Peach Shortcake Cookies

Peach Shortcake Cookies

makes 2 dozen

 Ingredients

4 peaches, pitted, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

2 cups flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

6 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir chopped peaches together with 2 tablespoons sugar; set aside. Combine flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add milk. Fold in peaches. Drop by tablespoons onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges of cookies start to brown. Enjoy!

Summertime Pickles

The garden is producing cucumbers seemingly overnight!

That means lots of pickles in the fridge this summer. :-)

~bunnies~

A baby bunny Mr. H. found while mowing last week.

It was smaller than my hand!

I really want a bunny rabbit!

The only problem is, no one else in my family 

has any interest in raising a rabbit. :-(

One person in my family

(she will remain nameless)

actually dislikes bunnies!

Can you imagine?!

They had mini rexes at the feed store a few weeks ago

and I wanted to bring one home so badly.

They were so soft and velvety

and looked just like stuffed animals. 

I resisted though, and I am trying to be content with 

the bunnies around me.  I see them all the time...

I just can't hold them!

A bunny I found in the cabin yard 

at my family's ranch this week.

I'm sold...

Last week, I made some fresh pasta sauce.

The tomatoes came from the grocery,

but everything else was from the garden,

including fresh herbs.

Oh boy!

It was the best sauce - so flavorful.

I was sold.

Fresh herbs really do make 

a world of difference.

So, tonight as I was topping homemade pizzas,

I made a three meat pizza for the family.

Pepperoni, Italian sausage and bacon - their favorite.

But the other pizza,

I topped with basil, oregano, and rosemary

snipped fresh from the herb garden.

It was delish! :-) 

So sweet!

The baby birds are hatching!

Four out of five of the eggs in my hanging basket 

were hatched as of this afternoon. :-)

School's Out for Summer!

And so begins that wonderful season of summertime!

The time where I wake up each morning and lay in bed

for a few minutes, just to give myself a chance

 to remember if my kids are home or not...

and if they are home, 

I stop to try to recall

if I have any extra kids in my home. 

It's also the time when I do load after load of laundry

 and as I am taking clothes out of the dryer 

there will more likely than not 

be an item or two of clothing that I totally 

don't recognize and wonder how on earth they got there. 

It's the time that my back door 
magically turns into a revolving door 

with kids constanly coming in and out.

Kids that are  

constantly hungry

constantly thirsty

but, thankfully, rarely bored...

It's the time that no matter how hard I try 
I can't seem to ever have enough clean towels in the house.

It's the time when I remember just how loud 

multiple children, barking dogs, and the TV can be!

And, it's the time...that I treasure and love with all my heart. 
Happy summer - may you and your family make many wonderful memories!

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. :-)