I guess I've gone completely nutty and am now inviting squirrels to garden cupcake parties.

 This yellow mound is much the same color as the softly twisted bun she wore pinned behind her head. I can picture her leaning over the kitchen table separating and flouring the shiny strands of freshly cut dough.

A flurry of flour sack fabrics found at a neighborhood yard sale. Guess I'll put sewing on tomorrow's menu.

Today I refinished this 40-year-old breadboard that has been hidden away and forgotten as a pull-out in the just plain shabby -no chic- kitchen cabinets I live with. Stripped, sanded and oiled it is now perfectly posh, polished, prim and proper.

Mrs. Potato Bread 

My hands smell like stain, there are wood crumbs on the living room floor, a few electric tools strewn about, paints piled on the table, random pieces of sandpaper here and there and my second shorebird carving completed. 

 STOP whatever you are doing and run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore and buy this book - A Table in the Tarn by Orlando Murrin. Then bake the most butteriest, cheesiest, meltiest-in-your-mouthiest brioche you have ever tasted in your lovingliest lifey.  

I didn't know when I began ironing napkins this morning that my heart would fill with precious memories of pressing my father's handkerchiefs.

roasted tomats, these little gems are my rubies.

garden posies come inside for a morning visit. hello, my pretty friends, thank you for sharing your soft-spoken tales of spring. 

Vagabond cake: the carefree crumble that you will never nibble cooled, just open your fancy-free face and devour the warm, floaty, spicy, sweet-topped morsels and feel them rock your gypsy soul.

thank heaven for a little bacon sandwich. (griddled courtesy of Jess and Ell) Wish I was there.

Today I made the oddest discovery...These were quite unusual rocks, smooth, pale honey-colored, hiding in my garden bed. Upon closer inspection, they were not rocks at all but dry, hollow elongated orbs. Oh my, here were last year's pumpkins, all nicely plump just as they were as october fruits. the small vessel has a few cracks and holes and is just a shell of its former self,however, the second squash provided the seeds for my  hallowed harvest this fall. the great gourd still has its stem. it holds its precious little seeds inside and that is where they will stay.  Happy mother earth's day.

Tortillas de Jessica

Pancakes for Ell

Great Grub, Griddlegirl! That's MY GIRL, Jess, firin' up her new griddle, flipping perfect jessiecakes (that's Elliott's stack swimming in syrup) and tortillas de mi hija perfecta. (Thanks for the griddlin' Jess. Thanks for the pics Ell. You have been BLOGGED!)

gnocchi gnocchi bo bocchi...oh, gnocchi...gnocchi dame...pingnocchio...what fun we had trying our first batch of potato gnocchi. completely frightened by the "do not add too much flour or you will be eating gummy gick" warning, my first batch completely disintegrated in the boiling water. disregarding the aforementioned taboo,  a few handfuls of flour was all the dough kneaded. Roll, cut, fork and press and our counter was filled with little soft pillow shoes left out in the snow. boil, fry, cheese and season. yummy, not gummy, okie gnocchi?