On Cooking

"Mere facility, of course, is no more a guarantee of good taste in cooking than it is in music; but without it, nothing good is possible at all. Technique must be acquired, and, with technique, a love of the very process of cooking. No artist can work simply for results; he must also like the work of getting them. Not that there isn't a lot of drudgery in any art ~and more in cooking than in most~ but that if a man has never been pleasantly surprised at the way custard sets or flour thickens, there is not much hope of making a good cook of him."

~Father Capon

Homemade Biscuits and Gravy...

.....are hands~down my husband's favorite breakfast.

Dish them up with some fried eggs and a mug of hot coffee ~Mmmmm!!!

A perfect breakfast for a chilly morning;)

Monday Mode

This is the very first morning of the week that has not felt like Monday morning to me! So, even though it is Thursday, not Tuesday, I had to make up a batch of pancakes....

Have you ever tried substituting coconut milk for regular milk in your pancake recipe? I tried it months back on a whim, and found that it really adds a delicious twist.

~And the kids agree;)

A Favorite Quote

"Do not wish to be anything but what you are.......and try to be that perfectly."



~St. Francis de Sales

Thinking Spring

....at our new house.

Won't it be lovely to have these beauties blooming as we prepare to move in?

Sea shells

My dear husband surprised me with this lovely book when he arrived home last night.

The kids and I have spent most the morning enjoying the gorgeous photos it contains!

It is great to be able to identify the shells I have in my meager collection............and dream of what I may discover next time I am able to do some beach combing.......

Caterpillars to Cocoons

Amazing! Mom found these in her garden and brought them down for the children's and my viewing pleasure. In the picture you can see how one of the caterpillars climbed up a twig and attached himself with a bit of silk. (Under him is the chrysalis of another just like him.) After hanging like that for a few days, he split his skin and crawled out; a strange, green, worm-like creature. It was fascinating to watch! He re-attached himself to the branch, a bit above where he was hanging before, and slowly started turning brown all over. You can see how he looks now, as a chrysalis, in the picture below.

Once again, the days have just been flying by. Dear Husband has been gone for three days in San Diego for a business trip. He gets in tonight, and I can't wait to see him!