Smorgasborg~ A bit of a mess actually:)Like today's weather.

I have so many photos pending..for not really anything important..so I better share what I have tried..and trued..

lately..

My blooming teas bring me peace and quiet and pretty.

I have to say I was delighted when my order from TMart arrived.
I took a chance as I had never ordered from there before..used Paypal..and my teas arrived in perfect shape..beautifully wrapped..ind.packaged.
Well worth the wait..:)Long wait..it's not next door..I have ordered again..hope my experience is the same.
(They don't know me..didn't ask me to write this..they don't know:) )

I will soon start  my indoor seeds but until then my indoor plants and teas keep me in the blooms;)

Stitching too..and I am still so grateful to each and everyone of you who led the way~
My bunting cozy is not great..lol but my Varage Sale Pom~po~nettes are♥
I wanted blue and white stripe,had no blue;)



Celeriac..gosh I love that and do not buy it often enough..  just grate it..I use my mom's Vintage one ..table top hand cranked..heavy metal:)

Add mayo..lemon juice..s. p., garlic....just go here..she'll tell you:)Ina Ina Ina..♥
So good!
I finally found some spray balsamic..love that on tomatoes..salads..etc..


All of you who hesitate w/ IG..
Do it.
I joined YEARS ago..  never looked ..lol..

Last year ..and a half ago about..I got into it through my daughter..followed her account until I just loved it so much I had to re register and really look into it all.

Wonder...ful.

Amazingly wonderful..so much so I told my daughters ..it's a bit of
of a conundrum..

The glorious photos..
the wonderful gorgeous homes..
the collections..
the flawless beauties.

I am not into competition  or envy..and never was..in fact I shied away from awards and such..wait..in my teens I was into it..

it's later..that all that seemed awful to me..for me.
And I am sure Jacques had a lot to do with that.
He never compared himself or what he accmplishes with anyone..he always told me..it is how I feel about myself..remember he was 33 I was 19..so he kind of ingrained that into me..

I do know there was an applause I craved to hear..but never would (Anna Quindlen..talks about that in an article..I am going to try and attch it here someway for you)
I have had it since 1998.
I treasure it.

Ok I went off track a bit..


I think of people who may be affected but all of IG ..and feel less than..for no reason at all..

we see a lot that is smoke and mirrors.

I just show what worked on my blog and IG....and even at that.I sharpen my pics..adjust the exposure..etc..so there's smoke and mirrors there.
I show what grew in my gardens..not the ugly brown patches..;)
And I have them.

I show you which recipes worked;)
Not the fails..

It's not really that I am bla bla blahing about..

It's all the filtered faces..all the homes that are impeccably white and Pottery Barned and Crate and Barreled..how does that happen w/ Littles ..lol..
and the clothes..
All the Rae Dunn:) All the pretty, chippy things..

that part of social media..seems to me to be so negative for people.

If what others have and you don't affects you.

If seeing great talents makes you feel less than.

If you're inspired that's GREAT.

But if it makes you sad..not so much..

So just remember not everything you see..  is real:)
♥

I am however totally guilty of coveting things:)That I don't need..but love or find charming..
That's normal right?;);)



So here is the article:)

Anna Quindlen is one of my favorite authors..  she was the same age as I was..and is about my age now.
You have to click on the links to be able to read the article..Click on Page 1 first;)


On Losing Your Mom..page 2

page1.

Hope it works..had to Google:)
I know page 1 should appear first LOL..;)
See? IMPERFECT.:)

Forever Young~ Caroline..our bébé 41~

Forever Young~

I love that song..

we celebrated 2 birthdays this weekend and one of my daughters cards to me had Forever Young on the cover..

I still miss this show..

Notre bébé..turns 41 the 21rst..

We always always have such a nice time when we are all together.
We eat way too much..:) But who cares? From cheesies (my weakness)..to amazing apps and main courses and salads and desserts..and wine.
Sounds awful to say we eat too much when so many have nothing.

But I am a blogger who talks only about the good stuff in my life..:)
I leave out the rest..on purpose.I just don't want anyone thinking perfect exists.

The cards♥ Each and every one from my family and  friends.

The Littles all made cards.. Olivier was so happy to give me one ..w/ all the writing..en lettres attachées..and he wrote Monique lol not nana.
God Bless Children.


From afar and close by..

snail mail warms the heart in more ways than one for some reason.

Caroline brought a crowd size delish app..

Baked cheese w/ a type of bruschetta topping w/ a balsamic glaze..:)

Mylène served shrimp apps and this meal..

all components are keepers..

Main..is here..Ricardo..M used Pork..DEELICIOUS

Potatoes..here..I will use a crock pot to reheat and keep warm..novel.Stovetop can scortch..Fred looked at the Crock Pot and said:"You're using a crockpot ? Don't let Max see this;)"..For all of you who watch THIS IS US..you will get it.

