Autumn Fest

A couple weekends ago, we had so much autumn fun planned that we dubbed the weekend "Autumn Fest". Three days of reveling in the delights of the season for which New England is most noted!

The first day, a Friday, Colette and I took off to the western edge of New Hampshire and the eastern edge of Vermont. There was a lot of food in this three-day fest, and we began it with lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Burdick's, in Walpole. Their French onion soup and truffle pommes frites are THE best!

Then we drove down the road to Alyson's Orchard where we admired the sweeping view of Vermont to the west. Such a crystal clear day! We were grateful for sunny weather, because we've had a lot of rain this autumn.

Alyson's Orchard, in addition to growing a wide variety of apples, is our go-to place for pumpkins. We must confess that this is our second trip there for pumpkins this season.

Then it was a short drive, down meandering lanes lined with trees in full autumn foliage, through small town, and past farms.

First stop was achingly beautiful Scott Farm. They make the best cider this side of the Mississippi. I say that because our dear friends in California make the best west of the Mississippi! It took us years of disappointment to find a cider here in New England that we really loved as much. Scott Farm's is fabulous, because they use a mix of apples, with all the subtle nuances and complexities of flavor that come with that.

Next stop was Green Mountain Farm, which is known for its incredibly delicious cider donuts.

Last stop of the day was Walker Farm, where we bought one last pumpkin of the day...a really unique one that the clerk said "looked like an antique". Sold!

All these goodies coming home with us! A box of autumn...our "antique" pumpkin, three quarts of Scott Farm's cider, a Winesap apple, two Hudson's Golden Gem apples (taste like a pear-apple), a bi-color squash-gourd-thing, and some Indian corn.

The next day was another gorgeously clear day with cool, crisp air. This time, all three of us headed east to Applecrest Farm & Orchard, the large and oldest orchard in New Hampshire.

We enjoy the energy of this place, with lots of families there to enjoy the apple picking, pumpkins, farm animals, and more. We were...surprise, surprise...there for the food! This place has a fabulously delicious farm-to-table bistro! We got there just before they stopped serving breakfast, which made me so happy, as breakfast is my favorite meal to eat at a restaurant.

Bonus points to Colette for accidentally coordinating her sweater and the table!

I had the French toast with vanilla whipped cream, apples, and pecans, applewood smoke bacon, and tea. Yum! I love how they cut the apples into little rounds instead of traditional slices.

The next day, the grandkids came over for the whole afternoon and evening, and we had plenty of autumn fun planned for them too. First up was decorating cookies with frosting and sprinkles. I thought this might be challenging with four kids age seven and under. But giving each child their own cookies and their own three colors of frosting with a knife in each color gave it enough structure to keep the mayhem to a dull roar, and yet everyone had fun! Win, win!

Then we moved on to carving jack-o-lanterns. They did a great job of scooping the goop out with nary a complaint or groan. And we got some fine faces for Halloween!

We hope you are enjoying the delights of autumn too! Sometimes the days go by so quickly and we forget to really enjoy those precious, fleeting moments. Take time!

The Christmas Stocking Collection 2018 is Here

It's here! It's in the shop! So excited to share with you Wonderful Life Farm's 2018 Christmas Stocking Collection! You can click here to visit the shop and see them, or you can click on any of the links below, because I just have to share a bit about them. Super excited for the stockings this year! AND I'm also excited to share that shipping on Christmas stockings is FREE this year!

For years and years now, this stocking (click here) has been my best-seller. It's been featured in several magazines, and is a constant favorite. But...and here's the bad news...I can't seem to procure any more of that fabulous red linen. So, what's in the shop is it. Get them while they last, because they have been flying off the shelf for the last couple of weeks.

But I also have good news! The good news is that I've created two stockings that include that same cuff that everyone loves so much, and they both coordinate fabulously with my best-seller! Click here or here to read more about them.

I love creating stockings from antique textiles. So when I found a gorgeous turkey red tablecloth in a nearby antique store, I pounced on it. The center of the tablecloth had a few holes, but the stunning border was in pristine condition. Now it's been given a new lease on life and will hopefully become someone's much cherished Christmas stocking. Click here to learn more. Note: this one is larger than most of my stockings, because the cuff just needed more space to shine.

You've heard me say before that I adore William Morris' adage, "Having nothing in your houses that you do not believe to be beautiful, or know to be useful." These stockings will be just that! They are made from a William Morris print called "Strawberry Thief". I love how they look hanging from the mantle in our family room! Click here.

And for another great British country look, or a hunt club vibe, there are these equestrian-inspired Christmas stockings! I just sold two of these today and they are headed off to Europe this weekend. Click here.

And a consistent favorite in my shop through the years has been any stocking made from plaid or checked wool. They are ever so cozy. And I think they are purchased for men often. Not that they wouldn't work for anyone, but there's something tailored and manly about them. Click here or here to see the wool stockings offered this year.

And rounding out the collection are stockings that were already in the shop. Click here to go to the shop to see them all. 

Coming soon will be the Christmas 2018 Small Treasures Collection! Stay tuned!

