DAY IS DONE...

Golden sunlight...It's the end of the day.

We head out to the dock to watch the progression of the sun as it 

sets over Lake Harris...(Tavares, FL)

The light begins to dim...

     gentle waves lap the shore as a boat glides by...

    Just a little bit to the left, you can glimpse the sun as it heads into the horizon....

And the show begins...

Then goodnight, peaceful night,

Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.

God is near, do not fear,

Friend, goodnight.

*This final verse, in one of the lyrical adaptations of Taps, was written by Horace Lorenzo Trim

May your day and night be filled with peace...

Jane

I am linking with Laura at Wayfaring Wednesday and

with Susan at Outdoor Wednesday.

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER TRACY'S  ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY...IT ENDS ON JULY 31.

ON AUGUST 1, SHE WILL DRAW THE WINNERS...THERE WILL BE 5 OF THEM!  (AND ONE OF THE PRIZES IS  A PAINTING FROM ME)

YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT HERE...

http://msbake-it.blogspot.com

It's the new.....

Cake Pops....it's the new cupcake!




No one can make these like my sweet daughter-in-law, SC!
She uses imported chocolate, imported vanilla, and European butter to make her gourmet pops. 


This sweet lady made 100 of these pops for my great-niece's bridal shower. Each cake pop was inserted into a clear sleeve and tied with a green satin ribbon. She presented them in small terra cotta flower pots, fitted with 1/2 rounds of florist foam, to hold the pops in place. Each pot held 12-15 pops...so no filler was needed. (With less, she would have added a little moss or raffia to cover the foam.)

SC also provided these adorable party favors...


They're peat pots, filled with raffia and tied with a ribbon. In each pot, we placed 2 cake pops for each guest to take home with her.


My 14 year-old great nephew filled a little pot with as many cake pops as it would hold, then took a bunch in his hand. Needless to say, he LOVED them!


(You can meet SC at Sounds of Sight blog. Maybe she'll share one of her cake pop recipes...)

GUESS WHO'S HAVING A BIRTHDAY TODAY...

HERE ARE A FEW CLUES...

         She LOVES the beach...the ocean...anything that has to do with the sea...

         She lives in Florida...was raised in California...

         She LOVES sea shells....SHE SELLS SEA SHELLS...(driftshells, that is)

         She loves her kids...2 of them!

         She loves her friends...tons of them!

         She is fun! (It's so much fun to hang out with her!!!)

         She is passionate about the ocean...and engages us to take care of it...

         SHE IS A MERMAID AT HEART!

         She has a huge heart! 

         She is one of those rare people that you meet...and think that you've been friends for years, not minutes.

         She is my FRIEND...

     HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHELLBELLE!!!

and may you celebrate many, many more special days!

Love,

Jane

        

I am linking up with Loui, at  Mountain Mermaid for a virtual party for our friend, Rhonda. Be sure to send best wishes...

BLUEBERRY SALSA

While browsing the magazine rack at my local bookstore, I came across a wonderful Southern Living special edition cookbook...
101 ESSENTIAL SOUTHERN RECIPES.


With a title like this, what self-respecting southern girl could pass up the opportunity to browse through the pages...


The first photo in the appetizer section caught my eye...and enticed me to purchase the book. (See it on the left). It's a photo of BLUEBERRY SALSA.


Now, I LOVE salsas...and I LOVE BLUEBERRIES (and they're healthy and diabetic friendly!!!) So this recipe called to me.... It lived up to the photo...and was worth the price of the cookbook. (There are many fabulous recipes in this book...well worth the cost!)


BLUEBERRY SALSA


2 cups coarsely chopped fresh blueberries
1 cup whole fresh blueberries
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I used lime, because I had it on hand)
3 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1/3 cup red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 tsp. kosher salt (I used sea salt)


Toss together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately, or cover and chill up to 8 hours.


I served the salsa with baked flour tortillas...
    Cut flour tortillas with a pizza cutter. Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet. Lightly spritz with no-stick spray...or spritz with a little vegetable/olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt  (I use VERY LITTLE). Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Then store in a plastic storage bag or airtight container until ready to use.


* In the photo of the Salsa, the tortilla strips look like fried flour tortillas. These would be excellent, but I am watching my diet...the baked tortillas were a healthier alternative.


This little cookbook is jam-packed with southern goodness. You will find everything from Heavenly Angel Food Cake to Southern Style Collard Greens to Cornbread Crostini... "Classics Every Cook Should Know! Check it out....


Gotta run...I've got a Watermelon-and-Tomato Salad calling to me....
Jane


Check out all the wonderful recipes at Foodie Friday...
Thank you, Michael Lee, for gathering us "foodie" bloggers together.

I SCREAM....YOU SCREAM...WE ALL SCREAM FOR....

ICE CREAM!

It's NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY!!!

visit www.bluebell.com
They make the BEST store-bought ice cream!

Have you ever craved something so badly that your teeth ached...your head ached...you could almost TASTE it? Share your story...

