Mirror, Mirror on the Wall...

I wavered between painting this mirror or leaving it as is


it was found tucked away in the corner of an antique shop

loving the details and needing a mirror for the bath cinched the sale


I like the natural look of wood...
it has a warmth to it

someday, I may make up my mind which way to go with it


May your day or night be blessed in God's grace.

Taking Time...

Sometimes, a time out is needed...
and going down the road to a quiet little beach...
is a favorite way to do that



after a swim...
the dogs dig their own holes...
while I sit and contemplate


on our way back...
there no helping but to pick a few wild flowers growing along the roadside


which gets placed into a pretty amber colored bottle...
just so they can be looked at and admired


May your day or night be blessed by God's grace.

Farm Fresh, Hand-Squeezed Orange Juice...

Is there anyone who doesn't like fresh squeezed orange juice?
What could go better with breakfast?
Although, I do admit, coffee is high on my list, too.
My husband picked a pack of "swivel" oranges from one of our citrus trees
 and lovingly squeezed out a whole lot of fragrant juice.
These particular oranges are tart...
but, a little raw honey took care of that.


Our trees are loaded again this year.
We will make good use of them, to be sure.
Some will go in food boxes we sell to our clients.
Of course, they are organic.
We love that.


This juice went down very well with my breakfast.


Hoping you have a great day, or night.  

Blessed be the Lord...

The Lord liveth;
and blessed be my Rock;
and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
Psalms 18:46


May you find grace in the eyes of the Lord today.

Cocoa Delight Harvest...

Our farm is part of a long ago cocoa plantation.
We have kept the cocoa trees and they still are doing well in spite of being covered for years under overgrown vines.
The vines are now gone and we are harvesting cocoa.

Cocoa is very much up my alley.
I am a choco-holic.

The bean pods are very beautiful to look at...many of them in two colors.
I do like the green and red one best.
The trees give so much cool shade, while fallen leaves carpet the ground.

Just a few of the many cocoa pods we have harvested.

They are already looking rather delicious.

These beans are still in their pulp and ready to be "sweated".
The beans will be laid and covered on a screen to allow the pulp juices to melt away and expose the beans.
By the way, the pulp is edible and has a sweet taste that is refreshing.

After the beans have sweated for some days, they are ready to be laid out in the sun to dry.

This is the result of natural sun drying.
The skin is then dry enough to easily come off the bean.
That is all there is to it.
The beans are then ready to use.

I roast them lightly...grind them fine...and make cocoa tea with spices, raw sugar and coconut milk.
That's my sweet hubby doing the honors of hand grinding.
We like doing things by hand.

We make our own coconut milk and grind our own spices.
It ensures freshness and tastes better that way.
It's all part of the enjoyment of doing things the old way.

It can't get any better than that.  

Here's wishing you a great day-or night.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes...

It's not often we have pancakes at this home.
Our breakfasts tend to be large and made from using what comes out of the farm and garden. We like to eat most of our calories and proteins in the morning to carry us through a busy day.
Our lunches are whatever fresh fruit we have on hand.
 I don't always have a planned menu for the evening.
So, when the day whisks by more quickly than expected, then it's time to whip up an easy and quick supper that will satisfy an evening appetite.


With all the pumpkins we have on the farm, it's not hard to find ways to use them in meals throughout the week.
Tonight, it will be pumpkin pancakes sweetened with raw honey.



Recipe:
1 cup gluten-free flour mix (I use Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix)
1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin
1 egg
1/2 cup coconut milk (or water)
1 TBsp coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
1 TBsp of milled flax seed (optional)

Directions:
Mix ingredients all together just until there are no lumps
Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto lightly oiled, pre-heated griddle (med. heat)
Cook on first side about 40 seconds, flip and cook another minute or so (should be golden brown)
Serves 2 to 4 people

For Honey Syrup recipe:
1 cup honey
1 TBsp butter (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice or zest
pinch of nutmeg

Pour honey into gravy boat or heat-proof glass measuring cup and set into a pot of hot water
Let honey warm up
Stir in butter, lemon juice and nutmeg



May your day or night be blessed in God's grace.

Happy is he...

A sunrise view from my home

"Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help,
whose hope is in the Lord his God:
Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is:
which keepeth truth for ever...
The Lord shall reign for ever,
even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations.
Praise ye the Lord."
Psalm 146:5,6,10