Enjoy the Roses Outside Your Window

My First Rose 2009

I thought I would share this rose with you, it's my first of the year. I picked it up a couple of years ago at Home Depot. I fell in love with the color.

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. ---Dale Carnegie


Have a GREAT weekend!

Mr. Rooster the Chicken Oil Lamp

I found this pewter oil lamp topper at the Solomon Wine Tasting Room in downtown Murphy's. There were several styles to choose from, one being this chicken which I have name "Mr. Rooster" and several pewter flowers.

The instructions suggested using an old wine bottle for the base and filling the bottom with small pebbles and then lamp oil. I found this champagne bottle at a local thrift store which has a heavy metal bottom. It's very secure and seems to be working well; however I'm not sure I like the chicken in this bottle. I'm thinking the pewter rose would have been a better choice, and perhaps I can find something a bit more country for the Mr. Rooster. Perhaps, we'll have to go back to Murphy's and pick up that pewter rose!

Cooking Companions

No one who cooks cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generatiojns of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers. --Laurie Colwin

The following recipe is one of my favorites....It's a simple recipe...and good with coffee, tea, or a glass of milk.

Mable’s Cinnamon Bars
1 cup Butter
Oven 350°
1 ½ cups Sugar
Baking time: 20-25 minutes
2 cups Flour
4 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 Egg (separated)
1 cup chopped nuts


Combine butter, one cup sugar, flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon and egg yoke.
Blend thoroughly. Press lightly into shallow pan, ¼ inch thick.
Beat egg white until foamy. Brush over surface on mixture.
Combine ½ cup of the remaining sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon.
Sprinkle over egg white.
Top with nuts.
Bake in 350° for 20-25 minutes.
Cut while hot, cool in pan.

From the Kitchen of Mable Edwards 1972

Zeus & Connor....."Best Buds Before Buddy"

Connor & Zeus

During my oldest son's deployment to Iraq,

his dog Zeus came to live at our house here in California. During that fifteen month period, Connor and Zeus became very good friends. Both enjoyed many trips to Pinecrest Lake.

Zeus made himself at home in the quest room immediately.

Zeus is a Siberian Husky and such a good looking guy.

Connor and Zeus became "Best Buds."

Perhaps this is one reason Connor grew to be such a large Scottie...he had to keep up with Zeus.

It was hard to say goodbye after that long airplane

ride from Colorado Springs. (Zeus has more air miles than most human travelers)

However, there was work to be done in Iraq.

I choose to remember my son's time in Iraq by this picture,

winning the hearts of the Iraq children.

When he called home from Iraq, he would always say, "Hello, Mumzie."

Connor & Zeus enjoyed many "Popcorn Friday" nights together.

Zeus & Mumzie

The Hubs and I enjoyed walks around Pinecrest Lake with Zeus and Connor

....well maybe halfway around!

When the Oldest returned and took Zeus home to Colorado, Conner became very depressed. His playful nature went sour and he spent his days sleeping. He had lost his best friend. After four months, his disposition had not improved. We knew he needed a friend to replace Zeus. So we looked for a little buddie for him; and that's when we found "Buddy Love", the sparkplug of our lives. Buddy thinks he's a Siberian Husky and can pull all of us around Pinecrest Lake with no problem! Today, Zeus lives in California with my son and his family and he comes to visit.

You can visit some of Zeus' relatives at

http://www.myperfectpal.com/

It was during this time that I became known as

"Mumzie"

Yoga - The Good Life

My Yoga Path.....


Well it's week three of my three month Anti-Aging Yoga class, which is actually a class beyond yoga. I've taken yoga classes before, this one's a little different. First of all, a class of this nature has never been offered in the Central Valley. You would have to travel to San Francisco or Los Angeles. Since classes of this nature normally cost around $150, and it is being offered free as part of my gym membership, I thought I would give it a try. My teacher, who I will call Yogi Al, will be 60 next year and has been studying yoga for over 25 years. He promises if we follow his techniques, we will all look younger by July!


The first two classes were lectures on lifestyle.
1)No alcohol; 2) No eating after 6:00pm unless it's fruit;
3) Fiber at night; 4) No caffeine;
5) Breathing exercises; 6) Yoga asanas (exercises); 7) Water with lemon.

