Sunday, May 31, 2015

Peter Rabbit and Being ..Une Fleur Bleue~























Being.."Une Fleur Bleue"~

Means being tender,sensitive,sentimental.
The color blue signifies tenderness,poetry~

I love blue flowers..des fleurs bleues..just not dyed blue flowers..never..
only flowers that bloom blue in the garden~

I tend to have a mainly blue/lavender garden the last week of May first week of June~with bits of yellow Irises and peonies showing up:)

The Baptisia is up..the first Irises..so glad I staked some..Sat. we had some hard rain fall..and thunder..so..thunderstorms..the Korean Lilacs..the Alliums~the Pansies are still going strong..
Johnson's Blue Geraniums..
The Ajuga is up..my neighbor's Ajuga..in the back..is in front of a bench and has become invasive..
You know what?

Looked like a postcard.
Some invasives ..in certain spots..are POETRY:)

I had been Pinning Mr McGregor's Garden..because of our small,new "potager"~

Too anxious to wait for blue felt as I have none left between the Christmas felt decorations and the dolls..
I tore off a pocket on some of my gardening jeans and made a wee jacket and felt shoes..Peter's clothes ..that Mr McGregor used for a "scarecrow"  I have one now..and will make more..felt though...
I love everything Beatrix Potter..
Imagine my delight in finding seed packets..from..: Strangers And Pilgrims On Earth~
They are adorable!
I only wished I owned a laminator..I covered it in plastic:)

They are so so cute.
Thank you Jes~

We did have sunny bright periods Saturday..but such high winds..it was really a sign that the skies would open..but the BBQ was ready..it had been 100F in that exact area..just a little earlier..and then the rain cooled it off..
Jacques had started the BBQ while the sky was blue;)
God bless him..really..
No wonder I never learned to light the BBQ.
:)

Last time I made Ricardo's Rhubarb cake..was in 2009..my daughter had found the recipe..I have shared it here before..but the day we went to meet Grizzly..Wednesday..she had made one..and Jacques enjoyed it again..so I made it again;)
You can never go wrong with Ricardo.


That daughter..Mylène..and Noah..and Grizzly came for lunch..♥so it was fitting..
In the afternoon..  Grizzly and Ray met;)
The 2 doggie cousins like each other.
Good news.

It's almost 6PM  Sunday..tomorrow is June 1rst.
Imagine that!

La Recette~

Gâteau à la rhubarbe de Monette

Ingrédients (1/2 cup) unsalted softened butter, 1 egg,375 ml (1 1/2 cups) brown sugar,5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla,500 ml (2 cups) flour,5 ml (1 tsp) baking soda,1 pinch of salt,250 ml (1 cup) buttermilk ),500 ml (2cups) fresh cut in cubes rhubarb unpeeled, of 1 cm (1/2 inch)...Topping 60 ml (1/4 cup) sugar5 ml ,(1 tsp) ground cinnamon
Prep time 30 min.. Cooking time 1 h Portions 8

1 .Preheat oven to 180 ºC (350 ºF). Butter a springform pan 20 cm (8 po). 2 .In a bowl beat butter, egg, brown sugar and vanilla with a mixer until homogenous. 3 .In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Add previous mixture alternatively w/ buttermilk. Add rhubarb and mix w/ wooden spoon..Pour in the springform pan.. 4 .In a small bowl mix sugar and cinnamon.Sprinkle on the cake.. 5 .Bake in middle of oven ap 1 hr or until toothpick comes out clean:).

Notes..you can use frozen rhubarb..and you can use vinegar mixed w/ milk to sub the buttermilk..

The simplest ingredients sometimes pack the sweetest punch..Moist tasty.. and with seasonal fruit from here.

PS..I used only 1/2 cup of brown sugar this time.. It was just as good!
I did add a sprinkling of icing sugar since it cracked and was not terribly photogenic..
Delicious..


71 comments:

  1. Here I am in dreary Moncton...back from a delightful fish dinner....
    And your post is up!
    How beautiful are these pictures!
    Oh...and that wee scarecrow made me smile!
    Your gardens are looking delightfully blue....love it!
    Enjoy your evening....
    Cheers!
    Linda. :o)

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    1. Oh no dreary Moncton!?
      At least you had a nice meal Linda!
      Mr.McGregor took Peter's coat and shoes and made it!
      I love those stories and the art!
      Have a great time Linda!

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  2. What a beautiful blog! Your photographs are stunning! And your garden is delightful! Thank you for sharing the love of the Peter Rabbit Seed Packets. I too love Ms. Potter! Have a beautiful week and it was so nice to "meet" you! :)

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    1. So so nice of you to have taken the time to send me the PDF..and so soon!
      You made me like my small potager even more Jes.
      Thank YOU!

