September 2009 – Page 2 – Jennifer Michie

September 10, 2009 / 0 Comments

Apple Cupcakes for Autumn Days

The weather is so beautiful here today in England. The sun is actually peeking out and there is a nice breeze going. Autumn is coming, you can hear it whispering through the trees. The trees along our common are just starting to turn a delicious gold, along their edges. This is perfect picnic weather.

I would love nothing more right now than some fried chicken, a homemade pimento cheese sandwich and some sweet tea from Chick-fil-A, and then to nestle down on a nice quilt in the sun. If the weather holds we might be doing that this weekend, sans the Chick-fil-A tea. Sadly, they are not in England yet!

I am listening to my “Little Women” soundtrack, it seems to hold the best promise of autumn and winter in its notes. I was in a cupcake mood today and decided to try something new. I came across these cupcakes on the Martha Stewart website and thought they were too cute for words. I like the idea of an apple cupcake, but I think that pumpkin spice would be just as lovely with the cream cheese frosting on top.

My local grocery store is out of marzipan at the moment, so this is a recipe that will have to wait till I go shopping in the bigger village. Until then, I will just dream of Autumn and festive apple topped cupcakes, complete with a smiling worm.

Picture and recipe are copyrighted to Martha Stewart

September 4, 2009 / 0 Comments

Stars Hollow

This morning I was up early and went out to water my flowers while it was still quiet out. The sun was bright white and shining, there was a crispy chill in the air and it definitely felt like fall. I came back in and made a cup of tea and flipped on the TV.

The “Gilmore Girls” was on, it was “The Lorelais’ First Day at Chilton” episode, which seemed entirely appropriate for the Autumnal weather and Back-to-School week we have had.

I loved this show, and I adore the fact that they put reruns on the TV in England (a little piece of home). Stars Hollow is a town I could live in. It is adorably quaint and charming and the perfect looking New England village. Inhabited with crazy locals and a fantastic diner.

Is it wrong to want to live in TV Land? This show always seems perfect for “Fall Watching”. Stars Hollow is always wonderfully decorated for every season. Which is something we do well at home, there is not a lot of decorating going on for the seasons in our little London suburb. But, that is OK, because our house is always decorated for every season.

The “Gilmore Girls” set goes along with the “Baby Boom” set, another house and town I could jump right in to. I am ready to start picking apples, drive my waggoner into town for supplies and just drink in fall.

(Photos were taken from the Lauren Graham Appreciation Site)

September 1, 2009 / 0 Comments

Back to School

Where has the Summer gone? It doesn’t seem like there has been much of one this year, it has all whirled by too fast! I still can’t get used to how short the English Summer Holiday is; a little more than a month off from school just does not feel long enough for me! It always seems so promising at the beginning, this vast space of time ahead of you, but it quickly disappears.

Last night in preparation for the big day, the usual routines started again: I made sure there was no specific laundry that needed to be done for today, got the Emma Bridgewater Dinosaur lunchbox out from the pantry and put in the banana, freshly made rice-krispie treat, and potato chips (the sandwich came today) along with a little love note.

When my mom made my lunch and she hid a note in there for me, well, those were special days. That was the thing that always made a difference in your day, the one thing that could turn a blue day sunny again opening your lunch box or sometimes brown bag and finding that note tucked inside. Happiness is….

The house is too quiet today, I am more than ready for 3:40 to roll around and I will have noise once more. Here’s to the First Day of School!