Tea and Margaritas in My Garden

They All Fall Down................

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 18:44:00 +0000

The rain through the night and this morning wasn`t too kind to my Delphiniums. They were all flopped over on the ground. Luckily I was able to stand them back up. I trimmed a lot of lower leaves that had turned yellow from too much rain and the rest are going in that direction too it seems.

We saw The Dark Knight last night. Heath Ledger was superb. It`s so sad that he isn`t with us anymore.

I just had to buy this book! Loved it and found it basically as I imagined her to be with lots of interesting stories thrown in.

It was a rare and sunny day yesterday and Angus was flopped down in his new favorite spot, or should I say pot? hehe

An early morning picture I took in the rain. The sunflowers don`t seem to mind all the wet. That`s not a droopy plant there, it`s a pot of picked weeds. I got tired of pulling them out and having nothing to collect them in. It sits there waiting for me to finish the job.

This isn`t a very complimentary picture of either of us, but I thought it was silly enough to add. Looks like we have just eaten something that tasted bad. Actually I was about to blow in Elvis` face to get him to stick his tongue out.

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend and that the sun is shining somewhere out there.
I`m making "Spring Greens Cannelloni" for supper tonight and you make crepes instead of using pasta. Looks yummy. Hope it tastes good. I`ll post it sometime this week.
See ya :)

Who Spat on the Plant?

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:15:00 +0000

We`ve been naughtily neglecting our blog..........

This kept appearing all over the Mallow plant before it bloomed...

Blooming now and not minding all the heavy rains...

The tomatoes and peppers are not happy with all the wet though.....

One single Delphinium has turned into this in it`s third year.

It was a sunny morning and then it began to pour heavy rain again. Teds was left outside and I had to run out and get the old slow poke inside.

A typical nap spot on a rainy day.....

Well, thankfully the heavy down-pour only lasted a few minutes. Enough to re-drown the veg though. It`s July and not supposed to be raining still so much.
Yesterday we had the most amount of rain since the 1930`s. I don`t like these extreme weather changes at all. Whatever next? Surely it won`t snow before it`s time!!
Oh well. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. Last Saturday, a rare and hot sunny day, we went to Toronto and met up with my daughter and her boyfriend. Then we walked around Queen Street area and did a bit of shopping. The camera was low on batteries so we were only able to snap these pictures. Interesting idea though. Two Mimes...one a soldier and the other an angel.
The meaning was self explanatory...

Rain Rain Go Away and Old Men Like to Get High....

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:37:00 +0000

It`s been raining almost every day this month and the tomato plants aren`t too happy. Hopefully they survive because it will be disappointing without some lovely garden tomatoes. There`s nothing like them.It wouldn`t be so bad if it were sun showers, but it`s mostly hazy or down right dark skies. Today so far it hasn`t rained and the sun is peeping through a bit. Elvis poses in a break from the rain.

Teddy had a few nibbles of the catnip.

I think he may have forgotten where he was because he sat in it for a half an hour.

We went to the horse races last weekend and had a fun time. Harness, not jockey. I`d love to go to the Thoroughbreds sometime though. It must be very stressful not to crash these funny little carts into each other.

Hair salon yesterday to get my hair styled and coloured back to my original colour.
It`s a bit darker than I wanted, but hopefully I`ll get used to it. I guess I should really have wigs. Cheaper and easier on the hair.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend! It`s Canada Day on Tuesday here, but I`ve got Monday off instead.

In the Garden Braving the Mosquitoes with Some Tequila Help and an Absolutely Incredible Hot Fudge Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 12:46:00 +0000

"Yes, I`m going in for a few sniffs and nibbles. Isn`t that why it`s here?" I`ve added 3 more plants so far.

I decided to go with flowers in the pots this year. Chose some African Daisies and they looked very bare so I dug up some sweet woodruff and also bought a couple of spikes for the middle. In the samll pots are some Thai Basil and Lavender

I had two of these boxwood on either side of the arch but one never made it. I decided to dig the surviving one out and had slapped it in this pot until I could find somewhere to plant it.

To the far left is where I`ve pulled out the surviving Boxwood and planted another Mallow to match the other side. I`m going to have to do some heavy duty transplanting eventually because the small perrenial plants aren`t going to fit once they start to grow alongside the big ones.

I swear every year that this is dead.

But, the Trumpet Vine has again amazingly come to life.

