Things are heating up here in Phoenix but our mornings and evenings are still cool enough to say it is Spring. Our yard is in full bloom and it’s the prettiest I recall. We are blessed with lots of rain this year and now it is paying off. Happy Saturday! April appears to be racing by and I am really trying to slow myself down a bit to capture its beauty. Welcome to another Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week. Have I told you lately how much I appreciate you?

Moth Invasion

Each year we seem to get too much of one thing. Last year was crickets. This month it’s moths. I’m waiting for locusts. Why does that happen? I’m not a big moth fan especially near any of my good sweaters. Interestingly, it’s only in the library and no where else. Perhaps they are coming in through the chimney? Go figure. Anyone else seeing strange infestations? I am blaming everything on the eclipse!

Yard and Garden are at their best

Lately I’ve been combining my morning walkabouts with Finn so he can do his business and I can enjoy my coffee. Our Phoenix mornings are glorious In the high 50s to low 60s, crisp blue skies and flowers galore.

2024 is proving to be the year of the poppies. They are the breadseed variety and have a rich plum blossom and sage stems and leaves. A perennial, they are truly popping up everywhere……really everywhere.

I just read that you should not use these poppy seeds in baking. It appears they should be carefully processed to minimize the effects of the opium alkaloid they contain. Oops…last year I wrote a blog post about Lemon Poppyseed muffins and used my own poppy seeds. You may want to do some research if you are growing your own breadseed poppies.

The Roses

In an older post, I share my love for the older variety of roses here~Quatre Saison (also known as “Rose of Four Seasons”). Some believe this rose was used in the worship of Aphrodite. Later it was introduced to mainland Greece , where it paid homage to Venus. Even older diaries from previous owners, talk about the beautiful roses here at Bella Terra.

The reason I am so intrigued by having these roses is a reference made in a previous owner’s diary on April 1, 1922, when she wrote “saw first rose bloom”. When we were researching the house, we found these diaries at the Arizona Historical Museum. Apparently the roses are referenced many times as an important part of the landscaping. To know I am enjoying roses here just the same way someone did 100 years ago gives me great joy.

One doesn’t cultivate this rose for the appearance of its shrubs as they are rather gawky and notably prickly. Because of their loose, somewhat unsophisticated form, blossoms are also unconventional, but they are packed with fragrance. These roses were a key ingredient in many ancient recipes for potpourri.

With new varieties of roses that are genetically modified (perfect but no scent), this rose is just the oppose. Messy blooms, very thorny but so highly fragrant. A bedside bouquet is glorious~falling asleep to the smell of roses is a heavenly way to end the day.

A Few Fun Recipes this Week (and before the diet)

In an attempt to use up the bag of rangpurs from my friend, Ryan, I again make these lemon (well, rangpur) tartlets for dinner with friends. This time I use the shortbread crust in the recipe and my, are they D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S! Having individual removable bottom tartlet pans is nice, however, I bet this would work equally well in a large tart pan.

With all the leftover egg whites from this recipe which I do not like to waste, I made a pavlova. If you have never made one of these, it is SO easy and SO impressive. All you need is egg whites, sugar, vanilla, cream of tartar and cornstarch. Some recipes call for lemon juice instead of cream of tartar. You can customize the filling to be anything from fresh berries, fruit, curd, and whipped cream.

I have bags of freshly frozen apricots from last year’s harvest which I defrost and use them on top. Defrosted apricots are not as pretty as fresh ones, but the flavor is still the same. Now the diet begins..

Looking up at the Sky

Though I am not a follower of astrology, April has been an interesting month with Mercury in retrograde, the eclipse, and now the pink moon. Is it just me or does everything feel a bit off? In trying to process some interesting challenges lately, I am finding some peace and calm by just looking at the immense vastness of the sky.

Don’t you think we are spending too much time looking down(at our phones, our computers) and not taking the time to look up into the sky? When I do so, my problems become minuscule; they feel small in comparison to the rest of the universe. Certainly puts life into perspective. I find myself looking up a lot lately and so thankful we have such a beautiful sky to enjoy.

