HAPPY HALLOWEEN - WELCOME TO WITCHY HOLLOW

 Welcome to Witchy Hollow

Where autumn leaves like embers fall,

And lanterns glow beside the wall,

There stands a door of weathered wood,

Where every little witch is good.

A rusty star hangs proud and high,

Beneath the amber autumn sky,

While from the rooftop, sleek and black,

A watchful cat keeps careful track.

The raven waits without a sound,

As copper leaves drift to the ground,

And pumpkins gather on the stair,

With candlelight and magic there.

Young Barnaby has come to call,

The sweetest little guest of all.

With pumpkin pail and plaid bow tied,

He waits so hopefully outside.

The little witch bends down to say,

“I’m very glad you came today!

Come in, dear friend—the night is young,

And Halloween has just begun.”

The broom stands ready by the door,

For moonlit journeys yet in store.

But first, perhaps, some treats to share,

And tales beside the firelight there.

So should you find, one autumn night,

A cottage wrapped in golden light,

Don’t hurry past—just knock and say,

“I’ve come to Witchy Hollow today!”

For where there’s kindness, friends, and cheer,

There’s always room for magic here.

And every heart, both big and small,

Is welcome at this cottage door. 🍂🎃🐈‍⬛✨

Thank you for looking at another tale of whimsy.

I hope the little kids, as well as

the big kids in your family have a 

Safe and Happy Trick o’ Treat.

Happy Halloween!

(Saturday Morning at the Bird Feeder has been moved to tomorrow just for this week.)

MORE HALLOWEEN IMAGES FOR YOU.

 Not long to go until All Hallow’s Eve. Here are a few jigsaw puzzles below, other images from Pinterest and elsewhere, plus links. Hope you enjoy them!

“There is magic in the night when pumpkins glow by moonlight. 

~Author Unknown ~

“Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story.”

~Mason Cooley~

A link to: 31 Easy Halloween Treats To Make 

“I’ll stop wearing black when they make a darker color.” 

Wednesday Addams, “The Addams Family”

“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”

~William Shakespeare - Macbeth~

“Halloween is an opportunity to be really creative.”

~Judy Gold~

Trick or Treat

6 Halloween Crafts That Kids Will Really Love Featuring Cats

Fun With Food

“Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen, voices whisper in the trees, “Tonight is Halloween!” - Dexter Kozen

Happy Halloween - Boo

“Anyone could see that the wind was a special wind this night, and the darkness took on a special feel because it was All Hallow’s Eve.” - Ray Bradbury

“There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.”  - George Carlin

Thanks for visiting and I hope 

all goes well in your part of the world. 

PHOTOS TAKEN BY SON YESTERDAY AT A LOCAL FARMER’S MARKET

 

Sweet thing, you make my heart sing - you turn darkness into light - you make everything alright.

Son sent these photos he had taken when visiting their local farmer’s market. He was picking out a pumpkin for carving with our daughter-in-law that night when he saw the goat. I decided to put him into a frame and added the lyrics. They immediately popped into my head when I looked at that sweet face.

Have a great day and thanks for visiting.

ANOTHER OLD FAVORITE - A LITTLE CORNER OF DARTMOOR NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH DEVON, UK

“Leave room in your garden for the fairies to dance.”

~Author Unknown ~

It had rained hard the night before and flattened the flowers around it, but they only seemed to add to this pretty photo. It was found in a little corner of Dartmoor National Park, in Southwest Devonshire, England, tucked into the side of a country lane lined with small cottages. I had a feeling this was everyone’s little patch to enjoy. The photo was taken in 2015.

I used to live the same distance from Dartmoor as I do now from the Shenandoah Mountains. We could see the Moors from our kitchen window, and went there often from when I was eight years old, when we first started going down to Devon on our holidays. We moved there permanently when my father retired. I was 15 years old. I had a great love for the Moors, still do and now I also love the Shenandoah Mountains. 

Take good care of yourselves everyone.

Thanks for visiting 

HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS IN CLIFTON, VIRGINIA.

