The flowers from the farm stand just are so cheerful and summer like.  I think that the flowers are Zinnias.   My Dad used to plant Zinnias in front of his chicken coop sometimes.  And they just look so country like and pretty.

For a Frugal find, dark chocolate can be expensive.  Like almost $3.00 a bar or more in the grocery store.  At the Market Basket where I shop, they have a store brand dark chocolate that is 2 for $3.00.  It’s a nice treat to have in the pantry and dark chocolate is really good for you.  Very little sugar in it and chocolate is healthy.  A big bar like the above has little section dividers in it and it’s fun to break off a piece of chocolate for a little something / something for dessert or a snack now and then.

Salads are always a nice lunch this time of year, especially.  Everyone has different tastes, but I like the above idea.  My version of the salad just has garden greens, sliced apple, chopped walnuts and blue cheese crumbles.  Then a favorite apple cider vinegar dressing that just has vinegar, mustard, herbs de provence, chopped garlic and olive oil all shook up in a little mason jar.  It’s fast and easy and very tasty.

The other day, I had to take a side road because the interstate access was closed because they were working on a bridge.  So refreshing riding along country roads.  I love the above painting that was on the side of a barn.

For a fashion find, I like the above natural stone bead bracelets.  The lotus flower is supposed to be good luck as well as most of the semi-precious beads.

For household tips, the above ideas speak for themselves.  The Salt Crystal Lamp is my favorite as well as indoor plants.

Today is definitely a beautiful day to go to the beach.  It’s sunny and just the right temperature.  I will not be going to the beach, but the above Lake Sunapee State Park Beach sure looks inviting.  I have one of those beach chairs that is low to the ground and it’s fun to sit right next to the water and every once in a while a wave comes in cools your whole body.  A cooler full of ice cold beverages, a nice sandwich and maybe a brownie.  A good magazine.  Beautiful sunshine and little breeze coming off the water. A sail boat sailing by in the distance now and then.  Crystal clear water.  Heaven.

I thought the the above Psalm was beautiful.

Have a wonderful day!

 

 

Salisbury Steak and mashed potatoes are always good.  I found a recipe for a Salisbury Steak casserole and where I got the recipe said that if she didn’t make the recipe once a week, her husband would ask if she were mad at him.  I pinned the recipe on my Casserole Board on my Pinterest.

I like the idea to have a container in the fridge for snacks.  String cheese, hummus, grapes, yogurt, carrot sticks, celery sticks, rolled up cold meat, etc.

I like the new water bottles that they have now.  The above water bottle is called Swell and it’ available on the Nordstrom website.  It’s all stainless steel and is supposed to keep water really cold for a long time.  Plus it comes in a couple of sizes and is easy to carry.

 

 

I would like a coffee center like the above that included a wine fridge and a warming oven.

I like the above flowers.

I think that the above hanging vases from Vermont Nature Creations are just beautiful.  The plants come with them and I think that they just look gorgeous in a window.

I think that the above cupcake is really cute.  And it’s actually edible.  But I really don’t think that anyone but an artist could create it.  But have you seen those ridiculous programs on the Food network where they take fondant and create cakes that are absolutely stupid.  I mean who would want a cake that is a mouth full of yukky fondant.  And besides that, they look like a giant piece of anything but cake.  Then they make them lift a 160 lb gigantic cake and move it to another area and it’s supposed to be entertaining to watch them suffer with it and not let it fall in the moving.

Then Cupcake Wars where they have women with tattoos all up and down their arms and men with shoulder length hair competing with ingredients to knock them out of the first round like meat and potatoes in a cupcake.  Real fun to watch. Not.  Then they make the final two contestants make 1000 cupcakes in 3 different styles plus design a winning display for the cupcakes with a few helpers and they have this snotty Frenchman judging them along with a couple of other mean people.

