Fall in Chicago

While in Chicago this week it certainly felt like fall. Walking up and down Michigan Avenue, the sidewalks were decked out with beautiful displays of pumpkins, dried cornstalks, bales of hay and adorable scarecrows.

Beautiful displays of mums in autumn colors.

Please join Rhoda at http://southernhospitalityblog.com/ for "It's Fall Y"All!"

One of the last farmers markets of the season in Chicago on Tuesday.

I see apples! Makes me want to bake an apple pie...

Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

~Karen~

Mosaic Monday ~ Cape Cod

A small mosaic of some of my favorite pictures from Cape Cod this summer...

This is my first Mosaic Monday. I just discovered The Little Red House blog and I think it is charming! Please visit Mary at http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/ to visit and enjoy all of the mosaics.

Nutty Danish Pastry With Caramel Frosting

Please join Gollum for great posts for Foodie Friday! Visit her at www.designsbygollum.blogspot.com

Nutty Danish Pastry

Step 1 1/2 cup butter

1 cup all purpose flour

2 tablespoons water

Cut 1/2 cup of butter (at refrigerator temperature) into 1 cup of flour until mixture resembles course meal. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons water evenly over surface, and stir with a fork until all dry ingredients are moistened. Shape the mixture into 2 equal balls. Roll out each ball on an ungreased baking sheet and trim to make each a 12"x 3" rectangle.

Step 2

1/2 cup butter

1 cup water

1 cup all purpose flour

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine butter and water in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of flour all at once and reduce heat to low and cook, stirring vigorously until the mixture forms a ball and leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time to the slightly cooled mixture beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla . Spoon the mixture evenly over each pastry rectangle, spreading to edges. Bake the pasteries at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.

Step 3

Spread each pastry with Caramel Frosting while warm, and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Caramel Frosting

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 1/2 ~ 2 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 cup sifted powder sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and cook 1 minute over low heat. Stir in remaining ingredients and beat with electric mixture until smooth (adding more milk if necessary) to make frosting a good spreading consistency. Lovely to enjoy with a cup of tea! Thanks for joining me on my blog and enjoy your Foodie Friday!

~Karen~

Butchart Gardens - Victoria - British Columbia

Please visit Susan at http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com to enjoy many beautiful Outdoor Wednesday posts!

Tea at The Empress Hotel, Victoria, British Columbia

If you are ever in Victoria, British Columbia on Vancouver Island, a wonderful treat is the high tea at The Empress Hotel.

We began with a yummy bowl of blueberries with the most wonderful whipped cream on top.

This is the front page from the tea menu. I love the Henry James quote~"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea." How very true.

Sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, and of course...dessert.

The sandwiches included smoked salmon pinwheels, curried chicken, carrot and ginger with cream cheese, cucumber with a horseradish mayo.

Dessert included, lemon tarts with strawberry on top, checkerboard spongecake, shortbread, chocolate cake, as well as little chocolate cups filled with a chocolate and cherry filling!!

How divine. And, I didn't even mention the tea! Of course it too was fabulous. Please join Gollum at http://www.designsbygollum.blogspot.com/ for lots of wonderful posts celebrating Foodie Friday.

Outdoor Wednesday ~ Hydrangeas

I love Hydrangeas!!

The blue ones below I saw on Cape Cod this summer. I think that they are called Lace Caps.

Also from Cape Cod, I was amazed at these huge, white balls. They look like snowballs! Here is a closer look. Love the color of the Hydrangeas below. These I found in British Columbia.

I am not a gardener. Not even close! But I have always loved these flowers. I believe the color is dependent on the soil and any additives to the soil? I remember that my mother-in-law had the most beautiful purple/blue bush in her yard on Long Island. They were gorgeous, with tons and tons of balls of flowers. I am sure many of you who are gardeners know a whole lot more about these beautiful flowers. I think South Texas is probably too hot to grow these...?

I would love to hear from you and anything more you know about these beautiful flowers~

Thank for visiting ~ Karen ~

Please visit Susan at A Southern Day Dreamer to enjoy lots of Outdoor Wednesday posts.

http://www.asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/