That Time of Year

 It's that time of year - when the hyacinths bloom curly and blue under bare rosebushes

...when dry grasses stand in front of bushes just beginning to leaf out. 
 

...when pink is the colour of the day and blossoms float on the air
 

...when vintage cars and trucks are carefully unwrapped and driven proudly on sunny days. 
 

...when one never knows what might come in for a landing beside the water.
 

... when sailboats motor by because the sea is flat calm

... when blue skies and bright sun beguile one into thinking that a warm jacket might not be needed

... when an afternoon stroll turns into 90 minutes of "let's go a little further" to take advantage of the spring day

That was Sunday. Today is drizzly, but definitely warming. Is it that time of year where you are, too? 

Apple Crisp with Custard Sauce

Spring might be on the way, but the air is still chilly and winter seems to be lingering like an unwelcome guest in some parts of the country. This dessert is welcome in the fall, winter, or on cool spring days, and great for using up apples that are softer now than in October. 

Apple crisps are often served with ice cream, but a Custard Sauce, also known as Crème Anglaise, is mellow with vanilla and can be served warm or cold. I like it warm. Pools of mellow vanilla sauce, soft apples, and a crisp topping meld together for a dessert that is warm and comforting.

I'm linking this to Penny's Tasty Tuesday, at her blog The Comforts of Home. There are lots of yummy recipes shared each week. Check it out!

Apple Crisp

4 cups sliced pared apples
2/3 - 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed (I use the lesser amount)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup oats
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (freshly grated is best)
1/3 cup butter, softened

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Place apple slices in 8 inch square pan (or use individual dishes). Mix remaining ingredients with fingers, until mixture is crumbly, with the butter evenly distributed. Sprinkle over the apples. 
Bake 30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve warm with custard sauce.

Crème Anglaise aka Custard Sauce

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream (whipping cream) (or use 1 cup of light cream in place of the milk and heavy cream)
dash salt
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract

Heat the milk and cream in a small saucepan until just hot. (Steam should rise from the milk, but it shouldn't boil.) Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar with the salt. Add a small amount of the hot milk to the eggs, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk. Cook, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly - about 175 degrees. The mixture should not boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Strain mixture into a glass or metal bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper onto the top of the sauce to prevent a skin forming. Chill. (Will keep up to 3 days.)  

Elusive Spring

The shy sun hides behind clouds. Rain spatters the windows. 

What to do? 

Pull on a sweater. Make a cup of tea. Settle into some virtual gardening. Find spring in colorful photographs, in seed packets, in planning for sunnier days ahead.What do you do when spring eludes?

Linking to Sunlit Sunday, hosted by Karen of My Little Home and Garden.

Five on Friday

Days tumble upon each other, filled with activity. A drive to the ferry on Monday morning. Wednesday at the pool with Miss A. Boating class. Errands and grocery shopping. Planning. Cooking. The moments end up in a heap of time at the end of the week. Sorting through them is an exercise in thoughtfulness that brings to mind the Psalmist's prayer, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12) 
 

A Monday walk on the beach counts as my first favorite thing this week. 

Second is the time spent at the pool with Miss A. Oh, the energy! She delighted in pouring bucket after bucket of water on this Nana's head. Then she tilted her own head, looked at me and said, "Nana, your hair doesn't look normal." I guess not. More like a drowned rat.

Third, the book I'm reading, seen above. Travel. History. France. Three of my favorite things combined. It's not a book to dash through. Instead, I find myself setting the book down and I dig out other references to add to the delight of learning new things.

 

Fourth. Also to do with France, indirectly. I have a set of coasters, picked up several years ago in Paris. Each displays an image of a monument. Little Miss S called the Eiffel Tower a boat for the longest time. I kept gently correcting her, saying "It's the Eiffel Tower." Last week, she was at home and built a block tower. When her mother complimented her on her tower, Little Miss A said, "Eiffel Tower," clear as a bell. All towers are apparently Eiffel Towers. While here over the weekend she named the monument on the coaster correctly. It tickles me every time I think of her saying it. L'Arc de Triomphe might be a bit more difficult. 

Fifth. These brighter days. I pause to look outside as I write. Frosty grass. Birds chirping. Sunlight. Blue sky with a few clouds. Pink ranunculus. Yellow forsythia. Brown dirt waiting.

How has your week been? What are you looking forward to this weekend? 

