Fallen Leaves Table

Today's tablescape has a fallen leaf theme. I so enjoy the turning of the season and all the beautiful colored leaves. We don't get much of that here in Nebraska...this land is very hostile to trees which is why God made it prairie, I'm sure. When we lived in Minnesota, our property was full of oaks and maples and we always had glorious color. So, instead of enjoying the changing of the colors outdoors, I've brought it in and onto my dining table.


I started with the charger that Walmart is carrying this fall. I first saw these on another blog and just loved them...I've seen them on several blogs now...Walmart saw us all coming!


Next is a cream colored plate also from Walmart. I bought 24 of these months ago on clearance for .75 each. These come in handy when entertaining a crowd.



Isn't this fabric just perfect! It came from a large bag of yardage from Goodwill. There was enough to make.....



8 of these great oversized napkins.



And then a leaf-shaped plate. I have collected a nice stack of these over the last few years. I think they all are from Walmart and I have several different colors...just like leaf plates should be.



Topped everything off with a little boo pumpkin that my dear friend Rose brought me from her pumpkin farm.



Water goblets from Dollar Tree.



Vintage silverplate was a Goodwill find.



Votive Candle Holder was a clearance find last year at our local Hallmark store. I scored 2 of them for $1.00 each.



Cloche contains silk leaves and pinecones from Hobby Lobby.



A very thrifty fall table! Sharing at Susan's Tablescape Thursday.

25 Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes by Gooseberry Patch

I just LOVE my friends at Gooseberry Patch! They have compiled 25 Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes by Gooseberry Patch and I am sharing them with YOU!! Thank you Gooseberry Patch!

From The Hymnal~Grace Greater Than Our Sin

...But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Romans 5:20

This is a hymn we sang last week on Sunday morning. What a message it delivers of our Savior's love and GRACE. Please meditate over the words and listen and be blessed.

Grace Greater Than Our Sin

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.

Refrain

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.

Sin and despair, like the sea waves cold,
Threaten the soul with infinite loss;
Grace that is greater, yes, grace untold,
Points to the refuge, the mighty cross.

Refrain

Dark is the stain that we cannot hide.
What can avail to wash it away?
Look! There is flowing a crimson tide,
Brighter than snow you may be today.

Refrain

Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace,
Freely bestowed on all who believe!
You that are longing to see His face,
Will you this moment His grace receive?

Refrain

Remember This?

I started this project the same weekend I did my entryway bench. This project met with stalls in the process. Do you see that the handles are really ribbons? This was how I acquired this piece (a long time ago). The piece resided in my sewing room for a long time and held notions but now I don't have a sewing room and I still love the size and scale of the piece. The paint and ribbon handles were never going to do for it's new purpose...a small kitchen hutch! I knew I wanted to paint it and add bin pulls. Picking paint was easy. I wasn't going to change it too terribly much. I wanted a red top with a cream colored body. For the bin pulls, I decided on red colored glass pulls. I ordered them from VanDyke's Restorers and waited. Painting was done and I was still waiting. Finally, they arrived and sadly the red was all wrong. Now what? Well I headed to our local home improvement center and found the bin pulls that belong on this piece. I mean it...looks like they were supposed to be on this little hutch. What do you think?!!





Sharing at Stephanie's ~ Sunday Showcase Party and Susan's Met Monday and Sue's REDnesday because it is RED afterall!

Mt. Washmore & Homemade Laundry Soap

Laundry (yes, at my house it is called Mt. Washmore)! NOT my favorite chore. It has gotten easier over the years. No more cloth diapering, 2 kids on their own, teens who help with their own laundry. Still, I don't enjoy it. I do enjoy hanging out a wash, listening to the hens scratch and feeling a nice warm breeze thru the clean laundry BUT that is rarely my experience these days. I must confess I always feel a tad guilty complaining about laundry. Afterall, my own mother used a wringer style washing machine (no automatic dryer) until I was in Jr. High School and forget about what my foremothers did before her. No right to complain....but alas, I do! Give me a toilet (or a hundred) to scrub any day before the laundry.

I've tried many *systems* over the years to make the chore, well, less of a chore. I was thrilled when I saw that the author of my favorite homekeeping book (Cheryl Mendelson, Home Comforts) had written a book targeting this most dreaded of household tasks. I was eager to give it a look over. I knew I was in trouble when I read, "For Cheryl Mendelson laundering is the best part of housekeeping". Not my take on things and truthfully as much as I love Home Comforts, I found this newer book to be just redundant information already contained in the first book. If your library catalogs this book, please check it out and decide for yourself if you need to add it to your personal library. For me, the first book was all I needed to own.


All that out of the way, one thing that is a favorite when it comes to laundry is my homemade Laundry Soap. Years ago, I used the liquid (gel) version but switched to the dry version to make it more time efficient for me. My orginial reasons for using a homemade version were purely thrify ones. Now I realize, I am a better steward when I use this. Less money, less packaging and really a better product in my opinion. This recipe calls for Fels Naptha laundry soap. To me it is the key to this being a superior product. I use a bar of Fels Naptha as a stain remover (just moisten the bar and rub into the stain and wash as normal). It really is great stuff. Please do not substitute Ivory, Castile, Zote or even homemade soap. Your results will not be the same. When I have a load of especially soiled laundry, I fill the tub with water and allow the laundry to soak overnight.

Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe
(Printable Version)

2 bars Fels-Naptha laundry soap
4 cups Arm and Hammer washing soda
4 cups Borax
2 cups Oxyclean

In a large bowl mix together the washing soda, Borax, and the Oxyclean. Grate the Fels-Naptha (a food processor makes this part much easier). Combine the grated soap into the dry mixture and combine thoroughly. Place in container with a lid for storage.

You can add between 5 to 10 drops of essential oil to your homemade laundry detergent if you prefer your laundry soap scented (essential oil ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil). I really enjoy the clean smell of the fels naptha.

To use:

Use 1 heaping 2-Tbsp scoop (a 2 Tbsp coffee scoop is perfect for this) per laundry load. Place in washer as water is filling and then add dirty laundry.

Skip commercial fabric softeners and use 1/2-1 cup distilled white vinegar in the rinse cycle.



Sharing at Laurie's ~ A Few of My Favorite Things

Cast Iron Cooking ~ Coffee Braised Beef Short Ribs

One reason I changed the name of this regular feature from Skillet Suppers to Cast Iron Cooking is because of my LOVE of Dutch oven cooking. Once the weather starts cooling down, I am thinking of braised meats and using my Dutch oven. Among my favorites is always beef short ribs.


Coffee Braised Beef Short Ribs
(Printable Version)

3 pounds beef short ribs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups strong brewed coffee
2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons hot or mild chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, to taste. Warm 1 Tbsp of the oil in a large cast iron dutch oven over high heat. Add the ribs and brown until golden, turning them once, about 8 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a plate. Add remaining Tbsp of oil and heat. When heated, add onion and garlic and sauté until softened. Pour the coffee and balsamic vinegar into the dutch oven. Cook over high heat, scraping up the brown bits on the bottom. Add the ribs, the chili powder and oregano. Cover. Transfer to 350°F oven for 1-1/2 hours. Ribs will be falling off the bone tender when done.

Sharing at Michael's Foodie Friday and Lisa's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!