Tag Archives: Photography

An Honor and A Pleasure

Posted on by Laurie

Last evening we hosted a wedding at the Bed & Breakfast.  We’ve had weddings here before and, in all honesty, every one of them has been special. The one last night, however, was the first one that I have performed. It is a wonderful feeling, and a privilege, to be an integral part of such an important and happy event in two people’s lives. Chris and Ashley were married in the garden by the fountain. It was a simple and sweet ceremony with a best man, maid of honor, and four friends in attendance.

Below are a few pictures that I took while we were getting ready. I had made the cake earlier in the day yesterday. It was an almond flavored-white cake with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and sparkling sugar.  (I’ll post more pictures if I get some from the photographer.)

Wishing Ashley and Chris a world of happiness!

Basements & Butterflies

Posted on by Laurie

A lesson that I’ve learned over the years is that the best antidote to an unpleasant experience is to do (or plan) something pleasant as soon as possible. That isn’t to say that I am always good at following my own advice; but sometimes I actually manage to.

Just before check-in yesterday,  I discovered that one of our four hot water heaters had broken and that water was running all over the southern half of our basement. After calling my husband and the plumber, I had to haul dripping wet boxes out to the back yard and mop up the mess downstairs. No fun. But afterward, I went outside to photograph the garden and found that my sage plants were covered with butterflies – at least four different kinds. The one pictured below is a Painted Lady. While I wish that the water heater hadn’t broken, taking pictures of butterflies was good stress relief; and in the end, all is well.

Cinco de Mayo Roses: A Festival of Color

Posted on by Laurie

Back in the Autumn, I picked up a Cinco de Mayo Rose on whim. At our old house, where we had originally opened the bed and breakfast, I put in a rose hedge, a rose bed, and some landscape roses. In total, I had around 60 rose bushes, give or take. For various reasons I had decided not to attempt to reproduce that garden when we moved the B & B to this house 12 years ago and instead came up with a completely different garden design. But at times, I found that the three ground cover roses that I planted here just weren’t filling my rosy desires; and here and there, now and then, I’ve had to add more specimens from the genus rosa. Cinco de Mayo was one such planting. I am now seeing it in bloom after its first winter and so far think that it is a very nice addition to my growing collection. The blooms range from a deep purplish-red to coral-pink. Depending on the light, they can look completely different at different times of the day and the color is more intense in cooler weather and when the blooms are new, becoming less saturated in color but no less attractive on warmer days and as the blooms age. One review that I read described the blooms of this All American Rose Selection as “mysterious”.  Roses and Other Gardening Joys has a fun post on Cinco de Mayo as well. Ah, so nice to have roses!

Blackberry Mojito: A Festive Warm Weather Cocktail

Posted on by Laurie

If you are planning a warm weather party, you might be looking for a fun cocktail to serve. Blackberry Mojitos are a festive drink for Spring and Summer celebrations.

Blackberry Mojito (1 Serving)

(1) Muddle (i.e. crush together) several fresh mint leaves, 6 large blackberries, 1.5 T. of sugar in the bottom of a short cocktail shaker.

(2) Fill shaker with crushed iced. Add 2 oz. rum of your choice. (Lighter rum will yield a lighter drink color.) Squeeze the juice of one lime into shaker. Shake vigorously for 1 full minute to chill drink and melt ice.

(3) Run a slice of lime around the rim of a cocktail glass. Dip glass in sugar. Fill glass with ice cubes.

(4) Strain cocktail into glass. Garnish with a slice of lime and sprig of fresh mint. Serve right away. Have fun at your party!

Just Out of the Oven: Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Posted on by Laurie

My husband has a hard time starting his day without chocolate. So I make these muffins (or a variation thereof) pretty frequently!

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Makes 10

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. granulated white sugar

1 T. baking powder

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1/2 t. ground mace

1/2 t. ground ginger

1 c. mashed banana (about 2 lg.)

1/2 c. canola oil

2 lg. eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

1 1/4 chopped chocolate or chocolate chips

honey for glazing

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 10 half-cup size ceramic ramekins* with baking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (except chocolate). Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together wet ingredients (except honey). Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until the dry ingredients have been absorbed. Stir in chocolate.

4. Scoop batter into prepared ramekins. Use the back of a spoon to shape the batter in each cup into a slight mound. Place ramekins on baking sheets and bake for about 20 minutes or until firm to the touch.

5. Remove baking sheets from oven and place on cooling racks. Immediately spoon honey over muffin tops.

* If you don’t have ramekins, use a standard 12 muffin baking pan.

Irises in Morning Light

Posted on by Laurie

Anyone who visits us around this time of year is sure to observe that I am a big fan of irises.  This morning before breakfast the morning light on the garden was so beautiful, I had to run outside and take a few pictures.  As chance would have it, I happened upon what I think was a male Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly – any lepidopterists out there, please correct me if I am wrong – enjoying the flowers as well.

Beverly Sills Iris, top photo

Thornbird Iris, bottom photo

Iris Season

Posted on by Laurie

Our irises started blooming about a week ago in back and a few days ago in front. They’re almost a month early this year. Usually they are at they’re peak in mid-May, right around time for K-State graduation and Mother’s Day.  This year, they will probably be at their peak in about a week. There are lots of buds ready to pop open. These white irises really glow planted in front of sand cherry bushes! I just love them whenever they bloom. Expect more pictures in the weeks to come. Image

NY Style Desserts

Posted on by Laurie

Yum! Yum! I just got done making Black & White Cookies and Miniature New York Style Cheesecakes for a NY-themed party. The miniature cheesecakes are from my Confectionately Yours: Cookies, Candies & Confections (p 6). To make them into NY-style cheesecakes I  topped them with a sweetened sour cream layer beneath the Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache (p. 107). ImageImage

Lovely Walks

Posted on by Laurie

A theme to which I am apt to return time and again is lovely walks in the neighborhood. One thing that I enjoy is looking at all of the historic architecture, especially the churches. Here is a photo that I took of St. Paul’s constructed 1859-1867. It’s a lovely morning for a walk … 

The Virtuous Bleeding Heart

Posted on by Laurie

“There are many things that catch your eye, but only a few that catch your heart …”

Twelve years ago, I planted two bleeding hearts (dicentra spectabilis) by the front steps, pink to one side, white to the other. The pink was the showier of the two but disappeared a few years ago for some unknown reason. The white, more petite and less showy, keeps returning.  Though it goes dormant as soon as summer’s heat sets in, I appreciate the subtle beauty of my white bleeding hearts while in bloom. Image