Tag: In everything give thanks

A “Welcome Home” … for Thanksgiving

by Trenda at Cottage Green on the Lake

The slow progression of autumn here in East Texas has suddenly quickened and the sights and sounds of  the season have become tangible.  The crickets are softly droning (a decrescendo to their summer song!) as they sing their final chorus … there is a hush in the air that is marked by a distant caw of a crow or the occasional rustle of leaves as an acorn descends through the branches … a muffled “plop” heard, when it hits the ground … and the leaves of our Ash tree, that drape over the lake, are transforming into a beautiful shade of yellow.

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The view beyond our windows reminds us that the “season” of Thanksgiving is upon us, though, like Thoreau … “I am grateful for what I am and have.  My thanksgiving is perpetual.”

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 As I “dress” our home and get it ready for the holidays, I am going to start with our front door … it is the first thing that welcomes and greets our family and friends when they visit.  The front door sets the stage of what people can “expect” to find inside your home and should be a reflection of the warmth and welcome you want to portray within your home.

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I began decorating our door by hanging this beautiful wreath that a dear friend of mine made.  Then I took a bundle of wrapped grapevine (I bought mine at Hobby Lobby in the section where grapevine wreaths are hanging) and cut the coil of grapevine in half with wire cutters – this gave me 2 sections of grapevine for each side of the door.  After cutting the 2 sections, I pulled the grapevine to loosen the taut coils.  My husband hammered nails into our door frame for me to impale the grapevine on.  At the base of the door, where the tension was greatest, I added a pipe cleaner and wrapped the grapevine around the nail, using the pipe cleaner to firmly hold the grapevine to the door frame.

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Then I began inserting leaves that I cut from an autumn swag into the twigs of the grapevine.  I also wired some pumpkins, squash, and chrysanthemums to the grapevine to add interest and fullness  … but left enough of the grapevine bare, so it wouldn’t become too “visually heavy” or overbearing.

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I placed a pumpkin (leftover from Halloween!) next to this quaint basket that I found years ago.  I’ve always thought the wooden duck looked
“right at home” here at the lake and it is always handy, near our front door and holds walking sticks, any dripping umbrellas, and a fragrant “bouquet” of eucalyptus.  Tip: Eucalyptus makes the entry to your home smell wonderful, and it is also a natural deterrent for spiders!

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Mr. and Mrs. Pilgrim greet all Thanksgiving visitors. (:  We ARE … grateful, thankful, blessed!

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Our deck has several built into benches and on this one, next to the front door, I’ve “tipped my hat” to the season and added a little whimsy with these 2 Pilgrim door greeters!  I love this chalkboard a friend made for me, with it’s rustic look and cedar framework; I use it all the time … “4theseasons” to write holiday messages on, or for keeping track of horseshoe scores! (:

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I hope these ideas will help you and that you’ll have fun creating and making your entryway and door a “welcome home” for Thanksgiving!

“I am grateful for what I am and have.  My thanksgiving is perpetual.”

“In everything give thanks.”

From my cottage to yours  ~  Trenda

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today!  I’d love to hear from you and I am truly delighted, reading what you have to say.  Please leave any questions you may have or comments, below.  Don’t be dismayed if you don’t see your comment “appear” right away.  Word Press checks everything I receive for SPAM and all have to be approved, before posting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Autumn Dinner … Smoked Sausage, Spinach and Orzo topped with grated parmesan cheese/ PLUS .. DIY Autumn Napkin Rings

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As the day unfolded, the lyrics to “Monday, Monday” by the Mamas & the Papas came unbidden to my mind.  “Oh Monday mornin’ you gave me no warnin’ of what was to be ……” not that I “can’t trust that day” as the song says, but our long Monday had already blended into evening, the evening quickly turned into night, and it became obvious that whatever I made for dinner needed to be easy, nutritional, and definitely, after the day we’d had, needed to be comforting.

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I went to the kitchen and after perusing the contents of my pantry and refrigerator, I think I created the perfect Monday Autumn Dinner that met all those criteria: it was easy, nutritional, and it was a delicious, steaming bowl of comfort food and … “It was all I hoped it would be.” (;

Autumn Dinner of Smoked Sausage, Spinach and Orzo topped with grated Parmesan Cheese

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Note: For those of you wondering what orzo is … it is a fine and creamy pasta, similar in shape and size to long-grained rice.  In fact, it is the small pasta in “Rice a Roni” that makes that rice mixture so creamy.)

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 cup orzo
  • 1- 13 oz. pkg Smoked Sausage (I used Butterball’s Hardwood Smoked Turkey Sausage)
  • 1 cup frozen chopped spinach
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons Knorr’s chicken bouillon flavor
  • grated parmesan cheese to taste

Recipe:

Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a skillet and turn on medium heat to melt.  Add 1/2 cup of chopped red onion and cook until onion is  translucent.  Add 1 cup orzo and continue cooking until orzo is golden, and slightly browned. Cut up smoked sausage in bite-sized pieces and add to skillet.  Then add 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach and 2 cups of water  mixed with 2 teaspoons of Knorr’s Chicken Flavor Bouillon.

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Cover and turn heat to a little less than medium heat (watch mixture to make sure orzo doesn’t start sticking!) and cook for 20 minutes.  Uncover and stir.  Dish into bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese.

I think our “comfort meal” dished into my Johnson Brothers “The Friendly Village” is befitting for our cozy Autumn Meal.

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Then … look at these darling little napkin rings, that just took minutes to make!  I love the rough texture of the grapevine, in contrast to the silky leaf and shiny bittersweet!

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I just took a mini-grapevine wreath (usually sold in sets of 4 or 6 at any craft store.  I bought mine at Hobby Lobby) and hot glued an autumn silk leaf on it … then I wrapped one strand of bittersweet, bending the wire so the bittersweet arched over the top of the wreath, to highlight and frame the leaf.

PicCollage[463].png Voila!  A rustic autumn napkin ring … a perfect accent piece for your autumn meals!

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As I carried our tray of food over to our favorite chairs, put my feet up, said our prayer, unfolded our napkins, and ate our first bite … I heaved a sigh; thankful the day was over, thankful the Lord had gotten us through each worry, care, and task that had to be done, thankful I had a home to share with my dear husband, and “in everything” I did “give thanks” as the last words of the song wafted through my mind …”Monday, Monday, so good to me.”

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Here’s hoping for you that …”Every other day, every other day, every other day of the week is fine, yeah” ! (:

From my cottage to yours  ~  Trenda

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today!  I’d love to hear from you and I am truly delighted reading what you have to say.  Please post your comments or questions below.  Don’t be dismayed if you don’t see your comment “post” right away.  Word Press checks all posts I send or receive for SPAM and all have to be approved, before posting … “it’s a good thing.” (:

 

 

 

 

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