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TO LONDON IN NOVEMBER

London in November: will it be cold? rainy? sunny?
It is anyone’s guess! So best to be prepared for any kind of weather, right?
I am very fortunate to be able to stay with my daughter in her flat: you know how that saves on the emergency sweater (sorry…jumper!) , hair dryer, lotions and potions etc.

Last year I was there in early October and every day was glorious! No rain at all. My day at Great Dixter was so beautiful. But this year, a month later, could be quite different.

The coat.

Nordstrom Rack 

I can’t believe how perfect this coat is! Perfect length. Zipper works very well but it also has snaps. The hood zips off but is great as is. Nice pockets. For $99.00 it is a definite WIN!

P.S. I ordered a Medium although I am usually a Small. Reviewers said it ran a bit small; the Medium is perfect.

 

How about a nice cozy sweater in tunic style? I love tunics of all kinds; I am not tall, measuring barely 5’4″, and I always feel a longer tunic makes me look a bit taller and just works well for my body type. And, most importantly, I feel good in […]

By |2021-06-02T13:12:04-04:00October 20, 2019|Travel|
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LENTIL SOUP: A ONE-POT RECIPE

This one pot recipe for lentil soup might be the best ever!

I do not know where it comes from…so apologies to the author for no credit. Really, I can’t remember how I came upon it about year ago. But everything goes in ONE POT!

No browning the onions first, no garlic slowly simmered. Just chop the ingredients, measure the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and put it all into the pot.

 

LENTIL SOUP: A ONE-POT RECIPE
 
Print
 
If you’re not crazy about the tarteness of vinegar, then go easy on the white balsamic here. I like Colavita..and like the full amount! But you can always add it in.
Author:
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 2-3 quarts
Ingredients
  • 1¼ cups French green lentils

    • […]

By |2021-06-01T16:22:32-04:00October 13, 2019|Cooking|
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TRAVEL TO COASTAL NORTH CAROLINA

It was time for another travel adventure..so off we went to
Coastal North Carolina
No, not a beach, but Pamlico Sound and the historic towns of Washington, Bath and Belhaven.

Our room was right on the water (it was actually in a marina) so we had these gorgeous views:

 

Our adventures took place around these towns:

 

Let’s talk about the cotton fields. We had seen a bit of cotton grown on the way to Savannah and Charleston but NEVER anything on this scale.There were fields and fields, as far as the eye could see, filled with puffy white cotton balls. It was HOT out there. We stopped several times to get a closeup look at the plants, the bolls, and the process. I had never, ever really seen or known just how awful it would be to go out in those fields day after day. Back breaking and soul breaking work. Now, of course, it is all picked by machine. But I cannot imagine picking by hand: the plants and bolls are rough and ragged, the soil is parched and overgrown with weeds and the sun. Well, the heat and sun were almost unbearable to us after ten minutes out there.

Cotton fields

By |2019-10-06T21:36:22-04:00October 6, 2019|Travel|
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MY NEW FAVORITE PERENNIAL

My new favorite perennial (for autumn) is:

Helianthus salicifolius ‘Low Down’

Look at all that brilliant yellow!
These plants are now about 18″ tall and, knowing I just planted them in April, I am amazed. Most perennials take a year or two really develop, but these have taken off. They are in full sun and receive water from my watering system every other morning for about 45 minutes. We’ve had a very VERY hot and dry summer and they have flourished.

Above, with the Scabiosa Black Knight behind them

 

Here, looking glorious with the dark red dahlias!

By |2019-10-03T11:02:48-04:00October 3, 2019|8 McDowell, Friday Flowers, Garden|
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DEVILED EGGS: YES OR NO?

How do you feel about deviled eggs? Yes or no?

The term “deviled” was originally used in the States back in the mid 1800’s and referred to any food that was spicy. Over time, and certainly after WWII, the spice was dropped and the eggs became ubiquitous and popular everywhere. But there are, of course, many different ways of both preparing and serving them.

They are an absolute staple of Southern cooking and entertaining!

Living in the South for the past nine years I have certainly served my share of deviled eggs…and now have started to look for the plates made to serve them. No, I am not looking to make a huge collection;  a few fun and whimsical plates will do just fine.

When I spotted this cute plate at an antique store in Washington, N.C. a few days ago, I couldn’t resist!
How cute is this?

The next question might be: how do I like to make my eggs?

Split your eggs in half lengthwise (just in case you didn’t know this!)
I use Duke’s Mayonnaise: a Southern staple.
Mustard and sometimes chopped Cornichons.
Salt and pepper mixed in.

 

 

By |2021-06-02T19:59:40-04:00September 29, 2019|Cooking|
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A COTTON COVERLET FOR YOUR BED

A cotton coverlet is a joy to behold, and to sleep under!
Do you use one?

So many beds are now covered with a duvet which is then covered with a removable cover.

Well, we tried that route. And tried again. And found it just was NOT for us. A faux-down, or real down comforter/duvet sounds wonderful especially if you live in a cold climate.  But we found that the lightweight cotton cover somehow made the wrapped duvet very heavy and cumbersome. It was worse with a faux down than with the real thing…but back in those days we had a dog (who, yes, slept on the bed!) who was allergic to down. In any case, it didn’t work.

I opted to try the “old-fashioned” way: a cotton coverlet or, dare I use the word, BED SPREAD! I grew up with these but oh my, they went out of fashion.  What goes round, comes round, as they say. And now, we have quite a nice selection of all cotton coverlets and bedspreads to choose from!

 

Below is our current bed situation!
Classic white quilted coverlet: mine from Linens ‘n Things many years ago!
Antique bed tables (two: each from very different sources but they almost match!)
A classic table lamp
Custom made fabric headboard with […]

By |2019-09-23T05:35:46-04:00September 22, 2019|8 McDowell, Shopping|
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