I had the good fortune to travel with my husband to Vancouver, British Columbia for a business conference a year ago last May~ our first trip enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Northwest and a chance to visit our neighbors to the north in Canada.
The Butchart Gardens in Victoria were on the “not-to-be-missed” list. If you have a chance to visit, I highly recommend it~ photos don’t begin to do it justice!
I came home with some seeds, tea, and serious garden envy with hopes to return for a future visit to experience the gardens in all their glory in the summer or fall!
This spring I’m enjoying some tea, getting my flower fix from some favorite books with my tea tin as a vase, sprouting azaleas.
I’m reminiscing and revisiting the spring beauty of The Butchart Gardens.
If you’d like to tip toe through the tulips and see more photos along with more than 300,000 spring bulbs, you can visit here.
I found pastel chocolate flower cups at World Market, ($6.99 for 6 ) ready to bloom with your favorite filling for quick and easy dessert or a tea time treat!
I filled my flower cups with a mixture of lemon curd & light cream cheese, added strawberries, and topped them with an edible (pesticide and chemical free) viola.
You could also fill the chocolate cups with flavored whipped cream and fruit or fill with low-cal mousse like Kitty did with hers from Kitty’s Kozy Kitchen.
Plates/ 222 Fifth Ananda, HomeGoods
Teapot & Cups/ Gracie China, HomeGoods
Napkins & Cake plate/HomeGoods
Hope you’re a enjoying a beautiful spring!
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We had the Good Fortune 造化
to visit Vancouver, BC last year!
In addition to visiting the breathtaking Butchart Gardens, we walked through Chinatown on the way to Vancouver’s Chinese Garden~ to see the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.
In tandem with Chinese New Year and The Year of the Snake which officially began on February 10th, I thought you might enjoy a virtual stroll :) through the Chinese garden.
Click on the mosaics to enlarge any photo.
The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, was the first of its kind outside of China, built in 1985-1986, using the time-honored principles and techniques of the original Ming dynasty garden.
Fifty-two master craftsmen from Suzhou China, working with Canadian counterparts, completed this landscape masterpiece within a year. The intricate halls and walkways are constructed with precise joinery and without the use of nails, screws or glue.
You can read more about the design
elements of the Garden here.
In the meantime, journey back in time to 15th Century China
and enjoy this “window to another world”. . .
The photo below is courtesy of
In celebration of the Lunar New Year, a 40 feet long snake sculpture made of green willow and other organic materials, will reside in the Garden next to the Jade Water Pavilion through the end of April. The snake will grow, changing appearance as the green willow sprouts in the spring.
“Lucky” foods are served during the 15 day Chinese New Year celebration.
For longevity eat your noodles long, never cut~ since long noodles represent a long life. Any type of noodle—thin chow mein noodles to broad rice noodles to the thicker Shanghai wheat noodles—is a must at Chinese New Year’s.
I pulled out my Mikasa Daylight to serve the soup. The shape of the bowl makes it difficult to see the broth, but it is about the same shade & color as the tea :)
Long Life Noodle Soup, serves 4
This soup is light, healthy, and comes together quickly! Use rice stick noodles for a gluten-free choice. I would add an extra teaspoon of Sriracha for a little more heat next time.
Ingredients
3 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
1/2 cup grated carrot (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup thinly sliced snow peas
2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce, such as Huy Fong)
2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
1 (2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger
6 cups water
3 ounces uncooked wide rice sticks (rice-flour noodles, I found mine at World Market, but not the wide variety)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
PREPARATION
1. Bring first 9 ingredients to a simmer in a medium saucepan; keep warm.
2. Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add rice noodles; cook 3 minutes. Drain. Place about 1/4 cup rice noodles in each of 4 bowls.
3. Discard ginger. Add juice to broth mixture; stir. Ladle 1 1/3 cups broth mixture over each serving; top with 1 tablespoon each mint, cilantro, and green onions.
You can find a printable recipe from Cooking Light, here.
Gong Xi Fa Ca!
Wishing you prosperity in the coming year!
