Cookies, Coffee, Robert Burns, and Knock-off China

Come Autumn, sae pensive in yellow and grey,
And soothe me wi' tidings o' Nature's decay!

Ah, that ol' Robert Burns could turn a phrase, couldn't he?

Even if he did talk funny.   :-P                

Outside here, it's all gray skies, dark gray tree limbs, with a few

brilliant leaves still soldiering on.

Yellow and gray and pensive.

November.

The perfect day for a cuppa and a something-else in the study at That Old House.

Sorry, it's not tea for me today; it's French press coffee.

I'm using pieces from a luncheon/dessert/tea service for 6 that I got two years ago at a hospital thrift shop.

It's an unknown manufacturer, but it's a dead-on ringer for Noritake's Adagio pattern.

This, below, is the real McCoy; it has silver trim; the imposter has gold.

I discovered Adagio as a newlywed, and thought it so graceful and charming, but we couldn't afford it.

I was delighted to find this knock-off at the thrift shop.  I like it as much now as I did 30 years ago!

Love the rust and blue and gray design.  Such good colors for November.

This isn't fancy, delicate bone china.  I don't hold my pinkie finger up when I drink from this cup.

But I think it's pretty and I know it's practical -- I put it in the dishwasher despite the gold trim.

How daring is that?

Now . . . about that something-else snack.  

I usually have Duncan Hines brownie mix on hand; I think it's the best of the bunch.

And you can make cookies with it.

You need:

And you follow these instructions:

For "other stuff" think: white chocolate, nuts, raisins,
coconut, dried cranberries, peanut or butterscotch chips . . .
pretty much anything but olives.
Use a meatball scoop to form the cookies, or a coffee scoop.
Be generous.

After baking, you end up with these, and boy are they good:

Confession:  I did not bake those cookies today (Sorry, Howard).

I baked them almost exactly two years ago, when I first used these pictures and recipe in a post.

Pictures of That Old House are from this afternoon.

Hey -- I'm busy with my TBDBT List!  I'm not baking until the day before Thanksgiving! -- Cass

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Love dishes?  Lust over all types of china? 

Then you'll want to enter the Giveaway for the big new coffee table book

on dishes, called DISH!  Just go to Monday's post and leave a comment.

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Link Parties:

Marty at A Stroll Through Life hosts Table Top Tuesday.   Click here.

Diane at A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words hosts 2nd Time Around Tuesday.   Click here.

At Linda's Coastal Charm blog, it's Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays.  Click here!
And now for the Tea Parties:

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage, and Tea Time Tuesday.  Click here!

Wanda Lee at The Plumed Pen, and Tea For Two Tuesday.  Click here!

Wanda and Pam of A Breath of Fresh Air host Tea Pot and Tea Things.  Click here!

And ... it's also Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations with Terri.  Click here!

Dishin' On A Giveaway

What better way to start the week
than with a Giveaway?

You want just the facts?  Here goes!

Who:  That Old House, of course!  It's not a spectacular giveaway
but it's just right for curling up in cold weather with a (pretty) cup of tea.

What:  T.O.H. and I are giving away a brand new copy of this book:

and it's all about -- you guessed it -- dishes.

When:  The winner will be drawn from among entries
on Monday, November 21st.  

Where:  It all happens right here, in this post,
and in next Monday's.  No need to visit any other websites or pages.

Why:  When I did a blog post on October 19th that included this book, here, some of you were delighted with a book that boasts hundreds of pictures of hundreds of dish patterns, along with random tidbits of info about those same gorgeous plates.  

So I ordered a second copy of Dish, and as even using both of my eyes
I can only read one book at a time, it is time to give one away!

How:  Easy as pie.  No hoops to jump through, no complicated 
"do this, do that, then stand on your head" rules.

All you need to do is leave a comment on this very post.  Simple.

One comment = one entry = you're done!

Entries will close at midnight EST on November 20th.

If you are a new visitor and would like to become a Follower,

I'd be delighted, but following is not a requirement for winning.

If you want to mention this Giveaway on your own blog,

or link to it, that would also be very welcome, but -- not required.

I'm trying to make it easy for one of you who loves, loves, loves dishes to win this big, beautiful, fun book.

Good Luck!  -- Cass


P.S.  Just a reminder -- I need to be able to contact whomever wins Dish.  If you comment anonymously, or have "no reply" with your comments, or don't have a link to a blog or website, or don't have your email in your profile . . . you may win, and never find out!  Some commenters are already in this position; I'm talking to you, Nancy Lee and Susie!  :-)  If you see this, please send your contact info to me so I can reach you if your number is pulled.  Thanks!