The tulips I brought back from Amsterdam last year are all in bloom, except for 3 Allium bulbs that I lost to greedy rabbits. I picked all white bulbs and got  big surprise when a few of the carefully picked white bulbs turned out to be a bright sunny yellow! That is OK. Oh well,  […]

Spring is supposed to have arrived, but on some days? I wonder if I made a mistake with the seasons..maybe we are moving into winter? Noo..n..it is spring, surely. In spite of icy weather, we have lilacs blooming profusely, wisterias drooping low with heavy blooms, tulips swaying their hips and young ones grazing in the [...]

Recette de Sandwich par Chips That Pass in the Night : Beyond sandwich bread Grains of wheat and corn transformed It's baking magic Masa Sandwich Bread Adapted from Baking Illustrated Ingredients: 1/3 cup tepid water (about 100° - a little warmer than body temp) 1 pkg dry yeast 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose...

Means..to complain on a full stomach~  Sort of..but in effect..exactly.Come April , when I still have some snow on the ground some years..I complain..less than before..but I do..about our long winters..From December till April..and November can be glum..But come May..and I think..:"Now what do you have to complain of?"Weather and beauty wise  where […]

We don't live in the kind of house with a back door that the family or friends use to enter the house. But my Grandmother had a farmhouse like that. In fact no one ever entered her house through the front door.But I love the idea of the presentable front, and the welcoming informality of the back door. I have a friend who lives in a part of the world wh […]

Hello!  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We were very busy with the sale….but wow…what a terrific time we had! My sister is getting really good at using her mixing bowl and talents in the kitchen! Her baked goods practically sold out!! Thank you all who came…it means more to us than we can [...]

My favorite gardening show Gardening Australia talked about growing plants solely for mulch.   A waste of space I thought while watching it.  I recently cut back my lemongrass for mulch, but still harvest it for cooking and tea.  One plant that has not been used for much is the cardamom.  I was so excited  upon finding my first plant.  Gosh I could grow my o […]

I remember the first time I ever put a piece of shortbread into my mouth. I was thirteen and visiting my mum in hospital after she'd had some pretty major surgery. She was still woozy from anaesthetic and as I sat there, watching her chest gently rise and fall, my eyes strayed to the gift laden table beside her.Amid the clutter of fruit baskets and artf […]

Ok, the asparagus is done, now on to beets. I never knew or heard the word "locavore" until I started a food blog 5 years ago. Hello, my name is Stacey ("Mrs. Snacks" to you), and I am a "locavore". I've been called worse in my life. I try to cook with what is in season and local, in case you haven't noticed. I don […]

Check below for the fabulous Botanical Interests give-away of sunflowers! Dear Friends, After a journey of many decades and four years of on and off writing, I am finally finished with my new novel Running Out of Night with Random House/Delacorte Press. Yesterday I spent nine long, hard hours on my third draft revisions. Then, Jeff worked until 11 p.m. forma […]

Tree blossoms. The yards are blanketed in them.+And the rhododendrons - they are late coming to spring's party - but they are here. They're pretty fleeting. One swirl of the Minnesota winds and they scatter. But everything is fleeting, isn't it? The days I thought I would never be able to walk through my home without stepping on a lego or a mi […]

- Salad Heaven -*This picture was submitted to "Black & White Wednesday", an event created by Susan at "The Well-Seasoned Cook". It will be hosted on the 29th of May by Priya at "The Humpty Dumpty Kitchen" (click here in order to see who is hosting the next roundup).* Marché A La Ferme, Veyrier:Tuesdays from 7h30 to 12h30Thu […]

Yesterday afternoon as I went out to feed the chickens, I was surprised to see Artemis already on his roost in the coop, but didn't think all that much of it. I filled the food bowls and dished out some snacks to all the girls and then, what I did find funny, was the fact that Artemis didn't come for his share. I went up to him where he was sitting […]

Here is another quick and delicious meal that I prepared recently when we had our two little grandsons all day and our daughter came for dinner afterward.  I had seen it on two of my fellow blogger's sites - Highlands Ranch Foodie and Saving Room for Dessert and thought it looked delicious.  It was! The recipe is originally from Cooking Light and called […]

