Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Eat Dessert First


"Eat Dessert First"

Well, that's always been my motto!





offered a copy of her recently published family cookbook

to two of her readers.  I'm happy to say, I was one of the lucky two.

This beautiful book arrived in my mailbox.




Photos, Purple Chocolate Home

I'm a fan and long time follower of Purple Chocolate Home 

and admire Jacqueline's creative talents.

Not only is she an amazing cook, she is also very creative

and dramatic with the way she styles and presents food.

Jacqueline's talent also extends to the 

 beautiful tablescapes she creates when she  

 entertains her large family or friends.




Jacqueline's book is full of wonderful recipes 

 collected from family and friends through the years.

 It begins, as the title proclaims, with desserts.  

 Lots of delicious desserts!

Recipes for appetizers, entrées, and soups and salads

  follow up to complete the book.



                             Hyacinths for the Soul                                           More Fun Less Laundry

My friend and fellow blogger, Linda @ More Fun Less Laundry,

 also received a copy of Eat Dessert First.

 We thought it would be fun to each share a special post on

 one of the recipes in this fun cookbook.





My choice was Jackie's amazing

 Key Lime Pie



Photo Collage, Purple Chocolate Home


You'll find Jacqueline's original post on this 

 dessert complete with recipe here.



Noted as "a southern comfort food", Jacqueline used her recipe

 to spotlight  her review of Michael Lee West's

 Gone With A Handsomer Man.





The recipe works just as well for individual tarts.

 Just make the graham cracker crusts in individual muffin tins.

 Key Lime Tarts are the perfect summertime treat!





I took my tray of summer treats over to a friend's home.

 She has a bright purple bench on her porch.

 Perfect spot for honoring Purple Chocolate Home!





As Jacqueline points out in her post,

 key limes are "tiny little devils".

 One has to squeeze a bag full of key limes for the cup 

 of fresh lime juice needed for the recipe.





Oh, the wonderful 

 fragrance of fresh limes!





The stack of vintage porcelain plates are 

 Wkdbrzych, made in Poland,

 and the flatware is Sir Christopher by Wallace.





The reproduction jadeite cup and cake stand were

 recent finds when shopping in the quaint village of Gruene, TX.

 I wish I could tell you who makes these, but they are unmarked.

 I found four of the cups and the cake stand on a sale table.

 They were too charming to leave behind!





Sweet whipped cream and fresh lime slices

 finish off these delectable little desserts.





To quote Jacqueline's husband,

 "The texture ranks right up there with the flavor!"

 Thank you, Jacqueline for the gift of this wonderful cookbook.

 I'll make certain to Eat Dessert First!


Flourless Chocolate Cake

 Click here to view Linda's post @

 More Fun Less Laundry.


Vist Jacqueline here @ Purple Chocolate Home.


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Friday, June 3, 2016

June 2016



June 4, 2016 ~ National Trails Day 



Butler Trail and Lady Bird Lake ~ Austin, TX

National Trails Day is held the first Saturday in June.

It's a day in which the American Hiking Society 

sponsors events all across the country, including

hiking, biking, horseback riding, paddling trips,

 birdwatching, geocaching, stewardship projects, and more.

I plan to take to the trails at the Lady Bird Wildflower Center 

or perhaps walk the Butler Trail around Lady Bird Lake.



June 9, 2016 ~ National Celebration of Reading



Book and Author Luncheon Quilt 
Displayed in New Braunfels, Texas, 2012


A special National Celebration of Reading,

 sponsored by the 

Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, 

will be held on June 9th to celebrate 

the power of literacy and to commemorate the 

25th Anniversary of the National Literacy Act

signed into law by President George H. W. Bush.

You can find details here.


June 14th ~ National Flag Day



Although many states had designated a special

day to honor the US flag each year,

it wasn't until 1949 that President Truman signed an 

Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as 

National Flag Day.


June 18th ~ International Picnic Day



June 19th ~ Father's Day
Pack your picnic basket and head out to your favorite park or lake.

When we had our sailboat, we always packed a picnic basket

for a little alfresco dining on the water.

The basket above is the one my dad gave to me 

when I headed off to attend the University of Texas.

With all the public parks and lakes in and around Austin,

it was a perfect "send off" gift.  That was 50 years ago!

Father's Day would be the perfect time to

pack a picnic basket, spread a blanket, and treat your dad to 

a special picnic in the beautiful outdoors.


June 20th ~ Summer Solstice



The summer solstice is the longest day of the year

and marks the beginning of summer.

Happy Summer All!

