Lady Spring

Dear friends, it is hard to believe that the first day of spring has come and passed and the next week will usher in  April.

                   "Signs of Spring" by Walter Crane (1845-1915)

Lady Spring is taking a leisurley stroll through our garden this year.

She is slowly gifting us us with signs of Spring, sure to build to a crescendo of glorious colours!

                                                      

                                          

I was excited to see the petite dove grey pussy willows in our yard last week.

I love adding these fuzzy flowers to spring decorating projects.

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W hat signs of spring have you seen in the last few days?

PHOTO CREDITS

slcook52

myopera.com

i212.photobucket.com

marthastawert.com

apartmenttherapy.com

A TOUCH OF BLUE

Please pardon my tardiness this week.  I am a little like the March winds that are blowing through the country side.  This is a quick "how ya do?" and a sip of tea to fortify me as I head back to my bus-y-ness. If you have a moment to linger I invite you to stop in to the Plumed Pen to see what our darling hostess has for us to savour.

I wanted to share a "Touch of Blue", to our tea time this week.  The sugar cubes were hand decorated by a friend who has moved away and I use these for special occasions and sometime just for show. If you have a steady hand and a flair for the artistic you might try your hand at this.  If you do please share some pictures and  some how-to's, so we can learn too.

I  am putting the finishing touches on a post called
"The Sweet Taste of Spring".  Can you guess what that might be?    Living in Canada, it is the sweetest part of spring.
Do pop back in a day or two and see.

From Giada's Recipe Box

D o come in and cosy up in the chair by the fireplace.  I have a pretty pot of tea steeping for you and a sweet treat to share.  I will enjoy a relaxing chat with you before we visit with Silken Purse  for Wednesday Tea for Me and Thee.


 I was the hostess for a meeting at my home yesterday.  Nothing like company coming to spur me on to catch up on neglected chores. I had just a few minutes (14 minutes) to whip something up and pop it in the oven (Bake for 12 minutes).  
 It was just enough to eliminate that peck-ish feeling around tea time. 

Cinnamon Twists & Cardamom-Honey Dipping Sauce

Recipe & Picture courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Cinnamon Twists

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 (9 by 10-inch) sheet frozen puff pastry,

thawed and cut into 20 (1 by 4-inch) pieces

    I cut mine in half again

1 egg, beaten

Sauce

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom


Directions


For the cinnamon twists:


Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a shallow bowl, mix together the cinnamon, sesame seeds, cardamom, and brown sugar. Twist 2 pieces of dough together to form a rope-shape. Pinch the ends together to seal. Brush the dough with the beaten egg and roll gently in the cinnamon mixture until coated. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until puffed and golden. Cool on a wire rack.

For the sauce:

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lemon juice, powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom until smooth. Pour into a small dipping bowl.(taste to see if you would like it sweeter)

Arrange the pastries on a platter and serve with the dipping sauce.

NOTE: The puff pastry that is available to me had to be rolled out
            Allow 2 hours for puff pastry to thaw