lovin right now

I really, really like sharing things that I am lovin right now with you.

 

First up...  I am for sure lovin this orange and black pekoe tea blend!  The dollar tree in white house used to carry a kind that I enjoyed but the store went out of business.  Two weeks ago I wandered into the dollar tree in Hendersonville but alas they don't carry it.  I found this brand at walmart and enjoy it so!  It's just different than the usual instant kind I've used forever.  I call it my day care tea.  You need special quirks where you spend your time.

 

 

 

I recently rented Bloodroot by Amy Greene from the library after eyeing it on a blog somewhere.  I love to see what other people are reading.  If I didn't browse with that in mind sometimes I fear I would never happen upon some really good reads.  I really liked this one.

 

 

 

At the day care this year we decided to plant a flower garden where we usually have a vegetable garden.  I am actually glad that we did because this did not turn out to be our best garden year.  Our garden does have a couple of tomato plants but also orange zinnias, pink zinnias in large and small and also orange cosmos.  We pick a fresh batch to go in a jar on our eating table each week.  The boys have also enjoyed plucking the nasty green horn worms from the tomato plants and squashing them.  I can't stand those things!  We have also enjoyed the plethora of butterflies and bees and even hummingbirds that our flower garden attracts.

 

 

I like this little quote.

 

I feel like I am the queen of beliefs.  I've got some odd ones as many of you do too.  Not really major beliefs like religious stuff or all the mish mosh on the news.  Everybody has opinions and beliefs like that.  These are more personal.  I believe I will do yoga for the rest of my life.  I believe that if I use the wrong body wash in the morning if can affect my day.  I believe that certain bras that I own and wear will result in friends coming over in the evenings although I can't ever remember which bra does which.  I also do believe in waiting for the Lord.  I have been minus a few kids at the day care and trying to enjoy my time with less kids to worry about but the money part stings.  I believe the Lord will send them when I am ready to receive them and I just need to tough it out in the meantime.  Although the idea of job hunting does cross my mind.  When we first decided to open the day care I wasn't totally sold on the fact of it working out for us.  Mainly because I had never been in business for myself/by myself and always worked for others.  I was walking the driveway one afternoon after work, before I had quit my job in Nashville, and after we had been remodeling and working to prepare the trailer for my new job and suddenly stopped in the driveway feeling doubtful and scared as I looked at the trailer at the end of the driveway.  I asked the Lord out loud if this was the right thing... was I going in the right direction by quitting my job and doing this.  At that moment I felt a breeze come up and wrap around me like warm arms.  It felt like a hug and right then I wasn't scared anymore and knew we were doing the right thing.  I have to trust and believe in myself and these decisions and that this is where I am supposed to be career-wise right now.  Well, that just went in a different direction.  Talk about typing what you're thinking! 

 



a tea bar

Hi Y'all!  We hosted our family's Easter gathering this year and as I was thinking of what to serve to drink I an idea!  Yay!  I am not one to drink carbonated soft drinks so I didn't want to buy up two liters that would be left at my disposal.  The guys generally complain about pre-mixed fruit tea.  Dad is the only one who can drink coffee with lunch.  So I felt to please everyone I would offer sweet tea and ice water.  A week or so before the day I remembered a day last fall when my friend Christal and I ventured to a barn sale in Lebanon, Tennessee where we were absolutely delighted, when we got through the tea and lemonade line, to find an assortment of additions for our drinks.  On a hot day it was so fun to add sliced strawberries, fresh mint and lavender water to our lemonade and tea.  So, in remembrance of the fruition, I decided to have a tea bar!

I sliced strawberries, lemons, oranges and pineapple and purchased a couple of fresh mint plants from the produce section at the grocery (planted them in pots later).   Well, you never know how things will turn out but this tea bar turned out fantastic!  All of the ladies had so much fun with it and even a few of the guys!  We flavored our water and tea with all the goodies and felt our posture rise at the feeling of a tea party on a yummy warm Easter day!

four fanciful things: tea time

  

This week you get a "four fanciful things" double whammy! 
I am a hot tea drinker.  Here, I have featured both a mix of my favorite teas from Yogi that I now order online because my groceries don't carry them and also four fanciful things that go hand in hand with tea drinking.  Enjoy!

find the beatiful teacup HERE

the pretty teaspoons HERE

and the wildflower honey... shoot me an email and I'll get you some



Pecan Tea Cookies

Hello Friends! Sorry I've been so quiet this month. It is beginning to be a beautiful fall season in Tennessee. All of the colors on the trees are just gorgeous! I had the pleasure of staying home all day yesterday. I cleaned house, made a huge pot of soup and craved shortbread cookies all morning. While I did not make any shortbread cookies I did pull out a different, semi-similar cookie recipe that I thought I would share. Please don't shy away from making these because of the kind of lengthy directions. They really aren't a bother and they are well worth it.

Pecan Tea Cookies

2 sticks butter - softened

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar (and more for later)

1 3/4 cups pecans (finely chopped)

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Arrange two racks in oven to first (bottom) and third (middle) positions. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.

In a medium bowl combine flour and salt with a whisk.

Using a stand mixer (if you have one, if not a regular mixer will work) whip butter sticks on medium high for 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and whip for 2 minutes on medium high. Add half of the pecans and mix well. Gradually add flour mixing well. Stir in remaining pecans and chocolate chips. Roll by tablespoons full and place on baking sheet one inch apart. I like to give mine a little pat down so they're not so much a ball shape. You can get a lot on each sheet because they don't spread.

Place one baking sheet full of cookies on lower rack in preheated oven and the other on the middle rack. Bake for 25 minutes alternating baking sheets halfway through. I time mine for 12 minutes then switch the sheets and time for 13 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool on pans for 5 minutes. As you remove the cookies, drop into powdered sugar and coat well. Place cookies on cooling rack and let cool completely then drop in powdered sugar again.

Hope you enjoy them!