Sailor "painted" this on the computer. I was impressed~he's only four!
August 4, 2007
August 3, 2007
July 28, 2007
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Mmmmm...blueberries!
I still had 3-4 cups of blueberries, so I made a cobbler last night.
It's so easy--pour a box of yellow cake mix into a 9 x 13 pan, spread the fruit out on top, cut one stick of butter into pats and dot the surface, then sprinkle everything with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (or until golden!).
I thought I had a can of cherry pie filling in my pantry that I was going to mix in with my fresh blueberries--but I was wrong! So, I added an 8 oz. can of pineapple juice (poured over the fruit/cake mix) because this recipe needs some liquid, LOL!
July 26, 2007
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Teacup Thursday
Another gift from my sister just a few weeks ago~ an English Blue Willow place setting: teacup, saucer, bread plate and dinner plate.
Tonight, I made homemade blueberry scones in honor of the Miss Potter movie! (An aside here--last week, I thought I was buying the "Continuing Story" of Anne of Green Gables, but found that the case actually enclosed the movie's sequel!! So, tonight, I exchanged it for a previously viewed copy of Miss Potter~yay! I'll have to find the last AoGG on-line...).
I will be experimenting with more scone recipes~we found this one a little dry. Scones are much like biscuits in taste/texture.
In keeping with the theme, I made hot blueberry tea. In my own personal taste-test experience, the Celestial Seasonings' True Blueberry wins over Bigelow's Blueberry Harvest.
Flash...and no flash...
Talk about inconsistency~some pics look better with and some without...I'll keep working on it! (And, I'm still getting some very blurry shots...).
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Home, Sweet Home
Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home;
A charm from the sky seems to hallow us there,
Which, seek through the world, is ne'er met with elsewhere.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!
An exile from home, splendor dazzles in vain;
Oh, give me my lowly thatched cottage again!
The birds singing gayly, that come at my call --
Give me them -- and the peace of mind, dearer than all!
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!
I gaze on the moon as I tread the drear wild,
And feel that my mother now thinks of her child,
As she looks on that moon from our own cottage door
Thro' the woodbine, whose fragrance shall cheer me no more.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!
How sweet 'tis to sit 'neath a fond father's smile,
And the caress of a mother to soothe and beguile!
Let others delight mid new pleasures to roam,
But give me, oh, give me, the pleasures of home.
Home, home, sweet, sweet home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!
To thee I'll return, overburdened with care;
The heart's dearest solace will smile on me there;
No more from that cottage again will I roam;
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.
Home, home, sweet, sweet, home!
There's no place like home, oh, there's no place like home!
John Howard Payne -
Eyes of Wonder
Please visit Jewels' blog and take a look at her gorgeous carrot cake, resplendent with carrot ROSES! (And, you'll probably end up with Jewels on your favorites list!).
July 24, 2007
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New computer trick!
This tablecloth is a vintage reproduction that I bought at one of those we-carry-antiques-and-new-stuff-too shops, LOL! I love those shops...actually, I kind of thought I had that idea before they started popping up everywhere! I guess I am not the only one who loves the combination of antique and *current* decor.
Can you tell that this tablecloth wasn't ironed? (Besides the creases from folding, LOL!). I need to look at the tag to see what the material is, but it does not need ironing, one advantage of it being "reproduction"...
What a difference the flash on the camera makes (and, possibly a tri-pod would make, LOL!)~which pic do you prefer? I like the one with the flash...I just wish I'd had natural light coming in from the kitchen windows (not going to happen unless dh removes the dark storm screens).
My camera is not working right~it's my fault. My attempt at "tweaking" the settings for better pictures went wrong somewhere!
July 22, 2007
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A twist on strawberry shortcake...
It's so quick and easy!
Store-bought angel food cake
Lemon curd (you'll find it with the jams and jellies, or you can make it from scratch)~I heat and stir it until it's liquid.
Strawberries (sprinkled with sugar and "macerated" in the fridge for an hour) and blueberries and a little whipped cream!