Teds ventures out into the weed filled garden. Some of the bits are luckily only from the tree and can be swept away.

He ventures into the herb patch. I`ve only planted perennials here this year except for the arugula. Notice all the bits that have fallen from the tree. Thankfully they`re not weeds too.

I miss Saint Francis in front of the back door but Elvis was using the space here to get onto the lawn and flattening my plants so he`s been moved over a bit.

I put the annual herbs in pots this year. Purple Basil, Regular Basil and Rosemary.
I`m going to bring them in after summer and see what survives for cooking.

Teddy as well as the other two just love walking on the bricks. I still need to dig most of them in yet. For now they`re just sitting on top of the dirt.

It will eventually look nice once I get my butt out there and start digging.

Shocking mess, all the weeds, but Angus doesn`t seem to mind....

"Let me in"

Time to get serious and at least partially weed the garden.
First off, some Margarita fortification. Forget bringing out the proper glass, I wanted a nice big one, mind you, I`ve half drank it already. Goes down very well even on a not so hot day.

Out came the mosquito jacket for the bloody mosquitoes that are out on this overcast day. It only takes one bite near my eye and it swells closed.

Some areas have seedlings still sprouting so I don`t dare touch them yet, although the weeds are a mess.

DARK CHOCOLATE HOT FUDGE SAUCE

This is so good! Beware though because it`s very enticing to just eat it by the spoonful!

Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge

from The Gourmet Cookbook

1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 ounces good bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely chopped

2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, cup into 1/2 Tablespoons

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together cocoa powder, brown sugar, corn syrup, cream, salt and half of the chopped chocolate in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until chocolate is melted. Cook mixture at a low boil, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes until it thickens. Keep refrigerated and re-heat for sauce or eat by the spoonful cold and fudgey from the fridge :)

I`m going to serve it tonight for the boys over vanilla ice cream after our BBQ of hot Italian Sausages and sliced potatoes done up in tin foil with onions, mushrooms, corn and butter.

Fun and Busy Busy.....

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:45:00 +0000

It was a very busy weekend last.
First, Friday night was girl`s night out to go and see "Sex and the City" and then to a pub. The movie was great and the whole night was fun.

It was our Anniversary 2 Monday`s ago and I recieved 14 beautiful roses. The boys were here so instead, this past Saturday we shopped for plants and went out for dinner and stopped at a gourmet ice cream parlor later on after visiting Chapters.
I`ll show all the plants I bought later. It`s all mucky outside right now and I need to weed if ever there`s a dry day that I`m free on.
A really nice day! A fantastic whole weekend.
I re-painted the kitchen cupboards. I hadn`t used a base coat the first time so they were chipping.

Angus was fizzled one bit by all the wallpapering. ....

Then I got the bedroom curtains done as well as the bed covers and Angus checked it out.

But he enjoyed the bed best when it was finished. I did buy gauzy curtains as shown in my dream bed pic, but had to pick this net canopy up and hang it because of the f%$#*#& mosquitoes that sneek in. It was $49 but when I got up to the till she said it was on sale. So I got it for $17! It feels a bit claustrophobic when closed but it will do for now.

The closet ones still need hemming. Made the bedspread and wallpapered the room. The bed that I wanted to make...hmmmm. I`m rethinking that because this doesn`t look too bad as is and I fear it will be too much for such a small room. I don`t know yet. It really would be fun to try and put together. The bed cover wasn`t totally sewn or ironed in this picture, although I did hem and iron it all last night and it looks much crisper. The quilt would do better on the dream bed. This is my "what does it look like picture" It`s rather girly I`m afraid. But I did have a Raymond Waites type harem style a few years ago. I really loved it but we live in a cottage and it was too dark, so what can I say?

Angus came in the other night with something in his mouth that suddenly jumped away. It was a frog. I was afraid it may have been hurt so I got my husband to come and help. I normally don`t mind picking up frogs and toads, but not bleeding ones if I have someone else to :) Happily, he wasn`t harmed and we took him outside by the pond.

I decided to de-junk so I took down the two wall bookshelves and lugged all the books into the spare room. What a mess.
Now I need to sort them. Some to put up at the end of the driveway in a box to sell 4 for $1.00 and some to take to work to leave for whomever wants them. Then the keepers will have to stay in the spare room somewhere on the shelves...

