Oh What a Beautiful Morning

Sink Reflections...

I spend so much time at the kitchen sink these days - doing food prep, washing dishes, etc. in an effort to worship the Lord by eating healthfully. Some days it feels insane.... But today, as I caught a glimpse of the hand-knitted dishcloth in the sink, it reminded me that the simplest things are often the most beautiful, and it's often in the common duties that we shine the best. So, I reminded myself of the simple things in my kitchen for which I'm grateful - a pretty sink, a cheerful kitchen, and a beautiful view out my window on a gorgeous spring day.

And Now for Parsley

I bought some Italian parsley at Rutt’s today. I’ll probably plant the curly variety as well, but wanted to get this variety in the ground as early as possible. It has a stronger flavor than the curly variety, and makes the BEST parsley pesto! I made a whole bunch of it last fall as I was cleaning out my garden; I had tons of Italian parsley left and hated to see it go to waste. So, I looked up parsley recipes on line and found one for parsley pesto. I made a bunch of different variations, before I came up with the perfect recipe. Yum, YUM, YUM! It’s fabulous and freezes well. I have just one container left in the freezer and am saving it for special company, or just maybe I’ll just enjoy it all by myself. :)

Click here for the link to the recipe I posted last fall.

Declaring War...

…. on those rabbits!!! Yes, lots of people think they are cute, but I don’t – I’ve had it! Two weeks ago I set out sweet little lettuce and broccoli plants, only to have them devoured by the resident rabbit, just as they were getting acclimated. I was sitting out on the patio the other evening eating my supper when I looked over at the garden – only to notice that there didn’t appear to be any evidence of a garden! Upon closer inspection I saw that the plants had been chomped off. AAHHH!!!! Why is it that rabbits get away with things that we could call the police about (trespassing, stealing, and vandalism!!) if the culprit had been a person?! What was particularly disappointing was that I was looking forward to an early harvest due to the unusually warm spring weather. Oh well…. I had sprayed Liquid Fence the day I planted, but I’m guessing that the heavy rains that followed watered down the effect. So, I sprayed again, trusting that this will do the trick. It worked great last year, and I was glad a friend had told me about the product. Thankfully the plants seem to be rebounding, so hopefully it won’t be a total loss. I’ll keep you posted!

Happy gardening!

Easter Morning Butter

I finally attempted making butter this morning after wanting to give a try for so long. It seemed like the perfect activity for Easter Sunday morning – the lovely yellow was a wonderful match for the glorious spring weather, and something so luscious and healthful seems so appropriate as I considered God’s gift of hope, renewal and life on this day.  I need to perfect the process (it wasn’t as easy as I had hoped!), so I'll give it another shot and post the details at a later date.

I also made Hot Cross Buns to continue my Mother’s tradition – another contemplative activity for Easter.

Blessings on your Easter!

Update, 7/4/2010

I think I have the process down on how to make butter (it's actually quite simple once you know what to expect!).  Here's the recipe:



How to Make Butter from Raw Cream

Remove cream from refrigerator and allow it to reach temperature of 55-58 degrees.

With a sturdy mixer, whip cream on lowest speed, slowly increasing speed as cream thickens and splattering lessens.  (You may want to cover mixer with dish towel to catch splatters.)

As soon as cream reaches the whipped cream stage, pay attention - be prepared to reduce speed as soon as butter begins forming and yellow clumps start separating from buttermilk.  Quickly turn mixer off when butter clumps into one mass.

Drain off buttermilk and transfer butter into smaller bowl. 

Rinse 2-3 times, forcing buttermilk out of butter with sturdy rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until water is clear.

Press water out of butter.

Form into log(s), then refrigerate or freeze for later use.

Easter Egg Fun

The last number of years, my family has been getting together on Easter Sunday afternoon to color eggs.  After we're done, we hide them for my nephew, then eat an evening Easter dinner together.  I'm not sure who has more fun, the adults (including the men!), or my nephew. 

We're always trying new methods - this year's approach was electrical tape!

I'm thinking the adults had more fun than my nephew....  He ended up filming a documentary of the process on his camera and watched it while we continued decorating.

Fun, fun, fun!

Pennsylvania Relief Sale

A friend and I went to the Relief Sale at the Farm Show Building this evening.  It was fun to view the quilts - I hadn't been there in years and missed the spring tradition!

