Today’s BLOGTOBER topic is pumpkin decorating. We no longer carve pumpkins, but I do like looking at the adorable ideas on Pinterest. Here are a few of my more favorite selections. I have to warn you, a few of them are down right creepy!
SATURDAY COFFEE TIME ~ BLOG 365.291
TGIF ~ BLOG 365.290
BLOGTOBER ~ TOP 10 FAVORITE FALL COMFORT FOODS ~ BLOG 365.289B
October is one of those months that the weather can go either way in our neck of the woods. Well, this year does NOT have an Indian Summer in it’s future. Fall is here and winter is close on its heels from what we’re seeing so far!
Because of the sudden onset change in weather I’m thinking comfort foods! So, here are my top 12 favorite rainy and cold weather recipe links.
GREEN CHICKEN ENCHILADAS 
CREAMY RUSTIC TOMATO BISQUE & GRILLED CHEESE DIPPERS
APPLE PIE DUMPLINGS ~ BLOG 365.289
Grams called these Apple Dumplings. The new rage on Facebook calls them Apple Pie Rings. Grams spent time making homemade dough with love and wrap whole apples, but you can cheat and use boxed puff pastry. Grams also used whole eggs for the wash. Either way they are perfect comfort food for fall!
APPLE PIE DUMPLINGS servings: 10 pies
1 box puff pastry sheetsÂ
2 LARGE apples (Granny Smith, Pink Lady or Cosmic are great choices)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon QUALITY ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon FRESH ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons egg whites
Juice of 2 LARGE lemons
- Thaw puff pastry.
- Preheat the oven to 400°.
- Peel and core the apples to a 1 inch center hole diameter if you want the circle to be large enough to thread the puff pastry through for the pumpkin looking ring. Otherwise the rings can just be wrapped evenly.
- Slice into rounds.
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- Add the lemon juice to a large bowl of water just deep enough to cover the apple slices.
- Unfold the puff pastry and roll it until it is slightly larger.
- Cut the puff pastry into 1/2 inch strips.
- Mix together the cinnamon, sugar and nutmeg in a shallow dish. Set aside.
- Pat the apple slices dry with a paper towel and dust them with a bit of cinnamon sugar.
- Wrap strips of the puff pastry (3-4 strips per apple ring) around each apple ring.
- Brush the wrapped apple rings with egg wash on both sides.
- Dip the rings into the remaining cinnamon sugar.
- Place them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until puff pastry is flaky and light golden brown.
- Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

NOTE:Â DO NOT skip the egg wash; it makes the cinnamon sugar stick to the puff pastry.
WORDLESS WEDNESDAY ~ BLOG 365.288
ITALIAN GRINDER CHOPPED SALAD ~ BLOG 365.287
When you love Italian grinder sandwiches, but can no longer have bread, what do you do? You make a salad of course with all the same tasty insides of the sandwich, but with smashed croutons instead.
ITALIAN GRINDER CHOPPED SALAD
DRESSING
1/2 cup DUKE’s mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, FINELY minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon FRESH small chopped oregano
FRESH ground sea salt & black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup powdered Parmesan cheese
- Whisk together all dressing ingredients until the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
SALAD
16 ounces chopped romaine lettuce, (about 8 cups)
4 ounces ham, sliced small and thin
4 ounces pepperoni, sliced small and thin
4 ounces salami, sliced small and thin
4 ounces provolone cheese, sliced small and thin
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 SMALL red pepper, sliced
1/4-1/2 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
1/2 red onion, diced

