PUMPKIN CAKE

From Taste of Home

Every weekend in the fall I want to make apple and pumpkin recipes.  This pumpkin cake won last week.  This weekend it is apple brownies so stay tuned.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1-2/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ICING:
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

• In a bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until well blended.
• Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt;
• gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into an
• ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for
• 25-30 minutes or until set. Cool completely.
• For icing, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, butter and
• vanilla in a small bowl. Add enough milk to achieve spreading
• consistency. Spread over bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 2
• dozen.

PUMPKIN GINGER SOUP and TOMATILLO SALSA

My darling friend, Ashley, brought me a jar of her pumpkin ginger soup and tomatillo salsa. Both were excellent so I knew you would want the recipes.  The pumpkin soup had a nice burn from the ginger and although the twins next door (they are now nine years old!) didn't try the soup, they loved the salsa.

PUMPKIN GINGER SOUP 
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon peeled and diced fresh ginger
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup raw, hulled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

In a medium saucepan, heat butter over medium-high heat.  Add ginger, carrots, celery, onion, and saute until vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.  Add pumpkin and stir well.  Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil.  Add salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cayenne.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.

Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree the mixture until smooth.  Strain the soup back into the saucepan and add the cream.  Keep warm.

Put the raw pepitas in a medium non-stick skillet and toast over medium-high heat, stirring until the seeds are fragrant, light brown, and begin to pop, about 3 minutes.

To serve, ladle the warm soup into serving bowls and garnish with toasted pepitas.

TOMATILLO SALSA
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
8 tomatillos, husked and diced
1 cup diced red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To prepare the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a non-reactive bowl.  Let stand at least 1 hour and not more than 3 hours before serving to allow flavors to blend.  That's it!

Both recipes are from Seasonal Southwest Cooking by Barbara Pool Fenzl.

CAVENDISH HOTEL & CHATSWORTH FARM SHOP

Cavendish Hotel was our favorite hotel of the trip. Sitting on the property of Chatsworth made it even better.

My usual faves are everywhere--stone facade, white framed windows, climbing roses, with a bit of lilac thrown in.

Cavendish is the family name of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

                                             That's Miss Leslie waving from our window.

                   And here is the view from our room.  Is there a bad view in the English countryside?

          Caramel, cream, and pinky-red is a favorite combination of mine.  Just right for the front room.

                                                  Public rooms for reading or chatting.

The hallway to our room - I'm always smitten by striped walls.

Almost didn't post--why can't I remember to take a picture before our stuff is strewn all over the place?

                                 Blues and silvers invited us right into this elegant dining room.

          Chatsworth Farm Shop was a must on our list.  We picked up breakfast for the next morning.

                                                     Look at all that smoked salmon.        

          Couldn't decide between gooseberry or bramble and apple yogurt.  So bought both. Yum.

                                                    A little happy hour at the end of the day.

LET'S TOUR HADDON HALL

Haddon Hall is a well-preserved 12th century medieval manor house we had the great luck to tour. It also had the added benefit of a pretty chapel.

Haddon Hall has shown up in loads of British films including Pride and Prejudice (with Keira Knightly), several versions of Jane Eyre and The Princess Bride. I will have to watch these movies again and keep an eye out for bits and pieces of this estate.
     

                                                                The Long Gallery
             Ever wonder how you could possibly make this room livable?  See the pic below.

This photo was on display to show how a previous family turned it into a very comfortable room.
Again, I'm thinking of a dark and stormy night, crackling fire, lamps lit for reading, tea and toast.

   The gardens were more inviting than I expected.  Look at that well-designed herb garden next to the mottled walls. Those straight lines are so appealing along with the bright and pale greens.

 
                                                               The upper gardens

The lower gardens

                        The pretty chapel is attached to the property.  Also very well-preserved.
                                    Don't you think the purple lilacs are just the right touch?

This is the marble sculpture of Lord Haddon, the young son of the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, who died too young.  His mother, the Duchess, designed and sculpted the effigy.  Sweet and heartbreaking.

Most of the wall paintings were done during the Reformation period (16th century).  I'm assuming that is Henry VIII standing there in the middle between the windows looking ready for a fight. 

                                               A pretty pattern that reminds me of Istanbul.

                                The leaves and flowers bring a light feeling to the chapel.

                                                                   This is perfection.

BESS OF HARDWICK - HARDWICK HALL

       Hardwick Hall is Bess's place.  You know, Bess of Hardwick, best friend to the Queen and all that.

Bess was married four times.  Love may not have been involved but she became wealthier with each union (husbands included a Cavendish and a Talbot (Earl of Shrewsbury).  Good for her.  She built beautiful estates (Chatsworth was the first of many), became the most powerful woman in the land second to Queen Elizabeth I, and eventually (after several hundred years) gave us Queen Elizabeth II.

 This is 14th Century Hardwick Old Hall (owned by English Heritage).  Bess lived in it for a bit, and then decided the view was better on an adjacent property and started building Hardwick Hall (owned by National Trust).

