The Life of Mrs. Miles

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Just a few super simple elements today, folks - the flowers are so beautiful I can't help myself but make them into pretties for your pages. Nothing magical about it - just cutting them out and adding some 'depth' to them. You may care to add a tad more bevel and a drop shadow to the 3D one, as I did with the preview! Hope you enjoy!

WHAT A MASHER!

I recently made a new recipe out of a Susan Branch Cookbook - have you ever seen her cookbooks? They are filled with little watercolour looking illustrations and sweet sayings, peppered in between mouthwatering recipes. I want to spend the summer at her place!

The recipe I made was for a Potato Pie - I made several changes to the recipe, adjusting it to the ingredients I had on hand. It called for me to slice potatoe into 1/4 inch slices - I cheated and used this masher thingie I have. I don't know what you call that thing - I do know its old, and I do know its used to make french fries. I love the look of it, and If there were a way to incorporate it on my kitchen walls, I would in a heartbeat - but its not to be so. Have you used one of these? It worked perfect to zing the cooked potatoes through to make homemade 'hashbrowns'. The following is my version of the recipe - which turned out terrific! (make 2 - freeze one for unexpected company!) Pssst: Throw in some cooked ham cubes for a WHOLE meal!

BARB'S POTATO PIE

7 medium potatos

3 cloves fresh garlic

3 tbsp butter or marg

3 tbsp flour

1 cup skim milk

1/4 cup fresh herbs

3 tbsp fresh green onion

1 tsp garlic salt

tons of pepper

1 cup grated sharp cheese

Grease a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Peel, quarter the potatos. Peel and slice in 1/2, the cloves of garlic - adding the garlic to the water you cook the potatoes in. Cook till fork-tender. Drain. Melt butter, whisk in flour till blended & bubbly. Pour in the skim milk and whisk all the while until its thickened. Remove from heat.

Either cut your potatos into 1/4 inch slices, or throw them thru a french fry thing like mine - add them to the thickened milk mixture. Add the herbs, garlic salt, pepper and green onions. Stir softly. Spread mixture into the baking dish and refridgerate (or freeze) until serving time.

When you're ready to bake - set the oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle the cheese over the pie and bake 40 mins till golden tasty brown. Sprinkle extra herbs over before serving!

SMILEY, HAPPY YELLOW FLOWER!

To Make Rose Beads

In order to make a whole necklace of Rose Beads, you will need between 30 - 45 roses. Pick them in the late morning when they are dry, and remove the stems. Chop the flowers into fine pieces and place in a saucepan. Add water to barely cover, and simmer gently for about an hour. Add small amounts of water when necessary. Allow the mixture to cool, then simmer again for at least a half-hour. Strain the pulp and shape beads into beads with your fingers. Use a heavy-gauge upholstry needle to make the holes. Dry the beads on a piece of paper; it may take a day or longer. String the beads and wear them around your neck - they will give off the scent of roses!

Though the scent of rose dies

and the rose decays

The rose of the spirit is never sere;

Soft as roses

be all thy ways,

And thou, may'st thou through all thy days,

Open and greaten

even as these,

Petal by petal

and year by year.

- author unknown

TIP OF HAYNE'S POINT PROVINCIAL PARK, OSOYOOS

Today in History:

1778 - Mary Ludwig Hayes "Molly Pitcher" helped American patriots

1778 - Battle of Monmouth

1820 - Tomato is proved to be nonpoisonous - Robert Gibbon Johnson proved that tomatoes were not poisonous when he ate two tomatoes in front of a large crowd on the steps of the courthouse in Salem, New Jersey. At the time in the US, tomatoes were believed to be poisonous because of their relationship with some wild plants of the nightshade family that produce toxic berries.

1836 - James Madison 4th US pres died

1838 - Britain's Queen Victoria crowned in Westminster Abbey

1861 - Leipzig Obs discovers short-period (6.2 yrs) comet d'Arrest

1889 - Maria Mitchell - 1st American woman astronomer - dies at 71

1914 - Aust Archduke Ferdinand & wife Sofia assassinated (starts WW I)

1918 - 1st flight between Hawaiian Islands

1919 - Treaty of Versailles ending WW I signed

1919 - Harry S Truman married Elizabeth Virginia Wallace in Independence

1938 - Queen Victoria ascends to British throne

1939 - Pan Am begins transatlantic air service Dixie Clipper

1956 - 1st atomic reactor built for private research operates Chicago Il

1965 - 1st US ground combat forces in Vietnam authorized by Pres Johnson

1982 - Prince Charles & Lady Di name their baby "William"

1983 - Bridge section along I-95 in Conn collapsed kills 3

MICROCOMPACT HOME

This tiny residential cube packs a highly-functional punch, providing a double bed, bathroom, lobby, dining space for 4-5 people, and state-of-the-art entertainment technology, all for just 50,000 Euros. And size-wise, it measures in at a tiny 2.65 m cubed (roughly 77 sq ft), but incorporates everything a person needs in a home in its super compact design.

Our brother and sister-in-law just downsized their life, from living in a house to calling home a large RV. It has been a BIG change for them - and has caused them to dispense of, or find storage for, a lot of sentimental or unnecessary items in their lives. I'm sure it would amaze us at how little we really need to exist with - I know when we moved it was like "Where on Earth did we put all this stuff before???"

I recently came across this website featuring 5 very tiny, eensy homes. Carefully planned, down to the last details - it just may be possible to live in such tiny spaces. This is a good thing as on the news last night it said that fully 1/3 of the people on earth live in Cities now - so space would be at a premium. One of the other houses featured was one which could be built ONTOP of existing buildings in the city! Enough from me - you will be wanting to check these homes yourself by clicking HERE.

BARB'S HANDY TIP #291

Explore Victorian London

This way-cool online Victorian Dictionary should be of interest to anyone who would like to appreciate what life was like - way back when! VERY COMPREHENSIVE and interesting!

THE VICTORIAN DICTIONARY