Tablescapes and Wonderful Weekend Breakfast Ideas

via Pinterest

Happy Friday!  My favorite day of the work week!  As everyone gears up for Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping, and the holiday decorating season, I have some ideas.  First, easy decorating ideas with apples,  and secondly, menu ideas starring pumpkins to use this weekend and over the holidays.

Decorating with Apples 

planteatcreate.com

 With apples still in season (in other words, inexpensive) why not use them in your Thanksgiving decor? Surround punch bowls of hot mulled apple cider with an array of apple varieties - McIntosh, Granny Smith, etc.  For a centerpiece, put florist sticks through one end of the apple and voila!  An apple becomes a flower, ready for a vase.  Use your imagination!  Even a simple white bowl filled with apples or a crate-full is a thing of beauty.

kraftykat76.blogspot.com

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cestlavegan.com

 source: unknown

Pumpkins!

ClosetCooking.com

Treat your family to a Pumpkin Party this weekend!  Oh yeah, I'm talking pumpkin pie spicy sweetness!   Surprise your family with delicious Pumpkin French Toast goodness for breakfast on Saturday morning and reap the rewards all day - Ok, so I'm talking mostly smiles, and if you're lucky, even a thank you Mom sort of thing - I get shivers down my spine just thinking about it! LOL!

Then, top off the pumpkin fest with a special treat on Sunday morning.  I'm talking drool-worthy my friends!  So, after the family returns from the local football, la crosse, or soccer game, after the dog-walk and leaf-raking,  or whatever the heck you do outside, warm them up with Pumpkin Spice White Hot Chocolate served with Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls & Caramel Drizzle.  Holy Carbs!  But, sooooo yummy good!  Your family will be so totally in love with YOU they may even put the cap on the toothpaste!

goodlifeeats.com

the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

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If your hubby is deserving, (haha) then make him a Vanilla Pumpkin Beer to sip while watching Sunday night football.  Super simple gals:

1.  Dip a beer mug rim in brown or white sugar mixed with pumpkin pie spice.

2.  Pour in a shot of your fave vanilla vodka - Absolut perhaps? 

3.  Pour a pumpkin ale of your choice (my personal fave is Shipyard Smashed Pumpkin Ale or Blue Moon's Harvest Moon Pumpkin Ale)

SERVE with a smile.  You can collect your rewards later...:)

happyhourwithbarbara.com

 Next week, we will focus on harvest tablescapes, easy  to  make centerpieces, great menu ideas and new family traditions to begin for the holiday!

Hope you have a GREAT weekend!

xoxo,

Millie

Thanks to Missie, Erica, Rachel, Wendi, and Lyndsay for the Pumpkin Beer drinking  girl chat last night at the Rustic Kitchen!  So much fun!   

A is for Apples and Autumn too

If you live in New England, then you know this is apple picking season - or, to be truthful, the end of apple picking season! It seems like I have been busy every weekend with soccer, family commitments, and who knows what!  Sure, we've talked about it, but something always stopped us from going.  Excuses mainly.  "Isn't it going to rain today"  "You know I've got a school project to do."  Or, the dreaded, "Do we have to go today, Mom?   They really aren't babies anymore...sigh.  Even my attempts to entice the boys through their stomachs have fallen flat.  "But boys, think about apple pie, apple pie oatmeal, caramel apples and...."   "Can't go today Mom."  Obviously appeals to adolescent appetites just don't work anymore.


   Just when I thought I'd have to give up my dream -- or worse yet, go apple picking alone, is that even allowed?-- my eldest daughter asked "Hey Mama, can we go apple picking this weekend?"  Hurray!  So, yeah, at long last, this is apple picking weekend! And hopefully, our local apple orchard, still has some sweet red apples left on those trees cuz  I have plenty of things to do with those crispy  fruits!


We are going to the Big Apple this weekend!

 This is the place to go apple picking in Wrentham... they have great ice cream too!

Apples as works of art...

If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange those apples then we will still each have an apple.  But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.

- George Bernard Shaw

But what can we do with all those apples you ask?  Great question!  

1.  Make Hot mulled apple cider  (in the crock pot!!) to wash down some yummy treats!

 Get the recipe at tastykitchen.com/

2. Amazing Apple Cider Doughnuts!

Recipe at smittenkitchen.com/

3.  Caramel Apple Parfait

cindab.com/blog

4. Healthy Snack: Oven baked Apple Chips

at cindab.com/blog

5.  Tiny, Twiggy, Caramel Apples at allysonbakerdesign.blogspot.com

6.  Homemade Applesauce with a twist at familyfeedbag.com

7.  Apple Pie Oatmeal - this is so delicious and easy to make too!  Also from familyfeedbag.com

8.  Fried Apple Rings with Cinnamon Sugar Dip at howto-simplify.com

9.  Mini Apple Pies from piesbyhannah.tumblr.com

10.  Saved the best for last: Candy Apple Pie!  Get the info at doughmesstic.net

The kids can bob for apples... or

you could decorate your nest!

place in a basket, a vase, or in a bowl with candles

or circle a punch bowl.

make apple garlands or stack in pyramids

or just put them in a bowl ....

Or, if you are ambitious create a beautiful fall arrangement with crabapples from thethegreengardengate.blogspot.com

So many things to love about Autumn...

Hope you have a great weekend!

xoxo,

Millie

Photo Credits:
cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com/ 
good-times.webshots.com/
arquitetura-pessoal.tumblr.com/
flicker.com
browndresswithwhitedots.tumblr.com/
pinterest.com
tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com
thatssomichelle.blogspot.com/
stylemepretty.com
google.com  
marthastewart.com
etsy.com

photos-by-chiie.livejournal.com/
desdemventana.blogspot.com
isleofview-facesoflove.tumblr.com/