 

Not my Favorite Season

It's here! Or will be tomorrow. I always thought that seasons began on the 21st of the appropriate month, but here's Google saying Happy Spring to me today, the 20th. When did that change? 

A view from the deck, above. We he mowed the moss grass once and I began cleaning out the raised vegetable beds.There's a trailer of dirt to shovel in. Last week I sprayed the fruit trees with dormant oil. What a messy job that was. Forsythia in bloom tells me to get my rose clippers out.  Clean, fresh air. Invigorating. Once I get out there I don't want to return indoors.
 

Spring is here. It's not my favorite season. It's perhaps the most highly anticipated, but for sheer delight I'll take summer please, or perhaps early autumn. I like it warm and the temperatures rarely climb high enough for me on the west coast.

Ranunculus like it cool. I like looking at them through the glass doors as I eat. 
 

A fat bead of water nestles next to the barest beginning of a tulip bulb, still hidden deep within the curl of leaves. Winter pansies are getting ready to bloom again. 

Seasons here fade and brighten slowly, imperceptibly. Winter putzes along, alternating rain and sun, with a few frosty mornings as a nod to the season. Spring pokes her nose in now and then while winter gives a few last paltry efforts and finally gives up trying. Spring throws a fit now and then, blowing hot and cold, frustrating gardeners, tourists and small children who want to throw off jackets and run barefoot through the sprinkler. Charming. Annoying. Capricious. That's spring. 
 

Primulas above on my mantel. I used a BeFunky edit to give them the watercolor look - not the Waterlogue App - don't know if I'm techy enough for that one.

Welcome spring. I'm going to try enjoying you to the full this year, in spite of your moodiness.

A Bit of Spring Cheer

It's time once again for Vee's Note Card Party. This is such a fun event. I chose spring flowers as a theme and all of these flowers have been seen recently on my blog, although I chose different images for some.

I collect quotations and had fun paging through my book where I keep them. Some of them are written on scraps of paper and lie loose in the pages. I keep meaning to glue them in before I lose them. Do you collect words?

And finally, the "box top" for the set of "note cards." For all of these photos I used the Vignette option in Picasa and then the Polaroid option. Some of the Polaroid borders turned out larger than others and I can't figure out how to make them all uniform. Anyone have any ideas? 

Join the party at Vee's - pleasant, interesting and kind people attend. You'll be made very welcome.

Endive Ham Rolls

Several years ago I found this recipe on a French language site, Les Fruits et Les Legumes Frais (Fresh Fruits and Vegetables). Actually, the site was then called 10 par jour or 10 per day. Regardless, I've enjoyed making this classic and simple dish from time to time. 

At the deli, I ask for the ham to be cut into slices about 1/8 inch thick. Thinner slices could be used, but you may want two or three per roll. The dish can be prepared ahead, refrigerated, and baked just before serving. As I prepared this dish today, I thought that two or three stalks of asparagus would make an equally good vegetable to roll up into the ham. I've adapted the recipe slightly from the original

Endive Ham Rolls

6 endives, washed, with outer leaves removed and ends cut off
6 slices ham, either from the deli or from a leftover baked ham, about 1/8 inch thick
3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
3/4 cup finely grated Swiss or Gruyère cheese

Steam the endives until tender, about 15 minutes. If you don't have a steamer, place them in about 1/2 inch of barely simmering water. Drain and let cool. This could be done ahead and the endives stored in the refrigerator for a day or two.

Cut the endives in half lengthwise. Cut the ham slices in half crosswise. This step will depend greatly on the size and shape of your ham slices. You want the ham to mostly cover the endives and to wrap around them with a bit of overlap.

Wrap the endives in the ham. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then stir in the flour. Let cook until barely golden. Do not let it get overly browned. Stir in the mustard, if using. Whisk in the milk and cook the sauce until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour about half of the sauce into an 11 x 8 inch baking dish. Arrange the ham and endive rolls on top in rows. Pour the remaining sauce over each row. Sprinkle with grated cheese. 

Bake for 20 - 30 minutes at 375 degrees or until the sauce is bubbly and the rolls are hot throughout. The ham may brown a little on the edges. 

Enjoy with a green salad and little white wine. Ooh, la la. 

Linking to Tasty Tuesday, hosted by Penny of The Comforts of Home.

Meringue Chocolate Almond Cookies

Faced with a quantity of egg whites in the fridge, I made these meringue based cookies. They are light, but addictive. I think it has to do with the way they melt in your mouth, with the added flavors of almonds and chocolate. Easy to make, and they are gluten and dairy free (depending on the chocolate chips used.) 

