~ Skirt in the Kitchen ~This is the first year I've utilized my Hibiscus blooms, put them to wise use, having dried them first. If you don't have them in your yard, they can be purchased at a health food store, already dried, of course-- but better if you've got them on hand without having to buy. Make sure they have not been sprayed with any chemicals (a … [Read more...]
Cafe Curtains
I have a curtain fetish with every season. I tend to tire of the same curtains so I sew them to save on the cost of purchasing ones that are already made. They can run pretty expensive in the stores and online for nice ones. But the adventure of doing something myself, I adore trying my hand at... These are for my kids' arts and crafts room, so the … [Read more...]
Pickled Nectarine Salad and Grilled Steak and Radishes with Black Pepper Butter
I'm trying to cook in the yard more often, serve and dine outdoors for my husband and kids since it's a sensible thing to do. After all, summer will soon be at a close. It also frees up the kitchen for a change-- Less messes, the better. And there is something about eating outside when the weather is nice that makes it special and memorable for the kids (and … [Read more...]
Designing a Lamp Shade
It's on the gawdy side but it's neat looking and charming. I purchased a lamp from the Dollar General, a nice color for my children's crafts/art room-- it's where I sew and make things with them when they're not working on their own individual projects. I suppose you can say it's my play room, not just theirs, lol...The shade wasn't the best of condition, no wires … [Read more...]
Peach Custard Pie
Choose very ripe peaches for the seed to release easily. Have ready a buttery pie crust. Here is a good one from Sono: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon coarse salt; cut in 2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup); a tablespoon at a time, work in approximately 1/4 cup iced cold water. Flatten into 2 discs and chill for 1 hour before … [Read more...]
Picture Retake
I'm changing a picture, a photograph from a long time ago-- but with spots and imperfections, a dear time in my immediate family history already. They weren't kidding when they said, "Take lots of pictures." It goes super-fast, too quickly, then you miss your kids when they were babies. It's a magical time-- It was. I happened to walk into an unfamiliar … [Read more...]
Shoofly Pie
It's a fall-apart pie if cut too warm.For Shoofly Pie, a Pennsylvania Dutch pie as well as a traditional southern dessert, prepare the above measurements of ingredients. Take 1/2 cup of the liquid and whisk with 1 egg in a small bowl; return it to original bowl and blend altogether. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, bourbon or rum.I use my fingers for this part; … [Read more...]
Sun Cooked
It was a quiet summer morning with the exception of the birds singing. The peach trees were loaded with a vibrance of reddish-orange,Red Haven sweet peaches, my parents' favorite. Over the Elberta, the Clingstone, Freestone, and the Donut peaches, even the delicious peaches I gather when I visit loved ones in Alabama-- Chilton County Peaches, the Red Haven peach is … [Read more...]
Putting Together a Pepper Bin
It's at my access-- different kinds of pepper seasonings when I'm in a hurry to throw supper together when I just want some bit of luxury in the kitchen without having to find, grab, and open each shaker before adding a seasoning. My fingers might get messy, so what if I don't want to have to clean each shaker bottle afterwards, anyhow, having residue, leaving traces of … [Read more...]
Music Theme – “Garden”
It's time for another music theme. Every 3 to 5 or 6 months, it happens here-- a particular word mentioned or sung through consecutive songs. It can be in the chorus or somewhere hidden towards the end, even; possibly in the name of a music group. They are lyrics old and new. There may be 5 songs chosen or 21, attached at the end of a daily post until it … [Read more...]