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Posted in Chinese New Year, Food, Garden, Travel
Tagged Chinese New Year, Chinese Year of the Snake, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Long Life Noodle Soup, Mikasa Daylight Dinnerware, rice stick noodles, Spicy Asian Chicken and Noodle Soup, Vancouver BC, World Market
We had a break in the weather with sunny skies and temperatures in the high 50′s!
With a week-long forecast for rain, we decided to board The Love Boat for a cruise, bundled up with blankets for an early Valentine’s Day celebration!
Welcome Aboard~
Love is in the Air
and on the Bottle!
A life ring is provided for
some fruit and cheese~
And a basket is filled with a
few provisions for casual dining~
Before embarking, I made a stop at
World Market for some Valentine treats~
with a Love Poem inside~
to share with my Sweetheart~
Je T’Aime Brut Rosé ~ I Love You Bubbles for
Valentine’s Day, also from World Market~
A quick introduction to our crew~
Our Captain, occupied at the Bridge,
and who prefers not have his photo taken :)
And our Cabin Stewards in their cruise line
uniforms, enjoying a little fresh air & scenery~
They tend to sleep on the job, so we apologize
in advance for the state of your cabin :)
Love Boat Details:
Dishes & Mug~ Lauren Skylar & Skylar Floral/ HomeGoods, used here
Cheese Knife/ Pottery Barn
Sweetheart Snacks, Chocolove Bar, Je T’Aime Brut Rosé/ World Market
Napkins/ Pier 1
Happy Valentine’s Day!
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Posted in Boats, Dogs, Food, Lake Life, Tablescape, Valentine's Day
Tagged Chocolove, Je T'aime Brut Rose, Lauren Skylar Floral plates, Pontoon Picnic, Sweetheart Snacks, Valley Lahvosh, World Market
Skip Hallmark~
Send a Message
in a Bottle. . .
Make a Withdrawal from
Secured by the
Whole Stock. . .
of Truth, Honour,
and Affection~
Payable on
Demand. . .
The Homage and
Never-Failing Devotion. . .
Of Sincere
Affection~
Bank of True Love Note & One Sweet Kiss,
Bottle, Hobby Lobby
Valentine Candy Sticks, World Market
Sending You
Happy Valentine’s Day
Wishes!
xoxo
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I was looking for a little Valentine’s table inspiration,
feeling uninspired and a little blue
with the cold, gray weather outside~
My mother-in-law has been cleaning out her house to put on the market, and ran across this sweet Valentine given to her mother sometime prior to 1923, when she was still a ‘Miss’.
She also unearthed this cheery tea towel
that has a blooming garden of flowers on it~
Made in Germany, this three-dimensional Valentine
has a pair of lovebirds and a bird delivering
Love’s Greeting from Willie Nash :)
In need of blooming flowers,
I decided to cut some camellias
to brighten my spirits & bring indoors~
You never know when or
where you’ll find Love~
or Table Inspiration :)
My husband’s grandmother’s china
has birds in flight along with flowers~
Two things that always boost my spirits!
Back in July, I found a 95-piece-bouquet
of flatware, in search of a Flower Fix~
At a bargain price of what the 14 knives alone
would have been at Replacements~
And the floral equivalent of paying for a single rose
and receiving 2 dozen long-stemmed ones instead :)
Birds have flown in on a camellia-filled pitcher
seemed appropriate for a lovebirds table
for Valentine’s Day or for any day~
since they are $5.99 for 8!
Quick to put together and easily filled with fruit,
whipped cream, lemon curd, or chocolate~
Or you can find a recipe to make
your own meringue nests, here.
Love’s Greeting Table Details:
Dishes/ Crown Ducal Pink Bristol
Gracie China Victorian Bird Tea Pots & Pitcher/ TJ Maxx
Flatware/ Oneida Community Evening Star
Stemware/ unknown
White Chargers, Napkins & Napkin Rings/ HomeGoods
White Plates/ Paula Deen, Whitaker
Wishing you a Flower Filled
Valentine’s Day!
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I consulted the almanac and decided that
since Spring is still a couple of months away,
February was the perfect month to
Garden Under Glass!
An escape from the wintery weather outdoors
and a quick & easy project that anyone can do!
A miniature living landscape in the form of terrarium
that is self-sustaining, other than the occasional
checking for moisture & watering as needed!
