Autumn's Sweep and holiday recipes

October Party

October gave a party;

The leaves by hundreds came-

The Chestnuts, Oaks and Maples

And leaves of every name,

The sunshine spread a carpet,

And everything was grand,

Miss Weather led the dancing,

Professor Wind the band.

by George Cooper

Ree Drummond is an author, blogger, Food Network Star, housewife and mother. She is featured in the recent issue of Country Woman magazine. Perhaps you have heard about the blog that profiles her life on a Oklahoma ranch with The Marlboro Man and their four homeschoooled children. Beautiful photography, keen observations on ranch life, homestyle recipes all are written in a sharp witty style. Ree was one of the first food bloggers to feature step by step pictures on how to prepare a recipe on her website. Check it out you may find it an interesting read

http://thepioneerwoman.com/

Lucky I got most of my picture taking done this past week as it appears a blustery Professor Wind roared through the yard leaving the trees almost bare.

Taste of Home October 2011 had some interesting holiday recipe ideas you might want to think about trying. I posted a picture of Witches' Brooms and Wide-Open Espresso Cookies featured in their current issue.

Eyes-Wide-Open Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1-1/4 cups flour
• 6 TB. baking cocoa
• 2 tsp. finely ground espresso beans (you can purchase at grocery store jar of instant espresso coffee to substitute-I tested with a product called Medaglia D'Oro)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1-1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 45 chocolate covered coffee beans (can be purchased at coffee shops or a store where specialty candies are sold-like Macys)

Directions:

• In a large bowl cream butter and sugars until light an fluffy
• Beat in egg
• Combine flour, cocoa, espresso powder or crushed beans, baking soda, salt
• Gradually add to butter mixture, mix well
• Stir in chocolate chips
• Drop by spoonful on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake @ 350 for 8-10 minutes
• Immediately press a coffee bean into the center of each cookie
• Cool slightly and transfer to a wire rack

Witches' Brooms

Ingredients:

• green shoestring licorice
• pretzel rods
• black shoestring licorice

Directions:

• Cut 1 green shoestring licorice into 1-1/2 inch lengths
• Arrange around a pretzel rod to form bristles
• Tightly wrap bristles with one piece of of black shoestring licorice tucking in ends to secure
• makes one broomstick

It was a hit when I served it with Blood Orange Margaritas

• 1/2 cup blood orange juice
• 2 oz. Tequila
• 1 oz. Triple Sec or Cointreau
• slash of agave nectar (syrup)

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker add ice and shake about 25 seconds

Pour into glasses that have had the rim of glass rubbed with blood orange slice swirl rim in sea salt