Friday, August 12, 2016

This summer..here in QC..has been phenomenal.



Not for our larger perennial beds..as we have not been allowed to water..except by hand..and I just cannot get around all the beds.

Thank goodness our garlic mini crop..had a chance to go forth and prosper prior to all this..maybe 50 ..




Rocambole..is the small variety..rosey tinted..White German ..the large one..Music will be added for 2017.



unbaked of course..







I was immersed in beautiful Beauberries:)

I am on Instagram now..but mostly following not posting..no wonder magazines do not sell as well as they used to..the photos on Instagram take your breath away..I am a newbie..but already have favorites..I have even gotten to know Montréal better by following the photogs..

And gardens..oh the gardens..

and travel..
and art..

and pie making art..

I follow this lovely girl..
her pies are nothing short of inspiring..and her mom is not well w/ Alzheimer's..and she is so devoted and loving..
take a peek at her pies..ohmy.♥

I made 2 mini blueberry pies..for Jacques..one cup of beaus in each tin..he ate one at each seating..the dinner seating..one full cup in each mini pie:)

and I made these..they are quite delish..I may have even made them before:)

I don't know why some of the comments are off..just add wet and dry by your baking flair:)

My son-in-law USES his kitchen stuff..I can have mine for 40 yrs and because I am so darn careful..most look the same.
I love how Fred's age well..so I asked if I could have one of his pie tins:)
He even BBQ's with it..he had 3 and nicely parted with one..his Ann T's wood board has been used every day I am certain..it is aging so beautifully,,


Things will quiet down here soon..as the gardens are burning up..I am very grateful for the rain that is falling as I type..and there is more to come.

We saw my friend this week as she had a birthday..went to Little Italy and enjoyed a great little pizza..some wine..a little Dante shopping..very little..and then home..in this heat..home is best..now ..because of the heat..yesterday the temp on the upperd dec in the sun rose to 120F.



I painted things that were close by..the small arrangement in the BM jar.. my Aqua Mini Sennelier set....a lone pansy..a necklace:)Miss Dior Chérie....I love Moonglow..Daniel Smith:)
With the rain..I'll play more.

Have a wonderful weekend.

43 comments:

  1. Oh Monique, such beauty. All. Just love your posts. Love.

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    1. Donna ..you inspire me.
      I love reading my favorite bloggers posts and new ones and learning so much.I am grateful for blogging.:)

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  2. Oh Monique, I love your wee painting of the pansies in the Bon Maman jar! I love Bon Maman jars! Your art is so pretty, but all you do is. We have not had a fraction of the heat over here that you have had over there. I don't know how you cope. It's turned very dull here today. They have crucified our hedge. The poor birds, how will they cope. It will be easier for Todd, but . . . I wish there had been another way. Love all that you share. I am determined to plant garlic this year. Any help and hints would be welcome! I have just started on instagram. I don't have a phone that takes photos, so I probably won't be posting much if anything! But I can have fun looking! Have a great weekend! xoxo

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    1. Dear Marie..I do not have a phone that takes pics either..so once you have a post ready..look at your IPAD and your blog post..as if you were a visitor..put your finger on the foto you want to save..until it pompts: Save Photo..then it is on your Ipad..or you can take the pics direcly with your Ipad..once on Instagram..click on the camera..at the bottom of the IG page..you can then create a post with the photo you want..it will be in your library..if you want to tag someone so they will see your post add # before the peson's IG name:)

      Marie I hear you re the hedge..

      I have a poor crabapple that hung like an umbrella..it looks like a poplar now..any trimming is a shock..particularly a drastic change..I am still not over the 200 yr old spruce that had to come down 2 yrs ago..it just made our backyard..:(

      Creature of habit here..change is not my BFF..LOL:)

      So for garlic..would you have the same method there?Buy healthy bulbs..the grocery store kind will not produce or give pitiful results..
      I tried..virtually nothing...

      Here..I need local garlic..now I have my own but still buy at our local Garlic Farm and small local in town market..
      it is grown here..

      in the fall..I plant late October,sep.the bulbs into cloves and plant pointy side up..in the spring it will be the first thing to appear:)
      In June..near the end..you will get garic scapes..beautiful curlycues coming out of the top stems..you cut those..and chop and freeze:) Then in July..you will see the leaves turning brown..near the end..then you dig them up..I use a large garden fork....tie them up..and hand to dry somewhere..dry and aerated..I put them in my potting shed..ap 2 weeks later..I cut the leaves..the bottom hair:) and partially skin..that is so quick! I thought it would take hours..it was well dried because of our hot summer..never let it dry in the sun..it can burn..and I do shake off/brush off lot of dirt before hanging..whilst being gentle..
      I hope this helps birthday girl..(tomorrow) if not I am an email away.
      Yes..have a great weekend..need to follow you on IG will go look..:)

