This book Will Change Your Life

 

If you have made no-kneed bread, if you want to make artisans bread but do not know how, if you want lovely bread but do not want to work too hard at it and if you love the idea of having dough all ready, on-hand whenever you want, keep on reading !!!

 

Because of my champagne taste and beer budget, I make all my own bread. But I am already cooking so much I try to make it as easy as I can. I have been making the no-kneed bread for a while and love it. But there is still planning to it and there was the problem of not having bread when I wanted it. Then I read Artisan Breads In 5 Minutes A Day By Jeff Hertzberg. Now I tell you I really do not buy a lot of cookbooks. I read a lot of them but do not actually own a lot. This book is one I would love to buy for all my friends. It is sooo simple and the bread is amazing. It only takes five minutes to make the dough (no kneading), two hours to let it sit, refridge overnight and then you have enough dough for four loves of bread. You can keep the dough in the fridge for 5 days and pull of a ball of dough as needed. Rise, bake, cool and in 2 hours, wha-la bread.

Do not worry if you do not know much about making bread. In some ways you will do better then a long-time baker, because this method is almost counter-intuitive. The lovely thing is Jeff Hertzberg has several master recipes all based on the same method and then lots of version of those recipes. One of my friends was looking at the book and said she really liked how it was written. Very clear instructions and helpful information. You can read more at the Blog. I have made the Rye bred recipe and it is wonderful as you can see above !!!

PS. I realized that I did not mention, there is a few loaf recipes and those take more time to rise. About an hour and half. But most of the recipes do not.

A Garland and Winner

Do you remember this garland ? Well it is time to spring things up. All I did was change out the red rick-rack ribbon with something more spring like. The reason I posed this again is because it is such a simple garland. All you need is different ribbons and some tape. I added butterfly's were the holly was (it covers up the tape). Also I just love the pom-pom trim on the window. It make doing the dishes so much cheerier. So if you have a corner that needs an uplift, try a ribbon garland.

Congratulations Sarah at Mama and Jack, for winning the book in my last give away. I will e-mail you. Thank you again everyone for joining in and being such a blessing to me xoxoxxo

PS. the reason I can not send the books media mail, is because anytime someone wins a give-away on my blog, they get chocolate  ;-)

PSS. I have been asked were I get the butterfly's ? I got them at Jo-Ann's floral section. They are only $2.00 or so and the cool thing is they have little clips on the back to attach them to things. I need to get some more !!!!

Hospital-i-Tea Blog-a-Thon: Litera-Tea

This week for Gracious Hospital-i-Tea Blog-a-Thon, the theme is Litera-Tea, "share tea from the perspective of literature". I adore old children's book, I am quite addict to them. One of my favorites illustrators is Henriette Willebeek Le Mair. This is from "Our Old Nursery Rhymes". I am blessed to have two of Henriette's books thanks to sweet Kelli.

PS. I will be posting the winner of my last book give-away on Friday. Good luck xoxoxox

Tweet

Chloe and I have been sewing little birds. She gave her grandmother one for Easter. I use Martha's chicken pattern and left off the wattle and comb. I also shortened the beak.  We just blanket stitched the edges. We prefer to hand sew and I like the look of it better. They were very easy to make. Also if you have not seen it, check Calamity Kim's birds. So sweet.

PS. If you know of any on-line bird patterns, could you please let me know. Thank you xoxoxo

Easter Blessings

Interesting Easter

We celebrated Easter Thursday (my hubby works weekends) and it was a bit interesting. I know my friends imagine Easter at my house is like Martha's. Beautiful tablescape, interesting, yummy meal, picture perfect event. Well this year, not !!!!!!! I have been battling some health issue (nothing serious) but I am stressed and tired. I was just not up to an elaborate day. We had a simple breakfast and the Easter bunny came. I have to say the Easter bunny gets teenage girls the most interesting things, like skull patches, buttons and fabric, Lord of the Rings and medieval jewelry, Star wars figures, princess crowns. glittery roving and of course yummy chocolates. I think the Easter bunny had fun shopping for the teen girls :-) Then David took us to dinner at a wonderful restaurant that is in an old Victorian on the water. The restaurant is covered in hats. We had so much fun trying on different hats, as you can see. It was not the Easter I usually do, not the Easter in my Martha dream but still lovely. I have to say the grilled salmon on pumpkin raviolis with garlic kale and roasted tomatoes was pretty worth it xoxoxoxo

Creole Thrift

Congratulations to Mrs. Cooper at Cooperswife for winning the Summer cookbook. I will e-mail you xoxo

This will be the last book give-away,  I wish I could do more but I can not afford the shipping ;-) This weeks book is "Creole Thrift" by Ange'le Parlange. and is a very interesting book. It is half decorating, half history. Ms. Parlange has developed a beautiful creole style and has some really wonderful and thrifty projects. But also she talk about her families plantation. Parlange Plantation is, if I am correct is the only Louisiana plantation still owned by the original family. Reading the history of the home and family was fascinating. I really was inspired by this book and hope you are to.

