Packing....

We leave bright and early Monday morning on our family vacation out west, and will be gone for a little over a week.

So goodbye until we return!

Summer Afternoon...

"Summer afternoon~summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."

~Henry James

Done!

"Fired with a housewifely wish to see her storeroom stocked with homemade preserves, she undertook to put up her own currant jelly. John was requested to order home a dozen or so little pots, and an extra quantity of sugar, for their own currants were ripe, and were to be attended to at once. As John firmly believed "my wife" was equal to anything, and took great natural pride in her skill, he resolved that she should be gratified, and their only crop of fruit laid by in a most pleasing form for winter use. Home came four dozen delightful little pots, half a barrel of sugar, and a small boy to pick the currants for her. With her pretty hair tucked into a little cap, arms bared to the elbow, and a checked apron which had a coquetish look in spite of the bib, the young housewife fell to work, feeling no doubts about her success; for hadn't she seen Hannah do it hundreds of times? The array of pots rather amazed her at first, but John was so fond of jelly, and the nice little jars would look so well on the top shelf, that Meg resolved to fill them all, and spent a long day picking, boiling, straining, and fussing over her jelly."

~from Little Women,

by Louisa May Alcott

Yellow and Blue.....

.....in my kitchen.

And I am currently debating whether I should make up a great big batch of freezer jam....

....or not.

We leave on our annual trip out west on Monday, 

and I have plenty to do already. 

But strawberries are so cheap right now,

and I don't know if they will still be around when we return.

And I have heard that making freezer jam is so easy...

I think I will....

(Am I crazy?)

Yes, I think I will....

Eight Years.....

Living Lace....

Miss Posy has been bringing me little bouquets of Queen Anne's Lace every day. So pretty!

Homemade Vanilla Pudding.......

.....with fresh berries.

It's really such an easy dessert to make,

and the kids can't get enough of it!

Lilies....

....from my mother's garden.

He Reads My Mind......

I had just been thinking about how much I would love a bouquet of fresh flowers to put in the center of the table.

And then my Knight came home with these.

He is amazing.

"Every Saint...

....is a man before he is a saint;

and a saint may be made of every sort or kind of man"

~Chesterton

A Bit More About Boston....

Actually, more specifically, Rockport.

My dear Knight knew that I have always wanted to spend some time in New England, so for my birthday this year, he started scheming. He involved a dear cousin's husband when he found that he too was trying to plan something special for her birthday, which is just a month before mine. (We both turned thirty this year!)

They surprised us both, and we all flew in to Boston on my birthday (Monday, the 11th) where we rented a car and drove up the coast to Rockport. There we checked in to the most charming Bed and Breakfast . ~It has always been a dream of mine to stay at a Bed and Breakfast........and it was wonderful. The rooms were lovely(~we stayed in room five, and my cousin and her husband stayed in room three, just down the hall from us), and every morning we were treated to an absolutely delicious breakfast.

For two full days (~we flew home Thursday morning) we walked all over, enjoyed the most delicious fresh seafood (I think my favorite was a lobster ravioli......it was amazing!) and just sat around and talked and relaxed.

It was wonderful.

My cousin and I agreed that it was the best birthday gift ever!

:)

Laundry Day....

Back Home From Boston

......and I'll have to tell you all about it.

But not today, as I have so much catching up to do!!!!

Homemade Hamburger Buns

I never in my wildest dreams thought that I would be using my favorite homemade pizza crust recipe to make  absolutely delicious hamburger (and hot dog) buns.....

.....but then a few weeks back, I discovered that the bag of hot dog buns I had in the freezer, was in fact a mere figment of my imagination. Dinner was less than two hours away, and I did not feel like a trip to the grocery store......or like changing my dinner plans either.

Hmmm.

Suddenly I thought of my pizza crust recipe, and how the texture was just right for hot dog buns ~soft, and a little chewy. I went to work, and an hour and a half(ish) later I was pulling the golden brown beauties out of the oven and brushing them with melted butter.

And they were a GIGANTIC hit! Everyone loved them! My pickiest eater (who will remain nameless;) informed me seriously,

"Mom, these are my favorite. They taste so much better than store-bought."

I was blown away.

I tried the recipe again as hamburger buns the following weekend, and once again, rave reviews.

So, for those who may be interested in giving homemade hamburger (or hot dog) buns a try, here follows my favorite pizza crust recipe (Confusing, isn't it?;):

1 Tbs. active dry yeast

1 cup of warm water (105-115 F.)

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

2 1/2 cups of flour

(~I use 2 cups of white and 1/2 cup of whole wheat)

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, turn out onto a floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. Return dough to the bowl, coating with a  little olive oil, and allow it to rise in a warm location for about 35~45 minutes.* Punch down dough, and shape into buns ( should make eight hot dog buns, and six hamburger buns). Bake in an oven that has been preheated to 425 F., for 10-12 minutes.

Remove from oven, brush tops lightly with melted butter, and enjoy!

*In the original recipe for the pizza crust, you are instructed to shape immediately after kneading, without allowing the dough to rise. This works well, especially when you happen to be short on time (~your pizza can be ready in a little under thirty minutes!). However, I discovered (on accident;) that if you allow the dough to rise for anywhere from 35 minutes to an hour, the overall texture is much lighter and the crust a bit chewier.

My preference, decidedly. ;)  

Window Friends

Looks like my avocado plant (~my mother found an avocado seed that had sprouted in her compost, and gave it to me) and a certain unidentified shrub/tree on the other side of the window, are forming quite an acquaintance;)

Very Much

 

There has been very much in my heart.

Very much on my mind.

Very much to do.

Very much to pray for.

And if you have a few prayers to spare for me and my family,

 I would appreciate it.

Very much.