Saturday, April 7, 2018

Dreaming of Spring

Yesterday morning we awoke to more snow after an incredibly windy Thursday. It has snowed a little bit today, but when I remember that it is April I know that spring can't be too far away!
This picture was taken through my kitchen window. Unfortunately I scared a couple of the birds away when taking their picture. Jemimah and I are both avid bird watchers. It has warmed my heart to watch as Jemimah has learned to identify the sounds and names of the different birds that visit our feeder. I think her favorite may be the mourning dove. Last year when she first heard the plaintive coos of the mourning doves she was frightened, and assumed it was some mysteriously spooky creature. When I told her that it was simply the doves talking to one another, she was quite pleased. We have been blessed with a variety of brilliantly colored birds: crimson cardinals, yellow gold finches, black, white and red woodpeckers, plus a variety of less vibrant beauties.
We discovered our first tulips and daffodils peeking through the snow. I am dreaming of a sunny spring morning when they will all be in full bloom!
Adam has started some vegetable and zinnia seeds. They are setting on an old sewing table in our bedroom by the window. The table was given to me by an elderly lady my mom and I once cleaned for house for years ago. She knew of my love of sewing and wanted me to have this table. It had belonged to her great-grandmother and was made sometime in the 1800's. It is very handy, as the legs fold up into the top. This makes it easy to carry from one room to another, as needed.
It has been wonderful to watch as they grow towards the sun. What a blessing to see green!
Every week we make a batch of no bake cookies. No bake cookies are Jemimah's favorite snack. She loves to help mix and press the cookies.
They are quick and easy to make, plus they are delicious. Here is the recipe for those who may be interested in making some too.

No Bake Cookies

In a saucepan combine:
1 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil ( I use a rather generous half cup)
Heat until melted and thoroughly combined. Remove from heat and add:
6 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups oatmeal
Mix well and then scoop out mixture into cookie sized portions onto a cookie sheet (I cover my cookie sheet with wax paper for an easier removal of the cookies). We then press the cookies flat with the bottom of a glass, however this is not necessary, just our preference.
Currently I am reading Rainbow Cottage by Grace Livingston Hill. The description of grandmother Ainslee's gardens are breathtaking! I wish I could step into the pages to see her gardens myself. : ) Rainbow Cottage is a lovely story. I always enjoy G.L. Hill's description of home and homemaking.

Recently I discovered this pattern for knitted dishcloths. I am knitting the smaller size, which is just perfect for small hands that love to help in the kitchen. The cotton yarn color is called "Sunshine", I thought that was quite fitting. I  feel like I am knitting with a ray of sunshine on these gloomy days.
This afternoon I listed a couple of new apron in my Etsy shop. This blue apron was my favorite, I especially liked how the darker blue binding and white trim looked against the calico.

I hope you are all enjoying a peaceful weekend. If you are still experiencing colder temperatures and snow, stay warm! : )

"For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield." Psalm 5:12

16 comments:

  1. It is such a joy to see the first green shoots of seedlings. I have tomatoes coming up from seed and have just transferred them to the greenhouse to harden off a little.

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  2. Jemimah is getting so big! The time of daffodils has come and gone in GA but the dogwoods are in full bloom- hang in there! Your new apron is so pretty. I am going to try your cookies today; my 20 year old son loves peanut butter!

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    1. Thank you, Angela! I hope your son will enjoy the cookies. We love peanut butter too.: )

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  3. Hi Sarah ~
    I would very much like to try to make your no-bake cookies - they look so delicious! Might you know of a substitute for the honey? I love honey, but have an allergy to it I'm afraid.

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    1. Hi Tia,

      You could try using maple syrup in place of honey. You may need to use a little more than a 1/2 cup, since honey tends to be sweeter than maple syrup. I hope you enjoy them! : )

      Sarah

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  4. Oh how it moisture changes through the seasons. Looks like your tulips are very hearty! I'm sure they'll be beautifully blooming soon.
    Love the location of your little starter plants. Windows with lace curtains are so inviting, and what an incredibly special gift that table was!
    Thank you for the recipe of your daughter's favourite cookies...we are going to try them. We usually make the boiled chocolate oatmeal cookies, but this is a nice change to that.
    I do adore your aprons! The calico prints are so beautiful!
    Praying you have a lovely spring day!