Here's mine:

When MacDaddy and I were househunting in Philadelphia...some 30 years ago...every store in downtown Philly had photographs of huge cones of strawberry ice cream. My visual sense was tantalized and my taste buds followed. Oh, how I wanted a cone...or even just a spoonful...of strawberry ice cream.  BUT...we could not find a single store that sold strawberry ice cream!!! Not even the ice cream store!!! (They were out...) I cannot tell you how many places MD and I visited...  I was in TEARS!!! (of course, I was newly pregnant!)

After apologizing to me over and over again, MD finally called room service at our hotel to ask for this delectable treat...A single scoop of strawberry was found in the back of the freezer and delivered to our room (for a VERY HIGH PRICE, I might add). It was covered in ice crystals...and had a "freezer burn" taste...but oh my, that was the best strawberry ice cream I ever ate! (Actually, the ice cream was not very good, but it was exactly what  this pregnant mama wanted.)

To this day...I LOVE STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM!!! 

Hmmmmm.....I have all the ingredients....I think I'll go make some.

See ya!

Check out Ms Bake-It's giveaway...one each day for a week!!!

ARTFULLY GRACED IS FEATURED IN MS. BAKE-IT'S GIVEAWAY!!!

Imagine my SURPRISE when I stopped by Ms. Bake-It's blog this morning!! I knew Tracy was going to give away one of my original paintings, but I never thought she would share so many photos of my work...Wow! I am overwhelmed!!!

Tracy is celebrating her 2nd anniversary of blogging with a week of give-aways. And believe me, there are some wonderful things on her list. (I am partial to the gorgeous notecards from KTDesigns!) Each of them are drool-worthy... And if you don't know Tracy, you are in for a TREAT!!! She is one of the sweetest women I know. And boy, can she cook!!! She shares many of her recipes (Check out her blueberry pie. It's incredible!), lots of gorgeous "sky" photos, and her love for her family...especially for her grandbaby. (He's truly precious...and has the sweetest cheeks and lips!!!). Stop by to see her...and get on the list for her give-aways...


As for the painting I am working on for this giveaway...imagine whimsical dragonflies...similar to these. (It will be smaller...for mailing purposes. This one is huge and heavy!)  These comical guys have been hanging around on our lanai for 3 years...and they seem to eat bugs. Or maybe it's the turquoise painted wall in the background that's repelling the critters...

(Did you know...bugs don't like blue. )

Here's a few more examples of my whimsical art...

My favorite egret...NFS

Big Shoes...a commissioned item

Easter Bunny...sold

Oh what a beautiful morning...NFS

Funky Rooster...sold

Egret scratching...sold

Gobi Fish and Tropical Froggies...both sold

Be sure to visit Tracy...and come back for a visit here at Artfully Graced. I am hoping my computer nerd guru will get my website up and running soon. There I will share my newest paintings...and even offer some of my items for sale.

Have a wonderful and creative weekend.

Jane

A WALK IN THE WOODS ON A SUMMER"S DAY...Amicolala Falls, Dawsonville, GA

Amicolala Falls State Park is only an hour and a half from Atlanta...in the Georgia mountains. Winding through the tall trees of the Chattahoochee National Forest are beautiful hiking trails...and the trail head of the  Appalachian Trail, which winds 2000 miles from here all the way to Maine. The park gets its name from
Amicolala Falls...the highest waterfall east of the Mississippi River...729 ft. There are many ways to enjoy the park...camping, hiking, fishing, picnic pavilions, cabins for rent, rooms at 2 lodges...




The following photographs are from the  Georgia Parks website 

http://galodges.com/lodges/amicalola/    Take a minute and visit...It's a beautiful place.

A view of the mountains...

A view of the exterior of the Lodge..and some of the hydrangeas...

While we were there, a couple of rangers did a talk about some of the wildlife in the part... Our show was conducted by twin rangers....We were introduced to a variety of owls. I loved  the barn owl. He was a "houdini"...

There are presentations by the rangers...these little guys were part of the show.

The following photos are from my own camera...

Our view from the table...in the Maple Restaurant (at the Lodge)

View from our table at the Maple Restaurant...in the lodge. It was a hazy day...

I finally saw a bear!!!

Hydrangea bloom...in front of the lodge, there is a large bed of hydrangeas...in FULL bloom!!!

Reflecting pool...the water was a bit low...

Lower falls....

Spills....

Water, lights and shadows...a perfect combination

I love wild flowers....

Dappled light on the rocks....

Shadows on the leaves....

Splashing water in the lower falls...

A little color along the path...

Sun and shadows...

Tree stump...

Snake sunning himself on the rocks above the falls....there were warning signs all over.

These are some of the BIGGEST tadpoles I've ever seen! They're about 6" long and 3" in diameter.

The sound of the water was so soothing...

Old tree...I wonder who lives in here....

Note the juxtaposition of these trees...fascinating!