☆☆☆☆ 4th of July ☆☆☆☆

Happy 4th of July!!!!!!

We are having a quiet 4th this year.  Health issues have made me realize I can't do as much entertaining, as I do it all by myself.  I truly miss my days in Evanston Illinois where we built floats and went to the Evanston Parade on Central St.  Fireworks over Lake Michigan preceded by wonderful orchestras that had finales of stars and stripes music are not found in New Mexico.  In fact is seems odd to light things on fire in this dry barren landscape, if not irresponsible. From our property we can see all the fireworks around.  So I will be content to do so.  

This week I have baked pies, and cookies with the stars and stripes motif.  I made an apricot, nectarine, and blueberry pie.  A yummy combination.  Roll out star sugar cookies decorated with red m&m's as well as red & blue sugars.  I had to dye my own sugar blue.  That was fun!

We had a visitor for dinner this week.  "Jack" came with his grandparents, the Karnes who are responsible for us finding our home.  They live 2 streets over from us.  Ann and I often call each other and "put our dinners together."  Ann is one of those women who always has something in the freezer, or left overs from a PEO lunch...and it's always delicious!  At the store I got those snakes that you light on fire and they grow into black puffy carbon critters.  I asked permission  from Grandma first.  Jack went through 2 lighters on the snakes.  He had a blast.  I had fun watching him.  Buddy was so happy to have a boy after Ethan had gone.  Jack loves animals and paid lots of attention to both cats, and Buddy.  

I think Jack is saying "cool!"  

Wishing you all a safe and fun 4th of July wherever you are.  Happy Birthday USA!
Old school link on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9ePaETGQZ0
Enjoy!

Thanks for reading. I'm still amazed that you do!

xo

Suz

15 Pounds of Potatoes !!

 An Easter Tree tradition started by my German friend Regi years ago.

This year we had Easter at our house.  I didn't know how many people we would have exactly.  I know that my own children were not going to be present, or my grandson.  I was delighted that Abby would be here.  The kid in me needs another kid to play with.  The number of guests went up and down the week before because of the flu bug going around.

As I made the shopping list, I asked Bob to help me and he gladly offered to peel potatoes for the potato salad.  For some reason I thought my recipe that uses 5 pounds of potatoes served 4-6. So I tripled the recipe for our 10-12 number of guests.  That's 15 pounds of potatoes.  Bob, trying hard to be the dutiful husband did not question the amount.  So when I put the bags of potatoes on the counter for him to peel, he took a quick look and asked: "can I use the grinder to peel these?"  lol, right?

Our Peach tree bloomed the day before Easter providing us

with lovely smelling pink flowered branches I put in $1 pails

I bought at Target.

Sugar cookies baked and they change shape as they 

bake.  The goofy rabbit faces make me laugh!

Lisa and I made a fun shadow while watching Abby 

hunt for eggs!

John Paul played the roll of the Easter Bunny and hid eggs in the yard.  He did an excellent job at placing them where a 3 year old could see them.  I wish I had a picture of JP carrying the basket full of eggs in the yard.  It was cute!   Lisa and I wore our festive head bands of purple flower petals and white bunny ears.  Abby was not interested in the Easter headbands as she had a beautiful white chiffon flower that matched her dress and flowered sandals.  

What a beauty Abby is!

I wish I had taken more photos.  But I was busy with my 12 guests.  The centerpiece of the table was a paper mache bunny bought at Kelley Miller's new shop in Nob Hill: "Sole."  I had colorful garden gloves for each guest with seed packets wrapped in rafia placed on their napkins.  The table looked very festive, and I felt it was a celebration of spring and my new garden.  I made coconut cupcakes to serve with the sugar cookies for desert.  15 pounds of potato salad was MORE than we needed.  I have been giving it out by the bucket full!  

A photo taken after dinner of the garden glove/seed favors and my

vintage bunny from "Sole" in Albuquerque.

The time flew by last Sunday.  At 4pm the first guest arrived, and at midnight, the last left.  It was a lesson in "life is what you make it."  I was wallowing in self pity the night before because  my children would not be with me, and I have no other family (mostly because my grandson Ethan was not going to be here).  Sunday night I was so warmed by those who came for dinner.  It was a Happy Easter.

Abby and I planted pansies the week before. Sweet Pea seeds

also, to crawl up the yucca seed pod trellis. 

Thanks for reading.  I'm still amazed that you do!

xo 

Suz