I used to like to watch the Food Network.  But whoever they have managing that network now, has totally ruined the program.  Stupid game shows where it’s supposed to be entertaining to watch some people race against the clock to make something winning and tasty out of something like cows brains.  OMG.  Have they gone mad???  And then the Iron Chef where it’s sweating chefs trying to make a dish in 10 minutes that should take 3 hours to make come out right.  Real entertaining to make an established chef look like he doesn’t know how to cook.  And then this Oriental man does a judo chop and looks like a mad man.

I used to like it when they had Chefs like Julia Childs, Jaque Pepin, Martha Stewart and fun programs where they showed how to create nice recipes.  They do have those shows now on the Create channel along with America Test Kitchen.  I like that network, myself.

Now on the Food Network they have Tricia Yearwood who thinks everything is a joke and it’s really boring to watch.  She uses expensive cookware on her show and then has cheap, made in China teflon coated pans that she sells with her famous name on them to make a million more greedy little bucks for her and her stupid Garth Brooks husband.  Can’t stand her.  Then the Pioneer Woman who’s voice sounds like fingernails ran across a blackboard and she has 10 dogs all over their furniture and she is an aggressive acting little kid that thinks the funniest thing in the world is to scare her husband who she calls “Marlboro Man” with a rubber snake.  So she is a rich rancher that calls herself “Pioneer Woman” because a storm put out her electricity once.  Unreal.  And she is dumb as a doornail and always is trying to make herself out to be sooooo smart.  Her Dad was a doctor in the Navy which she insists on telling that fact on every other show.  Local people say he was a real jerk that left her Mom for a younger woman.  Her website has a part that says fun and games where she has quizzes and when she gives the answers, half the time her answers are wrong and there is no way anyone can get all the questions right to win a prize.  Something like 7,000 people try and only 3 can win.  She calls herself a “mean ol schoolmarm.  Dumb bell.

I don’t even watch the Food network anymore.  All stupid games and no cook shows of any interest.

Once in a great while they have a show that isn’t a rerun and maybe actually a cook show that is only Saturday mornings.

I watch the Create channel and the Vermont and New Hampshire public networks and pay an outrageous price to have all the premium channels that I don’t watch anymore.  Go figure.  I wonder if anyone else is sick of the, in my opinion, stupid cable network shows.

 

I had so much fun this morning going to Pete’s Vegetable stand.  I love that place!

It’s so fun to get farm fresh eggs, local blueberries and some raw honey.  Plus I love the flowers that I got there.  ❤

There is an Agway just down the road from Pete’s and I love the style of the above Chicken Coop that they had there.  I would love to have some chickens and have farm fresh eggs.  Can’t even imagine how fun that would be.

I love the little side door and ramp.  Chickens like to be free range and they are happy little things.

I love coffee but it’s very expensive.  So while I was in Walpole, I went to the Food Warehouse and got some Starbucks coffee for only $4.99.  It’s like $8.99 at my grocery store, so it makes me happy when I find a real bargain.  It’s like having a $4.00 coupon only you don’t need a coupon.

I saw where Colleen Lopez from HSN was enjoying a Watermelon – mint popsicle in Florida and she said that it was all natural ingredients.  It sounded so good so I searched for a recipe for one.  I found the all natural recipe that used a food processor or blender and just chunks of watermelon, fresh mint, lime juice and optional raw honey.  After it’s blended the recipe just said to strain it to make a perfect liquid and freeze it in the popsicle molds.  Yum!

The Sweet Pea Chef is where I found some neat summer recipes when I was looking for the watermelon popsicles.  All natural ingredients and with peaches in season now the Peach Frozen Yogurt sounds wonderful to have in the freezer.  She makes it so simple without an ice cream machine.  She freezes the sliced peaches and puts them in a blender or food processor with some yogurt and maybe a little raw honey.  Then puts it in an air tight container in the freezer and it lasts for 2 weeks.  Love it!

