In Every Snow

"Grant me, O God, the power to see
     In every Rose, eternity;
 In every bud, the coming day;
     In every snow, the coming May;
 In every storm, the legacy
     Of rainbows smiling down at me."

~ Virginia Wuerfel

Happy Pumpkin Cake Day

"It's late and we are sleepy,
   The air is cold and still.
 Our Jack 0' Lantern grins at us
   Upon the window sill.
 We're stuffed with cake and candy
   And we've had a lot of fun,
 But now it's time to go to bed
   And dream of all we've done."

~ author unknown

Hope your bellies are full of sweet things tonight...

Pumpkin Cake covered in chocolate and fondant by Queen Anne's Lace Cakes 

The Sound of Music

"There is always music amongst the trees in the garden
but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it."

Author Unknown

A musical chocolate cake with hand painted modeling chocolate decorations by Queen Anne's Lace Cakes @https://www.facebook.com/queenanneslacecakes?ref=hl .

Autumn Wish

"The woods are full of fairies;
  The sea is full of fish;
  The trees are full of golden leaves;
  Let's make an autumn wish."

~ author unknown

I wish for long walks in the crisp woods finding fairy kingdoms along the way and cozy evenings by a fire...

Old Autumn

"I saw old Autumn in the misty morn
Stand shadowless like silence,
Listening to silence."

~ Thomas Hood

Such peace I found in the quiet mornings in the woods on our escape to the cabin. Food for the soul in a life focused on sweets for the body.

A Song of Seasons

"Sing a song of seasons!
    Something bright in all!
 Flowers in the summer,
    Fires in the fall!"

~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Looking out our sunny kitchen window at the crisp, gorgeous autumn day, it is hard to stay inside and do what needs doing. I will at least allow myself lunch in the garden and perhaps sit on the swing with my sweetheart this evening. I hope all of you can find a moment to enjoy this glorious fall day, also! It slips away before our eyes...

Mellow and Melancholy

"The windflower and the violet,
    They perished long ago,
 And briar Rose and the orchis died
    Amid the summer glow;
 But on the hill the goldenrod
    And the aster in the wood,
 And the yellow sunflower by the brook,
    In autumn beauty stood."

~ William Cullen Bryant

Autumn brings me the urge to bring order to my home again in preparation for the months ahead spent indoors. But my heart is still out in my gardens, where I long to tidy up and make sure they are tucked snugly in for their long winter nap. And I don't want to bid them sweet dreams yet. I want to stay up with them and savor every last moment of sunshine. A bittersweet time of year.

The Sun Also Rises

"By all these lovely tokens
    September days are here,
 With summer's best of weather,
   And autumn's best of cheer."

Helen Hunt Jackson

Morning Dew

The Rose is fairest when 'tis budding new,
  And hope is brightest when it dawns from fears.
The Rose is sweetest washed with morning dew,
  And love is loveliest when embalmed in tears.

~ Sir Walter Scott

Impossible But True

"The Lord your God is with you,
    He is mighty to save.
  He will take great delight in you,
    He will quiet you with His love,
    He will rejoice over you with singing."

~ Zephaniah 3:17

A Summer's Day

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate."

~ Shakespeare

Perfection

"As I hold the flower in my hand and think of trying to describe it, I realize how poor a creature I am, how impotent are words in the presence of such perfection."

~Celia Thaxter

With just one close look at this intricate blossom on this winding vine that cannot contain itself to only one garden, I am reminded again of how prolific and generous and creative our Lord is, to sprinkle these perfect works of art all over even humble homes such as ours.

The Art of Gardening

"Gardening is the art that uses flowers and plants as the paint, and the soil and the sky as the canvas."

~Elizabeth Murray

I find endless inspiration for all my artistic endeavors from The Great Master.

Queen Anne's Lace Cakes: Blessed

Queen Anne's Lace Cakes: Blessed: "So her life was full of sunshine, for in toiling for The Lord She had found the hidden sweetness that in common things lies stored; ...

Blessed

"So her life was full of sunshine, for in toiling for The Lord
She had found the hidden sweetness that in common things lies stored;
He has strewn the earth with flowers, and each eye their brightness sees,
But He filled their cups with honey for His humble working bees."

~Francesca Alexander

I am blessed, indeed, to be doing what I love.

Simplicity

"With a few flowers in my garden, half a dozen pictures and some books, I live without envy."
~Lope de Vega

Multiply the last by hundreds, the middle by thousands and the first by millions, and I am so content! Hey, I don't ask much.

Oh, and chocolate.

Must have chocolate...

His Smile

"And the sea of care grows still

     In the shining of Thy smile;

And Thy love's all-quickening ray

     Chases night and pain away,

That my heart grows light the while."