Meringue Chocolate Almond Cookies

2 egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips or finely chopped chocolate (I used a combination of both)
1 cup sliced almonds, blanched or not

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In large mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Begin adding the sugar, two tablespoons at a time, and beat until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Beat in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate and almonds with a silicone or wooden spatula. 

Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto parchment lined baking sheets. Allow for some spreading. Bake 20 - 25 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the parchment, then carefully remove. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Linking to Tasty Tuesday, hosted by Penny at The Comforts of Home. 

On a Beach in the Morning

This morning. 6:28. I awaken to the sound of a neighbor scraping a car window. Frost again. I smile inwardly. A sunny day ahead. And so it is. I drive my parents to the ferry at 8 am. On my way home I stop for a walk on Island View Beach. Come along and see what I see.

A luminous hour. Clear sky. Crisp air. White gulls. White wavelets rushing on the rocks. Ebbing tide. White gulls wheel and cry. A pair of Canada Geese lift off the water in synchronized motion.

A weathered and twisted tree trunk provides a peek hole. Frosty logs. Sun will soon melt that. 
 

Gulls and geese on a rocky islet. Are they enjoying the morning air as much as I?

Returning homewards I see the tide has ebbed to reveal the islet is connected to the shore by a rocky bar. The sea. Always dynamic. Never static.

Home again to upload my photos. I left my phone at home and discovered that my parents' ferry sailing was delayed due to high winds in the strait. Hard to imagine when I look at these images. Now the sun streams in my living room window, so welcome after the rainy weekend. 

Today: some tidying of the house, some cooking, studying for my boating course, hopefully a little stitching or sewing. That's my plan. What's yours? 

Blossoms for Sunlit Sunday

Memory. It can make me laugh out loud, or bring tears to my eyes. Remembering things like dental treatments isn't pleasant (I have one coming up in 10 days.) Remembering the sunshine earlier this week is pure delight. Although the rain pours down once again, the memory of a few sunny days during the week reminds me that spring is not far off. Blossoms of palest pink fill the trees. Ethereal tinted clouds line the streets. Spring. Not far off.

Linking to Sunlit Sunday, hosted by Karen of My Little Home and Garden.

Five on Friday

 Sunny days mid-week saw this gull in a mellow state of mind, allowing me to approach near. He/She flew off just after I clicked the button.

Bright daffodils bloom on roadsides and in sheltered yards. These came from the grocery store. Their cheery yellow heads add cheer to the kitchen table. The wind is picking up, clouds are moving in and rain spatters the window as I type. 
 

Two mothers, two little girls, one sleeping baby boy and a very happy Nana spent a couple of hours at the park this week. Such busy activity of running, sliding, running, running, sliding. Nana went down the big slide with the big girl and down the little slide with the little girl. Double slides are so much fun.

That's three things - for the fourth - we're looking forward to the first meal on the outdoor grill tonight. Good thing we have a sheltered area. Fifth - my parents are here for the weekend. Visiting, eating, drinking tea and chatting. It's all good. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sidney by the Sea

Sunshine warming my back. Eyes squinting into the light. Brilliant water. Spring. Ducks swimming, gulls wheeling and calling. Children running. Flowers opening to the warmth. Lightness in the air. Sailboats dancing. Impossibly blue sky. 

An errand took me to Sidney by the Sea this afternoon. Sea glass beckoned and I filled my pocket with white shards worn smooth by the waves. It was all so lovely.

Thank you for all your comments on my previous post. Further to some of the comments - I don't remember who said what, and I'm not going back to check. Casting blame on anyone was never my intent. Thumper, of Disney's Bambi movie, was told by his mother, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." That's particularly true of blogging, I think, where facial and tonal expressions are missing from the conversation.

Bogeymom/Carrie - I have no way to contact you. If you read this post, thank you for your kind comments - they are always welcome. 

Is spring coming your way? Today's loveliness lifted my spirits immensely.

Bavarian Apple Torte

Apple desserts - yum! I first tasted this torte at the home of my cousin Caroline and was happy to see it show up in a family cookbook a few years later. Not overly sweet, but just sweet enough. Apples, cream cheese, cinnamon, and almonds on an easy crust. This really is easier than apple pie. 

Layer One:
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Blend in flour to make a soft dough. Spread or press on bottom of 9 inch springform pan.

Layer Two:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Pour onto pastry in pan.

