Whatcha Working on Wednesday

Here's a little something for all of my prim-loving pals...

My new -- and first ever -- dough board! Todd built it for me, after I showed him a few photos for inspiration. I love how it turned out -- especially now that I've had time to paint, distress, and seal it. As you can see, it's not all decked out just yet. Mostly because we haven't had a spare minute around here. And because fall decor would be really inappropriate in July -- even if it's all I can think of now that we've gone from cloudy, damp and 55º to hot, humid, and super sunny. There just isn't a happy medium this summer, is there?!

I'm off to enjoy the sunshine while it lasts, my friends! Thanks, as always, for stopping by. Don't forget to see what everyone else is up to this week for Whatcha Working on Wednesday.

I'll be back later in the week with some highlights from our trip up to the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.

Homemade Goodness

Hello, friends ... and thanks, as always, for spending a few of your precious summertime minutes here with me today. I so enjoy having you here, especially when there is a bit of homemade goodness to share. Today that means food.

As you can imagine, there's been a lot of making and baking going on here lately now that everyone is home and pretty much hungry all the time. It's almost humorous, actually. Connor's appetite astounds me already -- and he's barely eight. I can only imagine what he'll be hoovering a few years from now! Seriously. It's going to be epic. And so, I stock the cupboards while I can -- especially when the weather is less than stellar and a warmish kitchen is just the ticket to get the day started. Everyone has been very pleased with these new recipes and so I am happy to share them with you. Just in case you're in the mood for some baking too.

Homemade Graham Crackers

(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup honey
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour
1 T baking soda
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour milk (just add 1 tsp. vinegar to milk)
1 T vanilla

In a large bowl cream butter, honey, and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and stir well. Sift dry ingredients into a separate bowl. Gradually add milk and dry ingredients to the sugar mixture. Mix well and refrigerate overnight.

When you are ready to work with the dough, preheat oven to 350º. Roll out small portions of dough onto a floured surface. (Try to roll the dough as thinly as possible if you want a crunchier cookie. Otherwise the cookies will be a bit chewy. Both are equally tasty.) Cut into desired shapes or squares, prick with a fork, and bake on a greased cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes.

Blueberry-Raspberry Pie

pie crust of choice for one 8 inch pie (I used the Whole Wheat recipe below.)

1 pint blueberries
1 pint raspberries
2/3-3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup tapioca
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 -1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Wash fruit and pour into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, tapioca, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add sugar mixture to berries, stir gently, and set aside for about 15 minutes.

Prepare your bottom crust and when berries are ready, pour them into pie shell. Dot with butter and then cover with top crust. Make several slits in the top crust and then brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 450º for 12-15 minutes. Turn oven to 375º and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes until filling is bubbly. (I often cover the pie with foil for the last 10-15 minutes and I always bake my pies on a cookie sheet to catch any juicy drips.)

Whole Wheat Pie Crust

(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick butter, chilled
6-8 T ice water
2 tsps. lemon juice

Combine flours and salt in a large bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and add to bowl, working the flour until it's grainy. (I use my hands for this step.)

Combine water and lemon juice then slowly add it to the flour mixture. Work the dough gently and do not over mix. You may need a little more or less water than called for, depending on how the dough comes together.

Press mixture into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. When the dough is ready, you will be able to roll out both a top and a bottom crust for your pie. Bake according to whatever pie recipe you are using.



Have a wonderful weekend, every one! Hopefully the homemade goodness in my next post will be that little project I mentioned here. I'm almost done. I promise.

Until next time...

If you're happy and you know it ...

My three happy campers -- ready for bed and full of playful silliness. What a lovely way to end a busy summer's day. With Brendan leading the charge, of course. What an exuberant little wing nut ... our ever-smiling silliest one. Always in the mix. Always ready for more. Or as he, our littlest Mainer, would say: "mowah."

I wish you could have heard the belly laughs. They were priceless...

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends ...

Whatcha Working on Wednesday

Happy Wednesday, my friends!