We`ve had some huge storms and poor Elvis hates them. This is the only time we allow him up on the couch. It can be tricky sleeping too with preventing a large dog from trying to get behind a little bed table or removing him from one`s head. We have the herbal concoction from the vet and it may work a bit, but not enough to stop his worrying. I feel so bad when I think of all the animals that have been through hurricanes etc. People too!

New Catnip, A Cute Visitor and Other Things.....

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Sat, 31 May 2008 17:51:00 +0000

My Mum called me yesterday to come over with my camera and see the visitor in their bird tree....

You can click to make these bigger. He`s so gorgeous!

Isn`t he adorable? His eyes are lit up due to the angle I had to take the picture. He almost looks like a toy.

He eventually decided to climb up the tree away from the annoying person snapping his picture...
Teds stands by while I take the pictures of the racoon...

Angus doesn`t seem to look half as big as he did in real here. He just looked so huge and comical, I had to snap him. The pots are back outside but that mint has to go and be replaced by something nicer. Maybe next weekend we`ll take a trip to a garden centre. Need some more basil because I killed all 5 of the 6 I ordered. Left them outside and it was unnusually cold.

My Dad brought me a larger catnip because the cats totaled the small one. It only has stems left on it.

The bricks are just layed unevenly here at the moment by the veg garden. Need leveling and sand.

Oh for petes sakes! Is it worth trying to get these to grow bigger? Yes. If only to see the antics of cats catching a buzz. "Why don`t I plant it in the garden?" you might ask.
Because of this next picture. And it`s only parsley!
I`ve never heard of Red Kew Lavender but it looked so pretty that I ordered it from my Richters catalogue. If you click on the picture you can see the flowers much better. I put it in a pot because I might like to bring it inside later after the summer, but I may just put it in the ground instead to spread about in this sheltered spot near the regular lavender that seems to have survived the nasty winter well.

My Dad planted some Japenese Willow bushes along the back
fence near my own garden....

Here`s a close up...

I love the smell of Lily of the Valley bath and perfumes so I decided it was about time I had some plants. There was tons along the woods-line so I stuck a few in the veg garden under the tree. Most of the bricks are still waiting for me to dig them in but too many mosquitoes out there today as well as on and off rain and thunder-bangers..

Time to pull the grass out of the Ajuga. Its a pretty plant but a mad insane spreader...

The Clematis is doing great this year. Sweet Woodruff seems slightly out of hand surrounding other things that hopefully will still do okay. It sure makes a good weed stomper.

My gardens are a real mess still. Need to weed badly as you may notice. I chopped down the killer rose bush today in front, that gave me such grief when I had a long term thorn stuck in my finger. Tetanus shots, poultice, antibiotics etc. It was one of the first posts I did. The bush never did well, yet had the best and most vicious thorns of every size you could imagine. From tiny minute needles to massive honkin big thick 1 1/2 inch suckers. It actually had two different kinds of roses on it but they never seemed very healthy. It looks bare at the moment but I hated that nasty thing. I`ll either leave it like this and see what comes back up or did the whole darn thing out and plant something nice.

I had a wack of beautiful lilacs but they have died, so I just grabbed some Sweet Woodruff from the masses I have growing outside (another great ground cover and spreader and very easy to pull out and move) as well as a branch of Honeysuckle to set on the table........

Hope everyone has a great weekend! There seems so much more to blog about without the darn winter!!

Lets Demolish the Catnip and Elvis Has a Bath

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Fri, 23 May 2008 21:23:00 +0000

These speak for themselves..........

So far the catnip is holding up fairly good all considering, but I think I really should have bought more.

I don`t know what Elvis has been into, but he smelled unbearable. Hubby put him in the tub. Poor Elvis LOL...

Lots of dirty water and mucky splashes and ring around the tub! Massive scrub and clean duty for me afterwards.

Good boy, Elvis. Here`s a nice chew bone....

All nice and fluffy and smelling much better....

Still working on the garden. Did some planting and need to finish burying the bricks yet....

'Gooses', Elvis and Cats and Catnip

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Sat, 17 May 2008 22:41:00 +0000

The geese are back and do lots of honking...

Elvis is enjoying the nicer weather...

Some of my plants arrived the other day. Lots of Basil. Some Italian Oregano, Chili Peppers, Golden Peppers, Italian Parsley, more Bergamont ( Bee Balm ) and Bay Leaf, but I will wait until next weekend to plant them along with the tomato plants, just in case we get some frost. The Thyme survived the winter in the garden...

