Little Red Wagon - Border Punch

The challenge this week, use a border punch. One of my favourites is Fiskars Lace...
I  made this card following one similar on  Sandi MacIver 's blog.

The stamp set is called French Foliage,  colours used Pear Pizazz, Cherry Cobbler , Early Espresso and white. I popped up the bottom leaf and also  embossed with clear embossing powder  it tho  the camera doesn't show it clearly..The green is dry embossed using the branch folder.

Roasted Corn Cherry Tomato Salad

It has been a busy week
A  little bit of gainful employment  then some gallivanting.
 The Garden Club went for a  hay wagon ride at the Penner Farm seeing all the   waste farm land being returned to Carolinian Forest.Shades of youth riding  the  hay wagon up and down the hilly farm.

climbing up

comfortably seated on hay bales.

Yesterday Red Hats toured Burning Kiln winery , a new  winery that just opened this spring....strolled   the  vines   seeing the grapes maturing on the vines then the production  house  all the while sampling  several wines  . Lunch  on the open air patio with a view of Lake Erie in the distance.  .. This part  of  SW Ontario was a huge  tobacco   growing  region  called the Tobacco Belt, with that industry waning  wine growing is coming to fore...Hence the name of the winery  and style of the building . Some  of the wines have names like  Strip Room  , a Merlot,
Cureman's Chardonnay, and Kiln Hanger,  acknowledging the history of the area.

Barrel Room

Tasting room



Building is modelled after  a tobacco kiln

I had a Roasted  Corn Tomato salad to go with the  prosciutto, roasted red pepper mini sandwiches..
The salad was so good  I made it first thing this morning with some leftover roasted corn, fresh mini tomatoes from the  more than abundant crop in my garden, a little red onion and chopped parsley from my herb pot.

The Chef had given  me the recipe sort of......
 Basically  however much  roasted corn you want
Cherry Tomatoes cut in half
Chopped Parsley
Chopped Shallots ( used red onion)
A splash of  vinegar
A splash of olive oil
Salt and Pepper. 
She said!

Prepped  ready for olive oil and vinegar

With just the 2 of us I  used   2 cobs of corn,1 cup  cherry tomatoes , 1./2 cup  red onion,  2 TBSP chopped parsley , 1 Tbsp. vinegar to 2 Tbsp. olive oil . That has made   about  2  cups of salad....

This simple salad lets the  fresh veggies shine thru. It is not over dressed... .

A busy  fun week.

Bloomin Tuesday - End of August

Planter on the front step is   putting on quite the show now that the  purple grass is   showing plumes...

At this time of summer I notice how the light has changed   clearer,  pictures  crisper..colours  brighter....

 
.

Sedum in full colour.

Coleus putting on a lovely colour.......one I loved and saved over winter... Mocha Rose......

The promise of things to come
Japanese Anemone ,pink;  ready to open in the next week.

Mums tightly  budded yet.

Gardener Gripe -Startle

Pretty isn't it? Love the ruffles.......
Startle Daylily   is startling . I will say it lives up to the name  ! I am startled!....
Startle let down! might be a new gardeners disease..

It has only  1 scape.This is the second season for this plant.
This is a tetraploid which means it should be more branching.. no branching..Shouldn't a tetraploid be more showy?

About 8 buds on the scape.
Bloom size about 6 inches across, which is excellent..
Notice the washed out centers and tips  of  some of the petals. More of a  magenta  red with  a yellow green throat.  A much more  washed out look than expected ...

The tag certainly showed   a much redder  colour  with none of the faded look to the petals  , don't you hate misleading  tags...bane of a gardeners existence.....
It is the last of all my daylilies to flower which is not a bad thing,  tho it is considered a mid season .... .

Should  I never believe  plant tags? Could it be I am too picky?
Question is should I keep this daylily  hoping for better   results another year?
Isn't that what a gardener does  hope for  better   the next year.....

What do you call a grumpy and short tempered gardener?

A SnapDragon.




 

LRW -Use Newsprint

The challenge  at Little Red Wagon  use newsprint....

Made this card using Stampin Up  Artistic Etchings  stamp set
Black,Vanilla, and Newsprint Designer Paper, crumpled ,torn and antiqued..Embossed Eiffel  Tower , key and Amour.

Wordless Wednesday-Butterfly

Bloomin Tuesday-Drying Hydrangea

My Limelight Hydrangea  drooping after a rain..

Limelight

Yes we finally had a nice thunderstorm and rain....My rain dance worked!
The size of the blooms this year are exceptionally large.

