DECKING THE HALLS

We have had a lovely bit of snow every day now

 for several days and I have to say it sure is pretty!

I have had so much fun pulling out my Christmas decor.  You know how it works - you find something you bought at the end of or after the season last year and tucked away.  Such as the case when I found some red plaid wool afghans and a red roses Sadler teapot that I thought would be sweet for Christmas.

I love my Nicol Sayre angels.

After baking some fruitcakes a few days ago, I made a list

 of other recipes I aspire to bake.  It has been

 cold outside so what a great time to bake!

We promised ourselves we would be more "sensible" this year when picking out our white fir Christmas tree.  Last year we were out of control and bought way to big a tree but after getting this one home it still seemed bigger than we thought too.  The height was right but it was way to wide.

I hope you are enjoying the season so far.

  This is my weekly blog party and I would love to have you join in and link at the bottom.  The party is about anything related to tea time, cottage home or garden!

These photos below were last night after dark:

A SNOWY DAY IN COLORADO SPRINGS

Today was a snowy day and very cold.  I enjoyed

 watching the birds come and go

 to the bird feeder outside the kitchen window:

We try to keep our feeder full!

Have a great weekend!
Sharing at:  Saturday Showoff

HISTORIC COLONIAL FRUIT CAKE

I have always been interested in Historic type recipes.  Now that I am retired it is time to "get it done" and make some of these recipes.  This recipe was in an article about various historic fruit cakes that I cut out of Family Circle Magazine back in 1978.  Thirty seven years have passed - I guess I need to bake this!

HISTORIC COLONIAL FRUIT CAKE

Pickled watermelon rind was called American citron in the 18th century.  It adds its special flavor to this chock-full-if-fruits cake.  Bake this cake at 300 degrees for 2 hours if using a 10" tube pan or if  making these using eight 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 1 1/2" loaf pans.

Here are the ingredients:  2 jars (10 oz. ea) pickled watermelon rind - drained, 1 carton (8 oz.) candied red cherries, 1 carton (8 oz.) candied pineapple, 1 -15 oz, box golden raisins, 2 cups slivered almonds (8 oz.), 2 cups chopped walnuts (8 oz.), 3 cups sifted all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp baking powder, (reduce to 1 1/2 tsp in high altitude)1 cup (2 sticks) butter, 2 cups sugar, 6 eggs, 1/2 cup of brandy or orange juice.

Directions:

1.  Grease a 10" tube pan and line with parchment paper; grease the paper

2.  Drain syrup from watermelon rind.  Cut rind into tiny slivers.  Cut the candied cherries in half;  chop pineapple.  Combine watermelon slivers, cherries, pineapple, raisins, walnut and almonds in a very large bowl. (even a roaster will work)

3.  Sift flour, baking powder into a large bowl.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup of mixture over fruits to coat then - toss.

4.  Using a mixer, beat the butter, sugar and eggs in a large bowl at high speed for 3 minutes until fluffy.

5.  Stir in flour mixture alternately with brandy or orange juice , beating after each addition until the batter is quite smooth.

6.  Pour batter over prepared fruits and nuts and folk just until well blended.  Spoon mixture into prepared cake pans.

7.  Bake in a slow oven at 300 degrees for 2 hours for a 10" tube pan or the foil pans. 

 The top springs back when lightly pressed with fingertip when done.  Cool on wire rack, loosen around edge and tube with knife and turn onto wire rack.  Peel off parchment paper.  Cool completely and sprinkle with brandy.  Wrap in heavy foil and store for at least 1 week.  You can leave them in the individual foil cake pans which come with plastic lids.

GOING AHEAD WITH ENGLISH RED TRANSFERWARE

I have been so ready to start decorating for Christmas.  I asked my husband how he would feel about me going ahead and at least getting out my red transferware and he gave me the go ahead! 

 This is my first time to share some of these pieces.

  Some of you remember I had a few pieces last

 Christmas and have been searching for more.

 This summer I hit the jackpot at an antique shop on Broadway in Denver and got 52 pieces of Spode Tower in perfect condition for a great price.  I will share my table setting later with the plates I got.  I love the mix and matching of the red pieces.  I had been picking up a piece here and there and then sometimes not seeing any for a long time.  I admired many pieces on Etsy but found them very pricey. 

