It's Official

We are residents of New Hampshire.  Our car is registered.  And no, we didn't get a low numbered plate.  I just didn't think you or anyone else needed to know the plate number.  Do you see the man in the mountain?  It's still on the plate even though the rock face fell several years ago.

Tomorrow we go for our real ID driver's licenses.  And we have registered to vote by mail in ballot.

Life is good in New Hamsphire.

Pie

Blueberry season here in New Hampshire.

My daughter picked the blueberries.  She gave me 4 cups yesterday - just enough for a pie.

Before breakfast I baked one.  Here it is cooling on the counter overlooking the living room of our new place.  We have lovely bay windows overlooking the Mascoma River.

This afternoon after two trips to the dentist (a walk of 2 blocks) I had a slice of pie and a scoop of ice cream.

Delicious!

Blueberry Cobbler

By this time we should be fairly well moved in to our new digs in Lebanon, NH.  I've scheduled this post to appear on this date about one week after our arrival.  It is blueberry season in NH so I know we will be enjoying picking and eating them with granddaughters.

Until I get back to blogging enjoy this post from the past.


This one appeared 5 years ago today.

This is my go to recipe for an easy blueberry cobbler.  I can't take credit for it because I came upon it in Southern Living in 1983.  I have several of the Southern Living Annual Recipes Cookbooks but in this age of the internet, when it's easier to just do a search for a recipe, I use the cookbooks for the old favorites.  In fact I've written on the spine of the 1983 book to go to page 183 for blueberry cobbler.

3 cups fresh blueberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter (or margarine) melted

Place blueberries in 10 x 6 x 2 inch baking dish and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Combine flour, sugar, egg, stir until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Spread over blueberries.

Drizzle melted butter on top.

Bake at 375º for 30 minutes.

Serve warm.

Yield: 6 servings.

(The recipe is attributed to Dottie Dear of Bronson, Florida.)

My variations:

Sprinkle on cinnamon on top of melted butter.

Mix blueberries with peaches.

Use another type of berry like blackberries.

I don't always use a rectangular baking dish.

Here's the flour, sugar and egg.  I use a fork to mix it.

The last time I made it I had ripe white peaches so I laid them on top.

Ready for the oven.  Nope sprinkle on some cinnamon first.

Three of us finished half of it for dessert.  My son-in-law William was visiting while Sarah was traveling to China.  We had it with ice cream on top.

Let me know if you try it and how you like it.

Fairy House Construction and Some Beautiful Blooms

Still settling in here in our new apartment so I'm going back in time to repost blogs from my past. 

This one appeared six years ago today.

Ever since I put in A's Garden (dedicated to my first granddaughter), I have had a spot to build a fairy house.  Today was the day to do it.  My inspiration for this came from this blog, but mine bears no resemblance to the ones that builder constructed.  This was my very first and likely to be, only attempt at building a fairy house.

Here's A's Garden.

Here's where the fairy house will be built.  This way I don't need to build many walls.

Dan had mortar for me to use and suggested soaking the stones first so they don't absorb all the moisture and dry out the mortar.  There's the door I purchased from The Little Hedge Row.

First I lifted the roof stone and inserted some stones on either side to increase the opening.

The red bucket has the stones soaking.  I used my kneeler pad to access the site.

Here's the side being constructed.

The front wall partially constructed.  I knew I would not be successful if I went with all small stones.

Construction continues.

Almost finished.  Now to find the right small stones to fit in the gaps.

Project completed.  The stone with the hole that had been on top is now a tower on the side.  I gathered stones to make a fence and there's even a stone sculpture by the door.

I had one gap above the door near the roof line so I inserted a piece of mica as a window.

Close up of the door and sculpture.

Close up of the window.

Close up of the tower.

The garden outside the fairy house door.

Completed!  Yeah!  Let's hope it holds up.

Here are the beautiful blooms I promised in the title:

Out front this hibiscus is now blooming.

Look at the size of these blossoms.

Last year I got no blooms because some insect was eating it.  This year I treated it with a systemic insecticide/fertilizer and it is gorgeous.

There are many more buds yet to open.

July Blooms

This is the day we arrive in NH and take position of our new apartment.  No time yet to blog so

I'm going back in time to repost blogs from my past. 

This one appeared six years ago today.  [Tried to go back 7 years and couldn't open those posts to edit.]

****

The stargazer lilies opened this morning!  I've been patiently waiting for this day.  Soon their fragrance will fill the perennial garden.

But they are not the only bloomers at present here are some of the others who are adding colors other than green to my gardens.

In Mom's Garden (formerly the Front Garden):

black-eyed susan

hydrangea - a smaller version of itself after the hard winter

lamb's ear

crepe myrtle

In the Pond Garden:

phlox

daylily

In the Glen Garden:

hostas

astillbe (I think)

In the Perennial Garden:

shasta daisies

purple cone flower

another day lily variety

another day lily

another day lily

and this lovely day lily that has been blooming for weeks

knock out rose

liatris

As I was posting this, a heron landed in the backyard directly outside my window.  I grabbed my camera but my movement startled it and it flew off.  I wonder if its looking to come gold fishing in my pond?