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  5. The pictures in this post feel so cozy! Our weather has been up and down here in VA (temps in the 80s in February, then a brutally cold March!), but the daffodils and tulips are in full bloom here -- hopefully Spring will be headed your way very soon! Until then, you seem to be doing an excellent job of making the most of winter's end and finding little bits of Spring where you can.

    Cheers,
    Shannon

    PS -- The cookies look delicious!

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  6. We are waiting for Spring here too. Today we have had our third snowfall in seven days! At lest it mostly melts off each time. Spring sure is taking it's time this year!

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  7. Hello Sarah,
    My your little Jemimah is getting to be quite the helper. She looks adorable. I'm going to look up the washcloths. We had snow over the weekend, but it's back in the low fifties today. We shall see what happens.
    Blessings,
    Laura of Harvest Lane Cottage

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  8. Happy weekend to you, dear Sarah! I am so delighted to visit you this afternoon and experience the sweetness of your beautiful joys and creations and moments you have shared. I must admit that even though Spring is so lovely, I have a part of me that is craving snow after seeing your wonderland. What idyllic snowy beauty.
    I enjoyed so very much reading of yours and Jemimah's love of birding and the dear memories you have made with her. What a joy to have a daughter- I cannot get over how fast she has grown! It made me smile to hear of her love of Mourning Doves. They are constantly perched on our side fence and they are some of my favorite, too. Such peaceful creatures.
    Your knitting and sewing is beautiful and inspiring as always, and I just love that cheerful sunny yellow color yarn- love the name, too.
    How lovely also to have a bit of spring inside your window with the wonderful garden. Zinnias are some of my favorites.

    Wishing you a blessed and joyful weekend♥
    Jazzmin

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  9. I have to say ... :) you have me reading GLH books now, after you first mentioned them to me. I only have one, but am looking for others. Where do you suggest I find them? Are they hard to find in thrift stores? I have listened to a few on Librivox, which is so lovely to do whilst cooking and baking and cleaning!

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    1. I am so glad you are enjoying Grace Livingston Hill's books. GLH is my favorite author. The stories move along fairly quickly and are always so sweet, just perfect to read before bed. : ) I have been collecting her books since I was a teenager. They have been purchased at a variety of antique shops, thrift store, estate sales, book sales, ebay and even our local Mennonite fabric store. Sometimes ebay sellers will offer several of her books in a lot. That may be a good option. When I started collecting they were a lot less expensive on ebay! But sometime you can still find a bargain.

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  10. Hi Sarah, I hope by now you are having more springlike weather there and your bulbs are in bloom! After many weeks with clouds and rain, we are enoying more days with warmth and sunshine which has caused our daffodils and jonquils to burst open with bright cheery yellows. The tulips have tiny bulbs on them and I'm excited to see what colors they will show when they open. I love waking up mornings and hearing the birds sweetly singing away! I've been reading "The Prodigal Girl" by GLH which I recently found at a thrift store. I am finding it hard to put down at bedtime and am trying to pace myself to make it last longer! :-) Have you read it? I love the title "Rainbow Cottage" and will surely keep an eye out for it! ~ Lynne

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    1. Hi Lynne,

      I am grateful to say we have had some springlike weather this week! It has been such a treat. My first daffodils blossomed yesterday!! : )

      No, I have not read "The Prodigal Girl", but will have to look for a copy soon. I know what you mean about not being able to put them down, "Rainbow Cottage" was that way. It was one of my favorite GLH books. However my "favorite" list is getting fairly long now!

      Sarah

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  11. Sarah, thank you for sharing your wonderful no-bake cookie recipe. I made my first batch the same day you posted it, and have made at least two batches every week since. I have made them with all peanut butter, all almond butter, and a combination of both butters, and all are delicious. I grind 1/3 cup of flax seeds and add the meal to the dough to add even more nutrition. Gluten-free oatmeal can be used for those avoiding gluten. Now I wonder how we lived without this recipe! I enjoy your blog very much and look forward to new posts. Thank you for your kind efforts.

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    1. Thank you for your wonderful ideas! I love the idea of adding ground flax seeds. I am so happy to know you are enjoying the recipe too. : )

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