HOME

"The light is what guides you home, the warmth is what keeps you there." ~ Ellie Rodriguez

Welcome to my HOME friends! Here we are into the month of October and I think most of us may be spending more time in the kitchen these days. I know I am.

As I shared at my tea party this week, I had made an Apple Upside Down Cake with Vanilla Sauce.
It was my mother's recipe and I presume, her mother's recipe. Hope you enjoy it!

It starts with a Cottage Pudding batter then it is poured over an apple base.

Apple Base

Begin by melting 3 TBSP butter in bottom of 8" pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup brown sugar. Slice 3 apples {I used 2 Cortlands and 1 Granny Smith} over the sugar mixture.

Cottage Pudding

Cream: 1/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
Add: 1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
Beat until light and fluffy.

Sift together:
1-3/4 cup flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Add to creamed mixture alternately with 3/4 cup milk. Beat well after each addition. Pour the  batter over the prepared apples and smooth to the edges of the pan.
Bake @ 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes.
Serve warm with vanilla sauce or whipped cream.

Apple base

Cottage pudding

Vanilla Sauce/Brown Sugar Sauce
1 cup brown sugar
3 TBSP flour
1/2 tsp salt

Gradually stir in 2 cups of boiling water.
Bring to a boil and cook until smoothly thickened, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and stir in 2 TBSP butter
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
Yield- 2 cups

This is a lovely dessert for family or company.

Here are my features from last week's party.......

Congratulations! to Gina @ Victorian Wanna Be who received the most views on her darling miniature bedroom post.



Diane @ An Extraordinary Day shared her recipe for this yummy looking salad.

Pamela @ playingwithmycamera shared some lovely autumnal touches around her home.



Linda @ More Fun Less Laundry shared a wonderful apple themed table in celebration of a family member's birthday.

Dawn @ We Call It Junkin took us on a tour of the fabulous Lace House in South Carolina.



Bernideen @ Bernideen's Tea Time Blog gets another feature this week because I love her shabby chic pumpkins she made out of vintage laces.

And Dawna @ That Country Place shared her tutorial on creating this cute Fall sign made from a cupboard door.

A big Thank you to all of you who welcome us into your homes every week. You're the ones who make this party so special.

Do you have something HOME related you would like to share with us? Then please create a post around it and link up with me. I would love to have you.

"Lord, this humble house we'd keep
Sweet with play and calm with sleep.
Help us so that we may give
Beauty to the lives we live.
Let Thy bounty and Thy grace
Shine upon our dwelling place. " ~ Edgar A. Guest


As a courtesy, please link back to me so that your visitors may find their way here to visit with all my lovely participants.

I am joining the following parties as well~

What's It Wednesday ~ http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/
Home and Garden Thursday ~ http://www.adelightsomelife.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Tutorials Tips and Tidbits ~ http://www.stonegableblog.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

HOME

Welcome HOME friends~
Heart Of My Environment

May your HOME be too small to hold all your friends. ~ Author Unknown

I am so happy you are here! Please have a seat and make yourself comfy. I do appreciate the time you spend with me!

Last week there were so many wonderful posts to enjoy and I want to feature a few that really caught my eye.....!

Stephanie at The Enchanting Rose shared her tutorial on how to make these wonderful wreaths out of styrofoam plates. If you missed them last week then I hope you will pay her a visit to see how she made these. Fabulous idea!





Judith at Lavender Cottage shared her lovely French Macarons. They look delicious and I think she did a splendid job! I wouldn't have the patience to make them myself although I wouldn't mind one bit, tasting one! Love the pink!













Jocelyn at Just A Little Southern Hospitality shared her wonderful Thanksgiving table. I love JB Friendly Village and she has set her table so beautifully with cute pumpkins as her centerpiece. Wouldn't you love to sit at her table and enjoy a meal?

And Shari at Lauren's Closet shared this darling lamp makeover for her daughter's room. So chic; love it!

Well, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas all around my HOME. I started decorating this week and I have been doing a few crafts as well. One little craft I was working on is this wee tree in a salt shaker. I found something similar to this on the 'Net one day. 

You can find these shakers in any store and the trees I found at Michaels. I painted the top and then glittered it to add some sparkle. It is the holidays after all! The snow is epsom salts. I gave this one to my DIL and am working on some more.

First, I cleaned the bottle then I painted and glittered the cover.  I put hot glue on the bottom of the tree and used tweezers to glue the tree inside the bottle. Added some 'snow' and, voila!


This is a larger jar which I tied some sheer ribbon and raffia around with a little 'JOY' tag. I also glittered the top to make it look frosted. I used a bigger tree for this one.

