Ohmygosh ~September~

My daily pickings..and more..I have globe zucchinis..lol ..too many but not as many as regular:)
And if you forget small globe zucchinis?
Look:)
Like pumpkins.2 I have LOL..

With the blooms..make Gnocchi..

The idea came from ..
Here~
I made a different recipe adding the chopped blooms and froze..next time..her ricotta recipe and NO freezing:)
Suzie has a great blog..great IG account and is soon to have a recipe book out~

In the gardens..as you can see above the basil is still a knock out..this was last week..even bigger now.
The cherry tomatoes are so sweet to me..I made Diane Morissey's Panzanella..check it out on IG..

I have made pizzas and roasted and frozen whole..
I am a tomatoholic.

My fave food group..ITALIAN.

Italian sausage lasagna~

Annuals still doing well..Nicotina..4 O'clocks..baskets etc..

I have been baking..playing w/ fresh yeast..made a few things..Belgian Liège Waffles were on trial")

Our summer was so late in arriving it almost feels like we were cheated in some ways..however the summer we had was beautiful.

I am grateful to have gardens and a chicken although my sweet neighbour had to come tell me she was in her front yard..!!
Oy my neighbour lives on an acre..we're on half acre..
she's grounded.
A waved a Kraft Single and she ran home.
Still..grounded;)

I may sound earthy but trust me..first thing I do when I get up..every single day of my life is wash my face and apply mascara.
And most days I see no one..
That's just for me.

After breakfast etc..blush..and bronzer..
I am so not that earthy natural.
I get streaks done..and twice a year a trim.
I leave with wet hair except the trim..he trims dry.

Pretty low maintenance..But I do my morning maintaining in any weather any mood any feeling.
So earthy?

I just dig in it.

I used to feel like Sept ..was the beginning of a new year.
I don't anymore.For some reason.

Have a good long weekend~

A little outing~Sunflowers..zinnias..

I loved how one was so different:)♥

These 2 cousins get along famously.

A sweet little outing yesterday..I posted some pics on IG..and more here for memories.
The sweetest days to me are spent in the company of my family.
Add some gorgeous vistas..flowers..a camera..and that's what heaven on earth is for me.
We change with time♥
This place is humble..no fanfare or fancy buildings..family run operation..
Corn maze to wander through..
Fresh Corn..
Sunflowers..zinnias..chickens..
a hay wagon ride..
the owner..his grandparents lived in his home..  his parents..him..61 yrs old he is..so the place was owned over 100 yrs ago plus plus by his family..his 3 children help..
an agronomist..an engineer..and his daughter does all the bio cultivation.

THEY WORK SO HARD.

Humbling to say the very least.

Kudos to this family.

They have props in the sunflower area..ladders to climb on  to get a view of the heads..hats in a huge treasure chest..frames of all kinds..a chair w/ ribbon..

We brought a picnic and ate at a table..I just loved the day..

Here the tomatoes and basil and round courgettes are stars.
The gardens are parched..

I'll leave you with this if you need a good marbled cake:)
You can find it at the blog Pardonyourfrench~
Have a good rest of weekend~!

Oh...and..

:):)

Mid Augustus~

Our eldest daughter Mylène turned 44 Saturday..and you know Lucas turned 14..Adamo 20 and Giuliana 18..:)

So everyone came and we celebrated them all.

♥

Some recipes I made worth noting..

I made Sue's Raspberry Lemon buttercream cake..pictured w/ the 44..

Loved that I could freeze..then ice frozen:)

I also made a unique cake from Leite's Culinaria..

Sour Cream Mocha Cake..

The icing was like none other I ever made.

This too I froze and iced frozen.

Both desserts went over well:)

For apps..I made 2 of Chris' recipes..

Her Salsa..

and her Feta Tomato Appetizer

Both of which I had made before and knew were very good.And EASY.

I made little black olive savory/ sweet shortbreads and even the boys liked them.

I like savory cookies w/ apps.

Dinner ..was a Rigatoni /Italian Sausage bake for the boys from Diane Morrisey..

and for us..a grilled Caesar sald..Diane Morrisey's half eggplant marinaras I already shared w/ you..and hot Italian grilled sausages.

Feeding 12 is not something I do regularly anymore:)

My son-in-law Alain orchestrated matching tshirts for the boys..I must admit this thrilled me:)

I hope they wear them at Christmas.

