It's All About Food This Winter

Warm Greetings Friends~ ~ ~

I guess it's the unusually cold and snowy winter that is making me want to cook comfort foods. Pasta and bread two of my favorites. How about you, what are your winter favorites to cook? This is a plate of one of my favorite pasta dishes and it's so easy.


It's an oldie but goodie I just love this cookbook. I've had this book for years and made many a recipe from it. I'm not even sure if it is still in publication.

Two things I specially love about this book are,

all the recipes I have tried have been winners and ~ ~

there is a story that goes with every recipe.

Maybe the first time they tried this dish was in Italy and they raved so about it that the chef invited them into the kitchen to see how it is made. With notebook and pen in hand they witnessed the dish being made and copied the recipe to share with us.


This is my kind of cookbook, infused with stories. I always read them like a novel.
Don't you just love recipe books?

Yummm, Pasta with a White Clam Sauce and . . .

Fresh Made Bread. What a Delight!
With homemade Apricot Jam.

This was my first attempt at making bread in many years.

Not bad. It was chewy and crusty just like I like it.

Very easy to make.

This is the recipe for the Pasta with White Clam Sauce.

I hope you like it.

So simple yet good enough for company.

I will be linking up with Michael Lee at Designs By Gollum for

Foodie Friday. Stop by for other recipes and to share in the fun.

Stay warm and dry and Enjoy your weekend.

~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

A Warming Bowl of Soup

Hello Friends~ ~ ~

If you are like me a bowl of warm soup on a cold day is perfect, well almost. What makes it perfect for me is a pan of hot corn muffins.

I'm home alone today and getting lots of things done. Do you like having the house to yourself too? I decided to pamper myself and set a pretty little table for lunch in the sunroom.

Can't get done looking at and tasting these sweet little muffins. They are made in the tiny muffin pans and the recipe makes 24 tiny muffins. Truth be told I made these last night for dinner with the soup so today is leftovers. Honestly, I love leftovers, how about you?

The Muffin recipe is Martha's and it's called "Mini Cornbread Puddings". Try them, they are so moist and yummy. We like them better than regular cornbread.

Pretty bowl of Squash Soup garnished with home grown

and canned pickled beet & onion and a dollop of plain yogurt.

Coffee for dessert and a few minutes spent with

Julia Childs "Baking With Julia".

And a few more minutes. This is a beautiful book.

OK, Here is the recipe for the soup.

Reading left to right~ ~in the above picture~ ~

1 of these and 1 of these and 2 of these.

Heat in a pot till hot.

I am linking today to Designs By Gollum for Foodie Friday.

Click the link and see who is cooking what!

Make it a Wonderful Weekend

~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

Coffee and A Friend

Hello Friends~ ~
Yesterday a friend stopped over for coffee and a chat.

I got out my HUGE coffee cups for a giant pick-me-up.

I was putting another set of 4 of Mom's handmade placemats out to photograph for all of you so I just put a pot of coffee on.

We talked about knitting and quilting and family.

It was a nice visit.

I adore this French milk bottle. I keep my light cream in it for coffee.

It come in blue and red and you can get it at

Farmhouse Wares.

This little round table is in the sunroom. It's my project table but it also makes a sweet spot for a dinner or coffee for two.

The chairs belonged to my Dad's family and we have 6 of them. They are rough shape but we keep gluing them back together. I don't want to give them up.

These coffee cup placemats are hand made by Mom and she is selling them for $15.95 + S&H for a set of 4. The set of 3 pot holders is $7.95. If you are interested please mention it in your comment and we will make arrangements to ship them out to you. Mom was so pleased that the cupcake and ice cream placemats last week sold. She loves to spend her time sewing and tatting and quilting. At 88 years young she does lovely work.

I am linking up this week to Susan at

Between Naps On The Porch for Tablescape Thursday.

Pleases stop by for a visit and join in for the fun.

~ ~Enjoy your day~ ~

~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

My Brush With Fame

Hi Friends~ ~ ~

This is one of those feel good pictures. Mr. Scott Hamilton of Olympic ice skating fame.

Did I ever tell you the story of the time I met Scott Hamilton?
There was a skating event in town, I believe it was Skate America, a few years ago.
I met Scott at the fixings bar at the Starbucks!
When we walked in I was amazed to see him and a few other skaters ordering coffee.


They stood around chatting and laughing quietly and then it happened~ ~as I approached the fixings bar so did Scott. We stood side by side and added cream to our coffee and I'm thinking "Should I talk to him or not? I'm sure he has so many people stop him to chat that he would rather not be bothered. Should I , Should I?" So I turned to him and said, "Scott I want to thank you for the many hours of enjoyment you have given to me over the years. I cheered with you and cried with you and I feel like I know you as a friend. It's so nice to meet you."

