My Cookbooks

Someone requested a photo of my cookbook collection. I took this photo this morning and there are still some spiral-bound local private press cookbooks that won't fit on this bookcase under the counter in my pantry. I must confess, I don't use most of them with any regularity but I still like having them. Once in a while, I curate them for donating and I need to do this again soon. I have been eating real food with no additives for a couple of months now, following Michael Pollan's advice:

Pollan says everything he's learned about food and health can be summed up in seven words:
"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." Read more on his website.

This was yesterday's Instagram photo and I ate the same thing for breakfast this morning. As you all know, I have been making homemade soymilk yogurt in my Instant Pot since before Christmas. I use Westsoy organic unsweetened that comes in a box and is shelved. It contains only two ingredients: whole organic soy beans and filtered water. This breakfast bowl has one peeled kiwi fruit and one clementine as toppings. I have another cup of this delicious yogurt after dinner every night, eaten plain. I could never find a plain commercial yogurt in the past that was delicious enough to eat that way.

This all started when I listened to a segment on NPR with Melissa Clark singing the praises of the Instant Pot with its built-in yogurt setting. Then I got her cookbook, Dinner in an Instant, with recipes. That's where I learned about soymilk with no additives. And the rest is history. I was hooked.

I decided to follow Pollan's advice as well. My immune system has improved greatly and I haven't been sick with a cold or sore throat since October. This is amazing, especially since the flu season was so bad this year. I was beginning to be very concerned with my personal health and was coming down with way too many colds that went to my chest and lingered way too long. They say 90% of your immune system is located in your gut and I am positive the probiotics in the yogurt have helped mine immensely and I have lost some weight as an added bonus.. I am almost afraid to say that last part out loud. Fingers crossed this will continue by eating this way. See you later. xo

HRH Princess Elizabeth + Corgi 1937

I love seeing vintage childhood photos of her. via

Great Tub for a Nice Hot Bath

I love this look for a farmhouse bathroom.

It might be a challenge to get in and out, but the charm of this horse trough tub is wonderful. I hope they used marine paint to cover the galvanized metal but I'm sure they must have and maybe they even had it enameled! I hope I can find a link that shows the entire room and I'll post it if I do. I love the little hinged windows that open to the inside. Enjoy your Sunday. xo via

Shamrocks, Planted by Leprechauns

For some reason, I frequently get wild shamrocks growing along with my seedlings. In this case, it's a rosemary cutting. I have some growing along with a geranium in one of my pantry windows too. Happy St. Patrick's Day, dear friends. Today, everyone is Irish. xo

My Only Visible Snowdrops

I covered this clump of snowdrops before the first Nor'easter a couple of weeks ago. Since then we have had two more so I never took this cloche off. It really came in handy and the spring bulbs look very happy in their own special hothouse. My other galanthus are buried under about a foot of snow but they will be fine once all the snow I shoveled on top of them melts. They are the earliest spring bulbs to bloom and they are very hardy and they come by their name honestly. I plan on enjoying this sunny weekend with beautiful blue skies and no clouds. These sweet little flowers can double as my good luck shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day. xo

Fish with Designer Outfit

No designer could ever make a gown this beautiful though many have tried! via By Thai photographer Visarute Angkatavanich.

Door Hardware: Hidden Beauty

This decorative brass latch plate is seldom seen when the door is closed but the beauty remains. via

Gum-Nut Babies: May Gibbs 1916

May Gibbs, Illustration for Gum-Nut Babies, 1916 via. Aren't they adorable? She is a new illustrator to me and her official website is wonderful. Get ready for the sounds of Australian Birds if you click. Go there with a child, if possible and explore the stories and games. Have fun. xo

Two Hares Antique Print 1752

I love this natural history print: Two Horned Hares (Meyer 1752) 

My Wisteria in the Snow

My wisteria is hoping this is the last snow of the season. We shall see. The sun is shining today and the blue sky is full of white puffy clouds in my backyard and clouds of the threatening variety in the front. What an end to winter we are having. In my limited travels since digging out, I have seen so much tree damage. The local town website says after the first nor'easter many people were trapped in their homes with no way in and no way out. This must have been quite frightening, especially if these residents had no power. All is well now, thank goodness!

