Cake for Breakfast

Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

My children had birthday cake for breakfast.

Lisa was here and made a cake for him (Lizzy would have also been happy to do it), even though he told us he would not be able to come. We were hoping, which was unreasonable of us because he works from noon to 10:00 p.m. Friday through Monday. We will save him a piece for a day or two, just in case he shows up. It looks moist and delicious, but I cannot tell you how good it was because I did not have any.

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Snow Pea Simplicity

Snow Pea Sandwich
Toasted sourdough bread with ranch dressing, tomatoes, and snow peas.
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My Cottage Garden

 Using the word cottage always makes things sound so much more charming.

My husband grows a small garden every year; he does all the work in it.

So really it's my husband's cottage garden.

I just go out and get the goodness from it.

Currently, I am enjoying his delicious snow peas.

~~~♥~~~

Dancing The Charleston

See the full photo on Facebook: 6th Grade Charleston Dancers for Eleva Elementary Centennial Celebration

1948 Chrysler New Yorker HTML

1948 Chrysler New Yorker
http://www.allpar.com/history/chrysler-years/1945-1948.html
http://www.allpar.com/history/plymouth/1946-1959/plymouth-2.html
http://www.carsandracingstuff.com/library/n/newyorker.php
1948 Chrysler New Yorker

HTML surf and mailbox

Fruit and Oat Squares

Fruit and Oat Squares

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup uncooked quick oats
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3/4 cup apricot, cherry or other fruit flavor preserves

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl; mix well. Add butter; stir with fork until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 3/4 cup crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Spread preserves over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

YIELD Makes 16 servings

Love of a 1940s Car (1948 Chrysler New Yorker )

I know I have posted these photos sometime in the past, but that post has long been deleted along with the blog I removed. I relish these photos, so I am posting them again.

I remember this day well. A friend of my father’s let him use this car for a while. You probably already know how much I love most items of 1940s and 1950s. I certainly could not pass up an opportunity to take photos of this car. It just happened that my darling younger sister was visiting my house. She was the perfect model…always had that 1940s wholesome look about her. Her style was crisp and clean. 

Of course, Digital cameras were not around then; these photos were scanned, thus the graininess you see here.

When my husband showed this photo of my beautiful sister at his work place, several of the guys there just had to meet her. Can you blame them? To any fellow looking at this photo, it appears that she is smiling directly at him.

That is my first child in the car with her aunt. My daughter has already graduated from college…no longer a little girl. Alas, how I miss those days! She was always such a nice little child. However, now I have a grown-up loving friend.

Here (above) my younger brother is posing inside the car for me. 

This one has two of my brothers posing for a shot in front of my husband’s and my first home.

~~~♥~~~

UPDATE:  ~ Lottie asked me what kind of car this is. Using my photos as a guide, I searched the internet classic cars of the 1940. I was pretty sure this was from 1947-1948. I believe that I found my car. It is a 1948 Chrysler New Yorker (If you love old cars, as I do, you should click on this link and see the spectacular Chrysler New Yorker).

More to LOVE:
Interior Photos:
Steering Wheel
Dashboard
Front and Back Seats
Back Seat and Door Details
Front Seat Details 
Side View

1948 Chrysler New Yorker Convertible Images
Front View Details
Side View
Front Grill and Logo


Model of 1948 Chrysler New Yorker Convertible:
From the Front
Interior and Back View

A Warm Place in the Sun

My early morning spot for coffee is by the pool.

Here I can enjoy the mornings first glorious rays of sunshine.

A butterfly came and rested on my sleeve while I sat having my coffee this morning.

My husband would have love that. 

This is his favorite spot because of the butterflies that flutter about - I think they like the pool.

~~~♥~~~

Poached Eggs

My husband loves poached eggs.

I have been poaching eggs in a pan of boiling water for years. But I never like doing them that way because it's a bit messy. So, I bought this sweet little egg poaching pan.

You boil about 1/2 inch water in the pan. Butter the cups. 

Place eggs in cups and cook until desired firmness (approximately 2 min.)

Use center knob to carefully lift eggs from pan. (Be careful not to burn yourself.)

Place egg on toast or English muffin. 

I like my eggs yolky.

Crisp Blue Skies

It was such a crisp blue sky full of stark white clouds this morning, I just had to take a picture.
It's a cool 64 degrees outside, here at 2:00.
I was chilly even sitting in the sunshine with my cup of coffee at noon (wearing a coat, I might add).
I decided now, enough of that...time for a fire.

Here is what is left of our Liquidambar tree.
We are ready for this winter and will not need to buy wood this fall.
(Our yearly wood stacking day)

My husband hired a man who came with two wood splitters, one Saturday morning, along with his father and two daughters. Those four, my husband, and two of our boys, working all together, spent five hours to achieve this woodpile.

Looking at this pile, knowing how much work went into it, makes me appreciate what we pay for this amount of wood each year.

It's a little strange to think that this was our big tree.

~~~♥~~~

Grapefruits for Breakfast

Roses, daisies, and grapefruit from the backyard

My children picked the last 12 grapefruits from the tree this weekend.

This deliciously sweet and juicy grapefruit tastes good on its own without sugar.

Life doesn't get any simpler.

~~~♥~~~

A Wonderful Holiday Weekend

We had a great holiday weekend. Friday my husband cooked delicious Passover lamb on the grill. Saturday he barbequed chicken - he removes the skin (which I like because it’s fewer calories and the meat gets all the seasoning), brushes it with his oil and seasons mixture, grills it and finishes it off with K.C. Masterpiece barbeque sauce. Sunday he cooked our Easter ham on the grill, as well.

My husband cooks all the major meat dishes in our house (I do sausage or bacon, but that’s about it.) I leave the meat to him because he is an expert. Relaxing in the backyard when he is grilling makes me feel as though I am on vacation.

We colored eggs Easter morning and enjoyed a pleasant holiday breakfast with our children. The weather could not have been more perfect. This year, we did not get an Easter lily, but my husband bought me an orchid instead.

I hope all of you had a pleasant Easter, too.

~~~♥~~~

Through the Studio Window

Sometimes getting back into something you love doing is not always easy. I love to draw but have not been drawing since last year. The thought of sitting down to draw can be intimidating. I am not sure if I will be able to draw. However, I do know that the more I draw, the less intimidating starting a new project is.

Here is my latest drawing project: Paper Doll Clothing for a FREE Nurse Paper Doll that I found. She only comes with a nurse uniform, so I thought she needed a few more outfits. I have taken my inspirations from vintage Butterick patterns. Links to download the finished paper doll dress collection can found HERE.

~~~♥~~~

Morning coffee and Cupcakes

A favorite spot in my backyard

~~~♥~~~