My second seasonal favorite - here are the hydrangeas mentioned recently..........
July 04, 2009
June 27, 2009
Farmstand Vegetable Gardening
Some time ago we had quite a large vegetable garden. We would use the vegetables we grew not only in cooking and baking but we preserved them by doing things like canning relish, freezing tomato sauce or drying onions.
We don't have a vegetable garden anymore but our fondness for fresh vegetables hasn't changed. Solution - farmstands! We have a great one a few miles away and it makes a fine runner-up to the real thing. Here's what I "picked" for dinner tonight:
June 24, 2009
How to Tea
Recently I taught a class for our local community school on how to plan and give an afternoon tea. This was something I had been interested in doing for quite some time and it was great to finally do it. The class covered types of tea, how to brew tea, menu planning, presentation ideas, baking tips and resource ideas. It was great fun and the class participants were terrific! I am planning on teaching a Christmas Tea class and a Manners for Children Tea Class in the fall.
June 17, 2009
Peonies
When we moved to our present house eighteen years ago I made sure we planted some hydrangeas and peonies, my two favorite late spring and summer flowers. Here are the peonies and I will post a photo of the hydrangeas once they come out.
I also just heard about a peony farm in Tiverton, Rhode Island, a short drive from where we live, so I will have to check that out soon since we are in the midst of blossoming time for peonies. I'm sure I will be amazed at all the peony varieties I've never seen before!
June 08, 2009
June 01, 2009
Cape Cod Rhodies
Made quite a discovery over the weekend - the beautiful Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts. It was peak rhododendron season and the blooms were everywhere - pale pink, fuchsia, deep magenta and even a specially-bred pale yellow. Spectacular. Beyond the gorgeous flowers there are many other great activities to enjoy for every member of the family. Next time you are traveling to Cape Cod I would highly recommend a stop here.
May 13, 2009
Creativity!
I have been having fun the last few weeks participating in a decorative painting class - something I knew nothing about before beginning the class. I have learned a lot due to a great teacher who gives us much attention and support.
Below are a few scenes from her terrific studio space where, although we are all working on the same project, we are each producing something unique.
April 26, 2009
Spring at Blithewold
Those of us living in the East Bay area of Rhode Island get to enjoy Blithewold Mansion and Gardens whenever we like -lucky us!
Here are some photos taken today, a sunny spring day which climbed to 93 degrees, a Rhode Island record:
April 12, 2009
Easter
We've done a brunch the last two years and find we really like this approach - lots of creativity possible with a menu like this and the dishes are done by 3 pm instead of 7pm!
The Swedish biscuits below are a recipe from my grandmother, executed beautifully by my husband, Steve. The cake is a fantastic lemon ginger pound cake from Martha Stewart, one of the best pound cakes I've ever made to be sure. Many other items on the menu.......very enjoyable!
April 06, 2009
Flying Wild
This past Saturday I attended an all-day workshop on bird conservation called "Flying Wild", developed by the Council for Environmental Education (CEE) in Houston, Texas. It's designed for middle school students but I found it readily adaptable to other ages, especially younger children. We received an extensive manual with plans for lots of activities as well as an outline for planning an all-school bird festival, along the lines of a geography night for families. Great stuff, and here are a few photos of teacher participants during the "bird walk" portion of the workshop:
