~Like Sand Through the Hourglass~

The above pics courtesy of my daughter Caroline.
These boys are so into football..so into football.


...
So are the days of our lives~


Clematis and nasturtiums are the most prolific right now apart from the annual pots and baskets..
And thank goodness for those..

after a few parched days..I held the hose for almost 2 hrs ..and then in the aft the skies opened up..

like everything in gardens here ..it's feast or famine.

I held the hose for tomatoes and squash and herbs etc..and some annuals..I don't ..can't water all the perennial beds..


First of all..have to save the water..but I am not about to let my veggies and annuals die.

Things are coming along albeit late..

Many of you have known me since before Littles..look what's happening:(

OHMGEE all taller than me except Oli and Noah..
Both will be but not yet.. Oli is only 9.
Le bébé.
They play so well together.
The little one gets pushed..never complains..he is so tough.
He will push them one day.
Nice boys.
So grateful.

Look at these pics of them..my daughter..her phone and an app..
Unimaginable.
To me they look like a professional photog took them.
I love them.

Noah is in Belgium and Paris and I can't get the Ipad IG pics here so I have asked his mom to send me some on AOL for my next post about these ever growing boys.
Noah has seen and done more in his 11 years of life than I have in 65.
Almost.
My daughter took him on her own..2 weeks..Europe.
I could have never had the guts.
It's the strongest word I know apart from another one that would honestly surprise you..LOL:)

So if ever you feared making crepes..I just read a cookbook..and these are made w/ a tortilla.
EASY as mixing an egg w/ a tbsp of cream..
for savory..the usual s and p and herbs..and fill w/ ham and cheese or whatever..for sweet vanilla and fill w/ ice cream and fruit or jam.
EASY.
Egg mix in a bowl..coat one side of the tortilla w/ the mix..place in pan w/ some butter..then brush the top w/ more of the egg wash..cook both sides..and there you go!
Look here~

Bon weekend!

At this moment..kind of:)

Another week gone..

One of my daughters is in Belgium w/ her son for 2 weeks.
I would have never been that adventurous..
LOL maybe I was nipped in the bud in that respect~

It's lavender season here..
Paltry in my gardens I lost so much!

Still I took pics and made some lavender lemon madeleines  today after pruning the roses..
Make no mistake..Polar Ice is work.
But I want a second flush:)

I love the way I make madeleines..I sound so sure of myself.
But I am:)
As a Canadian..I keep reading how polite and apologetic we are..so true..


I vary the kinds now:)

Daisies are popping ..small Fairy roses..
Poppies..The ones that self seed..

Herbs are getting stellar so I made my salted herbs..

Google and pick the recipe you like..sometimes I make w/ a full 1 1/2 cups of parsley sometimes not..this time I added garlic scapes..
I love having these in the fridge all year long for soups and stews.
A good way to start is here..

I wanted to applaud  these watercolors..handmade..that I won on IG..
They are made by Stoneworks Mill that you can find on IG and Etsy.
Artisanal♥

And the very talented artist Kateri Ewing as her book was part of the gifts and I can't wait to get into it.
I painted the small squares of a store I love..

and a poppy of mine..

Great practice..different styles,different papers.

Also..we had near tornado weather yesterday..after a few months of knowing yesterday was coming it came..actually a true tornado north of us..

A Gardenbuddy I have corresponded for 100 yrs with..came to town  with her husband.

Arlene and Larry.

We met in person 15 yrs ago..
and again yesterday.
After nurturing the gardens perhaps a touch more w/ Arlene in mind..

We woke to thunder and downpours after such beautiful sunny Provence days here..

Oh well..

And it was a deluge..so Jacques and I decided to take them to a nearby town..that is a bit touristy..
OHMGEE

We walked around a bit in humidity and greige..

Then sat for a drink by the water..not to eat there..just a cool drink.

WE NEVER LEFT..and changed tables 4 times inching our ways closer and closer to inside..as the tempest..tempested and increased in strength as we moved along!

By the time we had witnessed a tropical storm in QC..and were snuggled in a moody bench indoors..

Our meals arrived and we lost power.

We ate in total darkness like famous restos..apart from Arlene's I phone propped on something..lighting tiny corners of our meals:)
LOLOLOL

Not the visit I had planned..but remember Paris?

Things happen.

Well she has not changed one yr in 15.
Such nice people..

Today she went to Old Mtl..and seemed to have a great time.She went on the ferris wheel.I have not even seen my ferris wheel.
She ate in a favored spot of mine and took loads of pics and shopped a touch more.
She said she had a great day.

SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT.

We will have some Long Island Rosé to their health..
ok and ours..

I'll wear a peony tshirt w/ a stunning photo A took..
and freshen up w/ Lavender towelettes..
A day to remember;)

Again..I wish you a lovely weekend.

Please know I love keeping in touch with you.
You are treats to me.

Here is how my madeleines turn out perfect for us.

Hopefully for you to.

Prep a madeleine mold.

I would love to find a heart one.WS had one and discontinued it..
So I use silicone..nine cavity ..it sits on a small rack.

I spray.

You will need a scale.

Start by mixing 2 eggs and 80 gr of sugar.See what I did below for these lemon lav ones.

I use a hand mixer.

Blend until paler in color and foamy.

Add 50 gr of cooled melted butter,and a tsp of honey (or not).

Then add 90 gr of flour that you have mixed 1/2 tsp of baking powder into.
add 1/2 an envelope of of vanilla sugar and mix well..I use a full one.
For this lemon lav recipe I had rubbed my sugar w/ a tsp of lemon zest.
And added a tsp of culinary lavender..but add to taste.

