small sweet treat. It is kind of perfect, matter of fact.I may just have to try another piece…just to make sure.
The Usual Cast Of Characters
3/4 cup softened butter 3/4 cup coconut milk 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 eggs (lightly beaten) 4 – 6 Tablespoons shredded coconut, depending on how you like it! 1 3/4 cups All purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt
The Steps to Glory
Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Greese and flour 1 loaf pan, set aside.
In a mixing bowl, mix softened butter and sugar together until fluffy.
In a seperate small bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and shredded coconut.
Add eggs, one at a time into butter/sugar mixture. Mix well.
Add coconut milk, alternating with flour/coconut mixture (this will prevent lumps).
Pour batter into loaf pan and bake for 1 – 1 1/4 hours.
So soft and delicious!
Enjoy with your favorite Fourth Grader who still looks tiny with her backpack.
We turned our calendar to September last week. It is still hot, it is still humid, the tomatoes are still in ripening mode, Navy played its first football game of the season ( we won’t speak of that) and I have no desire to wear a sweater, but fall is here. You can see a little in the tops of the trees and hear it in the loud cicada songs, so you know fall is slowly pushing summer out.
The beginning of fall also marks the start of my favorite time…Back To School! I know you might be thinking, she’s a teacher, why on earth would she celebrate the end of summer freedom. It’s something about the newness of the calendar pages, the aisles of school supplies at Target and a Princess who needs some more structure in her days (and honestly, so did I) . So she packed up the new backpack, slipped on that uniform and went off to the 4th grade…how is that possible?
It’s tradition, I pull out the antique school items this time of year. They remind me of simpler times and days long gone. Enjoy my obsession!
Ink bottles and a school slateApples for the teacherI love old school bells. A basket of school goodies. Oh my heart…the Princess started 4th grade
We found ourselves with some time on our hands one weekend after previous plans didn’t happen…thanks COVID. We could have stayed home and wallowed, or finish our isolation and then head west for some adventure…adventure won out. We headed to the place where three states, Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland, meet in a beautiful part of our state. It was a little historical tour, a little fun shopping and a little ice cream. All three of us were happy!
We stayed at a lovely Bed and Breakfast in Sharpsburg MD called the Inn at Antietam. The rooms were beautiful, the hosts gracious and the breakfast delicious. It was a great place to unwind and relax.
Well, we officially walked some of the Appalachian trail, maybe a mile, probably the longest I will ever walk it!
We throughly enjoyed our time in Harper’s Ferry. It is such a picturesque town with so many interesting shops and restaurants. A parking tip, park at the National Historical Park Visitor Center about 2 miles away to take the free shuttle there and back.
Our Civil War stop was Burnside Bridge. It is hard to imagine a battlefield when you see this peaceful place. It was a lovely walk and my Hero really enjoyed this part of the day.
You could spend all day in O’Hurley’s General Store in Shepherdstown WV. I loved the variety of fun toys, home goods and books. We hit a few more antique shops on the way home…if only we had more time!
A Day of Small Things... 