Best Mac & Cheese ever!

My 10 y.o. granddaughter begged me again last last week - several times - to please, please, please make the "posh mac & cheese" for lunch before she returns to school this month. This particular recipe from a British supermarket magazine (Sainsbury's) is touted as being, quote, "fit to serve the Queen" and I have to agree - even though I doubt Her Majesty will be sitting at my table any day soon! So this morning we grated three cheeses (cheddar, gruyere and parmigiano reggiano) and set to work - this is definitely not the type of mac & cheese you get in a box at the grocery store - it's the grown up version of the kids' favorite.

The first pic shows the magazine version - beautiful and delicious to say the least.

This pic shows our version, it's a little darker because we made our breadcrumb topping from whole wheat bread rather than white - doesn't that make a somewhat high calorie/high fat dish just that tiny bit more nutritious!!!!? Everything else is the basically the same - mini penne pasta being a little more elegant than macaroni - and juicy sliced tomatoes from the garden rather than those rather chewy little cherry tomatoes suggested in the recipe.

Yum - here we enjoyed our mac & cheese along with a mixed green salad - I really do think that even the Queen would have enjoyed this lunch in our gazebo!

On the treasure trail at SuzAnna's again!

Remember the blue cake plate I showed you recently - well there it was on my return last week, still waiting for a place in some old English gal's home where she can display her "fancy cakes" at tea time. It's Royal Albert's Enchantment (love that word) pattern, dated 1950 - but in perfect condition.



While visiting my fave treasure place again (twice in one week - and they're only open 4 days, Thurs-Sun.) I found these "must haves". Another neat painted sign - I adore anything made from LINEN - tablecloths, napkins, placemats, clothes...............and someday, when I come across affordable ones, I really want a set of linen sheets, ooooh! I hear they're fabulous!

The unusual painted drawer, from an old dresser perhaps, curved on one side with a lovely curved handle (I lined it with wallpaper) is now holding rubber stamping inks and embossing powders - just a different container for ordinary items.

This sweet creamy white compote dish caught my eye and I'll find many different uses for it - again in perfect condition.

Before leaving SuzAnna's I snapped a few more pics of interesting treasures - I couldn't bring them all home unfortunately, but hopefully someone else did.


Here is the patio umbrella with the gauzy "curtains", what a great idea. Loved that look, especially on the stifling three digit day.

Susie found this amazing mini claw foot tub - old but in mint condition - how adorable is this! Would be perfect in a secret garden corner along with an outdoor shower, lots of ferns and shade plants in all the green hues - an oasis from the heat!


And lastly, that fabulous tin roofed BIG bird feeder I really want - will it ever go on sale? Of course it would also be a squirrel feeder if filled with seed I guess. I just love the way it looks and could use it on my outdoor table to hold condiments - when it's cool enough to eat outside again!

This is my "Inspiration Friday" post. Hope you have treasure hunting on your "to do" list this weekend, and that you have a fabulous place like SuzAnna's somewhere close by.

Summertime, and the living is NOT easy

Oops, hang on, just have to wipe my brow and push the a/c down a couple more notches.............that's much better.

I always drink my coffee hot and black............except on days when the temperature hits triple digits..........then it's long, tall iced coffee, with a touch of heavy cream so it coats and sticks on the ice cubes for a minute before swirling into the dark java below. Today the heat index was 107 degrees, tomorrow will be worse, perhaps 111 degrees. I'm fortunate I don't have to leave the house, I can stay here in air conditioned comfort, fanning my lounging self on the love seat, sipping more iced coffee, frosty lemonade, chilled water - looking at cool October back issues of magazines, humming "September Song", dreaming of pumpkins, falling leaves, my much loved shearling vests, a chill in the evening air, the bracing early mornings with dew on the grass. Roll on Fall say I - my favorite time of year.

Today, after two steamy hours of hand watering to keep the garden going, I looked around the house for cool things to put me in a frigid mood.

My pretty beaded bowl.

The quaint birdhouse with a crystal perch - sorry birds, you'll have to make a housecall to get into this one.

Crystals dangling from the front porch chandelier.

A shimmering mica star on the cool blue bedroom wall.


My sterling necklaces and bracelets - too hot to wear but cool looking just hanging around.

The gorgeous Italian bath crystals in the frosted bottles ~ though I must say a cold shower is better in this heat.

Mid-afternoon snack - after ice, lemons are the coolest - and a mix of these two is even better.

I rarely drink beer - just like the first cold sip - but this English beer mug straight from the freezer looks, and feels, so cold.


And this evening..............after a bowl of chilled cucumber Gazpacho, what could be more refreshing than a glass of this fabulous Italian LIMONCELLO liqueur, served over ice in Edinburgh crystal after 15 minutes in the freezer. Mamma mia, Italians certainly know to squeeze their lemons!


Hope you are staying cool. Just think, in a couple of months and we can gripe about the cold. Of course we should be grateful for every day, no matter what the weather. It's certainly a subject we always seem to have plenty to say about.

Let's Celebrate ~ and a gift to the winner!

Just realized, yesterday's post was my 100th.................definitely time for a little celebration!!!!!!!!

