NO MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST, BUT A RESTAURANT.

 Another whole week has gone by, and I haven't made one new recipe. Our last meal was a salad. My dear other half fixed it. We had different tastes in our additions. This is mine: we both had the lettuce, sautéed mushrooms, sliced radishes with the miniature chicken and cilantro dumplings which had been dropped in boiling water to cook, plus a few blueberries and raspberries on mine. There’s also diced tomato in there somewhere. No dressing for me but dear man liked a little blue cheese dressing on his. We enjoyed them immensely and I think we will be eating a lot of salads this week with all the hot weather we are having.

I thought I would share a restaurant I mentioned in my daily journal shortly after we visited. March 20th, 2025 was the day we were there. (I will begin doing my journals again sometime, I miss doing them.) It had been my dear other half’s birthday a few days earlier and he wanted to try this restaurant after it was recommended by our son and daughter-in-law.

This is the Lazy Dog Restaurant and we were greeted by a sculpture in the window. We had come through the front doors into a small foyer. Beyond the glass window was the restaurant. I thought it would have been a dog, but I could see a horse's head made from metal parts.

Here is the view directly across the street.  We were in a large shopping area.

You can read a bit of its history here on Wikipedia.  The menu is quite extensive. I have added pages below and if you click on them, you can enlarge and hopefully be able to read what they have.

We were asked if we would like to sit inside or outside. Even though there was a little bit of a breeze, we felt it was nice enough to sit outside.  We were having a lovely beginning to the year and the weather was sunny if not hot. We were wearing sweaters and were very comfortable.

The appetizer above is what everyone was given. They were like crispy home-made potato chips. I ordered trout and Gregg the fish and chips, though no photo of his. 

We took a piece of cake home for us to share later, called Confetti Cake, and it was very good. 

When Gregg saw that I had written my blog post about this restaurant, he said he really liked the place and wants to go again. 

That's about it for today's food post. Thanks for looking and I hope your day is a good one.

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - WALNEY POND

 A favorite spot when we come here. There is a bench under the trees which offers welcoming shade. 

No sign of the beaver, and the beaver lodge nearby looks a bit dismantled. I am wondering if they have moved on. 

We have been thoroughly entertained on previous trips (not the last few times) and have watched them swimming and diving under the water. They are herbivores and like to eat the leaves, shoots, roots and even the seed capsules of the waterlilies. You can see them at this link from our visit in July 2021, which is where I found the above photo.

Looking across from the other side of the pond. The pathway goes all the way around.

We were here on the 19th June. The weather was lovely. I think the temperature was about 80 degrees. F. (26 degrees C. (?)). The heat didn't bother me as it wasn't humid. My dear other half, being a southern Virginia lad his whole life, let's just say the more heat and humidity, the better he likes it. It is the humidity that will turn me into a puddle. (As I type this at 2.29 p.m. on 6-25-25, it is currently 93 degrees F. (34 degrees C.) and I hear thunder - a few degrees cooler than yesterday. For the next few days we will be having thunderstorms and showers, so I don’t think we will be going for walks.

I have started using my cell phone full-time for photo taking. When I need to get a closer look to something far away, I ask Gregg for the camera with the zoom lens. He uses it mostly because a) he enjoys taking photos too and b) it's a bit too heavy for me to carry. He jokingly tells me he is my porter/Jeeves. He bought me a shorter lanyard for my phone that goes around my wrist, and I hardly notice it when I am walking along, until I need that photo. 

The plant is a Common buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). The buttonbush is moderately toxic to humans and toxins can be found in the entire plant. It is a native to the United States and is a magnet for pollinators. Besides the bee you will find butterflies and hummingbirds enjoying the buttonbush.

The following is called Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) and native to the United States. It is found in marshes and along the borders of muddy ponds, which is where we found this one. I have only seen it grow in the wild but it can be cultivated for the garden or as a house plant. Also, it is non-toxic to humans and pets, not considered a weed and likes full sun. 

I always enjoy finding out the origins of plants name histories if I can. My plant app - PictureThis - says the name is a tribute to the 16th-century Italian botanist Giulio Pontedera. The genus name was given to recognize Pontedera's contributions to botany. 'Cordata' refers to the plant's heart-shaped leaves, with 'cordate' meaning heart-shaped in Latin. Commonly known as 'pickerelweed', it likely derives its name from its popularity as a hiding spot for pickerel, a type of fish, as they seek shelter amongst its leaves and stems in their natural aquatic habitat.