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  3. I almost picked up rhubarb in the market but hesitated because I did not have a recipe. Now I do. We had a lovely visit with Beh, Chris and Katherine. We made a simple dinner and homemade pie of peaches and blueberries. The weather was not great but it was fun. Katherine got to ride the trycle that Frankie used when he was her age. Your boys look so grown up in their football gear. What can I saw about your gardens, beautiful! That hydrangea is not in bloom now is it? The last few storms have the peonies bent to the ground. It always happens doesn't it? Enjoy the garden and the upcoming week.

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    1. What a nice day we both had with family..weather was off..and cold today..
      Homemade pie always sounds great to me.
      Homespun!
      Oh don't they look grown up?
      I think that is how I will remember this summer..puppies and football..
      Football can change!
      No the hydrangea is not in bloom..I found it going through my last years photos..
      I am disappointed to have lost a 14 yr old standard Pink Diamond Hydrangea that stands above this Endlesss Blue..not sure if we should chop it down or try to uproot...
      It was so pretty..
      Harsh harsh winter..

      I think you will enjoy this cake..I hope so!
      It is a good year for the Iris I think..except Jacques and Noah crashed one with the soccer ball..those boys;)

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    2. Why not cut back that hydrangea and see what it does. If nothing happens in a few weeks you can start to look for a replacement. It is rainy and chilly here too so I am making the sugar oatmeal cookies (the recipe I emailed you that has maple syrup in it). Jerry loves them. We don't need them but, I bought a vintage style glass cookie jar that needs some cookies in it.

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    3. A vintage style..absolutely needs cookies!
      The hydrangea is a standard..I will try but they are tough to cut back..like a stick with a pompon at the end..

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    4. Oh it is hard with a standard. I planted two white hydrangea thinking I was going to be able to prune them into the tree form peegee. I bought the wrong kind, story of my gardening life. But they are pretty. Spent the day out in the garden. Sore but it felt good to get somethings accomplished.

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    5. I single ha deadly..tore it out today..too sad to see such a pretty specimen..with not one leaf..
      I bet they are pretty!

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  4. This post is lovely Monique!!
    I love Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter!
    ♡♡♡♡♡♡

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  5. He makes me feel young.:)Thank you..

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    Replies
    1. Aww monique you are For ever young:)))
      Absolutely:)

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  6. I smiled with delight at the title that popped up on my sidebar with your post ~ Peter Rabbit, so I quickly hopped on over. Sheer delight, Monique. Your photography is always so crystal clear. It's as if I can reach in and touch those pretty flowers. Love the Peter Rabbit seed packets. I am definitely saving the link. ;-)
    Beautiful sunny day here with perfect temps. We had brunch alfresco with friends. The sunshine is a welcome sight after all our recent rainy days. All the best for a great week ahead.

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    1. Thank you..I know we share that affinity w/ Peter;) He has so many groupies..
      l am glad you are back to sunshine..your state must have welcomed the drying out Sarah!

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  7. I am also a Peter Rabbit lover...
    That cake looks just so good...I just got some rhubarb to bake a pie...but hmmmmm....maybe I have enough for both!
    Bisous xoxoxo

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    Replies
    1. Hope you like it.. he's so darn cute isn't he?

      Rhubarb pie is a real treat too..

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  8. How lovely the garden looks, Monique! I love the little scarecrow and of course Peter! That rabbit is just too cute.
    Amalia
    xo

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  9. I shouldn't comment until after I have my coffee in the morning. Didn't catch the typos.
    With thanks to you and JES, I just printed some seed packets for Peas! I have been wanting to spread the love with my peas since the package is huge. I don't have a half acre just for peas. LOL
    Lover of Peter Rabbit and rhubarb.
    Summer of 2015, puppies and football ;o) It's the little things and you do it well.
    Have a great week. Yes, going to the Country Living Fair in Rhinbeck this weekend with two friends.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I must admit when I read you were going to the Country Living Fair I thought;"How lucky she is"..for years I bought Country Living and always saw the ads..

      You will enjoy for sure..

      All your outings are fun.
      Aren't the seed packets perfectly cute?♥

      If I had to do another baby shower..it would be Peter Rabbit themed;)
      But I won't have to..

