Golfcart Escape

     Pop, the golfer, thoroughly enjoyed this personalized Father's Day card. I took a stock image and inserted playful photos of Pop's faithful and devoted companions, Nikki and Miss Molly. Since the two are partners in crime anyway, they were perfect foils for operating the runaway golf cart. In this portayal, the husky, as usual, thinks he is in charge but it is the feline with a guileless grin who contrives the entire caper.

Cupcake Masquerade: Corn on the Cob

     The recent cover of a popular women's magazine featured these "corny" cupcakes. I was immediately smitten. When a chance visit to local bulk candy store presented the opportunity to buy yellow and white jelly beans, the plan was set in motion. Because of the instense heat of the last few days, the cupcakes were baked the night before serving. White buttercream frosting and jellybeans were added the next day, as were corn handles. I assembled two "cobs" for presentation and placed only three jelly beans atop each of the remaining cakes, for practical and for health reasons. The pineapple and coconut flavors of the candy were summery and delightful with the chocolate cake, and were a nice surprise when served on Independence Day instead of the usual patriotic colored dessert (the salad was adorned with a flag instead!)

Starry Starry Nights Necklace

     Simple stars hang not from the sky but from a sterling silver chain and earwires. Cool and perfect for summer, the white howlite beads, which have a faint grey veining, are striking in their simplicity and the symmetrical arrangement emphasizes that simplicity. Funny that in the firmament there is no symmetry, at least not that humankind can fathom, but the art of jewelry making allows some control of our own little stars.

Testament to the Scents of Summer

     A book that appeals to more than just the sense of smell, The Scented House is one of my summer favorites. Although the theme of the entire book is decorating, crafting and cooking with natural aromatics, the photography and the projects are beautiful and even elegant, which is rather unexpected. The use of herbs, spices and flowers usually evokes a primitive perspective but these creations have a delightfully sophisticated edge. Traditional and natural materials are always appealling and spur a basic instinct to create.

Cucumber Lessons - Anticipation and Trust

     Tending to the gardens this morning, I was struck by two images among the cucumber vines. They are thriving after a somewhat slow start because of a cool, wet June, but with the advent of July and several days of simmering sun, all the garden plants are extremely vigorous. The cucumber flowers are numerous and brilliant, boding an abundant harvest. (I like nothing better than to pick a  fresh tomato, a cucumber and some basil or dill in the morning to pack for my noon lunch at work).

     The vines are planted against the southeast wall of the garage with stakes and twine for support, and usually reach all the way to the roof by season's end. In this configuration, they are easy to maintain and harvest. Tendrils curl and reach for any support, and sometimes in searching will grasp each other. Fragile at first, they soon become strong and sturdy.

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Scones

     Two quarts of strawberries have served us well. Some were used in the birthday cupcakes (described in a previous post), some in fruit smoothies and some in strawberry margaritas. The last few were chopped up and added, with some semi-sweet chocolate chips, to a soft buttery dough and placed on a floured work surface.

After rolling out the lovely colored dough to about an inch thick, I cut it into squares and then into triangles, similar to the traditional shape of scones. (I never understood why scones, invented by the Scottish and so popular in the British Isles and elsewhere, are virtually ignored in the United States.)

 Baking in a hot oven produces a lightly brown crust with a light interior. The fresh strawberries are bursting with flavor and the chocolate adds a slight sweetness. Altogether a tasty breakfast served with milk (my imperative) or hot coffee, and a few are always saved for a superb snack or even dessert in the evening.

Ol' Blue Eye Brown Eye

     Nikki is glad the bottle rockets and firecrackers are used up and swept away. Not his favorite holiday, he spent most of the evening quivering in the shower. So today he is tired and content to nap on the back porch step, where he can open an eye occasionally to survey the yard and gardens for intruding birds, squirrels and rabbits. (The step is also a sort of launching pad because, with his bad legs, it is easier for him to rise quickly from there rather than from lying prone on the ground.) The question is, however, which eye to use - the blue one or the brown one?