Pumpkin soup

     I just finished baking some very yummy soft pumpkin cookies.  But, first let me tell you about the dinner. Pumpkin Soup. Delicious, creamy, buttery...mmmm. The 17 year old gave it 2 thumbs up and did not tell me to pack my knives and go! The husband loved it, but I figured he would.
Here it is:

Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped (I used garlic salt/powder as I didn't have garlic)
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1 can (14 1/2 fluid ounces) chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 can (15 ounces)  Pumpkin
1 can (12 fluid ounces)Evaporated Milk
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions


Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and sugar; cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until soft. Add broth, water, salt and pepper; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Stir in pumpkin, evaporated milk and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Put mixture into a food processor or blender (in batches, if necessary); process until smooth. Return to saucepan. Serve warm. (I think a dollop of sour cream would be nice as garnish-I had riccotta, so I went with that and it was good!)

Totally Skipped Summer and Enjoyed Every Minute!

     
       Well, Autumn is here and I haven't posted since June!  My youngest is off to college and spent the summer getting ready...Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, etc.! He is settled and very happy. I hear from him everyday but he doesn't talk for too long, which means all is well!! Second son got a job right out of college as a teaching assistant at a wonderful school for children with developmental disabilities. He is doing great! 

     Please go to Petit Coterie.......Michelle had a wonderful giveaway which I was so fortunate to win, My prize? Her beautiful pillows! I have 4 out of 6 so far! I can't tell you how amazing  they are! Here are pics:

This is her latest post at Petit Coterie and please go to her online  shop having the most beautiful items!!!
             The months are just flying by as evident by my last blog post.  We have just had so many exciting things going on and one of them is our new cutting boards. Of course we had to take one of our original pillow designs, the Cafe de Madaline and add it to a beautiful maple board.  We are now offering these boards as custom wedding gifts, with the bride and grooms name and date of their wedding as well as anniversary and house warming gifts. I think it's great when you can customize a gift. 

We are also offering our Burlap Christmas stockings and our holiday pillows so please stop by our website.

I hope all of you have a wonderful week ahead.



            Something very special about these pillows besides the beautiful workmanship and fabrics, are the little medals she attaches to the corner...a blessing for me and a sweet addition for others....and her simple tags and  a surprise in the box!

I cannot thank her enough for these lovely pillows and I do hope you will pay her a visit!!! 

Please go  visit her and when you do  please say "hi" for me!!!!

~Nancy

Absent with Excuses

Yes I have been absent since Valentine's Day...and before that-Christmas. My intent in February was to start up again. If I have the time, I have been visiting, leaving as comment here or there, but mostly reading up on all of you. Too much has happened in this house to tell...pretty bad and then good, so I will just jump to the present.


            Our older son just graduated from college with a BA in English-his hope is to become a special ed teacher ~so off to start the Master's degree. He had been interested in Physical Education when he started, but changed his major-and ECSU did not have a Special Ed degree. He did get his wish to play college baseball and we enjoyed many games. He works with autisticchildren during his college breaks and will continue there while he gets his degree. He is a very special guy and we are sooo proud. He is the one on the far right...with his college budddies.

More to come ~but I must send a huge thank you to the beautiful Michelle at Petit Coterie.

While reading my google reader one day, I came upon her blog and a giveaway for gorgeous pillows...so i entered...never dreaming I would win....so I was so luck and I did! With my luck -not so lucky lately, it was a blessing!

The pillow arrived and it is so much more perfect than you can imagine! The workmanship is unbelievable! The fabric is strong and sturdy yet looks so delicate!

This picture does not do it justice! I have visited all of these places on Cape Cod and couldn't believe it when it arrived! It was wrapped so beautifully and a secret little medal is sewn in the corner. A sweet little burlap wrapped scent was included, too. How lucky am I -extremely!!! I want everyone to go to her blog and especially her Etsy shop and get one for yourself!

She also has the most beautiful catalog of work!!!! Go to her shop catalog and feast on these beauties!

Her pillows were recently seen on Martha Stewart and if that is not a positive accolade

-what is?!

Michelle says, "We pride ourselves on our workmanship as well as having the ability to offer our customers custom designs. Our primary fabric, burlap has been a huge success allowing us to have flexibility in the designing process. Our grain sack fabric is a medium weight cotton/ linen blend that has also been extremely popular. We have now added bedding to our line as well as tea towels."

Please spread the word!!!!



her button!!!



Thank you, thank you!!!!



~Nancy



Happy Valentine's Day!

Just in to wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day!  Still no posts....I visit all of you,but haven't been writing....but I would make you these...

and bring you these!

And I wish my favorite

a very Happy Hearts Day!

Love,