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  10. Oh, heavenly (blue) to wake up to your post, Nana! I am very fond of Peter Rabbit (and Ms. Potter) - that little jacket! Love it, love it! Pouring rain here, and 48 degrees, after all that beautiful warm weather. Such beautiful photos of your gardens - you are a wonderful photographer. And that cake must be made as soon as the rhubarb is ready. Bunny, bunny, rabbit, rabbit and happy June! ( my father always said bunny, bunny the night before the calendar turned over to a new month, then said rabbit, rabbit the next morning of a new month - an endearing habit from his English father or his English nanny)

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I love that habit!
      Maybe you can have a little scarecrow in your new gardens?

      Fingers crossed you have 2 cups of rhubarb..well worth it:)But then..that's Ricardo..♥
      Thanks Katrina...

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  11. True cornflower blue today all the way.
    Can I order a blue jacket for myself?
    So adorb!

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    Replies
    1. Cute..eh?:) EH..? I say that so often..


      Would even be cute in a flower pot?:)

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  12. Have a Nice week Darling.....love from me Ria...x!

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  13. Tu sais j'adore les fleurs bleu! Most of my early spring blues have already faded :( We had those same high winds and storms on Saturday. The temperatures dropped frightfully low both Saturday and last night that I even brought some tender plants back inside! My beautiful yellow peonies lasted just a few days because of the rain and wind. So sad. Thankfully, we are warming up again this week. I spy your blue scaevola :) Do you know it comes in yellow now? I grew it two years ago, couldn't find it last year but found it again this year. The seed packets are so cute!! I should print some for my containers ;) Now that I've planted radishes in a container Peter can't harvest them :) Your Peter Rabbit scarecrow is so cute! I love that you made it from your jeans :) Even more special that it's from you. You know I love rhubarb and all the recipes of Ricardo's that you've shared have been winners!

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    1. The seed packets print up perfectly!If you have a laminator even better.. they would be darling as gift wrapping toppers..so many things!
      So cute..could be put to so many uses..

      You know..I am sure my love of blue flowers stems in part..if not a lot..from your love of them and Derek's..when I was thinking about what to plant here..it was our great Gardenbuddy era..and you loved them..and showed them and shared ideas..and even seed..
      Thank you for yet another thing.!
      I now have a backside that has one faded jean pocket and of course the other side is dark blue..
      Oh well I am never a fashion icon in the garden;)


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  14. When I read your posts, Monique, I am always smiling. Just so pretty. I too love blue in the garden.

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    1. :)
      Thanks Donna..

      I enjoy Blogging and all our interactions:)

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  15. Your Peter Rabbit scarecrow is so precious, love that you made that out of your own jeans. And I absolutely love your garden, so many of your plants are so whimsy like, they are beautiful. Have a great week!

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  16. I always love reading your posts, and even more so when I see the words ' Peter Rabbit '.. I'm sure you enjoyed making that cute little blue jacket for your sweet scarecrow. Such delightful photos of so many beautiful blue flowers. We used to have Rhubarb in our garden when I was child, it was never my favourite fruit pie then, but when I grew up I loved it, especially with a crumble topping. I'll certainly try your recipe, it looks very tempting. Enjoy your warmer days in your garden.

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    1. It's very very good Barbara..I just snuck the smallest sliver and we will eat dinner shortly:)
      I hope you make it and enjoy it..
      Oh me too..rhubarb as a child? No..
      We think of the gardens all winter..we enjoy the rest..but it is so nice in summer here!
      Thank you!

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  17. Ah, the little jacket is fabulous and this post is perfectly timed, though I think I'm about to make you very jealous now Monique.... Last week was the half term holidays here in the UK, so we took our girls to the Lake District for a week of fresh air and mountain climbing, but on our rest day we visited Beatrix Potter World - full of recreated scenes from the books and Mr McGregor's garden. Two cute little Peter Rabbit soft toys came home with us..... :)

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    1. Jane..you are right..I am quite jealous..but think it is wonderful you took your girls..
      I wish I would have been able to do so.
      What a gift..what memories..
      Those soft toys..will be with them forever..and befoe you know it..w/ their children♥

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  18. Monique, your creativity knows no bounds. I love the Peter Rabbit jacket you made, what a caring person you are :) I just bought my first Peter Rabbit booklet last Friday at an antique shop. I display it proudly next to my Peter Rabbit figurines. I also had my first rhubarb dessert at a friends house last Thursday, haven't had it in almost three decades, not much of a fan of it but this last one wasn't too bad. Guess I just have to develop a taste for it, starting with your recipe :)

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  19. Once again so much to love here. I adore all of your blues . . . the flowers, the little Peter Rabbit coat . . . the seed packets. When I was a girl I loved the tale of Peter Rabbit. All of Beatrix Potter's tales actually. I loved the idea that animals had these secret lives that we could read about. I still do. The rhubarb cake looks delicious. I am pinning it! Hope you have a wonderful Tuesday! You have gotten mine off to a beautiful start! xoxo

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    1. I know what a reader you were and are..
      What would we do w/out books to read?
      Grateful for authors!

