Bed in Summer... sunny and hot

In winter I get up at night

And dress by yellow candle-light.

In summer, quite the other way,

I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see

The birds still hopping on the tree,

Or hear the grown-up people's feet

Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,

When all the sky is clear and blue,

And I should like so much to play,

To have to go to bed by day?

   Robert Louis Stevenson

This poem is from "A Child's Garden of Verses" , one of my daughters favorites when she was a little girl (30+ years ago) you can see from the  .49c price tag it's been around awhile, it survived many readings with my daughter and then my Grandchildren.
Some of our favorites from it are "the swing", "Autumn Fires", "The Cow", and "My Shadow"....................
Did you have a favorite poem from this book?????

Blackberry Cheesecake Ice cream... sunny & HOT

Summer started off cool and rainy for us here in the Ozarks, but now that July is in full force so is Summer heat, this is one of our favorite quick refreshing summer desserts. Use it with blackberries now or adapt it so... Use any fruit you may have on hand, works great with peaches, strawberries, etc.......or leave the fruit out substitute French vanilla pudding for the cheesecake pudding, vanilla extract for the almond extract, and have wonderful homemade vanilla ice cream!
 


2 cups half and half
2 cups whole milk (2% can be used instead to make  it lighter)
1 box (3.9 oz) instant cheesecake pudding
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups blackberries
1 tsp. Almond extract (optional)

Place blackberries in blender and puree till liquefied, pour through a sieve and press to remove juice and some pulp, discard seeds, to this add 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk, & Almond extract if using, stir well and place in the fridge.
Combine the rest of the sweetened condensed milk, half & half, milk and pudding mix, whisk till smooth, immediately pour into ice cream maker and process according to instructions for your machine. When ice cream is done remove from ice cream maker and gently swirl in the blackberry mixture---you don't want it all stirred in just swirl randomly leaving plenty of white showing too.
Place in freezer for 3-4 hours depending on whether you prefer soft-serve or harder ice cream.......



You can find this and many more of our recipes in our Everything Season
Cookbook download here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/254958239/digital-download-cookbook-digital?ref=shop_home_active_33

Sunday Quotes....sunny.... warm.... humid

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. 

~Cicero

 

Chigger Cobbler...rain overnight..humid and warm

July is the season of  'everything Blackberries' here,
when you've just come in from the patch and need to throw together a quick dessert this is the recipe to use! (if your wondering about the name see HERE )


Chigger Cobbler

1 quart blackberries
1/2-1 cup sugar (adjust to the sweetness of your berries)
1 T. lemon juice
1 rounded tablespoon cornstarch
1 tsp. almond flavoring (optional)
1/2 box yellow cake mix, dry
1/4 cup melted butter

 In medium pan, crush half of blackberries, add lemon juice and sugar, remove 1/4 cup juice, and stir in cornstarch till smooth, heat berries, add cornstarch mixture, bring to a boil and cook one minute, pour into 2 quart baking dish, sprinkle with cake mix and drizzle with butter, bake at 350* for 25 minutes or till top is lightly browned and bubbly................Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

  

Farm Adventures... Sunny...cooler

Mrs. Hopeful's Plight

Last Saturday evening I had muted the T.V. while on the phone. As I

hung up I heard a little meow at the screen door. At first I thought

of Lonesome, for all his 20 pounds he has a small voice. But something

wasn't quite right, and sure enough when I got to the door I saw a

kitty I didn't know. She left, but only went a few feet and sat under

a bush. I got the flashlight and went outside watching all the while

for copperheads. Anytime after 8:30 p.m. is official copperhead

appearance hour. She waited right where she was and let me pick her

up. Now what do I do?????  I carried her back inside, and while

holding her and the flashlight managed to get some food and water. We

then went out to the goat barn where the large pet carrier was and

made an overnight motel for her. The whole time of being carried, she

never once wiggled or scratched. While handling her I got the distinct

apprehension that her stomach was disproportionally large. In the

morning she was more interested in getting to know me and be petted

than fed. What a sweetheart she is. Not a stray for sure, but no doubt

dumped when her condition was realized. We live so FAR from only one

other home, she couldn't have been theirs. Well all day Sunday I tried

to think of where I could put her. Monday, I took the kids out to see

her mid-afternoon and look what we found! Tuesday I renovated and made

raccoon, possum and snake safe, a large wooded dog house. Now begins

the task of finding good homes for she and the little ones. I am still

in the dog (make that cat) house for keeping Butterscotch's 4,

nine years ago.

So her staying here permanently is not an option. 

Anybody want a very sweet kitty that I have named Mrs. Hopeful?