Almost a week ago we went for a drive and ended up in Clifton, a quaint little town full of history. I will go into more detail in another post but right now I am sharing a few photos we took of the Halloween decorations around town.  

I will have more in a day or so.

This is definitely the year of skeletons for Halloween.

Thanks for dropping in and I hope the week has started out well for you all.

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - MUSHROOM SOUP WITHOUT CREAM

This is a very simple meal, and one I expect you have your own favorite version.  But I put it on here in my collection, to remind me to forget the cream and just enjoy a plain soup for the broth and the veggies, and the lack of those extra calories. I found it here at Allrecipes. We have made it several times and enjoyed it each time. 

Mushroom Soup without Cream - makes 8 one cup servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Ready in 1 hour

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup peeled and sliced carrots

1 cup sliced onions

1 cup sliced leeks (optional)

1/2 cup sliced celery

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

2 lbs. sliced fresh brown or white mushrooms

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock 

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped green onions, for garnish

Directions:

Melt the butter in a stock pot over medium heat.  Add carrots, onions, leeks and celery.  Cook and stir until tender but not browned, about 10 minutes.  

Stir in thyme and mushrooms.  Continue cooking until mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes.

Pour chicken stock into the pot and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and serve with green onions sprinkled on top.

Footnotes:

If you do not use leeks, increase the amount of the other vegetables, or add your favorites.  Dried thyme may be used in place of the fresh.  You can also add your favorite herbs in place of the thyme.

For a smoother texture you can puree the soup after it has simmered the final 30 minutes. This way might be a good plan when serving to children. I prefer to serve it as is.

Prepare some wild rice according to package directions and add to soup during the final 10 minutes of cooking, or after the soup has been pureed.

What did we think?  

First of all the house smells incredible while the soup is cooking, and for a long time afterwards.  It makes for a wonderful welcome home.

If you can’t get the leeks I would probably use onions in their place. 

I doubled the recipe as we love soup and enjoy eating it for a couple of days or so, and then freeze for future meals if there is any left.

I used white button mushrooms.

If you want to turn this into a vegan/vegetarian meal you can use olive oil to cook the veggies initially, and substitute vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. 

I like mushroom soup but the only kind I have ever tried had cream added.  The broth in this soup didn't need cream, it was very good and the best non-cream mushroom soup I have made so far.  I wouldn't change a thing.

I did not puree the soup as I prefer it as is, but if you have fussy eaters, pureeing might make it easier to get loved ones to eat good nutritional food. Also, if you have toddlers or older who hopefully will like the taste but refuse to eat certain veggies, “camouflaging” is a good way to go. I would however check with a medical professional depending on their dietary needs.

I also didn't want to make a trip to the store just to buy wild rice. I used white rice instead as I had a small amount left in the packet. It was an excellent substitute and even though I said I wouldn't change a thing, I may try the wild rice next time or even brown rice.

Another good garnish as well as the sliced green onions, would be a sprinkle of grated Parmesan Cheese. If you like sour cream, that would be nice also. I didn’t use either, this time.

Below is the original recipe’s website for you to copy and paste if you prefer it to using the link above.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/59571/mushroom-soup-without-cream/

I am definitely looking forward to making it again, especially with the weather getting chillier.  

Thanks for the visit and 

enjoy your week. 

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - ODDS AND BODS FOR OCTOBER 25TH, 2026

“Good Morning Sunshine! 

“How are you today? I hope all is well where you are.”

I found my imaginary home.

It’s chilly outside. Time to light the fire. I love this cosy room. 

Here are three images of pretty art that I enjoy sharing with you. The moon with…

friends.

I thought this was very cute, two friends having a chat.

A few recipes:

I am sure many have a favorite salsa recipe.  Hubby not only found but made this one and it was delicious. We shared an avocado and put a spoonful into the cavity after we took the seed out. Most of the time we cut up raw veggies and used it as a dip. He advises to pay particular attention to how many seconds on that blender, so that you get it to your desired consistency. 

