From the kitchen: Apple Charlotte

From the Kitchen : Apple Charlotte
(Taken from my 2014 Downton Abbey Desktop Calendar)

"Apple Charlotte is an easy recipe for a busy cook. To make this traditional English cake, line a buttered pie in with pieces of bread and cover with a layer of peeled apple slices, or pureed apple, and sugar. Continue to layer bread and apples until the dish is full. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees fahrenheit. Turn the cake out onto a plate. Sprinkle with sugar and serve."

Personally I love any type of baked apples/apple pie/apple crisp/etc served with vanilla ice cream ~ Hopefully you try this and you/your guests enjoy it!!

"The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook"

"The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook"

Yes, am absolutely still on my "Downton Abbey" kick : )  It only runs in the UK Nov/Dec then premieres/shows here in the U.S.A. in Jan/Feb -- so I shall not be posting about this forever!  Simply enjoying the fourth set of episodes, and an aunt lent me the "Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook" -- I LOVE how the various time period appropriate recipes are divided into courses and into what would be appropriate to serve upstairs verses downstairs. Enjoy!

Cover of the book

 Now three pages for Part One (upstairs dining order and recipe options)

Lastly, two pages for Part II (downstairs/servants recipe options)

Flowers for a birthday

A gift of assorted goodies topped by adorable tiny purple flowers for another December birthday! Happy Birthday to a family member of mine!  (Also yes - I reused a Christmas gift bag.  New gifts that were wanted and appreciated though so yay!)

Oh, I have been wanting a good roast beef dip (on a good french roll of course) so I went to The Hat yesterday and picked up a late dinner for myself - yum!  Difficult to believe tomorrow is already New Year's Eve!  "Another summer's day has come and gone away; In even Paris and Rome, and I want to go home; Let me go home" (Michael Buble) ... Lots of holiday songs in my head, particularly "Silver Bells"!!  If I am not concentrating on something (or don't have background noise on) that has been my mind's "go to" song this entire month : )

Planning on staying in for New Year's Eve and instead of going out to the Rose Parade (although we have had GREAT weather this Christmas week - low to mid 70s!) I think I shall watch the last minute prep and the parade itself on television.  Also the ball drop in Time's Square (in case that was not a given). Looking forward to what everyone is up to and hoping to catch a few more people before this year comes to an end... also, of course, go to at least one more bookstore and make another trip to the library!

P.S. No news from my sister (so none of my nephew, over a month now) and also only have one day left until two of two weeks waiting for test results to return... They would not hold colposcopy results over New Year's - would they?  *sighs*  I need to learn patience and how to just relax/let it go

Thanksgiving Day Part II

Welcome to Thanksgiving Day Part II ... Partially because I was tired, partially because photos and blogger were not getting along ... Today I am finally getting to share Thanksgiving with everyone!  Have decided to do a photo "dump" seeing as it should go through the day quickly.

Another blessed holiday with family, food, and fun!
(P.S. Christmas Eve/Day in less than a month!)

Decorations - Fireplace Mantle

Decorations - Pilgrim Craft (upside-down flower pots)

Decorations - Turkey Craft (Walnuts, wooden hearts
painted yellow, felt, fall leaves, googly eyes)

Hostess finishing gravy and bread
(Beautiful kitchen remodel, congrats
to my aunt and uncle!!)

Appetizers 1 of 2

Appetizers 2 of 2

Great-Grandparents with all three of their
great-grandchildren (all boys so far!)

Dinner 1 of 2 (salad with toppings; assorted veggies
and cranberry dishes; honey baked ham at the far end)

Dinner 2 of 2 (mashed potatoes; cheesy potatoes;
two different turkeys; light and dark gravy)

Baby K with the hostess flowers
(and a first Thanksgiving bib)

Dessert area!

Again, so thankful for all of the blessings in our lives -- Thanksgiving gives us a special day every year to stop and remember to enjoy (and eat, and visit, and....you get the picture!) Hope you enjoyed dropping by, Thanksgiving Day Part I posted here

Books and, of course, ramblings!

How are we already three days into March?  Sorry for lack of posts in February, it has taken me a while to get my health back on track.  Have been doing alright overall which is good and I have changed my eating habits which is great for my body.  Most of my life I never ate the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, and I am now pretty much on what I called a "rabbit" food plan.  Lots of salads, bowls of mixed fruits, handfuls of dried berries and sunflower seeds, and some type of lean meat/fish for lunch or dinner daily along with steamed veggies.  I have also been eating either hard-boiled or scrambled eggs and whole wheat/whole grain/high fiber oatmeal, bread, or pasta when I have indulged by adding carbs to my new food plan.  I have been craving french fries, stuffed crust pizza and juicy cheeseburgers, but overall I have now adjusted to my "new" foods.  My body is now much healthier and I am hoping the next few months will be doctor free -- I think I had four or five trips in the month of February alone!

Moving on to more pleasant subjects -- the down time gave me an opportunity to continue reading very thick books, four following the historical fiction path that I had started on earlier in the year ("The Queen's Fool" by Philippa Gregory; "The Boleyn Inheritance" also by Philippa Gregory; "The Lady Elizabeth" by Alison Weir; and "I, Elizabeth" by Rosalind Miles - honestly the last was a bit too dry but I wanted to finish it anyway).  As a breath of fresh air, I came across a bookshelf with multiple books I own written by Louisa May Alcott.  She is usually best known for her book "Little Women" (which is actually the first of three - the other two being "Little Men" and "Jo's Boys" - I have not yet re-read those particular three although they are also good for the soul).  Instead I have completed three of her lesser known books which are great when it comes to reminding me of years gone by and friendly society - "Eight Cousins" followed by "Rose in Bloom" and finally "An Old-Fashioned Girl" - all interesting books by Louisa May Alcott, probably one of my favorite authors.   I am now torn in three ways - wanting to re-read her "Little Women" trilogy, interested in re-reading Laura Ingalls Wilders' collection of seven books, or going towards fantasy fiction - dragons/wizards.

During February and these first few days in March I have already spent (and have plans to spend) time with various family and friends - new friends as well as old friends.  In particular I wanted to mention my youngest cousin because tomorrow she turns six months old!  I do need to find the darn camera though, I do not believe I have a single photo of us together - let alone my other family members these past two years!  Also next weekend (March 12th) I have my ten year high school reunion and the following Saturday (March 19th) a large family gathering - lots of opportunities for various photos!

Time for homework, housework, and a quick trip to the grocery store before dinner... There are still puddles on the ground and not a patch of blue sky can be seen but it is not raining so I think I might head to the store first - I hope everyone is enjoying this first week in March!  Thanks again to everyone who has shared their blogs (and/or facebook pages) with me, I love being a part of others lives - even if it is from far away/as a stranger!