She also made Lemon Blueberry Sorbet which sounded really good and she just used the same idea of freezing fresh blueberries, adding lemon juice and a few other natural ingredients.  I pinned the recipes on my Pinterest Ice Cream board.

I like the above Straw Market Basket.  The handles are real leather.

You know how long it takes in the morning to style your hair.  Well on Shark Tank on TV, they had the above soft curlers that you can put in your hair when you wash it at night and in the morning your hair is frizz free and all styled in soft curls that are the style now.  What makes them awesome is the person that thought of the idea took a fashion class to learn the techniques of sewing and thought up exactly how they should be made with the material and soft cushion to be able to sleep on them.  I love them and could not believe that they have them on Amazon.  It also saves your hair from damage from styling tools as well as saving you time.  They are about $35.00 and I’m saving up for them.

I like Clinton Kelly’s fashion ideas.  The above book sounds like a must have to me.  I saw the book on QVC shopping network.

I like the above inspiration.  And I always liked Mark Twain.  🙂

Have a wonderful weekend!

 

Julia Child is one of my favorite of all favorites.  Sur La Table is having a cooking class in honor of her birthday which is August 15.  I would absolutely love to take that cooking class, but I can’t.  You also get Juilia’s book called “My Life in France” if you take that cooking class.  The book is available on Amazon for $10.48.  I definitely am going to get that book.

The cooking class honors Julia’s birthday with Julia Child’s best recipes.  The first recipe that was listed for the class is Scallops Gratineed with Wine, Garlic and Herbs or Coquilles St Jacques.

I found Julia’s recipe on line and you can make it in a little baking dish or scallop shell and it is scrumptious.  The recipe is also in Julia Child’s cookbook “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  I made a new board on my Pinterest called Julia Childs Cooking.  I pinned all the recipes that were in that Julia Child cooking class on that board.

Another recipe in the cooking class is Julia Child’s Cheese Souffle.  I found that recipe and pinned it on Julia Child Pinterest board.

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Another recipe in the cooking class is Julia’s Asparagus with hollandaise sauce.  I pinned that recipe on my Pinterest, also.

The last recipe that was in the cooking class was Julia’s Chocolate Mousse.  That mousse has bittersweet Belgian Chocolate, rum and good strong coffee in it.  I pinned that recipe on my Pinterest board, also.

So, all those recipes are some of Julia’s best recipes.  I’m going to try to make each one.  The cheese souffle is a little tricky, but there is a video on youtube that shows all the little tips to make it perfect.

The closest Sur La Table cooking classes to me are Natick and Boston, Massachusetts.  A little far for me to travel but I love having the recipes and just having my own home version of cooking class in my own kitchen.    Love it. ❤

I love the above idea on what to wear for Market Day that I found.  The dress is designer and pure silk.  A little more then I can afford.  The scarf is pure silk, also, and very expensive.  But it gave me inspiration on a style that I like.

I like the above sundress that is affordable and kind of figure flattering and would be fun to wear to a Farmers Market.

The way it gathers on the side is so cute.  Clinton Kelly has the dress on QVC and it’s very affordable.

The earrings are so cute.  But $250.00 is a little much.

The above earrings on QVC are just as cute and Citrine is my birthstone.   Plus you can get the earrings on 5 easy pay of $16.00.

The Paris Market Book is on Amazon for $11.15.  I would like to add that to my book collection.

And the neat shopping bag is on Amazon for about $50.00.  I have one similar that I got years ago.

But I love the internet as you can find anything you want on it and get inspirations.

I’ve read a lot about the Golden Door Spa in California.  It costs $7,000.00 to go there for 4 days.  One of the meals that they have usually on Thursdays there is the Bento Box.  So, I found “The Golden Door Cooks at Home” cook book which has favorite recipes from the celebrated spa written by Dean Rucker who is a Chef at the Golden Door.  It has all the recipes from the Bento box in the cookbook as well as some awesome recipes and all kinds of spa tips.  It usually costs $40.00 and it was $9.99 on Amazon.  Love it.  ❤

I like the above tip of putting Epsom salts in your bath.  Epsom salts are very inexpensive and work like a charm.  Lavender essential oil makes you sleep better and a few drops on your pillow is supposed to work, also.  I find it too strong a scent for the the pillow idea, though.

