Oh Canada!

Nothing said Oh Canada more to me this year than Ginette Reno singing our national anthem at the hockey games:)♥I love her.
Oh and Oli  with the flag..acting like Carey Price♥ I took some photos of him early Spring with the flag..can't believe how bare the gardens were!
Amazing nature~

I love my David's Tea too.That Oh canada tea? tastes like a day at the Sugar Shack..It's got tiny maple leaves in it..Always a cute surprise in certain ones..and the names..Gotta love em.
If you are having people over for Canada day..or even July 4th:)

I heartily recommend this quinoa dish I gleaned from Julia~

Spinach and Mushroom Quinoa.

I am now addicted..I add toasted pine nuts..

And these maple syrup muffins..I was on a mission to try and recreate muffins I loved at Lafayette's..after a few attempts..this is the closest I came..


La Recette~


I halve  the recipe.. as whole is too many.

so this is what I do..

I can't tell you how good they are..

1 cup natual yogurt..not vanilla..not flavored..greek could do I am certain
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
 1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup Organic maple flakes
1 extra large egg
 1/2 cup oil..light...canola..corn..
1  1/2 cups   Oatmeal Crsip  cereal..and just SCRUNCH it..
2tsps WATKINS Maple extract.( bought in Massena NY).McCormick..bought here.. is not pungent enough..I have read that  KAF is the best..shipping to Canada is too  $$ for 1 item..
1 cup of flour
2 tsps baking powder
pinch of salt
extra maple syrup..


1.Mix yogurt and baking soda
2.Add brown sugar,.maple syrup ,maple flakes, egg and oil.Mix well~
3.Add cereal and maple extact(no oats as it changed the consistency of what I wanted}..Mix well..
4.Add flour baking powder and salt..Mix well.


Pour a dollop of maple syrup in the bottom of your muffin cups..

Fill muffin cups and bake at 350 F for 25-30 mins..

This recipe makes 9 substantial muffins♥


All this testing leads to extras..  so neighbors..:)..got the extras..

Bagged in a Kraft paper bag..doily on top..a Susan Branch stamp and jute twine..

I love her stamps..books.. etc..
Mentioned before..a box has been lost..
Was able to recover 1 book and the set of Girlfriends stamps..minus one of my faves in the box..the huggers:(
Used my last sticker for a friend  a couple of weeks ago..
Everything SB is so dear♥
Have a great Canada Day..and for the 4th..a great July 4th!♥Independance Day.
Or in our world..Noah's 6th birthday~
Mr.Fireworks:)


PS..The maple flakes are available at Amazon.com..$6.99
Equinox Maple Flakes..
You guys are so lucky! Everything at your fingertips at .com:)

Deliciousness..es..

Raindrops kept falling on our heads Tuesday and Wednesday.

Regardless.. if you step out in between showers..downpours..

with your camera..

you find a different kind of beauty.

Melancholic.

Refreshed.

Crisp.

Clean.

Wet:).

And the birdbaths get filled on their own! Bonus!

In the kitchen..it's always dry..so you can busy yourself..

I made a cake I found on Pinterest a while ago..
It is dense..moist and delicious.
If you like the taste of orange..
This is a keeper..

Sicilian Orange cake~

The mold is from Ikea..silicone..and works like a charm~
I don't know if I mentioned ..but a while ago..and we cannot wait to go back..we went to Vermont to the new Trader Joe's..
Everything we have tried is just great there..Ok except the miso broth..I don't know why but I may not be a fan of Miso after all..
Back to TJ's..love everything..
And the packaging?
So cute..look at the butter..
Need I say more?♥
Wish wish wish we had a TJ's here.
Bravo TJ!

We have had several new additions to our family..

Chickens..bunnies..  not here..In the family.
I am taking great pleasure in all these lovely animals..

She thinks she is something else..  and she is:) her feathers..the colors  love them..
And seeing children with them.. is so cute..

Lucky kidlets...
I know I am all over the place in summer..when the weather changes..I'll be back to just edibles and things..
Bon weekend!

Arthur~Etc..etc..etc..

I love white in a garden..s..
Peonies..roses..feverfew.clematis...they just brighten every spot they are tucked into..
I always speak of perennials because my gardens are 99% perennials..
Except the baskets and a few little extras..
The white fluffy peony is one of my faves and is in a neighbors garden~
But there is something to be said about annuals..boy they they just keep on giving..
I planted flats of annuals for a friend and she asked me to pull the perennials..
Too much..they get too big..