Well, this all seemed a little too extreme for me because I love my tea and wine; and I always eat late because that's when the Hubs gets home from work. So, Ive been trying; not always successful....but I've been trying. I gave up the wine. However, I did partake in a Mamosa or two on Easter Sunday. I'm working on having less tea, but I'm not sure this is something I can give up...especially as the weather gets warmer....I love my ice tea! Anyway, last night Yogi Al tells the class we can have "red" wine, 1-2 glasses for women and 3 glasses for men per week. I guess, he was just trying to see who was serious about the class. This is a good thing....it looks like I'll be having a glass of red wine with dinner!


Thought for the Day.......

The Good Life

Once one knows what really matters, one ceases to be voluble. And what does really matter? That is easy: thinking and doing, doing and thinking - and these are the sum of all wisdom...Both must move ever onward in life, to and fro, like breathing in and breathing out. Whoever makes it a rule to test action by thought, thought by action, cannot falter, and if he does, will soon find his way back to the right road.


- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe



Yoga produces an incredible feeling of joy, peace, and beauty that is beyond words!
Mumzie

Asparagus...Asparagus...Asparagus

It's Asparagus Season!

Do you like Asparagus?

I love Asparagus!

The Stockton Asparagus Festival will begin its 24th year on April 24-26,2009.

I love Asparagus, it dosen't matter how it's prepared, I just love the stuff. On the other hand, the Hubs can't stand it. He calls it "Aspar-grass," because it reminds him of grass. Well, his loss my gain, because I get to eat his share too.

More on Asparagus.....

Lily, Oh Lily

It's part of the lily family, asparagus is grown in sandy soils. Since our soil here in the Central Valley is very sandy, we were once a lake bottom....asparagus grows very. During the winter months, most asparagus in the supermarkets is imported from Peru, but I like our local crop much better.

To cook, wash well under cool water, then steam briefly with the stalks standing upright, stir-fry, or drizzle with olive oil and flash blast in the oven.
Kept in the dark white asparagus is just green asparagus that hasn't seen the light of day. To keep it from turning green, it's grown in total darkness under mounds of dirt.

Popular in Europe, white asparagus is tender and mild.

Asparagus tastes best when cooked soon after purchase. Markets should refrigerate their asparagus or store it standing upright in cold water. Asparagus stored upright in cold water tastes the best and last longer in the refrigerator. Wrap stalks in damp paper towels and store in the crisper until ready to prepare. Here are two ways I love asparagus.

Roasted Asparagus

1 Bunch Asparagus

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Fresh or Dried Basil

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Place ingredients in large ziplock bag and toss.

Place on baking sheet or BBQ until tender.

Bake @ 450

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

A few spears of asparagus, some slices of prosciutto, and a bit of creamy Neufchatel cheese is all you need to assemble this fancy little side dish. Make a few more, and serve them on an appetizer tray.

1/2 pound prosciutto, sliced
1/2 (8 ounce) package Neufchatel cheese, softened
12 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Spread prosciutto slices with Neufchatel cheese. Wrap slices around 2 or 3 asparagus spears. Arrange wrapped spears in a single layer on a medium baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until asparagus is tender.

Enjoy,

Mumzie

Outdoor Wednesday - April 15th, 2009

Today is Outdoor Wednesday

hosted by

Susan

@ A Southern Daydreamer

Thank you Susan!

Pink Geranium

Small Bloodgood Red Japanese Maple Tree

The changing faces of my hanging baskets.

Bottom of the barrel pansies.

I love these colors together.

Cala Lily - Splendid Beauty

Almost open, but not yet.

Our Large Bloodgood Japanese Red Maple tree is still adding it's beautiful leaves.

******************************

Listen, and attend with the ear of your heart.

- Saint Benedict

***************

Have a GREAT Wednesday!

Mumzie

Cleo & Cocoa Arrive on Easter Sunday

Welcome Cleo & Cocoa

Pink Pokadots & Chocolate Scented!

Cleo & Cocoa arrived on Easter Sunday
direct from my brother's house in Santa Cruz California.
Both love their new home at Mumzie's Place,
and are just perfect alongside Beatrix Bunnie,
Thankyou,
Jerry, Janet, Bryan & Krysta

Meet Beatrix Bunny.....