That`s Sweet William gone mad in the background....

I had to remove the catnip from the box because the cats wanted to get inside at it and I didn`t want them to spoil the herbs. That`s it in the pot....

All the cats decided to come around the back at once....

Izzy Isobell checks out the catnip.....

Then gets very upset when Teddy arrives...

Sniff sniff.....

Mmmmmmm....tasty...

Hey!

Angus wants a turn....

"Fine, then!" says Teddy...

Partially cleaned up garden. The catnip along with some of last years cat mint is now contained in a large low pot so it won`t take over the garden, yet the cats can still get at it. Hopefully they don`t eat it all before it grows more. This outer part of the patio isn`t straight yet at all! Those twiggy things...I might use for the cucumbers this year or take them out.
I`m going to plant some sunflower seeds along the fence and maybe brick planting areas....maybe...

It`s pouring rain here on our long weekend unfortunately, but I hope everyone still has a nice one :)

Back Garden Visitors, Elvis` New Cousin and No Bags

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:34:00 +0000

It`s been forever since I`ve last blogged. Between having a large computer crash and then some surgery.....nothing serious :)and well....business and laziness....I`ve been away a long time.
The other morning hubby snapped these pictures of some visitors that have never visited the back garden before.

They usually like to hang around the pond in front.

Do let me introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Mallard Duck :)

There are a lot of pictures coming up next, but I couldn`t choose my favorite.
My sister has a knew baby and Elvis a new cousin.....

Her name is Sandy and she`s a miniature Australian Shepard.....

We made a trip to Toronto and on our way back decided to stop in Milton for groceries, just for something different. They have a huge new Loblaws. Lovely store, if you like the big ones that is, I prefer the smaller. When we got to the check out and the lady was just finishing up putting everything through the till, we happened to notice that no one was packing our food up and there were no bags for us to do it ourselves.
"We`re the first environmentally friendly grocery store and don`t supply plastic bags." The lady smiled.
Well luckily our cart was only 3/4`s full. She told us that she`s seen some very surprised and unhappy faces since they opened because the sign is very small. Some people have mountainous shopping carts! Luckily we only had one 3/4`s full and laughingly just dumped it all in the back seat LOL

I Think Summer Came Instead of Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:10:00 +0000

It`s an amazing day outside. Hot and sunny. But isn`t spring supposed to be here for awhile before summer? Nipped out and did a bit of cleaning up in the garden.
Elvis wasn`t quite sure he wanted to spend anymore time outside in the heat.

There`s a few spring flowers up. I didn`t really plant enough I guess.

Out he came after all....

Angus was stuck up here with this floor vase while I washed and shone up the floors the other day. What a mess that dried stuff makes when moved. Soon be able to replace it with something fresh..

Get off there Elvis, I need to strip the bed. Time to get out the vintage linen sheets , wash everything fresh and hang it all on the line while the sun is still shining. As you can see, I`ve done absolutely nothing towards my new bed and bedding plans yet. The fabric sits waiting in the spare room. No wood bought yet for the headboard and foot. But I do have a great book on how to make all the fancy trim from salt dough! A Fall project now most likely.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend!

Spring Is Definately Here....

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 22:34:00 +0000

This guy looks fake but he`s a real Crane. If you click on the pic, you can see him better. Our old dog Ben used to chase them away but Elvis isn`t interested in the fact that they love fish. There`s koi and goldfish in the pond. The koi are at least a foot long so hopefully he hasn`t been grabbing any of them.
I took this pic through the window screen and just as I snapped it he flew away. The camera was too slow to get that one unfortunately. There`s still small traces of snow but it`s almost all gone finally!
Hope everyone`s had a nice weekend.

I Think Spring Really IS Coming.....

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 15:10:00 +0000

Elvis would like to aplologize for his mistress`s long absences but agrees with her that being winter-stuck inside really doesn`t make for anything interesting to blog about with only pics of snoozing animals.

She`s been busy reading other blogs and cooking....

Slow Cooker BBQ Meatballs

Hot Cross Buns with Fudge Icing

and working and visiting etc etc. And she asks that you don`t mind all the pictures crammed here in one post :)
This was last week in the back garden with Saint Francis...

And by golly, this is today!

Spring bulbs are coming up!