After you purchase your ticket from English Heritage, you can roam around the ruins which are still in pretty good shape.

Look at that gorgeous plasterwork--still beautiful despite being exposed to the wind, rain, and year round damp.

16th century  Hardwick Hall is just a few hundred yards from the ruins (I'm not good at estimating yards, are you?) so let's take a look around at Bess's place.

This refectory table catches your attention when you walk into the entrance hall.  Gleaming polished wood that seems to go on forever.  Yes, I'll need a table that seats 40, please. Oh, and yes, in one long unbroken piece, of course.

                            So much nicer than stating, "DO NOT SIT", don't you think?

Bess was also famous for collecting tapestries which added warmth and texture to these cavernous rooms.

                                 Plaster friezes travel around the perimeter at the top of the walls.

        This is a walnut Eglantine table or, game table, depicting game boards and musical instruments.

                                            More gorgeous tapestries in the Ship Bedchamber.

Has it ever occurred to you to monogram your cookware? Me neither.  But if I had these polished copper pots I just might. Take a look....

                                First, I love the crown atop the simple D above Hardwick.
      Not sure what the "D" represents, it may be the county Derbyshire but no one could confirm.

                          That elegant monogram is on every copper pot and every copper lid.

                         




                                  "Hardwick hall, more window than wall" it was said.
Note the "ES"for Elizabeth Shrewsbury, Bess had her initials placed on at least eight different prominent places around the exterior of her house along with a pretty crown similar to the crown on the copper pots.  The woman had power, wealth, and style.

WOLF HALL - Hilary Mantel

Taking a little break from nonstop posts about my recent summer travels to bring you a book review.

Okay--I'm a little late to the game.  Some of my favorite bloggers read Wolf Hall two years ago.  I finally started reading it last month and just finished.

It started out strong, and then I lost track of  few characters and suddenly after about 100 pages it all started clicking and it was hard to put down (even harder to hold since it is a little over 500 pages).  Rarely do I read historical fictions--I prefer the real thing.  But, boy, did Hilary Mantel get it right.  The fun part is she tricks you into forgetting that you do actually know how how it all ends.

The story focuses on Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII moving toward establishing the Church of England due to the king's desire to divorce his Queen, Katherine of Aragon, to marry the devious Anne Boleyn.  Brutal climate, intrigue, and enough historical facts to make you believe you know what's going on. Glad I read it.

My only complaint is the length of the book--532 pages. 

THE DOWAGER DUCHESS AND A VILLAGE FETE

We had seen the signs and couldn't believe our luck.  A village fete!  In Edensor! Where the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire (Deborah Mitford Cavendish) lives. The stars had aligned and we could attend.  I'm smiling right now just thinking about it.

                                            Edensor is pronounced "Ensor" just so you know.
                                          Fete is pronounced "fate", but you already knew that.

                             
                                 We paid our four pounds, and walked into our first village fete.

                                      You will notice the change in the skies in these pictures.
           Depending upon the direction, bright blue skies or dark brooding clouds or blah, blah gray.

           Festive flags fluttering above--this summer the whole of England was covered in flags.

                                                                Happy and content.

     
                                                    The first private home garden we toured.

                           We toured so many gardens in this tiny village and loved them all.

                                       Yep, that's a bronzed dog keeping guard on the roof.

                                     Have we come upon Middle Earth? Is that Gandalf taking a rest?

                                                 No, darn, just a gentleman and his dog.

                     The magical pathway to the house, or The House.  You-know-who lives there.

                                                  Oh, this is exciting.  Our first peek.

                                                  Yes, the house in all its glory.
           The home of the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, Deborah Mitford Cavendish.
                                                            I am besotted.

                 Inside that gorgeous blue front door is an apple green entrance hall (see below).

                                              Yes, I saved my copy--I'm sure you did, too.

          I took so many pictures of her home, I am surprised security wasn't called to drag me away.

   As much as I loved Chatsworth, if given the choice (you know, when I close my eyes and all of my  dreams come true) I would much prefer to live in this house.

              The duchess can just walk out her door, round the corner and head to church.

                                         Just in case you wanted to see the garage door.

          This is the chicken coop near her home--the fencing just adds to the beauty of the estate.

   I'm not 100% sure, but this may be her personal garden. Look at those gorgeous terra cotta cloches.

These people kill me--this is not a set, but a real life vicarage with the empty milk bottles waiting to be picked up.  I have got to move.

Well, we've stayed so long that the villagers think we now look familiar to them or they are starting to become suspicious.  Time to start heading back to reality that, no, we don't live here and would have to be an employee on the estate of Chatsworth to make it even a possibility.  Hmmm, I will have a change in employment next year.  Something to think about.

      We will miss the stone, the church, the blue painted gates, the beautifully tended gardens, and the dowager's quintessential english country home.

                                                               Hasn't it all been grand?