And that’s my thoughts for today.

 

 

King Arthur Flour has a recipe for Rum Cake that is like a trip to the Caribbean.  I love how fancy it looks in the fancy bundt cake pan.  I put the recipe in my Pinterest King Arthur Flour recipes board.  It has lots of eggs, lots of Rum and lots of butter.  The recipe is also on the King Arthur Flour website.  Also they have all kinds of bundt pans that you can buy on their website.

I like the French look of the above kitchen.  The bottom cabinets in an Antique green and then the top white cabinets with windows. I like the fan over the stove and the butcher block counter top.  I like the green canisters and the white artisan kitchen aid mixer that just goes perfect with the decor.   I also like the hallway with a bench and baskets under it and hooks to hang jackets.  I like how one side cabinet holds glasses all crystal color and the other side cabinet holds white dinnerware.  Then the hard wood floors just go with everything.

Because I like French style, I really like Jacques Pepin’s dinnerware collection that is on the Sur la Table website.  The coffee mug costs $20.00 and each item is expensive but collectors items.  I love the little salt and pepper shakers.  I just adore all the collection.

I love how the French have copper pans.  I don’t know what it does for cooking, but it must do something.  They really know how to get flavor in food.

I love window boxes.  They just add a special touch of elegance.

 

For a frugal idea I came across, use the green net from avacado bags to put across a mason jar cover so that you can make a pretty bouquet.

 

Love it. ❤

 

For a summer casual look, I like the above Faith Over Fear tie die Tee in coral.  It’s on HSN tonight on Colleen Lopez’s “The List”.

I also like Sheryl Crow’s rose embroidered girlfriend jeans that are sold on HSN.

Sheryl always puts a little message embroidered on her jeans.

I like the Sheryl Crow Tee’s that have the Volkswagen bus on them and the fun messages.

The cute western boots sold out but are back again in all sizes on HSN.  How fun would it be to go to a Sheryl Crow concert and wear those boots.

I love the salt air found on Nantucket Island.  Would love to take the ferry 30 miles out to sea and just enjoy a whole day exploring the island.  Shopping in the fun boutiques and enjoying the beach and fun cobblestone streets and all the awesome places to dine.  One time I walked from Main Street all the way out to Surfside.  On the way back I stopped in a little cafe and had a mint tea.  So fun.  There is an old fashioned ice cream shop that I used to like and also a drug store that had a counter where you could have breakfast.  I used to like their cranberry english muffins and fog lifting coffee.  All the cottages are Nantucket grey from the salt air and they have climbing roses on most of them.  I’d like to take my bike out there and just bike all over the island.  There are all kinds of bike trails.

I like the above shopping bag to take to farmers markets.

Have a wonderful day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like a Big Mac, but the bun is too much.  I love the idea of the Big Mac salad.  The mac sauce is easy to make and you can use grass fed beef for the hamburger and this time of year garden fresh tomatoes and garden lettuce.  Then grate some cheddar over the top.  The mac sauce that I make is just mayonnaise with a little tomato paste and a little pickle relish.  But I have the official mac sauce recipe on my salads board on my Pinterest.

 

Paula Deen has some cute bowls that are out of stock on her website, but Amazon has a few of them in a set of 4.

I like the above idea.  TJ Max has a similar container that has little milk bottles in it.  So fun to pick up flowers at the Farmers Market and divide them into little bottles.

For a fashion find, I like Samantha Brown’s wrinkle resistant wrap style dress.  It was on HSN this week for $49.00.  It’s stylish and flatters any body type.  The dress came in the above blue and also it came in your choice of red or black.  I like the black one but the blue one is nice, too.  And red is my favorite color.