You can see how big these boys/men are getting..

:):):)

Football Season has started for Oli and Noah..Noah is Offense:)  Oli is running back...and wide receiver.

The first game was while I was prepping dinner..2-4..

Jacques went.

20-0 they won.

Oli won MVP ..2 touchdowns..and Caroline took this pic.

of Max and Oli  after the game.I ♥ it.He is appreciating his medal.

Actually Caroline took all the people pics..I don't even try lol..

First of all a bit busy..the weather was The PITS.

Brief sun periods..cold and torrential downpours.

So we apped outdoors and dined indoors.

Her phone camera is Google Pixel 3xl and she bought a pack of fab filters the 2 together=WOW.

I love all the great recipes I glean from everyone I encounter on IG..the web..

and I THANK everyone.

Zinnias have FINALLY started to bloom..4 o'clocks..

Tomatoes changing colors..globe zucchinis doing so well:)

Nothing is perfect this year..summer was late..summer was dry..a hard winter made certain perennials either return much later in the season..Nepeta..feverfew..some clematis.. and some not return at all..
Rose chafers ate most of the first batch of roses..second flush Japanese Beetles.
You have to wonder why I persist.

Summer..garlic..color..tomatoes..exercise..blooms..the miracle of growth..nurturing;)

Bon Weekend!

Bonjour..de Monique~Jardins..popotte..anniversaires..Marie.

Every day walking from St-Paul de Mausole to the town core of St-Rémy..I would glance down this lane way and admire this sun drenched hotel~

I can't believe my eldest daughter will be 44 Sat..

I guess I am not 44 anymore.

GREAT AGE that was.

I always say my daughter..my grandson..my my my..

I do feel that I am the one that worries about everyone the most in this marriage of two.

So yes..I take liberties;)

He's always been..a great dad..etc..just not a worrier of sorts.

For some reason..that's my MO of caring..lol worrying and nuturing.

Night and day we are..lol.

The August gardens are never my favorites.

Parched..drying up..screaming for attention.

I hate hand watering..heavy hoses..etc.

I tried a new trick..my Goody One She side and dragged that heavy hose to the front beds..and stood by it as the water fell out of the hose..and moved it..and then my neigbour came out and said:"Are you allowed to do that?" 

My hidden guilt surfaced..and I said I had been feeling guilty and rewound the one ton hose all the way back to the back.

It's far trust me.

I read the by~ laws.

You can hand water but an automatic shut off must be in your hands .

Watering dry parched earth w/ an apparatus is like running a useless stream down.:(

So..

No more.

Que sera sera.

But I will fill 100 cans to water my zucchinis and tomatoes.

How can I start from seed and let die.

And hate it.

But feel good after I have done it.

I ..as you know am growing globe zucchinis.

I read that staking zs and clipping the leaves BELOW where the produce starts..helps..we will see..

I have tried it:)

Will keep you posted..

Seeds are doing well

except zinnias and nasturtiums.

Some are ok..others not..

Super in love w/ ordinary 4 O'Clocks,for personal reasons♥

Made some raspberry lemon muffins from the IG acount I follow Diane Morissey.

No point in linking..you have to go to IG.

Save THOSE jars..I shook poppy seed heads in my jar..perfect!

I impulse bught a new watercolor block and like it:)

Amazon Paul Reubens..again... go look lol..

too many times I have linked and it links to my account..nono;)

It's a cute leatherette bound block that comes w/ a knife to seperate the pages..

it's a mix ..to me between hot and cold press.

Comes packaged cute enough to gift.

My corner had been damaged but I wasn't gifting it.

Would definitely order again.

And look at this..

you all know Marie..

Being in a publication like HELLO magazine is no small feat..She's in it..

a full page 4 page spread.

Even Jacques said:"C'est quelque choose"!

That's something.

So well deserved..tireless blogger for YEARS..

recipe after recipe..blog post after blog post..EVERY day!!

Hello is the epitome of THE magazine for all monarchs.

If anyone loves the monarchy..

C'est Marie.

Perfect magazine for showcasing Marie!!

Again Marie..congratulations!!

Lucas turned 14 ..

Our first grandson..

the one that filled a hole in my♥

Spent the day w/ him..the day before.

I think I glow when I walk alongside one of MY grandsons;)

Lucky this week ..we had Noah one day..the Lucas outing..and Max and Oli another day♥

Bon weekend~