Happy Halloween!

This is as spooky as we get at Lowfields!  

Babies, Babies, EVERYWHERE!

These days, everywhere you turn at Lowfields, you see some little ones!  

Babies everywhere!

Some like to pose for the pictures

The Perfect Saturday Morning

A wonderful start to the weekend!  

Fall has arrived at Lowfields...

Fall has arrived!

The dogwoods have started to turn... 

A walk down a country road surrounded by fall beauty! 

A recent misty fall morning

If Life Gives You Lemons...Use the Leaves!

We have begun to prune our lemon & lime trees in preparation for bringing them inside for the winter season and I decided there must be some uses in cooking for the leaves!    Below are just a couple of the uses for the leaves... I have found they are a great cooking accessory for a fresh but subtle burst of flavor.  I used them when baking chicken and also for some meatballs. I am sure there are many other uses that I am excited to discover!  

Rolando & Filiberto dig up all the citrus from our garden to pot and bring inside! 

I added lemon leaves to some chicken - it was subtle but delicious! 

I made some meatballs to cook and freeze and placed 1 leave under each meatball before cooking.  

Kitchen Bouquets

As you know, I always do bedside bouquets, but I am also a big fan of kitchen bouquets.  Any way I can incorporate fresh flowers into any room makes me happy!    And you don't need fancy flowers or vases to do so...  One of my favorite items to use as a "vase" are empty food cans from Trader Joe's or Campbell's Soup Cans (the old red versions).   And if you don't have any fresh flowers to cut, you can also use herbs and other greenery.  Basil is one of my favorite and most fragrant.  You would be amazed how just a little touch like that can make your breakfast table a little happier.  

I love the colors on this Trader Joe's corn can.
It goes beautifully with the golden rod cosmos and tarragon! 

You've seen this old olive jar before for many a bouquet, it's one of my favorites!
It's the perfect fit for golden rod and the last of the basil from the garden.  

Stuffed Peppers with Dirty Rice

Being that it's the middle of October and the weather is definitely starting to turn, we finally put our garden to bed last week and I harvested all the remaining tomatoes and peppers.   While I am preparing and freezing most of the tomatoes for the holidays, I wanted to use the bell peppers fresh and in a new way.   Being from New Orleans, I love dirty rice so I figured why not stuff the peppers with it?  Since my peppers were on the smaller side, I did them as a side dish, but if you have larger ones, it could definitely be the main course.  Keep in mind that everyone's version of dirty rice is different and most of it is based on what you have in the kitchen at the time. My dirty rice changes every time I make it!   

Stuffed  Peppers with Dirty Rice

Dirty Rice Mixture:

1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

1 pound of ground beef

Topping: 

homemade french bread crumbs

2 tsp olive oil

shredded cheddar cheese

Saute parsley, green onion and ground beef until cooked through and drain off liquid.  Mix with 2 cups of cooked basmati rice and stuff into halved bell peppers.  

Combine topping ingredients and top the stuffed peppers with it (with as little or as much as you like). 

Cook in a 350 degree oven until heated through and peppers are cooked but still firm, about 20 minutes. 

Stuffed Peppers with Dirty Rice

Special Project: Hay Barn Signage

Owning a farm means there is a constant list of special projects that is always ongoing. Even the littlest special projects, like hanging a sign are a big check off the list.    I got a call that the sign that I had ordered for the hay barn was complete so the guys and Charlie set to the task and it looks great!  It has our logo along with my favorite Shakespeare quote, "Chewing the cud of sweet and bitter fancy".  

The guys and Charlie use one of the tractors to hang the sign

The ladies didn't seem fazed by it at all as they enjoyed their breakfast

Every proper hay barn needs a proper sign! 

More Delights from Greensboro...

As mentioned earlier this week, Deborah and I were extremely successful in our recent shopping trip to Greensboro, NC.   Not only did we find the gorgeous vintage jewelry, but here are some of our other fantastic finds!!  

Some of the darling vases I bought  - all under $10!  

You know I love red books -
these are from the early 1900's and they have leather spines and marbled covers! 

This bust doesn't have a home yet,  but isn't he gorgeous?  

I loved the colors in this 3x4 foot needlepoint.  And it's in a beautiful walnut frame.  

You can never have enough antique leather boxes...  I love the detail on this one! 

Jewels Fit For A Queen

Deborah and I hit paydirt shopping this weekend in Greensboro, NC and I really got a headstart on holiday shopping.  I can't show you everything because it would ruin the surprises for everyone, but some of my favorites were the gorgeous vintage jewelry.   Stay tuned for more posts with our other shopping finds!  

Fit for a queen! 

I put all of the vintage jewelry in this great old leather box that we found for $12.00!!