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    2. PS I have not forgotten how I got my first BM jars..never♥

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  3. Hi Monique - Very happy to learn that you are on instagram. It's a wonderful source of inspiration in both cooking and traveling (or anything else one could be interested in). Is the jam recipe you wrote about in your previous post someplace on your blog or would one have to find the cookbook? I want a recipe that retains the delicious, fresh flavor of the berries and has a syrupy quality. I would serve it with crepes and over biscuits or ice cream. Sounds like you are enjoying a busy summer.

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    1. It is but it was confusing..so I rewrte it and sent it off to Terry yesterday..I am going to copy and paste and send to you!.The berries ..ohmy the berries..they hold their own:) And the rest is exquisite too.
      Will do that now:)It sounds exactly what you are looking for..Oh Instagram..I am so humbled lol..masters of everything live there:)

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  4. Replies
    1. Just learning:) Who knew pies could be so inspirational:) You go to bed and you want to bake:)

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  5. Your garlic looks great. Mine went into the trash because I had not watered and did not harvest on time. I ordered some ro plant in the fall and hope my hand will be better next year. Your pies and muffins are so pretty. i bet Jacques was very happy.. Pretty pies but such a sad story of what that girl is going through with her mom. To have to live in her shoes is heartbreaking. Have a great weekend and stay cool.

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    1. And she is so loving..it must be terrible..a friend's mom had it also.I guess you have to walk in their shoes..like anything..to fully comprehend the magnitude of this disease..our son-in-law..his mom is not faring very well either:(Next year..you will appreciate your summer so much..once you experience a change..the change back is like a miracle.:)

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  6. your pies are always beautiful and look at your pansies-they are so happy. I recognize your muffin dish. Thank you for the get well thoughts.

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    1. The lady right above..she is healing beautifully..yes I have had that muffin pan for a while..very astute Esme:)

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  7. Her pies are something else. A shame about her mum.

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    1. I know..and she keeps herself busy w/ a family and baking..and is devoted to her mom♥She is thinking about a cookbook:)

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  8. Now I want to bake a pie ;-) At camp, I have no baking supplies so I'm not tempted. LOL I checked out her beautiful pies on Instagram. So sorry about her mom. It appears she may be writing a cookbook! You could too with your beautiful photos. Your garlic harvest is wonderful :-)

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    1. Like Joe's..:)
      Yes she is thinking about a cookbook..it should be wonderful..whe we visit Fl..I have no pie making stuff either..I itch to bake w/ my things..but it's funny I settle in very well to actually not bake and just stare at the sea..different mindset..like your getaway:)

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  9. Those tomatoes! Beautiful and so perfect. Summer is such a magical time of year although I'm ready to ditch the Carolina heat. I think I would prefer your kind of summer!

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    1. It must be difficult..I did tell Jacques I would not cherish summer all year long..but you get seasons...and a reprieve I think:)

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  10. Beautiful pies and muffins. We have had a week of rain, so it was good to see the sun today even though it is hot and muggy. I need to try those muffins. I love your muffin tin.

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    1. Thanks Penny..it was found at a Christmas Tree Shop in Vt 2 years ago I think..it reminded me of Anthro:)♥
      Sometimes we get lucky:)We have rain today and I welcome it..

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  11. Oh, those pies! The surprise of little tiny bead balls with the sweet birdies! And your garlic harvest, a beauty as well - and the pansies, and tomatoes, and oh such lovely watercolors. Sigh, thank you for your always beautiful postings! Read your hints about Instagram - I have an iphone, but don't really know how to take pictures with it - I push the button, and, as my daughter says, I take 70 pictures by accident:) - and don't yet know how to transfer photos to my photos on the computer. Wishing you a nice long rain!

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    1. You are very lucky w/ an Iphone..my daughter has one..my other daughter it's a Samsung..both take great pics..I think the advantage of te IPHONE ..all those great apple apps.
      I wish I could teach you..

      Instagram..I know you would love..as there is just no need for anything..except to admire people s work..and I find the Instagrammers so polite..

      so if I take a pic w/ my Ipad..I can post directly..but 100% of the time I use a camera..which means I have to email it to myself..open and save on my Ipad..

      download the Instagram APP:)

      Do you have an Ipad?

      Your polent post..email yourself the photo..let's start there:)
      You would love so many IGs..:)
      I love blogging..but this is like having hundreds of new photos every day!
      Let's get you started;)

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    2. You've convinced me! I'll take a look at Instagram. Thanks for the nudge!