I hope you've been enjoying the summer sunshine this week. We've been nothing short of delighted here. There's nothing quite so restorative as sun, warm-crisp air, and lots of outside time and fun. Finally!

And since it's Wednesday, here's what I've been working on:

Kindra's sign has found a home now that I've finished this GW window frame makeover. It was originally a light oak color with a mirror insert, but the mirror was in bad shape so I decided to remove it. It's redone with a buttermilk crackle finish, much like our mirror above the fireplace. The unfinished end table is next on the list. Just as soon as I decide on a color, that is. I don't know about you all, but sometimes I have to think about these things for a while...






And speaking of Kindra, I remembered this post when I came across these coasters at GW last week. They were a bit worn and dated, but they had potential -- especially for the bargain price of $.99. A little painting and primming did the trick -- along with a star or two.











Next up is a new wreath for the dining room. Nothing says summertime like flags, stars, bees, and watermelons. It's fun and finished. Two very good things.










And last but not least, another GW bargain painted in a fun robin's egg blue -- with some sanding and staining to boot. I'm thinking that this little item will see a lot of use once I finish up the one project that didn't quite make the WWW deadline this week. I hope to share that one with you soon. It's something that Todd and I worked on together and I'm really excited about it.





Don't forget to pay Leslie a visit to see what every one has found time to work on this week. I'm off to make one last batch (or two!) of freezer jam with these beauties.

Have a wonderful evening! I hope you'll visit again soon...

Summertime Snoozer

Someone didn't quite make it upstairs for naps yesterday. He didn't even last until lunch.


It's a hard knock life alright. Especially when you're 22 months old. And busy all the time.

A Little Breakfast Baking

Welcome back, my friends!

Today's post is all about breakfast treats. The first is a new recipe in our kitchen, but it's become a quick favorite for two reasons: 1.) It's delicious and 2.) It's simple and quick to prepare. The second offering is one we enjoy on a fairly regular basis -- mostly when we have a lone apple or a carrot or two hanging around. It's a simple recipe as well and it's one I love because a little bit of extra effort yields nearly two dozen scrumptious muffins. A definite must here at our house full of perennially hungry breakfast lovers and snackers.

Happy Breakfast Baking!

::: Blueberry Cheesecake Bread :::
(based on a recipe from Recipezaar)

1 large box blueberry muffin mix (I used Duncan Hines Whole Grain)

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 egg

Topping:
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375º. Prepare muffin mix per package directions. Pour half of batter into greased 9x5 loaf pan. Combine filling ingredients and beat on medium speed until well combined. Spread filling over muffin batter and top with remaining batter. Prepare topping and sprinkle over batter. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Cool and store in the fridge.

::: Morning Glory Muffins :::

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
1 T cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup flax seed meal or wheat germ (optional)

2 cups grated carrots ( about 2 medium)
1-2 apples, grated or finely chopped
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/2-1 cup coconut (optional)

1 egg and 2 egg whites
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 T vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375º. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients Stir in carrots, apples, cranberries and coconut. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine wet ingredients and add to dry ingredients, stirring until well combined. Fill greased muffin cups until about 3/4 full. Bake for about 20 minutes. Makes 20-22 muffins.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I hope everyone had a fabulous 4th of July yesterday!

Ours was fairly quiet due in part to the fact that Todd, Connor, and Michaela were out very late Friday night. They went to a Portland Sea Dogs double header -- complete with some early 4th of July fireworks. What a treat! The rain stayed at bay long enough for the three of them to have a rockin' good time. Hooray!















And though we've seen some much appreciated stretches of sun over the last few days, I have not entirely abandoned my plans to build one of these:

I even found the instructions here. No kidding! Just in case. After all, we've just experienced the wettest June on record here in Maine since 1903. And since you have to find the humor in such things, I had to mention my "plans" here ... just in case anyone else needed a back-up plan.

Here's hoping for some lasting sunshine and lots of summertime fun. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, my friends...