Who Loves Robins?

So who loves robins?  

Love to have you check out my

 tea cozies on Etsy:

STRAWBERRY CREAM TARTS for "Tea In The Garden"

The heat is on in Missouri now but I 

slipped out this morning for a little

"Tea In The Garden":

Yesterday I baked some Strawberry

Cream Tarts and I will be sharing that

recipe which I think you would love.

This morning by 10:00 am it was

already 92 degrees with 50% humidity

so I did this teatime as quickly as

I could.  This year we have little

Carolina Wrens nesting in the

birdhouse on the wall of our little

porch entry area.  It really wasn't

intended to be "used" by birds so

they were most unhappy this morning

with me scooting by with  things I brought out

the  front door nearby.

During the Corona Virus we have spent

time on many projects at home and also

in the garden.  Several long term

garden projects are done including mulching

all the flower beds front, sides and back.

So let's sit and enjoy

 these sweet little

Strawberry Tarts!

My recipe called for a quart of strawberries

but I only had a pint of them and it still

worked fine to make a 2 by 9 inch oblong tart

 and 3 small round 3 1/2" tarts too!

Here is the recipe for a Strawberry Cream Tart:

Ingredients for the Pastry:  1/2 Cup Butter,

 1/3 cup of sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla and 1 cup flour

This pastry makes what taste like a shortbread 

cookie and is delicious!  In a small bowl, cream

the butter and sugar, vanilla and add flour. 

 Press this onto the sides and bottom of your

 tart pan with a removable bottom (2 x 9")

 Make the cream cheese filling next. 

Ingredients for the Filling:

1 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature

1/4 cup of sugar, 1 egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a small bowl, mix all this and set aside while you preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  You are going to spread the filling over the pastry and bake it at

 450 degrees for 8 minutes - reduce heat to 

350 degrees and bake 8-10 more minutes.

Now cool this tart shell.

Ingredients for strawberry topping:

1 pint - 1 quart strawberries, Reserve 1 cup of strawberries sliced for final top and chop the rest putting them in a sauce pan with 1 cup of sugar,

1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 cup water and 3 Tb cornstarch

Bring all this to a boil until it thickens - cool!

When your strawberry topping is cooled it is ready to pour over the cream cheese base.  It is nice to have sliced fresh berries to fill in across the top.

This recipe is really very easy to do and once

you make it once - even easier the next time!

You may have noticed the hummingbird feeders

are no longer on the deck.  We caught one

raccoon in a cage and a friend relocated him for

 us but unfortunately we seem to have an

 abundance of them and they are not afraid

 of us.  I was refilling the hummingbird feeders

 every day which is a lot

of work.  Yes, they drank it all.

 

If you make the tarts - I think 

you will love them!  

I hope you find ways to enjoy each day this summer! 

TAKING TIME FOR TEA

Hope you find time for

 tea during this

concerning times:

JUNE COLLAGES

I have been having fun 

making some collages:

Right now our springtime blooms

 have ended and we are 

moving on to summertime....

When not in the garden - I am busy sewing!

Please check out my Etsy site:

OUT AND ABOUT IN A JUNE GARDEN

Well, it was nice to have spring for a while but

now the heat is officially on!

My stand of hollyhocks by the mail box

is getting taller every day.

I know I shall miss the backyard foxgloves which

only do well when it is cooler.  

Miss Tabitha and Jeremy Fisher

are sad to see the foxgloves go

but these daisies are sure

making them happy.

I found another Campania birdbath on a

local online auction:

I hope you are enjoying your soon to

be arriving summertime!