daily photo | memorial day

may 31, 2010 | happy memorial day

wishlist | crowing about Roost

crowing about Roost... With summer comes lots of things to celebrate—last days of school, birthdays, graduations, weddings, you name it. And with those occasions comes the need for the perfect little gift. Roost has quickly become one of my favorite haunts for an elegant, but affordable, hostess gift. Check out the Grass Birdhouses above. Not too shabby for $26.

(Rustic Rattan Modular Woven Shelves, $108/set; Wooden Print Block, $64/set,

Giverny Numbers, $26/set)

I secretly do some window shopping of my own when hunting for gifts for friends. The trio above certainly falls into my wishlist realm. Always in search of more storage, like my mantra for totes, I don't think you can ever have enough bins and baskets around. The block prints just look plain cool. They would totally satisfy my desire to take a dip into hand printing textiles. The metal number set doesn't scream practical, but what an awesome hang tag it would make for a birthday present.

(Owl Salt and Pepper Shakers, $24/set; Cargo Mushroom Boxs, $26-$35;

Porcelain Wired Blossoms, $9; Alabaster Frames, $17/set)

Thank you... simple and sweet, these whimsical gifts convey the sentiment with class and charm without breaking the bank. Definitely give Roost a peak. They change up their stock pretty frequently, so if you happen to see something that strikes your fancy, don't wait too, too long or it will quickly disappear back into the far reaches of your imagination. Happy shopping!

daily photo | beautiful bluets

may 24, 2010 | Bluets abound, creating showy carpets amidst the moss

recipe | fresh strawberry italian ice

a cup of pure happiness... I may have found a new obsession. I have always loved Italian ice. I can clearly recall spending several summers at the town pool licking that little wooden paddle as I worked to scoop up a few of those delicate, refreshing ice crystals. You had to work carefully for fear of splitting that tiny paddle in half and then suffering the fate of inadequate scoopage. Yet, it had never occurred to me to make Italian ice at home. Ice pops, yes. Ice cream, definitely. But Italian ice... never. That was until I got my first issue of Food Network Magazine this week. There on page 96 was the most simple of recipes. Just four ingredients begging to be made.

The recipe is as simple as strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and honey. The key to the success is in the quality of fresh ingredients. As soon as I spotted the word honey in the ingredient list, I knew that I was definitely going to make this recipe. I've been on a huge honey kick. Ever since my friend at work came in bearing a gift of her family's homemade golden nectar I have been incorporating this delight into everything. So many thanks to Carolyn and Ken and their Crystal Spring Farm's honey!

The beauty of this recipe is that you can pretty much use whatever fruit is in season. Next time I'm going to add a little kiwi to my berry batch and see how that comes out. I'm also incredibly tempted to try out pineapple.

Italian Ice

makes 4 cups

3 cups of halved fresh strawberries

2 T sugar

2 T honey

1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

Blend the fruit, sugar, honey and lemon juice with 2 cups of ice in a food processor or blender until chunky. Add another 1 cup of ice and blend until completely smooth.

Pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish and freeze for 30 minutes. Scrape the ice with a fork until slushy, then freeze until firm, about 2 more hours.

daily photo | robin egg

may 22, 2010 | sadly beautiful... this robin egg lays fallen from its nest

daily photo | help id bee or moth

may 21, 2010 | can anyone please tell me who this little creature is? a bee? a moth?

recipe | rustic sourdough boule

smitten with sourdough... Last month my sourdough starter arrived from King Arthur Flour. I had ordered a box full of items in a blind baking frenzy and had forgotten that I tossed in some sourdough starter right before I checked out. It wasn't until I pulled the small cup of beige goo out of the box and sat down to read the page of "feeding" directions that I realized I may have bitten off more than I can chew. Feed two times a day!!! That is a lot of pressure. On top of feeding my family, our two cats, six chickens, two tadpoles, and a few fish, I've gotta feed this starter too? I wanted to bow out right then and there.

But then I learned a little more about what I'd call the lazy woman's sourdough starter. Rather than keeping it out at room temperature, where you would have to keep it continually fed, I store my starter in the fridge and feed it once a week. I've fallen into a really comfy routine where I take out the starter every Friday night. I give it a stir and remove a solid cup full and compost it. Then I add in a half cup of water and one cup of flour. Stir and cover. I let that sit out overnight on my counter. Bright and early Saturday morning, I give it another stir and then add in another half cup of water and one cup of flour. Let that sit out for another 4-5 hours and voilá, your starter is ready and waiting to be used.

The brilliance of a good, hearty bread is pretty basic. Use quality ingredients and fresh yeast and bake with a zest of steam and you are pretty much guaranteed to produce a delicious, crusty loaf of bread. I tend to mix up my recipe every time I make a loaf. Lately, I've been trying to add as many whole grains as possible, but still keep a light, airy texture. I contribute a lot of these multigrain loaf's success to the sourdough.

