I've got sunshine.......on a cloudy day

This song has been stuck in my head since I received my new Victoria Magazine yesterday and it's all about Gardens. That Victoria link will take you to Donna O'Brien's Garden on their website....I sure would like to visit there.

Another of my favorite cottage gardens is Maxine Paetro's Broccoli Hall. "Broccoli Hall is a private garden in Amenia, New York, that is open to the public twice a year. Inspired by English gardens, Broccoli Hall is a series of connected garden rooms, each differing in mood and content. Visitors say that the features they like best are the boxwood-lined cottage garden with an apple tunnel, the brick courtyard, the secret woodland garden blooming with crabapples and white-and-pink daffodils in May, the abundant 300 foot long June border with roses, peonies and tall bearded irises, the koi pond and the pink, five-sided treehouse with long views of distant hills" (I copied that from her website) ooohhhh it is just lovely. My favorite is the Teddy Bears Picnic garden, I just love woodland gardens and am hoping I can create something similar this year. I wish I lived closer. I would be there in a heartbeat.

If I had to choose only one garden to visit it would have to be Tasha Tudor's Garden. I have a little video of her garden here that I found on you tube last October. Her cottage garden is true bliss. Her gardens are full of antique flowers...poppies, hugh foxgloves, peonies, lilies, roses and much more....a true cottage garden. "Paradise on earth" is how Tasha described her garden.

The few photos here are my garden from past years. "When it's cold outside I've got the month of May" Just dreaming , thinking and planning today....mostly dreaming.

Gratitude and Baked Potato Pizza

I received an email from Andra of Todays Primitive Home this morning letting me know that my little mouse above is being featured on their website today!

Todays Primitive Home has been selecting some of the best primitive and folk art on their lovely site! I plan on going through the site tonight with a cup of tea. The little that I've seen so far looks wonderful! If you have time go check them out, you won't be sorry. Thanks to everyone at Todays Primitive Home....it sure made my day!!

My sister and I have been getting together every Thursday for at least the last 10 years. We call it "Fat Thursday" and it started around the time we were pregnant with our girls. We would eat "healthy" things like potato chips and m-n-m's.

After the girls were born we would drive for hours just so they would sleep...does anybody remember the first few months with a newborn? It was like getting a day off. We would hit the drive thru and be off...too bad there wasn't a Sonic around then....

Now our girls are 8 and 9. They are more like sisters than cousins...someday I'll tell you about the fist fights at age 2. We all love our Thursdays together and still eat pizza and sweets and hang out and watch tv.

A couple of months ago we were watching The Pillsbury Cook-off on the Food Network....what pressure that would be! This recipe caught my eye and I've made it a few times since then and have adapted it a little to my own taste (which is in parenthesis). Its perfect for a quick dinner and has some good veggies in it.

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

1 Can Pillsbury Classic Pizza Crust

1 Medium White Potato

1 Tbsp Olive Oil (I added 2 TBSP more drizzled on top when finished baking)

1/4 Tsp Salt (I added a little more again when finished baking)

1/4 Tsp Pepper

1 box frozen broccoli & cheese sauce (I don't like that kind of cheese and used 1 Cup Cooked Broccoli - chopped )

2/3 Cup Sour Cream

1 Tbsp Ranch Dressing

1 Cup Shredded Colby-Monterey Jack Cheese (I added an extra 1/2 cup since I didn't use the broccoli cheese sauce above)

5 Slices Cooked Bacon, Coarsely Chopped

1 Small Tomato, Chopped (1/2 Cup)

2 Medium Green Onions (2 Tbsp)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large cooking sheet with non-stick cooking spray (I used my pizza stone). Unroll pizza crust dough and press into 13" x 9" rectangle. Bake 10-13 minutes until crust is light golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

Pierce potato with fork and place in microwave for 4 -5 minutes, turning once. Cover and let stand until cool enough to handle. Peel and cut into 1/4" cubes. In small bowl, mix potato, 1 tbsp oil, salt and pepper; set aside.

Cook broccoli in microwave and set aside.

In another small bowl, mix sour cream and dressing. Spread mixture over pizza crust to within 1/2" of edge. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese evenly over sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with bacon.

Spread broccoli and potato mixture evenly over bacon. Sprinkle with tomato, green onions and remaining cheese.

Bake 15 - 20 minutes until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil evenly over pizza...I added a little exta salt also. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting...if you can!

Rabbit Hill Primitives Update

Just a quick hello and reminder that I will adding a few old and primitive goods tonight at 8:00 p.m. est. If you would like to be on the mailing list for updates, please click here to sign up.

Thanks ever so much!

Tomorrow I'll be posting Baked Potato Pizza for What's Cookin' Wednesday....yum!

I Can't Sleep Nights

Why are Hannah's ears all amuck you ask....A few weeks back I introduced you to Phoebe...you can read more about her here. A friend thought she might be with child....I'm not sure but today Phoebe brought another little visitor. This is the first time I've seen him. He's a crazy little thing...picture a 2 year old with chocolate and Pepsi....

He's about the size of that slice of bread.

You talkin' to me?

You gotta say it like De Niro in Taxi Driver

Are you talkin' to me??

But I'm the only one here.