Mary’s Must Haves

Though I have good vision, there are times where I need a magnifying glass to see tiny print or to remove a sliver. My husband recently purchased this lighted magnifying glass and I love it! With a touch of a button on the side, you can illuminate your view without shadows. It only comes in black on Amazon for only $12.80.

Clean Air

With having a hairy dog in the house again, we are using our air purifier 24/7. It cleans the air from smoke, dust, pollutants and odor from 1,095 sf in an hour. I find it to be very quiet and not intrusive and it has a sleep mode too. Right now it is 15% off on Amazon here.

What a Bargain!!

It appears that I found the perfect t-shirt! First of all, the t-shirt is a dreamy soft cotton; it is not see-through; and the cut works for me. Not too tight to show off all the back fat or muffin tops but nicely fitted around the neck, shoulders, sleeves.

The retail cost is $25.00, marked down to $15.00 on the Banana Republic Factory website. I purchased 6 t-shirts (in white, blue, navy, black, rose and charcoal gray. Each shirt has a $6.00 discount ($9 each) equaling $58.64 (including tax). Say what???!!

I don’t know if the sale promotion is still on but I would have paid $25.00 for these t-shirts. If you don’t like a crew neck, they also have V-neck and different sleeve lengths. Click on the link here for the ones I purchased. Note: I have not laundered them yet so will let you know about that later. Really happy and delighted with this bargain.

What are you Reading?

Currently, I am reading When We Had Wings by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner. With my limited knowledge of WWII, I was unaware of the dire situation in the Philippines during the war. Here is a summary:

From three bestselling authors comes an interwoven tale about a trio of World War II nurses stationed in the South Pacific who wage their own battle for freedom and survival. In this sweeping story based on the true experiences of nurses dubbed “the Angels of Bataan,” three women shift in and out of each other’s lives through the darkest days of the war, buoyed by their unwavering friendship and distant dreams of liberation

“A novel rich in historical detail that immerses readers in the dangers and deprivation WWII nurses suffered in the Pacific, wrapped up with a hopeful ending.”

I haven’t finished it yet, but it is very good and God bless those nurses who survived to tell their stories.

Mulberry House

If you love looking at English country homes, then you are in for a treat at Mulberry House, a Georgian house situated in Surrey.

I will send you off to crush on these house photos of charm and whimsy.

Ah, it’s the weekend and the weather here will be picture perfect! Do you have any fun plans? I am hoping to get some needed R & R! Enjoy and be safe out there.

P.S. Finn gained 10 lbs. in the last two weeks. He’s becoming a big boy.

Spring has definitely sprung here at Bella Terra. All the flowers are blooming, my garden is growing and what better way to share it than a spring themed dinner at home.

Recently we hosted friends of ours who are out of state that is still experiencing snow. It is their first time to our house, however, we spent a great deal of time together when we all went to Mongolia last June. With their differing food likes and dislikes, it makes sense to make a meal that can accommodate everyone’s culinary wishes.

The Tablecloth

I love this linen tablecloth embroidered with an assortment of spring flowers. This seems like the perfect base for the spring themed dinner. My recollection is that I bought it during a trip to Italy….or I found it in a thrift store. I think the Italy story is better!

The Centerpiece

On the way home from a doctor’s appointment, I stop at Trader Joe’s and check out their flowers. These purple decorative cabbages catch my eye and are the basis for the centerpiece.

Using floral wet foam and a plastic rectangular container, more flowers are added. Fragrant purple stock and freshly cut irises from the garden surround the cabbages. Mums, daisies and roses from the yard fill in the rest. Not only is the centerpiece a tribute to spring, it smells heavenly too. Here is another centerpiece I created using 4 of these plastic containers.

The Dishes

With such a light and bright tablecloth, I select these Fondeville Ambassador ware dishes because of the spring green and flowers in the pattern. Since I only have the dinner plates, I add a Leslie Roy neutral, clear glass salad plate with a gold rim on top.

I play around with different chargers and settle on this clear one with a golden beaded edge. Though they look like glass, the chargers are actually plastic. $2.99 each from Hobby Lobby. Don’t they look elegant?

