Basking in the Sunshine!

As you are well aware, I've been bemoaning the weather on a nearly daily basis. Getting sick of it are you? Especially nervy when I live in Florida!

Sorry friends, but I will undoubtedly keep it up. All week long it is has been gloomy. While eating breakfast in the sunroom, which, we've already established has been sorely lacking in sun, out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of...

by golly, the beginnings of a blue sky!!! The good news is that it kept getting better and better until, at this very moment, there is not a cloud anywhere to be found. Oh happy day!!

On another good news front, I spent my gift card at WS. It wasn't easy because I have nearly everything a home cook could want, but I managed to do it.

I've yet to try the fancy new rolling pin, but what I have used is the Le Creuset loaf pan. Because I was dying to do so, as in immediately, I went hunting for a recipe using the blueberries I had in the fridge. Well, did I ever find a good one, that I halved.

When it came out of the oven, I knew we had a winner. You know why I thought so? I could see blueberries, that is why. If you've ever baked with blueberries, you will understand the previous, if not, I'll fill you in. Generally blueberries sink to the bottom. I've read countless tricks on how to prevent that, from freezing the blueberries first, to coating them with flour. WELL, in this recipe, and I don't know if that is why they did not, but, you cut the butter into the flour, as if you were making a pie crust. After doing so, you mix the wet ingredients, including the blueberries, dump them into the dry, and quickly mix with a wooden spoon. In my case, I used one of the new ones. As an aside, it was not that I did not have my fair share of wooden spoons, however, they were not nearly as sturdy, so they have found their way into the trash bin.

After an overnight cooling, we could not wait to try it. Do you see what I see in the photo below?

Taking it to Bruce, I was like..."honey, doesn't that look like a little face?" Anyway, scrumptious and easy.

Before the bread went into the oven, I made a Chili Relleno casserole using par boiled Poblano Peppers.

You mix up some eggs, flour, a few spices and pour it over, bake for only about 15 minutes, and then top with MORE cheese. Super good and quick.

Saturday, we went looking for a table to replace this one.

The table is nice enough, however, it is not really our style. We used it because, after receiving it from Bruce's Mom's estate, it seemed like the right thing to do. Now we are ready to move on. Except, all of our usual haunts for something more mid-century had nothing in stock. Before heading home we stopped and had lunch at a new place, or at least it is new to us.

I'm unclear how they came up with the name, "The Porch", because really there is not a porch to be found, but so be it. Talking to Bev yesterday, she mentioned that it is wildly popular and hard to get a table; I guess we got lucky. One thing we had, and I still can't believe how much I liked it, was a dish with brussel sprouts and cauliflower. Sporting some clever name, one, I of course can't remember, it was delicious!

This afternoon, now that the sun is shining, I need to go look at this scene again on my bike. The day I took it was foggy, gloomy, and gross. This time of year, these orange blooms can be found all over the place, although this house has maybe more than its fair share?

Pretty impressive, isn't it?

Before we leave the subject of food, last night, when Bruce got home from Virginia we had lunch for dinner. Grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup from the can. While we were eating, I asked him if he could imagine that there are whole restaurants devoted to grilled cheese? He could hardly believe that was true until I got out the trusty iPad for a Google search, finding multiple entries. Amazing isn't it?

Did I ever show you the project I worked on using some of my estate sale fabrics?

Well, I can't seem to find a photo of the finished quilt, but I combined these strips with white, finishing the edges of the quilt with the tiny green and white polka dot fabric. The back was white with tiny green polka dots. The occasion? Nadia, Tom's best friend has a new baby, Rose. I actually finished it up in time for them to transport back to England in their luggage, which is always a blessing as postage astronomical! If you are surprised that I can't find the photo--don't be. With a library like mine, anything is possible.

Digging through my fabrics I've been very interested to learn about the mills that made them back in the day. One fabric is from Klopman Mills, which was acquired by Burlington after WWII. I don't know if they were still using their name on the fabrics, but I have about 3 yards of Klopman fabric.
Here is an ad, run in 1964, advertising Klopman fabric, so maybe that means they did. My piece, although undated, seems to be from a similar time frame as another one she bought in Georgia in 1968. Not only are the fabrics themselves interesting, but the stories that go with them are equally so. Oh my!

Enough desk time for me.....out to bask in some of this rare sunshine!!