Nature XXVII, Autumn
~~Emily Dickinson
The morns are meeker than they were,
The nuts are getting brown;
The berry’s cheek is plumper,
The rose is out of town.
The maple wears a gayer scarf,
The field a scarlet gown.
Lest I should be old-fashioned,
I’ll put a trinket on.
Yes, it’s August and starting off hotter than a firecracker on the 4th of July. And has been for awhile! We’re suppose to get in the triple digits next week.
August, and the heat, always reminds me of the County Fair. Always in the hottest part of the summer, but we just never cared. Well, as a kid, I didn’t care, but feel very differently about it now.
The picture is an art print by Sandi Wickersham — she does lovely work!
I think our remodeling projects are finally over. I’m trying to unpack all of my toys and getting a few more things on the website.
I started in this week on unpacking the wonderful Tan Luster Flowerpot Utility items. Those have always been a favorite of mine. When I first saw them in Doris Lechler’s Children’s Glass Dishes and then in Margaret & Kenn Whitmyer’s Children’s Dishes — I knew I had to have them! I’ve purchased mine a piece at a time. I’ve never seen a full set (boxed), but have seen a few of the individual sets (reamer & bowl and mixing bowls) in their original packaging.
And I’m listing the two adorable cabinets that I had those items displayed on. Be sure to check out the website in about a week for new items.
I hope you all have a wonderful August — stay cool and try to make it to the local fair! Have some Cotton Candy and Corn Dogs!
Jan
Well, here it is June already.
We’ve had just enough rain and sun, so far, to get the tomatoes on a good start. A couple are already turning pink! Flowers are blooming, the trees are green and the lawn needs mowed at least once a week.
I’ve been trying to get a few more pictures taken and put up on the website.
You might ask why it takes me so long to do this?
Does this answer your questions?
This is my 15 month old grandson. He spends every day with me while his mom works. I know he’s just trying to help!
Check out the website in a few weeks and hopefully I’ll have new goodies for you to look at and maybe even add to your own collection.
And I hope everyone is having a grand summer!
Jan
Happy May Day!
It’s hard to believe that May is here. I’ve almost got all my bedding plants in and my husband has the tomato plants in the ground.
We’ve had some beautiful sun shiny days here and it’s good to see it after so much rain and flooding in our area.
Chocolate Strawberry Heart-Shaped Ice Cream Sandwiches
Makes 24
Ingredients:
* 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
* 1/2 cup cocoa powder
* 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 tablespoon milk
* 2 to 2 1/2 pints strawberry ice cream, slightly softened
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, vanilla, and sugar. Add eggs and milk, and mix until combined. Add reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula at least once. Divide the dough in half, and shape each half into a flat disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface; use an offset spatula to unstick the dough every few turns of the rolling pin. Roll dough to an 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough using a variety of heart-shaped cookie cutters from 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter, making sure there is a top and bottom cookie for each sandwich. Place hearts on a parchment-lined baking sheet; chill until firm, about 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator; use a fork to prick holes all over the surface of the cookies. Bake until firm, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Using half the cookies, spoon softened strawberry ice cream about 1/2 inch thick on each underside. Place matching cookie on top of ice cream, top-side facing out. Transfer immediately to freezer to harden; repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve directly from the freezer. Sandwiches can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 3 to 4 days.
Enjoy!
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I couldn’t believe I had to turn the calendar page today. Where did January go?
We had our first snowfall of the winter yesterday. About 6″ of the pretty, fluffy white stuff. It’s almost gone today and the temps are suppose to be in the 60’s tomorrow. But I sure enjoyed it, if only for one day. I’ve been busy with a complete remodel of my kitchen. If you’d like to see before and after pictures of the project, you can see them HERE.Hopefully, in about two week, I’ll get back to listing some more items on the website. I had to pretty much pack everything away while the construction crew was here.
I hope everyone is off to a great start with their new year!
Jan
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough hellos to get you through the final goodbye.
“I Wish You Enough” author’s website: http://www.bobperks.com/wish.htm
Wishing all of a joyous Holiday season!