Sunday Supper in Port Jefferson, New York

 Where do you go in your little corner of the world to have a mini getaway?

I have sea salt in my veins but live 30 minutes from the Long Island Sound ~ a good 60 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean.

There are truly some days my world will stop if I can't smell some good sea salt in my nostrils!

My place to run is the Port Jefferson Ferry  in Bridgeport, Ct 

You catch the ferry in Bridgeport ~ located on the wrong side of the railroad tracks for sure!

You can find some interesting things anywhere though.

We had to park on the street because the parking lot was full only to discover this building ~

The Oldest surviving home in Connecticut built by African Americas.

I never knew this existed !

And this beautiful building that I admire when driving on I~95.

I just love the lettering on this building and what a treat to see it up close!

It is a 90 minute ferry ride across the Long Island Sound to Port Jefferson, New York .

Sometimes I just take the ride there and back without Ever getting off the ferry!

Frank and I like to go over just to have dinner at Danfords ~ a nice Inn near the ferry dock.

That's what we did a few Sundays ago.

There are lots of little shops you can visit and great places to eat but we like this one located right on the water.

Here is the view just as you are approaching Port Jefferson ~

See the Big sand dunes?

 When I was a teen I used to take the ferry and walk an hour along the shore so I could sit on those dunes.

I went alone with my backpack,blanket and diary.

That was a day in heaven for me!

We've arrived at the Port ~ lets take a walk down Main street !

Remember when these Telephone Booths used to be on EVERY corner!

This is a Childrens Maritime Museum near the dock ~

There's Frank ~ walking back to the ferry after a wonderful meal.

If you are lucky ~ you will be treated to a beautiful sunset on the ride home!

Most folks I know in my area never think to take a ferry ride ~ even though it's right in our backyard.

I wonder what you have right outside your back door ~ Be a tourist for the day Right where you live!

To make your Homemade Fries "sea worthy" ~

dip in apple cider vinegar

To make your Lobster, Crabs or Shrimp "sea worthy" ~

steam in Old Bay Seasonings 

To make your Homemade Crab Cakes "sea worthy" ~

use just a bit of crushed saltines only to hold together

(pretty, pretty please ~ NO breadcrumbs!!!!)

The Beauty of Blessing, Milkglass, Garden Up Date and It's ONE Downfall

             " Our lives are just two threads in this eternal canvas.

They diverge, converge and interweave with each other,

Then diverge and converge again until the fabric is complete."

Kahlil Gibran

Two beautiful lady's blessed me so much last week!

First I was flabbergasted to find all of this gorgeous hand dyed lace by

Pamela Kellogg sitting by the door with my name on it! 

(via the mailman of course)

I'm still in shock and it is still sitting just like this on my sewing table.

It was ironed so perfectly but I couldn't wait till my camera was charged to unfold each piece and study all the beautiful colorways running through it!

Each piece is truly a work of art!

You absolutely must go to Pam's Blog and Etsy store where you will be delighted with gobs of eye candy!

THEN I was so lucky to win this breathtaking kit from my pal Pat Winter
I never win ANYTHING ~ this was truly my lucky week!

Beautiful fabrics, cigg print, lace, beads, trims and her gorgeous hand dyed silk ribbon!

This was all in a gift bag made from an old story book pages.

See the Dragonfly ~ that was a picture in the book ......

 a matching Dragonfly charm was enclosed with the beads!

These two beautiful woman have put the spring back in my step and ignited my flame of inspiration that was firmly in the OFF position.

Thank you SO much!!!!!

My garden offered some surprises as well!
These beauty's were hiding under my Birdhouse Gourds.

By the way ~ the latest issue of Mary Janes Farm had a great article on Milkglass

so I thought I'd share some of mine with you.

(the pumpkin is from my son's garden)

One day I will share my whole collection but this is the stuff I had handy.....

this is really a sugar bowl from a child's set but makes a perfect vase for

flowers with tiny stems.

One of my favorite pieces ~ a Punch Bowel complete with cups ~ $10.00!

Later I found just the bowl part so I have a spare if one breaks.

The little vase on the right is my favorite shape for a vase even though they don't hold alot of water.

The Salt and Pepper Shakers are like new.

I like using Milk Glass at Christmas time ~ it goes so beautiful with the colors of the season.

These candlestick holder seem to have been made to use upside down as well but I'm not sure.

Do any of you know how they might have been used?

Other gifts from the garden ~ the cornstalks for my fall decor.

I hear you guys laughing ~ what's so wrong with growing 12 cornstalks???

This is a Birdhouse Gourd flower.......

and the Gourd beginning to form.

If these grow nicely ~ I will have a giveaway this fall.

They are just the coolest things in the world!

The Trumpet Vine attracts Hummingbirds ~ they almost fit right inside!

I forgot the name of this but they are common ~

I bet most of you have one.

They grow very tall ~ this one is about about 5 feet.

Notice the rust colored mums already blooming!

The ones in my back yard started blooming the first of July.

Here in my corner of Connecticut ~ our growing season is about 4 weeks ahead of any year previous. We started picking tomatoes the end of June!

The shade garden is mostly a jungle of green except for the hydrangea and variegated grasses. The heat wave really stunted the growth of the impatiens which I rely on for late summer/early fall color.

This week I'll start tucking mums into bare spots to catch the eye and

provide flowers for cutting into the late fall.

Now here is the biggest downfall of my little peaceful domain I call my garden ~

 ~ my destination when I want to think

~ or get a good work out

~  possibly lose a bit of the ole' tire tube .

