We made it.

 "The first day of spring is one thing,

          and the first spring day is another"

~Henry Van Dyke

See that little bumble bee up there?  All it takes is one warm day.  Unfortunately that wasn't today.  Who cares! Happy first day of Spring!  The sun did pop out for a few minutes (after the snow flurries this morning) and I'll take it!

 

 

This time of year is exciting to dream about the garden.  To enjoy those first little bursts of spring.  Like the little snowdrops that are opening up everywhere whispering to me warmer weather is on its way.

 

Bringing a few posies inside is good too! 

 

Alys Fowler has a lovely series called "The Edible Garden".  I watch these over and over again.  Beautiful garden, beautiful filming, beautiful lady (and I love everything she wears!)  Here is the first in a series of six. 

 

 

Enjoy spring and keep dreaming!

 

Happy hugs, 

 

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day/Easy Corned Beef

We have a few little traditions here, we wear green, make a little Americanized Irish dinner, and watch "The Quiet Man".  I am a tiny bit Irish so it's kind of fun!

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We always have the same thing for dinner....Corned Beef, Cabbage and Noodles, and the best Irish Soda Bread.


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I'm posting this quick little recipe for Corned Beef, first, because I wanted to share with you; and second, my hard drive went on my laptop last week and I lost a "few" things. My recipe file here is my "back-up" for favorites.  Plus they are easy for me to find without having to use my "other" system...aka a stack of a hundred or so printed recipes.


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I buy the flat rectangular cut of corned beef.  It's usually packaged with a tiny pouch of seasoning.  Follow the directions on the package for cooking the beef via the simmering method.  When it is finished cooking (this is the yummy part), slice the beef and place it on an oven-proof platter.  Mix up 2 tablespoons yellow mustard, 2 tablespoons catsup, and 1/3 cup brown sugar packed.  Spread it all over the corned beef.  If it's a big piece double the mixture.  Put in a preheated 350 degree oven for a bit to warm the sauce and serve.  That's it!  Delightful!

Sadly, I lost my "Quiet Man" dvd and they are not showing it today on TCM.   "The Quiet Man" is an annual classic for St. Patrick's Day, the same way "It's A Wonderful Life" is for me at Christmas. One of my all time favorites. If you don't know what I'm talking about, its a wonderful classic movie from 1952 staring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Not a western (ha ha) but a lovely, funny, romantic film, shot partly in Ireland.  Here's a little clip I found on youtube so you can see what I mean.



If you can't find a way to see it today, mark your calendars because it is scheduled to air on April 23 at 12:30 pm on TCM. You can sign up for a reminder from them here:  http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/24069/The-Quiet-Man/

Have yourself some good luck today!
xo Jenn

p.s. If you've emailed me in the last week, I am still figuring out how to get my Rabbit Hill email back up and running and will get back to you very soon!!  So sorry.

Spoke to soon... and Snow Muffins

What is this?

The only snow I want to see now are these....

No such luck.

Then it really started coming done.

Roads were bad, we all tried to make the best of it and have some fun.

....or at least find a dry spot.

In honor of it being the LAST snow of the season. (Pretty please with a cherry on top!)

Lydia and I made Snow muffins.

You will need a little of this:

Snow Muffins

2 cups flour

1 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp butter, melted

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups snow

3/4 cups dried cherries (or raisins, currants, etc...

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C)

Grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin.  I use my mini-muffin tins and make 3 dozen.

In a bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix well.  Add butter and milk; mixture will be lumpy.  Quickly add snow and dried fruit; stir until blended

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, dividing evenly.  Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes for large tin, 10-12 minutes for mini's.

Early Work Mercantile New Updates

Can I get a hallelujah March is here!! 
I know a lot of us are expecting snow, but soon daffodils will be blooming and birds will be singing. 

Here's a quick peak of my offerings this month on Early Work Mercantile.  Click here for more info.  

Have a great weekend!! xoxo Jenn