Lavender!

I love May because the lavender is in full bloom!  How can one resist the lovely purple shades and the nice light fragrance?

The Lavender Flower

by Lady Lindsay

"Lavender grey, lavender blue,

Perfume wrapt in the sky's own hue;

Lavender blue, lavender grey,

Love in Memory lives away.

Lavender grey, lavender blue,

Sweet is remembrance if love be true;

Lavender blue, lavender grey,

Sweeter, methinks, is the love of to-day"

This field of lavender grows by Senanque Abbey in Provence, France, for which Provence lavender is named.

Lavender serves as a landscape item for its beauty and ability to stand heat and drought--it is such a lovely addition to this garden

Drying is easy--cut, tie and hang to dry!

Have you ever cooked with lavender?

Well, here is a sweet recipe for a hot summer day that will refresh your palate!

Lavender-Infused Sangria (by Chef Sibby Barrett of Onion Creek Kitchen)

Yield 1.5 quarts

l large orange, sliced

l sliced lime

1sliced lemon

Lavender syrup (recipe follows)

1/4 cup good quality brandy

1 bottle red wine

1 bottle club soda or ginger ale

Lavender Syrup Recipe:  1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 2 Tablespoons of dried culinary lavender buds--bring water and sugar to a boil and stir until dissolved.  Remove from heat, add lavender buds.  Cover and allow syrup to stand for one hour.  Strain into glass container, cover and keep refrigerated for up to a few weeks.

to make Sangria:  In large glass pitcher, combine fruit slices; add brandy, Lavender syrup and wine.  Stir to blend well.  Refrigerate until well chilled about 2 hours or so.  When ready to serve, fill wine glasses with ice and fill glasses 1/2 to 2/3 full of sangria mixture.  top with desired amount of club soda or ginger ale.  Add fruit slices to glasses and enjoy!

There are many ways to enjoy lavender in food dishes--it's just not to look at and smell!

The American Woman's COOKBOOK!

We have been going through Mother's house now that she has moved to Assisted Living Facility.  It's amazing to me what Mother would save--there were all sorts of interesting tidbits of 'stuff' I found in her cabinets.  But, this is one that really made my heart leap...................

It was sealed in a zip lock plastic bag

It isn't in great shape either, but turning the page

The copyright goes back to 1938

and a notation on the first page is this "My first cookbook given to me by Richard" (my daddy) in July, 1940--that was her wedding gift from him!

Recipes are indeed interesting!  I remember Mother serving liver and onions to dad and us kids--we hated it!  Dad loved it!

Here is now to make your own cottage cheese from sour or sweet milk

Most of the photos are black and white.

Just look at that gelled mold on top right--how many of those were we served in our childhood?

What a treasure find for me! 

Next time, I'm at Mother's house, I'll wade even deeper through her 'stuff' to find more treasures!

Let's Get To Quilting!

Finally, had a chance to sort out my photos from our quilt group--we haven't been as productive as we would like.  Here are a few of our accomplishments.

Birds in a window frame--super cool work!

and the quilting was outstanding--SK West outdid herself again!

Judy M is finishing up her Texas Flag quilt--she used only four fabrics for this--all the same blue, red and white.   After it is quilted, she will applique the big Gold Star in the blue section.

How about this simple quilt?!  Super neat--with only one block and colorful too!

On Judy M's quilting frame was this young fellow's sports quilt top.

Really like her quilting pattern--someone is going to be very happy!

Stephen West Strikes Again!

I'm a sucker for anything designed by Stephen West!  And here he comes again with an E-book--TODAY!  You can find the yarns featured in his knit along at Penelope craft

  These are just three of the first patterns to be released! 

Welcome to the Westknits Spring Scarf KAL!
A collection of 10 new scarves will be released throughout the KAL starting with the first 3 scarves Friday, May 15. Each Friday, 2 or 3 additional patterns will be released.
Pattern Release Schedule
Week 1 - May 15
Week 2 - May 22
Week 3 - May 29
Week 4 - June 5

What fun this is going to be!!  If you are interested in purchasing the e-book of all ten (10) patterns, check out Westknits Spring Scarf KAL on Ravelry

Elements #2--Water

Fiddle Knits is one busy designer!  Thank you  Erica Jackofsky!     We have been working on Elements #1 Earth for a few weeks now.  This is going to be a great series of shawls and I like it too because it's a mystery!

Permission To Play!

How often do we as adults actually find time to PLAY?  Just cut loose and play?  Recently, I found a way to play and do something creative at the same time--then, I'm asking myself "why do I feel the need to play and be Creative too?  Why can't I just play?!

I've always loved color--especially Crayola colors!  I have big boxes, little boxes

specialty boxes

all unused boxes of Crayola colors

a good gift for me was always another box of Crayons

 

 

There were bags of coloring books for any child that came to visit

they could dig into my bag of -broken- crayons and color away!

Now, I'm ready to PLAY with my Crayons!  I have a box of colored pencils

My tray of Crayons (brand spanking new!)

and this book 

Look!  It's an Adult Coloring Book!

Now, I really have permission to PLAY!

Come join me!

 

Do You Crochet?

Just the other day we were having this discussion about crochet vs. knitting.  One of our gals said she was going to learn to crochet--now, to find the perfect pattern for her to do--something easy but elegant looking.  I found it!  Moogly Blog has the perfect crochet pattern for her in Branching Out Shawlette

We are beginning her on an adventure she will enjoy for the rest of her life!