Happy Homemaker Monday

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The weather...

I am trying to just  get through the week until Sunday.. the humidity is horrid!!

Right now I am ....

Looking so forward to  a luncheon date with some great friends who live  about an hour away,  so we meet    every few months   at the Bedford Liberty Station  restuarant  which  is half way..

Vicky and I have been  BFF's since elementary school
  

and ever since we met  Bill,  we all just get along  famously!!!

Thinking....today is our daughter and  her hubby's   13th wedding anniversary.  Wow, time goes by so quickly!

Something fun or interesting that happened....

Over the weekend I was  in a huge mood to  plan a tea party...  so I sat down and made out  my guest list.. It rounds out to eight.  Thankfully,  one of the ladies   who  I  really  want to invite lives  in the next county and I do not have her   contact information.  She and her husband turned up in our Sunday School class yesterday  and we  got to chat about it..  Also,  thank goodness  her  usually  hectic schedule is  rather open this month so  I  now have the impetus to  get it done in August!!!

On my reading pile....

  ALexandra Raife's book, Mountain Heather.....  I love a good storyteller!!!

and

Also,I am reading Ann Graham Lotz's book, 

The Daniel Key: 20 Choices That Make All the Difference 

On my TV.....
I am anxious awaiting the  Netflix premier of 

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society... It is coming to Netflix  August 10... in 2 days .... Yayayayayaya!!! 

I read this book that picked up at a Library Book sale about 5 years ago,  I couldnt put it down..  a  marvelous read...  the book  is written in letters  from  London to Guersey.. a definite page turner!!!  

In the meantime I have been enjoying  another great netflix program..

"Big Dreams, Small Spaces:....Writer and presenter Monty Don helps England's budding horticulturists plant and grow the gardens of their dreams.

Starring: Monty Don

Monty shares  many tips of gardening and  how-tos... I am learning quite a lot!!!

On the menu for this week....

no plans this week

On my to do list....

 laundry 

Work on guest bedroom

marketing

In the craft basket....Nothing at the moment.

Looking around the house....

general pick up in all the rooms downstairs required

From the camera:

Our precious granddaughter   striking  one her ballet poses!

Prayers for...

The President and his family, and  the administration

Pray that  all the scandals and investigations will finally  be resolved and  justice  meted out.

For the God's best person be  quickly  voted into the  Supreme Court  position

Pray that the scales  that delude so many will fall off  the  many and  that they will find peace, truth, and salvation

Pray  against division and  the hatred  that  runs rampant

Pray for the sick that they might be healed

Pray for the  lost  who  are  bewildered  and  strained to the max...  they  are hopeless   in need of a loving savior!

Devotionals, Bible verses, Worth sharing....

Happy with the Completion!

Justin Enquist

We awakened this morning to see our bathroom project posted on line by our contractor

He stopped by yesterday to  give us a final inspection   and  take the building permit off the window..I am still agog that  from start to finish  including reworking the plumbing and electrical,  it took 21 days!!  We couldn't be happier!

Tea for One and a Jes' Pie

This week while marketing  I happened across a selection of Ukrops baked items at our Kroger store and was delighted to find  a set of 4 miniature lemon chess pies...  our favorite!!  After  finding the recipe given below, I'd much rather find  them  homemade from a bakery any day.. for they are  quite   an affair to mix up and bake!
They were  exactly what I was  hungry for, and  a delight to  use in my  Teatime for One as I  whiled away an hour this morning  for my eleveneses.. a time set apart to  just    meditate on  life, blessings, and  happy times   on the way...
Yesterday  I found  this beautiful double begonia on the sale  rack for only $3.oo..I love the multi-colors...orange and yellow, so cheerful and  a delightful  backdrop

for my  lemony  confection to come!

I decided to use my husband's mum's  china( an old pattern made in the USA, Syracuse China, Portland pattern)  which I reserve for special occasions..funny to say of all the china patterns I have ever seen, I decided long ago this pattern touched my heart the most.  The tiny pink rosebuds are so delicate and  remind me of my own mother so much!!!

So to accent the red of the roses,  I had to  bring forth the fresh  beauty of the white  and red kissed 

nectarines, and strawberries.. 

My earl grey tea spike with lemon sweetened with a dash of turbinado sugar..yum!

I had not had  much full blown tea this summer, opting instead for herbals...  this tasted so full bodied and delish!!! 

The chess pie  was  so marvelous, I tried to  eat  the ever so tiniest bites to make it last  as long as possible... 

“I feel as if I had opened a book and found roses of yesterday sweet and fragrant, between its leaves.” 
― L.M. Montgomery, Anne of the Island

