At the Drive-In

One of the best ways for me to spend a cool summer night after a long hot day is to go to the drive-in! Laying under stars, watching that mammoth screen is a pure summer joy for me! I love our Detroit drive-in... Kids tossing around a football between the rows of cars before the movie or playing at the playground under the big screen. The smell of bug spray and sparklers at intermission. Folding chairs and lap blankets with Angelus passed out before the first movies ends; And the only thing better than cheese fries from the concession stand is bringing Crack Corn! See recipe below!









Crack Corn
1 bag of regular microwave popcorn (with butter and salt already added)
12 oz. of white chocolate chips

• Make popcorn in the microwave.
• Layout the popcorn on parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
• Melt white chocolate and drizzle over the popcorn.
• Place cookie sheet of popcorn in the fridge until the white chocolate hardens, about 15 minutes.
• With your hands, break popcorn up into smaller pieces and chunks. Enjoy!

Fireflies In the Garden

Catching Fireflies under the Strawberry Moon.


On the prowl.

Found one!

Mother Nature's Magic

Click here to learn more about enjoying and protecting Fireflies.

Now In Season

My Farmer's Market opened today!

Angelus informed me on the way to the Farmer's Market that he wanted "blueberries, the red ones not the blue ones", a.k.a strawberries.

Life is just a pint of cherries.

I discovered something new today at the market, Garlic Scapes! These long curly creatures come from Garlic.

"The scapes are the flower stems that garlic plants produce before the bulbs mature. Growers often remove the scapes to push the plant’s energy toward bigger bulbs, and when harvested while they are young and tender, the scapes are delicious." ~ Mother Earth News

Rosemary & Scape Summer Salad
I chopped the garlic scapes up thin and sauteed with rosemary in olive oil. Adding salt and pepper, I poured them over cooked, cold pasta and topped with cool cucumbers. Urber easy and tasty.

Giveaway Ends June 30th

There's only one week left to enter The Picard Creative Giveaway!

Summer Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice!

Wishing you many lazy days with lemonade!

Bathhouse

Welcome to the Fairy Garden Bathhouse!
(Not to be confused with The Headless Fairy Garden)

Beneath the lilac tree and hidden behind protective elephant ears lies a bathhouse for the Fae.

All the finest amenities are available, including rose petal baths...

Fans of delight to cool off on the hottest days..

While a parade of flowers dance above.

Our speciality, of course, is the Fairy Bubble Bath.

Hot and Wet

Lately you might find me....



Taking a bath.

Watching The King of Queens reruns.

Reading The Girl Who Chased The Moon by Sarah Addison Allen.

Eating Coldstone Ice Cream: Oreo Cream with Heath bars, brownies and Carmel.

Sunbathing on the patio while Angelus plays on the slip n' slide.





P.S. Girl Who Chased The Moon is good, I'm quite a fan of Sarah Addison Allen's books! Thanks for asking Laura.

The Herb Garden

“I will show you a love potion without drug or herb, or any witch's spell; if you wish to be loved, love” ~ Hecato

I'm ready to show you some of my Herb Garden! Wanna take a tour with me? I doubled my Herb Garden this year and I'm still amazed that I had to make cuts in order to fit everything in! I have 23 plants in the Herb Garden and some others spread out into other gardens, like Dill in the Kitchen Garden. Next year I'd like to make room for Calendula, a wider variety of Basils, and some Wicked Herbs




I've finally given in to the idea that garden maps are necessary. A few years of "What the hell is that?!?!?" and I've learned my lesson. I rather enjoy making a map and key now, I feel like a pirate with a treasure map. A pretty pirate who practices good hygiene and likes to draw fancy swirls.

Through the Angelica.

Twilight has been a little bugger lately, sneaking out at every opportunity. Luckily I always know where to find her, in the Catnip.

"There are some things, after all, that Sally Owens knows for certain: Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender for luck. Fall in love whenever you can." — Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic)

I look this advise to heart this year, I now have 5 types of Lavender in the herb garden. Can't be too lucky can we?

