Delicious Autumn

Such a creative time of year! Weather changes and I start making stuff! I thought I'd give you a photo montage of what's going on around here...ever since I got my digital camera I've gone a bit berserk and almost nothing gets away from me. Camera's attached to my face now, people are getting used to it. I'm sure it shortens these newsletters by quite a bit considering how many words they say a picture is worth!heart

Leaves

So here we go...

Window

First off, this is today from the front window of my studio on Martha's Vineyard, which is in my house. Rainy day, wonderful rainy day...I'm listening to embers pop in the fireplace, hearing cars go by slapping water under the tires, drinking tea, and writing you, how bad can it be?

Table

So where do I start...OK, here's my table set up for the dinner party I gave a couple of days ago -- it was a birthday for one of my girlfriends. I've always loved setting the table, which is probably how I got into the whole cooking thing in the first place. Found out that nobody would come unless there's food on the plates!

Pumpkins

A nice long slow-cooking Coq au Vin was the main dish; for dessert I made the amazing Pumpkin Cheesecake on P.97 of my AUTUMN BOOK; but for starters, I put a stuffed Jack-Be-Little Pumpkin on each plate (just so I could hear the little squeals when everyone came to the table, my favorite sound).

Orange cegetables (the darker the better) are high in beta carotene.

I thought maybe you would like the recipe for this, so here goes: While sweet potatoes are cooking (see further along in recipe) cut off the tops of the pumpkins, hollow out cleanly and smear insides with a little softened butter. Put them on a cookie sheet. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. With an electric mixer (not a food processor) you whip together 4 c. cooked (boil them) and mashed sweet potatoes, 8 oz softened cream cheese, 1/2 c. softened butter, 2 beaten eggs, 1/4 c. packed brown sugar, 2 1/2 Tbsp. dry sherry, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Whip until light. Stir in 3/4 c. chopped walnuts. Fill the pumpkins, sprinkle each with nutmeg, put on the tops, and bake 40 min. until pumpkins feel tender when lightly squeezed.Tiny Pumpkin

Warm up the house with color.

Chair

Of course, then I had to redecorate the house for the season -- I filled the house with fall flowers, put my glass candlesticks away, got out the wooden and brass ones, the purple and red votive candles, and decorated with old books and baskets. All my kitchen chairs have these down-filled, red-checked PILLOWS tied to them-- they make my kitchen so cozy I thought you might like them too! (And P.S., if you like that star rug under the chair, you will be able to get it soon -- it's one of my new hooked rug designs!)

Kitten

I'm spending lots of time in those kitchen chairs (thank goodness for the little pillow!) working on my new book, and babysitting my girlfriend's kitty, who of course must sit on top of my work and have a kicking meltdown with his stuffed mouse victim. Big time out. Get the camera.

Chair

Last Christmas I made a fabulous CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE, and found this wonderful tree mold to put it in. I'm really not over it yet, the cake was so moist and delicious, so I searched high and low to find the mold for you. We have it on our web site now, along with the recipe, in case you need some sort of startling dessert to bring to holiday parties. Sift powdered sugar over all and it's a snow scene.

Spoon

Lots of new things on our UPDATED WEB SITE. For fast access, here are links to CALENDARS, CHRISTMAS CARDS, GREETING CARD ASSORTMENTS, MY CHRISTMAS BOOKS, JAMMIES, DATED CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT, AND FINE ART PRINTS. But you know, there's lots more than this.

My new IN LOVE WITH NATURE fabric collection has arrived! The fabric, fat quarters, and charm packs are all in. We think it's the best one ever (colors are all the watercolors you saw above). So I've been sewing, making little project ideas for you -- showing PHOTOS of them on my web site -- I designed an "AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER" pillow, made with the new letter fabric. We also have new CUPCAKE DISHTOWELS in a kit. In case you're feeling as creative as me -- lots of ways to get your fix in this Newsletter!

Dish Towels

Creativity is joy for Sue.

I was looking through an old diary, and found this sticker on a page (the sticker says "We Give Thanks" and has a cornucopia on it) -- so I took a photo of it, along with the words I'd written over the top. Ain't it the truth...

With love

If you love SUPERSTITIONS OF THE SEASONS, and need it to decorate for the season, we've had them printed for you on 8 x 10 card stock. xxoo

Superstitions of the Season