Category Archives: Cooking

Summer…A Return To My Garden…🌻

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Marcia Ren

My goal is to make the world more beautiful one plant at a time… Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Garden/Tea Time, What’s Cooking? | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

A No-Bake Summer Dessert

Posted on June 2, 2022 by Marcia Ren

“A party without a CAKE is just a meeting.” – Julia Childs Hello, sweet friend… June has arrived! warmer weather… gardens in bloom… and visions of all things summer are dancing in my head… a perfect time to feast on this delicious summer delight. 👩‍🍳 What’s Cooking… A Berry Trifle Ingredients Lemon Glaze ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup lemon juice ¼ cup water ¼ teaspoon almond extract 1 14 ounce prepared angel food cake Cream Cheese Filling 16 ounces cream cheese2 (8 ounce packages). softened ⅔ cup sugar 2 cups heavy whipping cream Fruit 4 cups blueberries 4 cups strawberries sliced Instructions To make the lemon glaze, whisk together sugar, lemon juice, and water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Cooking, Garden/Tea Time, Our Cottage, What’s Cooking? | 6 Comments

Downton Inspired/A Battenberg Cake

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Marcia Ren

“I do think a woman’s place is eventually in the home, but I see no harm in her having some fun before she gets there.” – Dowager Countess Hello, sweet friend… I hope you are doing well… Joe and I are heading out of town for the weekend. I am looking forward to this little getaway since it will include a movie date to watch the new Downton Abbey film ‘A New Era’. In anticipation of this excursion I ordered the Downton Abbey cookbook and selected a recipe to prepare. I love the cookbook and plan on baking more recipes … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Cooking, Garden/Tea Time | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

🍂A Visit To A Pumpkin Patch…& Recipe For Pumpkin Bread🍁

Posted on September 30, 2021 by Marcia Ren

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are October’s.” -L.M. Montgomery Hello, sweet friend… Happy October! This past week… we took our annual visit to a local pumpkin patch… There is nothing like spending time outdoors… surrounded by beautiful Mother Nature… walking…searching… for the perfect pumpkin… or two… the whole experience was quite relaxing… and fun… Btw…any chance you’ll be visiting a local pumpkin patch this year? 👩‍🍳 WHAT’S COOKING? What better way to begin October than with a flavorful…well spiced…super moist pumpkin bread loaf… 🍂🍁🍂🍁🍂🍁 PUMPKIN BREAD LOAF 🍁🍂 INGREDIENTS 3 1/3 cups all purpose flour … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Cooking | 2 Comments

A Fall Haul Getaway

Posted on September 23, 2021 by Marcia Ren

Pumpkin spice is my favorite season… Hello, sweet friend… I hope you are doing well… I’ve just returned from a fall haul mini getaway… Joe I were able to visit with friends… explore a few fun restaurants… and…of course I was able to do some fall shopping… It’s no secret that I love all things pumpkin spice…and because Trader Joe’s my favorite all things pumpkin spice store is almost 3 hours away…this grocery trip has turned into a mini getaway tradition in which I take an autumn grocery trip to Trader Joe’s…among other favorite stops…(of course) 👩‍🍳 What’s Cooking? Shortly … Read the full blog post →

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Colors of Autumn…🍂

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Marcia Ren

“And all at once Summer collapsed into Fall” – Oscar Wilde Hello, sweet friend… I hope you are doing well… Joe & I are heading out of town… for a mini getaway… this will be Anastasia’s first experience with a pet sitter… we’ll see how that works out…😂 I thought before we departed… I’d take you for a quick stroll around the garden… this is my favorite time of year… everything is so beautiful… I almost don’t want to leave… However…a change of scenery is always good… whether it’s a faraway trip… or only a small getaway… I always get … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, What’s Cooking? | 8 Comments

The Sound of Music…And My New Piano

Posted on September 2, 2021 by Marcia Ren

“Music is a form of prayer, uniting people everywhere.” –Zen Insprations Hello, sweet friends… I hope you are doing well… This summer marked a few benchmarks…6 years since our move from California…a surprise trip celebrating my sister’s birthday…the garden tour… And… my (new to me) piano. The anticipation of this beautiful instrument took on a life of it’s own… days were spent arranging, rearranging & creating space in our living room…obsessive thoughts of how everything would look afterwards. Not to mention the excitement of getting to a time in life where I was able to choose a piano of my … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, What’s Cooking? | 8 Comments

A Little Bit Of This and That…

Posted on August 26, 2021 by Marcia Ren

“JOY…the Kind of happiness that doesn’t depend on what happens”-David Steindl-Rast Hello, sweet friend… I hope you are doing well… This… was a fabulous week… 🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝 I was thrilled that the piano found it’s way to a young child… Now we can do this… 🐝🐝🐝 What’s Cooking? BLACKBERRY COBBLER Ingredients 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) blackberries (do not use blueberries) 1 cup sugar 1 cup All- purpose-flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 1/2 cup melted butter Directions In medium bowl, stir together blackberries and sugar. Let’s stand about 20 minutes … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, My Style, What’s Cooking? | 1 Comment

Where Love Resides…

Posted on August 19, 2021 by Marcia Ren

”The measure of achievement is not winning awards. It’s doing something that you appreciate, something you believe is worthwhile.” -Julia Childs Hello, sweet friends… .and I I’ve heard it said that the best homes have something to do with the people who live in them…. that being said…no doubt the best rooms in those homes are ones which bring a sense of comfort to those who share it… This awareness somehow brings a smile since my biggest joy has come from creating a welcoming home… Old fashion as it may sound…preparing a meal is best when I share it with … Read the full blog post →

Posted in Coastal Living, Our Cottage, What’s Cooking? | 4 Comments

In The Midst Of My August…

Posted on August 12, 2021 by Marcia Ren

“But if you have nothing else to create, then perhaps you create yourself.” -Carl Jung Hello, sweet friend… I hope you are enjoying your summer… When I reflect over my own… I have really enjoyed nesting in our home… whether it’s been sitting on the back deck… hanging pictures… trying out a new recipe… or taking a walk along the river in late afternoon… allowing each moment be what it is… not holding too tightly on to what I’ve thought it should be… Reflecting helps me with this process… looking ahead with a deeper understanding of what makes life valuable… … Read the full blog post →

Posted in My Style, Our Cottage, What’s Cooking? | 1 Comment