Such a Smart Cat.

Are you impressed? I certainly am. Never underestimate the intelligence of a cat. Mine never ceases to amaze me but she would rather sit outside my window and meow her head off until I open the front door for her. The hole in this fence was put there so the owner could reach through and unlock the fence. I wonder how long it took this kitty to figure it out as well? via

We are still having cool weather and my fleece feels good this morning. See you later.

Simple, Understated, Gorgeous House

This house is an exercise in Puritan simplicity. I wish I could see the rest. via Big pumpkins on either side of the front door would look nice here in the fall. Right now, it's a blank canvas.

Lovely House - Late Summer and Early Fall

The window boxes say summer but the trees say fall. This photo shows the best of both. I love the brick and cobblestone walk.  Absolutely stunning! via

We are having the coolest August I can ever remember. It feels more like late September. I'm not complaining but it makes me realize summer's almost over. Slow down August, I'm not ready to say goodbye to you quite yet. xo

Apple Cake Recipe Revised - So Good

I wasn't ready to give up on that low sugar German Apple Cake I posted several days ago. My first one was too dry but this one was perfect. I mixed it in my Cuisinart with the metal blade and it was less messy than bowl and beater method for such scant ingredients. I decided to make oat flour first by whizzing one cup of old fashioned oats in my food processor first and reserving them in a bowl. Then I followed the old recipe...Cream 3 Tablespoons Butter (last time I used coconut oil) with 1/4 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt. I used salted butter. Add one egg and continue mixing. Combine one cup flour with one teaspoon baking powder (my oats did not make quite one cup so I was forced to add some white flour -- darn). Next time I will grind more oats. Add dry ingredients to the sugar mixture with enough milk to make a stiff batter. I just dumped some soy milk from the carton and made a thinner mixture than last time that was pourable into a 9" round cake pan that was pre-buttered. Top with apples. This time I had to use 1-3/4 apples. I had a tiny bit of cinnamon sugar left over from the last time and I sprinkled it on top. I forgot to add the pats of butter on top but that was a good mistake because added butter was not needed. Bake at 350° for one hour. It was perfect and delicious. Will make this again and again. Not too sweet and very healthy. It had a cake texture instead of a shortbread texture like my first attempt. Try it, you will like it too. 

If you eat 1/2 of this cake, it will contain the same amount of sugar as one container of blueberry greek yogurt which has 20 grams of sugar or 5 teaspoons. I measured the number of teaspoons in 1/4 cup of sugar and it's 10. I think it's super healthy made with the oat flour and I'm very excited that I can eat this and not feel too much guilt. It would have been gluten free if I hadn't added the small amount of white flour. I used Pink Lady apples that are one of my favorite varieties. Don't have any apples on hand? Try peaches, plums, nectarines, blueberries, or even bananas. I hope I have the will will power to save a big wedge for tomorrow's breakfast. I'm posting this early in case you want to bake one for your Sunday supper dessert. xo

I just found a great article about oat flour and how to use it in baking written by the Self-Reliant Sisters. It's very informative and timely -- read it here.

Aiken SC Home - So Lovely !

Hitchcock Woods Residence. 

Melissa Ervin Interior Design.

This red sandy dirt road brings back memories of my previous life in South Carolina.

Yes, please.

Have a great Sunday. Mine is off to a good start. I woke up early and finished a movie I started last night. Then it started raining. Then it stopped. Now the sun is out and I have blue skies and white clouds and glistening raindrops on the trees. Sounds perfect, doesn't it? xo

The Perfect House

I adore this house with the wrap-around porch and the most delightful recessed balcony on the second floor. It's perfection, isn't it? via

Have a wonderful weekend. xo

Apple Cake - Baked Today

Here it is before baking. I used a corning ware baking dish that was the size called for in the recipe. An 8" round or square would have been better. There wasn't much batter. I used raw sugar and coconut oil in the batter and raw sugar/cinnamon and real butter for the topping. Granulated sugar might have been better. Not sure.

It was more like shortbread than cake. I used only one pink lady apple. It was rather dry but I liked it. My baking powder was probably too old because it didn't rise much. Ice cream on top would have been good but I didn't have any. Anyway, I baked it and ate it. Yum.

Indoor Geranium

My indoor salmon-pink geranium continues to make me happy. I've been watering it with "blue water" and it is loaded with blossoms. I wish people potions worked this well.