It Was a Good Day

Hooray for the sun!

It was a gorgeous day in my corner of the world today.

The birds were singing, the daffodils are in full bloom

And look at the noon reading on the thermometer.

I hadn't planned to spend the day outdoors, but with this kind of weather who could resist? Besides, the prediction is that the weather will change tomorrow and RAIN will be back once more for the next several days.

My little potager garden need some attention. Why is it that weeds can survive the cold when desirable plants cannot?

But the strawberries are still green

And the garlic looks good

Some of the leaf lettuce I planted in the fall didn't grow enough to harvest before first frost

but has survived and is ready to resume growing.

A few arugula plants are still green and edible.

I bought onion bulbs a few weeks ago and decided today would be a good time to get those started. February is the month onions and cabbage are planted in this area.

The dogs enjoyed being outside as much as I did

 and lay patiently until I was ready to come inside.

Here's Valerie scratching her back against the fence.

Before I knew it, lunch time had arrived. How times flies when you're having fun.

Making a salad is never quick work: all that chopping and peeling. I like to think of constructing a salad as designing a work of art. Silly me!
But all those colors and shapes remind me of placing paint on a canvas.

Lettuce, avocado, egg, bell pepper, carrot, tomato, marinated artichoke, cucumber, black olives, croutons, sunflower seeds.

Making the lunch was almost as tiring as digging in the garden.

Got to have my cucumber and lemon water.

Drinking a lot with all the activity.

Back outside for a short time for the second walk of the day with the dogs.

I happened to see this weed growing underneath a tree. I have no idea its name but I think it's quite pretty.

Very prickly though.

The day ended with a pretty sun sinking in the western sky,

 but the clouds are rolling in.

Kitty Carl is safe on his pillow in the garage. He's waiting on brother Murtie and baby sister Myrtle so the door can be closed for the night.

All's well; everyone's here.

Carl wishes you a goodnight.

My Imaginary Tea Room

Following up on yesterday's post, I decided to open an imaginary tea room, where I could do things my way.

We'll make a couple of assumptions:

 1) money is not a consideration in the set up or operation. 

2) I won't have to work in it.

 I'll only do the fun stuff -- choosing and designing the space, buying the appointments, choosing the menu. I'll only be there to greet the customers, go around to their tables to ask if everything is to their liking.

I'll be making sure the staff is doing everything correctly and I may occasionally find a little table in the corner to relax, bask in the ambiance, read a book, sample the sumptuous fare I have myself chosen and had someone else lovingly prepare.

Are you with me? Ready for a journey into the perfect tea room?

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I'll find an ancient stone structure seeping with the patina of age. 

I'll live upstairs so I'm never very far away from my pride and joy tea room.

(Pinterest images unless otherwise noted.)

Flowers spill from boxes outside each window.

Old wrought iron chairs at the front entryway bid visitors to sit and relax in the sunshine while they wait their turn at the table. The tea room is so popular that there's always a long wait, but diners aren't bothered by that. The food and the dining experience is well worth the wait.

Upon entering, diners are met by the strings of Vivaldi. So soothing and relaxing. The music puts everyone in such a fine mood, to the point there are never unhappy customers and a dish has never been returned to the kitchen. 

The trickling of a fountain is heard when there's a pause in the music.

Scattered throughout the tea room are green topiary and fresh-cut flowers.

The always friendly staff, ladies in black dresses and white aprons, escort diners to tables that are individually appointed.

Each table is adorned with fresh flowers of the season.

My picture 3/2012

Tea -- Earl Gray, Lady Gray, Jasmine, Darjeeling and Lapsong Souchong, served in a  silver footed pot,

a blue and white ceramic pot

or a pot somewhat more modern in design.

After brewing the proper amount of time, the waitress returns to pour.

Since there'll be those who insist, iced tea also is available. (After all, this is the South, and Southerns love their tea, sweetened, no less!)

On a sideboard against the wall sits pitchers of cucumber lemon water -- a refreshing and healing beverage.

See my previous post for details about this drink.

My picture 7/2012

Scones anyone? Yes, and I'll have strawberry jam with mine.

And Double Devon Cream. Or do you prefer Clotted Cream? Expensive, yes, but nothing is too good for MY customers.

What's a tea room without tea sandwiches? We'll be making cucumber, egg salad, chicken salad and cream cheese with pineapple and chopped walnuts.

Oh so many other things to choose from. Victorian Sponge Cake, lemon curd tartlets, banana nut bread, cheese straws and other delights too numerous to name.