Fill prepped molds not full..but I do a bit more than half..
If you are using a silicone mat and it doesn't have a stand..lay on a solid baking sheet.You need support w/ silicone.

Star by baking in a 400F oven for 5 minutes..
lower the heat to 350 and bake an additional 10 mins or so.
You want to see a BUMP.

Let cool..dip in a lemon/icing sugar glaze..add a few sprinkles of lavender or dust w/ icing sugar.

Au nom de la rose~

Roses on tables in Aix~

When its beautiful here..it reminds me of Provence..the blue skies..the heat..

the flowers..

the lunches we had out..

here we have them in..

except w/ grandsons on their birthdays ..nice weather days by the water♥

lovely salads in squares..

on terrasses..all so very magical..days I will never forget.

I made a neat salad..Alice Water's..Food and Wine..

Baked Goat Cheese Salad..

I added honey to the vinaigrette and used Panko..

you can find the recipe here..

perfect summer salad..for lunch or for dinner!

My French salad plates I have had for years and they have aged so well!

Jill Butler Designs

In Provence..so many pastry shops  ..so many.

you are often tempted to skip lunch and have a pastry.

When I succumbed to temptation..it was for Sacristains:)

Easy to replicate at home..not exac

tly like the shop ones..but good enough..crunchy sugary almond delights.

I did not use this recipe..I used from a French site..but they look like mine:)

I used bought PP.

So good!!

here you go..

Mine was taken here.

Bon weekend and ensuing week~

Our tradition with each of the boys..on their birthdays..we pick them up and take them out for lunch then they shop:)
Every year..Noah heads to Toys-R-Us..LEGOS!
He is an Avengers/Lego afficionado.
Both are loves of his so when you can combine the two..=happiness doubled.
He sets them up in no time.
Makes him so happy.
My daughter saves all the booklets..his sets are intact..many set up in his room..he has well over 100..she stopped counting..he started very very young:)It's a passion for him.
I like that little passion.
He's so careful w/ his things too..lol like his dad;)i.e.  his toys:)

End Of June~ Canada Day Weekend Gardens~

Pond/Fairy Garden~

All the stages in one bunch♥

Sun Sugar first to show flowers..Hi Pea!!

On their last breath most of them:(~

So we caught up well..


Lots gone already ..still some to happen..

It's a lot in 3-4 months..

a lot of prep..a lot of care..a lot of upkeep..

When my girls were young..

I had flower boxes and half barrels lol..period.

All the same flowers..impatiens..tuberous begonias geraniums.
Had no clue what to do.


It's when we moved in 86..that I started getting into it..

Our girls were 11 and 9..so maybe a few years after.

I met a friend who inspired me so much..she had been a client..and my first ever manager Rosemarie Faber.
They gave me my first love of gardening..

And so I started and had beautiful goutweed and grasses and obedient plants..all of which are not obedient;)

But wow the profusion..Got rid of all that..well meaning gardeners had offered me some..what the heck did I know..
Our home at that time was on a garden tour in AUGUST.
By then my gardens were done..parched and ugly.

NEVER AGAIN.

Then we moved in 2001..
to here..
and I met Gardenbuddies♥
And my love of gardening..and buddies online..blossomed.

And here I am..lots of mistakes..would do so many things differently.
But at 65 I am not starting over ..LOL..

I have added loves..

Too many;)


One of them..garlic..
I collected the first batch of scapes and chopped many and froze..

then a friend of my daughters suggested garlic scape pesto♥
On pasta..ohmygosh good.
I used the NYTimes recipe w/ sunflower seeds.
Have a great weekend and Happy  Canada Day to us and 4rth of July to our friends across the border~

In the summertime when the weather is fine..~

Things have certainly improved garden wise..yet still a lot was lost so some bare spots where they were full!

The peonies..the first 3 opened today..at least 100plus  to come..
I don't count these creamy white ones..they last but a few days..they were my seed started ones over 15 yrs ago..I have ap 7 plants in a circle around the round cutting bed.
The Iris have been fab because they came before the rose chafers this year.
My roses are about to pop..
I pray the chafers stay away .


I have painted but a bit..a vase of my mom's..it's on my other computer:)

No stitching except for 2 dishcloths for someone:)

I did receive a lovely gift from my fave company ever:)

I had painted a little something that the Director appreciated.
I appreciate her:)

Also I am sure I have shared this recipe before..
It's Ricardo's Shrimp..Merguez..and couscous..
but I made it again twice this month and both my girls make it too..
So I felt I shoud go on about it again;)

You can find the recipe here..

Listen though..you don't need the cauliflower although I love it..you can use broccoli..
I keep my onion pieces larger .
My Merguez is thin..
You have to SEASON this dish..add more oil..be generous w/ the smoked paprika..garlic..parsley etc..

It comes together in no time and is so flavorful.

Can you believe I still have a few garlic bulbs left?
Well over 100..but we are at the end;)
Gratefully 2019 crop is promising.

Then I made another Diane Morrisey dish from IG..you can find the recipe by going to IG..her stories..

It's richer than what I usually make..and J got most of the sauce..(It's a butter wine sauce you add upon serving..)
It was delicious.
I didn't have ham..used bacon..a new one I love..Round..Fortin.

So basically..you start by blanching asparagus.
I pre-cooked my bacon.
Then you panko bread thin chicken breast cutlets.
You know how that works..a chicken breast sliced horizontally..seasoned flour..egg..panko..
fully cook on the stove top..
assemble as above..
top w/ provolone..Broil..
Parsley..little new potatoes..the sauce..
Wow. For a rainy Thursday night;) 
♥
Bon weekend..I'll be watching my garden grow..and weeding~
And baking and painting~
Thanks to everyone who inspires me all the time.