So her gardens became a cacophony of red and white annuals today ( mid June..)..interspersed with so many miniature varied colored roses..and very few ..perennials.
It will look fantastic all summer.!
I said we planted a Canada Day Garden:)

And now to Arthur..:) Arthur is my friends dog..they are such a beautiful couple..That's a little keepsake I made for them on their wedding day..
At that time they had Taz..their beloved dog..  but a little while back..Taz  went away..and Arthur came along.
When we had our first grandchild..they packaged up cute things that a nana and grandad should have..
The other day..we met them..and I said.. Arthur is like your child..and she beamed and said yes!!
Her face said it all..
So I thought..  bring them something for their baby:)
Our friends N and D..make cooikies regularly for their Ben..they graciously shared the recipe..
Our Brigitte Cookie cutter came in very handy!
Personalized:)
Pour Arthur♥

La recette~

1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup peanut butter I used smooth
3/4 cup of milk
In a large bowl combine flour and baking powder
In a small bowl whisk peanut butter and milk until smooth
Make a well in flour mixt. and gradually stir in milk mixture until well blended
Use hands to make dough into 2 pliable balls
Knead each ball well on a floured surface about 2 mins
With a rolling pin roll out dough to 1/4 or 1/2 inch thickness..stamp name:)
Place on baking sheet lined with foil(I used parchment)
Bake 15 mins at 400 F..(Check..mine were small took less long)
Cool on a rack  and store in sealed plastic bags in the refrigerator.

I made 1/2 the recipe..


Meanwhile...

Yes  that would be my doing:)
Oli got tattoos when we had him over:)
He picked his designs..♥

One of my favorite sayings..~Max wrote it on bark..it was over his party food table♥
It seems I have developed a small infatuation with Mini Bonne Manan Preserve jars~

It all started with Pinterest and Martha Stewart..for salt and pepper shakers..:)
But I only have one.
These are my first tea type roses..in the tiny little jar.
I am on the lookout now.
How can something so small..   in the material world ...be worth a million fancy bucks to me?:)
This one's going to get mileage:)
If you come across a mini or two..think of the possibilities.:-) ♥


Anyone else experiencing Blogger's blog roll only loading the lastest post from those you follow?
Couldn't access any of the blogs I follow..had to type in which blogs..?
Any tricks on how to fix?Thanks if you do:)


As of today..June 25th Blogger is fixed! Thanks Blogger!

Some Blues~And a Cheri Salad~

Johnson's blue Geranium..is at it's best in it's spots here in our gardens..I have placed it here and there..
I recommend this perennial  although..yet again.. short lived..
Also..Big Daddy Hostas..they have blue in them..so pretty not your normal hosta..I met them years ago  in an art class..we visited a magnificent private garden..
I was taken aback by the magnificence of her Big Daddy hostas ..get ready for BIG in yrs to come..mine are big..but you have not seen anything until you have seen years of Big Daddy growth.
Humbling.
I don't know if you remember the fern..the wee thin fern unfurling quite uniquely  ..a few..Spring posts back?
There she stands in back of Johnson's Blue..sandwiched  in between the fushia urn..
LOVE that fern.
A client gave it to me prior to selling his home...he didn't want to leave it..
I have been the grateful caretaker ever since..

That DELICIOUS salad..is from Cheri..
I made it Monday for lunch..we will have it again this week..
Then I will buy more kale..massage it again..
And we will enjoy it again and again..I love the texture the kale developed..
I added feta instead of Blue.. and more garlic since we are on a Dr Oz garlic kick..although for this post blue would have been in keeping.
It's so good!

The porch ferns and blues look so much better than the winter whites on the porch..
What a difference a season makes.
♥

Lucas..will be 9 this August..
On father's day..everyone was here.. and lots of giggly games were played with the 4 cousins..
At one point I took out bubbles..because..
I love bubbles..and Oli at 4 still does too..

Lucas is so good natured and so good with children younger than he.. he even blew bubbles which encouraged the others to do so..
He's something else:)♥
Like that fuschia..:)  The purpley blue pinafore/tutu is just gorgeous..these are ballerinas!
I love Campanula Glomerata..One mistake I made here..is that I did not plant in threes..many I eventually could divide and make 3's..but this one..I should have bought 3:) Some plants multiply and multiply..Hostas can come out of your ears..but are great fillers..

Glomerata..seems to stay compact..so..buy 3:)
I love CLUMPS  of threes~

Or fives..♥
My cobalt pots will follow me to a retirement home if they can..
They are Lee-Ann blue pots to me♥
PS..A good little book to get you kickstarted in choosing garden plants..is "Taylor's Guide To Perennials"
I have had mine for soo many years..it has been lent out..
The price at the back says $22.95..I bet on resellers you can get it for a song! Don't even think twice about it..
It is classified by colors.. also..
Mine is close to falling apart now..
Hope you can get your hands on a copy..

School's out in a few short breaths..  they will be boys of summer again~


Bon Weekend~

Peony Love~ Rain or Shine~

Peony~

Herbaceous or shrubby plant for northern climates..Grown for it's showy flowers..