Layer Three:
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 cups peeled, sliced apples (I used three Spartan apples and had just the right amount to fit on the pan - I didn't measure them)
1/4 cup sliced almonds (optional)

Combine the sugar and cinnamon, add the apples and toss together. Arrange on cream cheese layer and sprinkle almonds on top. 
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then increase baking temperature to 400 degrees and bake until the apples are tender, about 25 minutes more. If the almonds begin to brown too quickly, cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Cool slightly. Remove from pan, loosening edges with a knife first. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

I'm joining in with Penny at The Comforts of Home for Tasty Tuesday.
 

On the Giving of Advice

Do you blog about controversial subjects? I don't. But that's about to change. Just a little. With this post. 

I am not a professional decorator, cook, seamstress, travel guide, or gardener. I enjoy learning new things in all of these areas, and more. The blogging community is so great - a grand sharing forum where I can read, learn, apply, adapt or ignore ideas and actions. The wealth of combined expertise is staggering. Such a great resource.
 

So who better to turn to for a little advice? A couple of years ago I asked a specific question about a specific feature in my living room - the window coverings - hoping for an "aha" comment that would solve my dilemma. 

What I got in the comments was advice on wall color, on furniture arrangement, on what to hang on my walls, a few window covering comments plus a comment that my room looked cold and uninviting. Well. 

I've not asked for decorating advice since. In fact, I haven't posted a photo of a room in my home since. Corners and vignettes, yes. Whole rooms, no.

I ignored the comments and still haven't found a solution I like for my windows. It will come. Decorating my home is a work in progress. I'm always tweaking something, adding here and taking away there, without buying new stuff very often. My style is mine and I'm happy with it.
 

Recently another blogging friend asked for advice on what color appliances to put into a condo she needed to sell quickly. Black or white. That's it. She also received all kinds of unsolicited advice on painting the cabinets, putting in stainless steel, changing out this and that.

In her next post, she graciously explained all the reasons why she wouldn't do this or that. So sweetly.

I look at a lot of blogs over the course of a week. Everyone's style is unique. I appreciate that. Some decor I like. Some I don't. Some I really don't. What matters is that the owner likes it. 

As a takeaway here: Read carefully. What question does the writer want answered? Answer it. Give opinions on why, but don't feel free to redecorate the entire room in your comment. Judge not. Pictures don't tell the whole story. Homes, like people, like blogs, are works in progress.

There. I've said my piece. Nicely, I hope. 


 

Tulip Mileage

The heart of a tulip, blushing pink with a golden center. Although it poured rain most of the day, cut flowers bring a little sunshine indoors. 

I spent a few hours today cuddling with Mister F who has his days and nights mixed up and two very tired parents. There's nothing like holding a sleeping baby for utter coziness. 

I'm hoping you are finding some measure of sun/joy/happiness during these last lingering late winter days. 

Linking to Sunlit Sunday hosted by Karen of My Little Home and Garden. 

Words and Letters

It's time for Donna's Personal Photography Challenge. Each month, Donna, an accomplished photographer, sets a challenge for those who want to join in. She provides links to sites that offer advice and inspiration for the particular topic.  It's fun! Perhaps you would like to join in next time.

This month, the challenge was Words and Letters. Here are my interpretations:

Focal length 6.0, 1/100s, f2.8, ISO 100

Last November, my mother gave me an old hymnal that belonged to my maternal great-grandmother, Agatha Rempel, born in 1897. The book was given to her by her father in 1903, in Chortitza, now part of the Ukraine. Agatha came to Canada, married, and later gave the book to my biological grandmother, also named Agatha, who married my grandfather. She died about 6 months after the birth of her 10th child. My grandfather then married Agatha's sister, Mary. In reality, Mary was my great-aunt, but I knew her and loved her as my grandmother.

Focal length 6.0, 1/50s, f2.8, ISO 100

 The book is in German, although, oddly, printed in the United States in 1880 by the Mennonite Publishing Co. Although I cannot read German, I love the look of the text. Paging through I found this postage stamp sized card with the words The Lord is my Shepherd in German. I wonder which of my forebears placed it there.

Focal length 6.0, 1/60s, f2.8, ISO 100

Handwriting is unique to each person. When I look for recipes in my old-fashioned recipe box, I enjoy the handwritten cards most. The handwriting of friends and family is a reminder of personality.  I wish we used handwriting more. Modern technology makes writing by hand almost unnecessary.

