Fresh

Pears.

Waiting, along with other fresh produce from the farmers' market, to be consumed.

Lucky me.

Have a wonderful weekend.

A Quick Glance at Summer

 For today, just a quick glance at summer!

Have a lovely week.

I'm happy to be linking with "Mosaic Monday". 

Shhhhh...

Right now, there are dappled rays

on simple blooms,

beauty in the shadows

and a gentle breeze on the Peace Lilies.

Shhhhh...

Peace.

Quietly joining "Green Day".

Roses

For the first time, I'm joining in with the monthly Note Card Party at "A Haven for Vee" and, as instructed,  have chosen photos from ones that have been posted on my blog previously.

 My theme for the set of four cards is:

Roses

Sweet-swelling, 

garden-beautifying, 

smile-inducing...

Roses.

 Thanks to Vee for hosting; please visit her gathering here.

By Request: Cottage Cheese & Raisin Tea Biscuit Recipe

A few people (either through my blog or Facebook page) have indicated an interest in the recipe for the cottage cheese and raisin biscuits featured in my last post, "Put On Another Pot of Tea".

The recipe is based on one found in a great little book called "Muffins and More". This volume is part of the Canadian series entitled "Company's Coming". Look here to see the cover. You might consider picking up a copy if it isn't already in your collection; there are plenty of tasty things between its covers.

 Cottage Cheese (and Raisin) Biscuits

2 cups of all purpose flour 

4 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of salt

I egg, beaten

1 cup of cottage cheese (mine was 1%)

2 tbsp cooking oil (really, that is all; I used canola oil)

1/4 cup of milk (mine was 2%)

2/3 cup of raisins (I guessed at what to put in; use more or less, as you desire. Why not live dangerously and use dried cranberries or chopped up dried apricots -potential "yumminess" there- or ...)

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then make a well in the centre.

In a second bowl, beat the egg, add the cottage cheese and beat a little more.

Stir in the oil and milk.

Pour wet ingredients into the well and stir, forming a soft dough.

Put on a floured board and knead about 10 times.

(If the dough seems a bit wet, just add a little more flour.)

Pat out to about 3/4 inch thickness (2 cm) and cut out biscuits with a floured juice glass, cookie cutter, whatever you have.

Put on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for about 12 minutes.

(I  squished mine into a pan so that the biscuits touched each other; 

either way works.)

Makes 12-14 biscuits.

That's it, quick and easy. Enjoy.

I hope you'll let me know if you give this recipe a whirl.

Update: I've been invited to share this recipe with Bernideen's Tea Time "Open House".

Put On Another Pot of Tea

 Every now and again, I just want to bake something. 

The urge hit yesterday and given I had everything I needed on hand to make cottage cheese biscuits, I indulged. There's something homey and soul-satisfying about taking a few ingredients and pouring, cracking, mixing and kneading them into something new. A little tweaking with the recipe -an omission here (dried parsley), an addition there (raisins)- just adds to the experience.

In life, I'm doing some metaphorical pouring, cracking, mixing and kneading. 

Or at least, I've started to do so. 

When things change, new recipes for daily life need to be found.

Some tweaking, you might say.

A cup of tea is bound to help. 

(This "Royal Vale" cup and saucer belonged to my mother.)

Tea biscuits and chai...

some fresh picked flowers in a pottery vase...

and some sweet thoughts of those with whom I have had or will enjoy
a pot of tea. 

I'm pleased to be linking with Rose Chintz Cottage and Cozy Little House.

Update: As requested, I've posted the recipe here.

Memo: Interested in Posting a Photo?

Hello, All

Just a little reminder that you're invited to post a photo on my blog's Facebook page every Friday. Adding your blog link along with the picture is welcome.

If interested, do drop by today.

"Sunlit Sunday" will return in the winter, although I sometimes wonder if a I should toss one in every now and again before the snow flies...

For addition information on either of the aforementioned, please click on the appropriate tab on the top of my blog.

Enjoy your day!