I have other photos but will share them another day.

Thanks for looking, and I hope your day is a great one. 

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER - WHERE ARE THEY?

 

The Catbird didn't join in. He had been out of town and missed the whole visit. He was happy to be told all about it by his feathered friends, plus one furry friend.

And of course, as we all know, that's how it goes sometimes on a Saturday Morning at the Birdfeeder.

Have a great day everyone.

Thanks for stopping by.

For our international friends using the translation button on my side bar.

Photo 1: Thought bubble as Squirrel is wondering where the rubber duckies are. And then he says, "Where are they?"  The Eastern Bluebird tells him, "They have gone home."

Photo 2: Eastern Bluebird says, "I got this for you, so you won't miss them as much."

Photo 3: Catbird who does not speak.

A COUPLE OF OLD PHOTOS FROM 1973 AND EARLY 1980'S AND A FEW MEMORIES.

 I have mentioned that we've been downsizing, getting into the closets, into the garage, into the basement, etc. Oh boy, I knew this would happen. We have been finding things that we have forgotten all about, and it has slowed us down to a snail's pace today. Memories come flooding back as they do, and we have been having fun looking at old photos, old passports where I found the photo below, and goodness knows what else will be waiting for us when we start again. In the meantime we have boxes everywhere, and are gradually sorting things out. 

But, we did get rid of a few garden odds and ends that were of no working value to anyone. Off they went to the trash center, as well as three large plastic bags of 'no-one is going to want to do anything with those'. 

Two of the photos we found were getting a bit worse for wear, but I couldn't throw them away. Our son put the photo of the three of us through his tidy-up app. The old passport photo was taken when I was 23. It's been in an old Rubbermaid box in the garage for longer than I care to say, long forgotten. I paid 60 pounds sterling for that passport, which was more than I did for my 10 day-holiday in Austria, and it was a real nice hotel. I saved up the whole year and then some for that holiday.

A group of good friends and I were off on a skiing trip in March 1973. None of us knew how to ski but the package included skiing lessons. I wasn't a very confident learner. Once I remember ending up hanging over a fence at the bottom of a nursery slope, looking into someone's private home. True story and this proved to me that I was not built for speed. Very embarrassing but fortunately no one came out to see what was going on, and there was no damage done to their fence. I had a feeling I was not the first unintentional visitor over their not so very tall wooden fence. I wasn't very good at skiing, and I remember my skiing instructor not being too pleased with me. But, fun times with a bunch of great friends, and we used to look out for each other. One of my friends brought her husband along. He was/is the sweetest guy and looked out for all of us. I still keep in touch with them.

I remember the hotel vividly, where we danced all night in their nightclub, went to the coffee shop (also in the hotel) in the early hours of the morning after dancing, and then to our rooms to grab a couple of hours sleep, and to the slopes to learn how to ski, again. We were in a town called Seefeld, surrounded by snow-covered mountains (the Austrian Alps) and it was gorgeous! We had fun walking around town, doing a little shopping and souvenir hunting, small gifts for our families back home, then back to get dressed for a night of après-ski, more dancing till four o'clock in the morning, back to the coffee shop, back for a couple hours of sleep in our room, to start the process all over again. 

One time we caught a train to visit another area one of our friends had always wanted to see. It was many miles away which involved an overnight stay. Finding ourselves on a train going through the most incredible scenery, we didn't really know which stop to get off at, but a kind Austrian man who spoke English overheard us and said, here is your stop. 

Off we got, found a hotel (no ahead booking) stayed one night, had a good look around and back on the train again to finish off our holiday. I don't know how we did it and my parents would have had a conniption if they knew, especially my dear mum. Oh boy! Anyhow, here is my passport photo, a little worse for wear but yes that's me.

We went two years in a row on our skiing holidays. In subsequent years my friends met their life-partners, and two years after my last trip I met Gregg, which leads me to the second photo.

It was taken in the den of my in-law's house. That den was a haven for not only my in-law's but all the family and friends who visited. It was a happening place. There was always someone there, they knew no strangers. 

A big picture window looked out on the back of their garden. My dear mother-in-law sat doing her crossword puzzles, with a pair of binoculars on the end table. She used them to watch the birds coming to her feeders and had a book to identify those she didn't know. She was very good at identifying her birds, she didn't need the book but rarely. We both had fun watching them and I remember her squirrels too. 

