Opening Week!

It's Opening Week at the 

Stratford Festival Theatre!!

When I worked there

I remember seeing the Opening Night Flower Arrangements

that were delivered to the stage door

to congratulate special recipients.

They were all so beautiful  and

many of them had Bachelor Buttons

in the mix.

The river gardens surrounding the Avon River

in Stratford

have huge patches of these beautiful flowers.

My perennial garden also has a patch

(they are also called Bee Balm)

and when they bloom

I always think of Opening Week

and feel the excitement in the air!

There are some other flowers that bloom

on this special week too.

Solomon's Seal and Cleome

are two that typically show their beauty

in my garden

on opening week.

The Festival Opened with:

Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare

Fiddler on the Roof by Joseph Stein

Measure for Measure by Shakespeare

Tommy by Pete Townshend 

Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller

The Three Musketeers by Peter Raby

Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward

Still to Open throughout the Season:

The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare

Othello by Shakespeare

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

Taking Shakespeare by John Murrell

The Thrill by Judith Thompson

This world class theatre with it's

famous actors and

four stages is worth the trip

to Stratford!

Can you tell that I love live Theatre??

So far, we've been privileged to see the musical

Fiddler on the Roof.

It was fabulous - I'm no critic but I LOVED it!

I laughed, cried, and cheered

and was challenged to honour the 

value of "traditions" in my own life.

Tommy opens tonight and 
Pete Townshend is in the house!

Congratulations on Stratford's 

2013 Playbill.

Do you have your tickets?

Till next time ......... break a leg Stratford!

"These are a few of my Favourite Things"

This Victoria Day Week has been filled 

with some of my favourite things!

I gardened hard,

as though I was young and
it all had to be done in

one day.

My stiff back and sore muscles can attest to this!

End of May is when our farm

looks the prettiest ..... oh, but then

there is June and September and - well, every season

when I really think about it.

We've been here for almost 34 years and counting.

Apple orchard in full bloom

Purple tulips in front bed

Parrot Tulips in back bed

Frilly variegated Lilac bush by the rail fence

Fragrant Heritage Lilac in front of the drive shed

White Lilac on the Barn Hill

Can you tell that I really like lilacs?

Within a few days, the Peonies,
Poppys, Iris, Bachelor Buttons,
and Columbine will open their
swollen buds.

This really is such a wonderful time of year.

We are thankful for
the corn and bean crops that are planted

and for the warm weather
and refreshing rains.

These are just a few of my favourite things.....

A Pie for May

May's Pie of the Month

has to be Rhubarb!

My patch is at the right stage

for the pickin'

I tried a new recipe this time,

one with a "lid"

and I wasn't disappointed

even though I still 

love my favourite rhubarb pie recipe the best.

Old Fashioned Covered Rhubarb Pie

1 unbaked pie crust plus enough pastry for a lid

4 Cups chopped fresh rhubarb

1 Cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 Tbsp. orange zest

6 Tbsp. flour

A good knob (2 Tbsp.) butter

Preheat oven to 450F.

Mix the sugar, flour, cinnamon and orange zest

Put 1/4 of mixture into the bottom of pie shell

Top with the chopped rhubarb

Sprinkle with remaining sugar and flour mixture

Dot with the butter
(do this before you put the lid on so you don't have to peel back your carefully placed pastry because you forgot - don't ask me how I know this :-)

Cover with top pastry and seal the edges

Bake at 450F for 15 minutes and then lower heat to 350F for another 40 to 45 minutes.

Serve warm or cold with ice cream or custard.

His - he really liked it!

Her's - she was wishing for ice-cream to go with it.

Till next time ...... I can hear the Rhubarb growing !!

Blossoms and The Oriole

The old apple trees are in

full bloom,

the Oriole has arrived

as he always does

when the blossoms are out.

He sits at the very top of the tree.

It's been said that an Oriole

sings like a Robin who's had

voice lessons - 'tis true!

Listen for yourself......

Till next time .... enjoying the long weekend and gardening to my heart's content!

Mother's Day Brunch

Mother's Day Brunch

was another fun get-together

for our clan!

It was pot-luck and everyone,

as always, 

brought the most

delicious food!

It snowed off and on all day - such a change in weather

from last weekend but reminiscent of

29 years ago on my first Mother's Day as a new Mom!

A long distance call came from

that beautiful daughter - just in time for dinner.