I was truly star stuck and was amazed that I got all the works out and that they sounded relatively intelligent and I didn't throw up.

He responded in the kindest and most gracious manner. He said, "Thank you, I sincerely appreciate it. It has been an honor and my greatest joy."

We nodded, smiled and parted and I thought, What an amazing human being.

I was struck by how gentle he was and how very petite, only as tall as me. As he walked out of the Starbucks I saw him gliding gracefully over the ice and thought~ ~What an amazing life.


I found this picture of Scott and his wife. What a lovely couple.
Thanks for listening. With the Winter Olympics in full swing I thought this was an appropriate story to share.

Make it a great day.

~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

It All Started With A Wish !

Hello Friends~ ~ ~

As many of you know we moved into this house over a year ago so that my Mother could live with us. She is a young 88 and loves to tat and quilt and sew. Yesterday she announced that she wished she could sell some of her place mats and pot holders so that she could sew more. There are so many cute prints she would love to use, so she says. I looked at the two cute sets of 4 placemats she brought upstairs and said "well, why don't we set a sweet little table with one of these for "Tablescape Thursday" and see if anyone would like to purchase your handiwork." I told her many of the gals that visit love to set beautiful tables. Let's see what we can do so this is the result.

This pink set with the ice cream cones is the one we choose to work with. We pulled out all of the things we had around that might work with these colors and got busy.

She positioned the placemats and pot holders over the lace tablecloth. We decided to use the potholders on the table to add more color. Aren't they pretty?

Next we placed the white dinner plates and on top of each plate we used some of my pretty handkerchiefs as napkins. Sweet idea, don't you think?

Each napkin is different and I love them all.

The stainless is Michelangelo by Onida.

We set out the little white leaf plates for each place.

See the corner of the sweet little pink edged napkin peeking in from the centerpiece?

On top of it I placed my French brooch.

We used the glitter trees because, well, they sparkle

and the more sparkle the better!

The bowl in the center is filled with dried rose petals.

First I hung the pink sequined hearts on the candlesticks

but didn't like that so I tried them

atop the rose petals~ ~perfection!

We placed some of the bottles I topped with ornaments and flowers around.

Close up of the bottle and I do love these trees

Sweet salt & pepper and creamer.

Love pink roses.

More sparkle!

The hearts do look better on top of the rose petals don't you agree?
This is the table as you enter the room. (above)

This is the back side of the table. (above) We had lots of fun setting this up and hope that you enjoyed seeing our little work of art.

These are the two sets of placemats. Ice Cream Cones or Cupcakes. If you are interested in purchasing either from Mother please indicate so in the comments and leave your email so that we can contact you. The price for 4 hand sewn placemats is $15.95 + shipping. Set of 3 potholders are $7.95 + shipping.

Please notice that the corners are square on one set and rounded on the other.

This post is linked to Susan at Between Naps On The Porch.

Please stop over at her house to see everyone who is joining in for the fun.

I am also linking to Michael Lee at Designs By Gollum.

She always has a big party too

so stop over and visit for more fun and Tablescapes.

Our Thanks to all of you.

I am Pleased to announce that the placemats

have been sold.

Thank you

~ ~Ahrisha~ ~

Spring Arrangement 101

Greetings Friends~ ~

Last weekend we had 18" of snow and are bracing for another 12" tomorrow. I feel like I need a Breath Of Spring. I'll share with you how I made this dogwood arrangement to fool myself into thinking Spring is just around the corner.

We have a wonderful shrub outside with very fine branches that twist and curl. I have not been able to locate the name of this perennial shrub. The stems are lined with tiny lavender flowers all along the stems and it falls over like a lavender fountain. It's 6-7' tall. It is stunning when it blooms and it blooms all summer! If you can identify this shrub I really would appreciate it.

I choose a few branches from this shrub but you could use any tree branch with a pleasing shape. Choose a pot that you like for the outside pot and then find another smaller pot that is heavy and fits inside the larger pot to stabilize it and add weight. My inside pot is a heavy clay pot. Cut a piece of florists foam to fit inside the smaller pot tightly and push it in.

Set the smaller pot inside the large pot. Crumble newspapers and push them all around the small pot to keep it centered and make it stand upright.

Arrange your branches artfully and wire them together. Trim them to the height you like and push them into the foam.

My helper says keep going your doing a good job. He is always in the middle of a project.
Cats are such a delight.

I used dogwood branches I got a Michael's for 40% off and some Spanish moss to top the pots off and hide the newspapers. You really could use any spring flowers I also considered forsythia but I wanted white flowers.

I hung two sequined hearts that I had around the lower branches for Valentines. I will change these out for possibly birds or ivy after Valentines day.

I really needed something to fill the empty corner in the diningroom and I love the way it looks in front of the lace curtains.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

~ ~Ahrisha~ ~