Huge blooms

I have dried Hydrangea  a couple of years ago and they are now sad looking.... with a few very dark brown  spots... banged around and a bit crushed........Time to try drying  new ones..


Old   dried hydrangea

 Taking  some of the giant blooms on the Limelight  Hydrangea ...... the following method has worked for me..before ..
Picked when they are almost fully open, last few buds remain on top of  head. Try to pick them as pristine as possible, no  brown spots .

just a few buds on top left to open

Stripped leaves off.
Into vase half full of water.



Half full vase of water

Then leave them , water will evaporate. The Hydrangea gradually dries.
They stay full and lush...... and end up a light  gold colour...not crushed , retain the shape of the blossom..
I am also trying to dry some of my pink Endless Summer Hydrangea ..

Endless Summer

They are  a greeny pink colour right now  and I wonder if I have left them too long ...... Can't hurt to try , I do wonder what colour they will  dry to.

Yard Sale Find!

Saturday on the way to visit the Farmers market stand to pick up some fresh corn on the cob for supper  passed a Yard Sale sign... 
The yard sale was at the Green Valley B&B farm  . They just closed the business after many years welcoming  visitors to their home farm 
To stop or not to stop that is the question... ...rarely find anything  that appeals if and when I do  stop.
Kept on driving on to the  corn....Thought "maybe stop on way back"
Peaches and Cream corn purchased,
Driving  home  still undecided as to  stopping in at the yard sale  on a whim  decided  "what the heck nothing else on my retirement agenda"
Sondra the owner of the B&B was   cleaning  out  many  items from the business.
No need  this time to talk myself into purchasing a set of 4 glasses
.My everyday glasses were getting etched from the dishwasher and it had been on my mind to get a new set.
These glasses  had never been used. Sticker still on them.  Nautica.
 Only 50 cents each. Hum , thought  "these are  an expensive glassware"

Island Flower

Checked on line to find   replacement value 19.99 each...  What a sense of satisfaction  that my  guess was  right.

Smug I am!

Well worth the stop!

Finished my purchases with a bottle of their own home made maple syrup made  from the huge old sugar maple  trees that line the property...... the label shows the farm house as it was  from 1890

Does give one  pause, perhaps should become a yard saler up early every Saturday   finding that one   bargain ,start up a little business...reselling on EBay, make a fortune , gave myself a shake , sanity returned ...
Lucky I found these glasses....

Looking for Signs of Autumn !

It must be  wishful thinking on my part..but........  It is August  summer time weather  here, hot and humid and  dry  ., summer thunderstorms have missed this area..

 No, it is not as hot as  July  . The A/C hasn't been on as much, nights lovely  and warm  for patio sitting....but........... in August I start to   yearn for the fallish  weather days,  crystal clear air , warm breezes  , leaves starting to change colour, cool nights that need a sweater..
Maybe it is the Canadian in me as much as I love summer and all it brings.. I love the change of seasons..  I even like the first few flakes of snow....(Not that you have ever heard that from me)
This time of the year I start to look for signs..
Yesterday  at the local Farmers  fruit  and  veggie stand the first  crop of this season's apples have  appeared , Ginger Gold. A fav.

Great for eating and baking

Down the road; next stop, the flower stand  where I purchased a large  bouquet of flowers.........
What kind of flowers.... Mums!   Mixed    bundle with all the bright colours of autumn.......

Love the combo of plain yellow and rust with the yellow center.

Mauve

Tho she usually has all types of   bouquets  Thursday only mums....Cut and placed on hall table.

5 weeks  of summertime  left......still I can't help but look for signs.......

Chocolate Zucchini Pecan Cake

Who ever was the   smart woman who thought to  add  zucchini to a quick bread  I applaud you. Perhaps  the same  smartie who added carrot to cake.......

Zucchini Cake  decorated with whipped cream and fresh peaches.

This  type of recipe is called a loaf but to me it is more of a cake... 

One of the great things about this recipe it uses 3 cups of grated zucchini,  the other it makes 3 loaves  ....... some for the freezer or the neighbours.
This cake  has a  rich  chocolate taste. I opted to use Dutch Process Cocoa,which is darker  with a mellow  intense flavour .This cake is moist  similar in texture to carrot cake..
Printable Recipe;click on link!
3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2  cups sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder(use 3 tsp if using Dutch Process Cocoa)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda(LEAVE OUT IF USING DP COCOA)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
3 cups grated zucchini
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients.
Combine the eggs, oil, butter and extracts; mix well.

 Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Fold in zucchini and pecans A rather  thick batter.
 Pour into three greased  8-in. x 4-in. x 2-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; remove from the pans to wire racks.
 I used 6 small   foil loaf pans as several  are  gifts for the
 neighbours  Some will go into the freezer......I will be  dusting  with icing sugar tho a cream cheese icing would  gild the lily..

Also used a fancy   Wilton pan that looks like mini angel food cakes..these will be turned into mini desserts  dusted with icing sugar and the center filled with chopped peaches for a corn roast  we are going to.

 A Cake or a  Loaf what would you call these  yummy  treats? https://sites.google.com/site/rosemarysprintablerecipes/chocolate-zucchini-pecan-cake

Zucchini Provencal

Zucchini Provencal

 Daughter Sherry's  best friend Lisa grows zucchini .
As anyone knows    they grow and they grow.. overnight  they turn into gargantuan   veggies...
 I  was" gifted"  with several......

I kindly "gifted' one to my next door neighbour Barb.
She thanked me,  she really did.

 The largest one  I turned into grated zucchini for mid winter baking, removing the  spongy center and seeds....

Into the freezer  they go!

I also  peeled  some local  peaches  and into the freezer  they went   , won't they make a great  pie in February.
The  baby zucchini of the group  was  turned into a    veggie dish that is more than filling. Used  it as a side dish  for supper  last night  and the left overs today will be added to some  cooked pasta for another meal.
This recipe  is based on   an Italian   recipe.....
Ingredients:
1 tsp. oil
1 med. onion,  sliced or chopped ( used red onion)
1 medium zucchini, about 3- 4cups chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, chopped( added  1 cup of cherry tomatoes as well)
1/2  cup chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2- 3  tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

In a  skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, green pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for10-12  minutes or until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Aren't the colours   fantastic?

I used  beefsteak tomatoes from my garden instead of roma tomatoes. Thinking roma would have given a richer taste.
This was a good dish but in future would add more garlic, perhaps some oregano  and more  cheese......maybe even more green pepper .

I do thank Lisa    I really do,
 come mid winter when I use one of the  bags of grated zucchini  it will be with fond memories of the  hot sunny warm days that grew this  giant veggie.
Tomorrow  Chocolate Zucchini Pecan Bread.

Bloomin Tuesday- Yellows and Reds

Does your garden  have hints of fall coming?
Frosty Morn sedum flowers

Black eyed Susans always make me think autumn.........

Cherry Tomatoes -bushes are loaded with these bright red fruits more than one can eat...  will share!

Beefsteak Tomatoes just starting to ripen, even tho watered the dry summer has affected their size.
The taste is still fantastic.

 Sunflowers putting on a good show..

Holly has red berries showing!

The bright red and yellow   colours, the  tomatoes ripening,  the reddening of the holly berries , flowers on the sedums,  all signal that too soon summer is coming to an end......
Are you seeing signs?

A Find!

Do you love browsing thrift stores and antique shops? I do. Wandering thru the aisles  looking for that one item that fits that one spot .. or maybe speaks to you for the memories  it brings.
I am drawn to  coloured glass and milk  glass especially hobnail, first . . Then antique dish sets  from England, would love to have many sets of dishes from plain white to bright  Christmas.  Only 3  sets so far Wedgewood , Black and white ,   Royal Doulton  , green and white, and  a blue clear glass .  Working on  collecting a few of the  new bright Fiesta ware pieces   ,  so  cheery ..
 But   most of all ,  candle holders and candles...
...I am always telling myself  "You don't need  any  more candle holders"
So  what did I find  when wandering the aisles of a local thrift store Value Village ?




Aren't they  pretty?

A pair  !  a matching pair!  of   copper   hurricane lanterns with  bevelled glass  each about  12 inches high and  each side  6 inches so they are substantial..  Notice  the    loops for hanging..
I did  try to talk myself out of   this purchase.Yes, I really did.
 After all did I really need more  candle holders?
 " Yes but they do match the  copper bird house  just purchased.!"
"It is a pair!"
" They will look fabulous hanging in the  trees  by the patio, once the tree branches are big enough to hold them!"
" Lit with   red votives sitting on the front porch
for the Christmas season won't they will be   a nice welcome for guests"
."Price  couldn't get any better at $4 each".
I could not come up with any negatives...I tried really I did
.... So won't they be lovely  at Christmas!