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  20. Blue colors in a garden are so beautiful. Everything is so cute-)) The cake looks scrumptious. I have made oat crumble using rhubarb from our garden, very nice. Lovely to visit you again.

    Hugs,

    Yelena

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  21. Hello, nice to meet you! I love all your blue flowers.. and the cake looks divine! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  22. Les fleurs bleues ou bleues-violettes <3
    J'en suis amoureuse... Sans parler de l'Hortensia <3

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  23. Pretty, pretty, Monique! Blue was my mother's favorite color and she would've loved all the blue here. The flowers are gorgeous!

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  24. What is the purple flower that is right after the collage?

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  25. Replies
    1. Isn't nature just out of this world?
      Thank you Alyssa.

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  26. Did I ask before if you have seen the Renée Zellweger's movie Miss Potter? Please watch it if you have not seen it. She plays Beatrix so well. Lovely photos and delicious cake as usual.

    M.

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    1. I loved it Madonna..I should watch it again.She was great in that role..
      Thank you..
      Great recommendation!

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  27. Bonjour ma chère Nana,

    J'ai admiré toutes tes fleurs bleues, si délicates et attachantes. Ton jardin est somptueux. Le petit épouvantail est très mignon, j'adore !
    Je goûterais bien une part de ton gâteau à la rhubarbe !

    J'avais manqué plusieurs de tes publications et ce fut un délice que de passer d'image en image et de me promener dans ton bel univers.

    Gros bisous ♡

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  28. Replies
    1. It really is good Sue..I keep picking at it..in between meals;)

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  29. Your new potager garden and Peter Rabbit are a wonderful addition to your summer garden. I seem to have a lot of blue flowers coming up too. Lots of Forget-Me-Nots. Happy Gardening!!
    Hugs,
    Jody

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  30. You just have a way... a way to make things look so beautiful. Whenever I visit I feel like I'm in a secret garden. Especially one that is free of rabbits. Sometimes I feel like giving in!

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  31. J'arrive en retard ... comme le lapin d'Alice au Pays des Merveilles. Car ici, on est vraiment au pays des merveilles ... Moi, si j'étais Peter Rabbit, je récupérerais surtout bien vite mes petits habits. Ils sont trop jolis ! et je te piquerais un bout de gâteau à la rhubarbe, parce que j'adore le gâteau à la rhubarbe ! Adorables aussi, tes petits sachets. Je vais aller regarder ça de plus près ... ;o) Bisous et bonne journée, Monique
    Hélène

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  32. Tu dois t'en imprimer...sinon juste pour Pâques l'an prochain..mignons comme tout!
    Comme on aime les petits plaisirs..en "jumelles"..je suis certaine que tu sauras les apprécier!

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  33. oh my goodness, it is all so pretty, and the idea of a peter rabbit potager sounds like so much fun. i'm such a fan of hers too and love her illustrations and the movie miss potter is such a favorite of mine.
    hope you have lovely garden days ahead :)

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    1. I can see you enjoying everything Beatrix Potter..
      Like me and many others!
      Childhood revisited..

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  34. You are an amazing and gifted photographer. Thanks for sharing these gorgeous photos - they all made me smile!

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  35. What a beautiful garden you have Monique. I love the Peter Rabbit seed packets! I too love Beatrix Potter's books. We visited her home when we were in England years ago. Your cake is beautiful. I may try to find some frozen rhubarb. I wonder if any stores carry it, or if you have to rely on your own? It is always fun stopping here.

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    1. It is..was rhubarb season here..I used ours..and then my neighbour gave me some..the cake is special..is there no rhubarb there?

      You are lucky to have gone to her home Penny!

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  36. Your photos are so lovely. I love the blue hydrangea also. Darling Peter Rabbit! The seed packets are a great find. We've had a cold and rainy week. I am taking consolation in everything greening up.

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    1. We had a couple of nice..white purse /straw purse days..market bags day..but today when I left for my appointment it was downright cool and grey..changed the purse..black was back..
      I did have time to weed eat around the beds at one point and then the skies positively opened up!
      Nice weekend in store.I may go to our brocante in the morning..

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  37. Exquisite blue flowers, Monique. Blue has always been a favorite color of mine too.
    Love your scarecrow! Oh, how clever you are. And as always, fabulous photos - the flowers jump right off the page! xo

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