I've believe that a nice loaf of artisanal bread simply wrapped always makes the perfect hostess gift. I usually just wrap a sleeve of parchment around the bread and tie with some of my favorite striped baking twine from Divine Twine. Jot down the loaf's name on a tag and add as a finishing touch. Simple elegance. Toss in some homemade butter and you'll be set for the day.

Here's a great sourdough loaf recipe for the crusty boule lover in all of us. To make it into a whole grain feast, I mix up the five cups of flour by dividing it out amongst 1/2c wheat germ, 1c spelt flour, 1 1/2c whole wheat flour, 1/2c potato flour, 1c white whole wheat, and 1/2c oat flour.

Rustic Sourdough Bread

from King Arthur Flour

1 cup "fed" sourdough starter

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

2 teaspons instant yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

5 cups All-Purpose Flour

Combine all of the ingredients, kneading to form a smooth dough.

Allow the dough to rise, in a covered bowl, until it's doubled in size, about 90 minutes.

Gently divide the dough in half; it'll deflate somewhat.

Gently shape the dough into two oval loaves, and place them on a lightly greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise until very puffy, about 1 hour. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 425°F.

Spray the loaves with lukewarm water.

Make two fairly deep horizontal slashes in each; a serrated bread knife, wielded firmly, works well here.

Bake the bread for 25 to 30 minutes, until it's a very deep golden brown. Remove it from the oven, and cool on a rack.

daily photo | lunar moth loveliness

may 17, 2010 | jackson's newest discovery, Luna the lunar moth

weekly wine walk | pops of color

pops of color abound... Seemingly overnight, our gardens and woods have come alive with bright pops of whites, pinks, purples and yellow. Peeking out from a sea of green, these happy colors give promise of warm summer days to come.

Wild strawberry has run amok. Rather than fighting against it, we are embracing it this year and actually allowing it to create beds of sweet little tiny treats.

We spotted our first Lady Slipper of the season last week. I swear, those plants are like the Magic Eye of the woods. I scouted the entire woodland floor in search of clues of Lady Slippers to come and each year I can never find a hint of one until it is in full bloom. Once you spot one, then all of a sudden you can see them everywhere. We feel pretty fortunate to have a plethora of these splendid blooms don our woods.

Dandelion seeds float across the garden beds hoping to take home in the fertile soil. Cosmos, peonies and Oriental poppies tight buds give hint of the blooms that will arrive imminently.

The Bluebead Lily's yellow blooms help it stand out from its hidden hideaway tucked into the woods. You have to go looking for this delicate flower each Spring, but sure enough it comes back each year in the same hiding spot.

Chamomile's blooms are starting to open. Fresh, soothing cups of chamomile tea are not too far off. The garden is started to awaken with germinating seeds and transplanted plants like the Oliver Brussel Sprout leaf above. Some folks took a little longer to germinate than expected, but they are all starting to break ground now.

Time has flown by and I am in awe that winter is behind us and summer is just around the corner. Thankfully, these little walks give me the time out needed to take stock in the beauty of this ever-changing land. Time to take a few deep breaths and drink in the serene peace.

raising chickens | week one

and don't forget Clark... Day four comes and we have finally agreed on names. Please meet Dottie, Gertie, Turtle, Beatrice, and BuzzBee. Clark, the rooster is not shown, but he's a complete hoot.

Clark quickly distinguished himself as the rooster by day two. As soon as you'd reach your hand down to clean out their brooder, he'd be running straight at you ready to peck while the hens gathered together in the corner.

Each and every one has already showed signs of different personalities. BuzzBee was the one we originally mistakenly thought was the rooster. We were initially a bit worried about this little one because she lagged behind the others a bit. Turns out, this Black Australorp is just the sweetest, calm hen. Turtle, named by my four-year-old, is definitely not shy. She goes nose to nose with Clark in a heartbeat. Dottie is the escapee. This Silver Laced Wyandotte is a quick one and can easily hop a shallow fenced in area.

They all have been a blast to have in our home. My family and I are looking forward to many years to come with these fine feathered friends.

wishlist | summer dining must-haves 26 dollars or less

(clockwise from top left: floral prep bowl set, $20; vintage flower mug set, $26; vintage tile coasters, $17)

a little bit of summer color... There is something about summer that just shouts time to entertain! I know up here in Northern New England, once the better weather comes around, folks emerge from their winter dwellings and their barbecues start smoking. The fun finds shown on today's post come from Patina Stores. This delightful shop has a little something for everyone.