This terrarium is one I’ve had for about 10 years from my retail days. I’ve never planted it until now, using it instead on a table as a miniature green house for books, botanicals & decorative seed balls, or a potted plant on occasion.
You can garden under glass with a closed or open terrarium. Closed terrariums should be placed where they will receive bright light, but no direct sunlight, which causes the temperature inside the container to rise and literally cooks the plants.
An open container can tolerate some direct sunlight, but too much sun may burn leaves that are in direct contact with the sides of the container.
If your terrarium is closed, take off the top at least once a month to air it out. If you see lots of condensation or have added too much water, leave the top off until it has had a chance to dry out.
You can use any clear glass container with a lid or a small opening in the top, as long as the opening is large enough to get your hand in to plant.
I spied a couple of terrariums at World Market recently that would be ideal since the glass comes off the base for easy planting.
No green thumb is required for this project!
Besides your container you will need:
~Potting soil with good drainage, I added some vermiculite to mine.
~Pebbles or small stones, for drainage
~Activated charcoal, to keep the soil fresh and prevent it from smelling like a swamp :) I found mine at Petco with the aquarium supplies.
~Plants
~Moss and decorative stones if desired
Place a layer of stones in the bottom of your container, about 2 inches or so. Next add a thin layer of charcoal over the stones. I also mixed in about 1/4 cup of charcoal into my potting mix.
I found my plants at Lowe’s in the tropical plant section. The mini orchid was $9.95, just the right height and the blooms should last for several months.
I also picked up a Strawberry Begonia and a Polka Dot Plant which was on clearance that I could divide and give a little TLC, removing the few yellowed leaves, pruning & shaping it a little.
I soaked some sheet moss in water to rehydrate & refresh it and make it easier to work with and piece together for a top layer over the plants.
After adding your potting mix to the terrarium, place your plants in your glass garden starting with the largest first. I also watered my plants before planting. Gently pack the soil to remove air pockets.
I added a layer of moss and then watered lightly, maybe 1/4 cup of water total. A turkey baster works well, particularly in an open terrarium, to water your plants.
I misted everything with a spray bottle of water and then added a few decorative stones.
You want to avoid over watering which will cause mold to grow. If your terrarium walls have more than 25% condensation, remove the cover until the walls clear.
I did this a couple of times the first week after planting. In a closed terrarium, there should be only occasional clouding.
Prune as needed and remove dead leaves and blossoms promptly to keep your Garden Under Glass healthy.
Happy Gardening!
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Mini Pumpkin Pies are portion control bites~
Quick & Easy to make with a package of refrigerated pie crusts!
You need a 4-inch round cookie cutter (or bowl as a template) and a muffin tin. One box of 2 pie crusts gives you enough dough for 12 mini pies with pastry leaves (rerolling the scraps).
My fall piecrust cutters came from Williams-Sonoma, I have a couple of different sets.
Spray your muffin tin with cooking spray then place your circles of dough in and fill to the top with your pie filling.
I used the recipe on the back of the can~ the same recipe you can find on the back of McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice, adjusting the baking time for mini pies.
(I substituted Pumpkin Pie spice for the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves).
Ingredients
1 package refrigerated pie crusts
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Mix pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs and pumpkin pie spice in large bowl until smooth. Pour into pastry lined muffin cups to the top. Top with a pastry leaf if desired.
Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake 20 - 25 minutes longer or until knife inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool 30 minutes in pan and remove to wire rack to cool for another hour for pumpkin filling to set completely.
I did have a little more filling than would fill the 12 muffin cups, so I baked the remaining filling in a ramekin and topped with a few pastry leaves.
These mini pies are fun to serve for Thanksgiving
with an assortment of desserts~
You don’t need a fluted edge cookie cutter for these mini pies~ round will do, but I have a graduated set of fluted cutters I got from World Market a couple of years ago.
You can find a similar set from World Market,
here, that’s better since they’re reversible!
Confession time:
I bought this canned pumpkin
for the label rather
than for its organic properties :)
Since I loved the label on the can,
I used it as vase rather
than tossing it in the recycling bin~
I used floral picks to support
the munchkin pumpkins~
The pumpkins in the can
help support the flowers~
I added some sunflowers from the grocery store, clipped some shrubs and mums from pots and added some leaves~
Easy as Pie!