But wait, I got ahead of myself. We have to eat a main dish before dessert, don't we?  I think we'll have the following choices:

We must have a soup of the day (seasonal)

Caesar Salad and two other green salads

Pasta Salad

Fruit Plate
Assorted tea sandwiches

Club Sandwich

Chicken Lasagna (hot)

Savory Crepes

All of the offerings must be cooked prepared fresh each morning. No menu items will require cooking after the customer orders (except for the crepe choices, which cook in a flash anyway).

In the entryway, I think I'll carry a selection of items for sale. Tea, tea cozies, tea towels, teapots, cups and saucers, aprons, gift baskets. Anything with a tea connection. And how about these darling  note cards?

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I'm still thinking! There will be other additions/changes as we go along.

Now I need your input on any or all of these questions.

Would you visit this tea room?

What additions/subtractions/changes would you make?

Do you have suggestions for the menu?

I look forward to your feeback.

Disclaimer: I am not even THINKING about opening a tea room. This exercise is all in fun!

Garlic Cheese Biscuits: Easiest Bread You'll Ever Make

Garlic Cheese Biscuits. There was the recipe on the bag of White Lily Self-Rising Flour staring me in the face. I was tempted and succumbed. 

Biscuits. With cheese. And garlic. What's not to like?

The recipe comes together very quickly:  Begin with the basic biscuit recipe and add the cheese as directed. 

No kneading, no rolling out -- just scoop the batter by tablespoons onto the baking sheet and brush with butter and garlic powder.

Bakes in 10 minutes.

Calls for some jam and tea, don't you think?

I was among a group of ladies who ate lunch one day last week at a local tearoom. The food was "OK" but I thought of numerous ways they could make it better. One problem, in my opinion, was the packaged saltines they placed on the plates with the salads. 

After making these yummy biscuits, I thought the tearoom would do well to serve a simple thing such as this little biscuit alongside their salads. Or offer them as an appetizer while waiting for the meal to be served.

I do admit a great "fault" of mine is eating out and analyzing the food and service and thinking of ways it could be improved. But then, I've been accused of being a "foodie."

Do you think I should be so bold as to approach the tearoom owner and give them my suggestions? Perhaps they would throw me out the door and tell me to mind my own business. Tell me they don't want any outside help. Would think I have an ulterior motive and want something in return.

But it's none of the above. I just like to see eating establishments I enjoy prosper and stay in business.

And I think they could draw quite a lunch crowd with these Garlic Cheese Biscuits.

What do YOU think? Have you baked these or a similar recipe? If not, are you tempted to try them?

Recipe for Basic Biscuits

Crisco Original Non-Stick Cooking Spray

2 cups White Lily Enriched Bleached Self-Rising Flour

1/4 cup Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening, chilled

  or 1/4 stick Crisco Baking Sticks All-Vegetable Shortening, chilled

2/3 to 3/4 cups buttermilk or milk

Heat oven to 500F. Coat baking sheet with non-stick spray.

Measure flour into large bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender or 2 knives until crumbs are the size of peas. Blend in just enough milk with fork until dough leaves sides of bowl.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently 2-3 times. Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut using floured 2-inch biscuit cutter. Place on prepared baking sheet 1-inch apart for crisp sides or almost touching for soft sides.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes 12 biscuits.

VARIATION: GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS

Stir in 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese before adding milk. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake as directed above. Combine 1/4 cup melted butter and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Brush on warm biscuits.

Note: I used the Crisco baking sticks.

Groundhog Day Plus One

The Groundhog has spoken:

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This was to have been yesterday’s post, on February 2, better known as Groundhog Day. Due to other activities, it's a day late. 

Groundhog Day predicts the arrival of spring, according to Pennsylvania German folklore. If the groundhog, named Punxutawney Phil, emerges from his burrow on a cloudy day and does not see his shadow, then spring will come early.

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However, if it’s sunny and he thus sees its shadow, he will retreat back into his burrow and winter weather will continue six weeks more.

When I was a child, this didn't make sense to me. It seemed if the sun was out, that would mean spring was on the way. However, it was explained to me that seeing his shadow would frighten him so that he would go back and hide.

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Hmmm, that's just about as reasonable, and perhaps dependable, as expecting some high-paid television weather person to tell us what the weather's going to be!

But I digress.

