Autumn

 
 

"Autumn is the season

to find contentment

at home by paying

attention to what

we already have." -anonymous

Tips When Lost

 If you are ever lost while hiking, get

stranded with a broken down car, etc... and you notice your cell

phone is either low on juice or has no signal; here is a tip that

may save your life: change the voicemail on your phone to a

message that gives your approximate location, the time, the date

your situation (lost, out of gas, car broken down, injured etc...) and 

any special instructions such as: you are staying in the car, you are walking 

toward a town, etc... The best part of this is that even if you cell phone dies

 or stops working, voicemail still works, so anyone calling your phone looking 

for you will hear the message and know where to

find you or where to send help.

Tim Visits Dallas

 My brother's son Tim is on a business trip to Texas. Last night he met up with my daughter Aria and family for dinner. It was the first time Tim met Rocco. I'm told Rocco was infatuated with Tim. You can see his adoring gaze in the first photo. Sofia was so excited to see Tim. She attended his wedding in 2019 and loved seeing Tim's bride Pauline in her wedding dress. Sofia called her a Princess! She was disappointed that she didn't get to see the princess again last night. So happy the cousins were able to be reunited.

 

 

Mrs. Endo's Recipe for Pumpkin Crunch cake

 

 Recipe version 2:  For easy buttery pumpkin pie crunch dessert

• 1 can  13 oz.
  

  evaporated milk
• 1 can

  solid pumpkin 15-16 ounces
• 3

  eggs
• 1 1/2 c

  sugar
• 4-5

  teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (recipe follows for home made pumpkin pie spice)*
  
• 1/2 tsp

  salt
• 1 box

  favorite yellow cake mix
• 1 c

  chopped pecans, or walnuts
• 1 c

  melted butter
• whipped cream or cool whip topping

   

   Heat oven to 350 degree's. Grease 13x9 inch pan.
  Mix pumpkin ,evaporated milk,eggs,sugar,pumpkin pie spice,and salt in a big bowl.

   pour in to greased pan.Sprinkle the dry cake mix on top.Top with the pecans,and drizzle melted butter. Bake for 50-55 minutes in 350 degree oven.Cool,cut into squares,Refrigerate and top with whipped cream.

  *Homemade pumpkin pie spice:  To start, you’ll need all of three minutes and the following ingredients: 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ground ginger, 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg, 1 ½ teaspoons ground allspice and 1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves. Mix the spices together in a small bowl and take a little whiff.

Chicken Marsala

 I think I’m on my way to being almost officially back to normal ( what me normal?) November 12th was one month since my hip surgery and I am walking without a cane and I fixed my first dinner by myself  at that time. I made chicken Marsala with mushrooms. Good to be back in the old groove again .

Recipe for chicken marsala :https://www.saltandlavender.com/chicken-in-a-mushroom-and-marsala-sauce/

Ingredients 

• 2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Flour for dredging
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons butter divided
• 7 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced fairly thin
• 1 large clove garlic minced
• 3/4 cup marsala wine
• 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
• 1 cup chicken broth (I added this) 
  

Instructions 

• Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise and trim off any remaining fat. Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Coat each piece in flour.
• Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and sear it for 4 minutes/side or until golden. Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside.
• Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms into fairly thin pieces (or you can prep them prior to starting cooking... I like to multi-task to save time).
• Add the remaining butter and mushrooms to the skillet and cook them for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned.
• Add the minced garlic and marsala wine, chicken broth (my addition) to the skillet and let it bubble for 2-3 minutes. I also thickened with a couple tablespoons flours after reducing.
  
• Add the cream to the skillet, and then add the chicken back in. Cook for another 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened up a bit. Season with extra salt & pepper if needed. I added a little bit of chopped parsley to finish it off (optional).

 

Autumn

 

"Life starts all over again

when it gets crisp in the Fall."

Traveling Light

 “Traveling kinda light these days. Just going with the emotional baggage?”- Billy to Patty in "Goliath"