Look closely between the 2 bunches of tall grass ~

Here ~ I'll give you a close up shot ~

 Friendly's Restarant !

 as in Hot Fudge Sundaes ~ soft serve with fudge dripping down the sides, Orange Fribbles, Banana Splits!

Now don't even mention FishAMajig Sandwich cause I haven't had one in like a million years but that doesn't mean I'm not tempted.

As a matter of fact ~ I don't even like Freindly's all that much BUT

sometimes it just calls my name.

If you don't have a Friendly's in your back yard ~
Give this little recipe a try...........

Caribbean Delight

1 fresh pineapple cut lengthwise
2 medium mango's ~ cut in 1 inch pieces
2 mandarin oranges
2 bananas sliced with juice of one lemon poured over
1 cup fresh strawberries sliced
5 Tablespoons sugar
4 Tablespoons curacao
3 cups vanilla ice cream
5 Tablespoons grated coconut

Hollow out pineapple and cut it fruit into cubes.
Combine all fruit in large bowl.
Add sugar and curacao.
Spoon vanilla ice cream into the pineapple shell and top with fruit.
Sprinkle with grated coconut and DIG IN!!!

(from "The Book of Friendship" by Ariel books)

Farmers Market LOVE and Recipes, A Paula Deen Book Review and A Crazy Heart

I feel like the best Momma and wife in the world when I shop at the

Farmers Market!

It's like gathering all the ingredients for a special medicine that will cure all that is ailing them.

My family will love these beets ~ cooked in time for tonight's dinner and the rest pickled ~

if there are any leftovers!

Pickled Beets

4 cups beet juice, 2 cups vinegar, 1 Tbsp sea salt, 4 cups sugar, a few pinches of cloves

Cook beets and slice. Mix liquid and boil. (Use beet juice and add water to make 4 cups)

Place beets in a large glass jar and pour liquid to the top of the jar. 

Store in the fridge.

The Red potatoes were picked yesterday and they will melt in our mouth ~ boiled till tender.

Frank will eat all six (okay 5 ~ I ate one) of these Apple-Cider donuts ~ still warm when they put them in the bag.

Even homemade treats for Teddi !

You get to use your favorite Market bag at the farmers Market ~ I love this one from TJ Maxx!

A fresh baguette ~ that comes in VERY handy when your stuck in a traffic jam on the ride home.

Soap for Frank ~ he will Love these!

As I came in the door with my treasures ~ I noticed one of my Dahlias had bloomed in the front yard!

We have truly entered into the Sweet Spot of summer!

Cilantro from the garden goes perfectly with fresh corn off the cob.

Terri's Black Bean Salad

1 large can of Black Beans (rinse well)

1 red onion ~ chopped fine

2 stalks of celery ~ chopped fine

As much cilantro as you can pull from your garden - I used the fluffy fennel looking pieces on the stems as mine had gone to seed and the leaves were gone.

5 ears of corn ~ cut off the cob and blanched

(to do that I simply boil a few cups of water and pour over corn ~ then let it sit for about 10 minutes)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Mix together with olive oil and a bit of  vinegar ~ I use rice vinegar.

I found myself sick in bed a few days this week and was able to read Paula Deen's memoir ~

It Ain't All About The Cookin'

She is Full of spunk and reminds me so much of my Aunt Shirley ~who talks just like Paula!

I enjoyed the book and her candor. She is completely honest about how she got where she is.

Here is Paula's Blueberry Muffin recipe. Frank LOVED them!

They aren't super sweet and need a yummy homemade jam to complete them in my opinion.

Paula calls them ~

The Best Damn Blueberry Muffins You'll Ever Eat

2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking flour,1/2 cup sugar, 1 stick butter ( melted)

1 egg (slightly beaten), 3/4 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (I doubled that)

1/2 cup brown OR white sugar (this will be used during baking for the top)

1.Pre heat oven to 350'. Grease and flour 12 muffin cups.

2.In a bowl, combine flour,baking powder, and thew 1/2 cup sugar. In another bowl, combine the butter,egg,and milk.

Pour the wet stuff into the flour mixture and stir until just combined.DO NOT over beat ~ it's okay if there are lumps.

Gently fold in blueberries.

3. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 10 minutes and remove from oven. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with sugar and return muffins to oven for 10 or 20 more minutes, until tops are golden brown.Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning muffins out.

I will add to that ~ these taste better then next day!

 

My project this week has been this little heart.

Someones Mom at the church that I attend passed away and I felt inspired to make this for them.

It had loads of lavender inside ~ and love.

This is another one of those projects where I depend on the Lord's leading for colors etc as I don't know the recipient.

God Always lets me feel His love for the person as I am creating.

Please remember God's Greatest work is done NOT at church but by YOU 

in your home,

 in the market place,

 in the way you do what you love,

the flowers that you grow,

the smile you pass on to a waitress.

YOU are a living breathing instrument of the Creator of Our Beautiful World ~

Designed with His Own Hands.

You are Special , Beloved of God.

We don't need to reach some kind of perfection to be used by God.

He uses us all.

In my life ~ SO OFTEN ~ he has used YOU ~ the readers of this blog

to soothe my soul and make me feel A Okay.

I LOVE you guys ..............

This is not pleasant.
I am praying the right person will come across this post and have some knowledge to pass on.
Someone I love with all my heart had a leg amputation this morning.
The pain associated with it ~ we were not prepared for.
If anyone has a loved one who has been through this ~ please email me.
tthreadart@aol.com