Fresh grown basil meets chicken breast - wow

I love basil. It's used in so many savory dishes and they are so.............good; perhaps basil would be great when paired with lemon and a simple syrup when making lemonade. Fresh basil lemonade was made over the weekend and was well received. Having purchased several boneless skinless chicken breasts for dinner tonight; I thought why not use basil in the marinade - I just poured a small amount of olive oil, salt and pepper, the juice of a whole lemon and about three top portions snipped on my basil plant - chopped fine of course. In with the chicken and back in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. I browned the chicken in my black skillet on top of the stove; then into a preheated 375 degree oven. Baking time was about 45 minutes and I basted them a couple of times on both sides with - you guess it - basil butter - they were so good; I had to take a photo and then I said "why not post this one". My husband paid the nicest compliment when he said "these are much better than the chicken breast I ordered at Lone Star Restaurant last week". Wow - but he was right - they were tender and had a fresh flavor of basil and lemon. Try this - Neither of us have gotten into the grilling thing - we always burn the chicken, so I resort to my oven and very trust worthy black skillet.

Branching out in two places

While visiting my sweet niece Keely at their new home - we HAD to check out the nearby thrift shops. Not too far from her home we found the neatest consignment shop. Two of these jewels were hanging high on the back wall and I spotted them before Keely had the car in PARK. I jumped out first to check and see if they were even open on a Friday afternoon, after 4 pm - no sense in her getting Easton out of his comfortable seat and getting the nice, but difficult to work, stroller, but they were OPEN indeed. The nicest lady greeted us and was so gracious to move items about to allow Keely to stroll through and around things. I purchased these two great pieces for $10 each - they are hand forged and really versatile. Keely found a couple of neat items and Easton was admired and praised by the other shoppers. What fun we had. The match to this little gem is hanging between windows just like these two - in my living room. I think they were made to have clay pots in them, perhaps 4" size, but as gardeners know - you can't grow a good plant in such a small space, so I did the next BEST THING - scouted around the house and found the appropriate size piece to fit in the opening. I will cherish these for quite a while. They are beautiful and most of all, I can think of Keely whenever I see these in my home.

Repurposing a good thing into a BETTER one

When I spotted the two hanging metal wall sconces at our local DAV thrift store, I knew instantly where they would end up. Green was the original color and of course I had to have them spray painted BLACK. Carl, my ever present painter of all things I need, took the task and did a great job I might say. I wired them together to make a single four arm candelabra which hangs above our little bistro table on the screened porch. It's so cute. Excluding the cost of the can of paint, I have only $2.50 in this cute item. Looked everywhere for some glass votives that would fit in the opening, but failing this venture, I thought of several candles left over from Christmas luminaries I could put my hands on without tearing through fifty boxes in the basement. Hope you like it...we are enjoying it so much. As always, with lighted candles, NEVER leave them unattended. Enjoy during the time you are eating and then blow them out, remove candles and store away from sunlight.

Once upon an apron . . . . . . . . . . .

Needing to locate a piece of brown fabric in the correct shade and not being successful, I did my favorite thing.........................check out our local Goodwill. I stopped by and found the apron posted below. The perfect shade of brown - it was a done deal at $1.
This little number would become a cute pillow for my niece Keely's bedroom - Added some neat ribbon trim and the pillow was complete. Don't be intimidated by not finding fabric for a small project, look for a ready made item and redo it. The main thing - you will repurpose something that someone else will treasure.

Advertising my favorite author - do you know her?

I love Alexander Stoddard. She is one of the most interesting designers, self-help teachers I have explored. I purchased my first book entitled "Tea Celebrations" over twenty years ago. Since then, I've found many more. I wasn't using this cute metal planter urn so I placed my small collection there. It looks good and I enjoy having all of Alexander's books in one spot. And, better still - I'm making great use of this great piece of garden piece.

Cottage accents for any place

Found these two cute picture frames painted white with bead board added as a background. The large chrysanthemum flower was added for color. These were a "quick fix" for a previously owned B&B cottage. I think they add a punch of cottage accent any place. On a porch, perhaps a hallway, even a guest room. The cottage look is always neat and refreshing.

Let me introduce my favorite plant to you

I love geraniums. I've never seen one I didn't love, want to bring home and nurture it and give it a home. This little gem was given to me as a gift from a good friend who had planted many annuals around her patio and had this cute specimen left over and had no place for it. I happened to be visiting her later the same day and she kindly presented it to me, knowing how much I loved it. I brought it home, enjoyed it all summer and when the late October nip in the air settled in, I brought it inside and placed it in the only available spot to receive light in our basement. It was meant to survive the high traffic area it was placed in and the occasional drink of water when I passed by and saw its drooping leaves. But I prevailed and all winter, watched the little plant take on a few new leaves and when March came around this year, I planted it in a larger pot and gave it a prominent place in my kitchen window. The first photo (if I uploaded correctly) shows the bloom as it emerges and the second shot displays the gorgeous color in full color. Don't you just love geraniums - they are so..........easy to maintain. Please try one.