BailiwickStudio

China Doll Pink

 

My petite China Doll Rose may be the smallest rosebush in the garden, but it definitely has the largest impact when it blooms. The branches will flower all at once with bubblegum pink roses.

 

 

This is just one stem!

I've paired it with cilantro which I know is an unlikely combination, but the cilantro is going crazy in my garden - one of the few plants that hasn't been chewed by some invisible toothy pest.

 

And to Beverly at How Sweet the Sound ~ Happy Fourth Anniversary for the celebration of PINK!

Rhubarb and My Sous Chef

 

Who likes rhubarb? I had never even heard of it until after I married my farm-raised husband, who grew up with rhubarb cobblers and pies. After I finally tried it in a Marie Callendar's pie, I was hooked!

Our market had some rhubarb last week, and we made a cobbler. 6-year-old Ryan informed me that at home he is a CHEF, but at my house he'd be my sous chef.

 

 

I did the chopping, and he did the mixing and taste-testing.

 

 

Neither of the boys had tasted rhubarb before, so I wondered if they'd like it since it isn't all that sweet. No worries there - they loved it!

 

 

Here is our recipe, if anyone would care to try it! My sous chef highly recommends it.

Rhubarb Cobbler

5-6 long stalks of rhubarb (about 3 cups chopped)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
few drops red food coloring (optional)
3 tsp butter

In a saucepan combine rhubarb, sugar and cinnamon plus 3/4 cup water (and red coloring if desired). Cook and stir until mixture boils, cook 2 minutes more. Stir in butter. Pour rhubarb into baking dish and spoon biscuit topper over bubbling hot rhubarb. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Serve with light cream.

Biscuit Topper

Sift together 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, 4 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, and dash salt. Cut in 3 tbsp butter. Stir in 4 tbsp milk, 4 tbsp chopped pecans, and 1/2 tsp shredded orange peel. Push from spoon into dollops onto hot fruit.

Small Boys

 

I've been very busy lately - our grandsons are here, and they're boys. Need I say more? We hadn't seen them for the last two years because they lived across the sea, and lot of changes take place in that amount of time. We're getting to know them all over again, and they're so seriously cute, that I really don't mind...

that my house is completely messy, from stem to stern

that the garden is littered with little cars and trucks and leaves pulled off the tree, and the bathtub with battleships

that they get to the ripe strawberries before I do

that the cats only show their faces at night, when all is quiet

that the carrots, radishes and parsnips we planted are beginning to sprout in little clumps instead of straight even lines

and that even as young as they are, they laugh hilariously at certain bodily sounds. sheesh

 

 

And I love they they're complete hams in front of the camera!

Linking up today with Little Red House for Mosaic Monday.

Maytime

 

It's May!

Don't forget to turn the page of your calendar! :)

 

First Roses

 

This is the first small bouquet I've picked from my rose bushes. I have a hard time cutting my own flowers because I love seeing them in the garden, especially in the spring when they're just beginning to bloom. Until they really go crazy with blooms in the summertime, I usually buy cut flowers at the market :)

These roses were so pretty I couldn't resist bringing them indoors. I had fun photographing them, and after that I had more fun playing with actions and textures. Now they look dreamy and romantic, too.

I can entertain myself for hours this way!

 

 

It's Mosaic Monday time - check out more mosaics at Little Red House!

Strawberries

 

Mmmmm... we just planted a strawberry patch. Now I'm looking forward to strawberries and cream, strawberry shortcake,
strawberries dipped in chocolate...

 

 

and my favorite way to eat them - sun warmed and right off the vine!

 

April Showers

 

I once heard someone say "April flurries bring May fleuries" and I loved the play on words. Today those words ran through my head as I looked out the window at the rain - it's a day of cold April flurries, but I do believe the fleuries are thriving in it!

 

 

But this little fleurie is not so happy. Do you see that pleading look in her eyes? We had to skip her walk today

 

 

because it's just a little too wet out there!

 

Easter Roses

 

Easter is early this year, which seems reasonable since Spring has come early as well. The roses are blooming and green leaves are appearing on the clumps of perennials. There's even a lone strawberry amongst the strawberry leaves!

It's a little bit deceiving, sometimes, to look outside in the morning and see the flowers and sunlight and birds, then stepping out to enjoy it and finding yourself shivering in a very chilly 35 degrees! I felt like I needed winter clothing this morning, it was that cold!

 

 

I hope everyone has a very blessed Easter Sunday.
He is risen!

Morning Light

 

 

On these lovely spring mornings, the sun comes through the shutters to brighten the house with a soft, pale light.

 

 

I love how it sparkles on this little Spring display of birds and eggs and nests on the sideboard.

 

 

I found this nest the other day in a tree in our backyard. It was filled with moldy old leaves, so I didn't think it was being used as a current home for any feathered friends. There's a length of string around it that's suspiciously like the string that went missing from a yard project last summer. I had it loosely tied around a stick so I could stretch it across an area as a guide for a straight line, and suddenly one day it was gone. Although I remember being annoyed (mainly because it took a while to hunt down the ball of string to replace it), now that I know who took it I'm glad I could be of some help to those nest builders!

 

 

And this little book is one of my favorites - the watercolors are so charming! Now that it's time to plan my own garden, I'm finding such inspiration here. I think dreaming about and planning a garden is nearly as much fun as actually harvesting the bounty.

 

 

Early Spring is a wonderful time of year, although it can be rather fickle. It's an interlude - filled with the hope of more warmth and sunlight, the anticipation of a garden full of blooms, and the first sounds of bees buzzing and birds twittering. But best of all, you know it's just the beginning of a new season. There's time to think about it all, because inevitably Spring will wander off for a day or two and winter will suddenly be back. Today though, it's thoroughly Spring in my corner of the world, and I'm loving it!

 

I'm linking up with White Wednesday today.

Early Spring

Officially, Spring has arrived! I find myself stepping outside frequently, just to breathe the air and contemplate the future of my gardens. And at this time of year I especially love...

daffodils

old garden tools and pots at the ready

gardening books and catalogues

the music of our backyard birds

and of course, dirty hands!

I'm linked with How Sweet the Sound for Pink SPRING Saturday.