I am also working on some ice skates but I will share those another week.

This week, at my tea party, I served these Mini Trifles. These were a big hit with everyone including my hubby. 

 Mini Trifles

You will need~
Small Mason jars
1 angel food cake
Berries; I used sliced strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries
1- 4 serving size Vanilla instant pudding
1-2/3 cups cold Milk
2 cups Whipping cream with a little sugar to taste. 

Make the pudding according to directions on the package except using 1-2/3 cups of milk. Whip the cream and gently fold into the pudding. Be sure to save some whipped cream for the topping.


I filled the bottoms of the jars with pieces of angel food cake then I spooned in the pudding mixture next. On top of the pudding, I added raspberries, sliced strawberries, and blueberries. I repeated the layers of cake, pudding, and berries up to the top. Add some whipped cream to the top and garnish with some fruit.   
I tied a pretty ribbon around the mouth of the jars and set them on coordinating plates. 

What I love about these is that they are great for individual servings and as much as I love the look of Trifle in a big trifle bowl, it gets messy after a couple of helpings. Also with minis, you can make just a couple or several and save the pudding for later.

These are a little different twist from the Strawberry Shortcake in Mason jars which I served at my Savour the Summer Tea Party. You can find that on my sidebar. Hope you will try it!

Optional-
You could also make Mini Chocolate Trifles using chocolate cake instead of angel food and chocolate pudding instead of vanilla. Enjoy!

Thank you for stopping by. I hope you have enjoyed your visit.
If you have something you would like to share, please refer to the list below and link up with me. I would love to come and visit you. Hope you have a delightful day, dear friends.

I am joining the following parties as well~

Home and Garden Thursday ~ http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/
Share Your Cup Thursday~ http://jannolson.blogspot.com/
Cottage Style Linky Party~ http://lavendergardencottage.blogspot.com/
Tutorials Tips and Tidbits ~ http://www.stonegableblog.com/
Home Sweet Home~ http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/
Open House~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/
Potpourri Friday~ http://twenty-eight-0-five.blogspot.com/

Sharing from my heart~ Sandi

A Dessert for St Patrick's Day

May joy and peace surround you,

Contentment latch your door,

And happiness be with you now,

And bless you evermore. ~ An Irish Blessing

Hello dear friends and welcome back to Rose Chintz Cottage! With St Patrick's Day happening this week, I thought I would share a recipe which I plan to make. I had shared this recipe years ago and I thought it the perfect dessert for St Patrick's Day. 

There are one of two different bottom crusts  you can make for this dessert. I am making the shortbread bottom myself but the graham crumb bottom is the original crust and it is good too. I will share both crust recipes and you can choose the one you please.

Striped Delight Dessert 

Graham Cracker Crumb Crust

1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press firmly into a 13x9 inch pan.

Shortbread Crust 

1 cup butter, softened
4 TBSP icing sugar
2 cups flour
Cream together butter and icing sugar. Beat in flour until blended. Dump mixture into the bottom of a 13x9 inch pan and using a sheet of plastic wrap, press into the pan until flat and even. 

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Don't allow it to bake too much. You are looking for a nice golden colour. Cool.

Filling

8 oz pkg Philly cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
2 TBSP milk
1 small container Cool Whip, thawed {I used the large one because I like lots of whipped topping.}
2 pkgs {4 serving size} Jello instant pudding 
3-1/2 cups cold milk.

NOTE: You may use chocolate, butterscotch, lemon, or pistachio instant pudding. I used the pistachio for St Patrick's Day.

Beat cream cheese with sugar and 2 TBSP milk until smooth.

Fold in half the Cool Whip if using the small container and spread over the crust.

Refrigerate while making the pudding layer.
Using 3-1/2 cups cold milk, prepare pudding according to directions on package.

Pour over the cream cheese layer.
Chill over night or for several hours. 

Spread remaining Cool Whip over pudding and garnish if you wish. Makes 12-15 servings.

NOTE: You may use 1 package {6 serving size} pudding mix and 2-1/2 cups cold milk. Enjoy!

Enjoy with a nice hot beverage. This recipe makes enough for a pot luck or dinner with your family and friends.

I will be back later this week with another posting. See you then and have a wonderful day!

Sharing from my heart ~ Sandi

Tea Time Tuesday ~ A Cottage Tea

Springtime ~ A beautiful time of year. ~

Hello friends and Welcome to my cottage and another Tea Time Tuesday!

