Sierra Brava - 2015

Here are some fun shots of our dove hunting trip to Sierra Brava Hunting Lodge, Cordoba, Argentina, this past July, 2015.

Jerry enjoyed his time in the field and learning about Argentina while visiting with his bird boy, Diego.

 

The doves have become quite a problem for the farmers in this area.  Even with several hunting clubs, the population has INCREASED by more than a million birds since we last visited in 2012! 

It's estimated they eat 50,000 bushels per day!

Our accommodations were great ....both at the lodge and in the field!

 

 

 

 

 

There was a celebration for some of the guys.  It was quite a serious affair!

I know hunting isn't for everyone but Wonderful Hubby and his friends enjoyed this trip and we ladies enjoyed reading, relaxing and visiting.  I even got a jump start sewing some Christmas presents.

Hope you all have had a great summer! 

"The Two Sisters"

These two Rose of Sharon bushes have been growing by our driveway since we first moved in our home some 25 years ago.  My mother and my aunt each had one and they each gave me a start - the pink one from Mom and the white from Aunt Sallie Mae. 

Both of these special ladies have since passed away and I miss them so much. 

This time of year, when the Rose of Sharons bloom, I'm reminded of these wonderful women. 

 

Mom's favorite color was pink and she would be so happy

with their lovely blooms!  She was quite a gardener and gave me starts of many of her plants.

Aunt Sallie Mae lived across the street from our first home.  Her Rose of Sharon was in her front yard.  I remember watching her trim it, later giving me a start for our new home.  

We are planning to build our retirement home next year.  There are many plants that I want to bring with us so this fall will be a busy one.  You can bet I'll be taking several starts from these two special bushes!  Our new place wouldn't be 'home' without them!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Linking to these parties:

Amaze Me Monday

Something to Talk About

 Tuesdays At Our Home

Roses of Inspiration

Cooking and Crafting With J & J

Share Your Cup Thursday

Home Sweet Home  

Your comments brighten my day!

A New Perennial in the Garden: Cardinal Flower

Last fall I added a couple of new perennials to my gardens.  One of them was a wildflower known as Cardinal Flower or Red Lobelia.  These are Missouri native perennials which typically grow in moist locations along streams, sloughs, springs, swamps and in low wooded areas.  We've had so much rain this summer, the two small starts I planted have multiplied and flourished!

These bright and beautiful flowers were named for the bright 

 red robes worn by Roman Catholic Cardinals.

They also remind me of our pretty red birds that are plentiful here 

in Missouri year round.

(Source)

Although this little butterfly stopped by for visit, most of the pollination for the Cardinal Flower is done by hummingbirds.  I've seen several of our little hummers hanging out here but haven't been able to get a photo of one yet.

These vibrant and lovely blooms won't last very long 

but while they do, they make quite a statement! 

I'm so please they have done well.  Most of my other flowers have had a hard time since the tornado and over 20 inches of rain earlier this summer! 

Have you planted something new this year?  How is it growing?

Linking to

Something to Talk About

Metamorphosis Monday

Amaze Me Monday

Roses of Inspiration

Tuesdays At Our Home

Share Your Cup Thursday

Home Sweet Home

Garage Sale Finds!

Wonderful Hubby and I are really enjoying retirement!  We've taken several trips this summer and blogging has taken a backseat but I hope to get my groove back soon.

A few weeks ago, a teacher friend of mine held an estate garage sale for her in-laws.  The items were very good quality.  I found several things that had to come home with me and I'm featuring two of them in this post.

The first is this pretty old enameled coffee pot. 
It was perfectly 'aged' from previous wear. 

I've enjoyed filling it with flowers for our kitchen table. 

The other treasure I'm featuring is one of these small blue plates. 

 About a year ago, I found one just like it in a thrift store along with another smaller plate that was similar.  I've used them both in a vignette with some other items in our office area.  When I saw this plate at the sale, I knew it was an exact match and had to bring it home!  I'm not sure if they are real dinnerware but I thought I'd reunite them for a pretty breakfast setting.

Here are the markings on the back.  I'm not sure what they mean. 
If anyone knows, I'd appreciate learning about them.

I'm also featuring some vintage dishes from my stash - some pink depression glass and two lusterware coffee cups and saucers.

I found these lusterware cups and saucers on a little trip near Hannibal, MO several years ago.  There was also a creamer but no sugar bowl.  I'm still on the lookout for one!  Isn't that the fun part...the search?!

These three pink serving pieces, perfect for pastries and fruit,

are from different places. 

This one was my mother's.  It's so dainty!

I found this little bowl myself,

and this one was Wonderful Hubby's grandmother's. 

Dear Mother-in-Law gifted it to me. 

I love how she labeled it for us.  This is such a good idea! 

Vintage silver and glassware complete the setting. 

Thanks for letting me share my new little treasure! 

I'm joining these fun parties so stop by and see what others

are sharing this week!

