Invited to tea time . . .

We are at an exciting new stage. A stage where I am being invited to tea by my children. 

Every so often the kids will spend a flurry of time in the kitchen scurrying about, mixing and pouring, adding and tasting. 

I'm usually not allowed in the kitchen at this point. Then, roughly an hour later I'm told "it's tea time!!" 

What's most amazing is that their desserts come out incredibly.

 I've yet to have something that isn't honest-to-goodness delicious.

The boys tend to skip recipes and just go full throttle by the seat of their pants. My dear girl, on-the-other-hand, carefully measures and completes each step along the way. 

Her desserts are decorated and presented in a most satisfying fashion. 

I love these little tea times. I remember being a kid and setting the table up nicely for some special treat I had concocted. I'm so glad to see my kiddoes enjoying the very same thing. And now, here I am, getting to enjoy it from the other prospective.

                                                                                                Cheers ~ Marica

Frilly Pictures...

I usually like my pictures to sit as is, but recently I had fun messing with the adjustments 

and settings available on my computer. The following are a few of the ones that came 

out especially nicely. It's funny what a little fuzz and fading can do.

                 Hope Everyone is having a nice start to February!

                                                                                            ~ Marica

Another walk to Cathedral Park...

                                                                                                             ~ Marica

Setting up shop . . .

I have a favorite place in this new house...

 It's where the morning light comes in...

 It has a cozy chair...

 And it's where most days I set up shop of one kind or another...

 Although I still wouldn't stamp this house with "HOME", I am feeling it seep in a bit...

It's funny how you can't decided these things… They just happen when they do.

Hope Everyone is having a nice January!!

                                                                       ~ Marica

Dreaming of flowers..

I have realized that having a tiny yard will mean I will have to go full flower. 

Back in California we had almost half an acre. This meant room to dream up all the endless possibilities. Here, we have something like a tenth of an acre. . .  I think?? Either way, it is an adjustment and will mean a well thought out placement of everything. 

 I'm actually kind of excited and curious as to how it will all turn out. 

                                                  Hope everyone is well!!!

    

                                                                            ~ Marica

Cranberry Tea Scones...

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
Yesterday morning we had a nice breakfast of scones. I woke up with a strong wish for cranberry bundt cake, but realized I didn't have everything I needed to make it. Instead I made a batch of cranberry scones, which hit the spot entirely.


Cranberry Tea Scones

In a large bowl sift together:

2 cups unbleached white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut into small pieces and crumble in with your fingers:

1/2 cup butter, cold

Mix then add:

1 egg

1 + 1/2 cups milk
1 lemon, zest and juice

Mix gently until combined then press into a rectangle about 3/4' - 1' thick.

Cut into squares. Place on a buttered baking sheet then bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

                                                             Cheers ~ Marica

Bits of all that Christmas-ness...

This year I was very excited because we actually stopped, 

in mid-motion of Christmas madness, to make gingerbread houses… 

It was wonderful fun, although the walls kept caving in until we 

became patient enough to just hold them in place while they dried a bit...

The whole process took some time, and loads and loads of disgusting candy...

But in the end, we all agreed they came out nice…

 And quite gingerbread-house-y…

Christmas morning was pleasant... The kids got a million books.

This guy wasted no time getting started reading...

We let them sneak a little of their chocolate Santas before breakfast...

Breakfast was a wonderful frittata. The following is a rough telling of how it went:

Christmas Frittata

In a large bowl wisk together:

8 eggs

4 egg yolks (I think this added to the overall effect)

4 cups milk

1+1/2 cups cheddar cheese grated

2 cups broccoli (Lightly steamed first then chopped small)

1 small onion minced

1 red bell pepper diced

1 pasilla pepper (Roasted over a flame on the stove 

then the skin scrapped and the pepper diced) 

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

Salt and black pepper

Poured into a buttered 11 x 13 baking dish.

Baked at 350 degrees until middle sets… I think about 30-35 minutes.

Later we went to Pier Park and all the boys played disc golf...

The weather was PERFECT!!!!

I love the weather up here…

The fluctuation makes me so appreciative of that golden sun…

Everyone had a great time...

Christmas evening we made a massive feast.

Yes, there was duck!! And lots of other things...

                            Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!!!
                 

                                                       Cheers ~ Marica