THE BEGINNING OF A NEW FLOWER GARDEN

I have been working on a project at home- digging up my lawn in my small back yard and turning it into a garden at the 2 corners of the yard. I actually started last year but I have had shovel in hand lately taking out more! I thought..."I have to name this". Would I call it an English Garden or maybe a Beatrix Potter or Peter Rabbit Garden?

I know the truth is that this garden is very unimpressive but this is just beginning and the start of something that will bring me great joy!

I also have 2 areas for herbs and found a wonderful rhubarb plant. I like to move my plants all around - if they don't work in one spot I just move them to another! Here in Colorado it is still going down to 40 degrees at night so our maturing time for plants is slow. The good side of that is that plants stay in bloom a long time.

THE CHANDLELIER

Just sharing the chandelier that hang in the window of my shop.  I had it formerly in my store down the street and people stop and look at it all the time.

SNOW ON THE PEAK

This was the view today as I drove down Woodmen to go to work.....plenty of snow up on Pike's Peak. Today is our official last potential frost date.

 It did snow here once in June - hard to believe! I stopped at the Home Depot and loaded up on foxgloves and perennials to work in my yard. I am very excited to see the lilies my daughter-in-law gave me all coming up nicely along with my delphiniums and lupines!

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES PRESENTED BY GWENDOLYN SIMPICH

Thank you Gwendolyn Simpich,

our Anne of Green Gables!

 Gwendolyn with her Grandmother (above)

WALNUT CARROT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

This cake would be lovely for Spring Time...combine 4 eggs, 1 cup vegetable oil and 2 cups of sugar. Add 2 cups sifted flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 3 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp salt. Beat until smooth. Stir in 4 cups of grated carrots and 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional) (high alt changes: 1 1/2tsp baking powder and 2 cups less 4 Tb sugar)

Pour this batter into 2 greased and floured 9" round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool and remove 1 of the layers of the cake placing it on a cake platter. After icing this layer- place the next layer on top and ice it as well. You may wish to sprinkle some more chopped walnuts on the icing.

Cream Cheese Frosting: 8 oz cream cheese softened, 4 Tb butter, 1 3/4 cup confectioners sugar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp vanilla extract Beat these together till smooth & spread on top of first layer of cooled cake. Add the second layer and ice completely. Drop 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts on top of icing...refrigerate until serving.

BISHOPS CAFETERIA CHOCOLATE PIE KNOCKOFF

Do you remember Bishops Chocolate Pie?

Back in the 1960's to 1980's you may have visited a Bishop's Cafeteria in the Midwest....

This was our favorite place to go for lunch and the line went clear out the door. No matter what I put on my tray, I always got that great slice of chocolate pie! Last Sunday, my friend Julie Brockett gave me this recipe. You must try it!

Here is what you need: 1 quart vanilla ice cream, 1 1/2 cups milk, 2 small packages of instant chocolate pudding, and my tweak here for a darker chocolate was : 2 SQUARES unsweetened chocolate melted.

Beat together and set aside 1 cup of whipping cream and 1/4 cup confectioners sugar...this will be for the edging around the pie

You will also need a nice graham cracker crust pie shell and milk chocolate curls for decorating. If you want to save money a graham cracker crust is so easy as it is 1 1/2 cups of crushed cinnamon graham crackers mixed with 1/2 stick of melted butter and pressed into a pie shell. Bake at 375 degrees about 8 minutes.

Mix and beat the softened ice cream and milk for 2 minutes, add 1 package of the chocolate pudding and beat 2 more minutes, add the second package and beat 2 more minutes and the melted chocolate mixed through ........pour into the graham cracker crust. Decorate the edge of the pie with the whipped cream and embellish with chocolate curls.