Amaze Me Monday

  Rustic and Refined

Something to Talk About

Tablescape Thursday

Share Your Cup Thursday

A Delightful Summer Lunch

The rain has finally subsided here and the summer heat has arrived.  My garden is still quite soggy but the peppers and eggplants are in full bloom and the tomatoes are ripening.

 

I found this Roasted Vegetable Tart recipe at A Little CLAIREification back in May and gave it a try.  IT. WAS. DELICIOUS. and I couldn't wait to give it another try with my own garden veggies! 

We loved how creamy, yet savory it is.  In fact, I made it the day after I made (at the time) our favorite crab and scallion quiche and Wonderful Hubby said this recipe is his NEW favorite!

I used to be intimidated making my own crust but have discovered mixing it all up in the food processor is quick and easy. 

Here's the recipe. 

Recipe: Roasted Vegetable & Feta Tart

INGREDIENTS

For the tart dough:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4-1/2 cup ice water

For the Filling:

• 1 eggplant (I used 5 minis) peeled & chopped
• 1 orange pepper, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded & chopped
• 1/2 onion diced
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
• 4 oz Crumbled Feta Cheese (can also use got cheese if preferred)
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

For The Tart Dough:

1. Pulse the flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor.
2. Add butter; pulse until it looks like coarse meal with pea-size crumbs.
3. Drizzle a few spoonfuls of the ice water over mixture. Pulse until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by 1/2-tablespoonfuls if dry.
4. Do not over mix – there should still be pieces of butter intact.
5. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disc.
6. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
7. Tip: While the dough chills, prepare the vegetables (see below).
8. Once chilled, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick. Transfer to a tart pan or pie dish; press onto bottom and up sides of dish. Trim dough, leaving 1/2″ overhang. Fold overhang under; crimp edges. Return to the refrigerator or freezer for about 10 minutes.
9. Preheat the oven to 400°.
10. Line dough with foil or parchment paper; fill with dried beans or pie weights.
11. Bake for 10 minutes.
12. Remove the parchment paper/foil and pie weights.
13. Reduce oven temperature to 375°.
14. Return to oven and bake until crust is just barely a light golden brown, about 10-15 minutes longer, but keep an eye on it!
15. Let the crust cool completely.
16. Tip: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

For The Filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°.
2. Cut off the stems of bell peppers and remove all of the seeds.
3. Slice and then chop into bite sized pieces.
4. Peel the eggplant(s), remove the stem and chop, once more bite sized chunks are desired.
5. Slice the tomatoes into quarters and remove the seeds then chop into bite sized pieces.
6. Transfer chopped peppers, eggplant and tomatoes to a cookie sheet with a raised edge.
7. Sprinkle generously with salt and fresh ground pepper.
8. Drizzle with 3-4 Tbsp. olive oil.
9. Roast vegetables until just tender, about 15 minutes.
10. Transfer roasted veggies to a plate or a small bowl and set aside.
11. Meanwhile, dice the onion. The original recipe added the onion into the tart raw as it will cook in the oven because Claire liked the texture. I sautéed the onion first with a little oil in a skillet on the stovetop for about 5-6 minutes.
12. Add the onion to the pepper mixture.
13. Tip: The vegetables can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
14. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
15. Spoon all of the roasted veggies and onion evenly into the prepared tart crust.
16. Slide your fingers down the thyme springs to release the leaves, and sprinkle the veggies with the fresh thyme.
17. Top with the Feta cheese.
18. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and cream, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper.
19. Slowly pour the egg mixture over vegetables.
20. Sprinkle with more thyme if desired.
21. Bake tart until filling is set and pastry is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
22. Let stand for at least 10 minutes.
23. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Preparation time: 1 1/2 hours
Cooking time: 45 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

This looks like lots of steps but it's really pretty easy and oh, so worth it!  I can't wait until those little eggplants and peppers are ready -- in the meantime, I may have to make a run to the grocery!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful week!

Zenda

Linking to:

Amaze Me Monday

Roses of Inspiration
Tuesdays at Our Home

Something to Talk About

Share Your Cup Thursday

Home Sweet Home
Foodie Friday
Cooking and Crafting With J & J

Pastel Quilt

I found this material in a  pre-cut 'layer cake' awhile back and loved the pastel colors.  It reminded me of vintage material, and what better material for a quilt?

I used a patchwork pattern called Modern Vintage from Sunnyside Designs and loved how it turned out. 

It's lighter color scheme works well for a light weight quilt on chilly spring and summer evenings.

A butterfly fabric on the back makes it's pretty on both sides.

I really like the old time look of this quilt.  Using the pre-cut material really made it come together quickly. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Zenda

Linking to

Amaze Me Monday
Roses of Inspiration
Tuesdays at Our Home

Needle and Thread Thursday

Something to Talk About

Share Your Cup Thursday

Simple and Sweet Fridays

Home Sweet Home