The Beauty of Fall

Would you like to see the leaves for yourself? To see the changing of the leaves from Spring and Summer green into the beautiful Autumn reds, yellows and browns is one of the trips my family enjoys every year. Each time it is a new trip, a new destination and new adventure!

Plan Your Next Romantic Getaway with BedandBreakfast.com


Anyone who knows much about me is well aware that I am "geographically impaired". In essence, this means I couldn't find my way out of a brown paper bag. I require explicit directions and landmarks.

I suggest a Road Atlas for normal people who can read a map. The Rand McNally 2010 North American Atlas includes the US, Mexico and Canada.




For those people like me who have to have turn-by-turn directions and a visual prompt, the Garmin nüvi Portable GPS Navigator is a "trip saver" for sure!

Garmin nüvi 205W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator

There is nothing that says "warmth of home" to me like Beef Stew. My family will smell it cooking all day in the crock pot and by dinner time they are standing in line to get their fill. It doesn't seem to matter what else they have eaten for breakfast or lunch, they are starving! The aroma keeps them enthralled all day.

Beef Stew Recipe:

2 pounds beef
1 carrot
3 cups of water
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed beef broth
2 onions, sliced
6 potatoes
Salt and pepper

In preparing meat for a stew, cut beef into pieces the right size for serving. Dredge it in flour on all sides, and brown nicely in a frying-pan. Then add it to the broth. This should be cooked slowly for three hours, or until the meat is tender. It is better to select meat with some fat, as it makes a richer stew than one made with lean meat. Onions, carrots, and potatoes are the vegetables commonly used in stews. The vegetables should be cut into half-inch cubes or thin slices, not over a quarter inch thick, and added the last hour of cooking. The potatoes should be parboiled five minutes, and then added to the stew, allow twenty minutes for cooking. Salt and pepper are the usual seasonings, although parsley, one or two cloves, celery salt, or ketchup may be added to give variety.

When I had small children, we would go out and find leaves to press and then display. The children would always find brightly colored ones they wanted to keep.

To Press Leaves
Find a flat place that will not be disturbed and is out of the way.

Always choose the best looking leaves with no mold, cracks, holes or bumps and are not curly or only have a very slight curl.

Use newspaper instead of wax paper to dry the leaves more quickly.

Leave a little space between each leaf while placing the leaves on top of the newspaper and then place newspaper sheets carefully on top.

Use heavy books and gently place them on top of the newspapers.

Leave them for about a week and you should have beautiful pressed leaves to display!

If you simply do not have the time or enough books to use you can use a leaf press. My children each had one similar to this one so each could press his own.

Beautiful Wooden Leaf Press