Last week was still so gloomy that a nice pot of lovely smelling Hyacinths were purchased and placed here.....

Then moved here....

They didn`t like the kitchen very well, so were again moved to here in the sun where they continue to fade away....

But the herbs that were brought in for winter are bursting with life. The chocolate mint is growing like mad!

Hope everyone has a lovely sunny weekend!

Gnocchi al Pizzaiolo, Tea Biscuits and my Odd Looking Pasta

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:55:00 +0000

I made some nice tea biscuits the other day and thought I`d share the recipe for any biscuit lovers out there. Doubled the recipe and got about 14 large.

Tea Biscuits

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup of raisins
3/4 cup milk, plus
1-2 tablespoon milk

(for a sweet biscuit, add 1/4-1/2 cup sugar)

Combine dry ingredients.

Cut in the shortening until mixture is like coarse oatmeal. Add raisins.

Stir in 3/4 cup milk, then add 1 or 2 tablespoons more milk to form a soft dough.

Knead a few strokes on a lightly floured board.

Do not overwork dough.

Roll into a thick tube and slice about 1 1/2 inch thick chunks

Bake on a cookie sheet with parchment paper at 350°F for about 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
*** These would be nice with some hot peppers and cheese added instead of raisins or currants.

Next I opened my new cook book and made
Gnocchi with Fresh Tomatoes, Green Olives and Smoked Mozzarella
*** from Mario Batali`s "Molto Italiano" Cook Book

First off I made some Potato Gnocchi. Excuse how it looks hehe. I`ve never made any sort of pasta before and there was no picture of how it SHOULD look. When I did see a pic, it showed that one should press ones thumb into each piece to hold the sauce. Looks pathetic and lumpy but it did taste good. Tossed in olive oil, it will keep in the fridge for 48 hours until you need it.

There`s tons of recipes for this on the web and being a non typer, I won`t add this one, but I will add the sauce recipe...

1 pound of plum tomatoes ( I only had canned at the time, so used that, being as this was on a whim )
6 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
1/2 cup green olives ( again I had only sliced ones rather than whole )
Potatoe Gnocchi
4 ounces smoked fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/4 inch cubes ( I used regular moz )
2 tblsp. fresh marjoram leaves ( used dried )* note to self ** plant some of this.
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 chopped onion ( not in original recipe but we love onions )

Core and chop tomatoes, saving the juice as well.
Saute garlic and onions for about a minute and then add the tomatoes and juice. Cook until soft. Of course mine were already soft :)
Simmer on low for a bit and add the marjoram and salt and pepper.

Place the warm Gnocchi in single serving bowls and pour the sauce over. Drop some mozzarella cubes on top and enjoy.

We had to eat ours at separate times so I put mine all together and heated it up in the microwave later on. It was actually quite nice with the cheese melted.
It`s very filling and if I serve it again, I`ll make less and have it as a side dish with a nice salad and some crusty bread.
If this recipe is any indication of the others in this book, I can`t wait to try something else!
Have a great week everyone. The snow has melted a wee small teeny tiny bit and I`m hoping it`s finally a sign that spring is on it`s way.

No More Snow Please....

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:33:00 +0000

*** I`ve just read at Royal Anecdotes that Great Britain is expecting a hurricane. Be safe everyone!!!

Elvis wasn`t quite sure what to make of all this snow we`ve had non stop since Friday.
It finally finished around midnight last night after causing much havoc on the roads where there was zero viability and an accident every two minutes!!
The next two pictures are taken through the back door. No way to open it because the snow is half way up it.
A wee bird was sitting in the back garden on a bush this morning...

And this is the back garden table and chairs now....

We didn`t go to the British Show in Toronto needless to say or even have the boys this weekend. Instead we clomped through the snow to my Mum and Dad`s last night and had a game of cards instead. I think we may have finally broken any historical records for snow fall now. Unbelievable!
I`ve finished my daughter`s afghan finally. Pure ivory wool and so nice to knit with. Chose a thin cable stitch strip to add in between the box stitch instead of the one it called for. Hope she likes it. I didn`t add fringe because I don`t think it would be her cup of tea or mine either really.

Hopefully this snow is finished now. I doubt it but at least.... almost? We`re planning on going to Toronto next Saturday to take my daughter out for a birthday lunch and then on to Oshawa for hub`s Mum`s birthday dinner/early Easter dinner at his sister`s.
Hope everyone is having a nice weekend :)

This is how it Really Looks.....

