Sauerampfer, the tangy Summer Salad

Sauerampfer- French Sorrel Salad,
tangy and different.

A refreshing Summer Salad.

Sauerampfer, It is always such a pleasure to see it so early in my garden.  Brings back wonderful memories.  When I was a little girl I would find it growing wild in meadows near our little village in Germany. 

There is no recipe.  It's whatever is growing in my garden. Young  French Sorrel leaves, chive blossoms, violas, nasturtium leaves, young sage leaves, horseradish blossoms and watercress from our Spring.  Balsamic vinegar and a good olive oil dressing, sea salt and pepper to taste.  Add a few curls of Parmigiano Reggiano. 

French Sorrel is a pretty plant in your garden and easily available in most garden shops.  

Have a great weekend my dear 

Blogging Friends, 

Gina 

Levi was baptized yesterday

Levi was baptized yesterday.

Levi strolling down our Lane, singing songs with his Dad, Grandfather strumming the Guitar.

Levi tells his story to family and friends.

Katie and Mathias, his proud parents,  looking on.

Wading in, the water is cold but his Dad is there for reassurance.

Levi is a brave little  boy.

But now he is ready to get out.

That was yesterday.  Today, a new day for Levi. 

Gina





Symbiosis

Entirely dependent on each other.

Bees.  It is estimated that in North America 30% of the food humans consume is produced from bee pollinated plants.

These beehives are located about a mile from our house. 

The bees can see our house and they know that their first meal comes from the blossoms of our Box Elder Tree, very early in the Spring.  

Our wild Apple Tree and Fruit Orchard provide the next meal.  The value of bee pollination is about $16 billion in the United States alone.

  Commercial pollination services will move as many as 60,000 bee colonies on flatbeds and leave them in fields for 2 to 3 weeks at a time.  The bees are then moved to the next location. 

When these vegetables start growing in our garden, our neighboring bees will make sure to come for a visit.  

Cotton, Grapes, Sunflowers, Soybeans, Strawberries, Peanuts, Citrus, Alfalfa, Almonds, Annual and Perennial Flowers all need bees for pollination. 

 Cattle, sheep and many other animals feed on Alfalfa,  making   consumption of meat and dairy products possible.  Honey production from about 135,000 American beekeepers totals more than 149 million pounds every year.  

The old custom of moving beehives to crops where they are needed  for pollination is observed in many countries.  Here, beekeepers in Romania move from one field to the next, setting up housekeeping near their bees, often repeating the same route every year. 
Bees in Romania

It's been an interesting week at our house.  We had a bicycle club stop by for a catered Picnic a few days ago.  They had been on a historic barn tour for three days.  

 Tomorrow a young boy will be baptized by his father in our Pond. 

 I am told that the entire entourage, dressed in white, will be coming down our lane singing songs from 
"O Brother, Where Art Thou". 

All the while, I have been painting ceramics for our Heritage Day Celebrations.
Many people came yesterday and a few dollars where left in our Valley and in my pockets.

Flowers are growing in my garden.  Bees are visiting and so are our Friends from the big city. 




Symbiosis, Yes.

I make sure that I have lots of flowers in my garden.
And in exchange, our Beekeeper provides us with the finest honey you will ever taste. 

Have a wonderful week my dear friends.

Gina

Exclusively delicious

Italian Gelato

Imported and hand made in Italy.

My friend Barbara wrote about this heavenly Gelato last week.

Immediately, I had to see if I could find it in our area.  Wonders of all wonders, it was only 120 miles away.  And friends were coming to dinner who would bring it.  

This is Vaniglia del Madagascar.  It is simply divine.  

For desert we had Affogato all' Amarena, Vanilla Gelato with cherry sauce and sweet cherries on top.  Not only was it out of this world but when you open it,  swirls of cherry sauce and sweet cherries are artistically placed on top.  

Barbara likes Bacio, chocolate hazelnut which tastes exactly like the Perugia Baci chocolates. 
Other flavors are Pistachio, Capuccino, Panna Cotta, Fragola, Tiramisu, about $5 for a pint. 

 I have tasted 3 different varieties 

For breakfast, lunch and dinner, one better than the other.  

Hope you can find some in your area. 

Gina 

Joining http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Wishing you a happy day

on this very special day. Mother's Day!

My first day outside.  Where is my Mother?

I'm only 3 days old.  All this green is well and good, but.....

There she is.  She's keeping an eye on me. 

It's never too early to show them who is the boss.

That's right.  You're not my Mother. 

All this excitement deserves a nap.

I can take a nap.  My Mother is watching over me. 

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful Moms.

Gina 

It's a Jungle in there.

In my Greenhouse.

It's too early to take the Geraniums outside.  

Nasturtiums are even more tender.  They have provided me with lots of flowers during the winter months.  Don't want to lose them now. 

New Lemons are growing on my Tree.  I hand pollinated the blossoms.  My greenhouse is filled with their intoxicating perfume.  

This petunia doesn't know what color it wants to be.

Pear blossoms are beginning to show.

My show is only 2 weeks away.  I will be painting every day. 



Have a wonderful weekend my dear 
Blogging Friends. 

Gina 

Last Minute present

For Mother's Day

Vintage Lace Handkerchiefs.

in my Etsy shop.

In their own little cotton gift bags.

Reduced from  $35 to $28.

Forgotten patterns of hand made Lace.

Only 6 left in my Etsy shop.

Reminders of gentler times. 

Happy Mother's Day my dear 

Blogging Friends.

Gina 

Large and small

Painting ceramics in miniature.

One of my regular sized dinner plates and two tiny plates measuring only 1.5 inches.   

Dinner plate, from a set of 12,  I painted for a client. 

See the marble rim, very tedious to paint but not nearly as tedious as the two small plates. 

  

And outside?

 The Daffodils are still going strong. 

Cool weather has made them last longer.

Trees are still bare.

Temporary fence keeps the ducks and geese from nibbling on them.  
When will they learn that Daffodils are poisonous?  

What are you up to this week my dear  

Blogging Friends?

Gina

Joining  http://betweennapsontheporch.net/
Also joining  http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2013/05/