Still Smiling - End of May 2014

Just look at these beauties!  This lovely flowering almond is a gift from a dear friend.  I love looking at it, but even more, I love remembering the sweet person behind the gift!

My weeping pea tree delivered lovely yellow blooms as promised!  What a delicate and graceful tree.  God is so awesome to make so many amazing plants!

There's nothing like the smell of these lily of the valley!!

These ornamental poppies were also a gift from a dear friend.  What a way to announce "Spring has Sprung!"

Edging and Mulching!

When we bought our house 17 years ago we inherited a landscaping nightmare.  The first floor of the house was covered with overgrown evergreens and there were no decent plants to be found anywhere.  A row of unkempt privet hedges bordered the side of the yard and a whole section of the yard near the garage had been used to dump old motor oil!!

Little by little I have worked to turn that mess into something beautiful.  Now that I've got nice plants and bushes in place, I take some time every spring to cut the edges of the beds and then lay down a thick layer of mulch.  I used to cut all my edges with a shovel, but last year I bought an electric edger that cuts that whole process down to 20 minutes!

I even cut a 6-8 inch border around the edge of my rock-bordered gardens.  That way when I put down mulch I can mow that grass easily and not ever have to use a string trimmer!

A thick layer of mulch serves many good purposes:

1.  It cuts down on weeds significantly because it stops the sun from reaching the soil where the weed seeds are.  If you just sprinkle a little mulch, you aren't going to stop many weeds!

2.  It breaks down and eventually composts itself into the soil.

3.  It keeps the plants' roots cool and helps them to thrive in the heat of the summer.

4.  It makes a beautiful backdrop for your flowers and foliage!

I'm not a fan of black plastic/canvas under mulch because it encourages bugs (that love darkness and heat-yuch!) and you will eventually have weeds on top of the plastic.  Plus, the ground underneath will turn so hard it resembles rock!

So, get out there and do some edging and mulching!!

Oven Roasted Potatoes

I've been roasting potatoes for years, but last year I found the best pans for crisping -
Rachael Ray Oven Lovin' Nonstick Bakeware.  
My beautiful daughter-in-law bought me 2 of them for Mother's Day last year and I've been using them non-stop ever since.  I don't know what they are made of, but they crisp whatever is on their surface.  Here's how I roast potatoes:

1.  Start with potatoes you like.  I prefer red skinned because they are so creamy!


2.  Cut them in wedges or thick slices.  Slices take up more room on the sheet but you can get a lot more crispness.

3.  Arrange them on your Oven Lovin' baking sheet and coat them with canola oil.  I drizzle it on and then turn all the pieces with my hands to make sure they are coated.

 

4.  Then sprinkle generously with sea salt.  You could add black pepper or other herbs if you like.

5.  Roast them in a hot oven, 375 to 400 degrees.  I have convection and that makes it even better!  Turn them after the bottoms are browned - usually 10-15 minutes.

6.  Then roast until the other sides are browned, another 10-15 minutes.  Get ready for the "oohs & aahs" at the table if you serve these for guests.  It's a simple but really nice addition to any meat dish!

Goat Shearing!

Look at these photos of some angora goats that were sheared at my friends' farm!  Thanks Fran and Tim!  I thought they were sheep at first because I'm a Philly girl!!  That's why I need guest authors!!

I love remembering that the Lord is my Shepherd.  It's one of the big pictures of life that keep me focused on what's important.

Making Me Smile - Mid-May 2014

I'm still smiling - look at these!!

My Primroses were not affected by the brutal winter!

These delicate beauties thrive in the shade.  The name is Corydalis.  It just keeps producing beautiful yellow flowers all spring and summer.

A very dear friend of mine who is now home with the Lord painted this for me when I told him that I couldn't find a good picture of Potter's Hands working on clay.  He took a photo and did this just for me!  It makes me smile to remember that I'm the clay and God's in control of the finished product!

Baked Oatmeal - a Fantastic Breakfast!

Recently I hosted a Ladies' Breakfast at my house.  I set the table with silverware, mugs, napkins, candles, and a few flowers.  Breakfast is such a nice meal to share with friends!

I set plates, cold drinks, and food on the island in the kitchen.

And...I made a new breakfast dish with a recipe from my friend, Brenda.  This Baked Oatmeal is wonderful and easy to prepare!

1.  In a bowl mix together 3 Cups oatmeal, 3/4 C brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.


2.  Stir in 1 C plus 2 Tbsp milk, 2 eggs, 1/3 C melted butter and 1 1/2 tsp vanilla.



3.  Here's the fun part: Stir in any of
these Optional Mix-ins!

1 C chopped apple, peaches, pears
1/2 C craisins, chopped dried cherries, apricots, mangoes...
1 C blueberries, sliced strawberries, peaches...
1/2 C sliced almonds, walnuts, pecans...

4.  Pour into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish and bake for 35-45 minutes until done.  Serve with milk!


Look how little was left!!  

I wanted more leftovers:(

Danni's Kitchen Renovation - Part 2

Here's the final installment of my friend's kitchen renovation 

adventure, enjoy!

So it's done!  The total reno took about a month and we are delighted!  As I said in part 1, there were so many decisions to make and THAT was the most difficult for us.  So here are some hints to help you.....

#1 This is YOUR kitchen, bathroom, living room, whatever you are renovating (or just decorating), make it reflect YOU!  Bob and I live with antiques, so while we certainly wanted contemporary appliances, we wanted our kitchen to "fit in" with the rest of our furnishings.  Whatever your style, and you DO have one, let it flow. 

#2 Research, research, research.  I looked at thousands of pictures on Houzz.com, HGTV.com, countryliving.com, and many, many more websites.  Most of the sites (especially Houzz.com) let me narrow my choices to what I thought I was really interested in.

#3 I talked to my friends who had just done major renos and asked them, "What do you love about your new kitchen, and what would you change?"  I researched stoves, refrigerators, warming drawers, microwaves, countertops,  you name it! 

#4 Finally, don't sweat the small stuff.....and it IS all small stuff. While I am very pleased with the final product, this is still only a kitchen.  Someone said to me, what will you do when your grandkids run into your new cabinets with their bikes?  Yes, they ride their bikes in my kitchen!  Well, on Easter Sunday they put me to the test and I have to say I passed.  I love, love, love my grandbabies, and I like my new kitchen. 

Everything in perspective.  I am thankful it is done, I really enjoy cooking in it, and I love sharing meals with friends and family! 

Making Me Smile - May 2014

Since it's finally showing signs of warming up here in Indiana, PA, my thoughts are turning toward my garden and my dreams are colored with hues of flowers!

If you ask my neighbors they will confirm that I do a lot of walking around my house and looking at my plants.  It just makes me smile to see things growing!  Here are some of my favorites this month so far...

2 years ago a bought some inexpensive tulip bulbs and planted them under our Japanese Maple out front.  Look what greets me every day!!

Some dear friends gave me this Dogwood tree a couple years ago.  It's one of my favorites - just look at the beautiful pink/coral color on those blooms that should be bursting in a couple of weeks!!

This is a Siberian Weeping Pea tree that I've never seen bloom yet because we bought it last summer.  I'm excited to see the color of the yellow blooms I've been promised.  I'll keep you posted.

What makes you smile??