Stemware

Lenox water and wine glasses with a narrow gold rim are simple and elegant, focusing attention to the pretty vintage dinner plate. Wallace Napoleon Bee stainless with gold accents is a favorite flatware.

Yellow linen napkins from Sferra (see similar here) add a bit of spring color to the table. Detailed bird candles are placed around the centerpiece for another spring element.

The lighted candles in the Waterford crystal candlesticks provide a romantic glow.

The Menu

In order to provide meat for some, my husband prepares the steaks on the grill. A large salad and baked sweet potatoes with lemon (my favorite recipe is below), provides sustenance for the non-meat eaters.

Dessert is homemade rangpur tartlets (shared with you on a recent Saturday Meanderings) and is served on vintage Fondeville plates (which can be found on eBay).

The food is delicious and the company is delightful! What a lovely evening with friends and setting a special table always makes your guests feel welcomed.

Are you enjoying Spring weather? Any spring entertaining on the horizon?

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Hard to believe it was rainy and cold for the Easter weekend, but today, it is sunny and warm, the perfect Spring day. Trees are budding, birds are singing and love is in the air. A sure sign of the season is seeing ducks around in our swimming pool as the female chooses her mate. Here in Phoenix we pray for more days like this because we know that blistering temperature will be heading our way in a few months. Welcome to the first Saturday Meanderings of April, where we chat about all good things this past week. I really appreciate you joining me today with a cup of your favorite beverages while reading this.

Easter Recap

As I mentioned earlier, the wet weather prevented us from having a meal in the palm orchard, but the covered back terrace is the perfect place to gather out of the elements. With a fire going in the fireplace and the outdoor and space heaters on, twelve of us sit down to brunch.

Before our meal, however, is the annual Easter egg hunt. The Easter bunny places 521 plastic eggs (yes, he counted them this year), with 200 of the eggs filled with money. Though a bit wet and muddy, the children (now well into adulthood) fiercely compete to see who is get the most eggs and hopefully the most cash.

It is a very competitive, almost a contact sport but we’ve yet to see any physical injuries as they fill the wicker baskets provided. After the hunt, we start our Easter brunch on the covered back terrace, Spinach and goat cheese quiches, honey baked ham, green salad, fresh fruit, waffle bar and mimosas are on tap. Dessert is the annual lamb cake and limoncello bundt cake. Of course, I did not take pictures. Sigh.

My son, in Chicago, makes his official lamb cake and it is much better than mine! If you don’t follow him on Instagram, you may want to @crozier_cooks. Obviously I didn’t grease my lamb cake mold well enough because the cake did not come out cleanly.

But after some reconstructive surgery and a lot of frosting, here is my lamb cake. Sorry for the awful picture with the messy kitchen in the background. It was a busy day…

This is a perfect example where the student clearly outperforms the teacher! So proud of his creation.

It is a big day for Finn and he equally loves his stuffed bunny and chicken, snoozing through most of the festivities.

Speaking of Finn, he also had his first wellness check at the vet. As you can see, he is not too bothered by the experience!

Spring Flowers

As cold as it was last weekend, on Thursday, it was 85 degrees. The temperature is supposed to drop again this weekend, but the warmer intervals are encouraging the flowers to blossom.

Hollyhocks are just showing their pretty blooms too.

Nasturtium grows in the same spot every year without any care.

Finn is exploring each and every aspect of the yard; making time to sniff the flowers.

Using Rangpurs

My dear friend, Dr. Ryan Krch delivered a bag of rangpurs from his dad’s tree. Rangpurs, sometimes called the rangpur lime, mandarin lime or lemandarin, is a hybrid between the mandarin orange and the citron. It is a citrus fruit with a very acidic taste and an orange peel and flesh. The peel is a bit baggy, like a mandarin.

Back in 2020, I made a lemon meringue pie using Ryan’s rangpurs (see that post here). This time, I adapt a recipe from The Kitchen McCabe substituting lemon juice with rangpur juice, making individual rangpur tarts.