We had Blueberry Stratta with Blueberry Sauce,

Ham and Cheese Stratta with Maple Syrup,

Breakfast sausages,

Hash Brown casserole

Fresh Asparagus Salad,

Fresh Fruit platter with Fruit Dip, 

Cheese and crackers,

Swiss Muesli with Rhubarb Topping,

And then there were the desserts!!

Blueberry muffins,

Lemon Cupcakes,

Rhubarb Crunch,

Coffee Cake,

Monkey Bread, and Cinnamon buns - oh my!!!

Swiss Muesli

Swiss Muesli "pudding" was one of the items

that I made this year.

I first had it while travelling in Europe and then

again at a local fund raising brunch sponsored

by some of the wonderful Swiss Farmers

here in our area.  Here is their recipe:

This makes 4 servings:

1/2 Cup Minute Rolled Oats

1/2 Cup boiling water

1 Cup low fat yogurt (plain or vanilla)

1/4 Cup raisins

1/4 Cup craisins (dryed cranberries)

2 Tbsp. natural bran

2 Tbsp. wheat germ

2 Tbsp. oat bran

2 Tbsp. coarsely ground flax seed

2 Tbsp. honey

Fresh fruit (i.e. blueberries, raspberries, banana, etc.)

Pour boiling water over rolled oats and let sit for 20 minutes. Stir in the yogurt and all the other ingredients except the fresh fruit.  Cover and refrigerate overnight and up to 3 days. Just before serving add the fresh fruit.

This is delicious served in parfait glasses,

topped with fresh stewed rhubarb

and a spoonful of crunchy granola!

Hope everyone had a most wonderful
Mother's Day!

Till next time ............. counting my many blessings!

Pinch me!

I was so honoured to meet

Lovella and Anneliese,

two of the authors of

The Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Celebrations book
which was launched

at Ten Thousand Villages in Waterloo!

What a thrill!

The celebrations for this beautiful

book started on the weekend in

the Abbotsford, British Columbia area.

Grab a cup of tea, find a cozy chair and

 read all about it here

and here

and here

and here

and here

and here

just to mention a few.....

Oh my!!!  I agree with Lovella "The Best Book Launch Ever!"

In addition to the busy weekend
These two beautiful ladies made a two day whirlwind
book signing tour in Ontario 
as well as being on Canada AM on Tuesday 
and taped an interview early this morning
on 100 Huntley Street
which will be aired on Friday, May 10th!

This was all done with such grace and joyfulness!

THANK YOU all for the beautiful flowers,
all of your signatures for my book,
and the kind words and hugs.

My cup is full and overflowing as I celebrate with you!!!!!

The flowers brightened my work space all day 
today and I'm still smiling!!!

Thank you Ruth for coming with me and taking pictures.  Should have taken one of you too!


Till next time ...... still pinching myself and feeling very blessed!!!

Spring to Summer in one week!

Spring finally came

last weekend

This weekend,

Summer arrived!!!!!

Wow, what a difference a few 

nice warm days makes....

Suddenly

the lawn needed mowing, 

the fiddle heads began unfurling,

the back deck was converted

into the "summer" room,

the farmer is happy to be "on the land",

the trees are showing a hint of light green,

there are fragrant flowers everywhere,

the patio furniture is out!

Love this time of year.

How's your Spring Summa' going???

Baking with MGCC

Today I baked some delicious

healthy bread!

Have I mentioned how much I love baking

bread of late?

This recipe comes from one of my favourite

cookbooks....Mennonite Girls Can Cook!

It's on Page 140.

Sunflower, Flaxseed Bread by Judy!

I even threw in a handful of Pumpkin Seeds.

This will be the perfect bread to compliment

the venison summer sausage that one 

of our "hunter" neighbours gifted us with this week!

That is, if there's any bread left by supper time.

Spring has finally arrived - the trees are budding,

the birds are earnestly nesting, the Spring

flowers are blooming and the rhubarb looks

promising!

Old fashioned Lungwort from my friend Ruth!

Spring has sprung when these beauties bloom!

Rhubarb - my favourite plant!

Today The Mennonite Girls that Can Cook

 are launching their beautiful

new book 

CELEBRATIONS...this weekend in the Abbotsford, BC area

and early next week right here in Ontario!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

I can't wait to try making some of the 

recipes from their new book.

Till next time ...... hanging out the wash and smelling the bread.....smilin'
Happy Birthday to some special people today!