This would be easy to make as a trifle, too~tear up the cake and layer with the lemon curd, fruit, and whipped cream!
July 21, 2007
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What I'm thinking about today...
Making homemade cleaners! Here are some of my ingredients:
Liquid castile soap~lavender and almond.
Essential oils~clove, cinnamon cassia, lemon eucalyptus, and orange.
The other three ingredients, borax, baking soda, and vinegar, are the most economical, LOL!
Basic Softscrub (Care2.com ):
1/2 cup baking soda
Enough liquid soap to make a "frostinglike" consistency
5 drops essential oil (lavender, tea tree, and rosemary are antibacterial)
Pour the baking soda in a bowl; slowly pour in the liquid soap or detergent, stirring all the while, until the consistency reaches that of frosting. Scoop the creamy mixture onto a sponge, wash the surface, and rinse.
EarthScrub Tile and Tub Cleanser (Ecomall):
"Recipe: Mix 1 2/3 cups baking soda with 1/2 cup of liquid soap in a bowl. Using liquid soaps is best because liquid detergents make this scrub too time consuming to rinse off. Dilute with 1/2 cup water. Add 2 tbsp. vinegar. Stir with a fork until the lumps are gone. Be as exact as you can, otherwise, your squirt will be too thin or thick. Keep the cap on, because this mixture will dry out. Shake well before using.
To use: Squirt this cleaner anywhere! My favorite places to use it are the tub, sink and toilet bowl, but I’ve used it for any greasy, grimy job. It’s great for under the rim of the toilet, bathtub rings, sinks and countertops. It’s a soft, mildly abrasive cleanser. Use a nylon white-backed sponge to prevent scratching. Rinse well. If you find that you are leaving a baking soda residue, try using a little less scrub and/or rinse with a squirt of scented vinegar and water. The vinegar dissolves that little bit of leftover baking soda and soap right away. Remember to shake well before using. "
I'm going to experiment to see which of the above recipes work best for me.
The all-purpose cleaner I'm going to use is from Crystal's site:
Here is a cleaner you make right in your spray bottle:
All-Purpose Cleaner
2T vinegar
1 t Borax
Hot water
a few drops of a mild dish detergent
10 drops of essential oil, optional
In a 16 spray bottle put vinegar, borax and hot water. Swish around until borax has dissolved. Add the drops of dish detergent and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Add the essential oil (I like using orange or lavender).
Two glass cleaner recipes (again, I'll try them both out and see which one I like most!):
1 part vinegar
1 part alcohol
1 part water
Combine in spray bottle.Another from Care2.com:
"THE BEST WINDOW CLEANER
Make a great all-purpose window cleaner by combining 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon liquid soap or detergent, and 2 cups of water in a spray bottle. Combine in a spray bottle. Shake to blend. "When I make these, I will add 5-10 drops of either lemon eucalyptus or orange essential oils to the spray bottle!
July 20, 2007
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Quick update on life!
This has been an interesting week...I've slowly been organizing different areas of my house and I've browsed the internet in short, quick bursts~ten minutes here and there.
It is raining! I think it didn't rain here one day~but it's still too wet for the boys to get out and play. My dh was able to mow the front (finally!), but the back is holding water. My biggest fear, of course, is snakes. I haven't seen one yet, but I know they are back there! We have a creek behind our house. We came home from a visit to our parents a couple of weeks ago and saw that the creek was about 3/4 full--we have never seen it that high before! I'm sure it's pushed out the snakes!
Well, my camera batteries are charging~I hope to have a picture post for this weekend!
July 18, 2007
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I grew up on these cookies!
Make some today!
Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
2 c. sugar
1/3 c. cocoa
4 Tbsp. butter
1/3 c. milk
1/3 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. uncooked oatmeal
Combine sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk in large saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Boil one minute only and remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, peanut butter, and oats. Drop by teaspoons on waxed paper. Cookies will harden as they cool.
I like to use just a little less than 3 cups of uncooked oatmeal~they seem to turn out better. Also, make sure the peanut butter is completely blended into the chocolate before adding the oats!
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