Some fine fall ideas from Southern Living

Lately, I've been picking up and placing back on the newsstand a number of fall magazines. I was looking for something with some fall baking inspiration (and the last time I went to the grocery store, the new Tea Time wasn't in yet), but nothing appealed to me. Then, when I caught up on my mail this weekend, I realized the new issue of Southern Living had just the inspiration I was seeking! Isn't that Apple Cake on the cover gorgeous? They call it their "No-Peel Apple Cake," and it takes just 20 minutes of preparation, so I want to give this a try.

What I loved most in this September issue, however, was this feature called "Baked with Love: Warm the hearts of family and friends with easy fall baked goods designed to present as gifts." I love pretty food packaging, and I was quite charmed by this image of Pumpkin Bread (at left), which is wrapped in the pan, then surrounded by a tea towel and grosgrain ribbon, with a pretty vintage knife tucked in as well. (I think I've just found the substitute gift for all those time-consuming plates of cookies I made for our business clients last Christmas!) And these recipes alone are worth buying the magazine for. First, I want to make their Spinach-Feta Scones, then the Apple-Cheddar Bread, and finally the Banana-Nut Muffins with Cream Cheese-Honey Filling. (The Apple Cake recipe isn't available online, but the other recipes are. There's so much great stuff in this magazine, however, that I'd recommend buying this issue if you live where it's sold and aren't already a subscriber.)

Were any of you in a sorority in college? There's a fun tour of sorority houses in the South, and I was surprised at how elegant they are! My faves were the spaces belonging to Alpha Delta Pi at the University of North Texas and Alpha Phi at the University of Alabama. For the garden lover, there are wonderful spreads on creating outdoor rooms, and for the football-loving garden lover, there's a clever piece on creating container gardens in the color of your favorite team. Also, I should mention that the featured home plan in this issue is from our Coweta town of Senoia, and it's one of the homes featured in AMC's "The Walking Dead." And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go check my pantry to see what I need to make some great new scones and tea breads!