"Makes Me Smile" Monday

Books, books, and more books have been making me smile lately . . . not just on Monday !!! I've always been a dedicated reader, never without a book . . . heck, I practically lived at the library when I was little !! And lately, I've been flying through books like never before ! This is just a mere sample of the pages my nose has been in lately . . .

I've been getting into Alice Hoffman and Sue Monk Kidd . . . a little Jodi Picoult here and there . . . loved The House at Riverton by Kate Morton . . . . and have enjoyed discovering new author Sarah Addison Allen . . . and the list goes on !!! And, now that I've finally gotten a library card . . . watch out !!!!

So, what is everyone else reading this summer ?!?!?!?????

Not My Year For Gardening

Thanks to this little garden terrorist and

newest resident of our barn . . .

. . . my planters of geraniums now look like this:

Just as they were coming back to life again, Mr. Groundhog beheaded my few blooms and dug straight to the bottom of the pot. Clearly it's just not my year for gardening (Jack is, as I type, mowing over my failed veggie garden, too !). Note to self for next year: read up on growing veggies in containers, and groundhog control !!!!

"Makes Me Smile" Monday: Survivors

Not the lush garden I was hoping for this year,

but I'm glad these lovelies weathered the storm . . .

How fabulous to see a little color out there again !!

Happy Monday !

The Bestest Sandwich Ever

That would be a Smoked Turkey Reuben . . .

the best sandwich EVER !!!

Or, as it was abbreviated back in my waitressing days, a Streuben. I was introduced to this little lovely at the restaurant where I waitressed back in high school and college . . . Victoria's Parlor in Granville, OH. I'd never really liked coleslaw much, and didn't like Thousand Island dressing at all . . . but when it was all smashed together with Swiss cheese and smoked turkey between toasted rye bread . . . heavenly !!!

I thought I'd take a culinary trip down memory lane tonite for dinner, and whip up one of these beauties . . . ah, the melted, oozing, messy goodness !

So if you happen to have all of these ingredients on hand, just waiting around to be used, slap one together . . . you won't be disappointed ! Just for the record, honey turkey works well, too . . . but that would make it a Htreuben, right !?!?!!!

Whatever . . . just go make one !!!

"Makes Me Smile" Monday

What a busy weekend this was !! And fun, too !

I started my weekend here:

My mom and I took a cooking class here Saturday morning, thanks to a gift certificate from my bosses. Since our class was about refreshing summer desserts with fresh berries, we started off at the Canandaigua Farmer's Market:


We went on to make (and sample !) such lovelies as fresh fruit tarts, raspberry mousse in chocolate cups, meringue tarts, and lemon mousse parfaits with raspberries . . . big YUM !!! No pictures of all that, though . . . . we were too busy cooking and eating !!! Such a great time !

I finished the day with a Warren family cook-out, and filled myself to the brim with brisket !!! Another big YUM !!!

So, with all that activity on Saturday, there was only one thing to do: have a "Lazy Sunday" (seems like most of our Sunday's these days are lazy Sunday's !!). Mr. Tibbs agreed:

Happy (lazy) Monday !!!

"Makes Me Smile" Monday

I'm back in the saddle again, it seems . . . as far as my sewing machine, that is !!!! I've been meaning to get reacquainted for some time now, and whip up a few things . . . and thanks to an article in the August issue of Country Living featuring this author and her new book, I threw together a little something . . . . !

What used to be a cafe curtain:

. . . . is now my cute little summery tote bag !!!!

Fun and functional . . . and recycled !!!

How cool is that !

Happy Monday !!!

"Makes Me Smile" Monday

A bittersweet post today, as I just read of Tasha Tudor's passing . . . seems it was almost 2 weeks ago, so I guess I'm a little behind here !

I have always loved her books . . her artwork,

her stories, her home, her gardens . . her lifestyle !!

These are some of the books I pull out for

"comfort food" . . . to remind me of the beauty that is all around,

and of the beauty of a simple life.

I still remember reading some of her books as a child . .

finding them again as an adult has been such pleasure,

a coming home of sorts.

A little blurb in Time magazine called her

a "master of rusticity" . . .

. . . . pretty appropriate, I think . . .

and what a compliment that would be !!!!

Happy Rustic Monday !!