Saturday Meanderings
Happy Easter (or Passover) weekend! The weather is certainly warmer in Phoenix but hoping it will get back down to something less than 88 degrees. Our Easter dinner will be small but we will do all the traditional family events just the same. Welcome to Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all things good and wonderful this week.
Amazing Online Magazine
I just discovered Chic & Country magazine and I am SO impressed. This virtual magazine comes out quarterly (I think) and you can access it anytime.
Chic & Country is a magazine about country style interiors with a touch of French chic and Nordic whites, featuring house tours, home stories, decor ideas, food recipes, flower design, gatherings’ styling, gardens and unique travel destinations. The subscription is $20.00 a year. This is my new go-to read just before bed. Here is the link.
Doing a 5K
My daughter has a goal to do 52 hikes annually. And she’s added a few 10Ks as well. As a result, I am supporting her efforts to be more active so I am participating by signing up for the same races~but only the 5Ks. I can no longer run, as my knees cannot tolerate the impact after multiple knee surgeries. In completing the Shamrock Run last month, I received this Mr.T-like medal and cool t-shirt, so I am looking forward to participating in the Hippity-Hop run today.
A 5K sounds impressive but it is only 3.11 miles and my fast walking time is about 50 minutes. The good news is that I can log my time and get another t-shirt and medal!
Disappointed with Results
One of my garden goals this year is to grow abundant amounts of strawberries. Typically I will buy starter plants from our local nursery, but this year I purchased strawberry starter roots online from Gurneys. Twenty root stock and crowns arrive and I plant them according to the instructions.
All the strawberry plants showed good signs of growth for a few weeks and now nearly 50% of them are dead. Literally. No reason, as I am taking care of them. Every day I go out to my garden another plant has died. So I am supplementing with locally grown starter plants from Whitfill. Live and learn, I guess.
Best Cake Ever
Hands down, my new favorite cake! I made this for my daughter’s birthday in March and am excited to make another for this weekend. It is a London Fog Cake~ a chocolate cake with coffee, smothered in Earl Grey tea infused buttercream and then drizzled with salted caramel sauce. Oh my.
The recipe is from my favorite cake cookbook, Layered, by Tessa Huff. Truly a winner. And if I have shared this with you before, it’s worth repeating…..it’s that good!
New Eating program
My metabolism is very slow, unfortunately. Unlike my son, who has an extremely fast metabolism, mine just chugs along. Barbara, from Mantel and Table, recommends this program to me to jump start my metabolism. We are both doing it for the next month.
I am completing my first week and love it so far! Grounded in real science and written by nutritionist, Haylie Pomroy, it’s a 28 day program. The hope is to mix things up and get my metabolism working at an optimal level. Will let you know how it goes! Here is a link to the book if you are interested.
Annual Lamb Cake
As a child, I have fond memories of Mom’s lamb cake at Easter. Made in a cast iron mold, this cake is now an annual tradition in our home. I will be baking it on Saturday, with an orange blossom cake recipe. So excited to try this new cake as right now, our orchard is filled with orange blossoms. If you would like to see a post on how the lamb cake is made, click here. Isn’t he cute?
Easter Dinner table
Since we are expecting a few more guests, Easter dinner will be in the dining room. A few weeks ago I did a post on a yellow and blue Easter table (see here), but for Sunday, this one is more blue and pink.
If you missed the post this week on these sweet decoupage eggs, click here. The block print tablecloth is just the right shade of blue for Spring. The bunny plates from Pottery Barn connect the patterns and colors in the Royal Doulton Juliet plates. Scattered about are birds, bunnies, and even a stone frog.
That wraps it up for Saturday Meanderings. I hope you have a glorious and blessed weekend. My goal is to stay away from my phone and social media and just relax a little. I know I will be making adjustments to the Easter dinner so I do not stray from my new eating plan, but it will still be wonderful to share it with family and friends.
This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Tablescape Thursdays #654
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Somehow I missed this post! So catching up now…instead of filling orders!! Sh-h-h no one needs to know. Your Easter tables are great. I love the bunny plates…so much fun! I’m sure every one had a grand time. Love seeing the lamb cake. When I had my stores we sold new cake molds that we cast in an antique iron mold like yours. I never made on but several of my customers did and told me all about them. What a nice memory to have…your mom’s lamb cake every Easter. I still bake my Mom’s and Grandma’s Paska every Easter. It’s fun and brings back lots of fun memories. As for the chocolate work of art…you had me at Early Gray Buttercream!! Yes, please. What a treat!
I hope you had a wonderful Easter Mary! Your table looks amazing! I would love to live closer to you, I would share my strawberry starts with you. I think I’m going to try the book that Barbara suggested to you. I’ll have to talk to you two about the results. Wishing you a wonderful week ahead my friend.
Kim, I would love to have some of your strawberry starts. The growing season is so strange here (compared to the east coast where I grew up). I’m still learning. Once the heat hit, generally everything gets fried. Hoping for good results soon!
YOU are a BUSY BEE!HOPE EASTER was a FUN AFFAIR………..LOVE those old LAMB MOLDS!THEY are worth a small fortune these days!
The weather has been so strange here in California maybe thats part of the problem for your strawberries?KEEP AT IT!
La Contessa, we are getting too hot too soon here and I think that’s why the mail ordered strawberries have failed. Though they said they grow in zones up to 10, I don’t think that’s realistic. Hopefully the substitute ones will make up for the losses.
Oh my gosh – that cake!! Everybody should make it BEFORE they go on our 28 day metabolism program! 🙂 We have some birthdays in there too, right? I’m still deciding if I’m going to go off the wagon for Bday dinner!
Thanks for the online magazine recommendation, but sorry to hear about your strawberries! I hope the rest of them make it! Also I’m so impressed with you and your daughter! Go Croziers!
Happy Easter my friend! Thanks for all the beauty and inspiration!
Mary your table is just beautiful. That cake (and a am not a dessert person looks dangerous! Happy Easter!
Cindy
Happy Easter to you too! Yes, the cake is dangerously good, but I cannot have any as I’m on this new 28 day program. But it’s fun to make and incredibly delicious! I love desserts but indulge only once in a while or just have a bite.
Mary your table is just beautiful. That cake (and a am not a dessert person looks dangerous! Happy Easter!
Cindy
What a gorgeous Easter table. I can’t wait to hear about the metabolism book. What’s the secret?
Andrea, the key to the metabolism book is to eat a certain food group(s) on certain days of the week so you are always surprising your metabolism. I’ll let you know if it works! Been faithful to it for 6 days now….
Your tablescape looks beautiful! I love the tradition of the lamb cake is such a wonderful idea. Isn’t Chic and Country Magazine the best? I love it.
You are amazing supporting your daughter by doing 5k’s. You are such a wonderful mother
Happy Easter!
Renae, Happy Easter to you, my friend! Thank you, always, for your kind and lovely comments.
Your table looks so beautiful Mary. Happy Easter.
Thank you, Rachel!Happy Easter to you. Hope your party for your husband was a success!
Beautiful as alway, that would be my new favorite cake as well, replacing carrot.
Will have to check out that magazine.
Thank you for sharing, I always enjoy.
Cynthia, this magazine is really stunning. I love the layout and the fact that I can go back and look at old ones without having piles around my house. Let me know if you like it! I love carrot cake too!