All the Seasons on my Plate

While at the grocery store recently with Colette, I stopped and stared at one wall of the store. "Look at that," I said to her. And I pointed out that on this one wall were: canning supplies from summer, Halloween candy for autumn, and Christmas candy for winter. "Three seasons on one wall!" I exclaimed. And life is feeling a bit like that around here lately. Is it at your house? It always feels like that at this time of year to me. Just a look at the calendar this week, and it echoes that wall of the grocery store. Here's what's happening (or needs to happen) on my to-do list this week:

- meet Felicity and the kids at a local farm and see the jumbo pumpkins and pick apples

- start physical therapy on my knee due to an injury that occurred in the summer (which I have been enduring/ignoring)

- launch Wonderful Life Farm's Christmas stocking collection! (coming Thursday!)

- deadhead perennials and put flower beds to bed for the winter

- plant daffodil bulbs for blooming next spring

- spearhead Halloween festivities for our local historical society

- make Christmas gifts for the grandkids (They are all getting pajamas/nightgowns and a heat sack this year. And yes, it's early, but I am determined not to spend late nights sewing away during the Christmas season all alone in my sewing room, when I could be downstairs with the family and cozy.)

What's on your to-do list this week? Is it a big mix of the seasons too?

Sabbath Rest

View from my bedroom window.

Forever, O Lord,

Your word is settled in heaven.

Your faithfulness endures to all generations;

You established the earth, and it abides.

- Psalm 119: 89-90

Caramel Apples, Candy Apples, and Toffee Apples

It's apple season! One of my favorite treats, since childhood, is a caramel apple. I just can't let the season escape without one. But we've experimented with new types, and thought you might enjoy the recipes too.

Here's a good recipe for a classic caramel apple, click here.

For a good old-fashioned candy apple, click here.

And for a British toffee apple (with optional nuts), click here.

Last Minute Halloween Costumes

Just in the nick of time for those of you who need a last minute Halloween costume, I've just listed two Revolutionary War Soldier Costumes! They are both a size M (8-10). Tomorrow is the LAST day to order in order to get it by Halloween, so don't delay! Click here.

Also, there are colonial girl's costumes in the shop too! Click here to visit the shop!

Apple Season

"...a distinct smell

which was a mixture

of the dried leaves

on the ground

and the smoke from 

the chimneys and

the sweet, ripe apples..."

- Arlene Stafford Wilson

Simple Changes

Sometimes you make simple changes, and you wonder why you never thought of it until now. Sometimes, you realize that maybe you're the last person on earth to think of this, and then you feel stupid. In writing this posting, I must admit to hoping that it doesn't fall into the last category. But I thought I'd share with you a couple of super simple changes I implemented a few months ago that have been working fabulously for us. And we're all wondering why we never thought of them before.

1.) The inside of the refrigerator was reprioritized. It was not a simple cleaning out, or a reorganization, but a switching things up entirely to reflect better priorities. I wanted the most accessible food to be the healthiest for us, so that what we see first and grab for with the most ease is the food we should be eating.
I don't normally share pictures of the inside of our refrigerator, so this seems a little strange, but here goes...

How it works:

The top shelf now contains beverages: orange juice, half-and-half, heavy whipping cream, buttermilk, cider, cordials, unfinished bottles of wine, etc.

The main shelf, the second one and the most easily accessible, contains everything healthy: fruit, yogurt, natural peanut butter, homemade pickles, chopped up vegetables for eating or tossing in salads or omelettes, hummus, and more.

The third shelf contains leftovers and eggs.

And the bottom shelf contains: bottles and jarred things pushed to the back (banana peppers, hot fudge sauce, etc.) and all breads (bread, bagels, English muffins, etc.)

It's working great to have the bread the least obvious and the healthy foods right in front of our eyes.

2.) Water bottles in bulk to go. Water is my favorite beverage...hands down! LOVE it! I am rarely without a glass of water within arm's reach at home, or without a water bottle when I'm on the go. I'd like to be one of those people who has one of those lovely Swell bottles, but truth be told...to me stainless steel water bottles just have a metallic taste which turns my stomach. Since I don't like being without water, I usually just kept a case of water in my car. But I started to think of how much nicer it would be to just have a bin where you could grab one. So, I bought this meal bin at Target, and it's working out great!

 

So much easier than trying to tear the heavy plastic and stretching it until you can wrangle a water bottle out. The case comes straight out of my grocery cart, and while I'm standing in the parking lot at the grocery store, I empty the case and fill the bin. It' almost funny how frequently someone in the family says, "I love the new water bottle bin!" It's not like I invented sliced bread! ;-) Initially, we had an issue with the bin wanting to slide and tip over. But my car has these handy little rings on the side (semi-visible in this photo at the bottom right corner of the bin), and we just attached the bin to the ring with a clip, and the problem was solved. Another option would be a heavier bin, like an old, wooden crate.

If I'm not the last person on earth to think of these things, I hope you found them helpful.

Photo Shoot

It's been photo shoot week for the 2018 Stocking Collection coming to the shop soon! I just have two fabulous ones to finish up next week. Then I have to wait until a sunny day to photograph those last two. Then the collection will be listed in the shop. I can't wait to show you!...woolens, classics, antique fabrics, reproduction fabrics...so excited!

Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

We've been enjoying this Pumpkin Crème Brûlée during these cold, autumn evenings this week. Perfect for the season! Click here to find the recipe.