Fall outfit, pumpkins and scones

Fall Outfit, pumpkins and scones

Happy Sunday, ladies!!  Today I would like to discuss this fall outfit, pumpkins and scones!

This fall outfit is actually what I wore to church last week…our church has these little settings everywhere for photo opportunities!

I know…I am wearing that scarf again (the one from last Thursday) but I am so in love with the colors!

The top and pants are both Eileen Fisher...and I kept them during the closet purge.

These are previously pieces I owned for my professional life, but I have never worn these together.  But, this outfit is for sure in my colors and I really like it….worked perfect for church.

One of the reasons I like having Leigh Ann do my photography is that she never would have allowed my top to bunch like that around “the girls.”

Mr. B is usually looking at the setting more than how I look!  Oh, well…the setting of pumpkins was fun. 

And it works for this post, because I am discussing today how life does have its challenges and is not always perfect…clothing does bunch up!

LESSON LEARNED FROM THE FALL OUTFIT:  Save some of your professional wear for a more casual lifestyle and try wearing the pieces in different ways.

PUMPKIN PROBLEMS

Fall outfit, pumpkins and scones

As you know, I cook often with pumpkin…really all year long.  I also pay attention to the news and I knew in the summer that the supply of canned pumpkin might be low during this time.

Our local grocer, HEB, is great…I am a huge fan. They have their own line of foods, and the canned pumpkin is 88 cents a can…compared to the top brand at $2.14 a can! (Woa!)

I also trust the local farmers HEB partners with for their products. 

So I began to purchase the canned pumpkin and put it away last summer.  So glad I did, the shelves are bare now.

I need to use my canned pumpkin carefully, now that I see only the expensive cans on the shelves here.  One report I saw attributed this to the cost of the cans and the labor…supposedly the farmers have plenty of pumpkins!

Yes, I can roast and use actual pumpkins…but those prices are higher as well. 

So, the next two Pumpkin Recipes from The Better Homes & Gardens BEST PUMPKIN RECIPES book may be the last.  I have cooked two so far…and have one today.  I have the ingredients for two more recipes so we will see.  

But it has been fun to do this.  The inflation problem is turning out to be longer and bigger than I expected.  If I discover tips to navigate it, I will let you know.  For now….

LESSON LEARNED FROM PUMPKINS:   In our current world, pay attention to what the predictions are and plan ahead accordingly…like the ants do!

 

MY FIRST SCONES

Fall outfit, pumpkins and scones

I have been telling Mr. B for months that I was going to learn how to make scones. 

When we both were sent home to work two years ago, we would joke about our little coffee shop (our kitchen) and how it needed scones!

So, when I saw these in the Pumpkin cookbook…I thought it was a great place to start!

PUMPKIN SCONES WITH BROWN BUTTER ICING

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter, cut up

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1 tsp. vanilla

Heavy Cream or Milk

1 recipe Brown Butter Icing (below)

Fall outfit, pumpkins and scones

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, stir together first five ingredients, up to the salt. Use a pastry blender to cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine egg, pumpkin and vanilla. Add all at once to flour mixture.  Stir with a fork just until moistened.
  3. Turn dough out on to  a lightly floured surface.  Knead dough by folding and gently pressing 10-12 strokes or until nearly smooth.  Divide in half.  Pat or lightly roll each dough half into a 6-inch circle.  Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut each circle into six wedges.
  4. Place dough wedges 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Brush tops with cream.  Bake 14-16 minutes until bottoms are golden brown.  Remove from baking sheet; cool slightly on a wire rack and spread with Brown Butter Icing.

Fall outfit, pumpkins and scones

BROWN BUTTER ICING

In a small saucepan melt 3 Tbsp. butter over medium-low (NOTE:  I like to use a white non-stick pan for browning butter.  It is easier to see when it begins to turn)

Continue heating until butter turns a delicate light brown and has a nutty aroma.  Remove it from heat.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup powdered sugar and the brown butter.  Add heavy cream until it gets to the consistency you want.

LESSON LEARNED FROM THE SCONES

Fall outfit, Pumpkins and scones

I was so excited about these scones and could not wait to pop them in my mouth the minute they came out of the oven.

But, I actually stood in the kitchen in great disappointment and said….”Yuck!”

It took me awhile to figure out what I had done….but, I did not include THE SALT!!

They were so flat……in appearance and in taste.

This was my fault…not the recipe.   DON’T FORGET THE SALT.

So, if at first you don’t succeed (even with a pumpkin shortage)…… (this time Mr. B commented….FANTASTIC!)

Fall outfit, pumpkin and scones

THE PERFECT PUMPKIN SCONES!

 

Since, it is Sunday, I was reminded of the Bible Verse from Matthew 5: 13-14: 

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

The first batch may have been a FAIL, but it reminds me of the importance of being salt and light!  

Have a great Sunday! Does anyone have any stories to share of how you are preparing for inflation and supply shortages?  Please share….and even if you leave out the salt…

KEEP SMILING!!

Here are a few Eileen Fisher on-sale selections:  Start with Eileen Fisher on sale at Nordstrom…then go..

By Pamela Lutrell

Fall at Over 50 Feeling 40

10 Comments

  1. That’s a funny story about your scones! I make scones a lot and keep them individually wrapped in the freezer for a quick treat with coffee. I have a recipe that honestly doesn’t have salt in it, and the first time I made them I threw them out! Like you said, yuk. I added it in to the recipe and it made all the difference. I should have known better. My grandmother, who taught me how to bake, told me never forget the salt. She was Croatian and a fabulous Baker. Listen to grandma!

    How nice your church has photo places! Very pretty!

  2. Thinking of my grandparents has buoyed me during the pandemic and will continue to keep me strong. They lived through the 1918 pandemic, the depression, the dust bowl, political upheaval, the Cuban missile crisis, the beginning of the Vietnam era and social upheaval.

    Books, both fiction and nonfiction , also strengthen me. Dutch Girl about Audrey Hepburn’s life during WWII is illuminating. During the winter of 1944-1945 the Dutch began to eat tulip bulbs to survive.

    Also interesting is that during difficult times many women worldwide have insisted on doing their best to remain stylish.

  3. Your pumpkin photo is quite cute and I did not notice the bunched top until you commented on it! This week I made pumpkin chilli. Now I plan to make your scones.
    I always start my day with your blog.

  4. I judge 4-H events primarily during the summer months. It is one of the best things that I do. Not only do we have fabulous youth, I have learned so much from them. One of the things that I have learned is that you learn more from mistakes than when things went right. So I always look at things as a chance to learn.
    I grow my own pie/sugar pumpkins and preserve them by cooking and freezing or by canning a pressure cooker. This looks like a great recipe to try. Thank you for sharing it.

  5. Yes…I tell my grandchildren all the time…listen to GiGi. I think I am going to make some to individually wrap and have on hand for the holidays. Thanks for the idea Karen!

  6. Wow…I hope we do not end up eating Tulip Bulbs…but you never know. Thanks for the reminder Linlee to be grateful for what we have and to remember that through it all women wanted to look their best.

  7. Thank you Kathy! I love beginning my day with this audience…you guys are so special.

  8. The recipe is delicious and I have an even better one coming up on Tuesday. I love that helped with 4-H …so many kids have grown through that organization!

  9. Hello There Pumpkin,

    Wow that picture is wonderful, and so good of you. I am just like you I LOVE LOVE
    LOVE Pumpkin. I always have many cans in the house. I hope I do not run out now,
    I only have I think two left. Yikes!
    Sending Smiles for a happy day.

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