Cool Tree Fort

Cool tree fort - don't know how they filmed this or how they built the house for that matter but it's great!

http://vimeo.com/40828813

DIY Fortbuilder

Wish I had this site when I was a kid.  Crazy about stuff like this!

https://diy.org/skills/fortbuilder

Watercolorists

I am also a big fan of watercolor and architectural artists.  These works are from Gialt Latte.  Wonderful.

Journal Art

I was a fine arts major in college and design textiles for a living.  I have written and drawn in journals since I was 5 - they are a huge part of my life.  I also love to collect journal art books and the art from these artists.  These four images are from a Flickr page Sketchbuch - he is very talented .

Guernsey Nursery Schoharie

It was a rainy weekend and we had planned to go over to Schoharie to visit Guernsey's Nursery with Mel and Marni.  Marni has been bragging about this place for years and we just have never managed to get there. However, Marni had given me a gift certificate for Guernsey's for my birthday determined that a free gift would motivate me. She was right. The nursery has been in business for over 100 years and is a huge place with over 100 acres of beautiful plants.  They were almost completely wiped out last year with Hurricane Irene and the flooding.  The drive over is about an hour from Bovina.  The nursery has a tremendous selection of trees, shrubs and perennials that you don't see at any chain nursery.  We got lost in the trees and shrubs - always looking for new evergreens.  We walked away with a Fernspray Hinoki Cypress Bush which has these beautiful fern shaped leaves and a few new perennials.  We had lunch in town and then drove through another rainstorm trying to get home.  The trip was worth it - after our trip here, I don't think we can shop at any other nursery.

Somedays...

There are some days when I would like to just curl up to these two and never leave home.

Bovina Days Lawn Sales

We love lawn sales.  We bought several things this Saturday during Bovina Days.  We picked up two vintage 70's cork lamps which are great for craft rooms and near the phone.  We collect vintage paint-by-numbers and Tim found a great deal.  Also, lawn sales are the perfect place to pick up bargain garden tools and the wheelbarrow was a great price.    

Rio Grande Enchilada Casserole

This was the third place winning casserole dish that Tim made for the contest.  It was delicious!

Rio Grande Enchilada Casserole

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 serrano chiles ( seeds and stems removed, diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups sour cream
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 dash cayenne
1 can (11 oz.) tomatillos ( drained)
24 corn tortillas
10 ounces Monterey Jack ( grated 2.5 cups)
1 medium onion (diced)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season chicken with salt and pepper, toss with 2 tablespoons oil, and bake in a cast-iron skillet until cooked through, about 30 minutes.  Let cool, shred , and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium-low heat, melt butter.  Add chiles; cook until soft, about 4 minutes.  Add garlic; cook for 1 minute.  Whisk in flour for 1 minute.  Whisk in broth until thickened, about 6 minutes.  Stir in sour cream, 1/4 cup cilantro, cumin, and cayenne.   Transfer to a blender, add tomatillos, and puree.  Pour 1 cup mixture in each of 2 buttered 9x13 inch baking dishes.

3. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and cook tortillas in batches until soft, about 1 minute per side, adding oil as needed.  Place 1/4 cup reserved chicken, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1 teaspoon onion on each tortilla and roll into a cigar shape. Place in baking dishes and cover with remaining sour cream mixture and cheese.  Bake until top is lightly browned, about 25 minutes.  Garnish with remaining cilantro.

Bovina Days 2012

As usual, an absolutely perfect day for Bovina Days.  Marjorie had told us that it NEVER rains on Bovina Days so she was right. We got out early at 8:00 to put the banner that I had made for the event up - for  the evening's dinner event on Maple Ave.  The banner turned out great.   The lawn sales started at 9 and everybody was out and about shopping.  We bought a pair of vintage 70's cork lamps, a large vintage paint by number landscape, a huge wheelbarrow, and then we finally made it over to the Bovina Library annual book sale.  Marjorie was at her wittiest.  We bought stacks of books.  Two guys leased the old Heaven bakery and re-opened their own bakery called Two Old Tarts and we went to check that out.  It was too busy so we went down to Russels to get lunch - the best BLT's ever.  

We headed home so that Tim could start cooking his casseroles for the competition that would  be held at the picnic dinner that evening.  Tim made two recipes - a steak grillade with cheese grits and a sour cream enchilada casserole.  We arrived late for the competition but managed to squeeze in Tim's dishes.  The three judges - June, Bea, and Gary had a large task ahead of them but did a great job.  For our first competition this year - there were a lot of contestants - very exciting! They announced the winners and Tim got third place with his Rio Grande Enchilada Casserole so we are very proud of him!!!