Where does time go? Just six months ago I had a great circle of friends, some from childhood and school days in England, some in other states who were once neighbors and now pen pals, some who have been my support group right here in Raleigh for the 30 years I've lived here. All my long time friends are precious but now I also have a second circle..........all of you, my great blog friends who have visited me often and left helpful, funny, and admiring comments. I am enjoying sharing my interests in decorating, gardening, cooking and traveling with each one of you. In turn, I'm thrilled to read about your interesting lives in so many different parts of the world, including the USA, Canada, S. America, British Isles, France, Germany, Holland, Australia, S. Africa, Morocco, and Scandinavia.

To celebrate, I would love to share these gifts with one of you. When you stop by this post leave me a comment and I'll put your name in the hat. Drawing will be held toward the end of August - kids will be in school, "dog days" will hopefully have cooled somewhat, thoughts of Fall will be starting, and new projects will beckon.

The parcel will include two October issues (1994/1996) of the original VICTORIA magazine to inspire you - a generous yard of an "almost vintage" English rose patterned polished cotton fabric (enough for a pillow) - a sweet little English bone china dish with painted roses - a dainty real vintage hankie - a vintage (1908) rose "penny post card" - some English tassel trim - and a French blank book to write down your inspirations for Fall decorating and art projects.

Will look forward to hearing from you and entering your name in the drawing.

"Oh Suzanna's, what treasures you have to share"

In my mind it's much cooler. I must tell myself this so I can go "treasure hunting" at SuzAnna's again - see those smiling gals at the bottom of my sidebar! The parking area is parched dry, the dust swirls up in pink clouds as you pull in, the sun beats down on the outdoor area crammed with garden treasures to delight the eye. A patio umbrella draped with netting sheltering vintage wicker chairs, a gigantic bird feeder handcrafted from old wood with tin ceiling tile for a roof - still waiting for the price to drop on that one, I want it! Tables, benches, shutters, doors, birdbaths, potting tables, planters......so much to see, too much to take in with the sun beating down. Let's quickly peek inside where, although still very warm, the fans are purring, ruffling the vintage gown hanging in the corner; making the birdcages sway gently above our heads, the gals offer chilled water, and the crystals dangling from the chandeliers make one anxious for a cool shower on returning home.

The white items look refreshing - cool metal, white roses, flowery china, old creamy vintage painted wood.

Singing the blues........thoughts of oceans, seasides, clear skies, swimming pools, deep lakes, ponds, ice cubes, tarnished silver and pewter. I need to snap up that cake plate when I return - hope it's still there.

Well yes, red is hardly cool on a 95 degree afternoon, but mixed with the brown transfer ware, pretty painted roses, and with a little old crystal thrown in, it works - and everything is lovely.

Away with that fur collar - faux I'm hoping - please hide it in the back room until the Fall, it's making me so hot just looking at it! But how about that fabulous dresser with the triple mirror, such vintage elegance, could work in the cottage guestroom don't you think?

My quick visit to SuzAnna's on Friday was not enough - must get back, perhaps this afternoon if I slap on some sunscreen, a hat, and can find my way through that swirling dust!

August in the Garden

Despite the torrid heat - here we have 100 degree days forecast for the entire week ahead - Nature still shines and sends us little gifts to decorate the parched garden. This dragonfly stopped by to rest on the rusty iron obelisk. Yesterday while watering, and without the camera unfortunately, I was surprised by a hummingbird who flew into the spray from my hose as if trying to cool off - then alighted on a branch right over my head and proceeded to do a mini preen before taking off. This was especially thrilling to me - it was a special gift to see the teeny weeny bird so close.

The flowers are struggling to survive. We water as often as possible by hand, the city only permits sprinklers three days a week now we're on restrictions. By the end of the sizzling afternoon the potted plants are drooping - a quick shower from the watering can perks them up and these beautiful colors - don't you just love pink and yellow together - glimmer as the sun drops lower in the sky.

This is a pretty verbena with mixed colors on each flower head - it seems to thrive in the sun.My hanging Boston Ferns are OK despite looking somewhat forlorn when I arrived home from the last trip! Trimmed off all the dry, burned fronds, soaked them well, then mist daily with a spray bottle - add a little Miracle Gro to the water - and I see some new growth starting.
Stopped at SuzAnna's Antiques yesterday (more pics later of that fabulous place) and was presented with this sweet wooden robin for my garden. He's minding the coleus and petunias, both still going strong as they love the heat.

So, it's still quite pretty out there and I'm grateful for all that Nature continues to give to make each day in the garden so beautiful.

Inspiration Friday ~~~~ Summer Dining

Dog days of Summer are here ~~~~ oppressive, humid, sticky ~~~~ just darned HOT!

Dining al fresco is hardly fun ~~~~ beating off mosquitoes, filling smoky citronella torches - do they really work? not in my garden I fear - exposed limbs covered in OFF, wiping one's delicate brow, whacking at flies who want to share the Summer salads and lemonade. But soon, very soon, all will change and we'll have a cool spell ~~~~ we WILL dine outside again, enjoying light luncheons, revelling in Tuscan style late evening dinners, laughing with friends, drinking red wine, and ending with iced Limoncello.

Here is my inspiration outdoor garden dining spot for today - looks so cool and inviting.

~~ Chilled soup ~~

Pea and mint risotto - another easy and delicious dish perfect for Summer.

Fresh fruits ~~~ a French style tarte ~~~ a lemon sponge ~~~ a taste of chocolate

~~ perfect desserts ~~

How sweet is this ~ I could easily end a lovely evening here.

Wherever you dine this weekend may it be enjoyable.