It's Decorating Weekend!

Hope your little cottage is cozy and warm tonight!

Have I told you lately?

I'm awful grateful for every one of you!

Fresh Apple Cake #2

I hope that you are having a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! Whether you are shopping or decorating for Christmas. We'll be doing the latter. I'll show some of the pictures in the weeks to come. I also have a very clever idea for Fresh Cut Friday (on the 3rd) that I 'm excited to show you. So make sure you check back in this week and next. Hopefully you'll have flowers to share too!

But until then I thought I would share this vintage recipe...

One of the very first cakes that I learned how to make from scratch was this yummy apple cake. It comes from the very first cookbook that I ever had.

The Poll-Ette Hostess Cookbook (1974 edition)

If I had a Bed and Breakfast Inn, I would serve this for breakfast!

• 2 cups sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 3 cups chopped apples (peeled)
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Sift together in bowl all the dry ingredients. Add all the other ingredients at one time to the dry ingredients. Mix all together with a wooden spoon. Do not use electric mixer. Just mix until all flour, etc. are mixed in. Bake in a 15 1/2" cake pan that has been greased and floured for 55 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 16 to 20

The top gets a crunchy texture while the rest of the cake is moist and heavy.

Enjoy!

Tamara's Tea

Last week I had the pleasure and privilege of attending a very lovely, personal tea given by my Sister-in-Law, Tamara. Let me tell you... NO ONE throws a tea like she does! She has more beautiful things... and man!... does she know how to use it all! I took a lot of pictures and thought that I would show them to you.
I hope you enjoy!
~*~

I am linking up with Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for Tea Time Tuesday!
(Thank you Sandi)
and
Marty at A Stroll Thru Life for TableTop Tuesday
(Thank you Marty)
Wanda Lee at the Plumed Pen for Two for Tea
(Thank you Wanda Lee)

Cheers!

Dilled Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons oregano, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons thyme, finely chopped
• 3 slices white or whole wheat bread
• 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• Fresh dill

1. In medium bowl, combine cream cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, and thyme. mix until well-blended.

2. Toast bread on both sides and let cool slightly. Spread even amount of cream cheese mixture over one side, and top with sliced cucumber, arranging like shingles. Cut off crust and slice into thirds.

3. Place small dollop of sour cream on top of each sandwich and garnish with sprigs of fresh dill.

This is a sandwich that I made for a tea party at my sister-in-law's.

It makes 9 little finger sandwiches. I added a tablespoon of sour cream to the cream cheese mixture so that it had a more smooth texture and was easier to spread.

It was originally printed in the TeaTime Magazine 2005 Summer edition.

I will show more pictures from the party later this week.

It was FANTASTIC!

The Guest Room

I'm just popping in to say "Hi" and share a little addition to the guest room.

If you follow CeeKay of Thinkin' of Home or Marty of A Stroll Thru Life then you know that the 3 of us got together last Saturday for a
wonderful day of shopping and lunch.
We found these darling editions of some of Jane Austen's novels. I was going to walk away and leave them, but Ceekay said that I just really NEEDED to buy them.
(she know's how I love Jane Austen)

I'm soooooo very glad that I got them. They are so beautiful. They have the cutest little illustrations and the covers are gorgeous.

They were specially published in 1996 for the New York Book-of-The-Month-Club!
That means that the original owner probably got them at 4 for a buck!

I paid $7.99 each.... But I Googled them and they are on
amazon for $98.00 for the set.

So I feel like I got a great deal! They are in beautiful condition.

My mom gave me her old Samsonite train case..... so I put them in there.
(and of course the faux foliage, I can't let it go)

Love it when things have a story behind them....

Have an awesome weekend!