thanks to Things to Remember

mmmm....cupcakes

Popsicles for Adults

How good do these sound?!

Tangerine Rum Popsicles

Yields: 6 Popsicles
Prep: 15 minutes
Freeze: 8 hours

2 oz. Bacardi Select Dark Rum
2 ¾ cup 8 to 10 Peeled Minneola Tangerines
1 oz. Juice of 1 Lime
1 oz. Raw Sugar Simple Syrup*
Splash of Lemon-lime soda
8 Popsicle Sticks

Into a blender, add peeled tangerines, lime juice, simple syrup and soda. Puree mixture into a liquid. Strain mixture into a measuring cup and add rum. Mix well and pour into Popsicle molds. Add Popsicle sticks and freeze for 8 hours.

Havana Mojito Popsicles

Yields: 6 Popsicles
Prep: 15 minutes
Freeze: 8 hours

2 oz. Bacardi Light Rum
3 oz. Fresh Lime Juice
3 oz. Simple Syrup*
2½ cups Lemon lime soda (sprite or sierra mist)
12 Fresh mint leaves
3 cups Ice Cubes

Combine all ingredients into blender with ice. Puree all ingredients until mixture is smooth and slushy. Pour slushy mixture into Popsicle molds. Add Popsicle sticks and freeze for 8 hours.

My Feathered Counterpart

So I have a new favorite animal. I was watching Wild Pacific last week on TV and I found my feathered counterpart. The Kakapo is a super endangered bird that only lives in New Zealand. Its too fat to fly, weighing in at almost 8 pounds, and developed large claws to climb to the top of trees for its food. Since there are about 100 birds left in the world, volunteer opportunites are available. I checked them out an in addition to a trip to New Zealand, you get to provide supplementary food and build nests for the birds because they are that lazy. A bird after my own heart. I couldn't find one, but, videos of Kakpos running are pirceless.

Where the Wild things are

I am absolutely flipping out for the movie rendition of Where the Wild Things Are! I was completely skeptical about a human playing the part of Max because it would ruin my vision from years of the story at bedtime. However, when I saw the trailer, I stood corrected!

Aruba Jamaica...

So apparently, I'm deathly afraid of stingrays. I had no idea that those gray shadows in the crystal blue waters would be so slimey...or that they would love me so much.

In the hopes of not soundin too stupid, I will amit that I had no idea that Aruba was a desert! Arid yet teaming with plantlife, our horseback ride was painful, but only due to my sunburn.

Just one of the colorful street vendors that like the streets of Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.

Aruba's bathwater coast

The Perfect Day

Yesterday started out like the last day of a beachside vacation when its a little chilly and over cast and as the breeze gives you goosebumps so you don't mind heading back to your own, sand-less bed. It was my lovely mother's birthday so we headed out for the first blueberry picking of the season. Thirteen pounds later we headed up to Amherst to The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. It was wonderful. We even visited the workshop where the lovely staff tried to teach us to watercolor like Tomie DePaolo, but we were channeling Carle. On the way home, we hit up Herrell's for some icecream. I always do the Burnt Sugar & Butter sundae while Mom got a Malted Vanilla cone. The Northampton Sidewalk sale and a failed attempt at Jerry's Artarama wrapped up a perfect day.

Happy Birthday to the most wonderful mother ever, especially and always.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

So I made this the other night. Killer! Now I don't cut all mine into adorable squares and wrap them in parchment and baker's twine, but feel free, they taste great either way. Still, I am ashamed to say that I used blueberries from New Jersey because the farmers' stands are closed on my way to and from work! I bet they'd be tastier with local berries!

Blueberry Crumb Bars from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Zest and juice of one lemon
4 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. (This took an extra 10 to 15 minutes in my oven.) Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Unexcused Absenses

So, needless to say, I've had a hell of a week. I'm back up, but still shaking off the dirt. Jer and I headed up to Burlington Vermont for their annual Brewer's Fest. Always a good time to celebrate an anniversary. So here goes...Curtis' BBQ in Putney VT

Puts a new meaning to "take a ride on the Blue Bus"

Now part of the 'happy hands' club thanks to Saranac's Summer Brew

Celebrating six years with this guy

My new friend, Fluffy, the corgi

Gorgey sunset on Lake Champlain from Burlington's waterfront

New friends

Only at Magic Hat

Souvenirs to sum up a well-deserved weekend...

0019 of 1001

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I headed out to Misquamit Beach on Friday with Kel, her Mom, and the most handsome 6 year old I know, Jordan. I need to work on my re-application of sunscreen apparently.

Wedding Thursday...on the tables

So many ideas, so little time...Beautiful ways to dress up the table and no one will mind taking home these center pieces!

Going green goodness

Vintage Glassware

Log Bowls from Loyal Loot

Terrariums from Thrift Candy via An Apple a Day

Driftwood and Succulents

To further feed my Letterpress Obsession

Glass Ceilings...

I grew up making terrariums. My mom recently divulged that she killed many terrariums. I don't remember that part. I remember the little eco-systems that we created in old fish tanks and jars. My dad recently showed me the 'moss sanctuaries' that are inhabiting the property. Now that I've moved out, I want a little piece of that in my apartment, but I can't. My cats would knock it over in a heart beat. A girl can dream though...

Mavis

GreenBriar


Blithe Garden

Mossopotamia

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So this is where I grew up. I never understood the beauty in the simplicity or decay.

Big Blue

Carriage House

Moss Sanctuary

One Horse Stang

Raspberry Heaven

As part of my 101 in 1001, I'm trying a recipe every other week. I can cook and bake, and I own A LOT of cookbooks, but I've gotten into a rut of the same ol' standbys. Here's this weekends attempt:

Ripening Raspberries from SKnights

Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffeecake

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the streusel:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the batter:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups fresh raspberries (not frozen)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 13- by 9-inch glass baking dish.

Make filling: In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together cream cheese and sugar. Add egg, lemon juice, and vanilla and beat until smooth.

Make streusel: In a small bowl blend together butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt.

Make batter: In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla and beat on high speed until light and fluffy. In another bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt and in batches slowly beat into butter mixture alternately with milk. Fold in raspberries gently but thoroughly.

Spread 2 1/2 cups batter in bottom of baking dish and spread filling evenly on top. Drop spoonfuls of remaining batter on filling and spread evenly (be careful not to mix layers). Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter.

Bake coffeecake in middle of oven 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until golden and a tester comes out clean. Cool coffeecake completely in baking dish on a rack.