Tea Stands for Tuesday 1/22/19

Good Morning on this Tuesday.  I'm waiting for my coffee to brew and my English muffin to toast.  Nothing quite like lemon curd made from your own lemons for breakfast.

MICROWAVE LEMON CURD (makes about a cup)

Zest of one lemon
6 Tablespoons sugar
3 eggs
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup butter

Combine lemon zest, juice, butter and sugar in a micro-safe glass bowl of at least 4 cup capacity. Cover bowl with plastic wrap turned back to allow steam to escape. Microwave on high for 4 minutes.

Meanwhile beat eggs in a small bowl with a wire whisk. Gradually beat in about 1/2 of the hot lemon mixture. Pour this egg/lemon mixture back in the microwave bowl with the remaining hot mix, beating with a wire whisk to make it smooth. Microwave uncovered for 1 minute 30 seconds.

Remove bowl from microwave and whisk mixture until smooth. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon. If not thick enough, microwave 1 minute longer (I never had to do this). Whisk until smooth.

Put lemon curd in a one cup container and refrigerate. Keeps one month.

You can see all the citrus we picked from our river property in my yesterday's blog post.  I'm now going to the Altered Book Lover blog to see what my friends have been up to.  Please join us.  It is a great group.

Hello!

We've been at the River House for the past week with no wifi.  I've missed checking on my friends so will be doing that today

We have quite a few citrus trees there and this is the time of year most of the fruit ripens.  We brought home lots of lemons and oranges.  I have a number of recipes that use lemons.  Lemon tarts, lemon pie, lemon cake, lemon curd and so forth.  I don't have many that use oranges though

Do you have a favorite recipe that uses citrus fruit to share with me?

Tea Stands for Tuesday - 1/8/18

Time for a cup of tea (or coffee or whatever you want) at Elizabeth's place.  It is always a great gathering.  I hope you will join us.

cats having tea

Faerie Magazine

This Tuesday I'm feeling the need of some luxury.  I'd like to be at this table having tea.  Doesn't it look lavish?  I can almost hear those cats purr.

handmade by Laurie

A friend made this beaded necklace and gave it to me some time ago.  Because it is a precious gift and because it is beautiful I have been saving it for "best".   I think I'll wear it today.  Wear it even if the rest of my outfit is just baggy pants and a tee shirt.  A little luxury.

Tell me, what bit of luxury will you dream up for yourself?

Art Journal Journey - Geometric Shapes

My entry to the "Geometric Shapes" challenge is a painting.  I actually started this a very long time ago but relegated it to the "paint over it" pile of canvases.  When I pulled it out I saw some possibilities.  Inspired by the Geometric challenge, I went to work on what I had and in the end I feel I captured the feeling or atmosphere I was after

acrylic on 9x12 canvas board

Sometimes it pays to put something away for awhile if you are stuck or if it isn't going like you want it to go.  

Please click on over to the Art Journal Journey blog to view other entries to this challenge.

This morning's poetry

pen and ink on cardstock

What I know

I could put into a pack

as if it were bread and cheese, and carry it

on one shoulder,

important and honorable, but so small!

While everything else continues, unexplained

and unexplainable. How wonderful it is

to follow a thought quietly

to its logical end.

I have done this a few times.

But mostly I just stand in the dark field,

in the middle of the world, breathing

in and out. Life so far doesn't have any other name

but breath and light, wind and rain.

If there's a temple, I haven't found it yet.

I simply go on drifting, in the heaven of the grass

and the weeds.

- Mary Oliver

Second on the Second - 1/2/2019

In keeping with Elizabeth's Second on the second, I'm bringing this up for a second view.  

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Cleaning on my mind

The coming New Year always sets off a cleaning frenzy for me.  I don't think I am alone in this.  Files to be organized and papers to be shredded.  Closets to be cleaned and long unworn items to be donated.  Windows to be washed.  I know it is winter and I imagine we will get more rain - but still I'd like to be able to see out.  While I'm at it the blinds could stand some attention.  

Do you know, the more I look into life, the more things it seems to me I can successfully lack—and continue to grow happier. How many kinds of food I do not need, nor cooks to cook them, how much curious clothing nor tailors to make it, how many books that I never read, and pictures that are not worth while! The farther I run, the more I feel like casting aside all such impedimenta—lest I fail to arrive at the far goal of my endeavour.

I like to think of an old Japanese nobleman I once read about, who ornamented his house with a single vase at a time, living with it, absorbing its message of beauty, and when he tired of it, replacing it with another. I wonder if he had the right way, and we, with so many objects to hang on our walls, place on our shelves, drape on our chairs, and spread on our floors, have mistaken our course and placed our hearts upon the multiplicity rather than the quality of our possessions!

David Grayson quote from "Adventures in Friendship"

Does the New Year signal a cleaning spree for you?

Be sure to visit Elizabeth's blog to see what others are offering a second look at.

Tea Stands for Tuesday - HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year

I am so happy to join my blogger friends at Altered Book Lover on this first day and first Tuesday of the year.  Many of us have been with Elizabeth for a long time and newcomers are always welcome

I know it is very cold outside for some of you so I'm offering you a drink this morning.  I'm having coffee but you can choose hot chocolate, chai, or even a mimosa.  Whatever you do, have a wonderful start to a New Year.