I want to thank all of you for coming to my blog and participating in my book give-away. You readers have been such a blessing to me and I only hope I can bless you to xoxoxo

Yummy New (to me) Blogs

Warm Pie, Happy Home

I WANT< CRAVE< COVET her pantry !!!!!!

Knick Knack & Ric Rac

I adore her style.

Elfie and Me

Pixies and toadstools, what more could you ask for.

Magnolia Pearl

I think Robin is one of the most creative, interesting people. She really amazes me.

Thompson Family-Life

Again another beautiful, inspiring blog. I love these cupcake flowers.

At The Pinkgate

All yummy vintage !!!

Nesting Place

A beautiful home with lots of inspiring ideas.

Hospital-i-Tea Blog-a-Thon: Teacup-a-Story

 

La-Te-Dah is having a Gracious Hospital-i-Tea Blog-a-Thon. Each week, according to the theme you are invited to share a favorite things about afternoon tea. This weeks theme is Teacup-a-Story. Please check out Gracious Hospitality to read more about it.

Oh I had the hardest time choosing a favorite tea cup and I really do not think I can. But I choose this cup because it makes me think of a dear friend Karen Day, who died of cancer. Karen was the most generous of people with a kind, sweet disposition. She loved herbs, gardening and cooking. She had a small herb store, that was full of beautiful things and inspiration. She also loved homemaking and her family so much. She and I had so many discussions about what an amazing daughter she has and how proud she was of her. Karen always encouraged me as a new mother and was one to tell me what a lovely job I was doing with Aubern'e. Aubern'e (a toddler then) dressed in some fun new hat and I would venture into Karen's shop a lot to see what new and interesting thing we could try. Our favorite was the herb candies she sold. I still have the doll she gave Chloe's as a baby with a dried rose-hip necklace.

This beautiful tea cup is from one of the perfect herb teas she gave with another good friend of ours, who is an amazing pastry chef. I will always remember this tea. It was a lovely spring day (which is so rare in WA) on the porch of an old beautiful home. Karen served my mother I and tea in match cups. Except my mothers was blush pink and mine was aqua blue. We both fell in-love with these cups and asked Karen if she would be willing to sell them. Of course Karen was totally gracious and sold them to us. Which was generous of her since they were from her private collection. I always think of Karen, the beauty of herbs and love of home and family when I use this cup xoxoxox

Life:Beautiful

I love magazines. Especially magazines that motivate me to beautify my environment, like British Country Living, Romantic Home, Victoria, ect. I am always looking for interesting, inspiring magazines. I have found a new one (well new to me) Life:Beautiful. It is a Christian magazine and some of you dear readers may not be interested in it. I liked that not only is it pretty (that is number one to me) but there are inspiring ideas to do. They have these really wonderful paper birds to print up. Some unique ways to incorporate scripture in your home. At this point it is the most creative Christian magazine I have seen. I got my copy at Barnes and Noble. I hope you find it noteworthy too xoxoxo

Lazy Days of Summer

 

Hubby will be working on Saint Patrick's day, so we are celebrating today. It is funny, I never make the same meal. Even Christmas and Thanksgiving is always do something different. But Saint Patrick's day we always have the same menu.

Congratulations to Hunnybunny for winning Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone. I will e-mail you !!!!

This weeks book is The Lazy Days Of Summer Cookbook by Jane Watson Hopping. I know summer is not for a while but I thought who ever won could use a dose of summer dreaming. I really like Jane's books because they are more of a good read about how life use to be in the good-old-days, then a cookbook. Although it is an excellent cookbook but a wonderful read at the same time.  Here is a review and good luck xoxoxox

   "From Publishers Weekly
With another whimsical collection of poetry, prose and food, Pioneer Lady & Hopping ( The Country Mother's Cookbook ) again evokes a simple era when meals, family and farm life represent the American ideal--at least, in retrospect. While fishing holes and picnic spots and watermelons lying thick in the patch just waiting to be thumped are this volume's backdrop, Hopping's new collection strongly resembles her previous writings. From Effie's strawberry mousse and sweet-cherry crunch to sour-cream red June apple pie with butter-cinnamon topping, the recipes are simple and the dishes themselves very good. Yet the flavor of many depends mightily on the kind of just-picked-from-the-patch freshness nearly impossible to duplicate in the supermarket produce section. Still, the charm of the book hinges largely upon the richness of Hopping's words and her prolific, romantic recollections of the mothers who fortified their families--without guilt or trepidation--with endless batches of cookies, tea cakes, fruit pies and other sweets, the recipes for which are the fabric of her food writings.