 A few weeks back,  I found the above Mason's Vista teapot with the kettle type handle in perfect shape at a very reasonable price in Denver. ($42.00 sounds like a lot but I saw the same one for $250.00 on Etsy)  I was so excited to find it.  Overwhelmed!  A lady antique dealer stopped me and gave me a tutorial about Mason's Vista.  She said the oldest pieces just say "Mason's Vista - England" and warned me they contained lead in the paint.  She said that later they said "made in England" and those did not contain lead.

My favorite two patterns are Mason's Vista and Spode 
Tower but also one of the patterns I like is this
 Enoch Woods English Scenery

 like this cup and saucer:

While in Missouri, I saw another style Mason's Vista teapot. (there are quite a few different ones)   It was $129.00 which was not in my budget.  The dealer had a nice display of red but I walked away empty handed.  I had seen that same teapot at an antique mall too but the spout was chipped so I put it back.

 My husband bought me the larger of the 2 soup tureens.  The lady wrapped it quickly and later we noticed a chip

 but it was very inexpensive so .....

We thought Thanksgiving would never get here this year. I hope you USA friends have a wonderful Thanksgiving.   As I shared before, this will be our last Christmas in Colorado.

LAST DAYS TO ENJOY FALL TRANSFERWARE

Thanksgiving will finally arrive here next week. 

For one last time, I am sharing the open armoire
 with some fall transferware and

 English teapots.  Sometime back I found 2 more

 of the Pallisy Bird Plates at the flea markets in Fort Collins.

I have intermingled a few English teapots that 
I thought looked more fall toned.

I found a few more pieces of brown transferware since last year and a couple English tea pots:

I have noticed several bloggers who are decorating for Christmas already and I've got the itch too but not until after Thanksgiving.  This will be our last Christmas in Colorado where

 we have spent 21 years so we plan to enjoy it and try not to get too overwhelmed with the impending packing.

 We will close on a retirement walkout rancher in Columbia, Missouri on January 29th.  We have joked because someone asked us what a retirement walkout rancher was.  It just means - less stairs going up and down!  The basement is above ground on most of 3 sides which keeps it from being quite as damp and cold.  We will be excited to be near family. 
 There will be some adjustments in our new home as we won't have a den - just a living room.   I am so excited that I will have my own large area in the finished basement for a personal tea room.  I have to recreate a garden in the yard but guess what?  
There is a sweet goldfish pond right near the sliding glass doors that go into the house.  I already see Jeremy Fisher sitting there!  I'm hoping he gets along well with the goldfish!

FIRE IT UP!

As I mentioned yesterday - we had a blizzard Monday night.  The wind howled with shears all night long. 
 Burr.......  this is what we do when it's cold outside.

I have to tell you almost all the homes we looked at in
 Missouri had gas fireplaces. 
 I think I am really going to miss this when we move!

TIME SPENT IN MISSOURI

Last week we spent some time in Columbia, Missouri and the surrounding area as we are planning to retire there. There were some cute little towns nearby.  Some of the area featured barns with quilts painted on them and Blackwater, Missouri was a darling tiny town with a population of 199 people.  The downtown, as tiny as it was, is absolutely precious:

A very stylish senior lady, named Mary Watson owns the Antique & Interiors shop below right - she was incredibly friendly!  

This is The Iron Horse Hotel Bed & Breakfast:

I had to take some photos of this lovely cockscomb
 still blooming:  looking back,
 why in the world didn't I get some of that free seed?

Also, in Colombia where we spent time with family and looking at possible houses -

 we came upon this school which I wanted to share as it was so cute!

Can you imagine a day like this?

When we drove home yesterday passing through Kansas on I-70 we passed beside the small town of Park, Kansas and the sirens were blaring because tornadoes had been spotted in Gove, Kansas 15 minutes earlier.  Yipes!  A little further down I-70 we passed Grainfield, Kansas and as we passed, the power was out in the town because of the tornato.  We then raced to get home as a blizzard was to arrive in Colorado Springs by 8:00 PM.  We got home at 9:15 PM in driving snow. 

Once we woke up this morning - this was our backyard: