Happy 4th of July!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

This is Killer Hamilton wearing her itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polka dot bikini.  She wants you to know not everyone can wear a bikini the way she does!

July is my birthday.   This year my motto is I'm not thrilled to be a year older but I sure am happy to have the day off!

This is one of my favorite quotes.  As I get older, I find myself adjusting my sails a lot more than I used to.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing but I'm doing it...

It's fitting to share some of my vintage treasures with you because as I get older they do too! You would never believe how old some of these precious gems are!  This little musical dolly stands on my piano waiting to belt out a song for anyone who wants to listen...she brought her pillow in case she doesn't get any bites.

I found this little dish somewhere - can't remember - but thankfully I always remember to put it out for everyone's birthday!

This is my friend Little Miss Worrywort.  She's been fretting over everything for the past 20 years! 

I try to let her do some of my worrying while I relax...

This little vintage baby has slept just about everywhere in our house...

except the sun room because she isn't dressed for the beach.

I found these neat coasters in Rockport, MA over the Memorial Day weekend.  I love the little shops there. 

Remember this crab that couldn't be a little quilted table topper because the white part of the background is too stiff?  And I said I'd have to make a pillow out of it to save it?  Well, here it is complete with tassels.  It turned out fine.  Only thing is I have to start limiting my mistakes because I've run out of furniture to put the pillows on!!

One more sunny thought.  I bought this sun years ago at the dry goods store in Provincetown.  Like many things I've collected through the years I never found the right home for it.  It doesn't really belong inside and it doesn't belong outside so this past weekend I put it out right in front of the coffee table in the sun room.  I keep looking at it waiting for it to tell me where it should go.  I'll keep you posted.

Ever hear the saying never trust a skinny chef?  

 These two have been debating that for many many years.

The verdict is still out because the other chef in the house won't take sides!

Zayika, our other family member sent me a Facebook message saying these cinnamon rolls are to die for and worth the little more effort it takes to make them.  Her dad loves them. I don't usually post a recipe I haven't tried but I trust Zayika.  She's the only skinny one in the family who still after 21 years only eats certain things.  Food in general doesn't get her excited so if she says these are amazing then I'm making them!  I'll keep you posted as soon as weight permits!  Thanks Z for my next 5 lbs.!

HOMEMADE CINNABON CINNAMON ROLLS

Yield: 15 rolls

 

Ingredients:

For the dough:

3/4 cup warm water
2 and 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 egg
1/3 cup oil
4 and 1/2 - 5 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling:
1 and 1/4 cups light brown sugar
2 and 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature

For the cream cheese frosting:
2 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
pinch of vanilla powder ( or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 and 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Stir together, then let the yeast rise for about 5-10 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and oil until well-combined. After 10 minutes, the yeast should look frothy and bubbly. At this point, pour in the buttermilk mixture, remaining sugar, and salt, and stir together for 10-15 seconds.

Pour in 2 cups of the measured flour, and stir on low speed until incorporated. Continue to pour in flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the bowl and bowl starts to look clean. Increase speed to medium and knead for 5 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky, but not sticky enough to stick to your fingers when touched. 

Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, then set aside in a warm place to rise for 1-2 hours, or until dough has doubled in size.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and cornstarch until combined. 

Butter an 11x15 inch glass baking dish, then line with parchment paper, and butter again.

Once dough has risen, liberally flour a large, clean work surface. Punch down the dough to remove air bubbles, then transfer it to the work surface. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, roughly 20x30 inches wide. Spread softened butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1-inch strip on the edge of the dough farthest from you untouched. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the butter, then use a rolling pin to gently roll over the mixture and slightly press it into the butter. 

Starting with the edge of the dough closest to you, gently roll up the dough into a tight log, sealing it with the strip of dough you left untouched. Cut off any uneven ends. Score dough every two inches, then use those marks to evenly slice your dough into rolls. 