ASSEMBLY

- In a large bowl, toss the shredded lettuce with all salad ingredients.
Pour dressing over the salad and toss everything together until evenly coated. If not serving right away, wait until right before serving to toss the dressing with the salad.
1/2-3/4 cup smashed croutons
- Sprinkle with smashed croutons JUST before serving.
HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY with MENUS & RECIPE LINKS week 41 of 2025 ~ BLOG 365.286
Be sure to join Happy Homemaker Monday with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
LAST WEEK RECAPPED
I did the Auxiliary Friday night dinner of my great gram’s chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes (kind of like an inside out chicken pot pie) which is ALWAYS a favorite of mine, even with 2 starches! We did okay, but there were many events in many locations and a tremendous rainstorm that I think hindered our attendance. I also finally got a fairly decent photo of this dish to update the blog.
Saturday we drove an hour to the “city” that has decent shopping to pick up my Hallmark order and have a nice lunch at PF CHANGS. We have no Hallmark store any longer (or any other decent major shopping) and only a handful of restaurants so it was a nice change. Since we’ve lived here, the area (within 25 miles) is “growing” housing wise, but decreasing in shopping, restaurants and healthcare. It makes no sense to me! We’ve lost the local hardware store and the one in the next town is about to close, Macy’s, JC Penney’s, Sears, Charlie’s BBQ, Loggers, Rite Aid, a Walgreens, Pedotti’s Italian, Cigno’s Italian, Nellies, FNB, Tolleys, Albertsons, PIER 1, Big Lots, JoAnns, Clarices, K-Mart…And yes I know many of those were lost nationwide, but…we now have 7 Mexican restaurants, just as many second hand stores and the town all but rolls up the sidewalks at dusk and on Mondays.
It was a rainy weekend again and I spent Sunday starting with breakfast at a friends bar & Grill, but then coming home for racing and football while lounging around researching recipes as well as 3 loads of laundry and oiling and cleaning up my “new” sewing cabinet.
On the way home from the city Saturday we stopped at two of our favorite antique stores after the Hallmark store and lunch and then we stopped in another favorite little town on the way back where I found the most unique sewing machine table. Actually, hubby found it for me, but it’s gonna be beautiful when we’re done with it and it was dirt cheap. Someone had added some cheap legs that didn’t match and it needed oiled A LOT, but other than that thee was just a small broken knob that is fortunately on a bottom drawer so not even noticeable when it’s all back together. I didn’t find anything else except these adorable scarecrow ghosts that I’ll use for two friends that have Halloween birthdays.
I’ve been joining in on BLOGTOBER for the prompts that speak to me and even adapting them to fit my life. Yesterday I did a compilation of some of my favorite apple recipes called ALL THINGS APPLE.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
It rained A LOT over the weekend, which we really needed, but it should conclude this afternoon, but the next several days, while cool (mid 50’s during the day and lows in the 30’s at night) are only supposed to be cloudy until the end of the week when the rain begins again. 🙂 I LOVE FALL!
ON MY MIND, TO DO, APPOINTMENTS, TRAVELS, DVR/TV & PROJECTS
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THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS, APPOINTMENTS & DVR/TV
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READING TIME
I’m about to finish the BOOK WOMAN’S DAUGHTER by Kim Michelle Richardson. Book club is meeting next weekend, but I’m going to be out of town and am honestly so far behind now I may just be bowing out of book club all together.
FUNNIES
MENU PLANS
BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀
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 10/13 MONDAY
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10/14 TUESDAY
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10/15 WEDNESDAY
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10/16 THURSDAY
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10/17 FRIDAY
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10/18 SATURDAY
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10/19 SUNDAY
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DINNER
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Eagle’s meeting night CORN/YOYO clean out refrigerator night or you’re on your own
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CHILI con CARNE QUESO CUPS
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AZZOLINA SPAGHETTI also making a crock pot of CHILI MAC & CHICKEN VERDE CHILI for the Eagles to serve at BUNCO night
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BAKED TUSCAN CHICKENÂ
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OOT (out of town)
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OOT (out of town)
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OOT (out of town)
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DESSERT
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FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA
One of my favorites from PF CHANG’S is their Teriyaki Chicken and Fried Rice!
INSPIRATIONS
LIFE TIP
HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP
RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK
- ITALIAN GRINDER SALAD
- APPLE PIE DUMPLINGS
RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK
WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS
BLOGTOBER ~ FALL FAVORITE REIPCES ~ ALL THINGS APPLE ~ BLOG 365.285B
What would Fall or Autumn be without apples? For me, apples are one of my favorite things about Fall. Today’s prompt was about favorite apple desserts, but instead I decided to share some of my favorite fall apple recipes whether they are desserts or not. As you can see I have a bountiful amount of apple recipes to choose from. 🙂
