I'm on a roll...

 I actually got quite a few projects knocked off of my list this week.

I used last year's compost to top off my butterfly bed...

Seeds were scattered and the soil turned.  Emptying the compost bin cleared up room for my next project.

I raked the leaves...

There were a lot of leaves.  All that work made me hungry.  I am still working on the family cookbook and Julia Child inspired me to check my recipes.  It was a great time to try my mom's amazing pumpkin bars and frosting.

Pumpkin Bars

2 c. Flour

2 t. Baking Powder

1 t. Salt

1 t. Cinnamon

1/2 t. Ginger

1/4 t. Cloves

1 t. Baking Soda

4 Eggs

2 c. Sugar

1 can of Pumpkin (16 oz.)

1 c. Oil

1 c. Walnuts chopped (optional)

Beat eggs, then add sugar, pumpkin, and oil.  Fold in flour, salt, and spices.  Beat well and add walnuts.  Bake in 12x16 jelly roll pan. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

 1 pkg. Cream Cheese (8 oz.)

1/2 c. Butter (soft)

3 1/2 c. Powered Sugar

1 t. Vanilla

Beat cream cheese and butter.  Add sugar and vanilla.  Beat until light and fluffy.  If too stiff add a tablespoon of milk or cream.

Yummy!  I'm liking this cookbook project more and more.  My goal is to have all the recipes in by the end of the October.  I find we are a family of bakers, as our dessert and bread sections are quite heavy compared to the rest of the sections.

The snow came and that started a whole new plethora of new projects.  Snow means quilting...

I needed to do a lot of figuring to plan this quilt.  I learned from the last quilt the quilt as you go method isn't a good way to work.  After the planning, I tried making a few paper pieces leaves.  I'm really happy with how it is turning out.

I had to try a few more recipes.  My Roadhouse Rolls and Wild Rice Soup.  Two more cookbook recipes successfully created.

I don't have any pretty sunset photos.  Hopefully, my hibiscus will do.  I wanted it to bloom all summer.  Instead it waits until winter.  Oh well, it does cheer up the house some.

What projects and cooking are you doing?  Did you have a lot of leaves to take?  Have a fabulous week.

Nature's first green is gold...

 Nature's first green is gold.

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf is a flower;

But only so for an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank with grief.

Dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

Thank you Robert Frost for saying it so eloquently.

Minnesota barns...

Not all of the leaves are turning, but the few that are take your breath away.  We spent the weekend in Minnesota visiting family.  

What is Minnesota without a barn tour?  At one time, it seemed like people were letting the old barns fall apart.  Lately, it seems farms are fixing them up.  It is good to see history being saved.

The picture below does not do justice to the brilliant red this gigantic barn was painted.  It doesn't seem that big but from the side it was immense.  I couldn't fit it all in the picture.

 It is always good to see family and I enjoy our barn tour tradition.  It has been a wonderful fall weekend filled with family, food, and a feeling of contentment.  When was the last time you returned to the place where you grew up?