~Whasup?:)

 

Dear oh dear I cannot stop painting these Paris People..I am still baking etc..but on a daily basis ..well painting has less calories and it's only the two of us..

They all have names and stories in my IG feed.. it's fun♥

My girls are starting to tease me and say..are you going to write a story about this pic?:):)

I do make my new old favorite bran muffins.. a lot..I seem to love a certain recipe for a while and then I switch..

Fickle muffin  baker.

These are from CaféSucreFarine...but I add prunes instead of raisins most of the time and love my daughter's light crumble topping.

I love making make ahead small lunches..quinoa/farro salad..cook both   for different times..add all the fave veggies you like..olive oil..lemon juice..garlic..salt and pepper..parsley..and FETA when serving.I make 6 ind bowls..Jacques is not a fan.

I LOVE.

I also love making Naan..I have made Half Baked Harvest's repeatedly..this time I made Once Upon a Chef..Delish too..

Started seeds..

My usual tomatoes..

Bumblebee Sunrise

Dancing With Smurfs

Sweet William

Sun

Poblano peppers

Some Zinnias

Potted up some 4 o'clock tubers

Bells of Ireland

The only thing showing signs of life..the tomatoes..

NB..I added 2 tomato varieties from Fred and Jalapenos and Blue Chard..Fingers crossed  my craft room looks like a grow room.

I think this is the earliest in a long time that the yard has looked so clean so fast..Have to rethink garden areas..

Ours ummers are more parched and sunnier..our land is very sunny..so I need to add drought tolerant sun loving species.

Oh and these were fantastic..from an Instagrammer I follow that is uber talented in all she does..

Take care.. have a lovely weekend..it's felt like summer here the past 4 days..♥Thank goodness..a new lockdown in place.

Easter 2021 Still Covid~

 

When I look back on my blog and see all those danger exclamation marks..it still bothers me..

All hose lost posts..pics..Europe..celebrations..

I should have never used Google album photos..

I know hindsight..Hindsigh.

So I gather here and there and find more recent ones..

Looking back at some Easters..

For this journal of mine..this blog of mine.

I wish you all a Happy safe and healthy Easter♥

Bonjour~

  

PS my hair looks more silver than it is..Caro's fab filter livens everything up..

Same same same same but sun sun sun for a couple of days and soon that snow will be gone....it leaves fast enough once it starts..

Still social distancing..second Easter in a row no family get togethers..

But instead of going for a frozen tundra yet lovely walk..s  we were able to grab the chairs from inside bring them out for an impromptu hello♥

2 different almond topped cakes both good..one orange..the other more praliney..J likes the praline one better.I have shred it here before..so many recipes abound on the net  with them..

Lots of breads..focaccias..salads..

painting..

When Oli came with his brothers he brought stickers for our cars..I got a unicorn..:)♥ and J got Minions..lol and we have to share a heart.He is so thoughtful and sensitive to others feelings..they all are.

My husband turned 80 yesterday..it was grey with promise of rain..still snow and chilly..no get togethers.

One of our girls and her husband are working from home during this pandemic and the eldest..Lucas studies one day home one day not..

So yesterday(I knew she was coming but..)At their lunchtime..they set this up on our back deck table..I mean..♥

On her faux fur runner..  6 ft apart just us.

Unforgettable.

Grateful .xx

Hi..How are you?

 

I discovered that new beater on IG..It's amazing..

It's from Side Swipe..no more scraping the bowl of my KA:)

I use my 30 plus yr old workhouse soooo much.

This was like the best youth serum.

Those cookies were found at Lynn Krizic's  blog.

I found Lynn on IG..

And lately..truly..all I have been painting  are people from GeeParee22's feed on IG too..

She posts gorgeous Paris pics on her feed but a lot of her stories..are people from Paris..Rouen..Provence..Normandy..

On IG I started adding little stories about everyone I paint..Kathy from Colorado who is also on IG suggested it..so I did:)

So many people influence us don't they?

And we get close..

And grow fond of..

So me?  How am I..again I realize how fragile life is..

On IG I wrote about someone..everyone cared about..

You may have seen her comment here..and I at her online home..

Linda..

We start blogs..make friends ..join IG..dear friends follow.
In this whole big wide wide world we make connections that are dear.
Through visiting each other’s blogs and commenting..keeping up with IG we get to know the heart and soul of people.
For years I have been friends with @lindakeaveney
We visited each others online homes..always..we got to know our children’s names..our grandchildren’s..the flowers we liked the passions we shared.
She was one of a kind .
For the last two years this loving mom..wife..grandmother..friend suffered terribly.Yet she kept in touch and even kept a sense of humor.
She fed the world with kindness and the birds with care.
She loved her beaches..Florida and Keaveney Court.
All this past year during Covid.
What an incredible strength she had.
I hope To have gleaned so much from her example.
We will all miss everything about her.
I lucked out being her friend as many of us did.
💕
Bon repos Linda ~

She fought..with strength and courage..during Covid..can you even imagine..not being able to see your family as much as you want..on top of all this?We have all been compalining about it..she was a hero.

Here was her online home..

♥

I'd like you to know her...she was a special family girl.

It's so nice...

 To be offered great tools from companies.

