Fall Homemaking | Cozy Cooking and Clean with Me
Join me for a day of Fall Homemaking, with lots of cozy cooking and a clean-with-me style video to follow along with.
The days are getting shorter but so far the heat hasn’t really let up. I am out here watering as if it were springtime. Which seems to be what the plants think it is. I have new growth just about everywhere. Even a cantaloupe that has taken off and an abundance of basil still in the garden.
Fall Traditions
Each fall I have been making applesauce as sort of a tradition. Normally I hot pack several jars for storing. But today I am just making a small batch to get a recipe on the blog to share how to make it. Something I have wanted to do for a while now.
I love having the windows open with the smell of applesauce on the stove filling the entire house. It is at moments like these that I feel an immense sense of joy and gratitude.
I keep the applesauce pretty simple. A dash of cinnamon, some honey if needed and lemon juice to help keep it fresh in the jar. The sweeter the apples you use, the less need for honey there is. But today I have a blend of sweet and tart apples so I added a few tablespoons.
When the apples are soft, I take a potato masher to get down the big chunks and then smooth it out with my hand blender.
On The Cleaning Schedule
We have a “big room” in our home or at least that is what we call it. It is a room that my daughter likes to play in and also my office where I do my editing and writing.
On the list of chores to tackle, I am wanting to dust the entire room and finish up with a good vacuuming. I love these shelves but if you have these sorts of shelves in your house, then you know just how dusty they can get it. So about once a month I like to come in here and just dust each shelf and all the items on them. I find that this really helps help keep the shelves free from clutter and garbage since I toss anything that’s been placed on there that shouldn’t be.
Cleaning like this always makes me feel accomplished for the day. No matter how much work your home might need or how well decorated it is for that matter. Nothing makes a house feel or look better than after a good cleaning. Kind of like shining a penny.
This is a vintage drink cart that was my grandmother’s. My uncle tells me that she used to give dinner parties and wheel this cart out to make drinks for everyone. I love having pieces like this in my home that I get to use and think of her. I keep this in the “big room”, so I can easily pull it out to use anytime I have a dinner party. It tends to get rather dusty with its glass shelving and stored glassware on top. I gave this a good cleaning along with the shelves.
Cozy Cooking
For dinner tonight I am making Rosemary Pork Chops with Pan Gravy. On the side will be mashed potatoes and asparagus.
I make a simple marinade for the chops and you can use bone-in or boneless for this. I was only able to find bone-in chops at the market.
The marinade is a blend of white wine, olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and rosemary. I allow them to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before cooking.
While the pork chops rest, I set the table so that it is ready when dinner is. I use woven placemats that are versatile and do a great job of protecting the tablecloth. Something I have been asked about is how long the tablecloth lasts. I find I can get a few days out of each tablecloth so long as I remember to set placemats out for our meals.
To cook the pork chops I love using my cast iron as I am sure you noticed. I heat the pan with a drizzle of olive oil or you can use butter. Then cook them for a few minutes on each side until done.
The pan gravy is the best part, I add a bit of flour to the pan, a couple of tablespoons of white wine, and some chicken stock. More salt and pepper, then allow the gravy to thicken as I whisk the pan bits to work them up.
It’s a cozier meal for cooler months and even though it’s not quite cool here just yet, I like to pretend it is.
Thank you so much for joining me for today’s Fall Homemaking Cozy Cooking and Clean with Me.
I hope you have enjoyed your time here.
Roxanna
For homemaking, inspiration be sure to visit the homemaking tab. There you will find all sorts of inspirational posts and videos on homemaking.
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