Autumn's Yankee Candle Collection

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Autumn is my favourite season of the year for all the rich colours on the trees, the marvellous treasures we can find in nature and the crispness of the air. It's a wonderous time of year as children start to understand the way that fruit and vegetables ripen, and can see and taste the fruits of their labour.

Yankee Candles have tapped into that as they have produced a fruity range of candles which perfectly reflect the spicey aromas associated with Harvest and Autumn; Cinnamon Appleberry, Grapevine & Oak, Pomegranate Cider, Harvest, and Apple Pumpkin.

Autumn Yankee Candles

We've been sent the absolutely glorious 'Harvest' to review and it is my new favourite scented candle I own. At the moment, I actually haven't lit it because the fragrance is wonderful as it is!

Autumn scented candle

It is an incredibly rich scent with golden hues of Autumn; cinnamon, cloves and musk combine with a hint of sweet apples and pumpkins to really fill the air deliciously. And with 110-150 burn hours, the smell is sure to last all season; that's if you can bear to light it!

The Harvest Yankee Candle is available from high street stores and through the website directly, priced at £19.99 for the large jar candle.

I was sent this product for the purpose of this review, my opinion is honest and unbiased.

Colourful Copper (Giveaway)

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I absolutely adore this time of year for the everchanging colours and rich tones in nature, the trees shift their colours from one day to the next. Autumnal walks to find pine cones, acorns and conkers are accompanied by the sound of crunchy leaves cascading down from the near-skeletal trees in the cool October wind, a flurry of coppers and golds in the air.

I'm sure that I'm not the only one with bowls of Autumn treasures scattered around the house, mixed up with cinnamon sticks and dried orange slices; the aroma is warming and comforting. I've found the perfect bowls to display our finds in as well.

Copper bowls From OutThere Interiors

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P-P-P-Pick Up A Pumpkin

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One of our absolute favourite places to visit for easy outdoor fun on a weekend is our local Pick-Your-Own fruit farm. It's a perfect example of diversification, as not only does Hendrewennol have all the usual berries to harvest during the Summer months, but it also has a themed maize maze (this year in the shape of Wales with famous Welsh castles scattered throughout), large sandpit, and a hay-bale maze. You can visit for free to enjoy the play areas, entry to the maize maze is just a few pounds each.

Last year we discovered that they also grew PYO pumpkins, and I may have gone overboard with the 14 that we ended up taking home. This year we were determined not to get so carried away!

P-P-P-Pick Up A Pumpkin

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Autumn Treasure Bag

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Autumn is a wonderful time of year to get out and about, enjoying nature and all the treasures the season brings. During the month of September, we are forever scavenging for conkers and acorns, finding colourful leaves and spotting squirrels, with our pockets fit to bursting with the fruits of our labour.

When we were recently sent some crafting materials as part of the Bostik Bloggers' Challenge, we decided the most appropriate thing for us would be to make an Autumn Treasure Bag in order to make collecting conkers etc. easier.

Autumn Treasure Bag 1

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Exploring The National Trust: Dyrham Park

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NT Dyrham Park

I absolutely adore Autumn. It is a glorious time of year; full of colours and treasures, walks through crunchy leaves while listening for bouncing squirrels overheard. It's also the time of year that we start exploring new National Trust places, arboretums in the grounds of stately homes are glorious in Autumn.

Last weekend we visited Dyrham Park for the first time, and we soon realised that it was going to be first of many visits.

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Spicy Apple & Pumpkin Cake

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When we became way too excited at the PYO Pumpkin Farm in October, I was left with a fair few pumpkins to do something with. Fourteen to be precise.

Like I said, I was excited.

I pureed and froze quite a few of them, we've eaten one or two in lasagnes or risottos, but I decided to bake a cake with one to see exactly what pumpkin cake tastes like. As the puree is quite bland, I decided to add apple in for texture  combining a number of spices to add extra zing!

Spicy Apple & Pumpkin Cake

  • Makes: 8 inch bündt cake
  • Preparation time: 10 minutes
  • Cooking time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 6oz/170g self-raising flour
  • 6oz/170g caster sugar
  • 6oz/170g butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 1tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice
  • 200g of pumpkin puree
  • 2 apples, peeled and chopped
  • demerara sugar to decorate
  1. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, adding a little flour if they start to curdle.
  2. Add the flour and spices and mix together thoroughly.
  3. Fold in the pumpkin puree and chopped apple.
  4. Pour into the bündt tin and cook in a preheated oven (180°C/Gas Mask 4) for 35-40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
  5. Allow to cool in the bündt tin before turning out.
  6. Sprinkle demerara sugar on top to decorate. Spicy Apple & Pumpkin Cake

Apples and mixed spices are one of my favourite combinations when it comes to cakes, there are plenty of spicy cake recipes around for inspiration at this time of year.

Recipe written in collaboration with Schwartz

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