Salsa - Ingredients: 4 plum tomatoes - 2 Jalapeños, deseeded - 1 medium onion -1 full bunch of cilantro (called coriander in some parts of the world) - Juice of half a lemon - 1 to 2 garlic cloves - Salt, a good amount hubby says (depending on if it is good for your health or your taste).  Instructions: 1. Finely dice all the ingredients before putting them in a blender.  2. Add everything to a blender and blend until you reach your preferred texture.  3. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. 

Cheeseburger Soup - Farmhouse Favorites - Ingredients: 5 pieces

of bacon (cut into small pieces) - 1 pound of ground beef - 1/4 cup

butter - 1/4 cup onion, diced - 2 sticks celery, diced - 1/2 teaspoon 

minced garlic - 6 tablespoons flour - 4 cups chicken broth - 1 cup

heavy cream - 1 pound Yukon potatoes, peeled and diced small, and

partially cooked in boiling water (I add this because it doesn’t mention

this soon enough in directions, in my humble opinion) - 1-1/2 cups 

sharp Cheddar Cheese, grated - salt and pepper to taste. (Message on left: 

Hearty, creamy and packed with all the flavor of your favorite 

cheeseburger!) Directions: 1. Start by browning your ground beef,

 draining and set aside.  2. In a separate pot, brown brown your chopped 

bacon until no longer pink. Add butter, onion, celery and garlic and let 

it sauté for about 5 minutes.  3. Next, add in your flour and stir into the 

bacon and veggies until combined.  4. Then semi softened potatoes, 

chicken broth, heavy cream, 1 cup of cheese and ground beef into the

pot.  5. Stir well so that it thickens, then let it simmer for about 15 minutes.

6. Top with more Cheddar cheese, salt and pepper before serving. 

I am going to keep this recipe for when we have guests. We only ever eat pears straight from the fruit bowl, but this looks great for those special occasions.

Baked Pears with Goat Cheese, Honey and Cranberries - Intedients: 

4 pears, halved - 1/2 cup of goat cheese - 1/2 cup cranberries 

2 tablespoons honey - 1 tablespoon olive oil - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  2. Place pears

Cut-side up in a baking dish.  3. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle cinnamon.

4. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until tender.  5. Fill with goat cheese,

cranberries and walnuts.  6. Drizzle honey on top.  7. Bake 5 to 10 

minutes and serve warm. 

I like these too and it would be nice to keep this recipe for those same guests over the holidays, at least for those with no nut allergies.

Maple Vanilla Candied Pecans - Ingredients: 2 cups pecans - 1/4 cup

maple syrup - 1 teaspoon vanilla - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon - Pinch of salt 

Directions: Toss pecans with maple, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Spread

On baking sheet. Roast at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.

I have four words for you today, and the first three are to do with the moon.  

Selenophile - (noun) - a person who loves the moon.

Moonglade - (noun) - moon-glade - the reflection of moonlight on 

a body of  water.

ZMoonbroch - (noun) - a halo round the moon which presages an

approaching storm.

And then there is this.

“Akiramenai” - origin (Japanese phrase) - Meaning: Until I get

there, I won’t give up. When things are moving slowly, remember

that each step matters. The door won’t open for someone who rushes,

but it will for someone who keeps knocking.

Wise words.

Here is a quote that is a favorite of mine. “We are the leaves of one branch, 

the drops of one sea, the flowers of one garden - Jean Baptiste Henry Lacordaire.

The Seasons Inside a Person - Not every winter is cold. Some people

carry it behind their smiles. Not every spring is filled with flowers.

Sometimes it begins with the day someone chooses to hope again.

There are people with summers in their laughter…warm enough for

Strangers to feel at home. And there are people who wear Autumn

so beautifully, letting go without making a sound. We spend our 

lives looking for the perfect season…only to discover that every

heart is learning how to survive its own weather. So be gentle. You

never know what season someone is living through - Aurelune - A

little universe of words, silence and souls. 

May someone always walk beside you. 

And remember…because we often forget when it comes to ourselves and need a reminder…

of this very important message.

Never forget how amazing you are, for you are worthy and you are loved.

And so ends another positivity post.

Thanks for visiting and I 

hope your day is a great one.

(Thank you Pinterest for today’s inspiration.)