artisan bread

I've said it before...

making bread is an art.

But I'm not quite sure why they call this artisan bread

when it is so easy to make.

Just four ingredients...

flour, water, salt and yeast!

Mix it up in the evening for baking the next day.

No need to knead either.

Isn't the English language strange?

You bake the bread in a dutch oven...

the picture of mine turned out blurry.

And I really wanted to show you my Le Creuset...

I gave an arm for that pan.

This bread is very crusty and a little tough...

like an Italian dipping bread.

It tastes like sour dough bread.

And with that thought...

 I may open up a jar of my homemade spaghetti sauce

for a spaghetti and meatball supper.

Artisan Crusty bread...look it up online for recipes and instructions.

~b

sunny and grow'n

The sun was shining when we woke up this morning...

finally!

Can you tell I was craving sunshine 

when I shopped for fabric this weekend?

I started a another granny square baby blanket. 

Would you say flower or sun?

Some sunshine for Mother's Day from son and family.

Lemon bars always make me happy.

Our resident squirrel loves yellow too!.

~b 

Herb

Today I am wearing my herbalist apron.

Picture me in a peasant dress...

Birkenstock's...

with a long grey braid under my straw hat.

I'm such a dreamer!

Reality: Cut-offs, crocs,

and short curly hair under a beat-up straw hat.

Planting herbs is therapy to me.

Cilantro for salsa...

thyme in my chicken soup...

basil for my favorite tomato soup...

chives in potato salad...

sage for Thanksgiving dressing...

parsley goes in everything...

and lavender for a good nights sleep.

~b

36

Happy Birthday to our daughter today.

I made her this window pouch and put a few notions in it.

I loved the fabric I used for it.

Actually I made two of them.

Yes that's my featherweight sewing machine in the picture.

I haven't had it long.

 I recently had it serviced so it is ready to use.

I may call her Bertha.

Singer's Featherweights were workhorses...

just like my Grandma Bertha was.

"Have a great day Tara!"

~b

pie time

"Will work for rhubarb!"

When the lilacs are done blooming...

it's time to make rhubarb pie.

And who cares about lilacs when there's rhubarb growing.

I've been known to beg for rhubarb.

Pathetic right?

I could be a closet pie eater.

Beautiful! Isn't it?

~b

Turning 7

 

Happy 7th Birthday

to our granddaughters today!

 

With Love,

from Grandma

 

 



Willa at the beach

"Hi. I'm at the beach today.

Isn't my new swimsuit cute?"

 

 

"I'm waiting for my best friends,

Emma and Rose, to get here.

I hope the water is warm...

we love to swim."

 

 

"After our swim we are going for ice cream."

 

 

Mr. b made these beach chairs

 for our granddaughter's American Girl dolls.

Super cute!

The pattern is on Pinterest, FREE!

I stitched up the fabric pieces, minus the swimsuits.

I don't work with many knit fabrics but I'm determined to learn...

soon.

 

~b

 



Celebrate

It's National Chocolate Chip Day!

 

 

I couldn't let this day go by without celebrating.

 

 

What do you like your chocolate chips in?

 

~b



stacks

Stacks I'm loving.

 

These granny squares waiting to be sewed together...

 

 

grandma's vintage serving bowls

 

 

and dessert bowls...

 

 

raw wood blocks...

 

 

children's books on our coffee table...

 

 

and summer fat quarters.

 

 

~b



lilac

When the lilacs are blooming

 I always get in the mood for a purple project.

 

 

Purple and lavender were our wedding colors...

just saying.

 

~b



What a girl needs...

Mr. b knows what a girl likes...

 

 

is also what a girl needs!

 

A new Brother!

And this Brother is going to be put to the test.

It will be used for my daily marathon sewing sessions.

 

These are just a few of the super cute fabrics I picked up

 on our quilt hop a few weekends ago.

Fat quarters are perfect for most of the projects I sew.

 

 

Come on! You know how I love chickens in any form.

 

 

Farm fabrics are always a hit for our shop bibs.

 

 

I don't like to blog about sad events...

don't we get too much of that on the news?

 

 

Mr. b. sent me this photo yesterday (Sunday)

 from a tornado stricken community here in South Dakota.

He was there to work on telephone lines after the tornado hit.

This beautiful Lutheran church was over 100 years old.

 

~b

 



Happy Mother's Day

Moms I admire...

 

 

Thanks to my Mom for all her sacrifices

 while raising five rambunctious kids.

 

 

This is Mr. b's mother 37 years ago.

Mr. b is testament to the great mother she was.

 

These are the Moms that are raising our granddaughters...

 

 

 

...and doing a wonderful job!

 

Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there.

 

~b

 

 

 

 



mug shots

I stitched up a couple of mug rugs this week.

 

 

I loved the pattern. Birds.

The pattern was very unclear so I had to make a test rug

before I cut into the fabric that came with the kit.

 

How about my Desert Rose Hens and Chicks plant?

I fell in love with succulents when we vacationed in

San Francisco a couple of years ago.

 

 

They thrive there like dandelions here in South Dakota.

 

 

Red Bird Red Bird what do you see?

 

Some say a red bird outside your window

 is a sign of good luck and prosperity.

 

~b

 

 



Cinco de Mayo

 Taco Tuesday...

 

 

on May 5th

 

 

 

A good excuse to serve tacos and strawberry margaritas

for dinner wouldn't you say?

 

~b