Almond Joy Tarts

Give A Little Love by The Mostar Diving Club

I love getting new band suggestions.  I listen to all sorts of music and love to troll the iTunes store, linking my way through the "Hey, if you bought this, you'd probably like this" cues.  Aaaand next thing you know I've lost about an hour of my day, my credit card bill has a few added lines under the Purchases column, and my iTunes library is even more awesome than it was before!  One of my richest sources for new bands are the daughters of my dear friend, Lara.  And, not too long ago, they put me on to the music of The Mostar Diving Club. The band's Facebook page lists Damian Katkhuda and Will Worsley as the band members.  I love their description of their genre.  It says "Quirky Acoustic."  Which is exactly why it appeals to me so much!  Thanks, girls, for sharing your finds ~ again!  And Happy Birthday to Emily!  Read on ~

This past week my friend, Lara, said that her daughter Emily's birthday was coming up and when asked what she would like to do for her special day, she replied that she thought it would be fun to go over to Janice's house and make lunch together!  

Cue the "Awwwww!"

It did give me enormous pleasure that a teenager would think that spending the afternoon preparing and then enjoying a lunch was fun!  It restores my hope and faith in the future!

Potato Salad

Everything I Own by Bread
It's time.  I've mentioned my father several times in my posts but I want to pay him a tribute today.  And there just isn't a more fitting song out there than this one.  People often mistake this for a romantic love ballad.  But David Gates wrote it for his father who had passed away.  Now - with that in mind, give it a listen.  And if you had/have a relationship with your father like I did/do with mine, then I suggest grabbing a handful of tissues before you press "play."  

I missed Father's Day this year.  

Well, I missed writing a post about Father's Day this year.  I honored the fathers in my life, though, on their special day - don't worry!

I had wanted to share this Potato Salad recipe with you in time for Father's Day.  Last year I gave you some delicious ribs to try.  And they'd be wonderful paired with a creamy potato salad like this one.  But, the first week I missed a post it was because I needed to go back to Pennsylvania - kind of last minute - to help with some family issues.  The second week I missed, I was too emotionally drained to write anything at all.

But now I'm doing better.  

And I want to honor my father - a wonderful man who was my anchor throughout my life

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

Strawberry Swing by Coldplay
This song makes me think of skipping.  The intro begins with the handclaps which then melt into a lilting drumbeat.  I'm not sure what Coldplay wanted me to think about when listening to this song, but it takes me inside a 70s movie.  Have you ever noticed how sun-drenched those movies seem to be?  You can always see all the filaments in the air - cottonwood, pollen, dust.  I picture myself walking through a field, the sunlight is flared, I've got a long stalk of field grass to chew on, and I'm happy.  Almost skipping.  And it's a perfect day.  A perfect day can also look like this - playing around in the kitchen and coming up with a new cookie for the recipe box, and then sharing dinner (complete with said cookies for dessert) with my husband in front of a documentary about The Eagles, and then having the husband announce that my new cookie just might be his new all-time favorite.  Yeah - that's a pretty terrific day!

My small strawberry patch, which fits inside of a 4'x4' box, is starting to present me with strawberries!  Not enough to do anything with other than walk out there and eat them straight from the stem.  You know, before the birds or bugs get them.  But I'm hopeful.  I can already see that I'm going to have a killer raspberry harvest this year - and the grapes will be ridiculous!

But, back to the strawberries.

Lavender Lemonade

Garden Party by Ricky Nelson
It's time for garden parties.  I mean, parties in gardens or back yards or parks.  Not Madison Square "Gardens" about which Nelson wrote this song.  But the message holds up in all locations.  Pleasing everyone around you can be a hopeless task.  It's a horrible rat race that can consume your soul.  So you have to just sit back, sip some snazzy Lavender Lemonade in your own garden, and contemplate the best YOU you can be, and want to be, and set that as your goal.  Lavender Lemonade is a very good thought sifter!  Try it and see!

A few years ago I had to do an internship at the end of my class training in culinary school.  I really wanted to learn about baking as I had dreams of owning my own bakery some day. But, living in a relatively small town, I couldn't think of anywhere I was going to get the education I wanted.  My daughter, however, happened to live in a large city where there were several bakeries I could look to for this training.  Luckily, I was able to get a spot at my first choice.  I lived with my daughter and her family for 6 weeks while I worked the grueling schedule of a bakery/patisserie.

Lemon Cream Pie

When Life Gives Me Lemons I Make Lemonade by The Boy Least Likely To
I've never been one of those people who can just eat a lemon outright.  My mouth puckers with even the thought of trying.  But temper that sourness with some sweetness and even some creaminess and I am all smiles.  This song was on the soundtrack for the movie "Easy A."  I like it's simple message of not being overcome with the downers in life - figuring out a way to turn things positive again.  Or as I heard in a talk in church a few weeks ago - learning to be a cork - not a stone - in the Sea of Troubles and popping right back up to the surface.  That's kind of what this pie is all about.  Definitely turning those sour lemons into the happiest of goodies!

It was my birthday a couple days ago.  

Hence the Lemon Pie!  

I had been wanting to try something a little different than my usual Lemon Meringue Pie.  

I'm one of those people that gets a little giddy when I slice into something and find layers of surprises.  From the outside, everything looks basic and straightforward.  But when the cut is made and the insides are revealed, the appearance of little bands are like eye candy to my tongue.