Yikes! I usually draft this up Thursday afternoon and have it all ready to go bright and early Friday morning. But yesterday afternoon was so beautiful, I ended up enjoying a sunny afternoon instead. So you are getting the late version. 😉

One

I can’t believe the fifth book in Sherry Thomas’s wonderful Lady Sherlock series, Murder on Cold Street, comes out next week.

October 6 if you don’t want to miss a moment of Charlotte’s escapades. Can you tell I’ve got a bit of Holmes thing going lately?

Haven’t read the series? Start with A Study in Scarlet Women.

Two

As you might know, I can like a crazy woman all summer. I have all these things I love to make and give as gifts. And every year I find some new recipe that turns into my MUST MAKE FOR EVERYONE.

This year, it turns out to be this Peach and Pepper Jam. Now you will see that this is not a canning recipe, but I tweak it just a bit to make it canning friendly and so can you—even if you haven’t canned all that much. Just up the cider vinegar to 2/3 cup, and then follow the hot water canning instructions on the sheet that comes with the pectin box for “Peach Jam.” Easy Peasy.

This isn’t toast jam, but crackers and cheese jam. The sort of jam you enjoy with a glass of wine and friends.

However, once family and friends discover this gold,  stand back. A stampede is ensuing.

I recommend making extra batches. Because it is hard to give away.

Three

I saw a link on Twitter the other day and I am so glad I clicked on it and discovered the work of Landartist Hannah Bullen-Ryner. All of her art is done with things she finds in nature.

Oh, these creations of hers are so exquisite. I highly recommend spending a few minutes enjoying her beautiful work.

I took a deep breath and felt at peace. So lovely.

Photo credit: Hannah Bullen-Ryner

Four

Now that it’s October, I’m all about the comfort food!! First up is one of my favorite things to throw together: Chicken a la King. This is my go to starter recipe. I say starter, because I play around with this recipe all the time. Adding different vegetables, using roasted chicken from the store deli, leftovers from the previous night dinner. It is just one of those great, basic recipes that tailors easily to your tastes.

Also, if you want to do something different with it, we often skip the biscuits and pour it over a handful of warmed up crunchy Chow Mein noodles. Nummy.

Photo credit: Taste of Home

Five

I’ve been adding friendly reminders to the end of these posts to make sure you are registered and have a plan to vote, but it is getting down to the wire in many places, so please, if you are here in the United States, take a few moments and make sure you are registered to VOTE.

If you don’t want to fill out that form, just scroll down and you can click on a link to go directly to your State Registrar. It took me all of about 30 seconds to check and verify.

There. Cozy reads, cozy foods, something hot, and something to do. Have a great Friday.