quotation...........

"What is the use of a house if you don't have a decent planet to put it on?"

   Henry David Thoreau

for the love of antiques......

On the weekend Jim and I took a Sunday drive to the Aberfoyle outdoor antique market. We had only been there once before but we knew it was a place that we would love to go again given our love for all things antique. Off we went on one of the hottest days of the year and we packed a picnic lunch to enjoy together. We were not disappointed with all that we saw and our eyes beheld a feast of all things old. These tiny shoes spoke to me in terms of who they may have been worn by and what their life story may have held. I couldn't resist taking this photo......

what small child wore these shoes?

It was so very, very hot out and we were looking for shade to stand in at every opportunity. Taking cold water breaks just to keep us from vanquishing in the heat. But on we forged determined to see all that we came to see. And we were not let down. Of course I saw so much that I loved, but I remained frugal in my purchases and only bought one item. That's pretty good for me!

lunch time :)

We made sure we wandered well and didn't miss any of the displays. There is just so much to see. We took time for our little picnic lunch and that was delightful! It gave us a chance to nourish ourselves and also cool off under the covered picnic area. I LOVE picnics! 

may I have a spoon please sir?

We managed to check out all the areas and even in the heat we were there for 4 hours! I think we would maybe love to go again on a cooler day maybe in the fall. There just might be a little something that might want to live out a part of its life story with me at our house.

jars for filling......

Our day was wonderful in many ways. A great time spent together, time amid so many lovely old things, a great picnic to enjoy and a summer memory on one of the hottest days of the year.

I look forward to our next visit........

my city garden........

I'm not a gardener. I know little about it. As a child I grew up with a garden and really took no interest in it. It was just something that my parents did. When I married I moved to the city and never wanted to go back to the country.....ever. Things change though.....and I've changed. Now, I would love to move back to the country, but until that happens I am a city living  'gardener' with a small vegetable patch. I guess I'm coming of age. I have to smile when I write that only because I'm not really sure what that means. I don't consider myself old, but sometimes my ability to embrace a good thing takes a while. Although I have to go easy on myself because I have not had a yard in the city that was able to have a vegetable garden and that was a choice I made. My yard is a perfect picture of beautiful and graceful landscaping and that in itself is very important to me. It is my 'zen' space that feeds my soul. But aahh...... a 'food' garden is a different thing. I have had a passion about good food and cooking for a long, long time and understand the need for us to take care of ourselves in terms of good nutrition. My body knows when it is given good food and performs better with it. My body can 'feel' good food not unlike it can 'feel' bad food. With my involvement in the Community Garden project I am now able to have a small plot of land and grow some of my own food. It is turning out to be more than I ever expected. I am smitten with every bit of it. The small amounts of food that I have already brought home to my table have delighted not only my palette, but also my soul. I tasted our romaine lettuce and it was nothing like the 'store' variety. Last week I brought home the first kohlrabi and to me it was like biting into butter, it was so very tender. I made tasty, tasty pesto last weekend and the color of it was the most divine thing I have seen lately. There is so much to taste and see and smell and experience!! I am truly enjoying the garden more than I would have ever thought. I knew it would be a beneficial experience, but it has turned out to be so much more. 

from garden to table..........



homemade is good...........



You bet!!...........salad caesar style straight from the garden! Oh...how delicious it was!!

again my garden............



the 'heart' of my garden.....

I know that I have written about my garden before, but it always bears another sharing here as the summer moves on. I sat out into the evening the other night and as the sky changed from day to night the light of the moon began to cascade over the garden and weave itself in between the clouds. I gazed at my trees and the leaves were at rest not unlike myself. The garden was quiet and it was so soothing to the soul. For me there is nothing like that feeling as I sit outside on a warm summer night and listen to the quiet. 'Listening to the quiet' will only make sense to those that have experienced that. If you have, you will know exactly what I mean. It's just so perfect after a day of being busy doing things that need doing and living life. All those things that need to be tended to and then taking the time to sit quietly whether it be alone or with someone else. It's a great way to let yourself become whole again. To let our bodies come to a stop and rest for a while......like a recharging of ourselves. It's why we sleep at night also....so that our body can rest and restore itself for a new day. Taking time to sit in the garden at night adds to that for me. It takes me to that place of quiet so that I can begin the restoration work even before I fall asleep. Our world and the lives we lead are too busy and full of activities that steal valuable energy from us and we must replace and renew it every day. This quiet time in the garden is one of the ways I can do that........I look forward to my next quiet time in the garden. Namaste...........

natural insect repellant recipe

I'm going to give this a try......the kids are going camping next week and will probably need some...

HERBAL INSECT REPELLANT

1/2 teaspoon citronella essential oil
1/2 teaspoon eucalyptus essential oil
1/2 teaspoon lavender essential oil
4 ounces distilled witch hazel

Mix ingredients in a 4-ounce spray bottle. Shake well. Spray onto exposed skin, avoiding eyes and mucous membranes. Reapply every 2 hours, or as needed.

my first time pesto.....yum!

garlic scapes

I have only just this year been introduced to garlic scapes. I had never heard of them, let alone ever seen them before. I am pretty well versed in culinary terms, but this one had escaped me..excuse the play on words:). My first time using them I simply sauted them with asparagus, but I came across a pesto recipe that I really wanted to try! It is from one of my favorite websites, in fact the same one that I found the strawberry galette on. The recipe was simple.....garlic scapes, basil, parmesan, hazelnuts and olive oil with then salt to taste. I was making lunch for Bri and her friend and decided this might be a great thing to serve along with some homemade sausage and grilled ciabatta bread. So I went ahead and chopped the scapes, tore the basil and grated the parm.....add to that the olive oil and toasted hazelnuts and it was terrific!! I can't wait to try it with maybe walnuts or even the standard pine nuts. So another great new endeavor in my recipe collection! Oh how I do love to cook........and entertain with good food!

Life is a banquet and today mine served up garlic scape pesto!





how beautiful is that!!

Buon appetito!!