The Scenic Route

Sometimes it pays to take the scenic route.  We've had some beautiful weather in Western PA this summer and this weekend I took advantage of it and took the scenic route home.  This really is pretty country and you forget sometimes about taking the time to enjoy the simple things.  I know, sounds so trite, but it's oh so true.  Here are some photos from my short adventure into the countryside.

The advantages to driving a convertible; pull over, point camera at sky, push the button.

There are some great farms in this country, loved this white barn!

Corn and wheat.

I love seeing these round bales of hay.

A friendly neighbor (took this one for you mom!).

This beautiful old oak . . . I'll need to find it again in the winter!

And closer to home, this beautiful sunflower.  I drive past these every day and will have more on them in a later post.

I hope you take the time to take the scenic route occasionally and are enjoying your summer!

xoxo

Friday Giggles

Happy Friday Everyone!  Here are a couple of giggles to get you ready for the weekend!

Missing turtle:

Darwin Award candidate:

xoxo

Peaches

Mmm peaches!  Peaches are one of the things I love about summer.  Next to my obsession with pears, I'd have to say that peaches come in a strong second.  While for me pears are more about the shape, peaches are about the smell, the feel, the color and the taste.  I can't pick one up and smell it without thinking of my mom's peach pie in the summer.  Now my mom's pies are the best on the planet, seriously the woman could win awards; her peach pie is close to the top of my favorites list!  Some day I'm going to convince her to let me do that book of pies!

I recently saw a photograph in a cooking magazine of a tart made with apples and I thought it would be great with peaches.  I wanted something simple and quick.  I absolutely love the process and the feel of removing skins from peaches!  There is something about the color and the slippery feel combined with the smell.  I had a girlfriend ask me to show her once after trying to describe the process.  Unfortunately, it was too early in the season and the peaches were hard and the entire experience was not exactly what I wanted to show her.  However we did end up with some naked peaches that I adored . . . I'm betting she still thinks I'm slightly deranged!

There is just something about the beautiful color of a naked peach.

Anyway, this tart is so easy.  Puff pastry thawed and edges folded, peaches tossed with sugar and cinnamon, arrange on puff pastry and bake until the pastry is done.  That's it folks.  It looks beautiful and it tastes like summer. 

Next time company comes over, they will probably be eating a peach tart.  Enjoy!

xoxo



Meet My New Fuzzy Friend

Hello out there!  I certainly have been neglecting my blog of late.  June was a busy month.  I wish I could say it was a productive month, but no such luck.  Fortunately summer finally arrived and the monsoons of spring have stopped . . . of course now we want rain! 

For July 4th I missed my annual trip home to see the fireworks on the lake.  Instead, I headed up north to spend some quality time (i.e. laugh, eat and drink too much!) in Toronto with a very dear friend and her sweetie of a husband.  They have recently had an addition to the family, the handsome and very frisky Budvar, Bud for short.

Bud loves to give kisses but he is such a tease.  The kisses are just a warm-up to the inevitable attack the feet or hands game.  He's still a juvenile and we all know how those young boys can be!

He also loved to get on the back of the chair and arrange my hair for me.  If I moved during his arranging of my hair, both of the front paws were quickly placed on either side of my head, claws extended . . . you better believe I sat still!  Hmmm, kind of reminded me of mom thumping me on the head with the comb for not sitting still when she was arranging my hair.  We quickly became friends and Bud was ever the gracious host by greeting me each morning and sharing his favorite chair with me!

So now, along with visiting my wonderful friends, I have a new one to go see.  Hope everyone out there is enjoying their summer!

xoxo