Friday, April 27, 2018

Spring ~ A Promise of New Beginnings in the Garden

 A group of blogging friends is hosting a garden theme party today
and invited me to link something garden related.
With much of my time out working in my spring garden,
it leaves little computer time, so this is posting late in the day.

 We are enjoying a beautiful spring this year
with gorgeous days and perfect temps.

My faithful companion especially likes to be outdoors
this time of year basking in the sunshine.

My patch of bluebonnets started sprouting in December.
They peeked early, so they were at their best for our early Easter.
As you can see above though,  
they are now fading and going to seed.

Prennials and newly planted annuals are in bloom and
freshen up the front beds that get the afternoon sun.

The daylillies are full of buds.
It won't be long before they give us a daily show.
Just this mornng, a pretty yellow bloom 
greated as I walked out to the garden.
Take a look below to see what is soon to come.

Daylilies are considered a 
"sure bet perennial."

They are hardy plants that can adapt to most 
any soil and are both drought and frost tolerent. 

As their name implies, the blooms last for one day,
opening early morning and withering by nightfall.

Multiple blooms grow on each stalk
so that new blooms open
day after day.

Daylilies grow in clumps with long,
linear arching leaves.

Alabama Jubilee

Johnny One Note

~ D is for Daylily ~ 
Plant some in your garden!


Thanks to our garden hosts.  Stop by to visit their links below.
Home and Gardening with Liz ~ Life and Linda  
Poofing the Pillows

Happy Gardening, All!
Also Joining

Friday, April 6, 2018

A Taste of West Virginia ~ Traveling Tote Friends


The Traveling Tote Girls have teamed up
to share something tasty from our own town or region.

Most of you know my darling friend, Rita @ Panoply.
She is one of the Traveling Tote Girls 
and was my swap partner for our 
Taste of Our Town Swap.
In addition to our shared passion for MacKenzie-Childs,
Rita and I share a love of gardening, antiques, travel,
cooking, and setting a pretty table.
Rita lives in Charleston, WV, and sent 
 me some delicious treats from J. Q. Dickinson.

J.Q.Dickinson is America's oldest working salt farm
that harvests salt by hand from an ancient ocean trapped 
below the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia.
A jar of Ramp salt gives the true flavor of Appalicia
and is much appreciated by "the chef" who does the cooking here.

A decorative egg shaped box contained a jar of 
yummy caramel sauce, of which I've treated myself
to each time I've had a little ice cream.
YUM YUM! 

Pawpaw Butter!
I'd never heard of Pawpaw Butter,
but let me tell you, it makes a perfect topping 
on my morning biscuits, tasting a bit like mango and banana.
I learned that Pawpaw fruit is native to eastern 
United States and Canada, and is a staple in West Virginia.
Look for a future post devoted to Pawpaw.

Included in my gift package
were a Junior Leage Cookbook, 
MOUNTAIN MEASURES, first published in 1974
and the February 2018 issue of Southern Living.

I spent a recent morning reading through many of the recipes,
though Rita had already earmarked a recipe from the
cookbook that was featured in the February Southern Living.
Shaker Lemon Pie

For the crust, I opened my Houston Junior League Cookbook
for my favorite go to recipe, "No Fail Pie Crust."

Shaker Lemon Pie is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Simply take two lemons and slice them into super thin slices.
Yep, you use the entire lemon, rind and all.
Just be certain to remove the seeds!
Macerate the lemon slices in 2 cups of sugar.
I left mine macerating over night.  
Next beat 4 eggs and fold them into the lemon mixture.
Pour this into a pie crust, top it with another crust,
and bake it for 15 minutes at 450, before reducing the heat 
to 350 for an additional 30 minutes.
You can find printable recipes on the web.

 When there is food involved, this girl
isn't far from the action.

 I admit I, too, was eager for this pie to come out of the oven.
I'd never had Shaker Lemon Pie!

 To reward my efforts and to take a break from spring gardening,
I fixed a little afternoon treat to enjoy on the sun porch.

 Oh, my!  What a treat it was!
Wow!  This pie, with its sharp tangy flavor 
and chewy texture, is totally addicting!

It's like eating 
marmalade out of a jar!

 To quench my thirst, Me and the Bees Lemonade 
was the perfect beverage.
Go here to read about Mikaila Ulmer
Austin's young entrepreneur,
who has taken her lemonade idea and turned 
it into a thriving business.

 On my way back inside, I couldn't resist adding a 
petite bouquet of Summer Phlox from my garden.
The pinks are perfect with my MacKenzie-Childs ceramics.

I want to thank Rita for bringing some sunshine into our home.
The Chef and I have enjoyed and appreciated our
Taste of West Virginia!

Many thanks, dear friend!
Rita @ Panoply.
Click the links below to see the other swaps.
Patti at Pandora's Box and Emily at The French Hutch
Ricki Jill at The Sketchy Reader and Jackie at Purple Chocolat Home
Linda G at More Fun Less Laundry and Deb at Mountain Breaths
Linda P at Life and Linda and Jenna at The Painted Apron

Tuesday, March 27, 2018

A Look Back for Inspiration



We are having Easter brunch at our friends' home,
so I'm not setting an Easter table.  
I pulled this post from the archives to offer a little inspiration
to those of you who are setting a table for Easter Sunday.

Redbuds are in full bloom around town
and our days are warming up with
bright sunshine and blue skies.
Spring has definitely arrived!

I recently found this chippy rabbit 
at an antique show.
 Antique cast iron Hubley garden rabbit 
circa late1800 to early 1900.

I cut some redbud branches and brought them in
to fill a large vintage ironstone pitcher.

A nest of hand-painted eggs painted
in the 80s and 90s by my friend, Nancy R.

An early Easter present!
Porcelain Plates and Mugs
BIA Cordon Bleu
From the aisles of Home Goods

Packaged in these
adorable storage boxes.

All became my creative muse 
as inspiration for
Easter Brunch ~ 2015.

I thought the bunny plates would pair perfectly with
 MacKenzie-Childs Taylor ceramics and
chargers in Ambiance Vintage Garden.

I'm not a matchy-matchy kind of girl.
When I first started buying these plates in the 1980s, 
I'd buy a single plate in a different pattern.
The whimsy of it all fits the MacKenzie-Childs esthetic.  
Click here to see another spring table 
with Taylor ceramics and
to read about the different patterns.

One thing I liked about the box of plates
was that each plate is a different spring color.
Don't they play well with the Taylor patterns?

Cute matching mugs
are perfect for tea or coffee
or soup or dessert.

Several years ago, MacKenzie-Childs
sold mini compotes in the various Taylor designs.
I'm certainly happy that I added some to my cupboard
because now they've been discontinued.
They are perfect for ice cream and individual desserts.

Or as a nest for special 
Easter cookies.

 With all the colors going on at each place setting,
I decided my soft pink linen placemats
were a good choice along with our Sir Christopher Silver.



The ceramic bunny napkin rings were
from Sur La Table years ago,
but these cute gingham napkins can be
found at Pier I this season.

Nice quality woven gingham in pastels and
edged with a sweet little crocheted detail.

Springtime calls for 
bees and bunnies, don't you think?

Here you are ~
A springtime table ready for
Easter brunch right after the egg hunt.

Easter will be here in
a few short days!