Lemon Chess Pie  using King Arthur Flour AT A GLANCE PREP25 mins. to 35 mins.BAKE45 mins. to 50 mins.TOTAL1 hrs 10 mins. to 2 hrs 10 mins.YIELD9" pie, 8 to 12 servings Chess pie? No one seems certain where the name for this simple pie comes from. A simple combination of eggs, sugar, and butter, with the tiniest bit of flour or cornmeal for thickening, chess pies appeared in print as early as the late 19th century. Some food historians say "chess" is a takeoff on "cheese," as in English cheese pies, as in American cheesecake — whose filing is of a consistency similar to chess pie. Others say chess refers to the chest in which pies used to be kept; due to the high degree of sugar, chess pies didn't need to be refrigerated (though in these days of heightened awareness of food safety, we do recommend refrigeration). One final theory holds that chess refers to the simplicity of the pie itself. "What kind of pie is that?" "Jes' pie." Chess pie. Whatever its provenance, this pie is perfect for those of you who love lemon, but don't like the somewhat "gluey" texture (or mile-high meringue) of a classic lemon meringue pie. This humble pie has no meringue to hide beneath; it's just lemon at its simple best. Crust 1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached all-Purpose Flour or Pastry Flour Blend 1 tablespoon buttermilk powder, optional, for tenderness and flavor 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup vegetable shortening 1/4 cup cold butter 1 teaspoon white or cider vinegar 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water Filling 6 tablespoons butter, melted 1 2/3 cups sugar 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice; the juice from about 3 lemons 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon cornmeal 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch 5 large eggs, whisked briefly to combine Directions To make the crust: Whisk together all of the dry ingredients, reserving a few tablespoons of the flour. Work in the shortening until it's well combined with the dry ingredients. Place the reserved flour on your work surface, and coat the butter with the flour. Use a rolling pin or the heel of your hand to flatten the butter to about 1/4" thick. Break the flour-coated butter into 1" pieces, and mix it into the dough, just until it's evenly distributed; some of it will break into smaller pieces. Sprinkle the vinegar and 3 tablespoons of the water over the dough while tossing with a fork. Just as soon as the dough becomes cohesive (i.e., you can squeeze it into a ball easily), stop mixing; there should still be visible pieces of fat in the dough. Add up to 2 additional tablespoons water, if necessary, to make the dough come together. Flatten the dough into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer; this resting period allows the flour to absorb the water and the gluten to relax, making the dough easier to roll out. Flour your work surface and roll the dough into a 12" x 9" (approximately) rectangle. If it isn't holding together well, sprinkle it lightly with a couple of teaspoons of water. Fold the dough into thirds (like a letter), then fold it into thirds the opposite way, to form a rough square. Wrap it well and refrigerate again. When you're "ready to roll," remove the dough from the fridge. Dough made with a combination of butter and shortening should rest for about 5 minutes at room temperature before rolling; dough made with all butter will need a 15-minute rest. Roll the dough to a 12" to 13" circle, and settle it gently into a 9" pie pan; the pan shouldn't be over 1 1/2" deep. Flute or crimp the edge of the crust as desired. Place the crust in the refrigerator (no need to cover it) while you make the filling. To make the filling: Stir together the melted butter and sugar, then mix in the remaining filling ingredients. Whisk until well combined. Pour the filling into the chilled pie shell. Bake the pie on the bottom shelf of a preheated 375°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the center is set. The top should be golden brown. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool before cutting and serving. Yield: one 9" pie, 8 to 10 servings. Tips from our bakers What's with all of the different ingredients? Shouldn't pie crust be just fat, flour, salt, and water? Not necessarily. Our latest favorite pie crust recipe uses a combination of butter (for flavor) and vegetable shortening (for flakiness); an unbleached flour of about 10.5% protein (such as our Perfect Pastry Blend); buttermilk powder (for tenderness) and baking powder (for extra flakiness); salt; and vinegar (again, for tenderness) and water. Please feel free to substitute your own favorite single pie crust recipe. Note the unusual method for putting the crust together; it's designed to promote flakiness. Again, use your own favorite method if you're so inclined.

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Happy Homemaker Monday

Return to DOASAHM here

The weather.....
Cool and rainy... it  will like this all week!

Right now I am....
struggling with a terrible sinus infection... I am feeling pretty rough today

Thinking....
how  very quickly  July went by  goodness,  and I am hoping the super hot  of August  just  passes us by as well.. We have lots coming up in the next few months... it seemed a long way away,  now,  it'll be here  before we're ready!

Something fun or interesting that happened....

One of the  great things coming up  this  fall  is a  trip  with  our kids.. we plan to  rent a house and  have a lovely week away  in a wonderful   environment.. near  a glamorous city,  near  beloved family!! 

This is calling my name!!!

On my reading pile....

  ALexandra Raife's book, Mountain Heather.....  I love a good storyteller!!!

and

Also,I am reading Ann Graham Lotz's book, 

The Daniel Key: 20 Choices That Make All the Difference 

On my TV.....

Last week on Netflix we watched Lords and Ladles,  We both enjoyed it so much!!!!

Three of Ireland's top chefs -- Derry Clarke, Catherine Fulvio and Paul Flynn -- gather at opulent country manors to re-create banquets from the past.

On the menu for this week....

no plans this week

On my to do list....

 laundry 

vacuum the living room and  dust

Work on 2 bedrooms

In the craft basket....Nothing at the moment.

Looking around the house....

Thankfully everything is back in shape and in its place following our  bathroom project.. Feels good to be put back together!

Prayers for...

The President and his family, and  the administration

Pray that  all the scandals and investigations will finally  be resolved and  justice  meted out.

For the God's best person be  quickly  voted into the  Supreme Court  position

Pray that the scales  that delude so many will fall off  the  many and  that they will find peace, truth, and salvation

Pray  against division and  the hatred  that  runs rampant

Pray for the sick that they might be healed

Devotionals, Bible verses, Worth sharing....