It, Sambucus canadensis ‘Aurea’ is more functional than ornamental here, used to provide shade for seating in a prime garden viewing spot. It is not really a tree, but rather more of a large shrub, with judicious pruning required to keep the pathway clear underneath. But that’s okay. I like to prune. The foliage was […]

 Moon had a workout this morning before Lorrie left. Berlin and Abbe just wanted to stay cool. The high temperature today was around 87....muggy.Instead of having art here today, we all drove out to Connie's to mat and frame some of the student's work and have lunch.  What a beautiful setting. Connie is an artist and her husband Tom is a photograph […]

En préparant du chou-fleur pour en faire une simple salade avec des oeufs durs, je tombe sur la recette du zaâlouk de chou-fleur de Paprikas, et ma salade fût vite oubliée pour réaliser cette recette à la marocaine. Il se trouve que j'avais aussi du pain maison fraîchement réalisé et c'était un délice. Une excellente découverte à faire et à refaire […]

“My tummy grumbles for that!” my youngest son said as he pointed to the jar of Granola I had made on whim the night before whilst he was tucked up in bed. There’s something nice about a big glass jar of granola sitting perched on the kitchen counter - don’t you think?  I’m not sure what it is?  It’s probably linked to my obsession with food and lifestyle mag […]

I suppose, since they are on public display, I can show photos of any of the work. But it feels a little rude without telling authors what I want to do. So, with kind permission of several friends and colleagues, … Continue reading →

These three methods include boiling which will require twelve times as much water as rice, the Japanese method which will require you to use five times as much water as rice and the steaming method which will require you to use three times as much water as rice. You want to keep in mind that your rice when cooked should be whole and distinct. So that your ri […]

Spencerian script engraved in crisp navy on white. Engraved stationery, spring green, navy with white and tulips ~  just a few of my favorite things. 

 The summer has been an unbearably hot one, and we have been staying away from the stove and oven as much as possible.I'm not complaining, because I actually love all this sunshine and warm weather. but our poor lawn is almost turned to hay!Today we woke to some rain and a much cooler day.I had made a pulled pork in the crock pot and was planning to mak […]

When spring is late like it is for us in the Midwest, the Bleeding Heart is such a welcome sight in the garden.  It just lingers until the weather becomes so hot it can't stand it anymore! Dicentra Spectablis Golden Heart This is a favorite, so striking in the garden!   Spectablis does not bloom for the entire season but they are required to die down na […]

It's been a crazy time. We've been searching for a new receptionist at the clinic, and I seem to be the most computer savvy of the group. Scary, that. But anyway, it falls to me to put the ad in craigslist. A simple part time receptionist job, paying a mere $10 per hour, and I got over 200 responses the first day. After plowing through the first 30 […]

Pasta rustica – Pici Toscani all’aglione e carciofini Going back to what I like best…making homemade pasta. I made these to my parents when I went visit and they loved it. Marche (where my family is from) and Tuscany are close by regions and have similar cuisines (of course with some variations), [...]

 

Is  time of Secret recipe Club  again, this month my assignment  was Nayna from Simply.food and really enjoyed her blog looking for recipes, finaly I choose this Lemon and Honey Cake and was a really delicious recipe, so moist and yumm!Ingredients  For Cake:180 ml Sunflower oil2 eggs 1 tablespoon lemon zest2 tablespoons lemon juice280 grams Greek  Yoghurt350 […]

Winter is slow in coming this year. That’s a good thing, as I am not a lover of cold weather. However, we do need rain, and although there is some there is not yet enough to be filling our dams … Continue reading →

When my brother and I were teenagers, we went through a phase (doesn’t everyone?) of wanting to start a band. I could play the piano; he could play the saxophone (well it was the 1980s – saxophones were de reigeur for all self-respecting bands); we could both write lyrics; and his friend Clinton Smith was willing to [...]

When I see a big, gorgeous, head of red cabbage like the one that was in our CSA box a couple of weeks ago, my first thought is slaw. I just checked, and I’ve posted about slaw almost as many times as I’ve posted about scones, but here’s one more that’s very worth considering for Memorial Day weekend or any summer party. It’s from Plenty, and the recipe is a […]

Blessings in life are often small and overlooked ...Scilla siberica (Siberian squill or wood squill) ... a sure sign of spring!

