Saturday at the Table

Good Saturday morning at the table! Thank you for joining me. It’s always a favorite moment to invite you to have your feet under my table…share recipes, projects, gardening, seasonal thoughts and inspiration. If you are here…that means we have a bit of shared interests and connection…and for that I am truly thankful. So…here we go!

Let’s begin with Saturday gardening talk at the table…

Are you a zinnia lover? Our sweet zinnias are winding down the season. They are trumpeting the last of their glorious blooms on some plants, while others have left for the season, laid down their crowns and begun to wither. Lifespan, isn’t it? Seasons that change that often we aren’t quite ready for. I get it. I’m always thrilled in the spring when they begin and sad when they make the decision to end their beauty. There are still loads of bees and a few hummingbirds gleaning from the nectar from those remaining.

There are many spent zinnia blooms to harvest for planting next year. If you need inspiration on how to harvest seeds OR how to plant them…just click on those links to learn more. Simply a joy each year to have them in my landscape.

Do you still have hummingbirds at your feeder? They are definitely winding down the season here. I’m making only half the quantity of hummingbird nectar each time I refill and clean the feeder.

I always have difficulty pulling out summer flowers in pots to transition to fall. Do you have that problem?

I never want to remove spring plants to replace with summer ones, either.

Laura, at Garden Answer is ALWAYS my inspiration to switch out plants for the seasons…she’s been a favorite to follow for years. If you have followed me long, you saw where I traveled to Andrew Seed Co., her family’s business. Even if you aren’t a gardener…she’s an amazing one to follow.

Do you change out your menus with the change of seasons?

That’s happening here already.

This week I shared a new version of a fall chicken salad…reminiscent of a Waldorf chicken salad. If you missed it, here you go!

I realize that some of you aren’t pumpkin spice fans…but, a new coffee shop in town produced the BEST pumpkin spice latte this weekend. Evergreens Coffee and Plant shop here added a cream cheese whip to the top. Oh, my! I need to recreate it. If you are local, it’s pretty amazing.

On my menu plan this week are a few requests:

• Roast beef.
• A great tomato side dish.
• Zucchini bread.
• Zucchini au gratin.

With zucchini still available from farm stands, it just seemed natural to add it to the menu. Although I don’t think I’ll be canning more this season, one of my favorite posts lately has been the pineapple zucchini. Who knew it would be so popular, right? Another great use for zucchini before it disappears for the season. Just click on the links that take you straight to any of those recipes.

What are you cooking for dinner this week? I’d love to know in the comments.

What are your plans this weekend?

A visit to Franklin, TN never disappoints. We spent the day there yesterday at my favorite shops. Loved these pots from the Iron Gate.

Let’s talk about this table…

A new line of dipped tapers and then different types of candle holders took my breath away. Lovely.

Today we are headed off to enjoy our annual BBQ on the River festival. An average of 30K will join us along the banks of the river to enjoy incredible BBQ, amazing sides and desserts, great music, catching up with friends, and shopping with the local vendors scattered among the streets and lawn. It’s simply the BEST.

I had the joy of taking my college roommate on Thursday for the first stroll and first bite of this year’s festival.

If you are close today, it’s worth joining us. The party won’t end until about 11 this evening.

What makes this the BEST? It’s a charity fundraising event that will raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for so many groups and needs in our community.

The smell in the air and atmosphere is like NONE OTHER. I shared about it here if you want to read more.

More Saturday table talk inspiration gathered this week…

• Loved this fall home tour.
• Always love watching the saving of My Welsh castle on Instagram.
• Do you need a pumpkin tiramisu recipe?
• Can’t wait to try this autumn cake from my friend, Elizabeth…

Have a wonderful weekend, friends! Thanks again, for joining me here for a bit of Saturday table talk. I’d love to know what’s happening with you in the comments.

Happy Saturday,