I just love a little French style outdoor table.  The above table is an inspiration for summer ambience.

For a household tip, a lot of laundry detergents contain dangerous ingredients, such as synthetic fragrances and chemicals known to release formaldehyde.  But you can get your clothes clean without comprimising your health — or going broke.

In Prevention magazine they had a recipe for Basic Laundry Powder:

1/2 cup soap flakes or grated plain bar soap

1/2 cup borax

1/2 cup washing soda

1.  Combine ingredients well and store in a glass jar with airtight lid.
2. Use 1/2 to 1 Tbsp per load.

Works best in warm or hot water.

I love the above idea for a back yard drive in theater.  So cute and it brings back to the day.

I love waterfalls.  So pretty.

 

I really like veggie fried rice and the cauliflower fried rice is an easy and tasty lunch.  Also low carb.  I like the frozen rice cauliflower that is in the freezer section of the grocery store.  There are several varieties, but I like the one that has peas and carrots in it.  Then I just add a chopped up onion and sliced mushrooms and saute it all in a pan with a little olive oil and butter.  Maybe some green veggie if I have it in the refrigerator.  It definitely needs a little flavor and I just like a little low sodium soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil.

Red is a dynamic color and also a good luck color according to Fengshui.

I like the style of the above PJ’s.  Perfect for summer lounging and also comfortable to wear around the house early morning or after a long day.  They are $79.00 which is a little steep for me.

Kohls has the same idea for a much more frugal price.  I’ve seen designer names like “Simply Vera” (Vera Wang) on Kohl PJ’s that are soft and comfortable material for for 1/2 of the price.  And if they are on sale even more savings.  Kohls has nice lounging PJ’s at a reasonable price.

My inspiration for summer bucket list.

I like the idea of making some meals ahead of time and not having to cook on a sweltering hot summer day.  The taco wrap, chicken salad and mason jar ideas aren’t too bad an idea.  Also a couple of snack containers with carrot sticks and dip.  I like Cabot onion dip.

What a tasteful outdoor space.  Wow.  Love the lantern lights, outdoor fireplace, hot tub, waterfall and pool.

I would lover a little outdoor table like the above.  The light green window shutters, window box, half curtain on distance window, climbing vines and the white snowball bush.  So French looking.  Like a French cafe.

The above is kind of inspirational.

For a household tip, I can’t say enough on how much I love my OXO container for keeping greens fresh.  It has a little charcoal container that fits under the slide on top and I don’t know how it works but the container will make lettuce stay crisp for days and days longer.  Love it.  ❤  I bought mine at Kohls with a gift card that I got for Christmas and it was on sale.  OXO items can be expensive.

Love the above field of flowers.  Have a wonderful day.

I like idea of a Bento box like they have at the Japanese Hibachi grill restaurants.  The above idea is just awesome and healthy looking.  Most Bento boxes have salad, apples, cheese, meats and grapes.  The above looks like they put in a little avocado in as well and I love how they used cute little silicone dividers in an oval container and lined it in garden lettuce.  Instead of a sushi roll, they wrapped a cucumber slice in a deli sliced cold meat and made a little roll.

I love plants and the above 5 glass containers with the water plants is just adorable to put on a window sill.    A Vermont based website has these and it all comes in a set with the plants.  They went out of stock within a very short time of advertising these, but they said they would have more sometime.

For a fashion find, I like the above jumpsuit ideas.  They flatter any figure and so cute with summer sandals.  Then the long chain necklace just makes it so stylish.

For a frugal find, I really like the stylish look of the above sandals and they are at a really good price of only $11.99 – $13.19.  I put the link on my fashion board on my Pinterest.  I don’t know how comfortable to wear that they would be at that price, but so cute.  And if they are any good, they most likely will be sold out.  But I really like the style of them.

