Fall flavors.....

Things have been rather slow these past few months in my catering and baking department. Certainly slower than what I want them to be. A friend had to remind me that God blesses us on His time-table, not ours. I forget that waaaaay too often and get waaaaay too impatient for my own good. Sometimes I need a little reminder. The very next day........I was asked to provide a massive amount of baked goods for a church event on Sunday and it looks like this will be a weekly event to cook for. So I not only get to provide for my church, but for 200 very deserving people who help out the church every single week. From a business standpoint, that's 200 new potential clients! YAY! God is gooooood!

With the Fall season ever present, my menu includes quite a few of those wonderful Fall flavors like pumpkin, apples & pears, cherries, cinnamon & nutty ingredients. It is a brunch for a group who will be on the go throughout the morning, so the food needs to be portable. Scones, muffins, breads--sweet and savory and tarts are on the menu so far. This is one of the sweets I'll be making. It's a Pumpkin-Chocolate Marble Bundt. Let the baking begin!

For the LORD your God will bless you
in all your harvest
and in all the work of your hands, and your
joy will be complete.

~Deuteronomy 16:15

Blue ribbons.....

There's an ad in todays' paper about the special cooking contests that are being held at next months North Carolina State Fair. I think I may enter something this year. My mom used to enter foods in the fair every year and every year that woman would bring home blue ribbons! I don't think she won anything less than 1st place no matter what she entered. Her apple butter and peanut brittle were hands down the biggest winners.

There are numerous categories that have obvious sponsors like cornmeal, read-made pie crusts, corn syrup, etc. I gravitate toward the whole food categories like apples, pecans, peanuts and eggs. The apple category is interesting because they are not allowing any desserts entries this year. What will every apple pie, apple cake, apple fritter entry do?! I like the idea of a savory apple entry though. The egg competition this year is kinda cool, too. It is all egg sandwiches. Doesn't matter what you sandwich it in between, the egg just has to sandwiched by something. I'm thinkin' about something like a huevos rancheros type sandwich--my favorite way to eat eggs. I'm sure it can be turned into a delicious sandwich somehow. The pecan division is wide open. From appetizer to dessert and I have an interesting idea rolling around in my head for that. I haven't decided which I'll do....maybe all three!

The only thing I'm not crazy about is that if you win, the 'sponsors' of these contests get to take your recipe and use it as their own. I'm kinda protective of my recipes and just handing over the one that possibly was so slammin' good that it won first place in a cook-off? Can I do that? hmmmmm, if I want that ribbon, I will have to get over that protective thing I have toward my creations, I guess!

Bye-bye Blue Ridge....

The 3-day Labor Day weekend is here and there are too many open spaces on my schedule! I have a whole day tomorrow and Monday with nothing to do and I feel the need to get out and go somewhere. The weather is just too gorgeous to spend it indoors. I've searched on-line for any festivals or activities going on in the Triangle area and have found nothing. I have always wanted to go to the Seagrove Pottery district, but that is a little more than a day trip. Maybe the Smithfield Outlet Mall? Maybe....we'll see what the weekend brings.

Did you know that tomorrow is International Bacon Day? Oh, there'll be celebrating of that in some form or fashion this weekend!

Sunday, I'm having lunch with my Mom and brother at the Blue Ridge, the lovely restaurant at the North Carolina Museum of Art. After this weekend, it is closing in it's current location for many months and will re-open in a brand new building that is being built right now. The family and I have eaten many a Sunday lunch at the Blue Ridge--lots of birthdays, anniversarys and lunches for no reason at all have been there. This 'last lunch', so to speak, is our way of closing the book on this version of the Blue Ridge with anticipation of trying what I'm sure will be equally delicious dining and family time at the new restaurant. I do love the view of the 'back yard' of the Art Museum from the current Blue Ridge, so I hope the view from the new building will be just as gorgeous!

Sunday evening back at the homestead, we have friends coming over for a little cookout. We are doing hamburgers and sausages on the grill with the some 'amped' up sides--like Potato and Macaroni Salad, my deeeelicious 3-bean Baked Beans with bacon and a tomato and cucumber salad. Our friends are bringing the dessert, so that will be a surprise! Yum! The weather is suppose to be spectacular Sunday eve, so we'll be dining out on the screened porch.

Monday, Labor Day, again my schedule is wide open, so I'll see what spontaneous fun I can find. I hope whatever you are doing this holiday weekend, that you have a blast! Be safe!!!