~Wolfgang Christoph Dessler

On this Spring morning of my busy week, I am hoping to focus on all my blessings. 

How thankful I am to have fresh daffodils from the gardens smiling at me on my kitchen windowsill.

God smiles through flowers.

May you feel His smile upon you today.

Free

 2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 

Welcome, Spring!

"It is the first mild day of March;
    Each minute sweeter than before.
 The redbreast sings from the tall larch
    That stands beside our door."

~William Wordsworth

Baking on a lovely Spring day and looking forward to a cup of coffee on the porch swing.
Wishing all of you a refreshing breath of Spring air to renew your spirits.

Blessings for St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time - 

a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic.  

~Adrienne Cook

May the magic begin today!

Dreams of Flowers

"Gently steed our spirits, carrying with them dreams of flowers."

~ William Wordsworth

Longing for the first Roses of Spring and dreaming in Cake...

Queen Anne's Lace Cakes: Welcome, Spring.

Queen Anne's Lace Cakes: Welcome, Spring.
Https://www.facebook.com/queenanneslacecakes?ref=hl
Queenannecakes@live.com

Welcome, Spring.

"The stormy March is come at last,
    With wind, and cloud, and changing skies...
Yet though thy winds are loud and bleak,
    Thou art a welcome month to me...
Thou ring'st the hope of those calm skies,
    And that soft time of sunny showers,
When the wide bloom, on earth that lies,
    Seems of a brighter world than ours."

~ William Cullen Bryant

Longing to browse my gardens and find these sweet little bluebells ringing merrily back at me. Soon. Very soon.

February Brunch at our Home

Cheerful red pomegranates brighten this rather grey winter Sunday.
Wishing all of you a blessed Sabbath.

L'amour

"To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides."

~David Viscott

Hand-painted Lemon Spice Cookies with a coating of Vanilla Fondant to share with loved ones.

Leap of Faith

How can I fear the future when He sprinkles it with sparkles of light?
         And yet I do.

Holding onto Him today and this verse.

"For I am The Lord, your God,
   who takes hold of your right hand and says to you,
      'Do not fear; I will help you.' "

                    Isaiah 31:14

May your day shine...

Frozen February

"May I gird myself to be a hunter of the beautiful,
That naught escape me...
I am eager to report the glory of the universe."

Henry David Thoreau

In hopes that each of you can catch a glimpse of that glory today...
Blessings.

Cold Winter, Warm Kitchen

Nothing much cozier than the scent of something sweet emerging from the oven.
Warm wishes from our kitchen to yours!

SPICY MOLASSES BREAD

2 cups all-purpose flour.       1/2 cup oil
2 teaspoons baking soda.      1/2 cup molasses 
1 teaspoon salt.                     1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon cinnamon            1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cloves              2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon ginger              Whipped cream ( optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil one 5" x 9" loaf pan.
Whisk together dry ingredients and set aside. Pour oil into mixing bowl and use same measuring cup for molasses for easy removal. Add boiling water, then sugar and mix well. Lightly beat eggs before adding to mixture and mix well. Gradually add dry ingredients and blend until just combined. Pour into pan and bake from 50-60 minutes. Toothpick inserted in center should not be wet but do not over-bake. If loaf springs back when you finger test it, remove from oven. Let cool in pan 10 minutes and remove onto cooling rack. Bread slices best when cooled but is delicious warm with a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!

Queen Anne's Lace Cakes: Hope in Winter

Queen Anne's Lace Cakes: Hope in Winter: "Of winter's lifeless world each tree Now seems a perfect part; Yet each one holds summer's secret Deep down within its hear...

Hope in Winter

"Of winter's lifeless world each tree
Now seems a perfect part;
Yet each one holds summer's secret
Deep down within its heart."

~Charles G. Stater

On this bitter and blustery day, may I do the same.

Makin' Whoopie in the Winter

Sounds rather sordid, I know, but it couldn't be more pure and sweet: buttery frosting sandwiched between two little layers of cake and topped with a swirl and a snowy sprinkle of sugar. And because of their diminutive size, they won't wreck those New Year resolutions. Unless you can't eat just one...

Winter Inspiration

"Chill airs and wintry winds!
    My ear has grown familiar with your song;
 I hear it in the opening year,
   I listen, and it cheers me long."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Snowflake Cake

A slice of this might at least warm your heart.
Sending one to all of you in spirit!

Queen Anne's Lace Cakes: Snowflake Season

Queen Anne's Lace Cakes: Snowflake Season: It is so easy to lose hours just creating snowflakes from sugar, chocolate, cakes and cookies...the possibilities are endless, along with ou...

Snowflake Season

It is so easy to lose hours just creating snowflakes from sugar, chocolate, cakes and cookies...the possibilities are endless, along with our joy!

May your Snowflake Season be as joyful.