Gardening Perspectives

As the years go by, I'm always trying to figure out how to make the upkeep of my landscaping and gardens less labor intensive without sacrificing the beauty they afford.  I go back and forth - should I hire someone to help me?  Should I turn the beds back into grass?  Should I convert the perennial beds into shrub beds?  In the midst of this ongoing thought process, I came across the article "The Long-Lived Landscape" in the April 2010 issue of Country Living magazine, which reminded me again of the importance of continuing to create beauty, even when we feel squeezed by physical and financial limitations.  The aging author tells the following story:

"Violinist Itzhak Perlman was crippled by polio in childhood and walks with the aid of braces on his legs and  pair of crutches.  At a concert...in New York City, one of the strings of his violin suddenly snapped during the performance.  Stunned, the audience held their collective breath, expecting Perlman to stop and leave the stage.  Instead he paused, then continued playing - adjusting, creating, compensating as he went along, and when he put down his bow at the end of the concert, a mighty roar of applause filled the hall.  When it had died down, he spoke to the audience: "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left."

Sometimes the very things that seem to be squeezing the life out of us are the very things that cause us to create even more beauty.

May God give you the inspiration to create beauty out of your particular hardships!

Favorite Things

Worth Contemplating

"In contemporary society our adversary majors in three things:  noise, hurry, and crowds.  If he can keep us engaged in 'muchness' and 'manyness', he will rest satisfied."
- Richard Foster, as quoted by Max Lucado in Cure for the Common Life

Dinner of Appreciation

A friend hosted a dinner this evening, thanking friends for journeying with her during a difficult season.  These dear little purses were our place cards and serve as a sweet remembrance.  What a special evening!

Spring has Sprung!

What a beautiful day!! I love spring! I normally celebrate the first day of spring by hanging a springy wreath, planting pansies, and making a stop at Rita's for some free Italian Ice. But, since spring came early to South Central PA this year, I did my annual spring routine a few days early!

Spring Fever

Isn't this a cool watering can?! I bought it at the Circa Antiques stand (their shop is located on West Market Street in York) at the Mid-Atlantic Garden Show in York today. It's likely from Germany or Holland. The show was a great way to welcome spring, and a fun way to spend the day with a dear friend!

Rescued

I found these adorable yo-yo blocks at an antique shop in Hershey. I had seen them a few months ago, and was so drawn to them, but just couldn’t justify spending money on them. Yet, they kept haunting me…. I kept thinking of the dear woman who had made them and felt sad that no one in her family wanted them. Then, a friend stopped in at the same shop over the weekend and saw them; she encouraged me to give them a good home. I went back and bought them; they look so happy to be in my house! The colors are perfect in the kitchen and laundry room, and they look wonderful with my Franciscan Dessert Rose dishes (an old pattern from the 40's - a number of my family members have that pattern because we have fond memories of eating off those dishes at my great aunt's). Now, to figure out how to use them...   There are 13 blocks and 2 different color arrangements; I'm not sure what the owner had in mind.  Were there more blocks originally, and did they get split up??  Was she planning on stitching some more?  I’m not sure yet what I want to do with them (create a spread, turn some into pillows?), but for now I’m content to enjoy them just as they are.

Update, 7/10/10 - my nephew spotted the blocks and started playing with them.  In no time he came up with this layout - I would never have thought of it on my own!

Worth Contemplating

"God does uncommon works through common deeds."
- Max Lucado, Cure for the Common Life

Virginia Rose

I love these dishes! Aren't they sweet? They belonged to my Great Aunt Ruth. They are a perfect match for the laundry room walls - totally unplanned. I love it when that happens!

The pattern is "Virginia Rose" by Homer Laughlin. I only have butter plates and saucers (not sure why!). I keep my eye out for them at the antique shops, but so far have only found them on e-bay. I'll keep looking!

Aren't These Adorable!

I found these today at my local thrift shop. I just love them! I love the colors. They were a steal of a deal, and even have the name of the owner printed on a piece of adhesive tape and adhered to the back.

They bring back such fond memories of my great aunts and picnics on the lawn of their homes….

Mason Jars

A friend was kind enough to give me a bunch of wide-mouth quart mason jars today - what a blessing!  They will come in handy for so many things - from freezing soup and chicken broth to making yogurt to storing dehydrated fruit, etc.   Thanks, dear friend!

More Quilting...

Quilting, Quilting, Quilting

1st Annual Creative Restorative Retreat

When I was at CTCA Philly in September 2009 with my friend Rose, I was so impacted in learning that creativity is really good for your immune system and for your health in general. I have always believed that, but never knew there was medical research to back up the theory. After hearing that evidence, I determined that I would make time and space for creativity a higher priority in my life. But how?? When?? The daily collision of what I knew I was to be doing and what I could actually make time for was killing me - literally.

For years I had dreamed of organizing some kind of creative retreat. I love doing creative things (quilting, stamping, etc., etc.), but it's so much more satisfying when you're doing it surrounded by people you enjoy. My ultimate dream had always been a week-long retreat at the Outer Banks, off-season. That seemed out of reach.... And, most of my friends have never allowed themselves the luxury of being creative due to their many day-to-day responsibilities or church commitments - where would I find enough people to participate? But then, I started thinking a little broader - what about not just a creative retreat, but a Creative Restorative Retreat? Suddenly the details fell into place, and before I knew it, nine friends expressed interest in joining me. The goal was simple - make some time to get away for the weekend and do whatever it is that restores your soul, from quilting or scrap booking to sleeping in, reading or journaling to simply being together! Comfy clothes was a must. And only one rule - no cell phones.