I'm so happy you have stopped by! We had the most lovely weekend here on the Island! I hope you did as well. Spring has finally sprung forth here and her magical wonders are beginning to be seen and felt everywhere. The green tips of our tulips are peeking out from the soil and in our garden out back, I can see bits of green. Such a welcome sight!

I have a wonderful tea to share with you today! My tea is one which my hubby and I shared with two of our favourite people; my Auntie P and Uncle Doug.

Auntie and Uncle Doug had come over to the Island one day last week to visit with my mother and me. After visiting my mother, they arrived at my home for tea. They also came bearing gifts. I will share about one gift later in my post.

Happiness is sharing tea with a friend. ~

This is the table all set before they arrived. As you can see by the photo I have not placed the refreshments on the table yet. I used a set of dishes which had come from Eatons before they closed. I had purchased a few pieces and my mother had bought the rest of them for me for Christmas one year. They go well with my Rose Chintz too.... Oh, I must get my chairs painted!

The flowers.

The napkins.

The teacup and silver.

The tea plate.

The water goblet is from a set of eight which I got at Winners years ago.

Just before we sat down to enjoy our tea, I replaced the tall vase of tulips with a smaller one; white carnations and three tulips. A smaller vase of flowers makes conversation easier.

If I had a single flower for every time I think about you, I could walk forever in my garden. ~ Claudia Ghandi

Everyone loves an English accent~ Auntie P is my mother's youngest sister and we are very close. It was at her home where I first fell in love with the Rose Chintz pattern. Uncle Doug is totally charming and he hails from England. We just love his accent and stories! He has seen much of the world so he has many stories to tell. They are such a delightful couple and we love them both very much! We hadn't seen them in a year but it's always like we had seen them just yesterday. We had a lovely visit.

So what was on the menu, you may wonder.

A nice orange pekoe tea steeps in my Skye McGhie Cream Lace teapot. I love this teapot because it holds a lot of tea and it's very pretty with its lacey cut-outs around the top. It also goes well with the china I am using.

There were two plates of finger sandwiches. One plate held cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches on white bread, the other had double-decker egg salad sandwiches on whole wheat.

The cucumber sandwiches went over very well! These are a real English tea sandwich!

Spread one slice of bread with butter and another with cream cheese. I find whipped cream cheese is easier to spread. Cut up an English cucumber into paper thin slices and place neatly over your cream cheese base. Then place the buttered slice over the cukes. Cut off the crusts and cut into triangles, squares, or fingers and enjoy. They are delicious and lovely with a tea!

Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company. ~

For dessert, I had made a Cottage Pudding.

This was a pudding my mother used to make when I was growing up. It is a white cake, made from scratch, with a lovely brown sugar sauce poured over it! Oftentimes, my mother would put sliced apples with cinnamon on the bottom of the cake to make upside down cake. Other times, she would put pineapple rings with a cherry in the center of each, on the bottom. Which ever way it was served, it was a delicious treat! I love the pool of sauce that surrounds the cake! Mmm!

So, do you want to see what they brought me?

This darling little teapot. Look at that elegant handle!

...and a matching teacup. There is no stamp, but no matter. It is a very sweet set, don't you think?

I love the pretty garland of flowers, gold trim, and scalloped shape! The teacup resembles a flower when you look into it. A gorgeous tea for one!

They brought this set back from their trip to Vancouver Island last Fall. They had kept it a surprise for me until they arrived last week. My auntie and uncle are precious and they know me well! Thank you, Loves!

Next week I will be sharing my Easter Tea and I hope you will join me then.

"Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust Him, and He will help you." ~ Psalm 37:5

Thank you so much for joining me for tea today. I love having you stop by! Should you wish to participate in my tea party, please use the inlinkz below. Please link back to me so that your visitors may find their way here to visit all my lovely participants.

I am also joining the many other parties taking place this week:

Kathy - http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/ - Victoria- A Return to Loveliness

Martha - http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ - Teacup Tuesday
Terri - http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ - Teacup Tuesday

Wanda Lee - http://silkenpurse.blogspot.com/ - Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday
Pam - http://breathoffreshair-paperbutterfly.blogspot.com/ - Teapot and Tea Things Tuesday
Wanda Lee- http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/ - Tea For Two and Wednesday Tea For Me and Thee

Donna - http://thehomemakingarts.blogspot.com/ - Tuesday Tea

Lady Katherine - http://ladykatherineteaparlor.blogspot.com/ - Teatime Tuesday

Donna and Miss Spenser - http://missspensersblog.blogspot.com/ - Teacup Thursday

Marty- http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/ - Table Top Tuesday

You will find all of these gracious ladies with their links on my sidebar also.



Sharing from my heart~ Sandi