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    3. You've convinced me! I'll take a look at Instagram. Thanks for the nudge!

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  12. Slowly I type :) My immobilizer gets in the way of my hand resting properly on the keyboard so the wrist tires very quickly and I have to rest it after a couple of sentences, but I'm going to think of it as physical therapy :) I have been reading your posts in my inbox. I pulled my garlic out two weeks ago (with a shovel and one hand!) but it looks very good. I have some small ones and quite large ones too all locally grown from the farmers' market. It will be a yearly thing from now on. Mine are not spiffied up like yours yet. Is that Sun Sugar yellow cherry tomato? I planted one this year outside the fence and it's almost 7 feet high already! Such sweet, good tomatoes. We've been enjoying BLATs with the big red ones I've harvested. My biggest joy is being able to get out and pick tomatoes, cukes and flowers these days :) It was HOT here last week and rainy yesterday. Still very humid. ♥ the pies! (I spied the wooden spoon. Thank you for the link to Instagram - oh my. Her pastries and pastas are beautiful. Off to rest again...small steps :)

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    1. Hi Susan, Terry from GB. I feel your pain, I broke my left wrist in May (I'm right handed so that helps) and I'm now going to therapy to get it moving again. Such a long process! I hope you mend well and fast.

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  13. I miss you and have not wanted to bother you with everything you have had:(
    Good to seeyour pretty smiling face:)
    I am not sure of the tomatoe's name..maybe the tag is in the earth..yes they are humongous..I must tell you the ones I started from a slice of Mucci tomato..in a pot..I did 6..are behaving better..certainly not the productivity of the red and yellow/orange cherry tomatoes..but xlean..compact plants..Amazing how 2 tiny plants as you say..grew to be such monsters..our heat pump was not functioning and it is near these tomatoes..the repairmen said..wow...vous en avez des tomates:)

    Had that no cook tomato pasta yesterday..I nevr tire of it.

    I love picking a tomato..all warm and popping it in my mouth:)
    I am so happy yur garlic served you well and that it will be an annual harvest.
    It excites me..I know I need to get a life:)
    Oh my..her pies is right..lots to discover there:)

    Take care.. rest up..♥

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  14. Love these pies look amazing !!
    And yours pictures are stunning Monique like always !!

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  15. Monique Im sorry by all the double comments.
    I dont know what happens :(

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    1. All fixed:) No worries..:)Your ice cream would be delish :)

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  16. You are making me so very hungry! Everything looks delicious and I love the painting!

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    1. :) I guess I am lucky..I am not a dessert person..Jacques ate both:) I do try them..just to keep him safe:)

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  17. I'm always so delighted by your photo still lifes. The garlic and the pies! Yay! You are doing your delicate sweet paintings! I want one of those Sennelier mini's! (except I just bought my 2nd Cotman box...)
    This mornig was cool and foggy so I was able to go out to sketch...will post them soon...Mostly, I hide from the heat and sun...but it has been a most beautiful summer here too. Our blueberries have spring! Little Italy sounds fun!

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    1. I haven't gardened in the heat and sun..and it shows..not only did everything suffer with the drought..their caretaker has been painting instead..we just had some good rain..and the humidity must be 100%:)
      If you do get a mini Sennelier..you will find the colors rich I think..but then again..your colors are always rich..like Carol's..an eye:)For colors.
      Looking forward to ALL your posts:)

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  18. The pies look great, and I love the pansy pic! They are always happy, happy, happy, esp. after a long winter!

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  19. Your photos always tell such beautiful stories, Monique.
    Oh, garlic straight from the garden - so much more delicious than the grocery store variety.
    Perfect pies and muffins and beautiful painting.
    Happy August days! xo

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  20. Oh the little pies are just gorgeous. Love the birds and the flowers and your painting and the muffins! What a lovely post :) I HAVE to plant garlic this year!

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  21. So many pretty things in this post, I'd love to have your artwork framed in my kitchen <3

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  22. I love the photo of your garlic harvest. Amazing! Can you even believe that you grew them yourself? I would be astonished. On Instagram: so glad that you are loving it. It is a fave. Aside from the occasional spam that you can easily block -- there are loads of lovely photos to observe. I can't tell you how many times I've thought of deleting myself from FB...

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  23. Encore un enchantement, ce billet-là ... Bon, je file en gardant en tête l'image de ces deux adorables petites tartelettes sur lesquelles se sont posés de non moins adorables oiseaux ... Je repasserai ce soir pour continuer ma lecture. Le travail m'attend, pour l'instant !
    Bises et bonne journée, Monique

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