She is Here!

Happy Autumn!

Welcome in, oh favorite of seasons!  Soul drenching-color and life-giving chill....  So welcome this year after the dry, thirst summer.  

Tonight my son is coming for supper, but today at 4:40, the Queen Autumnal Equinox arrives...  Nothing more appropriate to greet her than a little nod to the season on the front porch, a table setting of a favorite stoneware, and warm oatmeal-cinnamon-raisin cake, and a steaming cup of cappuccino...  

Mom is feeling a bit spry today...  She has been a little under the weather (literally and metaphorically...). I'm so happy she is on the mend.  

I wanted to have my cousin here to celebrate at exactly 4:44, the equinox itself, but she has the flu bug.... So I took her a little recuperation/Autumn snack...  The photo with the cream tablecloth, crow, and pumpkin is her pretty library table...  Home baked warm oatmeal cake (recipe follows) and a little GooGooCluster popcorn...  The popcorn is also a new recipe, but I think it needs tweaking before I share...   

We have a little tradition about candles...  So I tucked a battery votive in a little kitchen tussy-mussy I made with the baking powder can I finished today...  I'm suddenly in touch with my artsy side!  Look out, World.

My new Paula Deen Baker!

Here is the recipe.  

Quick & Easy Oatmeal Cake

1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter or margarine, cut in small pieces

1 cup boiling water

2 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

Confectioner’s sugar

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and lightly flour 8-inch pie plate or square baking pan; set aside.

Place oats in large bowl. Sprinkle brown sugar over top. Place butter pieces on top of sugar, and pour boiling water over all. Let stand for 10 minutes, or until room temperature.

Beat eggs and add to oats. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Using mixing spoon or electric mixer, add dry ingredients to oat mixture, beating just until blended. Add nuts if desired.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool slightly.  (I had to bake mine about 35 minutes today.)

Sprinkle top heavily with confectioner’s sugar. Serve warm or cold. Cold cake may be frosted with favorite frosting instead of sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar, if preferred. Cut in wedges to serve.