LET'S PLAY CATCH UP!!!

This summer seems to be flying by.  I said to my husband yesterday that it would be nice to have one week this summer where we did not have to leave the house and could just enjoy to furry babies and the weather.

After the big storm the gardens took a beating and did not really recover.  The herb garden looks nice and full this year and the pots on the back porch are okay although they are half the size as last year.

Once again I grew my heirloom tomatoes from seed, Black Krim.  If you remember last summer they were overflowing with luscious black and yellow tomatoes.  Well, I have lots but they are not ripening and are still really hard.  Any advice?

My husband finally got the roof on the gazebo, I call it my Hippie House, finished so I got to paint it this week.  I love the colour but decided to paint the inside ceiling lighter because at night it is really dark.  It is finished and I will show you the completed project tomorrow.  I am looking for a small stain glass window for the back above the old window, have not found one yet.  This great Raven bell has been hanging on the studio but it will now have a home right above the door of my Hippie House.

Alice and the Cheshire cat amazingly made it through the tornado unscathed.  They keep watch over the garden.  Atticus is always right by us, a great big lap dog.  He and Rufus play all the time and he follows Daisy around like she is his mother.  She escapes under the studio for a break.

I hung this on the front of our house and I am trying to stick by it. 

Hope you are all enjoying the end of summer where you are and that the weather is lovely and the days are long and fulfilling.

BOO & MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I have been kind of busy this past week, a lot of driving.

Finally I have gotten most of the Halloween signs done.  This year I did something a little different.  I love the wood I used for the signs.  It was pieces of old drawer fronts from a chest of drawers we could not repair.  I like to use old salvaged pine for signs because it just looks so nice.

I loved the wood so much I did not want to waste any of it so I painted Halloween on one side and Christmas on the other.

My customers who visit my Etsy Shop WICKED FAERIE QUEEN get twice as much for their money.  It works out well when you have a lot of seasonal ornaments like I do, saves space.

This little witch makes it on a sign every Halloween, I always want to keep her for myself but she always sells right away. 

I have some larger signs coming out this week too made from a gorgeous old set of drawer with a nice beveled edge, ohhhhhhh, how I love old pine.

AHHHHHHH.....AUGUST!

It has been such a busy week that today I just noticed we are already half way through August, where has the summer gone?

 August is a bittersweet month for me.  I love the summer's bounty in August.  All of the fresh veggies, and the corn!  How I love that delicious, buttery  cob.  We just had some fresh from the farm last night.   It is so nice to eat fresh vegetables every day.

It is also Sunflower and Gladiola time.  Big bright yellow faces and a rainbow of Gladioli splendor.  But it also reminds me that summer is winding down.

The days are still hot enough for picnics but the evenings are getting cooler and sometimes it is nice to sit around a fire.

It is the time of year for the fairs to come to town.  Before you know it the Fall Fair will be here in all of it's Autumn glory.

The August skies are alway filled with fluffy white clouds, there seem to be more this summer.  And the evening sky is ablaze with stars so many you think you could reach up and pluck one out and hold it in your hand.

So I will savour these last days of summer in August.  I will hold on to them as tight as I can and hopefully they will last a little longer.

OOLALA...CREPES!!!

I have been a long time lover of Crepes.  If you have never had a Crepe I am sure you will want to try them after reading this post.

The Crepe is a French paper thin pancake.  Made with basically the same ingredients as a pancake but much more liquidy.  Poured into a hot pan and in seconds turned into a deliciously, thin, crisp on the edges delight.

There is a great recipe at CUBAN MARKET PLACE for the perfect crepe.

The Crepe is filled with just about anything.  Most people are familiar with the Sweet Crepe.  Filled with fruit and topped with powder sugar or whipped creme they are simply fab.  For a devilishly delicous treat have your Crepes with melted chocolate.....soooo good!

Savory Crepes are to die for!  I made a batch for our Christmas Party a couple of years ago.  I added fresh herbs to the batter and served them with a variety of fillings like rice, chicken, veggies, and spiced beef.  There is nothing like biting into that soft yet chewy Crepe filled with something yummy like smoked salmon, mushrooms or asparagus.  You can roll your crepe or do the traditional triangle fold which is great for appetizers.

I love making Crepes, they are really easy, don't worry if the first one does not work out it never does.

To my delight I was watching the Foodie show " You Gotta Eat Here" which features Canadian Food from across the country.  There was a segment on Crepes, sweet and savory.  Like a gift from the Crepe Goddesses, the restaurent was not far from me, in Port Dover, Ontario.

The Crepe House features a huge selection of Crepes, from Breakfast Crepes to Dessert Crepes.  The one that caught my eye was the Turkey Crepe.  Filled with the traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Fare, it looked absolutely scrumpcious. Being a vegatarian, I will have them put my turkey on hubbies plate but I cannot resist the dressing, sweet potatoes, cranberry and gravy.   My husband and I are going out there on Tuesday to give it a try, I am sure we will not be dissapointed.

Port Dover is a nice little community filled with shoppes owned by Artists and Antiques people.  It sits on the Grand River.  Well worth the visit if you are in the area.

I hope you have enjoyed this taste bud titilating post and if you have not had Crepes it makes you want to try them soon.

THE SWEET SIMPLE LIFE!

I had to go into the "City" this week.  Now, we live near Ancaster and Brantford but they are smaller "Cities" and don't bother me so much.  Hamilton is another story.

The conjestion, smells and soooo many cars just drives me crazy.  Too many stop lights, too many "mini malls".

It took me so long to get to my destination, almost as long as it takes to drive on the highway to ours sons near Toronto.  I could not wait to get home to my little piece of Valhalla.

As I drove down our sweet, quiet country road, I did not see one other car.  Just the cows, sheep, horses and fields of green.  I thank my goddesses everday for the life I have here.  The bliss of fresh air and quiet.

Give the the country life any day. 


Images from  PINTEREST.