Friday Things.....and Then Saturday's Dutch Baby, Pear Cake, and Mexican Cornbread

I set my phone to wake me up at 8:30 this morning - early for me.

I was up, had coffee, dressed and arrived at my doctor appointment a few minutes shy of 10:30.

I'm being diligent here about getting to my appointments on time!

As I gave my name and the lady pulled up my records, she gave me a funny look and said, "Mrs. Chapman, you DO know your appointment is at 2:30?"

NO! I guess with all the appointmnets I've made lately - and 2:30 is my desired time to go - I put down the wrong time in my planner.  No problem. I said I would be back - I was going shopping!

My store of choice was Big Lots.

As I walked in the door, I saw this huge display of Yankee Candles!!!

For $13!!! Regular $29.50 for these fall fragrances!

AND they had so many to choose from!

I bought four!

I loaded up with some fall garlands, tableclothes and various other 'debris' for decorating our gazebo.

By the time I made it out there in my decorating - all the good stuff was used elsewhere!

Look how cute these fall paper goods are!

$3 a package!

Can't beat that.

We do eat healthy most of the time.

I served Louis Dean this meal of tuna salad in a sundried tomato basil wrap along with pork and beans (sometimes you have to have an old favorite on your plate!) and cantaloupe from our ranch garden, plus celery and tzatziki dip. AND those tasty sweet potato chips from Aldi!

Win! WIN!!!

I finally just took pics of the den and edited them as best I could.

It's mostly a Halloween themed room this year.....

Halfway in - I wasn't certain I would like it - but now that it's finished - I DO!

I love the golden glow in this room.

Actually, nearly every room here has a bit of glow to it.

Next year I think I will put most of this on the front porch for October.

This is Tabitha's favorite place to hang out - but you can't see it!

There's a basket from Christmas hidden behind that RIP sign that I kept out since she loves to sit in it.

She can nap in private and she does for most of every day!

Samantha, on the other hand, prefers to lie in the middle of one of the pumpkin mats.

I've had this Spiderman forever it seems.

He's holding a Bottle of Boos and a broken goblin glass.

I am now looking for a new goblet so I will have four at the den table place settings.

The cats play with the ornaments hanging from the Halloween tree.....I find them in the kitchen, living room and beyond.

Mother was with Louis Dean when he bought this Skeleton Banjo player and she got such a kick out of him.

My favorite tree decorated for Fall.

 Of all my fall decorations, this one is the most precious to me.

Ruth Ann stitched it for me a few years ago for my birthday/

I think I'm going to take it to the ranch after fall is over and hang it there so I can see it all year long.

We closed  Friday night outside on the kitchen deck.

Louis Dean had a nice fire going......

no clue what was making the blue flames but they lasted as long as the fire did,

I had worked earlier in the afternoon on the gazebo......

once it's done, my fall decorating will be complete.

This was a lovely ending to a really good day!

I went to bed at midnight last night and didn't get up until 10:30 this morning!

I do better when I get plenty of sleep. Don't we all?

Louis Dean and I had coffee and our Bible reading out on the kitchen deck with a handful of animal crackers so 'the coffee has a place to land.'

I made a Dutch Baby for a late brunch and it was so good!

I've been going through  some of my old recipes and it's fun to revisit them.

I used to make this one fairly often and it was as good today as it was all the other times I made it.

Louis Dean worked outside all afternoon and it was perfect weather to do so. 83 degrees when we were having coffee and only 93 for today's high.

I remember baking this cake using fruit from my friend, Louise's, Bradford pear tree.

The first time I made it was in 2003 when I was beginning the process of divorce after 41 years of marriage.

Benjamin and I would pick bushel baskets of  pears and I made preserves out of some and cakes from the rest. My brother in laws - Mike and Charlie loved them!

I can't remember if I made this icing back then, but I made it today.

It's a good dense cake so don't take it out of the oven too early.

Next time I make it, I think I will use the glaze for my crack cakes instead.

My second time to use my iron skillet today!

I made this for supper tonight along with a pot of blackeyed peas. 

My friend, Deborah, gave this recipe to me and I am especially fond of handwritten ones.

Using old recipes is like going down Memory Lane....