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Witches’ Brew Stew, aka Chicken Soup, is a recipe that we enjoy and I’ve had bubbling in my cauldron before!
Like all witches, I have my own special potion for Witches’ Brew Stew~ adapted from Southern Living’s recipe.
Fire up your cauldron, or slow cooker!
No fussing or worrying about stirring in a clockwise direction until your brew starts to bubble, and then stirring counter-clockwise. . .
I found Fright Bites Tortilla Chips at World Market for a scarily good addition to accompany our bubbling stew~ along with this cast iron mini cauldron to serve it in.
Cauldron Ingredients
~1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded
~ 1 onion, chopped
~1 (10 oz.) package frozen corn (I used 3/4 package of Trader Joe’s fire-roasted corn, comes in a 16 oz. pkg)
~2 (15 oz.) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
~1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed, drained
~1 (28 oz.) can Ro*Tel Original, (turn up or down the heat on your potion with mild or hot)
~1 package taco seasoning (I used reduced sodium)
~1 (32 oz.) carton chicken stock (I used reduced sodium)
~2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
~1/2 cup milk
Preparation:
Add all ingredients into cauldron/slow cooker, reserving 1 can of Great Northern Beans, flour and milk.
Cook on low 6 – 8 hours.
Mash remaining can of beans in a small bowl.Whisk together flour and milk, and stir into beans. Add to slow cooker during last 2 hours of cooking time.
Add toppings to custom blend your brew. . .
Green Onion aka Scale of Dragon
Cilantro aka Toe of Frog
Jalapeños aka Eye of Newt
Cheddar Cheese aka Root of Hemlock
Sour Cream aka Maw of Shark
I highly recommend Wing of Bat Chips!
This stew is hearty, satisfying, and tasty~
especially after a long flight :)
You can enjoy of a different Witches’ Brew here.
Ravenous Witches might enjoy
Finger Sand-Witches,
recipe courtesy Pillsbury, here.
And a spellbinding read about a disturbing yet fascinating time period in American history~ the Salem Witch Trials.
“The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane travels seamlessly between the witch trials in the 1690s and a modern woman’s story of mystery, intrigue and revelation.”
I hope this Brew makes you
Happier than a Witch
in a Broom Factory :)
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Posted in Books, Food, Halloween
Tagged cast iron bowl, Fright Bites Tortilla Chips, Pillsbury Finger Sand-Witches, slow cooker, Southern Living, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, Trader Joe's Fire-Roasted Corn, Witches' Brew Chicken Soup, World Market
Vintage-inspired pails are filled with assorted Treats~
To make your Halloween Jolly, with their Spooky Sweets!
Ravens have flown in, landing on pumpkins at the table,
Conjure raven snacks up here, inspired from a Halloween label!
Lanterns dress in scrapbook paper, in time for Halloween~
With haunting double images, how-tos here can be seen.
Tinsel-woven placemats, add to place settings, brightening~
With their orange & black sparkle, more festive than frightening.
Textured napkins & plates add additional checked details~
And the quintessential back cat is decorating pails.
Spiders are found crawling, spinning webs inside a spoon~
Climbing on the pumpkins, across the table strewn.
Party favor pails are placed at each place setting to greet~
With chocolate ghosts & goblins, not scary, rather, sweet.
Vampire teeth, a skeletal hand and a few Pixie Stix,
Add to the vintage pails’ contents of Treats and Tricks.
Little munchkin pumpkins and tiger-striped ones too,
Add color to the lanterns and have a life span past “Boo!”
A creepy black cloth surrounds a raven, skeleton and bat~
For your own creepy gauze fly to Dollar Tree STAT!
Wishing you a Jolly Halloween with a little Scary Fun,
Happy Haunting to All~
Aren’t you glad my rhyming’s done? :)
A Jolly Halloween Details:
Tablecloth & Napkins/ Kohl’s
Dishes/ Oneida Westerly Basket
Treat Pails & Flatware/ World Market
Placemats/Pier 1
Goblets/ HomeGoods
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