Raspberry Sauce with Waffles

     I love berries - all berries - therefore I love berry season! That's why I don't call this waffles with raspberry sauce because the waffles, even though home made, are not the star here. And even though this was a breakfast entree it could also pass as a dessert. The only problem is that snacking on a few plump berries while assembling the ingredients and multiple taste tests while the sauce cooks, tends to diminish the quantity of the end result!

Chipping Sparrow's BIG Baby

     For a couple of days, we've been watching this busy little duo from the patio. This morning I had time to snap a few photos and identify the species. The mother was so tiny and sprightly that I had assumed she was a wren when in fact, she was a chipping sparrow, but the baby was a puzzle - he was way too big to be hers! So I did some investigating and found that brown-headed cowbirds are brood parasites, laying their eggs in other bird's nests. The chicks monopolize the parent's feeding and grow faster than their nestmates. I'm pretty sure that's the scenario we have here.

Garden Welcome

     Our average-sized suburban back yard is nothing too special. There is a lawn of mixed types of grass that is pretty lush this June, thanks in part to the recent generous spring rains and to the removal of a very large ash tree that was split by lightening last year. We've always been limited to total shade plants so the additional light has also allowed us to include a few sun-loving flowers to the garden areas as well. Our very small vegetable garden, which was restricted to a strip on the side of the garage, has been extended along the fence line a few more feet. These are small but significant changes for us. Of course we still enjoy the shady expanses - the three hosta plots, the begonia beds near the pond, the "snowball corner" that is lined with hydrangeas, and the patio with comfortable chairs that always boasts a leafy canopy and a breeze.

     

     A gray picket fence and gate separate the backyard from the front. I think it is appealing in its simplicity and it begs a sneak peak beyond more so than a privacy fence would allow. So perhaps the small bejeweled oval sign that says "Welcome to My Garden" should include in fine print, "That is Very Special to Us"!

Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake

     It's not quite blueberry season yet but I had a frozen cupful left over from last week's pancakes (Pop's favorite). Incorporating them into a yellow cake mix along with some sour cream and an extra egg produced this lovely bundt cake. A generous lemon glaze boosted the citrus flavor. This cake may be MY new summer favorite!