BBQ'd Peach and grilled onions on venison burgers

Pictures of one of our favorite summer meals now that fall is here! I reset my password which I had forgotten months ago.  We bbq'd some lovely local peaches, sweet onions, peppers, added with some heritage orange tomatoes and sauteed chard with our  venison burger on homemade fresh wheat bread...

paper cats...

The Easter bunny likes to bring simple things to this home. He likes to hide the dyed eggs, brings some chocolate and may leave some stickers or something new and simple for fun.  This year he left some "Dressy Cat" cut outs from made by joel found here: http://madebyjoel.com/2011/09/introducing-the-dressy-cats.html .   The bunny also left behind some cutouts also from made by Joel of Paper City Paris.  I have to admit I was probably the most excited and as a child or now would have gladly played for hours with the little people.  I will probably need to find them again in a few years when little girl offspring is ready for paper dolls.

 

I am also excited to have started to play with Picasa 3 features and found some of the fun simple techniques for editing photos. Our digital camera is low budget, since it is more likely to end up falling in a river we refrained from a high end model for a while...I admit I am technologically neglected...I admit I am still without a smartphone...hoping to remain  for a little longer...

Distractions.

I feel distracted a lot lately.  Maybe, not more than usually but perhaps I have just been a little more aware of the feeling of distractions.  So many things to do...around this home...projects and ideas that are swirling in my thoughts, wanted to be more aware and present in my friendships and time with people....

I have been trying to think more about what this space is to be.  What theme or ideas I would like my thought to focus on here...Which will be hard as this house and its people are not one to focus well.  There are constant projects and hobbies around waiting to be finished in this old house. All the corners of the house have projects we have begun that are awaiting for completion...Oh, the joys of century old houses...

This post has been swirling in my head for too many weeks now. Not that I have followers yet but still unclear why I started this blog.  I am not an exceptional cook,  although we experiment greatly.  I am not an exceptional at sewing, any specific art or craft, diy or other house projects.  I jump into projects often before it is well planned in my ideas, curious what will turnout and always like to try something new.

My photography still are a decade behind and my camera mediocre. I grieve that the digital world has made me grieve for the traditional black and white process, hours spent in dark rooms during my teen years and the old art of photographic chemicals obsolete.

So with those words, here are some poor pictures of cooking projects.  I have been obsessed with citrus pies after making a blood orange pie and then subsequently had to try making a pie out of each of a tangelo, grapefruit, lime and standard naval orange.  However, the pies did not last long and pictures never looked adequate.  At some point I will get to taking a good picture.

Phyllo has become a staple in the house and a regular pair of morning breakfasts.  Phyllo quiches, egg pie etc. are surprisingly quick baking for about 16 minutes or so and the man often makes them for breakfast these days.
We have been sneaking in veggies via "green eggs" pie that the little people in this house will eat.We use olive oil at times to reduce some butter.

Here is a broccoli, cheese, and egg phyllo pie.

Here is a pan of  huckleberry, keylime bars with walnut graham crust.   It is a classic graham cracker crust that I added crushed walnuts to.  The filling is a basic keylime pie recipe (5 egg yolks, 1 can condensed milk, 1/2 c lime juice) and then huckleberries mixed in.  It was incredibly rich and sweet.

I love little phyllo creations... They are like a sweet little gift..  Individually wrapped filled with lovely flavors. Savory or sweet they can be so many possibilities... Phyllo triangles or"pockets" that the little one calls them... I have been filling with everything spinach, cheese, potatoes and I tried a butternut squash filling too...

For a dessert version a spoonful of nutella, and a slice of banana. Sprinkled with cocoa powder...They are rich and decadent. 

Up-cycling Terrariums

 It's rainy...Our winter has had little snow for the small mountain town we live in.

I started to think about spring.... What things I want to grow around here. Projects for outside once the ground thaws and decided to begin inside.

We have a reclaimed building supply business in town and they had a tub of new round light fixture bulbs for $1 each.  I picked up a few for a some ideas that I am excited about.  

I wrapped copper jewelry wire around the base and top and strung three together to hang. I was thinking about the old Japanese fishing floats and wanted them to look similar. Twine would work well with theses too. I planted them with some small plant starts that have been in my kitchen window.  I am pleased with how they turned out.  They don't seem to be accumulating condensation as much as a closed terrarium, so I water them occasionally.

I also planted a few in some small pottery pieces we have around.

Sunday morning..

Shards of cut paper are scattered on the wood floors and the table is sticky from the marmalade from breakfast. Little voices giggle and streak from the kitchen. Morning  sunshine is glittering through the linen window shades.

I have been cutting dozens of butterflies and little birds from all kinds of papers the past week.  Anything from old calenders, cards, newpaper,  children's coloring scraps, and wrapping paper is vulnerable. Some of the little birds were passed out to friends by little hands at preschool this past week.  Some of them are still hiding under the sofa, waiting until it is swept. 

I had not ventured into the blog world until reading my first food blog just several weeks ago.... 

 


So, here I am writing my random thoughts after pondering for days what my first post would be...a recipe? Perhaps dabbling with the blood orange pie recipe, a pasta recipe or a goat cheese tart..but we ate the last piece and I didn't get any pictures. 

Maybe I will just post pictures of simple things that are inspiring.

I will share some of these little ideas that swirl in the puzzle of my thoughts, amid the uninitiated projects and plans that are always budding in my mind.  These ideas are not perfected,  not always completely original.  Someone out there can and will probably complete things more thoroughly, more deliberately and with more delicate charm than my attempts.

But I gain great pleasure with my simple imperfectly lovely creations...