Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Christmas Preview, Perfect Pumpkin Recipe and Zoe Update


     I didn't really have any pictures to show of my current tabletops. I actually took down all of the fall pumpkins and "orangey" things on Sunday. I know it isn't even Thanksgiving yet, but as much as I love fall...I have a low tolerance for fall decorations. I enjoy them for a short period of time and I wanted some empty spaces before the holiday decorations go up. 


     This year is going to pose some interesting problems for us with decorating. Zoe is now 9 weeks old and everything is a chew toy to her. It dawned on me that we won't be able to have a tree that sits on the floor and certainly no presents within reach of those sharp puppy teeth. What to do, what to do? People say it is like having a new baby, it is worse. A baby this age stays where you put them! 


     I was lucky enough to find a silver tree at an auction. It looks like the old aluminum tree my grandmother had, but it isn't that old I'm sure. It isn't as tall of a tree as we are used to, so I think I can put it up on a table.


     I knew that I could go many directions using a silver tree and the ideas have been spinning in my head. Black and silver, gold and silver, deep purple? I'm showing you a few pictures of what I decided on. 


I won't decorate until after Thanksgiving. Hopefully, I can
make this pretty and "puppy safe" at the same time!


Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

The recipe for these perfect muffins isn't mine. When I saw them posted by Monica @ Lick the Bowl Good, I knew I had to make them. You can find the recipe here.
    

     I will confess that when I got to the part in Monica's recipe that said to shape the cream cheese filling into a roll and chill it for 2 hours, I thought...nope, want them now! So, hers are much more perfect looking than mine. I simple put a blob of the cream cheese on top of the first half of the batter in the cup and topped with more batter (see below).



     I actually forgot to take a picture of the inside of the muffin until about 2 days after I made them. They were much prettier fresh from the oven. The picture will give you an idea of how my filling isn't as perfectly centered as Monica's. However, they tasted fantastic. I will be making these again!


     Zoe is growing. She had her first puppy checkup and weighed 4 pounds. She has figured out what to do outside (although on occasion she still does it inside). She slept through the night last night with no accidents! This is a big deal! I do seem to work my day around her right now, but I expected that. We still can't get her to stop chasing Nike. Nike is interested in her, from a distance. She doesn't like to be crashed into and jumped on, so we are really hoping that eventually we will be able to have them both free in the house without watching every second.


I am joining Yvonne @ StoneGable for On the Menu Monday 
(a little late)
Marty @ A Stroll Thru Life for Table Top Tuesday and
Kim @ Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays

Please visit our hostesses!






18 comments:

Glenda/MidSouth said...

You did better than me - I did not even decorate for Fall. I remember having to tie the tree to the window latch to keep a cat from pulling it down. :D

nannykim said...

That dog is tooooo cute! (but what a pain to train --hey that rhymes!). I like orange so I am enjoying the orange dots in the decor around blog land. Those muffins looooook yummy.

Wsprsweetly Of Cottages said...

Puppies are a handful but worth every single moment.

Blondie's Journal said...

I must have missed a post because I didn't know about Zoe. She is a darling! Is she a beagle? When they make it through the night without accidents. that's a good sign! Now as far as your Christmas tree...;-D

I am tiring of my fall decorations, too. I really don't have a lot of orange, but it is clutter and I need some calm before Christmas. So I am slowly but surely packing it up!

How about this weather...one day rain and cold, the next sunny and warm. Very odd!

Have a great week, Sue!

XO,
Jane

Anonymous said...

so...having zoe is kinda like having a baby eh? :) love the blue for christmas!

mountain mama

Cindy said...

We fostered a beagle puppy several months ago. Far and above, she's been the biggest chewer we've ever had here. Several people since have told me that's well known.

Maria said...

Hi Sue!
oh my goodness, Zoe is adorable!!!
Your pretty blues and whites that sparkle are beautiful too!
Wishing you a lovely week and that nice quiet space between autumn and Thanksgiving*

*~Maria

Ricki Treleaven said...

Zoe is so cute!!!! I am glad she is doing so well. My daughter loves pumpkin and cream cheese muffins, but she buys them at Starbucks because I have never cooked them before. Thanks for posting the link to the recipe. I will try them!

xoxoxoxo,
RJ

Marty@A Stroll Thru Life said...

Zoe is cute, cute, cute. Thanks for the recipe, this looks sooooooooo good. I have to give them a try. Thanks for joining TTT. Hugs, Marty

Traci said...

I love those colors sooo much! Zoe is such a little cutie!!

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Zoe, is precious. Yes, you will have to do things a bit differently this year.

xinex said...

