Still Woods Farmhouse

Are you looking for a delicious cider to warm up your family and friends after a little Trick or Treating ? Well, look no further!  I found this recipe on a Taste of Home site and made a few very minor adjustments. I recently served this decadent caramel apple cider as part of a cider and coffee bar.  It was a huge hit! The best part is you can mix it up and let it warm in the crock pot. I love crock pots! In honor of the world series, I would like to present... The starting lineup: 8 cups of apple cider...not apple juice 1 cup of caramel syrup (Torani brand or DaVinci found in the coffee aisle) 1/4 cup of lemon juice 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla 3 cinnamon sticks 1 tablespoon of whole allspice Cheesecloth Toppings:  Whipped cream and Hershey's caramel syrup (type used for ice cream) Directions: 1.  In a 3 quart slow cooker, combine the apple cider, DaVinici or Torani caramel syrup and lemon juice.    Cut a square of cheeseclot...

I love fall and everything that comes with this season.  Decorating for the fall is an anticipated pleasure.  The warm colors of autumn make my heart sing.  Please join me on a tour of a few spots in our harvest home! The front entryway is decorated with pumpkins topiaries, corn stalks, mums, grapevine wreaths with burlap roses, and two jaunty scarecrows. I placed the corn stalks close to the front door.  They have dried corn still attached to the stalks.  I was afraid the deer, which live near our home, might have been tempted to nibble on the corn if I placed them further away from the front door!  Come on in! Let's stop in the Reading Room .  My grandmother's buffet had served as a coffee bar, but with a little rearranging, it now serves a different purpose. I don't do scary Halloween decorating, but love this little Halloween village which I have had for years. When my boys were little, they were so excited when it was time to turn on the v...

Hi everyone! I have been granddog sitting for the past week and let me tell you...it has been a chore!  My youngest son is at a church technology conference and asked if we would watch his puppy.  Sadie is a 9 month old Siberian Husky.  I forgot how active 9 month old dogs could be!  Our two labs run our property, but Ms Sadie is not accustomed to wide open spaces and dense woods.  This morning she high tailed it to a neighbor and proceeded to torment their miniature horse named Sugar.  Bless Sugar's heart. She was trying to be neighborly, but from what I was told, Sadie was about to get kicked.  I bet Sadie wouldn't head back that way again!  Anyway, all thoughts of finishing my next blog post went out the door and I have been enjoying playing with this pretty girl for the past week.  I must say that even though she looks quite innocent, she has eaten a pair of tennis shoes, knocked over my pumpkin topiares, torn up a pillow, pulled the butt...

For me, October brings to mind chili dogs, bags of candy, and caramel apples. We always had chili dogs before heading out to a church fall festival or trick or treating in the neighborhood.   It was a quick meal and one of our favorites as kids. Of course later in the evening, we ended up with a bag full of candy and one special treat made by a sweet neighbor.  She always made caramel apples for the children she knew the best.  It was better than any candy in our bags! My first real memory of caramel apples brings me back to an excursion with my parents and little sister to Apple Valley in California.  The tree branches were heavily laden with crisp, luscious apples.  Various vendors dotted the roadside selling their baked good ranging from apple pies, breads, dried apples, caramel apples, and my favorite candy apples!  As our day ended and we drove back home, my sister and I sat in the back seat happily eating our apple treats. Caramel apples are perfe...