Mmmmmmm! I’m enjoying a thick slice of this delicious, fragrant cake and sipping a cup of Earl Blue as I write this post. There is something so wonderful about the combination of bergamot/lavender tea and moist, lemony/herb cake. These refreshments seem like something that Beatrix Potter characters would indulge in before being tucked into bed.…
There’s a little whole foods grocery store/co-op in Minneapolis called The Wedge. They have an awesome bakery, juice bar and lunch counter in the back of the store, and when we’re in the area we like to go there to enjoy a quick lunch before we do our shopping. They serve an amazing butternut squash…
It’s been a really cold week. Can you say 16 below zero? That’s like Antarctica cold. How do we Minnesotans survive, you may ask? Just remember “Melissa’s Three C rule.” Do you have a pen and paper ready? You’ll want to write this down. C is for Clothing : Dress in many layers. Whatever you…
What a great week it’s been for cooking and photographing. I’m getting so much done, and it feels good. Tonight the hubby has a meeting in the cities, so Gracie and I are ordering a pizza and watching movies. A night off from cooking sort of seems like a mini vacation, and I like that.…
I thought after posting the carby sugary post that I shared yesterday, it would only be right to share something healthy and veggie-laden today. This is one of the easiest, yummiest salads in my repertoire. Sometimes I make it as a side salad, and sometimes I top it with grilled chicken strips and make it…
What images come to mind when you hear… snow day? I immediately relax and start making chicken stock and bread dough. I open the curtains wide, to let in the light and so we can have a panoramic view of the goings-on outside. Gracie hunkers down under a quilt with her sketch pad in hand…
If you like big, spicy, chewy, ginger cookies this is the recipe for you. They’re perfect! The cayenne can be reduced or eliminated all together if you don’t like the heat…but I think it’s what makes these cookies so awesome. 2 ¼ cups unbleached all purpose flour 2 tsp baking soda ¼ tsp salt 1…
This week is flying by. I can hardly believe that tomorrow is already Friday. I’ve had a combination busy week with lazy days mixed in. These cold winter days make me feel like I could just curl up in front of the fireplace with a stack of books and a pile of yarn and knitting…
Today was a lovely, lazy day. I had the house to myself and I really didn’t do much, which was completely wonderful. I did a little cooking, even less cleaning, lots of reading and tea sipping in front of the fireplace, and I even took a half hour nap. Exactly what I needed to feel…
I’m so happy to be snuggled into my little cottage today while the fierce, winter winds blow outside. I had my brother over for lunch today…we had leftover chop suey sandwiches and watched THIS movie, while we sipped French press. I am so grateful for the awesome people in my life. I made this interesting…