(clockwise from top left: sweet pea plate, $9; owl branch tray, $5; happy camper cup, $6;

patchwork owl mug, $10; habitat mug, $8)

Patina Stores has a plethora of brightly designed melamin tableware that is sure to please any outdoor diner. The cheeky plates and cups inspired by Oh Deers and Happy Campers are not to be missed. Welcoming early morning sunrises on the deck are that much more content when chaperoned with a kitschy mug full of coffee or tea.

(left: odessa blue tea towel, $10; right: poppy tea towel, $7)

Personally, I do not think I will ever have enough tea towels, so I am always on the look out to add a couple more to the mix. The Odessa and Poppy prints are two of my current faves.

With the majority of prices falling below $20, Patina Stores is definitely a go-to shop for fun and fabulous frugal finds that are sure to brighten your summer dining experiences.

daily photo | lily of the valley

may 9, 2010 | a very happy mother's day to one and all

recipe | good for you granola bars

spelt? millet? seriously?... For the past few years I have been plagued by chronic back pain. I've always just thought it was something as simple as being out of alignment. Well, the other week I received the diagnosis that I actually have a progressive disorder with my spine that will only continue to get gradually worse. The outlook I was initially given was pretty bleak, but since then I have connected with a great source who filled me in on incorporating a PH balance into my diet. In a nutshell, our bodies tend to be too acidic in our normal diets. The goal is to increase your alkaline level, thus helping reduce the inflammation around your joints, helping to decrease your daily pain. So I look through some of the ingredients that I should be adding into my diet and they are things like spelt, millet and buckwheat. What in the world is spelt?

I'll be honest, I love all foods way too much to ever fully adopt one diet lifestyle. I have no problem incorporating more alkaline friendly foods into my diet, but I will never abandon my breads and cheeses. I rather deal with some pain and happy taste buds, than little pain and no delights. So I have been on a quest over the past few days to stock up on some healthy additions to my pantry and then find some yummy ways to use them.

First up were these extremely tasty good-for-you granola bars. The thing that I love about granola is that you can pretty much incorporate anything you desire into the recipe. I'll share with you mine, but feel free to substitute as you desire. I have to say, these bars came out absolutely delicious and you can make a batch on the weekend and store the individually-wrapped bars in the freezer for a quick anytime treat.

Good-for-You Granola Bars

1/3c raw wheat germ

2/3c spelt flakes

2/3c rolled oats

1/3c buckwheat groats

1/3c spelt berries

2/3c sugar

1/3c oat flour

1/2tsp salt

1/4tsp cinnamon

1c dried fruits (I used a variety mix)

1c nuts, chopped (I used almonds)

1/3c almond butter

1tsp vanilla extract

1/4c honey

2T light corn syrup

6T melted butter

1T water

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Stir all the dry ingredients together in one bowl. In another bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dried and mix together. The mixture will be slightly wet, but not clumpy.

Lightly grease an 8x8 pan. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and press down gently to mold mixture into the pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Cool in pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled. To easily cut these into bars, refrigerate for 30 minutes, then use a large knife to cut into desired bar size. Refrigerating the bars prior to cutting helps cut down on the crumble factor. Store in the refrigerator or wrap individually and freeze for later snacking.

raising chickens | six baby chicks later

meet Gertie... Isn't she a keeper? Gertie and her five new siblings arrived into our home today. I'd like to be more clever than to just coo over over their complete cuteness, but honestly, it is almost hypnotizing. Names are currently being discussed, but I am questioning the viability of my four-year-old's name suggestions like Zoom Zoom and Buzz Buzz. Mind you, his last four pet bugs were also named Zoom Zoom or Buzz Buzz.

We're still perfecting their brooder, but it is coming along nicely and hopefully it will provide a comfortable home. So our family has officially grown by six more. We happily welcome our hens, a Buff Orpington, a Black Australorp, White Plymouth Rocks, Araucanas, and a Silver Laced Wyandotte, and our New Hampshire Red rooster to their new home in New Gloucester.

weekly wine walk | and ode to green

weekly wine walk... It was hot out today. Hot, humid and well, completely wacky. I got out of work this evening and it was 81º with heavy humidity. Mind you, we had a snow shower last week, albeit brief, but snow nonetheless. I really can't keep up with the changes, but I will say that all the rare early warmth this Spring has really led to an early greening of our woods.

My favorite little white violets proliferate our patches of grass and moss. They definitely take a treading and keep on spreading.

The woodland floors are coming alive with signs of blooms to come, while moss throws up strange little shoots of tiny, little seedpods waiting to burst forth.

Lily-of-the-Valley's pods are getting fatter by the day while woodland orchid's play hiding games with their discrete blooms. The Lady Slipper's are still elusive right now, but I know that it will be any day now before I spot my first one of the season.

Finally, the ferns. The magnificent ferns that dominate the borders of our woods. Various shapes, sizes and colors, these graceful creatures give a lesson in patience as they slowly unfurl over several days. Just beautiful.