Blog Posts by Country Living

Picking pumpkins has never been more pleasing. Nestled in luscious fields of honey buttercream, these marzipan marvels are sure to inspire furtive samplings. Plant a patch on the tired cake before serving.






This towering pumpkin patch begins as three Pumpkin Spice cakes in graduated sizes, with three generous layers of Honey and Spice Buttercream that escape temptingly toward the tiers' edges. The pumpkins and leaves, both made of tinted marzipan, needn't be perfect to be appreciated, so invite young helpers to assist.Â






Divide marzipan into three batches. With food coloring, tint one green and one orange; leave one natural. For mottling, combine batches. Roll pumpkin spheres, scoring lobes with a skewer. Cut leaves with mini cutters.



RECIPES:
Pumpkin Spice & Pecan Cake
Honey & Spice Buttercream Frosting


See how to make a pumpkin-shaped cake drizzled with icing here.


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Come autumn, the garden may seem to be winding down. Nevertheless, wherever you live, this can be the perfect time for harvesting things to display inside your home. Contributing Editors Richard Kollath and Edward McCann enjoy the fall in New York's Hudson River Valley, where an abundance of natural elements inspired the simple yet stunning ideas shown here.With minimal preparation, you can complete each of these projects in under an hour, integrating some of your favorite bowls, platters, or containers from the garden shed.



Create this wreath on a square wreath base or a picture frame; tie the end of a spool of waxed floral wire to the base, then use an overhand.

Use cake stands and glass cloches or bell jars (secretgardenflowers.com) to displayyour autumn harvest. Showcase your pumpkins before you carve them, or choose unique varieties to display indoors as a counterpart to your outdoor jack-o'-lantern. Check out some beautiful pumpkin varieties here. Make sure to keep

QUESTION: I would like to open an antiques/collectibles shop with an emphasis on vintage linens, pottery, shabby chic items, etc. Do you have any contacts that you could direct me to for some advice, suggestions, etc? -- Annie J.

ANSWER: Dear Annie,
It seems that you share a common dream of many vintage and flea market shoppers whose purchases have outgrown their ability to display them. I polled the owners of some of the emporiums and antique malls that I've discovered in South Florida and found that their advice applies equally well to anyone outside of the local market for vintage goods. Many of them started with a dream of opening a retail store based on their love for "vintage" objects and collectibles, and they have worked hard to keep their businesses growing. One way to get your feet wet in the antiques and collectibles business is to set up a booth at a local antiques fair or festival. For a nominal fee, this will allow you to test buyers' response to your inventory. Selling

Susan Gentry McWhinney

Halloween isn't just for kids -- adults can get in on the fun, too!

YOU WILL NEED
-11" x 14" card stock
-1 yard each cream and black bookbinding or construction paper
-1 yard each assorted ribbons
-spray glue
-1/4" hole punch
-stapler
-scissors and pinking shears

Cut 10" squares of card stock and black and cream Japanese bookbinding paper (our source: talasonline.com) or construction paper. Adhere the black paper to the card stock with spray glue. Wind black square into a cone and staple closed. Cut across top to even out the opening.

For a black-and-white effect, place the black cone at one corner of the cream bookbinding paper and lightly secure with tape. With pinking shears, cut paper at halfway points of cone. Remove paper and spray glue it to the black cone. Punch out holes from leftover bookbinding paper and glue to the white portion of the cone. Punch out two holes on cone top to thread ribbon handle through. Secure an alphabet tag to handle.

TIPS:
Stuff your goody

Sherry McKenney, owner of the Murphin Ridge Inn and cookbook author, shared advice and recipes for her famous brunch at the Country Living Fair in Columbus, Ohio this month. Here are her top 8 tips for cooking scrambled eggs.

Sherry's secrets for delicious eggs:

1. Beat eggs with a fork, not a whisk.

2. Add heavy cream to eggs while beating.

3. Use real butter in the pan, not margarine.

4. Add your own twist! Try fresh chives, dill, basil or even hot sauce

5. Heat a heavy pan before adding butter.

6. Add eggs once the butter starts to sizzle, but before it browns.

7. Use a spatula to gently push the edges of the eggs into the center of the pan while cooking.

8. Undercook eggs slightly. By the time you serve them they'll be perfect!


For more of Sherry's brunch ideas, keep reading Brunch Tips from the Fair...


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Matte works well for most ceilings and walls because its flat finish does not accentuate surface irregularities. In an older dwelling, where the walls may be uneven, Decorator's White, a Benjamin Moore staple, lets light reflect pleasingly off the adjoining surfaces.

Satin has a gentle sheen that lends a soothing glow to a bedroom, bath, or study. Laura Ashley's White Mint has a cool green cast that's calming and spa-like. Keep the trim color a purer white, like Laura Ashley's Milk Sugar, so this tempting tint can be discovered.

Gloss, whether high or low, is a suitable choice for most types of furniture. Try painting an old chest in Sherwin-William's Dover White in high gloss. Its warm tone will lend an antique-cottage feel to the piece; Add vintage glass knobs to complete the look.

-- Jane Dagmi

Read Jane's blog on Country Living


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QUESTION: We have an American Foursquare in Amityville, NY, and are trying to restore the kitchen to the way it was when it was built. Here's the problem: I would like to have an original gas stove from that era, and my partner (the cook) would like something more practical/safe like a new Viking. How can we come to a compromise? Any comments you might have would be greatly appreciated. -- R. Melendez


ANSWER: Restoring your 1920s kitchen will make your American Foursquare home even more charming and also add to its value. The choice between a 1920s stove and a new model will ultimately come down to your feelings about the stove, but here are some suggestions that might help you make your decision.

Finding a stove from that era -- or one that just looks like a vintage stove -- is now easier than ever. There are a few companies that produce vintage-style ranges in both electric and gas models that offer many colors and cooking options. The first company that comes to mind is

QUESTION: Where can I get advice on painting my hardwood floors? Where do I find designs or large stencils for this job? -- F.S. (via e-mail)


ANSWER: I personally love the look of painted and stenciled wood floors. The first source of ideas that comes to mind is Country Living's Country Paint Techniques (Hearst Books), a volume filled with methods for making striped, checked, and stenciled floors, as well as easy paint techniques. For more detailed how-to information, pick up The Home Depot's Decorative Painting 1-2-3. The chapter on painting wood floors provides a checklist of all the items and tools you'll need, along with insider tips, photographs, and instructions from start to finish. For authentic period designs, consider MB Historic Decor's Floor Stencils of New England (mbhistoricdecor.com) or the Stencil Library (stencil-library.com).


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