We have had quite a rainy summer thus far which is something I have been enjoying a lot. Our bushes and trees are thriving with all of the extra rain, producing more fruit than I have ever seen.. In the late afternoons I often find myself sitting on the garden bench ,knitting and enjoying the solitude of a  summer day that is starting to cool off.

 Getting out into nature can be as easy as sitting in your own backyard or patio. Listening to the sounds of nature, the birds, the bees, the leaves on the trees as they sway in the breeze is soothing. Gazing up at the sky and into the clouds to watch them float away can kindle the imagination.  For myself, knitting outside can be very meditative.  If the pattern is simple enough, it allow you to repeat a mantra while knitting. I sometimes include a different mantras with each row that I knit. It helps me to focus on the moment and take me out of the every day. Summer gives us an excuse to take the time to relax and enjoy, even for just a short time.

If The Hat Fits, Use It!

 This seems to be the summer of dish cloth mania for me. I started out with simply cotton cloths and before I knew it I am onto scrubby cloths. At this point I am still in the process of making a few to put in the shop that of course have to be in the shape of a Witch Hat because it's a witch thing and because I need some kind of amusement to keep myself motivated to clean. Here is hoping that others are motivated by the collection I will have coming out soon. here is a sample of a few...

Joys of Summer

 Admittedly, Summer is my least favorite season because of the intense heat that keeps me from doing as many outdoor activities as I would like. However there are so many fun things about Summer, not the least of which is eating the home grown crops and herbs that are growing throughout the season. One of my favorite things to do is to add fresh herbs like mint, lemon verbena or lemon thyme to my iced tea. I make a pitcher of green iced tea and add the herbs letting them brew in the hot water along with the green tea. So far, lemon verbena is my favorite because of the strong flavor of lemon you get from just a few leaves. I also enjoy adding a bit of mint  to green tea  which gives it a hint of mint flavor. I have been working on making dish clothes for a local charity here called Knitting 4 Peace. Pictured is one of those cloths. Because  dishcloths are small, they are very portable as a take along knitting project for long car rides or sitting in a park enjoying the beauty of the day. Just as long as you don't knit while you drive you should be ok 😂

And So It Grows...

 Once again we have signed up to garden in our local community garden. This year we branched out and added a second plot. The main reason was so that we could dedicate a plot to my mini pumpkins, gourds and lemon cucumbers which seem to take over the garden every year. We added corn to the plot as well which should make for a good mix. In the larger plot we planted beets, radishes, kale, beets, tomatoes, tomatillos, squash, carrots and of course zuchs..We have had a very rainy couple of months which was actually great for our cooler weather crops so last week we went down and harvested the radishes and some of the kale so i could make some healthy kale chips for us to snack on. Baked kale chips are really the only way I like to eat kale. My husband took care to remove the tough stems from each of the kale leaves which made them extra crispy and light. I chose a very simple recipe and they turned out great. I placed them single layer on a cookie sheet and brushed each leaf with a tiny bit of olive oil and then topped them with garlic powder and slat. I placed them in a 300 degree oven and baked each batch for about 16 to 17 minutes. I used the convection bake setting on my oven. If you use a conventional oven it just might take a few minutes longer, but I would still check them at 16 minutes because they could burn easily. Since they are feather light without the stems, they won't hold up in a dip but they do rehydrate nicely if you want to sprinkle them onto a bowl of soup! Our radishes will be great in our salads and they are also wonderful when very thinly sliced and sauteed in butter. Below is a picture of the garden plots as of early July. Here in Colorado we get a slow start on the growing season!

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Homemade Yum!

 It's been a rather hot week here so far and so naturally I wanted to make something simple and light for dinner. Tonight's dinner was  salad made with lettuce, our tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers, Greek olives and feta cheese topped with tuna. Since this all sounded too healthy to me, I decided to add some rich and delicious cornbread. 😃

There is a place in Estes Park Colorado called The Baldpate Inn. Everyday during the season they cook up a soup and salad buffets style lunch that includes a few daily breads and some out of this world homemade pies for dessert, if you have any room left! One of the breads they serve is this cornbread pictured below. It has been a favorite of ours for years and it is always a hit with guests.

Shortly after taking the cornbread out of the oven today,, I walked past the counter where it had cooled and I could actually smell the butter! I could not let the moment pass me by, so I grabbed a piece to have as an "appetizer". I have included the link to the recipe below in case someone wants to check it out. One thing that is different between the link recipe and my little Baldpate Inn Cookbook is that in my recipe it calls for 16oz of creamed corn, not 2 cans. I just used the one can of creamed corn which is 14.5 oz which is close enough. Also both recipes say to bake it for one hour. I set my timer for 40 minutes and it was done. Since everyone's oven works a bit differently, I always recommend setting the timer to less time on any baking recipes. You can always add time but once it's dry there is not much you can do. This recipe is easy and forgiving. .These squares freeze well too.. I wrap each piece in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer bag so I can take out however many I want the next time I want to serve them. They are my go to when I make Chili in the Fall and Winter.

https://www.food.com/recipe/the-baldpate-inn-cornbread-207470

Can We Talk Tarot?

 I love to live fully in each season of the year and I like to include this my tarot practice which is actually how I got my Etsy store idea. I like to use tarot cloths that either reflect each season or compliment the deck I am currently using. This is why you will see tarot cloths in my shop that include seasonal themes.

When it comes to my Summer tarot readings, I like to include The Herbal Tarot as one of my decks. The illustrations are beautiful and the colors just scream summer to me. 

I also enjoy changing up my oracle decks seasonally. I like to use them for a daily bit of wisdom before I begin doing my readings. A summer favorite of mine is The Green Witch Oracle Deck. The illustrations are simple and beautiful. What fun is it to get a bit of wisdom from beetroot after all! 

Finally, I have a new favorite tarot deck that I found that combines my love of knitting with tarot. It is called The Yarn Tarot! It has a very modern and fun look to it with more subtle colors and fairly simple designs that I really  enjoy. I think this deck is a must have for any crafty crafter! I have a nice collection of tarot decks but of course, I don't use all of them for readings since I don't connect with all of them as a tool but I can still enjoy them as little works of art, which of course they are.

It's a Barbie Summer

 With all that seems to be going on these days, I like to dip in the pool of childhood nostalgia and Barbie, is for me, a delightful diversion. Today's Mattel has a plethora of Barbies doing many wonderful things (career wise) One of my favorites is Bee Keeper Barbie. A friend of mine is a Bee Keeper so I gifted her one for the holidays one year. There are also many Barbies that commemorate famous women from Eleanor Roosevelt to Jane Goodall. For me it's all about my childhood Barbie so in the Summer of Barbie I decided to make myself some mug rugs and a dishtowel from some awesome fabric that I purchased on Etsy. I still have some other Barbie items in mind to make, but this is a start.