I don’t know about you, but for me preparing for a wonderful family gathering and anticipating our time together is one of the great bonuses of holiday celebrations.  Our menu was planned early on, so that everyone would know what to bring:  traditional roasted turkey with gravy, gourmet mashed potatoes, collard greens, butter peas, fresh cranberry and pecan relish, sweet potatoes, rolls, pecan pie, and Frensh silk pie.  The table decorations were set out on Tuesday, so that there would be no last minute rush to get it done. 

One thing I truly love about these celebrations is that most all my traditions harken back to those who have gone before me… my grandmothers and my mother.  It is wonderful to get out those dishes I saw them use time after time and remember how great it was to gather around their tables.  

I placed the pilgrims and Indian corn that my grandmother had given me soon after I was married in the center of my table on a mirrored tray that had once belonged to her and graced her Thanksgiving table.  I even found a host of handwritten notes in a cookbook which had belonged to my grandmother, and it caused me to remember her hands, lovely and delicate though worn from many hours in the kitchen.  I pulled out a pair of sliver tongs that had been hers, along with a few silver serving spoons and a pair of salt and pepper shakers. 

After considerable elbow grease and time, the silver was all polished and ready for our gathering.   As I polished, I thought of all the times she must have done the same thing getting ready for us to gather around her table.

Finally Thursday arrived and, as you see from the photo below, all was ready for our time together around the table.  The candles were lit, the glasses were filled, the accoutrements were in their rightful places on the table, and we all took our plates and enjoyed the bountiful blessings prepared so carefully by the hands of our loved ones.

What a wonderful day we had as both sides of our family gathered for our Thanksgiving meal.  As we gathered around our table, we reminisced and celebrated the fact that we were once more able to be together for this special celebration.  What a terrific holiday… no gifts to buy, no hustle of crowds, no elaborate decorations… just family, food, and fellowship.  It really is a day for thankfulness.

Every year our city hosts an enormous indoor Christmas arts and crafts show called Christmas Village.  While there, I wandered around the 700+ vendors looking for inspiration and ideas.  I really didn’t accomplish much in that regard, but I did manage to sample some lovely treats and snap a few pictures.  Here’s one of my favorites, a carved wooden dish which held some beautifully preserved dried roses.

Earlier last week, I was out and about in the area looking for nature’s handiwork.  I was not disapointed as you can see from these photos.  Autumn’s kaleidoscope of colors against a glorious blue sky are captured here.

From brilliant oranges to dark ambers against a blue sky, we move to glorious golden and green tones sparkling in the sunlight.

Not to be left out, even the shrubs are getting in on the act and showing off their colors.

The blazing glory of autumn doesn’t last long; soon enough these beautiful leaves will be scattering in piles on the ground.  So I am trying to enjoy autumn’s wonderful colors to the fullest while it’s here.  The colors are spectacular and the weather cool, crisp and inviting…  you can almost hear the trees shouting, “come out and look at us!”  I think I’ll do just that.

Is there anything that says “comfort food” like a freshly made and baked apple pie?  If there is, I don’t know what it would be.  My last effort at baking an apple pie turned out so well that I thought I would share some pictures from the process.  (Click here for my perfect apple pie recipe.) 

Pie baking is a lovely process, made even more so by using my beautiful Royal Worcester Evesham 9 inch pie dish.  It seems a shame to cover the beautiful artwork, but what a delight it is to see it reappear as the pie is served!  It was a wedding gift from a lovely lady who worked as a teacher on a naval base in England.  It’s one of those things that I treasure, and I do so enjoy using it.

If you have checked my recipe, you will note that I ”cheat” a little.  I love the Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts for this recipe.  This shortens the assembly process quite a bit, but if you take care with the other steps you will still come out with a marvelous and completely homemade-looking pie.