Place rolls into parchment paper lined baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap, then set aside in a warm place to rise 1-2 hours, or until rolls have doubled in size and are almost touching each other. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 15-17 minutes, or until tops start to brown. Do not overbake!

While rolls are baking, prepare your frosting. In a bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat together butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and lemon juice and beat until combined. Pour in powdered sugar and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Then, increase speed to high and beat for an additional 5 minutes, or until frosting turns white. 

Once you remove the rolls from the oven, spread half of the frosting on top of them. This layer will melt into the rolls. Once they've cooled down, spread on the remaining frosting. Serve warm or reheat before serving. 

Adapted from Lauren's Latest

Speaking of recipes.  Right after I posted my lemon trifle recipe I came across this Moda Bakeshop Trifle Dish!!  I was so excited!  I am adding this to my endless sky high list of quilt projects.



Trifle Dish Announcement

here's the link-cut and paste in your browser:

http://www.modabakeshop.com/2014/06/trifle-dish-announcement.html


This is a smaller project that I really want to make.  I love houses and for all my talking I have yet to make one!!

Freda's Hive Dollhouse Potholder Tutorial



Here's the link-cut and paste in your browser:

http://fredashive.blogspot.com/2014/02/potholder-tutorial-rewind.html


I love to read but don't have a lot of time so I decided many years ago to take my books to the
gym instead of my IPOD.  If a book is really good I can almost forget how much I hate running on the treadmill!  Here's a list of books I've read in the past few months that passed my difficult test with flying colors.  They make great summer reads.


The Daring Ladies of Lowell - Kate Alcott
The Dressmaker - Kate Alcott

Under the Wide & Starry sky - Nancy Horan

The Beach Club - Elin Hilderbrand

Lost Lake - Sarah Addison Allen

And When She was Good - Laura Lipman
Isabel's Bed - Laura Lipman

Shirley Jones-A Memoir - Shirley Jones

The Silent Wife - A.S.A. Harrison

Ladies Night - Mary Kay Andrews

Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn

Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker - Jennifer Chaverini

The Painted Home - Dena (love this book-decorating & crafts)


Looks like I've run out of room again.  I've talked so much I put Killer to sleep.  We'll have to invite her back to model more of her stunning wardrobe.  She loves to get dressed up and greets people at the door with her beautiful wardrobe.




I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend and once again, as always, thanks for visiting!  See you soon!!

Summer 2014!

Summer 2014

Where am I?  At the lake, on an island?  Far away or close by?

 Still unsure?

Right here in New York City!  That was Central Park on a Sunday morning!!!  Quite different from the madness of Times Square.  Now you can appreciate those commercials on TV that say there's something for everyone in the state of New York.

 

After a show and before dinner there's a wonderful magical place to have a drink.  It's The Blue Bar in the Algonquin Hotel in Midtown on west 44th street.  It opened in 1902 and it's beautiful inside with old world charm.  I love New York.  Given the chance I would live right in Manhattan in a heartbeat...

Meanwhile, back to reality!  Here are my summer wreaths.  I had a basic wreath I bought at JoAnn's a few years ago and never used.  So decided to embellish it with a few magnolia blossoms and some more big green leaves.  I made a bow with a long strip of burlap and wedgewood blue polka dots.  Then from the center of the wreath I dangled a little trio of starfish.  When I'm decorating a wreath I always hope it survives the weather.  So far it's made it through some driving rain and wind so I'm hopeful it lasts the season.

I bought this star in Cape Cod quite a few years ago.  I never put it up because I couldn't decide where it should go.  I finally just stuck it on the back door and shut the blinds! 