On a Saturday Morning she and I would watch old Westerns, TV shows and movies. We both enjoyed those. Gregg and his Dad would be in the garage where father-in-law worked on his old cars.

 On a Sunday morning Henry delivered the New York Times and she would get stuck in with her crossword puzzle, but first we'd have a chat with Henry who was older than my in-laws at the time, probably only a few years older than I am now. He had bought the Sunday newspaper for years and was always invited in for a refreshment of some kind. He had become a good friend and was a fixture in the neighborhood. Everyone knew Henry, a friend to everyone.

Memories of 4th of July Picnics, Thanksgivings and Christmas', and everything in between. We lived in Washington DC for a couple of years when we were first married and drove down every second week or so. Later we lived nearby for a couple of years when Brad was about four years of age. Memories of Brad in his paper tricorne hat we made him out of Henry's newspaper once read, beating on the drum with his Nanna marching in front of him, with them both singing a good old marching song. She was wonderful, and so much fun!

Now, I wonder what we will find in the next clean-up session?

Enjoy your weekend everyone and thanks for listening.

AN OLD FAVORITE - LEAF ON THE SAND

Another old photo. This was found on a beach in Florida on our last visit there several years ago.  An old leaf full of glistening sand.

The beach is full of treasures not necessarily made of gold.  The fun is in the hunt for them, to open our eyes we just have to look outside the box. 