Using a defrosted store-bought pie crust and these sweet individual tart pans, this recipe is rather easy and tasty. Toasting the meringue topping with this small culinary blow torch gives the dessert a professional touch. Note: there are many different types of culinary torches and depending on your budget and use, read the ratings to select the one that best serves your purpose.

My tartlet pans are 4″ wide by 1.25″, however, I purchased them a long time ago and cannot remember the source. The ones on Amazon are not as tall, but I think they will work equally as well. Webstaurant has one the same size as mine and you can find it here.

The rangpur curd is so unexpectedly different and the dessert is a success.

New Curtains

Our master bathroom is deserving of a total make-over but as I save up for this big project, the curtains in the bathtub nook need replacing. I go to my list of respected resources, but when did the price of curtain panels go up?

Since I am looking for a temporary fix until I fully determine the future new look of the bathroom, I don’t want to spend a lot of money. I find these linen curtains on Amazon for less than $40 for 2 panels, which come in 11 colors and multiple lengths!

Not expecting the best quality, I am very surprised when the curtains arrive. Yes, they are linen and even though the background is more natural vs. white, they are quite pretty. They let the light through but provide some privacy to the outside.

Since I ordered the wrong length, I will need to hem them, but other than that, I am quite pleased with the quality at such a low price. They do have grommets (not my favorite attachment method), but for an interim curtain, it will do. Or I can hem them from the top and add with a pocket for the rod or a way to attach hooks.

From the Internet

I don’t know about you, but for me, Spring is the time to open the windows, and switch things up a bit to welcome the new season. Simple tasks such as reorganizing a hutch or shelves can give a room a fresh, new look. CoCo from The Crowned Goat has Eight Easy Tips for Styling a Dining Room Hutch. Don’t have a hutch? Her tips can be used anywhere you have a set of shelves. Plus her photos are just dreamy.

When the weather gets warmer, I dream about finding the perfect, easy casual dress to wear. However, being on the shorter side (5’4″), some dresses with voluminous fabric make me look like a sack of potatoes. So, I spend time looking but making never making a decision. Elizabeth from Pinecones and Acorns shares a collection of spring dresses in various patterns and silhouettes.

If anyone has had success in finding a pretty, affordable, spring dress please let me know. Seriously, I look every year and don’t buy anything.

Many of you met my sweet friend, Chloe Crabtree, at our Fall Styling Workshop last year. You have often heard me rave about her beautiful home in Celebration, Florida. Now you can see it too. Chloe graciously welcomes you into her home with her recently posted video Spring Home tour.

Mary’s Must Haves

As the weather gets warmer, I am ready for long sleeve blouses vs. jackets. An affordable favorite (truly, I get compliments every time I wear it), is this boho, loose blouse that is currently 24% off on Amazon, at $27.99. It comes in 20 different colors/patterns and I currently own two of them. Launders easily and still looks good a few years later.

I am in the market for a new belt and good quality t-shirts. Each summer I try and buy a new white one, but lately, it seems the fabric is so sheer (what’s that about?). If anyone has a resource for the perfect t-shirt (crew neck) and a good quality belt, please let me know.

Well, that’s a wrap! Trying to get all of Easter put away, doing some spring cleaning projects and gardening this weekend. Wishing you a relaxing and happy weekend!

Can you believe Easter is this coming Sunday, the last day of March? After having two VERY busy weeks, I am now finally shifting my focus to my Easter/Spring decorations and the holiday meal. Will you be hosting friends and family for dinner? We are expecting about 10 for an Easter brunch after we attend sunrise services at church. Today’s post is inspiration for your Easter weekend~ from easy Easter DIYs to family traditions at the table. If your children are on spring break, some of these ideas would be fun to keep them busy and entertained.

Decoupage Easter Eggs

With a plethora of pretty seasonal paper napkins and hand towels, you can easily make these decoupage Easter eggs with your children or grandchildren. All you need are neutral colored eggs~either plastic, wooden or actual eggs, Mod Podge, paper napkins, and a paint brush. If you are using real eggs, you can find instructions on how to do this here.

