Autumns of Days Gone By

Good morning!
I hope you are enjoying the sunshine today.
Yesterday I said I was going to share photos of Autumn from past years and here they are!

Fall Colours

Good morning!

Today I decided to share with you some photos of the fall  here in Ontario,this weekend I will take more photos to share with you as the colours should be at peak this weekend.
Tomorrow I will share with you a few photos from autumn over the years some with family and others without.
I hope you are enjoying your Wednesday morning and I will share with you again tomorrow.

Just In Case!

Good morning!        
Yesterday I gave you a wonderful recipe for sloppy joes using homemade chilli sauce.
Just in case you haven't made chilli sauce this fall yet here is my recipe for Sweet Chilli Sauce
30 firm tomatoes
6 sweet peppers or 3 sweet and 3 hot if you prefer a hot/sweet flavor
6peaches
6 pears
6 apples
1 bunch of celery

Peel and chop fruit and veggies, place into a large pot with 1 quart of vinegar
2 tablespoons of salt
1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon of cinnamon (I often break a cinnamon stick up and put it in my cheesecloth with my pickling spice)
2 ounces of whole mixed pickling spice in cheesecloth tied tightly.
Cook down fruit and spices before adding  4 cups of brown sugar then cook slowly until desired thickness.
Pour into sterilized jars and seal.
Enjoy!

Sloppy Joe recipe

This recipe is one that you will want to make on those days you really don't feel like cooking.
It will be one of your favorite go to recipes.

Sloppy Joes

1 pound of ground beef browned and fat drained off.
Add 1 jar of home made chilli sauce.
1 tablespoon (or more to taste) chilli powder
1 small tin of tomatoe paste
Mix together and simmer for about 1/2 hour

Serve on hamburger buns and a salad on the side.

I often double the recipe so that I can serve it for lunch the next day, it is one of those recipes that tastes even better when it has time to sit.

The last flowers of the season

Yesterday I went out and cleared the garden of the last few vegetables that were in it and any dead flowers that were in there.
Then I went to the market and picked-up my parents a fall mum, the last flowers of the season .
I decided it was a nice thing to get as they enjoy sitting outback and now have something to look at other than an almost bare garden.
Thanksgiving weekend is their 51st wedding anniversary and they really don't need anything so a potted mum was what I decided on for them to enjoy.

I hope they enjoy their 51st anniversary, I am sure that they will be enjoying a beautiful, sunny day as the weather man is calling for sunshine and warmer temperatures for next weekend...Happy 51st anniversary Mom and Dad <3

Sunny Saturday

Today I plan on pulling out all the plants in the garden that are dying off.
I will pick the fruit that is left on the vines then pull out the tomatoe plants as we are to be getting a heavy frost this evening according to the news reports.

I think we have had a great summer for the gardens this year.
The corn was wonderful tasting and plentiful as well as the grape crop this year, they keep telling us to check for wines made in Ontario this year and stash a few bottles away as this
year was one of the best years for grapes they remember.

The conditions were absolutely perfect for alot of crops this year.
I will be putting a couple of bottles of red wine away this year.

I unfortunately won't be making my own wine this year as I have alot of other things I must attend to that are far more important than making wine that I will only have to move with me before it is done and the idea of slopping wine all over the place trying to move a crock full of wine when it is suppose to sit undisturbed is not my idea of fun.

What have you got planned for this sunny Saturday?

Friday's Favorites

                                        Coconut Cake
1-3/4 cups of flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Combine these 3 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside
1/2 cup butter
1 cup of white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Cream together the butter,sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl until light
Blend in dry ingredients alternating with coconut milk 3/4 of a cup
Begin and end with dry ingredients.
Pour batter into greased baking pan(s)
Bake in 350 degree oven
2-pans 30 mins
1-pan 50-60 mins
Let cake cool and frost

             Icing

Beat 8 ounces of cold cream cheese with 6 tablespoons of butter and add 2 teaspoons of coconut extract or vanilla whichever you like
Add 2 cups of icing sugar (you can add more if you like) and mix well

Frost cake and decorate with shredded coconut.

Enjoy!