Fall is definitely in the air even if it is more in my imagination than what the temperature reflects. It is definitely time to spruce up the kitchen with a few Fall touches. The picture above is a new recipe I tried for Fig Bread. I was gifted some figs by a good friend and wanted to try my hand at this recipe. It turned out great and I will include the recipe at the end of the post. I altered it a bit from the original to make it a little less sweet and a little spicier. My Hubby absolutely loved it.

Grasses and Fall leaves in an earthenware container add color and texture to this part of the counter. I am fortunate to have a really large expanse of countertop in a large kitchen. It comes in handy since both my Hubby and I cook and we both need a lot of space.

This is the completed vignette. I grouped the earthenware container with a basket used for gathering apples and a casual towel. The “Happily Ever After” sign is part of the magic of Fall.

In another part of the kitchen a pottery jug made by a local potter is set on the counter backed by “Welcome Fall” on the chalkboard. A birch bark rectangular basket is filled with small pumpkins ushering in the season. The flowers are from the grocery store and the garden. Magnolia leaves are a staple In the South and look terrific in arrangements.

The baking area is ready with the Kitchen Aid set up and cookbooks just waiting to peruse for that perfect recipe. Some favorites are shown here but there are lots of other cookbooks that have great options.

Tucked in a. corner by the stove a simple tray promotes a vintage seed company from years ago. When were pumpkin seeds 5 cents?

Another part of the counter is shared between decorative rolling pins, hydrangea blossoms and a very tall pumpkin. The basket is enhanced by a ribbon embellished with Fall leaves. The hydrangea are from the garden and everything else was picked up at thrift Stores.

After a long day baking it’s nice to have some time together to celebrate one another and the gifts we’ve been given. One kind of happiness is definitely all about home. A nice glass of red wine is a pleasant break in the late afternoon or early evening. The glasses are Mikasa and were thrifted along with the towel and the tray.

I have a wooden island that sits in the center of the space at one end of the kitchen. I use it for prep every day and it is so handy. We’ve had it for 30 years and it moves with us whenever we change households. Today, it holds some homemade rosemary bread…freshly baked. It’s wrapped in a checkered towel. A stoneware pitcher holds some herbs from the garden. Ripe peaches sit in front of the pitcher waiting to be eaten. You can see the flecks of rosemary in the bread. The scent of rosemary fills the kitchen bringing thoughts of sun-kissed, crisp Fall days.

A wooden box, edged in copper, was made last year for me by my Husband. I love it and use it in lots of places throughout the house. Today it is filled with vintage 1/2 pint milk bottles. I used a variety of blooms and paired them with sage, rosemary and lemon verbena. I was really pleased with how this turned out. You can see the island in the background.

Here you can see a closeup of the bottles and their contents.

I love how the kitchen is filtered through the flowers.

This is a view of the kitchen from one end of the counter. We have a sitting area at this end.

Looking the other way you can see the Butler’s Pantry with the glass-fronted cabinets and the hydrangea.

This is such an easy kitchen to work in that I spend a lot of time here especially in the Fall and Winter months.

Now for the recipe:

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 to 2 1/2 cups sugar (I sued 2 cups)
  • 2 cups ripe figs, mashed ( I soaked the figs in 1/4 cup of bourbon for about 15 minutes)
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I used 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg).
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk, well shaken
  • 1 cup nuts, chopped

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.
  2. Heat the oven to 350 F/180 C/Gas 4. Grease and flour the bottom of two 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans (or 3 small loaf pans).
  3. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs. Add the sugar and beat well.
  4. With the mixer on low speed, add the mashed figs and vegetable oil.
  5. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. (and nutmeg)
  6. Add the flour mixture to the first mixture alternating with the buttermilk. Beat until well blended.
  7. Fold in chopped nuts. (I used pecans and walnuts.)
  8. Bake in the preheated oven for about 50 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The center may sink slightly while cooling. Let stand for 10 minutes then turn the bread out onto a cooling rack.

Thanks for visiting today and I hope you give the recipe a try. Happy Fall in the kitchen.

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22 thoughts on “The Kitchen Welcomes Fall”

  1. Your kitchen is all ready for fall. The breads sound yummy! Thanks so much for linking up at the #UnlimitedLinkParty 126. Pinned.

    Reply

  2. This was the first time I had seen your kitchen. What a wonderful room. I haven’t had supper yet (had a Zoom meeting) and my mouth watered looking at your breads. I’d like a piece of your rosemary bread, warm with butter, than a slice of fig bread for dessert! Although I have been crafting fall things for my booth, I am not ready to give up on summer yet–winters in Maine are too darn long! Need to get psyched to make my usual zucchini breads and chocolate zucchini cakes!

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Kathy. I think, if I lived in Maine, I would never want Summer to end. The kitchen was a major selling feature when we bought the house and we have not regretted it at all. It’s a great space to cook. Good luck with your booth this Fall. Thanks for stopping by and sharing.
      Lynne

      Reply

  3. I love your dark granite and deep brown cabinets. All the white and graykitchens in my neighborhood are tiresome. I have dark granite countertops too- with latte cabinets.

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Kristie. I love the darker granite as well. It’s easy to keep clean. Flowers and display pieces also show well against it. Thanks for visiting and sharing. Have a great week.
      Lynne

      Reply

  4. Love these decoration ideas. I want to buy every fall decoration and each fall I try so hard to control my urges! Visiting from the blog hop, have a lovely week.

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Amber. It’s such a temptation to rush out and buy stuff before each season. I really try not to do that and buy after the season when the 75% off sales take place. of course, I don’t always manage that. LOL Have a great week.
      Lynne

      Reply

  7. Oh how lovely everything looks! Fall is my favorite season and my nine-year-old is already asking when we can start decorating…I’m trying to hold off until the official 1st of September but it gets harder and harder every time she asks 😉 I *love the milk bottles with the flowers and herbs! What a lovely design element! I may have to pull out my decorations today and surprise my daughter! Hope you have a lovely week ahead filled with cooking and lovely sights in your beautiful kitchen!

    Reply

    1. Thanks, Melis. It’s hard to set an exact date with little ones. They do love to decorate. I had a great time decorating and coming up with Fall but not too much Fall. Sounds like your daughter is lucky to have you as a Mom. Thanks for sharing and happy decorating.
      Lynne

      Reply
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  10. Beautifully done fall kitchen and scrumdiddlyumptious recipe especially with the figs.
    Thank you for sharing your links with us at #276 SSPS Linky. See you again next week.

    Reply
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  12. I just love your tablescape, bringing us right into fall. Thanks so much for sharing your talent with us and hope to see you again soon at Full Plate Thursday!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

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