Thank you to Mary at 'Hope-Filled Living"

Happiness is a perfume you can't pour on others

without getting a few drops on yourself.

A special "Thank you" to Mary at Hope-Filled Living,Cultivating An Inspired Life.

 

Mary had a giveaway from her web store last week and I was one of the winners!  I am so excited!  I rarely win anything and will savour the book  "On a Wing and a Prayer," over a cup of tea.  Thank you Mary.

I am pleased to introduce you to Mary and encourage you to stop by her blog. I am always uplifted and encouraged by her words of wisdom that she shares as she journeys along her own path with God by her side. I am blessed by  "The Journey" and "Monday Morning Inspiration" and look forward to her new books that are going to press this spring. Please drop by and experience first hand the wonderful words of Mary that will encourage you to live a hope-filled life, at Hope-Filled Living

Now thanks be to God who…through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

2 Corinthians 2:14

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.

.

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

GIVE AWAY from The Tassel House

Wishing everyone an enjoyable weekend.

There is another giveaway this week at THE TASSEL HOUSE. To enter go to BETWEEN NAPS ON THE PORCH betweennapsontheporchreviews.blogspot.com, and familiarize yourself with the rules.

If you like tablescapes you will want to feast your eyes on the present and past posts for some creative ideas

Let me know how your weekend unfolds.

Good luck to everyone entering the contest and let us know if you win.

Wednesday Tea for Me and Thee

What a gracious hostess we have at silkenpurse.blogspot.com



Come and join me there for a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of your day and savour the delicacies on the tea trolley.

With a yearning for a touch of Spring in my home, I wanted spruce up the room with some fresh flowers. Looking for a vase I discovered the perfect alternative.

I remember the day I found it in a thrift shop. Once regally displayed in a china cabinet, beautiful and with purpose, it now sat chipped and rejected on a wooden shelf, in a local thrift shop. I still saw the beauty, even with its lid missing and a chip out of the teapot's rim. I couldn’t serve tea from it but I felt a kinship to it and it belonged in my care.


The price was very modest. I would forego my lunch and purchase the lonely teapot minus its lid. My new gem would come home with me and I would find a use for it.

Now, with the addition of carefully picked flowers my chipped teapot took on a new and whimsical appearance. A forgotten castaway became the crowning touch of my table. This discovery has had me recognize hidden beauty and repurpose many a forgotten treasure.

How many times do we feel that we are not what we once were? Who would want us? What could we possibly do of importance? Just like the chipped teapot on the shelf, missing its lid, we need to look to adding some whimsy to repurpose our life.

Matthew 19:26 (New International Version)



Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

I love to hear from all who join the party. Please take a moment and sign the guest book.

Photo credits:
perfectbound.blogspot
quinnsblooms.com
blog.abloointime.net
thetearoom.typepad

Exquisite give away A VINTAGE TOUCH

Do drop by "A Vintage Touch" ( www.avintagetouch.blogspot.com) and enter for a very special give away.


You will enjoy this talented artist's work.  A good reson to set a spell with a cuppa and view her exquisite work and maybe you will be fortunate to have one of your very own.


Cheers,
Pam