I only use Granny Smith apples for this recipe because their tartness and consistency are perfect when combined with the spices and sugar.  I peel and core about four large apples, and then slice them as thinly as I can into a large bowl.  Then I sprinkle the other ingredients over the apples and gently turn them to coat evenly.  After this, I take one of the piecrusts out of the box and lay it gently over the pie dish.  Then with the back of my knuckles I press it gently into the pie dish until it conforms.  Once I have done this, it’s time to lay the apples into the crust.   Taking the second crust, I center it on top of the apples.  At this point, there will be some crust hanging over the edge which I trim with a knife.   Then I begin the process of folding the edge of the top crust under the bottom crust.

Once I have it tucked under all the way around, then I can begin the process of crimping.  I do this by placing one finger below the crust and one on top and then pressing gently to make an indentation.  This makes a lovely fluted look all the way around and lends to the homemade flair of the pie.  After I have finished crimping, it is time to begin making the decoration for the top of the pie.  I do this by taking the trimmings left over and rolling them into a ball.  Mashing the ball flat between two pieces of waxed paper gets it ready for forming leaves. 

Next, I take a sharp knife and cut five or six leaves (if I have enough scraps left!) from the dough.  And with any remaining dough I make small balls (berries!) to nestle in the midst of the leaves.  I then take my knife and run it lightly down the center of each leaf, making a line for the center vein.  Then I make small lines on either side of the center vein for the smaller veins.  These little touches add up to great dividends once the pie is baked.  Lastly, I poke a few holes around the leaves with the tip of my knife to allow steam to escape while the pie is baking.

And now for the result of this lovely process…

Wish you could smell the cinnamon and nutmeg!   M m m m m m …

There are warm colors on the horizon, and there’s a nip in the air.  That must mean it’s officially autumn at Charm & Grace.  The autumn articles are published and ready for your leisurely perusal.  Take a virtual drive through some beautiful fall landscapes.  And don’t miss the feature on Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania.  Also, many of you may remember a wonderful long-eared rabbit gentelman from your childhood.  Uncle Wiggily pays us a visit for our literary feature this season.  See why the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park.  There are many beautiful photos, poetry, plus recipes and much, much more to enjoy! 

Best autumn blessings to you from Charm & Grace!

Well, after a wonderful ten days in the land of fairies and make believe, we are back to reality.  How wonderful that the temperatures have taken a plunge and are ushering in some welcome autumn air. 

We wandered through the “World” for ten days and really enjoyed our time.   It is wonderful to be able to escape to so many different countries all at once.  EPCOT’s United Kingdom, a lovely little cluster of old English looking buildings with a quaint garden courtyard in the rear, is a favorite spot. We love to wander through the shops there looking at the different teas and smelling the delightful aroma of Burberry cologne.

Another of our favorite spots is EPCOT’s France (just a few steps over the bridge from UK).  The beautiful fountain pictured here is modeled after those at Versailles.  The film Impressions de France is a very special and nostalgic treat for hubby and me, as we were just newly engaged the first time we saw it.  It is rich with spectacular scenery set against the backdrop of some of the most beautiful classical music you will ever hear.  In the 90+ degree heat and humidity of Florida, it is a welcome break to walk into this lovely air-conditioned theatre and bask in this lovely sensory feast.  For us, it is a must-do (and we try to do it several times during our stay.)

Think this is Hawaii or some lovely tropical isle?  It’s Disney’s Polynesian Resort, a tropical oasis filled with lush vegetation and waterfalls around nearly every corner.  We had a wonderful meal of shrimp, grilled turkey, pork, chicken wings and the most wonderful bread pudding (with bananas Foster sauce and vanilla bean ice cream) I’ve ever tasted at O’Hana, the Polynesian’s family style restaurant. 

It was a wonderful trip; even so, we are glad to be home.  We are ready to plunge into fall and are certainly ready for cooler temperatures and even shorter days.  The leaves are beginning to change and that lovely “seasons are changing feeling” is filling the air.