Round #3 This Morning's Snowfall

I got up around 6am and learned it was snowing. I took the soymilk yogurt I was fermenting out of my Instant Pot and put the six jars in the refrigerator and went back to bed. I woke up again several hours later and snapped this pic with my iPhone. The table had NO SNOW on it when I went to bed last night so this is the current accumulation. It is supposed to quit in the early afternoon and luckily there is no wind. I shall just try to enjoy the beauty and think warm thoughts for those not as snug as I am at the moment. The thermometer is rising and it's already above freezing and my railing is melting. As you can see from this COLOR photo, the sky is gray and we aren't expecting any sun until Saturday. See you later with updates. xo

My Fox on Monday Morning

I must have good hunting on my property because he keeps coming back. This beautiful red fox stood here and listened to what was going on under the snow before he gave up and moved on for better hunting in the woods. Today he isn't falling through the snow as there must be a frozen layer that formed last night. I love his black stockings. Have a great week and let's hope Nor'easter #3 doesn't come my way or yours. xo

Red Fox Sighting at My Cottage

I still get excited when I see Mr. Fox near my house. He is especially beautiful walking in the snow. I hope he was able to find something to feed his family. I made a video but have never successfully uploaded one to this blog. I did, however, put it on Instagram here. Have a great Sunday night. xo

Cutest "MAKE JOY HAPPEN" Video

Click here if you cannot see the adorable video above. Enjoy!

Snow Recovery at My Cottage

I have a path from my front door one shovel wide. My car is cleaned off and I hand-shoveled all around it. The pile of snow on the left, which you can't see, was harder to do because the evergreen was in the way. When I was about 95% finished, a car stopped, and a man got out and offered to help me. I thanked him and assured him that I was very fit and was almost finished. The Good Samitaritan and true gentleman reluctantly drove away. It made me feel good that he was kind enough to even stop.

The icicles are starting to form on my barn/garage and the snow on my balcony has melted enough to show the base on my long bench.

The snow on my table top is freezing in place as it droops.

Have a great weekend as you dig yourselves out if you got a lot of snow. I feel your pain if you are still without power as so many are in New Jersey. My street got lucky and we were only out for a day and a half and that was plenty as some towns nearby have been out for over a week. It makes me feel somewhat guilty for having my generator but I would much rather have this home inprovement instead of a couple of designer handbags. It was money well spent and I plan on keeping it in good working order for years to come.

Cat Being So Gentle with A Bird

Two unlikely friends. I love this gentle pat the cat is giving the bird.

I shoveled out an escape route for my car today but I really don't want to go anywhere. My power came back on this morning and I was happy. See you tomorrow. xo

Nor'easter #2 in 2 Weeks

OK. The worst is over. I took this photo this morning around 8:00 while making coffee on my gas stove. I am not sure how much power my coffee maker uses and I am running on my generator and want to be conservative. Today I shoveled a path to my car and finished cleaning it off and a path all around it. Tomorrow I will shovel one car width out to the street. I am parked very close to the road so it won't be too hard. I have been using this system all winter and it has worked well. Why plow the whole horseshoe driveway when all I need is a spot for my car? Every day for over a week upcoming is going to be in the 40s so there will be a slow melt and that's a good thing. I am so glad I am still able to do hard work and maintain my independence. It is a very satisfying feeling. 

I hope all of you are dealing with March Madness and its weather and haven't had anything too tragic happen to your house. It will soon be over and we can get to the business of picking up sticks and maybe seeing some spring bulbs emerge. xo

March 2018 Blizzard at My Cottage

I took this photo at 3:00 this afternoon. It's almost 9:00 pm now and it has finally quit The amount you see in this photo has about doubled. It is over my boots and over my knees. I guess we got about 20 inches. My power went out at 6:30 this evening and my generator kicked in. I got an alert on my landline that the whole area is without power. My neighbors across the street hired a front end loader to do their driveway. It's way too deep for a regular truck with a plow blade on the front. I shoveled my walk when I took this photo but you would never know it. I will work a little each day and will be careful so don't worry. I cannot tell you how comforting it is to have a generator. I am so glad I made the leap and got one. This is the most snow I have seen since I bought my cottage in 2001. See you tomorrow. Be safe. xo

Small Outbuilding for Garden Tools

Delightful tiny outbuilding with a slate roof.

