Sunday, July 29, 2018

TWO YEARS IN THE GARDEN


I saw a photo on facebook today
  of my garden 2 years ago
 and this photo was taken
 earlier this month:




I have certainly made plenty of
mistakes along the journey but
have really enjoyed learning.

I call this my Beatrix Potter
Cottage Garden!

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

CELEBRATING JANE AUSTEN for "Tea In The Garden"

After purchasing a new book
in Hannibal on Sunday about
 cooking and Jane Austen,  I thought
it would be fun to enjoy a little
tea time today with that theme.


I already had a collection of Jane
 related books and now I have added
 this one published in 2013.




So rather late in the day yesterday,
I set up a little tea area outside.
The mosquitos were definitely
out and about!







I found a few pieces of purple
transferware Sunday too:





The only changes to my scones were:
I used 1 chopped peach instead of 
strawberries and I used 1/2 cup 
of sugar and I used buttermilk!
(see link to the recipe by clicking above)






I have an abundance of zinnias!






So this new book has wonderful recipes that
represent conversations in many of Jane's 
books!  There is a lot of interesting trivia
which is very fun! Recipes are for foods
seen in Pride and Prejudice, Emma,
Persuasion, etc.  I was reading it
out loud on the way home in the car
and my husband and I got a real
eye opener about how spoiled we are
with all our present day kitchen's
 modern conveniences.



I have to tell you that I read that Mrs. Bates 
(from the book and movie "Emma")
 was so poor she had to  "borrow"
 the use of a neighbor's stove
 during the night as the ambers
cooled in the kitchen and it was not 
in use by the neighbor.  That really 
showed me how awful her 
circumstance was, yet she never
complained.  I'd say I have a
new appreciation for my stove!




"Indeed,  I would rather have
nothing but tea."   Jane Austen




And lastly - a friend left a lovely
gift on my front porch - a box
of dried hydrangeas.  I put
them in a wire basket next to
the fireplace area.



Sunday, July 22, 2018

HANNIBAL, MISSOURI

Today we made a little day
trip to the home town of Mark
Twain which was Hannibal, Mo.


This sweet couple dressed
 the part of Tom Sawyer
and Becky Thatcher:


People could take a photo of their
kids pretending to
whitewash the fence!




This photo below shows the boyhood
home of Mark Twain (real name Samuel
Clemens- 1835-1920) on the right and
the museum on the left. 





Of course all the Victorian
homes really caught my eyes and
especially this one:


Many were being restored
 and
others needed to be:





Additionally, this town was the
 birthplace of Molly Brown (survivor
on the Titanic).



Wednesday, July 18, 2018

ZUCCHINI CREAM CHEESE WALNUT BARS for "Tea In The Garden"


Yesterday I had some ladies for lunch so
afterwards I was glad these Zucchini 
Cream Cheese Walnut Bars
 were left over.  I never hesitate to
use a coffee pot for tea too!


 As you can see by our lawn color,
we are needing rain badly.  I think
I heard we are 10" behind.  They
are now using the term drought.


After lunch yesterday, I went out
 and set up my tea time for this photo
shoot on the patio under the deck. 
Please help yourself to tea
and one of the bars! 


The one flower that doesn't seem to mind
days and days of high 90's heat is the
Zinnia.  My hydrangeas are just
 starting to form blooms.



I used regular walnuts in this post
but you see black walnuts in the 
former recipe.


This little cookbook (now out of print)
 was where I originally
 found the recipe.




Zucchini and Walnut Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 1/2 cups loosely packed, coarsely grated zucchini, 2 large eggs,1 cup sugar, 3/4 cup corn oil, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg, 1 cup walnuts chopped plus 1/4 cup for topping

Frosting: 3 oz cream cheese softened, 2 cups softened confectioner's sugar, 2 Tb milk, dash of salt, 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees- butter and flour a 9 x 13 baking dish- set aside.
In a large bowl beat together eggs, sugar and oil until well blended. Beat in vanilla.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg. Stir in flour mix into the egg mix blending well. Add the zucchini and walnuts and mix. Spread into baking dish. Bake about 28-30 minutes in a regular oven or 22 minutes in a convection oven.  Do not burn but bake till top springs back when touched. Let cool
To make frosting in a bowl: beat cream cheese till smooth, add sugar and milk, then salt and vanilla- If too thick - add more milk until spreadable. Ice the cool cake and sprinkle with more walnuts. Slice with very sharp knife.
 
 3 different Cutting suggestions and I
suggest putting the small or tiny ones in
little paper holders (like for candy or muffins) 

1.  SMALL bars which can go into paper cups: cut them 5 x 6= 30 bars 2 bite size

2.  Afternoon Tea Tiny 1 bite bars: cut them 6 x 8 = 48 bars

3.  Larger dessert size: cut them 4 x 8




Right this moment we have some
cloud cover above and that really
helps a lot.



These two cups and saucers are
definitely favorites:







Monday, July 16, 2018

PLEASE DO COME FOR A VISIT

Every now and then I will be sharing
changes in my booth at Midway
Antique Mall in Columbia, Mo:


I am located right along I-70
if you cross through the
center of Missouri going
east to west or the opposite.




With a booth (or stall) that is
only 8' wide by 13 ' deep - it is better not
to close in the center area. 


 I think my prices are very reasonable!


  We all have stories
of places we have been where
people just stuff those spaces too full!




As you can see I have some 
lovely teapots and am selling
some I have had for years.
I just have too much myself.



Believe me - primitive is alive
 and well in Missouri so my feminine
appeal is a bit of unchartered
territory.