♥love♥ = susan branch cookie jar

December 13, 2011January 16, 2014 ~ jama ~ 8 Comments

I’ve been a longtime Susan Branch fan, and have a pile of her books and calendars to prove it. Her drawings and watercolors are every bit as gorgeous as her handwritten quotes, musings and commentaries, and her illustrated recipes are the best, so lovingly infused with her special brand of cozy charm.

Recently she included this wonderful Cookie Jar in her Willard Email Newsletter, decorated with the names of some of her favorite holiday recipes. Clicking on the words gets you the recipe –don’t you just love it? Click here to access Susan’s Cookie Jar; you’ll probably want to make something right away!

♥ If you’re not already reading her blog, you really should. Like me, you’ll probably want her to adopt you, so you can live in her beautiful home on Martha’s Vineyard, play with her adorable cats, sip tea and warm cider in front of the fireplace, and cook delicious foods in her vintage kitchen.

♥ For some last minute gift ideas, check out her Shop!

For the month of May in her 2012 Heart of the Home Calendar, there is this quote from Margaret Fuller: “The special genius of women I believe to be electrical in movement, intuitive in function, spiritual in tendency.”

She’s also laid out a Mother’s Day Tea Party! On the menu: Lavendar Tea Cookies, Orange Cake, Cream Scones with Clotted Cream and Coconut Layer Cake with Lemon Filling, among other treats. Yum yum yum! Her calendars are such wonderful keepsakes.

♥ Special thanks to Susan for permission to post the Cookie Jar here ☺!

Sigh. There’s nothing like “homemade.” Have a lovely day, Everyone!

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friday feast: i could eat this poem with a spoon

November 11, 2011September 21, 2017 ~ jama ~ 20 Comments

three cherries — *via worstphotographerever*

Bonjour mes amis!

What’s your pleasure today — crêpes suzette, crème brûlée, or tarte tatin? Ah, je sais. Tough to decide when all three could make your toes curl with a single bite.

Not to worry. Once again, we are rescued by verse, a single poem by New Zealander Elizabeth Smither serving up all three luscious desserts. Put on an extra large bib, open wide, and bump up against creativity’s longtime friend: the accident. BTW, we have enough cherries for everyone.

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autumn apple love: a recipe and a poem

October 18, 2011October 21, 2017 ~ jama ~ 24 Comments

We’ve been enjoying some absolutely gorgeous Autumn weather here in Virginia. The alphabet soup kitchen helpers and I are especially excited about all the different apples available at the farm market.

About 25 varieties are grown here — I commonly see Rome, Winesap, York, Golden Delicious and Red Delicious. I miss the apple tree we had at our old house; I think they were Staymans. Made many an apple pie and crisp with them. Whenever I think about that tree, I also miss our neighbors. During the Spring when it was full of blossoms, dreamy-eyed Derrick would wander over to the tree just to take in the scent, and of course it was always lovely to have a fragrant carpet of petals on the grass.

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ta da!: cakespy presents sweet treats for a sugar-filled life by jessie oleson

October 17, 2011September 18, 2017 ~ jama ~ 9 Comments

As Cakespy herself would say, “Like OMG!”

Prepare yourselves for the ultimate SUGAR RUSH: Jessie Oleson’s very first cookbook, CakeSpy Presents Sweet Treats for a Sugar-Filled Life, is officially out! Can you think of a million ways to say ADORABLE!?

Longtime readers of this blog know I’ve been a big Cakespy fan for the last three years. It’s been such fun (a decidedly

delicious vicarious thrill) to follow Jessie’s ever-burgeoning career as an author, artist, “adventure” baker, gallery owner, savvy businesswoman and primo blogger.

As Head Spy of her very own Dessert Detective Agency, whose mission is “Seeking Sweetness in Everyday Life,” Jessie has proven that following one’s passions, working hard, consistently cultivating a positive outlook and transmitting mega-watt joy can reap sweet, sweet rewards.

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