The muffins look delish! Sorry I can't hare the recipe for MS mud cake cause I don't have one, Sue. Debjani bought the cake from the store. I think I like where you are going on your X'mas decor, peacocks? I don't think I will decorate for Christmas. I won't be home and in addition to that, I have plstic bins everywhere b/c I packed all my dishes in preparation for the floor replacement....Christine

Nellie's Cozy Place said...

Hi Sue,
Zoe is so adorable, and yes, at that age they are like toddlers into everything, but so darn sweet.
that helps with the aggravating part, at least!! lol

Was thinking and wondering if you had ever stayed at the bonnet creek timeshares. They are very nice too. Our friends stay there quite often when they come down from Tenn.

Your tree ornaments and color are gorgeous,
that was almost the shade of blue of the mercury glassware I was talking about on my
blog, it is a breathtaking blue to me.......
makes my hear happy! Can't believe I will be
taking all this stuff down next week and putting up the Christmas stuff. Time seems to really be moving fast to me, a lil too fast!! lol
Finally made out my Thanksgiving dinner menu
and grocery shopping list today, now gotta figure out a centerpc and table decor next.
Scott and Megan will only be coming later for
dessert as they are eating at her Dads, and Dee has to work at the hospital until 3 or later, so we want be having dinner till about
5 this year, but at least we get to see them
all, so it could be way worse.

Thanks for all your sweet comments they are always so appreciated. and yes, I am so happy for Dee and Jerry, that they had a wedding that was all about them, cause I had a big wedding too, cause my dad was in business and I hardly knew anyone at the wedding. This way
they had a wedding and honeymoon and pictures for less than what we would have paid for here, and they have no debt.
We would have loved to have had that when we got married, our honeymoon lasted 2 days cause we didn't have the money to be able to take off from work and pay for hotels and food and all that, but we enjoyed it! We always told our kids, 2 things not to scrimp on the pictures and the honeymoon. Thankfully they heard us, and that makes Jim and I both ecstatic!!
Their wedding pics only cost $800. but they
look like they were taken by the $4-5,000.00
photographers in the States. We were thrilled over that, cause have to say we were a lil bit worried cause what if they didn't get them before they left, cause if someone just decided not to send them, what are you gonna do about it.....guess hop a plane and go over there, but thankfully, it all turned out great.

So glad you enjoy my thankful thursday post.
God has really used that to change my outlook on life, and I see how much good there is in my life rather than dwelling on all the bad stuff that is happening in our world. Oh...
I know it is there, but this helps me not to
keep my focus on that!

You have a wonderful day tomorrow,
gotta hit the bed, course, think I already wrote a book here!! lol
Blessings Sweetie,
Nellie

Can't wait to see your aluminum tree, we had one of those when I was a kid, and I hated it,
so my brother went and bought me a color wheel to use with it, and I liked it much better after that!! lol

Pat@Back Porch Musings said...

Zoe is a doll baby, Sue!:-)

Love these hints you've given. I don't decorate much for Fall. Looking forward to doing Christmas!

bj said...

I don't care much for fall decorations, either, and have very few. I do save out for a centerpiece for my Thanksgiving table. Can't wait to put it all away...I put my tree up the day after Thanksgiving. We have a tabletop tree as our big one got to be too much work, taking it up and down the stairs to the attic.

Last Sun. at our Home Fellowship gathering, someone brought these same cupcakes and they were so delicious.

Your baby puppy is tooo cute. :))

Patrice said...

I love blue for Christmas! Your puppy is so cute - I'm just dying to get another dog, but we're away from home 12 hours a day, so I just can't justify it. Can't wait to try your muffins!!!

koralee said...

Oh I am looking the little peek at your Christmas...joy joy joy! Your sweet pup is adorable...what fun.
Happy decorating...we got snow last night so I am sooooo in the Christmas mood. xoxoxo Happy weekend

Gypsy Heart said...

Zoe is totally adorable! I do continue to admire you for going through the puppy stage. I have to do things differently as far as a Christmas tree too. Forrester feels that any "tree" is fair game so it has to be off the floor. :-)

The Halloween and fall decorations I put out lasted about 2 days and I boxed it all up again and put it away. For some reason, I just couldn't do it. I left a few pumpkins out but they're gone now too. Not quite sure how I'll be with Christmas decor. As much as I love it, I think my space is just too small and the claustrophobia sets in. The color you've selected is beautiful ~ one of my favorites!

I will definitely try the muffins. I've seen that recipe somewhere and thought it sounded delish. Thanks for sharing!

xo
Pat