What’s nice about these decoupage eggs, is that they keep from year to year and you can use them in a multitude of ways. This sweet lady bunny has a space for an egg on her yellow coat.

Or in a basket of straw as an Easter/Spring decoration or part of someone’s Easter basket.

Of course, you can use your decoupage eggs at your Easter dinner table too!

Think of all the possibilities depending on the color and style of your napkin! To see the complete post on How to Decoupage Easter eggs, click here.

Making Easter Nests~a fun DIY project

The joy of spring brings new nests all over our property. Instead of using real nests (not sure how sanitary that would be at the dinner table), I make faux nests. Back in 2020, I use Royal Worcester soup bowls at my Easter dinner table. However, the table is lacking something. So I whip up these cute nests using items I readily have on hand.

Since I have never made these before, it is fun to experiment and try something new. The supplies are simple~shredded paper (from our paper shredder but you can use whatever you have), Mod Podge, disposable styrofoam bowls, a few colors of spray paint, glue and moss.

Don’t they look so pretty on the Easter table?

To see the entire post on making DIY Easter nests, click here.

Easter Table Ideas

If you haven’t starting setting your table for Easter, here is a plethora of ideas from centerpieces to place cards. Today I will be going through the Easter boxes in the garage to come up with a theme for our table this Sunday. It’s a bit like Christmas because I seem to forget year to year what I have collected over time. We hope to set a table outdoors (weather providing) in the palm orchard, like we have the last few years.

Many of my Easter pieces come with wonderful memories. My dear friend, Gwen, gave me these porcelain lamb napkin rings over 30 years ago.

The Easter menu

Since we will be having a brunch, it will be easy to serve a homemade quiche, both green and fruit salad, hot cross buns and perhaps a smoked ham (husband is figuring that out).

The hot cross buns are so tasty, however, I am still struggling with getting the crosses correct. Here’s the recipe from Sally’s Baking Recipes, as I have good luck with her content. The crosses are made with a flour/water concoction and orange icing is added after baking.

The annual family dessert is a lamb cake. Easter lamb cake (known as agnuszek or baranek wielkanocny in Polish) is a traditional Eastern European dessert. As a child, I looked forward to my mother making this for Easter as it signaled the beginning of Spring.

To read more about this cake, check out the original post here.

Please share what you are doing for Easter and any family traditions you enjoy. Happy last week of March! I cannot wait to share pictures of our newest family member, a 9 week old Akbash puppy. More to come on that, but have a glorious week!

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Another rainy and chilly few days here in the Valley of the Sun. My garden is very happy about the additional moisture and of course, the cooler temperatures are always appreciated. Happy St. Patrick’s Day weekend! Tonight we are hosting a dinner party celebrating our daughter, Julianna’s 27th birthday. I will be serving my two favorite recipes which I did share with you this week. Welcome to another Saturday Meanderings, where we chat about all good things this week.

Hosting a Cocktail Mixer

As you may know, I sit on the board for our neighborhood association. This week we hosted a cocktail mixer to introduce people to the association and recruit new board members. With about 40 people attending, I am hoping a caterer will help out with hors d’oeuvres, however, my favorite person is not available.

Using the large round wooden board from Sur La Table, with the help of Costco and Safeway, I create a charcuterie board using cheeses, meats, fruits, nuts and crackers.

Nasturtiums are abundant in the garden right now, and it’s amazing how a pop of color can take your charcuterie board up a notch.

Store-bought French macarons from Costco and lemon yogurt covered pretzels from Safeway make for a colorful Spring dessert tray.

This is the first time buying the Green Chili Chicken Firecrackers from Costco. A quick bake in the oven, it’s always nice to serve a warm/hot appetizer. By cutting them in half, this became a one-bite finger food. I didn’t try them but the tray was nearly empty, so I’m guessing they tasted good.

No photographs but in addition, there is a vegetable tray with hummus dip, fresh shrimp on ice with cocktail sauce, small bowls of cashews, garlic herb almonds and salt and vinegar potato chips.