We had a WONDERFUL time!!! The setting was perfect - a sweetly decorated and perfectly maintained farmhouse in Southern York county owned by friends from church - close enough that we didn't have to drive far, but out-of-the-way enough that we felt that we had actually gotten away. There was a beautiful great room with lots of big windows overlooking delightful scenery; it accommodated our entire group as we worked on our projects, enjoyed each other's company, or watched movies. The food was terrific - we paired up for meals and took turns cooking and hostessing. We even had a lovely snowfall while we were there. And, the vote was unanimous to do it again next year!

The weekend was everything I could have hoped for and more!

Encouragement from an old Sunday School Chorus

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills,

the wealth in every mine,

He owns the rivers and the rocks and rills,

the sun and stars that shine.

Wonderful riches more than tongue can tell;

He is my Father so they're mine as well.

He owns the cattle on a thousand hills;

I know that He will care for me.

- unknown

Snow...

... always inspires me to quilt!

I finally got the inspiration to finish this scrap quilt that I had pieced back in the early 80's!

Risk

"Do you take enough risk in your own life to know that it is not you, but God who won the battle?"
- Susan Sorensen in Praying Through Cancer

Disturb Us, Lord

We read this writing by Sir Francis Drake last night at dinner, and it seems the perfect way to start off the new year:

"Disturb us, Lord, when

we are too well pleased with ourselves,

when our dreams have come true

because we have dreamed too little,

when we arrived safely

because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when

with the abundance of things we possess

we have lost our thirst

for the waters of life;

having fallen in love with life,

we have ceased to dream of eternity.

And in our efforts to build a new earth,

we have allowed our vision

of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,

to venture on wider seas

where storms will show your mastery;

where losing sight of land,

we shall find the stars.

We ask You to push back

the horizons of our hopes;

and to push into the future

in strength, courage, hope, and love."

attributed - Sir Francis Drake -1577

Blessings on your new year!

Ushering in the New Year

I've always wanted to host a formal New Year's Eve dinner party, but at this stage of life, most of my friends have family commitments or are just too tired to enjoy such an evening.  But, this year I was determined to round up some people who could celebrate with me.  I envisioned an evening of feasting with friends, much like what I look forward to when we arrive in heaven.  It ended up being only seven of us, but it was the perfect number for intimate dining.

The menu:

Appetizers:

Flat bread with Parsley Pesto

Goat Cheese Tarts

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Ham & Cheese Crisps

Spiced Grape Juice

Assorted wines

Main Course:

Cream of Zucchini Soup

Jan's Salad with Pomegranates

Rubbed Pork Loin

Roasted Potato Mix

Buttered Green Beans with Cashews

Rolls with Butter and Green Pepper Jam

Dessert:

Candy Cane Brownie Trifles

Coffee & Tea

It was a fun evening - everyone was so relaxed and enjoyed each other's company   (Most likely the wine had something to do with that!).  I hope to do it again another year!

Christmas Traditions

My mom used to bake Sand Tarts every Christmas - a fond memory for me and my siblings. After my mother passed away in 2003, the tradition was passed on to me since no one else in my family cares for tedious process of making cut-out cookies, even though they love eating them! I use the same cookie cutters that my mother used, so it always feels very nostalgic. These are usually the only Christmas cookies I get around to baking, but it's a tradition I enjoy. And, my family always looks forward to them, especially since that's the only time of year we get to eat Sand Tarts!

Snowflakes....

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/pipe-cleaner-snowflake-ornaments

2009 Christmas Memory Ornaments

My nephew and I had fun making felted wool scarves for Christmas gifts this year, and these two ornaments were made out of the scraps that were left over:

 Ricky made this one for me.

I love this little mitten ornament!  I had him trace around his hand to draw a mitten, then I shrunk the pattern down on the copier so that it was truly his.  :)

Ricky loves doing origami, so this dove became a perfect remembrance.


We also had fun making a variety of pipecleaner ornaments last February (during the Super Bowl!).  For directions, click on the Martha Stewart link below each picture.

 http://www.marthastewart.com/article/easy-ornaments-wreath

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/pipe-cleaner-ornaments

 http://www.marthastewart.com/article/easy-ornaments-stocking

 http://www.marthastewart.com/article/pipe-cleaner-snowflake-ornaments

My ornament collection keeps growing, so decorating the tree becomes more and more special each and every year!

Welcome December!