Salad..here...  see a variation below..I only had Chioggias and feta.

The carrots..I even brought home..

Dessert ..

I made Ina's choco cake..
the cake topper was made w/ a printable alphabet from Nathalie Malan Studios.I thanked her.

I DID NOT USE INAS FROSTING!!  I USED ANOTHER AND ADDED 1/4 CUP OF CRISCO!!

and a pie..
the pie was so so..the saving grace.. the Scrabble cookie cutter letters:)
We are..were  actually.. ..Scrabblers;)
On IG I had seen a pie top done entirely w/ Scrabble letters and that led me to the hunt..
they come in a cute cute metal Scrabble tin.

They were so $$ when I started my search..lo and behold..on Ebay someone received some as a gift and had not need for them.Such a nice EBAYER..UK:)Much more affordable to me.
I was excited to make the crust decorated this way.
:)

Do you notice a cute theme above? I have "known" Susan..for over 17 yrs now through the net..  

we exchange Christmas and Birthday gifts.

I must admit..the fun that pops out of her boxes..is pretty amazing.

La Poule pillow..card..stamp..potholder..egg cup warmers:)Cookie cutter..so creative..so perfect.So thoughtful.

I was the grateful recipient of lovely items that will pop up here..at one point I am certain.

one of them is a glass w/ an inscription..;) A cute inscription..  a tomato server w/ and inscription and a spoon w/ an inscription.
I love words..always have ..quotes..books..by the way..Child is good so far..

I love this pic..s..  Jacques built outdoor dollhouses for our girls when we moved..this is the second one..the first was an A frame..

the Littles on our crescent did plays and things..in it..like a stage..she must be 5 here..Little Red Riding Hood:)

No computers..just make believe outside and inside..with what they had~

I loved their rooms..they smelled so good..I used to wallpaper everything..:) A friend's mom has stitched the Sunbonnet Sue quilts..see the Strawberry Shortcake pillow?:)4 maybe she was..

Remember the wool ribbons? And gingham and lace..and pig tails and dirty faces?

Those were the best years of my life..I wasn't working yet..just home w/ my girls playing house..in my 20's..imagine.


I do recommend this salad as I am pretty nuts about beet salads and have posted many through the years..
Very very good.
You can use spinach or mesclun or arugula..whatever..
I added the juice/oil of the roasted beets to the dressing..
Anything seems to go:)
I hope you enjoy it too.

Have a lovely week~

• 
  

Isle-Sur-la-Sorgue~ And delish apple cakes~

So much too say..too many words.. too many photos:)

So ..antiques..galore here...shops..brocantes..etc..

I mentioned before..I found the prices much better in Aix for old plates and such there..beautiful antique plates that I left behind were 3 euros each in Aix..salt boxes 14 euros..I found nothing in that range  on Isle -Sur-La-Sorgue..perhaps I was not looking hard enough.

The market..we were packed like sardines..I mentioned that..

Really like the metro..:(

So although it had held it's charm for us..plenty..
market time was un petit zoo.

We had lunch at a fun little place on the water.
I had to be on the water.I sound so spoiled..I am not..but eat indoors or out..same price..let me be on the water..the menu and place mats were adorable..I found some for sale later on at librairies..but my Littles are too old now and so am I ..;)
ISLE is like a mini Venice they say..well that is a HUGE stretch..but I would say a dollhouse Venice.
♥
It is a charming charming town..

The owner of the resto felt we had been super patient I guess.. and offered us a glass of wine on the house..we had had our glass and had to drive..but that was so sweet..They were soo busy.
What's the rush waterside in Provence?
Not me.

I still go to bed thinking about the days we spent in Provence.

But ..back to reality ..and reality where we live is not bad at all..

One thing I have loved about blogging..is the fun contacts/relationships we make..

I think about that..because it seems we are losing more and more bloggers..

Terry..I knew at Gardenbuddies..she doesn't have a blog but we share a love of baking..family..daughters..Littles..gardening..

she sent me an interesting recipe..a long time ago~ And I made them right away..and forgot to post..

SO GOOD..

Thanks Terry! For thinking of me!

Delicious little apple cakelets..

you can find the recipe here..

♥

He's wearing his neck warmer on his head;) I love Littles..they never worry about what looks perfect.I loved it..and that child is NEVER cold..like his dad..NEVER.

 Snowshoeing in all this the last 3 days..Heaven..that's what heaven must be like..but warm:)

Time for tea after snowshoeing.. I love my 2.30-3 .30 winter ritual.I do have more Laura Secord hot choc for our Keurig on order though;)

A couple of Valentine..desserts~
Or any day desserts really..

I follow the Topless Blaker on Instagram..such a talented smart baker!
When he showed this tart I knew I had to try.It's a sablé breton base..jam in the centre on top..then these stabilized whipped cream..littles wings all around and fresh barries on top..I should have used my heart mold..a few sprigs of mint would be pretty..or real strawberry leaves..