Side view. Don't you love the architectural detailing? I finally got to see this little building I've always loved today at a Broker Open House.

The Sheep Have Not Noticed

Real or Photoshop?

I think the latter but it's amusing anyway.

via

Horace, The Housebroken Irish Hare

This photo is from a delightful article that appeared in LIFE Magazine back in 1956. 

It is the usual fate of the Irish hare, a wild strain betwixt the Scottish and European varieties, to sleep by day in the hedgerows and by night to scurry through plowed fields in search of leafy delicacies. To live long he must be a wary hare, on guard always against man, his guns and dogs.

This might have been the life of Horace, the loveable hare, had he not fallen three years ago (1953) into the hands of Cecil S. Webb, director of the Dublin Zoo. Webb and his wife took Horace into their home to study the ways of small wild animals. They kept him on ... because they had acquired a wonderful pet, as intelligent, playful and domesticated as any dog.

There are many more delightful photos for your viewing pleasure in the article and link mentioned above. This is an early St. Patrick's Day present for you! Enjoy. xo

March really Marched In

I am obsessed by Hellebores but whenever I see them in person in someone's garden, they are never this beautiful. They usually look like salad fixings that have been in the crisper drawer too long. Maybe I just haven't seen any that were planted in the right spot. I think the individual flowers are really beautiful. Here is a link to learn more about these late winter bloomers aka Lenten roses.

image source

More hellebores. The foliage is evergreen. via

Kitchen Doors that Open Out

Hmmm. Would this work at my cottage? If my two French doors were divided and opened out, I could have full-length draperies to block the blinding sun in the summer and the cold drafts in the winter. I must investigate this idea. The only time it might be a problem would be during a deep snow. I like the teak flooring squares on the balcony floor too. Nice! via

All is calm at my home this morning after a day of frightful wind yesterday and last night. I lost power for a short period four times and appreciated having a generator. Some large trees came down in the woods but not on my property. The wind after I went to bed was the worst. It sounded like a freight train but I diverted my ears to the TV and watched The Nun's Story on TCM that I had recorded earlier in the day. I had never seen it and enjoyed it very much. Audrey Hepburn was great. Have a peaceful weekend and be safe if you live on coast where the tides are going to be a problem this morning and this evening. See you later. xo

My Little Whisk Broom Collection

Anytime you have three of something, you have a collection! The tiny one is my favorite.

My grandmother always used to use a little broom like this to brush off my grandfather's coat before he went out. She never got behind in any housework or outside chores. This was what she said about procrastinating. "It's easier to keep up than to catch up." 

She kept a perfect house too. She would devote one week to each room for spring cleaning. That was back in the day when women washed walls and waxed floors and removed old wax so they could wax them again. We have it so easy now. 

Black and White Kitchen

This kitchen would work for me, very nicely, if I were a city girl. I love the huge window over the sink looking out on another townhouse. I don't think I would need two sinks so close together though. Robbins Architecture, Winnetka, IL. via

It rained all night at my cottage and so far, the weather hasn't been out of the ordinary. BUT the worst part is going to be from 8pm until midnight with high winds and I'm not happy about that. I am not going out for anything except to walk to my mailbox after the mailman comes. I have a generator now in case I lose power and my new roof is the icing on my cottage. I made a new batch of yogurt in my Instant Pot yesterday and I went to the market and bought new food for my clean refrigerator. SO, I am prepared for what comes. Thankfully, I am not on the coast. Be safe if you are, my friends. See you later. xo

Snowdrops: Storm Ready

This clump of snowdrops by my front door has open flowers that I don't want to get trampled if we have really hard rain along with the wind if the Nor'easter comes my way. So I went out to my garage/barn and located a cloche to protect them.

Now I can relax because these early blooming spring bulbs will be fine! They are also called Galanthus.