How to Have a Lovely Day

How to Have a Lovely Day

(in 10 easy steps)

1. Smile at strangers.

2. Slow down.

3. Say thank you.

4. Give lots of compliments.

5. Dress nicely.

6. Wear perfume.

7. Observe and listen.

8. Be charming.

9. Laugh.

10. Wish people a lovely day.

Try it!  :-)

~found on Pinterest~

The pool is open!

We still have three days of school left,

but Mr. H. and son spent Memorial Day afternoon

getting us ready for summer!

They worked together and had the new pool set up

in the time it took me to run to the store for 

cookout fare!

The water sure felt good to them as the pool was filling up!

Yay for summertime!

It's almost here. :-)

Muffin Monday - Glazed Doughnut Muffins

It's been too long since the last Muffin Monday!

So, today I tried out

Glazed Doughnut Muffins

from Sweet Peas Kitchen.

So, so yummy!

The glaze really did taste like the glaze on a doughnut. :-)

I love to start out a week with muffins on Monday.

Don't you??

Memorial Day 2012

"The patriot's blood is the seed of Freedom's tree."

~Thomas Campbell

~herbs~

A goal of mine this summer is to 

learn more about growing herbs.

First and foremost of course,

is to learn how to keep them alive! ;-)

I'm also reading about how to cook with them

and how to dry and store them.

I'm hoping to experiment with many different varitites.

This is my little outdoor herb garden that Mr. H. built me to
learn...with lots of trial and error I'm sure.

Currently I have planted

mint, lemon balm, rosemary, cilantro, sage, thyme, 

basil, marjoram, oregano, dill, and chamomile. 

Linked to Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop #60.

Quick Lunch from the Garden

Cucumber Salad

4 servings

2 cucumbers

1 small onion

8 cherry tomatoes

handful of fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

salt and pepper to taste

Slice cucumbers, onion, tomatoes and basil leaves.

Whisk vinegar, oil, honey, and seasonings.

Toss vegetables in dressing.

Serve immediately or chill - delicious either way.

Harvesting the Onions

I harvested our onions today that we planted

back in February.

We got sixty onions from a $2 onion set.

All they need now is a day or two in plenty of sunshine,

and then a few weeks indoors to finish curing.

Can't wait to enjoy them for the next several months.

We also got our first ripe cherry tomato,

noticed a gazillion blossoms on the squash and cucumber plants,

counted eight bell peppers,

and one jalapeño.

A good day in the garden!! :-)

Linked to Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop #59, Homestead Revival Barn Hop #65. 

~breakfast with fresh herbs~

Fresh herbs make this breakfast of 

savory buttermilk scones and farmhouse frittata

very special. 

Savory Buttermilk Scones

makes eight scones

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tablespoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary

6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup buttermilk

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, pepper and rosemary.

Add  butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add buttermilk and stir just until combined.

Pat dough into a flat circle and cut into eight wedges.

Bake at 425 degrees for 14 minutes or until nicely browned. 

Serve warm and enjoy!

Farmhouse Frittata

makes 8 servings

8 eggs

3 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup thinly sliced onions

1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon

2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Whisk eggs, milk, and seasonings; set aside.

Preheat broiler.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a cast iron skillet.

Add onions and cook over medium heat until soft.

Add remaining butter to skillet.

When butter is melted, add eggs to skillet, 

sprinkle with bacon, herbs and top with cheese.

Cook eggs, undisturbed, over medium heat for three minutes.

Place skillet under broiler for four minutes or until golden brown.

Loosen frittata from sides of pan and slide onto serving plate.

Serve hot and enjoy!

And don't forget the juice and hot coffee. :-)

Sweet Surprise

I got a surprise when I went out to water 

the plants on the porch yesterday evening.

As I reached up to water my hanging basket, 

I was startled by a bird that flew out.

I looked closely and discovered four little bird eggs 

tucked safely into a nest inside the plant!

I'll be watching carefully for baby birds.

What a sweet surprise! :-)

Joining the 

Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop

today!

Friday afternoon update - there are now five eggs! :-)

They hatched on June 3rd!

Sowers

We must not hope to be mowers,

And to gather the ripe and gold ears,

Unless we have first been sowers

And watered the furrows with tears.

It is not just as we take it,

This mystical world of ours,

Life's field will yield as we make it

A harvest of thorns or of flowers.

~JohannWolfgang von Goethe

Enjoying the End of Springtime

We have such beautiful wildflowers 

during the springtime here in Texas.

Just as soon as the early spring flowers 

start to wither and fade,

the blackeyed susans take their turn to be on display.

As we say goodbye until next season to the bluebonnets, 
wine cups, evening primroses, 
indian blankets, indian paintbrushes,
and queen anne's lace,

we say hello to the lovely blackeyed susans along the highway

and all over my yard!

I love to snip a few and bring them indoors for my kitchen table.

We'll be harvesting and curing our onions soon.

And, we have our summer garden started.

We have a few tomato plants.  

A roma.

A better boy.

And a cherry.

Some peppers.

And squash and cucumbers.

The chickens have been enjoying the pretty spring weather,

but not so much all the rain we've been getting!

"Mad as an old wet hen"

Yep!  I've been seeing a lot of that lately.

So I got them some treats at the feed store this week!

I hope you are enjoying spring's end!

Are you ready for summer?  

We are! :-)