My little granddaughter volunteered to harvest the tomatoes.
Hobbes volunteered to guard her from marauders.
I volunteered to watch them and clap.
Life is good.
A Few Of My Treasures
I am rich indeed.
This Little Piggy
Oooh, we have a sweet little girlie turning 3 this week. She loves kitties, garden flowers, Bluey and Peppa Pig. Hee, hee–I mean, snort!
If you’re not familiar with Miss Peppa– you’re seriously missing a cultural event–because you see, Peppa is an English Piggy. Serious business, this. So between all the snorting–and there is a lot of snorting!– we have the most quirky piggy family with just the perfect English accents.
Our Miss T has loved this little ham hock forever. In fact, she could do a lovely rendition of Peppa’s snort almost before she could talk! And you simply MUST hear her say, “It’s a bit fun-nay” just like the proper British piglet. It’s adorable time 20.
Only stands to reason that she would need her very own Peppa for her birthday. Of course, of course.
Happy birthday sweetie. Grammy love you so much.
Snort-snort!
The Queen’s Berry Tarts
This Valentine’s Day I was positively determined to have the best Grammy treats in the history of Grammy treats–for when the kids came with their Valentines.
I have no idea if I pulled it off–but for me, it was pretty close.
I made a lovely little butter cookie dough and at the last minute, I added the remaining bits of the freeze-dried strawberries (mostly pink dust) from the can in the cupboard.
That’s what all the red flecks are that you see in the dough.
In the summertime, I saw this sweet little cookie cutter stamp from William Sonoma.
For some reason, it just melted my heart and I couldn’t resist.
The press was so much fun to use and sooo easy.
Anyway, I think they are simply adorable…don’t you?
As I was painting little jelly hearts in the center of each one the nursery rhyme about the Knave stealing the Queen’s tarts kept going through my head.
His cookies look a lot like mine–only way bigger.
Mine are the perfect size–and worth stealing all the same.
The Queen's Berry Tarts
Ingredients
- 2 cups butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsps baking powder
- decorating sugar or jam
Instructions
- In a bowl, cream butter and sugar.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
- Combine flour and baking powder.
- Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
- Shape with cookie cutter or press.
- Place on ungreased baking sheets.
- Decorate with sugar if desired.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
- If you used a cookie with a jam well in the center--carefully spoon in a small amount of jam in and let the cookies cool completely.
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My Cheeto Girl
If you’re a Cheetos connoisseur– like Miss H and I are, then you know there are many ways to eat them that are considered “proper” depending on the circumstance you find yourself in.
For instance, there is the dainty “Nibble, nibble,” most often used to avoid embarrassment at large gatherings, where people insist on talking to you, even when your mouth is full.
Then, there is the the voracious “Starved Wolf,” made popular at family barbecues when the chips are out but the meat is still frozen.
And who can forget the Cheeto-fangs-beat-plastic-fangs “Vampire,” method seen at scout camps and sleepovers for the last four decades?
You’re on your own to visualize these particular techniques. Sorry.
One of my personal favorites, as our girl here is demonstrating, is the “Seagull” technique. You know, an actual Cheeto in one hand and the other–and entire ARM, if possible–securely poised in the bag, making it impossible for anyone to take what is rightfully yours. Somewhere off in the distance I hear those charming aquatic birds squawking, “Mine-mine-mine-mine-mine-minemineminemineminemine…”
Hey. A fresh bag of Cheetos can do that to a person.