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Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Tales of the Traveling Totes # 7 ~ Day Tripping in the Wildflowers


Welcome to Tales of the Traveling Totes #7


A beautiful gift package from my Traveling Tote Secret Pal

 Debbie @ Mountain Breaths and Miss Aurora.
Miss Merri Mac and I want to thank Debbie and Miss Aurora for a beautiful gift package that arrived last month.  Debbie @ Mountain Breaths and her husband like to vacation in the Keys.  Just look at these delightful gifts!  The exquisite cheese board was hand crafted by Clinton Pottery in Clinton, New York.
   Look for an upcoming post on a Key West dinner.


Laurie King ~ Katie Clooney ~ Katharine

The past few months Miss Merri Mac

and I had the occasion to meet up with some 

 very special ladies from Blogland.

If you don't know these bloggers, you should!

Laurie King, author of the Mary Russell series,

further entertains @ Mary Russell Holmes.

Katie Clooney @ Preppy Empty Nester, will keep you in 

stitches as she shares her life as an empty nester.   A real charmer, 

I was thrilled to meet Katie while she was in Austin to visit her dad.

Katharine @ Tartan Terrace, is a fellow Texan, a fan of all things 

 tartan, and has children here in Austin.  It's a win/win for me!




It's the best when blog friends get to meet in person, 

 and listen to this ~ ~ ~

  author and blogger Susan Branch is coming to Austin.




 Susan (and Joe) will be in Austin on June 18th @ Bookpeople

signing her latest book,  ISLE OF DREAMS.

Fun reads ~ all three!

You can bet Miss Merri Mac and I will be there!





A Texas Spring = Wildflowers

~ Come along for a little Day Tripping in the Wildflowers ~




Texas is known for its fields of iconic

bluebonnets, the state flower of Texas, but from March to June

 when Mother Nature gives us a wet spring as she did this year, 

one can see carpets of other brilliant colors that stretch

along the roadsides of much of the huge state of Texas.





Miss Merri Mac and I decided to take 

you to a very special place;

a place where we could show you the 

abundance and diversity of the

beautiful blooms that grow wild across our state.

Welcome to Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.





Grab your sun hat and come along

as we walk the trails and take in the beauty

that is blooming this time of year.




"My special cause, the one that alerts my interest and quickens the pace of my life, is to preserve the wildflowers and native plants that define the regions of our land - to encourage and promote their use in appropriate areas and thus help pass on to generations in waiting the quiet joys and satisfactions I have known since my childhood."   Lady Bird Johnson




Lady Bird Johnson,

former First Lady of our Country, 

perhaps planted the most important seed of all: 

the importance of preserving and promoting our native land.

Click here to read more about 

Mrs. Johnson's environmental legacy.



Lady Bird Johnson and actress Helen Hayes 

joined forces in 1982 to found the 

National Wildflower Research Center.





In 1995 the Center was moved to 

its present 43 acre site and became the

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.




Since 2006, the Center is now a research and educational 

arm of the University of Texas at Austin.





The Wildflower Center is one of my favorite retreats,

a place of native plants, wildflower meadows, and woodlands.




For me it is a place of meditation,

where my spirit thrives and my heart fills with joy.




The Wildflower Center's mission is:

"to conserve, restore, and create healthy landscapes."




While wildflowers paint a beautiful landscape,

they are also important habitats for 

birds, butterflies, insects, and native wildlife.




They help preserve our soil, and because

they are native to specific locals, they conserve water.




 The Center offers a data base of 8,573

native plants in North America.




One can search both scientific or common names.

Click here to access the Native Plant Database.




I readily admit that I can not name each of the wildflowers,

but fortunately the Center provides detailed 

markers with complete information.




I took the beginner quiz for Central Texas Wildflowers

and was proud that I correctly identified all 12 of the photos.

You can test your wildflower knowledge here.





With names like 

~ Evening Primrose ~ Winecup ~ 

~ Texas Yellowstar ~




~ Indian Paintbrush ~ Mexican Hat ~ Indian Blanket ~

~ Sundrops ~ Blackfoot Daisy ~




 What's not to love about

learning these common names?



 After we walked the trails, we climbed

 up to the top of the tower for a magnificent 360 view.




While at the Wildflower Center, one will see 

 workers tending the gardens, leading tours, 

 and working in various research areas.

 The Wildflower Center could not exist without the generous

 support of these volunteers who help out each day.




If you want a bite to eat or a refreshing drink, 

 we can just pop into 

 Wildflower Cafe.  

We can dine within the cafe at tables with 
these adorable hand painted chairs, 

or alfresco on shaded patios.



 Lady Bird Johnson

 died on July 11,2007 at the age of 94.

 What an amazing legacy she left to all of us.





Miss Merri Mac and I hope this post inspires you  

to appreciate the beauty and value of the  

wildflowers that grow in your region.

To Visit Previous Miss Merri Mac Adventures
Just click on number links below. 
#1, #2, #3, #4, #5 , #6 and also
here, here, and here.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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