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:14:00 +0000

I used an old picture for that last post because my camera has run out of batteries and I haven`t replaced them yet. This is a picture from several weeks ago but just add another inch or so and you get the picture of what can cause the winter blahs. Pretty...but we have had no breaks in snow this winter and another ...though supposedly short....storm is on the way again this morning. Elvis hasn`t turned to drink Carolyn, although he would gladly eat or drink anything offered to him hehe.
Funny how when we`re young we learn that April showers bring May flowers and yet here in Canada that happens rarely. Strange long cold snowy winter this year with no breaks from it and I really hope we get more than a couple months of warm weather because I`m really looking forward to planting.
Hope everyone has a great weekend! Off to the British show in Toronto next Saturday.

Spring....where are you?

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:19:00 +0000

My posting has been really bad. I blame it on the winter blahs and work and being busy trying to get something knit by March and...well etc etc.
I`ll hopefully be back to better posting come spring. Spring.....I forget what it feels like to be warm outside LOL!

Plants and An Archive Meme

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:27:00 +0000

I`ve been getting Richters Seed and Plant catalogue for a few years and this year I decided to actually go for it and pre-order the small veg garden with some seeds and some plants and herbs. We love Basil and had a hard time finding much last year. Some juicy tomatoes etc.

I also discovered a lovely blog the other day called "Katherines Dream" http://katherinesdream.blogspot.com/ . Carol is in the Cotswolds and well worth a visit, even if only in cyber space.
She`s gone and tagged me, and even though I`m finally admitting that I`m actually not inclined to like doing memes, this one looks easy and fun :) So here goes Carol....
The first thing I must do is find something in my blog about family....hmmmm... here we go.... "Pictures on my Fridge" http://teaandmargaritas.blogspot.com/2006/08/pictures-on-my-fridge_10.html

The second is about friends..."Daisy Lupin" http://teaandmargaritas.blogspot.com/2007/06/daisy-lupin.html

The third has to be about me...."I Believe" http://teaandmargaritas.blogspot.com/2006/08/i-believe.html

The fourth is something I love, well that would be many things but I`ll choose home..."A Saturday Morning Walk"
http://teaandmargaritas.blogspot.com/2007/07/saturday-morning-walk.html

And the last is anything I feel like :)...hmmmm....I think I`ll throw in one of these...Dear old Teddy. He`s going to be 21 this March and sits by the fire when he`s not wanting some of Elvis` sloppy dog food topping. The other day he actually jumped way up on one of the beams! I got him down and scolded him for being too old for that now. I wish I`d have thought to take a picture....Bless his his heart, here`s one of his true tales..."The Day Young Angus Damn Near Kicked the Bucket" by The Cat That Would Be Heard
http://teaandmargaritas.blogspot.com/2006/12/day-young-angus-damn-near-kicked.html

I`m not going to tag anyone but give it a try!
Have to rush now and get ready for work....see ya

Mainly Starring Angus, but Some Woof and Fabric too.....

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 20:01:00 +0000

Hey! Excuse me!

What do you think you`re doing there?

Just this...(I`m definately going to paint those table legs brown this summer)

And this....

What`s the problem ma?

I layed out the fabric I found for the bed that matches as close as I can get, but there were some complications in taking a picture....

This one is called Portfolio Bellington. It`s beautiful with a linen mix and ecru backgound....

Hey! Not you again.....

This is a Waverly Toile with the same colours and though the background looks whiter here, it`s actually the same as the floral....

I`m not going to do any sewing yet. I want to concentrate on the bed and hopefully in the next few months I`ll be showing how I`m going to reproduce all that trim for the bed. I`m quite excited about finding a way without spending a fortune. I love the internet! Stay tuned.
In the meantime, hubby has been making bunk beds for when the boys visit. This frees up our spare sitting room/library(sorta)for reading tv or knitting or doing homework.
Angus found another comfy spot, if only temporary. I`ll take a pic of the beds when he`s fixed something he says needs fixing. Won`t be staining them until I can open the windows though...

Give us a kiss....

We came home the other day to the garbage emptied out and spread to feast the eyes on all across the kitchen floor. An absolutely vile mess...coffee grounds mixed with broken tea bags, meat wrappers etc etc. Elvis hides his naughty head..

But who can help lovin him anyway...