Next one!
You can find the recipe and tutorial here..
It's a keeper.

The other one I tried..  was also through an Instagrammer..Cupcake Jemma..I have just found her..she made the cutest rose/pistachio Battenberg Cake..so cute I had to try..I don't have a Battenberg loaf pan..so I modified an 8x8..and ..well it didn't work..the halfway partition stayed..but the cross ones ..to make them x 6..collapsed midway..I rescued it..and the taste is good although I made modifications to use what I had on hand..but I think having the correct pan would make a HUGE difference..it's just too expensive.I'm 64 ..how many more mini Battenbergs am I going to make?;)Not many..  cute cute but not OMGEE so good I have to keep making them!

I love the whole look of Battenbergs..one caveat here was that my icing is bright..pink..and when you bake a cake w/ pink..I find it is often..peachy..so the colors are not gorge together.
Oh well..
This was the cake I brought for our dinner w/ Noah♥He's up there..outside his school when we picked him up  to have dinner with him..he LOVED the cake and was so appreciative:)

Here is her BEAUTIFUL cake and recipe~

Nothing short of magnificent is our borrowed landscape.The last 3 days have seen us snowshoeing in all that beauty.

It's as wonderful as being on a pristine beach..on your own.
The beauty of nature.


If any of you feel like trying out an interesting..relaxing art tutorial..go to Anna Mason..and do the free pear tutorial..you don't need much..paper..4 colors of paint.. few round pointy tip brushes..takes a couple of hours,but I am going to watch it again..it's not my way of painting..but I love it and want to learn to be more realistic..all styles are fun to learn.
This is a hobby for me..one I love.
You can find the link here..


Have fun..I can see a few of you LOVING this!
It was suggested  to me by an artist I admire very much!

Winter can be very rough here with a lot of ice..snow..cold..and this one has been..
This guy..clears the cars..mine..some snowbanks are higher..no kidding..and we have lovely paths all around..to the front out back..to the potting shed..so pretty and neat .The snow is halfway up my arbours..the front fence the top is peeking out..the larege white obelisks are just peeking ou too..I won't even talk about our front..you would not believe the snow:)
He never complains about the snow at all.I would be so complaining..I would be whining about my chores..no kidding.Not him.

If you want to get teary eyed..

Not sure if you have seen it..

She's something♥


Have a lovely weekend~And Happy Vday on Wednesday~

This Is Us~ Superbowl Sunday~

I made a delicious soup for any cabbage lover..Cabbage Beef soup found at Café Delites.I had made her  Crispy Baked Shrimp about 1 week  before..and they were so good..I thought I would give her soup a try..absolutely delicious.I simmered mine longer..wanted my beef very tender..and I added a pinch of sugar..this is a tip a delightful octogenarian taught me in Fl..over 20 yrs ago..she was entertaining for Happy Hour at least twice a week..and often for dinners..one night she made us beef and barley soup..as a starter lol..and told me..:"a pinch of sugar for soups such as these make a subtle delicious difference"..she was right.Evelyn..if you can see me from up there..I am doing it..and have been..
Perfect Superbowl Soup Fare:)

I've been stitching..and reading..
I did enjoy the Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry..my books..current reading are on the right toolbar..it was ok good..that's good..for me..:)

On the other hand..just finished Ruth Reichl's book..and I am not a fan.99 pages..it's a quick read...but I was left feeling that she had already talked about her mom in other books..I have read most..and ..so..this one was not necessary.
You know..I lucked out w/ my mom..she was an accomplished artist..smart as all get go..  never once did she give us the impression her life could have been better had she pursued her dreams.She never even said dreams..we all knew she went to Beaux-Arts..we all knew she was very talented..but not because she told us so.

Never..nada..

And trust me..her life wasn't all rainbows and roses.

A mom..who loved her family..more than anything and never failed to demonstrate it.

She was made for a painter's apron..yet wore the kitchen one tirelessly and never ever a word of complaint.

My dad used to call her Grace Kelly:)
Lol he had better;)

Above..where my little card is being painted..I do love that palette..it's got ripples..I follow a talented artist on IG and on the web..Jessica Seacrest..she does product reviews and sometimes shows some of her tools..one day she showed this palette.I was smitten..It's my go to at home.

It's a MEEDEN RECTANGULAR WAVY Palette..:)
Amazon.com.

Fun things to add to your artist tools..

meanwhile I had a viewfinder..that I misplaced..found..and have msiplaced again..
DRIVING me nuts..

  But..I did find old 35mm slides.. while looking for my viewfinder.. wow do I ever look different from 20 to 64:(
So funny..we are critical of ourselves..and then we look back and think..geesh..you were fine.

Just fine..really..it's fine:)

So  yes This is This Is Us Day and Superbowl Day..there are only 4 reasons that can make me watch football.
The alphabet boys..♥

And they have to be playing.

♥
Bon Dimanche~