Beatrix
The Beatrix Potter Collection

Beatrix looks over her collection ever so nicely!

It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is "soporific." I have never felt sleepy after eating lettuces; but then I am not a rabbit.

They certainly had a very soporific effect upon the Flopsy Bunnies!.......

from the tale of

"The Tale of The Flopsy Bunnies"

by Beatrix Potter

In 1986 I bought this little set of Beatrix Potter books for my daughter. I just fell in love with the all twelve of the little books. All are original and authorized editions. One of my favorite movies recently is "Miss Potter" with Renee Zellweger. It came out in 2006.

I loved the movie and plan to purchase the DVD for my collection someday.

I'm so looking forward to reading these books to my little grandchild

when he/she arrives this Fall.

Hugs,

Mumzie

The Blooming of Easter.....

The Blooming of Easter

Easter is blooming with color---

A bouquet of every known shade

The pink blended hues of a sunrise;

Mixed in with some orange marmalade.

The soothing blue tones of a river---

Reflections from bright sunny skies.

The purple and yellow of blossoms

Attracting the gold butterflies.

The cardinals are showing off crimson

As they dart between leaves of new green

Making the blooming of Easter

Like nothing the world has foreseen.

---Joan Stephen

Have a GREAT day!

Mumzie

My Mom Loved Lilacs & Roses.....

Betty Lou Souza

September 24, 1929 - April 7, 2008

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side
Spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and grace.
I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says: “There, she is gone!”
Gone from my sight, that is all.

She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side and she is just as able to bear the load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says:

“There, she is gone!” there are other eyes watching her coming,

and other voices ready to take up the glad shout:

“Here she comes!”
And that is dying.
-Henry Van Dyke

I miss you mom.

Easter is on it way...Next Sunday

Easter Ham

Ceramic Easter Baskets

Cobble Stone Bunnies

Vintage Vases

Sugar Molds

Chocolate Asparagus

Napa Style

I love visiting "Napa Style." Michael Chiarello created NapaStyle back in 2000 and I've been following ever since. I love his website and recipes. He was born in 1962 and raised in the central California community of Turlock, my hometown. I was 12 when he was born, so I don't think I ever ran into him. Anyway, he followed his childhood dream of becoming a world-class chef. He began apprenticing in restaurants at age 14 and graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, in 1982. He began his professional career in Miami by opening the acclaimed restaurant, Toby's. Flush with the success of his first restaurant, in 1986 he moved back to his roots in Napa Valley and opened the Tra Vigne (among the vines) Restaurant, where he acted as Executive Chef/partner for it and seven other restaurants.

Cheers to a Hometown Boy!

Check out NapaStyle at

http://www.napastyle.com/home.jsp

Our New Wisteria Tree

A Wisteria tree is not a “real” tree in the sense that you will find them growing wild in some forest. That's because it's growing in our yard!

Our New Tree

We planted five White Birch trees along the fence between our house and the neighbors yard around eight years ago. Unfortunately, one of the trees died a year or so ago leaving just a tall white trunk. Replacing the tree meant digging out the stump. I've taken out tree stumps before, and it's not an easy task. We took out the "city tree" in the front yard a few years ago, and it was a major undertaking. So, we looked for alternative landscape ideas. First, I thought of some way to hang more baskets, I love my hanging baskets full of colorful flowers. Ivy was our next thought, and then both of us thought....Wisteria! I've always wanted Wisteria in the yard, and here was the perfect spot!

I discovered that a Wisteria tree is not a “real” tree....looks like a tree to me. Anyway, you won't find it growing wild in some forest. They actually are grafted plants – a Chinese Wisteria vine is grafted on top of a standard tree trunk and root system. The standard trunk is as tall as the plant will ever get and the vine part hangs down; however I'm hoping to have the vines wrap around and grow a little taller to reach the top of the white birch trunk. Hopefully, it will take to it's new home and thrive. We found our perfect tree this past weekend. It has incredibly fragrant flowers and I love the color. It's Spring here in California and the ours is blooming! The flowers are spectacular and I can hardly wait to see it grow and grow.

I'm so enjoying it's beauty.

Hope you are having a wonderful Thursday!

Mumzie