Fall Tour & Dinner Party

Hello, dear friends.  Can you hear me now?  This post is one of the past.  I needed to run something to see if this dumb old email is fixed.  Unfortunately, I had no post in the wings so I am posting this from last year.  I knew you wouldn't mind.

This post began as a Fall Tour of the house, and then I added some pics of a dinner party that we hosted recently.     

This year we decorated with mums, pumpkins just large enough for Chowdah not to fit into his mouth, scattered gourds that were strategically placed out of Chowdahs reach, and cabbage.  We usually jump the gun and plant too early.  By the time Halloween arrives everything is a depressing shade of brown surrounded by rotting pumpkins.

  

This year we planted a little later, and we are just going to make it to the finish line.

I took these pics over the course of a couple of weeks with different cameras and exposures.  Not because I wanted to experiment - I am just unorganized.  Ask my husband, Felix Unger.

Can you spell H-A-M?

He wasn't even offered a treat for these "candids."

This year, for the mantle I used Baby Boo pumpkins which are homegrown.  Not really - just wanted to see if you are paying attention.  I also incorporated scented pinecones, which, incidentally, does an amazing job camouflaging the scent of wet dog.

I also threw in some unpolished silver for a kind of a rustic look, or maybe I was just lazy.  You decide.

Lots of mums and my MC pumpkin that my buddy, KTG gifted me years ago.

I like to use cranberries and apples to freshen up the dining room.  Plus, I felt I was starting to overdo it with the mums.

This pic does not do them justice, but I found the prettiest tangerine colored linen placemats during my bi-weekly inventory inspection at Homegoods.  I also bought some burlap-looking napkins to go with them.  Again, carrying through on that whole "rustic" theme or maybe I bought them because they didn't need to be ironed.  

You decide. 

Enough with the table... on with the food.

Appetizers included the Mister's favorite tart shells with pork belly, caramelized pear, and blue cheese.

Also assorted sausage with dijon aioli and pumpkin hummus with pumpkin seeds and toasted Naan.

The chef spinning his magic and getting impatient with his gorgeous, younger-than-Springtime trophy wife for taking too many photos.

The entree was roasted chicken, creamed corn polenta, with oven roasted brussel sprouts, baby carrots, shitake, and prosciutto cracklins. 

Btw... am I the only one who has never heard of prosciutto cracklins before this post?

Why is dessert always my favorite?

The piece de la resistance was a caramel apple cobbler with a side of vanilla gelato topped with toasted marshmallows.

Nothing like a light, low-calorie meal to give you a good night's sleep. 

If you don't mind, I am trying this again.  If you are a subscriber, can you leave me a note if this appears in your mailbox?

Until next time...

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