get outside
Finding beauty everywhere is my passion and free for all to take in, plus it’s around every corner. Spring is particularly colorful and...
Beautiful
There is an inspiration for absolutely everything just outside your door. Like this bracelet and pendant made from tree bark that fell to the ground as the trees prepare for spring! I added a simple chain for the pendant, and Carolyn was ready to hit the town with original creations by the one and only Mother...
It’s cake o’clock somewhere
This single-layer round cake adapted from bon appétit is the perfect centerpiece for birthdays, dinner parties, or any occasion worth celebrating, and the absolute best vanilla cake I can whip up! CAKE ⅔ cup vegetable oil, plus more for the pan 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 cup granulated sugar 1¾ tsp. kosher salt 1½ tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda 2 large eggs ¾ cup sour cream 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1...
open me
The old box said, “stored December 10, 1995, at 4:30 pm” “open me someday” so 27 years later, on December 10 at 4:30, I did just that. Most objects in the box were ordinary things like candlesticks, salt and pepper shakers, sugar and creamers, and ashtrays. There were a few long-forgotten surprises, like the fourleaf clover in the chicken box and the teeth, but before I sent them off to a thrift store, I...
Barbara’s ginkgo tree 2022 update
UPDATE I have been following Barbara”s tree (and others) for years, and this year most leaves fell on November 12, but for the first time, they did not fall all at once, and there are still some leaves clinging on. At exactly 9:32 am on Saturday, November 11, 2017, every leaf fell off Barbara’s ginkgo tree. This came as no surprise, although a little late. Most years, it’s the 4th or 5th of November. This tree knows...
Stack them up
Give one as a gift, or better yet, make two for you, one for now and one for the freezer. Think of this as one big flat biscotti with a similar flavor, but the dough is pressed into a single flat sheet that can then be broken into pieces. Cornmeal-lemon sheet cookie serves 4 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup fine ground yellow cornmeal 1 t anise seeds 1/4 t baking powder 1/4 t sea salt 3 T unsalted butter 1/2 cup sugar + 1 to 2 T for...