have a relaxing weekend

Wishing you a relaxing weekend. We’re off to Alisal Ranch for a couple of days to celebrate my upcoming birthday. 

A couple of other interesting things… Downton Abbey Season 5 premier is 12 weeks away, but here is a sneak peek. My best friend, Lisa is heading to Africa to climb Mount Kilimanjaro! I can’t wait to hear all about it! 

The weather’s cooled off now, so today’s a perfect day to try one of our family favorite tomato soups, Roasted Tomato Basil Soup. You must serve this with grilled cheddar cheese sandwiches. You'll thank me later!

do something amazing today! 

ciao,  fabiana

i love Lucy's persimmon cake

Who doesn't love Lucy? Well today, I'm sharing Lucy’s persimmon cake is a recipe that I tasted many years ago, and have often thought about making, especially when autumn rolls around. It’s a sweet and rich cake, and I was so happy to come across the recipe recently in my vintage Celebrity Cookbook by Dinah Shore.  

Luckily, here in southern California, persimmons are just coming into season, and my neighbor has a very fertile tree and always is generous in sharing with us. This recipe originally comes from Lucy’s mother, Desiree and her Aunt Helen and was always a part of their Christmas tradition.  They usually made this cake for gift giving. I'll be trying this recipe this weekend. I hope it’s as good as I remember! 

  

Lucy’s Persimmon Cake

Ingredients

·       2 c. sugar

·       3 T. butter

·       2 c. persimmon pulp

·       1 c. raisins

·       4 c. sifted cake flour

·       grated rind of 1 orange

·       1/2 t. each cloves, allspice, nutmeg

·       1 t. baking soda

·       2 t. vanilla

·       2 c. chopped walnut

·       1 c. dates, finely chopped

·       1 c. milk

·       2 t. cinnamon

·       3 t. baking powder

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter.  Add persimmon pulp, nuts, raisin, dates and orange peel;  mix well.  Sift flour with baking soda, baking powder and spices.  Add flour mixture alternately with milk beginning and ending with flour.  Stir in vanilla.  Turn batter into 2 well-greased loaf pans and bake approx. 1 ½ hours at 300 degrees F.  

Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.  Garnish, if you’d like, with glazed fruits and nuts.  

Persimmons  - photo credit: Two Peas and their Pod.

Persimmon Cake - photo credit:  Jessie Monds

ciao! fabiana

more of the cdm home tour

I have a few more pretty spaces to share with you from this year’s Corona del Mar Home Tour. 

This cottage style home with separate play house is the home of the owners of Roger's Gardens. Isn’t it adorable all decked out for Halloween?

Don't you love the fun

Ruby's Diner syle booth in the kitchen? 

Books aligned in rainbow order are right up my alley! This study belongs the creative Kim Rodosky of 503found.

I love all the vintage accessories in this room. And here is the adorable little girl's room that belong's to Kim's daughter. So fun!

Traditional, but far from boring, this living room designed by McKee and Co. with their trademark animal print.

The glass-front cabinets and red accents are my favorite part of this Harbor View home’s kitchen. 

A soothing and elegant outdoor space

by Garden Studio Design,

photo by M. Stetson Design.

ciao! fabiana

For more home tour inspiration,
check out this brand new book:

fun and spooky Halloween bottles

I have a thing reusing stuff when it’s kind of interesting, and when we recently  finished an old bottle of B&B, I really thought it would make a great Halloween “prop” for when we entertain, or just to have on our bar cart.  

I soaked the original label off, found some fun free printable labels online, and simply cut out one and adhered it to the bottle with a glue stick.  

To finish the look off, I added a simple silver tray and some fun dotted white and orange napkins, both from Ikea. The wine glass is vintage from Gammy. 

This was so easy to put together!

1  A fancy empty bottle

2 Fun labels found online

3 Tray from Ikea

4 Napkins from Ikea

ciao! fabiana

Fancy beer or gourmet soda bottles

can be updated as well!

corona del mar home tour

Yesterday was the 

Coronadel Mar Home Tour,

 and here is an inside look at

one my favorite homes featured.

Designed by Kelly Nutt,

it’s a luxe ranch house

 in the Big Canyon area of Newport Beach.

The soft color palette really enhances

all the beautiful rustic qualities in the home. 

The openness of the floor plan is also amazing

and keeps this California home easy and breezy!

ciao! fabiana

photo credits: 

Ryan Garvin & the OC Register  

orange crush

I always love a little orange in the home, but October really gets me in the mood! 

ciao! fabiana

photo credit:

pinterest

ciao October!

We're well into my favorite month October now, and I wanted to share some of my favorite things about this time of year like festive porches, pretty tables and delicious comfort food... 

Bourbon Pumpkin Shake

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 cup milk, a frozen banana,

1 Tsp. vanilla,

2 Tsp. maple syrup)
1.5 shots Amaretto
1.5 shots Bakers Bourbon
1 cup ice
fresh rosemary to garnish

Put everything in a blender, give it a whirl.

Add a sprig of rosemary to garnish.

Recipe by Mighty Girl.

Table by Tamera Beardsley

PUMPKIN PIE POP TARTS 

1/2 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
flour, for rolling out the dough
1 package pre-made pie crust

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.

2. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, sugar and spice.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie dough to 1/4-inch. Use a pumpkin cookie cutter to cut out about 20 pumpkin shapes. Use a paring knife to cut-out pumpkin faces (or pumpkin wrinkles) in half of the pumpkin shapes.

4. Place one pumpkin (without any cut-outs) on your floured surface and place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center. Use a spoon to spread the filling almost to the edges. Lightly dip your finger into water and rub the edge of the pumpkin dough shape with the water. Top with a cut-out pumpkin and lightly press the edges together to seal. Repeat with the remaining shapes and filling.

5. Place the tarts on your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Set the tarts aside to cool.

Recipe by Recipe Girl

Use sugar pumpkins as bowls

for your favorite pumpkin or squash soup!

 

Funny faces that make you smile.

ciao! fabiana

photo credits:

Pinterest

Jenny Steffins

Mighty Girl

Sand and Sisal

Recipe Girl

Half Baked Harvest

Family Circle

Flicker