I love the ocean and a walk on the beach early in the morning with a sunrise is just awesome.  I used to enjoy views like that years ago when I worked for a summer on Nantucket Island.  I would spend an hour before work on the beach every day and had the best tan ever and the morning sun is the best to not hurt your skin.  But I always wore sun protection lotion anyways, which is a good idea.

It’s not an easy world and to stay positive I like the above ideas.

I think that it’s important to use natural cleansers.  I changed to Mrs. Meyers dish detergent and hand soap and I’m going to try Mrs. Meyers body lotion also.  The above natural ingredient formulas for cleaning is a nice household tip to stay healthy.  The glass cleaner formula is thought to be better then what you can  buy and are without the chemicals that are said that they might cause cancer from carcinogens in them.  I just put vinegar and water in a spray bottle and it leaves glass windows sparkling without any streaks.  I haven’t tried the formula that they suggest with the rubbing alcohol and corn starch added.

Have a wonderful day!

My favorite lake is Lake Sunapee.  When I was a kid, I had a Volkswagen bug that had a bumper sticker on it that said “Follow the sun to Sunapee”.  I’ve always loved that lake.  It’s crystal clear water fed from a spring.  So the Yankee Barn home called “The Sunapee” is a dream lake home to me and to have that home built on Lake Sunapee would be the ultimate of all ultimates to me.

What a dream Lake home.

Then to have a fire pit and a boat.

Having s’mores for the Grandkids to roast around the fire pit.

I like that Flamingo floating tube.  That would be a must have to enjoy the water with.

Sunapee Harbor is so beautiful.  The dock side restaurant called the “Anchorage” is just a fun place.  You can have lunch on the deck sometimes and the inside booths have a view of the harbor, also.

So who wouldn’t want a Lake house on the beautiful Lake Sunapee.

Some people call it “shabby chic”, but I call it French style.  I would love a dressing table like the above.

I love the French style of the table and chairs in the above photo.  I also love the chandelier and the Hydrangea arrangement in the middle of the table.

I love the above throw pillow.

Macarons are so French.  Fancy pastries are what French people are noted for.

The only tips I see for country French ideas are the snapdragon flowers in a pitcher that looks like it has seen it’s better days.  The French style sparkling water, the chandelier and maybe the European style round cutting board.

I have never liked baguettes.  To me, it’s like a crusty, hard bread that I don’t care for.  But it definitely is very French.

Creme Brule is totally a French style dessert.  The above is Ina Garten’s Chocolate Creme Brule and I put the recipe in my Ina Garten or Barefoot Contessa board on my Pinterest.

I love French fabrics.  Just something about the French style.

I love everything about the style of the above room.  Especially the throw pillows and the French doors.

I love the idea of an outdoor table in a garden.  To me, it reminds me of a chateau in France.

I love the above table cloth for an outdoor table.  Then the blue and the white flowers just are the special touch.

I love the look of shutters on a window and a window box with beautiful flowers.  I love the shape of the window, also.   To me it looks like what you would see in Provence, France.

I love the above sewing and craft room and the chandelier is a French touch.  Also the color paint used on the walls and the cushions look like a French style to me.

The above sewing form looks very French to me.  I love how it is all decked out.

I also love the look of the ironing board with the basket liners in a French style material.  I would love that for a sewing room addition.

I love the plants in the window and the flowers plus a Le Creuset pot.  Then the counter tops and back slash along with the sink just look very French to me.

I love French style cafes with outdoor tables.

I love the look of the above pantry doors.  It just looks like a French style to me.  The distressed wood and the fancy carving in the corners.

I love the style of the above window and the way a half curtain is draped.  Also the flowers.

Lavendar is one of my favorite flowers and it always reminds me of France.

So my blog is about the different seasons of Vermont, but also fun stuff.  To me French stuff is fun stuff.

My inspiration for the day is:  “Balance is not something you find, it’s something you create.”