 I gave my shell wreath an update a few weeks ago.  The basic shell wreath was assembled about 10 years ago.  I wove some navy blue and white ribbon through the spaces between the shells.  Of course this would have been a lot easier if I had done this first but back then I didn't watch HGTV or think as creatively as I do now.  I made the bow out of burlap because that's been one of my favorite materials for a while now.  All of the shells come from Martha's Vineyard.  There's a great little beach there that not a lot of people know about.  The shells on the sand are great but what makes this beach really special is it's a place where sea gulls fish in the water for shells and then smash them on the rocks to eat the meat inside.  We always hit that beach because of the variety of shells right at your feet. 

I'm still decorating with shells all over the house.  This band of shells on the stem of this wine "votive" glass is a necklace I got in Hawaii many years ago.  I found it in my closet the other day.  I would never wear it so I might as well decorate with it!

This little quilt hangs on the wall in my laundry room.  It's about 20 years old and has never collected dust despite the dryer sitting under it.  When I look at it I think of Hawaii  then I look down and see the washer and dryer...

  

  

My birthday is the 4th of July.  I am a Cancer, the crab.  I just finished this quilt top.  I used Heat n Bond to adhere the white fabric to the blue background and of course it came out so stiff it can't be a table topper.  So when all else fails there's always a pillow.  Can you guess how many pillows I've made?  The binding is already cut so it will be the rope piping.  I'm not giving up.  I'll put tassels on it and it'll be fine.  I have tassels on everything!  Maybe it'll be done by the next time we visit. 

I'm just about at my one year anniversary of blogging.  Last year I shared how I freeze my herbs.  This year I'm showing you how I grow them.  I think I should have blogged the growing before the freezing but I was more of a novice then...

Basil, chives, scallions, sage, mint, lemon grass, and rosemary...

Beefsteak and cherry tomatoes.  Dill, oregano and coriander.  Jalapeno peppers are in another pot nearby.

 

Lavender,  parsley and cilantro.

Monday afternoon I took snippets of all the herbs.  After they were washed I put them whole in a plastic bag with fruity red wine, left over cabernet, black pepper and olive oil.  Then I added a family pack of chicken and left it in the fridge until I was ready to grill.  The red wine tenderized the chicken so much you could shred it with a fork.    

Then I grilled veggie shish kabobs.  It was a really delicious, healthy dinner with no mess in the kitchen and lots of leftovers.

 

A few weeks ago I posted this lemon trifle on Facebook and got lots of likes.  I promised the recipe and here it is.  This was my first attempt at making a trifle.  It was so delicious and so easy I'm going to make them all the time!

Last month I was in a rush and needed a good Sunday dessert.  There was some homemade lemon cake in the freezer.  I didn't want to serve just a piece of cake so I decided to make pudding to go with it and then I thought of putting it in parfait glasses.  Finally it dawned on me that I have a few trifle bowls lying around and a few contain shells.  I looked around and found an empty one and decided to give it a try.  I Googled until I found a basic trifle recipe and just let my imagination run with it...

This is the basic idea...

How to Make a Trifle - Basic Trifle Recipe with Adaptations

Author: Alea

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time:  15 mins

Total time:  15 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• cake, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 cups pudding
• 1 - 1½ cups sauce or jam
• 3 - 6 cups fruit, nuts, chocolate chips
• 2 cups whipped cream

Directions

1. Cut cake into 1 inch pieces.
2. Spread ⅓ third of the cake pieces across the bottom of the trifle bowl.
3. Spoon half of the pudding over the cake pieces.
4. Sprinkle 1 - 2 cups of optional ingredients over the pudding.
5. Drizzle ½ cup sauce/jam over the optional ingredients.
6. Repeat steps 2 - 5.
7. Spread the remaining cake pieces over the sauce/jam layer.
8. Sprinkle 1 - 2 cups optional ingredients over the cake layer.
9. Top with the whipped cream.
10. Drizzle remaining sauce/jam over the whipped cream.
11. Keep chilled until it can be served. Serve it as soon as possible.