 According to Wikipedia:

• The celebration, which began as a Pennsylvania German custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, has its origins in ancient European weather lore, wherein a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog.
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• It also bears similarities to the Pagan festival of Imbolc, the seasonal turning point of the Celtic calendar, which is celebrated on February 1 and also involves weather prognostication and to St. Swithun's Day in July.
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• The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. Already a widely recognized and popular tradition, the day received widespread attention as a result of the 1993 film Groundhog Day, which was set in Punxsutawney.
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• In southeastern Pennsylvania, Groundhog Lodges (Grundsow Lodges) celebrate the holiday with fersommlinge, social events in which food is served, speeches are made, and one or more g'spiel (plays or skits) are performed for entertainment. The Pennsylvania German dialect is the only language spoken at the event, and those who speak English pay a penalty, usually in the form of a nickel, dime, or quarter per word spoken, with the money put into a bowl in the center of the table.
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• Modern customs of the holiday involve celebrations where early morning festivals are held to watch the groundhog emerging from its burrow.

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 According to Groundhog Day organizers, the rodent forecasts are accurate 75% to 90% of the time. However, a Canadian study for 13 cities in the past 30 to 40 years found that the weather patterns predicted on Groundhog Day were only 37% accurate over that time period—a value not significant compared to the 33% that could occur by chance.

 According to the StormFax Weather Almanac and records kept since 1887, Punxsutawney Phil's weather predictions have been correct 39% of the time. The National Climatic Data Center has described the forecasts as "on average, inaccurate" and stated that "The groundhog has shown no talent for predicting the arrival of spring, especially in recent years."

It has been reported that the groundhog didn’t see his shadow yesterday, which means that spring will arrive soon. Let’s hope Punxutawney Phil beats the odds and his prediction is correct!

Maybe they should just designate a female groundhog to replace Phil and see how accurate she can predict spring's arrival.

Or perhaps this lady in her lovely white summer skirt?

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What do you think?

Audrey Style

While waiting in the grocery store check-out line today, I picked up and flipped through Life magazine’s re-issue of a tribute to Audrey Hepburn on 20th anniversary of her death, on Jan. 22, 1993.

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I didn’t buy it, as it was rather pricey: $12.95. Instead, I came home and pulled off the shelf my copy of Audrey Style, a 1999 book by Pamela Clarke Keogh.

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If you are an Audrey fan, I highly recommend this book. It contains more than 90 black-and-white and color photos and covers a lot of territory in its 230 pages.

It spans the year of her birth in 1929 in Belgium, to the years spent back and forth between Brussels, England and the Dutch town of Arnhem, where she spent the war years. You learn about her stage and film career, her two failed marriages, her work with UNICEF and finally, her later years in Switzerland, where she died of cancer.

One great thing is learning, if you didn’t already know, that with Audrey, beauty was more than skin deep. Her generosity of spirit, her kindness and her grace and manners were what so impressed everyone who knew her.

She was and is one of the most admired and emulated women of the twentieth century. Keogh writes, “Grace Kelly had her Hermes bag and Coco the little black dress, but Audrey popularized the gamine haircut, flat ballet shoes, the turtleneck, slim capri pants, extravagant dark glasses, cinched waists, three-quarter sleeves and fitted shirts wrapped at the waist. Her personal style was so compelling that, as Cecil Beaton wrote in Vogue, ‘nobody ever looked like her before World War II…now thousands of imitations have appeared.’ “

And so it remains today.

Who can ever forget her ethereal look when she appeared at the top of Professor Higgins' stairs, ready for the ball, in My Fair Lady? 

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 Or in the outfit she wore to the horse races:

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 I think I have seen all of her films. One of my favorites is Roman Holiday with Gregory Peck. 

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Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in Roman Holiday

Quotes from the book:

"Audrey was known for something which has disappeared, and that is elegance, grace and manners…God kissed her on the check, and there she was."

---Billy Wilder

"There is not a woman alive who does not dream of looking like Audrey Hepburn."

---Hubert De Givenchy

"She was the first to make something that’s not sexy, sexy."

---Cynthia Rowley

"One got a sense that Audrey Hepburn didn’t know how beautiful she was. There was never another movie star like her."

---Issac Mizrahi

"Audrey came to town and everyone immediately wanted to lose ten pounds, including me – and I don’t have to."

---Audrey Wilder

"The more there is, the less I want. The more man flies to the moon, the more I want to look at a tree."

---Audrey Hepburn

Are you a fan of Hepburn? Do you admire her style?