A little like life I think.
  

~~~~~~~

Thanks so much for dropping by.

I wish you all a great day!

A CHANGE OF PACE

An oldy posted in 2014, revisited for today. We had a van back in those days.  

Gregg came in and told me that there was a very interesting caterpillar climbing up the side of his van, that I might want to take some photos. I grabbed my camera!

I had never seen one like this before. It was a very interesting little caterpillar.

Not wise to pick them up with fingers. It can stick you with those bristles, which can be quite itchy and uncomfortable and cause a rash. A good defense mechanism.

We must have known somehow.

 We were going out in the van and we didn't have the time to wait for it to make its own way off our vehicle, even with all those tiny feet. Our little caterpillar was moved to a more appropriate spot in the garden.

I went online and found this link. It is a Banded Tussock Moth - Halysidota tessellaris. Wonderful little thing!

"In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous."

~Aristotle~

Thanks for looking and have a great day!

Added note on Saturday, June 28th, 2025:

To see the Banded Tussock Moth as it is with wings, you can click on the website address below.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halysidota_tessellaris

STREET SIGNS IN…

 Charlotte (North Carolina), where our son and daughter-in-law were visiting for a few days last week. They found themselves near a park called The Green. They noticed that attached to the lamps were street names related to various authors. When our son came over on Sunday morning, he showed me his photos. I asked him if I could share and he happily said yes. I have never been to Charlotte, but hope to one day.

The Green is a literary-themed park located at 400 S. Tryon St. in Uptown Charlotte. 

These whimsical directional signs point to real cities which when combined, spell out the names of famous authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Bronte, Lewis Carrol, James Baldwin, Herman Melville and James Joyce. Cities and States are mentioned, and there are also Canadian Provinces, such as Saskatchewan and Alberta, and a sign pointing towards Canada. 

You can also see bronze book sculptures and quotes from famous authors but no photos of those. I don’t think they came across them or there would have been. They were on a tight schedule and I am grateful for these.

The Green is a popular spot for relaxation and even hosts events like movie screenings and plays.

Sounds like a great place to go. Below are a couple of maps of Charlotte, the second one showing where it is located in the States.

MONDAY MORNING RECIPE POST - QUICHE FLORENTINE

Today's recipe came from Living Lou, hosted by Lou.  I have shared a few of her recipes before. I enjoyed it very much and made a few changes, which I have added below.

Quiche Florentine 

1 9" deep dish frozen pie crust

For the filling:

1 tablespoon salted butter

2 shallots, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

4 cups spinach (mature or baby spinach), roughly choped

3/4 cup cheddar cheese (Gruyere or Swiss will also work)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup 2% milk

4 large eggs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place pie crust on a baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Blind bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make spinach filling. 

Melt the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for about 2 minutes until it begins to soften. Add the spinach and 1/4 teaspoon salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes until spinach is wilted.

Transfer spinach mixture into a sieve, using the back of a spatula, push and stir the mixture to draw out excess liquid. I do this about 6 to 8 times, or until barely any liquid comes out.

Spread evenly in the bottom of the crust and sprinkle cheese evenly over the spinach.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, eggs with remaining salt and pepper. Pour over the spinach and cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated 375 deg. F. oven until quiche is golden brown and still slightly jiggly.

Lou's freezing instructions:

After baking, allow to cool completely before wrapping in aluminum foil and freezing. The quiche will last for three months in the freezer.

When ready to bake, unwrap and bake in a 375 degrees F. oven for about 50 to 60 minutes.

Louisa's notes:

You can also use your own favorite pie crust recipe.

This recipe can be easily doubled to make two quiches.

Changes I made or would make in the future:

I didn't buy or make a crust for this quiche today. Simply because I wanted something easy and nourishing to put together.  I made the filling ingredients and poured those in my pie plate that had been coated with avocado oil spray. I didn't miss the crust at all. It was very tasty. 

I added four cloves of chopped garlic, put them in for about a minute, stirring, after I had sauteed the shallots.

I'm sure you can add any of your own favorite veggies here. I thought I would add mushrooms next time and even some halved cherry tomatoes.

I used Cheddar cheese.

I also didn't use the heavy cream or 2% mixture, but in the fridge I had a carton of whole milk used in a baking recipe. There was just enough left in there to make the 1 cup.

I used Lowry's seasoned salt and pepper instead of regular. 

Next time I will use the 9" pie plate as I had a larger one handy, and the quiche came out thinner than normal. It did not detract from the taste though. 

My dear other half was out of town for a few days, so I made this for myself. Next time I will cut into single portions and freeze individually.

I served it with a simple mixed veggie salad of crispy lettuce, sliced radishes, diced sweet red pepper and a couple of sliced mushrooms. No dressing as I didn't grow up with salads and to this day, still prefer my salads without.

That's about it. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section. 

Here is the full address of the recipe, just in case you prefer to copy and paste instead of using the link above.

https://www.livinglou.com/quiche-florentine-fresh-spinach/

Thanks for looking. I hope you all have a great week and Bon Appétit.

HAPPY SUNDAY EVERYONE - HOPE

“Never deprive someone of hope, it might be all they have.”

~H. Jackson Brown, Jr.~

and

A golden moon upon the tide,  

Its glow reflected far and wide.  

Twinkling stars in velvet sky,  

Whispering dreams as waves drift by.  

A lighthouse stands with steadfast grace,  

Its beacon guiding through the space.  

While on the sea, with sails unfurled,  

A crimson yacht explores the world.  

Upon its sail, a dove takes flight,  

Clutching hope in wings so light.  

An olive branch in gentle hold,  

A promise cast in moonlight’s gold

Through mist that dances soft and white,   

Hope sail’s on, a guiding light.  

SATURDAY MORNING AT THE BIRD FEEDER - WELL, NOT REALLY...DUCKIES GO FOR A DRIVE

 

"Oh how kind! You are a hero to me Freddy, to all of us. Thank you!" And off Freddy went back to the rescue station with the rest of the heroes. 

Here's a big shout out to all the people who work on our roads, keeping them in good shape and keeping us safe. Heroes for sure!

The duckies were getting a little restless.

They had been watching the skies in the distance and saw that they were getting very dark. It wasn't long before there was a torrential downpour that they thought would never quit.

And those windshield wipers were getting quite a workout. Some of the duckies had never set eyes on one before.

Camera lady had fun trying to take photos between the wiper blades (the rain was so heavy she told the duckies it would have been dangerous to shut them off). It was challenging but she managed this one photo and, my goodness, they were all in sharp focus. They gave her a well-done and told her how pleased they were as they knew that would make Camera lady happy.

It wasn't too long after that they drove out of the rain and the skies got a little brighter.

And then...

no matter how long or short the journey, it is always good to get home.

And that's how it goes on a 

Saturday Morning at the Bird Feeder.

Hugs to all!

I was going to try and write down the dialog in the photos for our international blogging friends to translate, but as I went on longer in this one, I ran out of time and energy. It is very late for me and I find myself having a hard time keeping awake. I will try to make an addition in the next day or so.

Why am I using the duckies? My birds have been very quiet lately and are thumbing their nose at me for not feeding them until the colder months, something I have mentioned before. They have been scarce. I will look through my old bird photos this week.

(A big thank you to my sister-and-brother-in-law for the loan of the jeep and her collection of duckies. They have been a lot of fun having them around for a while.)