I didn't have all of those ingredients in the house and I wanted to use up a lot of half full packages in the freezer so this is how I put together the layers of my lemon trifle:

Bottom layer = cubed lemon cake

Next layer = lemon pudding

Next layer = white chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers

Next layer = Cool Whip (doesn't have to be thawed - just spread with knife)

Repeat all the layers until you've reached the top.

Top layer = Cool Whip, sprinkled graham crackers and a maraschino cherry in the center for garnish.

I hate to keep saying to die for BUT it really was!  I made it in the afternoon and was afraid to leave it in the fridge for too long because I thought the Cool Whip would melt.  And then I thought about freezing it even for a little while but decided against it.  It's such a good feeling when things turn out right because for me it isn't that often!  When we ate it later in the evening the Cool Whip held up fine.  All the tastes had time to meld together and it was the perfect summer dessert.  I will definitely make it again in many different variations.

Last but never least!

Here's where we are on the fireplace.  This project is running on schedule.  The starting date was this past October.  I will start to fret when this October rolls around and it still looks like this.  I'll keep you posted.  Hopefully there's a transformation in the near future.

I hope to blog soon but life keep getting in the way.  I have lots more to share.  I hope I get just a little more time to get it all down in a post.  For now, thank you for visiting and I hope you stay cool! 

 Happy Summer!

The Unofficial Start of Summer!

The Unofficial Start of Summer! 

Summer is one of my favorite seasons because I get to take out all of my shells.  Every year I decorate entirely different because I can't remember what I did with what the previous year.  I filled this candle holder with small beige stones which look like shells.

I filled this candy jar with the Lavender I dried last year. I found some purple beads and ribbon to decorate the jar. I got another Lavender plant for Mother's Day so I'll be drying that as the flowers bloom.  Last year's plant is growing into a bush in the front of the house.  I hope to repeat that pattern with this new plant.

My collection of shells and things keeps growing and growing...

My hutch is now ready for summer.

My daughter Kristen gifted me with a set of beautiful tiles she painted and glazed when she was in high school.  The one below has the cool blue shades of summer and the other one has the reds and oranges of Fall.

.

We spent this past weekend at our new home away from home in MA.  Thursday and Friday nights were really chilly in Boston.  We had drinks at a Jerry Remy's Seaport before dinner.  This was the gorgeous view from our table inside.

 We are central enough so we can get to lots of neat places.  Just when we think we've done just about everything there is to do in MA we keep finding more little towns to explore.  Saturday we took a day trip to Cape Anne.  

We went through Manchester by the Sea and Gloucester which was originally an old fishing village. 

Cape Anne is made up of a group of small sleepy towns that flow into each other.  

This sign look familiar?

 Essex reminded me a lot of Kennebunkport Maine.  

Rockport is the town to stop in. Start strolling around and wander in and out of the unique shops which line the main street.

 

Every so often you get a glimpse of another beautiful view of the water.

The shops are wonderful.  The little boutiques have different things and the prices are reasonable.

 

Rockport is known for their really good art galleries and local artisans who sell their work.

This is a collage of driftwood.

And a painting with the driftwood theme.

 

I love these ladies!

They inspired me to get busy and make one.  Unfortunately time is my enemy.

This was the view from a small alley next to an art gallery.

Another photo stop next to a boutique.

 This is the perfect time of the year to visit these towns because the tourists aren't out in full force yet.

My husband spotted these wine bottle lights.  I see them everywhere now.  These were $30.  

 I still like mine better.

This is the view from the end of the main street.

 

This is why Rockport is known for their resident artists and galleries. Who wouldn't want to live here and paint your day away! 

On the way home we stopped in Ipswich.  My friend Kim always talks about this restaurant and I'm really glad I remembered it.  The food is fantastic.  The clams are tender and huge.  The inside is rustic but if you go on a beautiful day you can eat outside.  We were there late in the afternoon and there was a line.  Kim said in the summer the line is endless.

This sign was in the window of one of the galleries and it's so true.  

Little getaways are very special!  Thanks for taking this little trip with me.  I'll be back soon!