I was recently sent a  Nakiri knife from Tuo Cutlery and I could not have been more excited:)

That's me and kitchen things:)

Gleaming:) I really like gleaming..and SHARP and beautiful handles.

Knives such as these make you feel like a chef:)

I had made Ricardo's pickled eggs and beets..it's the color..I had beets and eggs etc..

I had Mandy's Salads crispy ramens..

And I made Thai crispy rice noodles..  so easy..

I first had these in a resto w/ my daughter.. they came garnishing spring rolls and sauce.

Easy peasy.

And I use a smidge of oil.

KEEP AN EYE ..as soon as they blow up..remove..and put on paper towel.

I have 2 Tuo Cutlery knives and ..I asked Jacques to use our others..;););)

I am very grateful..and it's honestly fun to think of a certain focused piece when thinking of what to make.

A Nakiri knife is great for salads.

No sharp point..and you don't rock back and forth..

tuck your fingers in..it's sharp..

And that's what you want.

I mean my garlic..was sliced though like magic.

I love garlic and magic.

And flowers.

And yes..knives:)

Thank you again Tuo Cutlery.

MY pleasure!

PS My previous post is about how to use the rolling pins if you are interested.

Cookie talk~Embossed.

 

On Instagam last week I posted these pics..

many love these rolling pins but still unsure how to use them..

Thought I would tell you what works for me.

Start w/ a simple cookie recipe that requires no baking powder.

Baking powder is a leavening addition..you don't want your cookies to rise..

I added a recipe below that works but many many many many do..

Make the dough..start w/ a half batch ..then you will not waste ...if the recipe does not work for you.

Chill it for a bit..

On a floured surface..  roll out your dough with a REGULAR ROLLING PIN.

Take your embossed pin..and flour it w/ a pastry brush..

AND flour your rolled out dough.

Place the pin on the dough.outside edge and roll either towards you..or away from you..ONCE.

Don't go over it..And USE FORCE..Not undue force lol but enough to emboss..If you wreck it the first time start over until you get it..this may be your practice batch..but once you have it..it's like hula hoop..you don't forget:)

Once done..take a cookie cutter..and cut shapes..Brush off extra flour..

Place on parchment lined paper and refrigerate( I put mine in our 3 season porch at this time of yr...)until cold..

Bake in your pre-heated oven..and there you have it!

Same goes for Nordic Wear Cookie stamps(Great recipes) Other cookie stamps..

Don't waste your money buying the rolling pins on Amazon.I tried..and it did not imprint deep enough to leave an impression.

I don't do videos:( No one takes pics of me here w/ just J..he never takes pics.

So this will be boring..sorry:)

Meet part of the family.

So many say roll dough out between 2 pieces of parchment..below..

You need a plain rolling pin to begin..

and the embossed floured one..

I don't mind the bottom having parchment..I like my top w/ dough..floured.NO PARCHMENT on top..See how smooth..rolled with a regular pin? YOU NEED THIS.

Here below  is my once over on floured dough w/ a floured pin. I love to go backwards..I drive well backwards too;)You have to PRESS but not like The Hulk..enough to create the pattern..don't fret if the patter isn't there ..roll the dough again and start again until you know which pressure to use..FLOURED.

And I like to flip lol.I have so make sense of what I will cookie cut.

Tada..cut.

Brush off excess flour..And CHILL chill chill..

 

Below..baked versions..

So..I LOVE making these..my fave pins are undeniably Goody Woody..

There are so many recipes and I have so many..

Let me get you started on an easy flavorful one..

I want you to halve everything except my add ons..

TO begin..so you do not get discouraged.

1 3/4 cups of AP flour

1/4 cup rice flour

2 sticks of salted butter softened

1/2 cup of icing sugar..

1 egg (easy to halve!)

 1/2 tsp vanilla sugar..I keep this as is:)

You need flavor.

Cream butter and icing sugar and vanilla sugar until light and fluffy....add reg flour and rice flour..add egg.

Wrap and chill and follow all above..

I like to bake in a 375 F oven 7-10 mins..after the cut outs being super chilled! Keep an eye..mine were just starting to brown..You can start at 375 for 5 and 350 for 8.I find popping them in a hotter oven keeps the design crisper.

Keep an eye out..

After using..I dust off..and still using a pastry brush..I brush extremely lightly w/ veg.oil..

And that's a wrap;)

Or a bake;)

Make believe you are just playing..if all is floured and chilled and you don't go back and forth this should work for you..

You have the whole weekend;)

Let me know if you try:)

There are many ways..I encourage you to look here also:)

https://artofnaturalliving.com/confetti-shortbread-cookies/

Inger's way:) She reminded me below..

Footnote March 18th ..

In response to Marie's question above I told her I never had to pay duty and taxes..well I did..I just received a Fed Ex bill..

So do consider that.

My Canadian dollar is not great so we pay more than most on any purchase in the US..Britain..Europe etc..

If something is $20.00 US we pay 25.00

20 EUROS equal $30.00

etc etc..

So on top of that..duties and taxes.

Just so you know:)

It's no fun getting an additional bill after.

This is NOT the sellers fault.

And it is written on sites.

However never having had duties this was just a surprise..:)