Charred Baby Octopus, Lemons, Baby Heirloom Tomatoes, Chili Peppers Mixed Lettuces, Lemon Oregano Dressing Just a few ingredients result in a smashing summer salad. Charred baby octopuses are the star, supported by hot cherry tomatoes that... Read more

Hi, This afternoon I went to Nandua High School and demonstrated for one of their art classes. I showed them the pouring  technique and had the hummingbird and flower pot drawn and ready to go to paint for them. Mrs. Michele Wagner was their teacher. It was very nice.  Here's two little paintings to frame for Saturday. Sadie,the puppy, is just chilling. […]

La semana pasada la protagonista de la fiesta de primera comunión fue una niña, y esta semana el protagonista de otra deliciosa candy bar ha sido un niño. Alvaro tomó la primera comunión ayer domingo y disfrutó junto a sus amiguitos de una mesa de golosinas repleta de tentaciones: La mesa constaba de todo tipo de golosinas en los colores elegidos (blancas, a […]

Pete at the Crowsnest5x7 Oil/CanvasThis is our dog Pete, a handsome fellow with huge ears which were laid slightly back in the wind making them look rather average in this depiction. At only knee height Pete is short but his enthusiasm and love are tall. This painting was a gift for my husband. As the years have gone by I'm discovering a real love of pa […]

Get your copy of April's edition's of TASTESMONTHLY and make this Garlic Butter and these puffy, fluffy Garlic-butter Butterflaps. Let me send you a copy.

Preparing yummilicious food really IS child's play... you don't believe me? It's just about recognising where you stand in the list of skilled pastry chefs... no use working with a Pierre Herme recipe when really, your experience doesn't extend beyond...

I open the magazine and show Mazy the photo of herself. She cocks her head to the left as if to say, “Huh. That’s me. What am I doing in there?” Then she smiles a full, see-my-molars grin. Of course. She always smiles; she’s a golden retriever.  Columbia Living published another recipe spread of mine: “Simple Salads & Sandwich Spreads.” YEA! Seeing my wo […]

Prince Edward County (PEC) has really become quite the destination for foodie-related events and get aways. It has been too long since our previous trips to PEC.  Since we're a bit limited in the foodie-related events we can feasibly attend with a baby, I was thrilled to be invited to the Ottawa-based media launch for The Great Canadian Cheese Festival […]

From hereDo you know who the Barefoot Contessa is?  If you have Foxtel or cable you may have come acroos her, otherwise in Australia you are unlikely to have any clue.  She is Ina Garten, who began her food career with a gourmet food shop and catering business and now has many cookbooks and a TV  cooking show.From hereIna Garten lives in the Hamptons with he […]

Citrusy sweet oranges, tangy tomatoes, and briny green and imported black olives join together in a lively salsa to bring big bold flavors to salmon. This is the kind of dish I call transitional, or between seasons. It is a great time of the year to make this while you can still buy those big navel oranges in the store. I find plum or roma tomatoes to be rel […]

This roasted poblano vinaigrette has a smooth texture and is poblano flavorful without being overpowering. Depending on your chiles, it's not spicy hot but tasty just the same!

When hosting a party you don't need to spend hours in the kitchen. Dips are crowd pleasers. They are perfect party appetizers and great for any occasions. This dip is one of the easiest that I have ever made. Just layered any kind of hummus, top it with tzatziki, feta and vegetables of your choice. You need something crunchy to eat with your dips and Tr […]

This morning, strolling the market, I noticed the foraged Spring things have finally made their way to town. Tonight we will enjoy fresh morels in cream on our own hand cranked pasta, and tomorrow a rabbit, nettle and potato soup. We had a full day of clear bright sun today for the first time in weeks, and it completely filled the kitchen, putting a definiti […]

GASTRONOMIE. Comment donner vie aux papilles quand une visite nous amène au sein des Emirats Arabes ? Difficile de parler gastronomie dans un pays où les spécialités locales sont quasi-inexistantes, où le sol est trop aride pour produire de quoi sustenter une population qui ne cesse de croître au rythme des immeubles qui poussent de terre, où les […] […]