Friday, July 29, 2011

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual, inspired by Amanda Soule. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.


My hills copy

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Threads

I have having such a wonderful and thrilling time, while putting together a summertime quilt. I have dreamed of making another quilt, and now I am making it my reality!

Selvage

threads

Anna Maria has inspired me to mix solids with Loulouthi (her latest fabric line) and throw in some Liberty of London prints.

fun time quilting

quilting again

squared

Each square is different from the other. I am laying the squares out on my white bedspread, while I play with the colors and squares. I am planning on stripping the squares with white! This is a first for me. I usually shy away from white. I'm all about color. There is something calming and bright about white, when it touches on pops of color. I think I'm getting hooked on white.


Back to work! It's so much fun! One of these times I'll get around to posting the adorable skirts we've been sewing this summer.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

From peaches to jam

Two weekends ago we were at the farmer's market (did I mention that I love that place?!) ..... we were on a mission. We needed a bunch of peaches that were just right. Perfectly ripe for jam!

Just peachy

Peach fuzz

These are what came home with us. So ripe that the smell of sweet peaches filled the car as we drove home. I always buy enough for a batch of jam, and some to snack on.

Swwweeet peas!

These sweet peas came home with us, too. They're sneaky like that.

BubblyPeachJam

Fresh peach jam.....before the lids went on

There is something satisfying about standing over a big pot, stirring this bubbly peach goodness and watching the transformation take place. From peaches to jam. Oh, and did I mention the heavenly smell that wafts up in your face as you are stirring meditatively away?! So far I have two batches of peach jam. (I got more peaches this past weekend and did it all over again) Oh yes I did! Next time around it will be peach syrup to pour over waffles and pancakes. Delish! Now that I have the peaches covered, we can move on to the raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and plums....anything else?

Fresh batch of jam

Why do I bother to make jam you ask? When I can go to the store and buy a jar of jam off the shelf? For the same reason you sew a quilt, make a dress, sew a bag......any one can go pick one up at the store. It will even cost you less to buy than to make, but there is no replacement for the rewarding process involved. I enjoy the process. The slow, rich, and rewarding process. I can walk into my pantry all Fall and Winter and smile as I look at my shelf full of gorgeous jam.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Heirloom delights

Are you tired of tomatoes yet? We're not!

Heirloom beauties

Waiting for their turn...........

Waiting for their turn

....on the chopping block...........

Heirloom slices

Juicy tomato slices

You know it's gonna be good, when you see the juices oozing from the ripe tomato, as you chop away.

Summertime vegetable medley

Are you wondering where the tomatoes went? They were sautéed and seasoned with minced garlic, fresh olive oil, fresh herbs, diced purple onions, and some sea salt. Then tossed over steamed brown rice, and to liven things up, I added some cauliflower, green beans, black beans, green onions, and diced bell pepper.

......and if you like to sprinkle cheese on top like my kids, help yourself!

What we ate for dinner

Friday, July 15, 2011

Tomatoes, cherries and summertime

Loving this cute little bowl of tomatoes.....all I have left, is this photograph.....for now, they are all.gone.

Little bowl of tomatoes

Good thing for the Farmer's market tomorrow.

Strawberry Cherries

Same thing goes for these cute little cherries that once were in this cute little bowl. They too, are all.GONE!

cute little cherry, cute little hand

Cute little hands that helped make the cute little cherries disappear.

What are your favorite summertime goodies are you savoring?

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

What we ate on the fourth of July

My sweet husband made supper, and I made these for dessert......

Strawberry shortcakes

They are basically biscuits, sprinkled with sugar on top....let them cool, slice them in half and dump a blob of whipped cream and your favorite berries inside.....we had peaches, strawberries and raspberries. Ours were gluten-free, of course!

Summer delights

I'd say we fare sumptuously in our house. There's always room for dessert!

Monday, July 4, 2011

Oh, and happy 4th of July!

I am so glad to be living in the US of A!

Happy 4th of July!

I am so thankful for the freedom of our land, and for all the men and women that have made it possible for us to enjoy our freedom. After living in another Country for a few years, I have to pinch myself every time I see fireworks, and hear the star spangled banner. I'm so glad I'm here!

Happy fourth of July, everyone! What are you doing today?

slice of watermelon

We've been enjoying lots of yummy food and watermelon, poolside. It's another HOT day.