I have a box of old letters. The above photo is taken from a letter written to us in Ecuador by my paternal grandmother Katrina (known as Tina). Sentences follow each other without regard for capitalization or much punctuation. No matter. Love is conveyed by the words and the very act of sitting down and taking the time to write.

I'm looking forward to reading other bloggers' interpretation of this Personal Photography Challenge. Thanks to Donna for hosting, and for encouraging us all to become better photographers.

Five on Friday

Whoosh. Where did the week go? Are you noticing the way the light lingers in the evenings? I hardly know when to start cooking dinner! 

For the first of my five things - have you heard of The Great British Sewing Bee?  Season One ran last spring and now the second Season is playing. Not in North America. Inkstain, a novelist and sewist, puts up links to the episodes each week. Last year I found them on YouTube, but haven't been able to this year. I really enjoy watching the contestants cut and stitch and use their creativity under time constraints. 

Second, last weekend's tulips have opened and faded to a lovely blush colour. I love their pale reflection in the mirror.
 

Third. Our front porch for the last couple of months. Prior to pouring a new driveway last November we (aka Tim) removed the small and sinking porch. He framed up a new one, providing access to the front door until the rest of the project could be done. One little grandgirlie asked, "Why is there a hole in your porch, Nana?" on several occasions. The other little grandgirlie stared down and said, "hole, hole."

As of this week the holes are gone but the railing is not yet complete. Soon, I hope.
  

Fourth, I'm hoping to get to this book this weekend. Another Inspector Gamache mystery. 
 

These croci beckoned me on my walk the other day, so I snapped a photo with my phone. Such a vivid cluster of color means that surely spring cannot be far away. 

 

A Quieter Week

This week, with Tim off work, has been a bit slower than normal, in a very good way. We've had time to talk about things and process life together. I've heard some people say that husbands and wives can't be best friends, but I differ with that. Tim is indeed my very best friend, the one with whom I share most deeply. 
 

It was only a matter of time before the hexies got to me. I've been inspired by beautiful hexagon patchwork done by Mia, here, and by Vicki, here. Making hexies is proving to be a great project to keep my hands busy while watching television.

These hexagons are 2 inches across. I'm using scraps of fabrics, linens and Tim's shirts. He has a lot of blue shirts and they wear out along the collar or cuffs. The body of the shirt and the sleeves are perfectly fine. I have just over 100 hexies done now, and probably need about 800 or 900 for a full-size quilt.

Little Miss S was over the other day and wore a hat for much of her play time. When she arrives she sets up a little chair in the living room, with a small stool in front of it and that's where she likes her snack. (Cheerios) I tried to convince her to move her set up so that the light through the window wouldn't do what you see above. No luck. She has a mind of her own in spite of her questioning pose.

How is your week going? Busy? Slow? Just right?  

Rainy Weather Walks

"There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes." So says my husband. 

Sunday afternoon. Pouring rain eases to a steady drizzle. We shrug into raincoats, pull rain pants over our jeans, and put on waterproof shoes. 

We're the only humans at Tod Inlet. Dozens of gulls perch on old pilings, impervious to the soft patter of droplets on the water. One gull rises, flaps to another perch and forces the gull sitting there to move on. He, in turn, chooses an occupied perch as well, in spite of quite a number of empty spots. Fun to watch.
 
 

One raindrop trembles on the end of a bare branch just beginning to swell with the promise of growth. 
 

Tim's on a week of vacation. Nothing special is planned, but today we drove up to our house in Parksville. The one we couldn't sell two years ago. It's been rented, but it's on the market again. 

Rain poured down as we drove. The rain thickened - a mixture of rain and snow. Splat, splat went the wipers. 

Before turning homeward we went for a walk along Englishman River Falls. Mud squelched. Rain dripped off the trees. Water rushed over the falls. Such a variety of water sounds.
 

Bright emerald tiny ferns poke up from the moss. In spite of the cold wet and the snow lying in the forest, spring is on the way.

Playing with Tulips

Buckets of fresh tulips, yellow, white, fuschia, red and pink, greeted me as I popped into the grocery store yesterday. Resist? I couldn't. I didn't even try. Three bunches of these pale pink beauties found their way into my basket.

They sit now, in a polished silver jug, on my living room mantel. I walk into the room and my eye is drawn there. I feel the corners of my mouth lifting. Grey and grizzle may reign outdoors, but tulips bloom on my mantel.

Linking to Sunlit Sunday, hosted by Karen of My Little Home and Garden, and to Mosaic Monday, hosted by Mary of The Little Red House.