I was floored when I spotted this bloom on my new citronella (Pelargonium citrosum) plant, I had no idea they flowered! Upon further research I've discovered that citronella plant is a geranium. I started to wonder what I've gotten myself into here, would that still qualify it as an herb? Let's seee.... An herb by definition is "a plant that is valued for flavor, scent, medicinal or other qualities other than its food value. [1]" So how about those mosquito repelling rumors? Mostly myth. The plant itself does not expel mosquitoes, but it does contain some essential oils that will, if extracted and applied to the skin or burned in the area wished to repel the blood suckers. Those oils would have to be properly extracted and dispersed. So for now, buy I'll buy citronella candles and simply enjoy the pretty scent and flowers of my citronella plant. It may be moved out of the herb garden next year and replaced with something more useful.

If it's labeled, I buy it. I'm in love with labels, anyone else?

Cinnamon Basil Simple Syrup
Simple Syrup can be used enhance many types of food and drinks, including seltzer water, cocktails, coffee. Other herbs and fruits can be used, there are lots of yummy combinations!

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Up to a cup of fresh cinnamon basil, the more you use the stronger the flavor.

• Over medium heat, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil.

• Remove from the heat and let cool.

• Transfer to an air-tight jar, cover and let sit overnight.

• Use a mesh strainer to strain the syrup, discard any solids.

• Return the syrup to an air-tight jar and refrigerate for up to 2 months.

And I haven't even talked about my mint yet...see you soon!

Herb Stick

The messiest and most cumbersome part of drying your own herbs is getting the dried leaves off the stems and into jars. Try this lazy idea, an Herb Stick, for cooking herbs. Pick fresh herbs that you cook with often like thyme (above), basil, rosemary, sage, etc.

Rinse and dry.

Roll tightly into newspaper, like you would do when making a smudge stick.

Tape the ends and bind together. Leave in a cool dark place for 2 weeks.

All dry!

Wrap in a pretty ribbon or twine and hang in your kitchen. When your cooking, simply hold the Herb Stick over your food and give a gentle squeeze, the dried herbs will sprinkle over your food!

P.S. You can use paper towels instead to avoid the newspaper ink from contaminating your Herb Stick. Thanks Diandra!

Lavender Sugar Scrub

Cover freshly cut lavender with sugar in a jar and seal tight.

Store in a cool dark place for 2 weeks, shake every day or two.

Pour lavender sugar in a bowl; ::sniff:: ahhhh, heaven.... Take out the lavender (as much as you can). Break up sugar clumps with a fork. Pour extra light olive oil until the sugar is just covered. (Use extra light olive oil, extra virgin olive smells strong and will overpower your lavender scented sugar.)

Keep in a wide mouth jar in your shower. This Lavender Sugar Scrub will moisturize and exfoliate your skin. Use right before shaving for great summer legs!

P.S. In the recipe, you can use any part of the lavender plant above ground: leaves, stems and flowers are all good!

P.S.S. You can certainly forgo the oil and use the lavender sugar alone (like this) or you can use it for baking. Yumm.. sugar cookies topped with lavender sugar...ummm.

Picard Creative Giveaway

Isn't she cute?!?

This giveaway is brought to you by Picard Creative, the sassiest little Etsy shop of magnets, checkbook covers, key chains and more. Artist Paula of Picard Creative, has offered one of my readers the adorable wall sign to the left and a winners choice magnet! She has lots of vintage style and housewife humor, you'll have a hard time picking a favorite!

To Enter the Giveaway:
• Visit Picard Creative, and comment below with the name of the magnet you would like to win.
• Receive 1 extra entry per post that you make about this giveaway on your blog.

- Please make each entry a separate comment or they will only be counted as one.
- We must be able to contact you through your blog or e-mail in order for you to win.
- Entries from the U.S. and Canada only please.

Giveaway winner will be chosen using a random number generator on June 30th.