This afternoon I wore a sweater, wool socks, and slippers and was still chilly. So we lit the first fire (gas) of the season. How lovely to see that welcome flicker and feel the warmth. Yes, our autumn has truly begun, with a fine mist in the morning and a soft gentle rain late afternoon. The parched garden sighed in relief.
I picked the last of the basil before the rain began and made four little jars for the freezer. I use almonds in place of pine nuts. Opening a jar of pesto in the cold dark of winter brings the scent and taste of summer right back. I also picked tomatoes that will ripen in the house.
And I clipped the rose blooms - there are still a few buds on the plants that I'll leave for there may be sunny days yet. The dark red rose is Falstaff, and the pink is Boscobel, both from David Austin. They are lovely and fragrant, and some people have mistaken the cut blooms for peonies because of their layered petals.
Our friends just left after a convivial evening of conversation, laughter, and good food. I made a chicken pot pie, but used phyllo pastry for the crust. So easy, and I think I'll be doing that again. Tim and I cleaned up the kitchen and soon we're off to bed.
You have done well to get this far into October without needing a fire. My house is set to 65° F and I am chilly all the time. I wear a fuzzy bathrobe and huddle beneath an electric throw. I don't believe this is going to be very pleasant. I'd love a little fire. Wait! I have a fake fire that I can get going. That might help.
ReplyDeleteYour roses are beautiful and I can see how one could be tricked into thinking they are peonies. I especially like the color of the "pink" ones. A pot pie made with phyllo crust sounds delicious. I think that I should give that a try with my Wednesday guests.
I will be firing up the leaf blower later this morning when it gets above freezing. That should warm me up. Have a beautiful weekend...
P.S. I remembered to copy and paste. Finally!
Glad you’ve had a bit of rain. It probably won’t stop now. That pesto sounds lovely. I’ve never thought of using almonds which would be better for my son as he is allergic to pine nuts. Enjoy your cosy fire. B x
ReplyDeleteI always loved the first fire of the season! I have a a ziplock bag full of pesto "ice cubes" in the freezer from this summers basil.
ReplyDeletePot pie with phyllo would be so good! Your roses are gorgeous. I may need to add these into my garden, I love David Austin roses.
ReplyDeleteDeanna Rabe
I know that first fire felt good . . . and it's more than just the heat, isn't it? It's the whole feeling! A phyllo crust on a pot pie sounds delicious!
ReplyDeleteThere’s nothing like a fire on a cool autumn day!
ReplyDeleteIt seems like we gone from "summer" to fall overnight here on the coast. - Margy
ReplyDeleteI can see why some would mistake your roses for peonies. They are wonderful
ReplyDeleteI think I'll try using Phyllo dough instead of regular pie crust. I wonder if it would work for a fruit pie.
Hi Lorrie~ It has changed here as well, we have rain and wind and it's cold...I love this kind of weather. Your roses are gorgeous, and they do remind me of peony's. Enjoy this cozy fall evening! Hugs, Barb
ReplyDeleteDavid Austin roses are the best! I love your roses colours. It’s a good idea to make pesto for the winter I should do some too. Here it’s always too warm for the season and we are having tornadoes in Normandy which is very unusual, the good thing is that we did not use the heating yet.
ReplyDeleteI love your flowers, all so beautiful 😍😍😍
ReplyDeleteLorrie, I'm so glad you identified your dark red rose! I've written Falstaff down. Don't know if it will get ordered, delivered, and planted as we've slowed up on planting now but that one speaks to my heart. It's the color of my favorite amaryllis, Red Pearl.
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