All in all a very productive and fun meeting.

Gardening Update

This week I plant 6 brand new San Marzano tomato plants. I love this variety of tomatoes as it makes the best sauce. Five out of the 6 plants are missing….just gone. What? For years now, I have grown tomato plants and the critters have never expressed any interest in them. Who/What is eating my tomato plants?

Scattering seeds this week in the garden. I love growing chamomile for its delicate flower and scent~wonderful to dry or make tea. Even though the growing season for chervil is short, it makes a tasty salad.

The castor bean seeds are a new experiment and not even sure it will grow here. Now in doing some research apparently the seed and leaves can be really toxic so I may pull the plants if they grow. Here I thought castor beans = castor oil, all good for you, right? Geez. Not the brightest thing I’ve done.

Do You Take Magnesium?

Gaia Herbs posts an informative article about magnesium. Do you take this mineral that supports muscles and bones, energy, brain function, and so much more? Here is the article and it appears I need to do further research about this.

Currently, I take Magnesium Lactate as this was recommended to me after having low magnesium via a hair mineral analysis years ago. Taking a bath and using Epsom salts is another way to absorb magnesium into your body. Will do a deeper dive and let you know what I discover.

From the Internet

With warmer weather prompting Spring growth, it is also weed season. Stacy from Bricks ‘n Blooms has a very informative post about Homemade Weed Killer and other natural ways to kill weeds.

If you are using weed killers with glyphosate, there is evidence of its connection with cancer. With so many chemicals in our gardening world, please find an organic way to control weeds.

This time of year I love to tackle small Spring cleaning projects. Barbara from Mantel and Table will get you motivated to clean out your linens drawer(s) with her post on Storing Napkins~How to Organize a Beautiful Linen Drawer.

Do you stop for roadside freebies? I am guilty of doing so with this set of Adirondack chairs. Check out how my friend, Rachel from the Ponds Farmhouse transforms these resin planters into DIY faux Concrete ones. It’s probably good that Rachel and I do not live near each other! Ha!

Since my goal is to always post beautiful things, I consider this next post valuable to keep all of us safe. Since I drive a very old car, I don’t have a wireless or remote starter to the ignition. But since many of you do, please read this very informative article for your own personal safety and to prevent your car being stolen while pumping gas.

Mary’s Must Haves

If you have the sourdough bread making bug, then this starter set is a must have for your baking. It is 27% off this week at $39.99. Not baking sourdough bread yet? This is also a great gift for someone who does.

Speaking of bread, my sweet friend and neighbor, Tevia, ordered some dehydrated sourdough starter from the internet and shared some with me this week. Yes, you can order starter from around the world and rehydrate it.

There is one that is several decades old from San Francisco, and with it I make this nice looking loaf of cheddar, rosemary and garlic bread. I will post this recipe shortly~it’s a family favorite. It is fun to experiment with different starters.

Cake Pans

After purchasing my favorite cake cookbook, Layered, I realize that I do not have good cake pans. Yesterday, in making the London Fog cake (a request from my daughter, Julianna, for her birthday), I want to share these cake pans that I love.

The cake recipe requires three 8″ round cake pans and these from Fat Daddies do not disappoint. It’s amazing that just having the right equipment makes such a difference in the success of the recipe.

I am in the process of trying to consolidate all my Mary’s Must Haves. There will be tab at the top of my home page where you will be able to find all the items and their associated links. Hope to have that complete in a week or two.

Tonight, for the birthday celebration for our daughter’s 27th birthday (which is actually on St. Patrick’s Day), I am busy in the kitchen making 2 Guinness beef pies, a Bailey’s Irish Creme cheese cake, my favorite arugula salad and of course, the London Fog birthday cake.

On Sunday, I am doing a 5k/10k with said daughter in order to work off some of the calories from the night before!

Next week, we are heading to Virginia to pick up our new puppy. I am not sure if I will have the opportunity to post, but I hope to share pictures of our journey (and our new little fella) along the way.

Until we chat again, have a wonderful weekend, a fun St. Patrick’s Day and we will connect soon!

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