Reflections~

Amen.  Praying you all have a very Blessed Sunday!  I was the recipient of an amazing surprise on Friday evening.  My baby girl, #2, flew home to surprise me.  She planned it all on her own, informed dad last minute, and had her sister in on the act.  Those two!!  After last week, having both my girls home together, if even for a moment, was such a blessing from Him!!

Fall Is In The Air~

It is finally starting to feel like fall around these parts.  We may even see lows in the 30s come Sunday morning.

I finally got around to adding a few more touches of fall here and there in our home, and thought I would share them with you.

I still have plans to add a few more things...cozy throws, a few new pillows, some great smelling candles.  All of those things are what make our home feel warm and inviting during the coming months.

In the kitchen, I filled our tiered stand with various miniature pumpkins and gourds.  I filled my favorite white vase I picked up at Target last year with sunflowers, perfect for this time of year.  And, the candle is a new favorite scent from Seda France-China Musk.

Bringing my giant clamshell into fall was a quick change, just swapping out my glass fishing floats for some miniature white pumpkins.  They are a favorite of mine this time of year.

A simple collection of white ceramic pumpkins I picked up at Hobby Lobby last year create a simple vignette on our sideboard.

A closer look.  The white color allows me to move them around from room to room each year.  Last year I had used them on our mantle.

My little friendly fox, that I also picked up at Target last year (and painted gold), sits atop our bar cart.

The acorn I picked up at Home Goods was a quick swap for my urchin bowl filled with starfish, to add a bit of fall to our front entry.

And, I love this little squirrel votive holder.  I believe I picked this up at Target last year as well.  Yes, hubby says I spend way too much time money at  Target.  Is it a bad thing that both of my girls first words were Target???  I kid, but close enough.

I hope everyone has a Blessed weekend.  I am looking forward to the cooler temps we have been promised!

What's for Dinner Wednesday~

With fall in the air, and craving some much needed comfort food, we made a wonderful pot of Beef Stew Stroganoff the other night.

This recipe is super simple, yet oh so delicious!!

Beef Stew Stroganoff
Makes 6 servings

Gluten Free Bible cookbook (we picked this up at  Target and it did not disappoint)

Ingredients:
2 TBS olive or canola oil
1 1/2 pounds lean boneless beef (bottom round), cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 cans (about 14 ounces each) gluten-free beef broth
1 cup sliced mushrooms (we omitted as hubby detests them, and I have a slight night shade allergy and need to limit)
1/2 C thinly sliced carrots
1/2 C chopped red bell pepper
6 ounces unpeeled baby red potatoes (about 6 small), quartered
1/4 C sour cream (Whole Foods now carries a wonderful lactose free version)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add beef; cook and stir until meat juices evaporate and begin to caramelize. Add caraway seeds, salt, black pepper and thyme.  Pour in broth, stirring to scrape up browned bits.  Bring to a boil.

2.  Add mushrooms, carrots and bell pepper to saucepan.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 1 hour.

3.  Increase heat; add potatoes.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes.

4.  Stir in sour cream; cook 2 minutes or until heated through.

Editorial note:

We cooked in our Staub Dutch Oven.
During step one, hubby added 1/4-1/2 Cup Red Wine.
Step 3, he simmered about 30-40 minutes (this made the meat extremely tender).
Toward the end of step 4, he added about 2 TBS corn starch.
We served over a bit of white rice.

A wonderful hearty fall dish!!