Two of my baskets fell from the ceiling this weekend. I didn`t feel like climbing up and putting them back so I removed two more and just left the ones near the sink, although I think I`ll take them down too as they`re dusk catchers, big time.

No.....I still haven`t sewn this chair yet LOL

I`m really slowing down on blogging. I think unless I have something really worthwhile, I might slack off more. Confession...I`d rather read others! And trying to comment with slow dial up :( It usually takes three or four tries before the darn things post. Always comes up blank. I usually don`t give up, because I like to commment. But if I don`t, you know why.
Anyway, have a great rest of Sunday weekend!

Wool and Fur and Herbs and Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 18:31:00 +0000

I bought some lovely ivory pure wool to knit an afghan for a keepsake birthday gift for my daughter. I originally wanted to try the Great American Aran Afghan but I can`t figure out the patterns unfortunately. I`m trying to teach myself to cable knit and that`s for an experienced knitter I`ve realized. So I found a nice aran free pattern on the web as you see above.

The cable strip I`m leaving because I haven`t done it right. These next pics are the back and front of the cable part. The middle cables aren`t twisted properly as you can see, so I`ve placed them on a stitch holder for now.

Teddy sleeps here all the time now. Hopefully he`ll get more exercise in the warmer weather again. But whenever I sit down....

Here he comes. He comes over to be patted but for some reason wants to stand. Stand on my knee or my shoulder or climb up my back. It really can be a nuisance when I`m trying to knit. But he`s old and won`t be around for many more years sadly, so I don`t have the heart to ignore him. Pat pat, cuddle cuddle, Teddy..

Someone is jealous.....

Angus naps this time luckily. He can be on the spot for knitting quite frequently....

That other window in the frontroom sure makes a difference to the natural sunlight. I`m so happy I can have some live plants and even a couple of herbs. The rosemary has stayed strong and healthy so far, although the one stalk of purple basil finally flopped over so I used it in a sauce. And the Italian Parsley and Oregano is doing great. My Mum was tossing out the gold painted bust, so I thought I`d stick it on the floor..

Almost overnight this sage shot up like mad. Too bad I don`t use as much sage as other herbs. I`m sure that it will be the fullest in the garden next year. I`ll have to make sure to grow much more basil.

I had made too many curtains out of this fabric. Preferred the sheers by themselves in the end except for the big window. So I`ve pinned (for now) this chair with it instead. Ignore the weird arms. It will be sewn to shape...eventually. Balances out the room better I think....

The quilt I brought back from the Oswaldtwistle Mill in Lancashire 9 years ago needed a good wash. And whilst it was away off the bed.....

And later when it was put back on the bed.....

Okay guys,how am I supposed to fit? Spread out....

Ahhhhhh...that`s better.

If you`ve been here long ago, you may remember this pic.I`ve got the toile and the pillow fabric and some trim so far. Ply wood and wood trims and paints will eventually recreate in some odd way, this bed hopefully.
But how, I wonder, will I ever be able to maintain my what I like to call "storybook sexy bed" with animals all over it? LOL

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. I`m not sure when next I`ll be posting,they get few and far between these days sometimes. But I`ll be visiting :)

Apple Cranberry Crisp

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 21:47:00 +0000

After disposing of peel, slice apples and place in dish with cranberries...

Coat the fruit and pour sweet mixture over top and bake......

Serve warm.

4 - 5 cups apples
1/4-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tblsps. sugar or less
3 Tblsps. flour
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cold butter

Slice apples into a 9x13 glass pan. In a small bowl mix 3 Tblsps. flour, 2-3 Tblsps. sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Pour this into the pan of apples and mix.

Next, in a large bowl mix the 1 cup of flour, oats and brown sugar. Then, slice cold butter into bowl and cut in with a fork. Trying not to get the butter too warm as that will make more of a dough. We want it to crumble. Spread over the apples.

Place in oven uncovered for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees, or until golden brown. Cool for 30 minutes.

Come On Summer...or Even Spring......

noreply@blogger.com (Tea & Margaritas in My Garden) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 23:52:00 +0000

I`ve had so many great pictures I could have taken if I`d had the camera on hand, which by the time I did the moment or event was gone, but for now....Angus......

And this will be a fun thing to check out when the warm weather gets here. A birthday gift from hubby that`s a frozen margarita machine :)

Off the computer now and relaxing. I`ll figure that other thing out another time.
Happy Weekend!