Oh I have to add and scent!
They are outrageously beautiful.
And they look so pretty with anything..  in a bowl..in an arrangement.in a Ball jar..we couldn't get these here last year.. a fairy from the states sent me some..:)♥
My whites have yet to open..
I have picked several buds to refrigerate and make a small bouquet perhaps in Sept when all that blooms is gold..To have a soft romantic bouquet..
I learned about that here..
Thanks again Debbie..
Tree peonies are great too..My deep fushia one has bloomed.. I am not sure about the yellow one yet..it suffered a pruning shock 2 yrs ago..I think she is paying me back with attitude.:)
Don't plant your peonies too deep..full sun is best..remove spent flowers and cut back in fall..
They are an affair of the heart.
I just read that they are edible..will research more on that though:)
And I am going to try and dry a few big pompoms to see what happens..:)
Yesterday was glorious in QC..today  seems more of the same..so the peonies can have their glory longer much to my content..
If you don't have a peony shrub..do try one..I think you will fall in love.




HHerer

Encore des fleurs~et trop de pluie!

Right at this moment when you walk up to our home..the Korean Lilacs envelop everything..a man came to our door..another one:) And said it smells like you are baking:)
I said it's the lilacs..
But I could bake if you wanted me to I wanted to say..
The front bed peonies are blooming their heads off..they are not doubles like the back side peony beds..these were in a box from Costco several yrs ago and they are great they need no support and  don't flop..Many of my others bow their heads so I must hoop them..not these.
The side ones will bloom any moment..as rain is expected!:(
If ever you want gentle bees in your gardens..again I suggest baptisia..look at them..a bit sweet pea~ ish no?

The herb pots are coming along..
I added a sweet pea this week..my seeds did not fare well..
Fingers crossed cause I love that scent too..


In the kitchen..Marie was baking along with e again when I decided to make her  Magic Custard cake...

Jacques loves custards..rice puddings(pas moi..)..etc..
I had my trepidations when I stuck it in the oven..
But  I have never had one of Marie's recipes not turn out perfectly..so  I had faith..

Sure enough..look..magic..3 layers:)
I added Jam I made last year from Christine Ferbers' book that Linda offered me..
It's a winning recipe for custard lovers..
Fresh fruit would be winning as Marie said..But I only had bananas and a pineapple left.
So jam it was.
I hope you spy with your eyes..Alain's beautiful brown eggs..
This recipe takes 4.
My pan was lower than Marie's so I had extra..made a smaller one..Ideally a higher than average 8 " pan is best suited..like hers:)
As luck would have it..I found a Wilton one at the $ store..gold..nothing is a $ anymore..it was $3.00
But high and 8 inches..spot on:)
If you need an easy creamy custardy dessert this weekend..this should do perfectly..
It's father's day weekend here..I think I'll make something chocolate..:)


The rain is not letting up and all the double peonies are like bobbed pompoms..:(
I was hoping for sun and a dry out tomorrow..not going to happen we read..Everything is drooping..trees..leaves..blooms..grass..
Wellie weather..

Bon Weekend~

In and Out Of the Garden~To quote a beau book~

Noah..in the spiffy red sneakers..his mom and I.. went to the Old Port in Montréal to see..

Kurios..  the 2014 show by Le Cirque du Soleil

It is FABULOUS.

Do click on the link and see what awaits you if ever you go~

The youtube link is here

and the creator

actually Director.. MICHEL LAPRISE~

I know I don't go out much ..(which seems absurd for me to say now that I have had 3 grand outings and more in the last few weeks.)  and don't know a whole lot about shows...but trust me..and  the entire audience on the day we went..

This show is fabulous.

a 10

We arrived in the Old Port with enough time to walk around and take pics..It was a GLOOMY day..no beautiful blue skyline for the tents..

However..it was super..no huge crowds  in the Old Port prior to the show..

so we walked..and kept an eye on Mr.Busy.

I'm telling you..this child is entertainment.

♥

It was Grand Prix weekend so the streets were festooned with flags..

Restos has their cute chalkboards everywhere..

The flowers have been planted..

After the can't take my eyes off show..we ate in a resto we LOVE..

Les Jardins Nelson..

The exterior is gorgeous..but we like eating in the garden part..a side entrance of the resto..that is actually a walled courtyard.. 2 floors..

The stone walls spill over with baskets of flowers..

A live band plays..

It's just a gorgeous gorgeous place..

My second time in 8 years..not nearly enough.

A  memorable day..

In the gardens.. cause I did come home:)

It's Korean Lilac time..the first peonies..Baptisias..Irises..the first clematis..

I am most certain the fairies..were whispering about my outings..:)

She's not baking this week?

No scents from the kitchen window.

And Max turned all of 7~

A hockey party..

Have a lovely still spring week.