The evening was perfect, everyone started eating and sat together and shared recipe secrets.  It was a beautiful evening and Maple Ave. is so nice and shady this time of day to sit and share with your neighbors.  There was a ton of food. Not only did we have all the casserole dishes to taste, people brought a dish to pass and there were desserts and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs as well.  We were serenaded by this lovely couple that Marjorie had hired - a violinist and accordionist.  They were fantastic and the perfect kind of music for this type of event on a beautiful summer's day. Monica and friends coordinated games and competitions for the kids and we watched tug-o-war and potato sack racing. John and Carmen and Carmen't mother who was visiting came as well . So glad to see them.  So much fun.  It was such a nice evening!

Cabin Crazy 3

More pics from my fav site and my fav hobby.

More Frog Pics...

Jean took so many great photos and here are just a few more of my favorites.

July Gardening More Pics

Still hasn't rained much at all and the pond has gone down about 2 feet.  However, we get a little bit of morning drizzle and it's enough to keep the water storage barrels full.  Thank God, it's a lot more work to use them now that we are spoiled by having a hose and the well but we try to recycle water as best we can.  I was dreading coming upstate thinking that a lot of plants would be dead but the heat actually forced a lot of flowers into bloom and nothing died. We even have cattails on the pond this year which is new.  The other hollyhocks bloomed and the color is terrific. Our Shasta daisies are massive and we will have to start splitting and moving a lot of them this fall.  Same with the bee balm which loves being near the pond but the plant is huge and taking over the bed it is in and we will have to transfer it as well.

Lemon Tart

Tim overbought lemons last weekend - 22 in fact and so we had to find a use for them this weekend before they went moldy.  Break out the puff pastry and Voila instant desert.  

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 6 Meyer lemons, thinly sliced
• 1 package frozen puff pastry (14 ounces), preferably Dufour, thawed
• All-purpose flour, for surface
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
• Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling
• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped, pod reserved for another use

Directions

1. Bring water and granulated sugar to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
2. Cut out a circle of parchment the size of the saucepan. Add lemons, and cover with parchment. Simmer gently until lemons are soft and translucent, about 1 1/2 hours.
3. Remove lemons from syrup, and transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to an 11-by-14-inch rectangle. Lightly score a 1-inch border around edges using a sharp paring knife. Brush entire surface of dough with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
5. Bake pastry until golden, 22 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, whisk heavy cream and vanilla seeds with a mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.
7. Top pastry with lemon slices. Serve with vanilla cream.

Spicy Citrus Steamed Drumsticks with Cilantro Dipping Sauce

We had a "lighter" meal of Steamed Chicken Wings with Gazpacho for dinner.  The wings were incredible - just the most amazing range of flavor with the spices and the cilantro and yogurt.  Delicious.


Spicy Citrus Steamed Drumsticks with Cilantro Dipping Sauce

• 2 1/2 pounds chicken wings
• 1 orange, zested and juiced
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 1 green onion, sliced

For the Cilantro Dipping Sauce 

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the dipping sauce, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, cilantro, green onions and garlic powder; season with salt and pepper, to taste; set aside.

Bring 1-inch of water to a boil in a saucepan with a steamer. (If you don’t have a steamer, you can simply put the drumsticks directly into an inch of boiling water.) Add the drumsticks to the steamer and cover; reduce heat to a gentle simmer and let steam for 15-18 minutes.

To prepare the sauce, combine the orange zest, orange juice, soy sauce, ginger, red-pepper flakes, honey, vinegar and Sriracha in a large bowl.

Once the drumsticks have steamed for 15-18 minutes, add to the sauce mixture and gently toss to combine, being careful not to tear the skin.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil. (Lining your pan with foil is crucial - it will save you a lot of work. You’ll see how much of a mess it becomes in the last picture.)

Place the drumsticks onto prepared baking sheet.

Place into the oven for 15 minutes, basting both sides with the sauce every 5 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with cilantro and green onion.

Frog in the Clouds

Tim's sister, Jean, sent me this photo she took last week.  I love this photo.  Nothing makes me happier then to watch the frogs float on the pond.  This little guy looks so happy and with the clouds reflected - even better!

Bovina Days and Maple Ave. Dinner

We have a couple weeks to chill out and then we have Bovina Days -  July 21st in downtown Bovina.  There will be lawn sales all day and then we will be having the Maple Ave. Dinner Block Party.  Proceeds from the event will support our local library which is celebrating it's 95th Anniversary.  We love our local branch libraries which serve thousands of small communities across the country.

New Projects

Now that Fourth of July is behind us, I can begin to attack some of the projects that I have wanted to start.  These were just some of the images that I have collected for projects for myself.  Old garden tools for one side of the garden shed, a potted wreath, blue bird house sculpture, fake alliums for the meadow, new teepees for the four corners of the perrenial beds.

Lobster Boy

Tim's nephew Keith is graduating from high school this year and we are incredibly proud of him that he is going to MIT.  He is so smart and so talented.  In addition to being a brainiac he plays classical piano but can also draw and paint up a storm.  I asked him to do a sketch on our chalkboard door in the kitchen and he whipped out the cutest lobster.  I love stuff like this!