Build A Nest

Chloe and I had fun making simple nests. In my egg issue I show how to make a nest using a wreath as a base, taken apart. Here we built one from scratch.  I am blessed to have lots of different trees and bushes with just budding branches.  The trick is taking your time weaving, in and out, and around and around. Have fun playing xoxoxoxo

Letter Love

Hurry and get your own free John Adams card mailed to you !!!!!!

The ButtonWillow Chronicles

 

Do you ever stumble upon a blog and immediately you know you are at home, you know you have meet a kindred spirit. You see all that you love and adore wrapped up in a blog. Well that is The ButtonWillow Chronicles. It is new blog filled with all things I love. England, tea, Jane Austen, Beatrix Potter, Little Woman, Anne Of Green Gables, Molly Brett, ect.

The interesting thing about this wonderful new blog, is it turned out to be by my friend Lauren at Alice Land. Isn't it funny, how we make kindred friends and we still find each other without even knowing it. Lauren is wanting ButtonWillow Chronicles to be

"It's not "Alice Lands".  It's not real life.  It's life "sweetened".  It's daydreams, and wishes, and hopes.  It's the things I love, the things I wish for.  It's charming and shy.  Quiet and demure.  It's Anne and it's Beatrix, Emma, and Jane.  And, it's those "in the small dwellings".   It's who I try to be.  It's my life, just through rose colored glasses.

And, it's quiet."

So you will see most posts do not have a place to comment. The blog is just a gift from Lauren for us to enjoy. Thank you sweetie xoxoxo

Sweet

This is the perfect pillow Aubern'e made me for Valentines day. She took a tee-shirt (that I loved) it did not fit her anymore and made a pillow. She just sewed it up, stuffed it and cut a fringe edge. So sweet !!!!!!

We have a winner for the Easter book. Congratulations Miss.Tina (who I have met and is the sweetest. I am hoping to have her over for tea soon xoxox) I will e-mail you Tina xoxoxox

The new book this week is Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone by Deborah Madison, you can look inside the book. The reason I post the radish salad recipe, (which we are really loving) was because I knew I was giving this book this week. Even if you are not a vegetarian (I am not) but are looking for interesting ways to use vegetables and vegetarian ingredients, Deborah knows her stuff. I have just about every book she has written. This is a very thick book full of info. Good luck.

PS. Because this book is sooo big, I will be mailing it book rate.

Radish Salad

 

I am always looking for interesting, yet simple salads. I really enjoyed this salad, especially with something like a simple roasted chicken. I have always loved Deborah Madison and learned so much from her over the years. She now has a blog !!!!

I also love this recipe because I remember having Vella's dry jack and it is favorite. I rarely have it now but still remember being a teen in beautiful Sonoma plaza and trying this salty, nutty, amazing cheese.

Deborah Madison's Radish Salad

Serves 6

The Vella family's Dry Jack cheese from Sonoma County in California is one of our national food treasures. It's increasingly possible to find nationwide, but if you can't get your hands on some, use Parmigiano-Reggiano. This is a very pretty, bright, and lively little salad. You can stray successfully from its utter simplicity by adding some freshly blanched and peeled fava beans, radish sprouts, or very small arugula leaves.

Ingredients
2 bunches breakfast radishes or mixed varieties, including small daikon
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
   olive oil, as needed
2 to 4 ounces Dry Jack or Parmigiano-Reggiano
  salt and pepper
  radish sprouts, leaves, or arugula greens, optional

Procedure
  Set aside a handful few of the most tender radish greens. Trim the radish roots, leaving just a bit of the stem, and wash them well. Wick up the excess moisture with a towel, then thinly slice, either lengthwise or crosswise. Put them in a bowl and toss with the chives, radish greens, and enough oil to coat lightly.

Put the radishes on a platter, shave the cheese over them, and add pepper and the optional greens, if using.

PS. I will announce the winner and a new book on Thursday xoxoxo

Vintage At The Sewing Expo

I decided to go to the sewing expo and see what it was all about. Thank you Deby for letting me know about it. It is the biggest in the US and second in the word. It was big and I had fun. Although there was a lot I was not interested in, there were a few great vendors selling vintage and interesting trims, buttons, ect. I even got a tablecloth. What I love the most about it, is the red polka-dot, wavy edge. It was hard to photograph, it is much paler but not boring. The detailed stitching is so perfect.

Oh I did get more then what I am showing but the rest are Easter basket gifts for the girls.

I hope you are having a lovely day and remember to do one nice thing for yourself today. I plan to make a cup of tea in my prettiest tea cup and just watch the birds in my yard (wait till you see the bird nests you can make). Oh and to be grateful for all I have xoxoxo