A Sweet Springtime Treat

Welcome to Foodie Friday!

Spring brings our first blossoms, birds chirping and the smell of freshly mowed grass. It also brings hours of work to bring our flower beds back from the tough winter weather.

I always start working in my flower gardens early in the morning. It's pretty typical of me to stop mid-morning for a cup of coffee and a little something sweet to accompany it.

In today's blog I'm sharing my steps to making a delish pot of French Press Coffee accompanied by a slice (or two) of Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti. Now doesn't that sound like a nice reward after a few hours of toiling in the soil?

How to make French Press Coffee--

Add:

1.    1 tablespoon coarsely ground coffee per cup

2.    Pour boiling water into the carafe within approximately

       1 inch from the top of the carafe.

3.    Stir with a non-metallic utensil.

4.    Place lid assembly on top of carafe. Brew 4 minutes.

       With one hand firmly holding handle, use other hand to 

       slowly press the plunger down to filter the coffee.

5.   Tilt, pour and enjoy!

The house was filled with the delicious scent of cinnamon while the biscotti was baking. Biscotti is as easy as the steps you see above.  Here is the link to the recipe that I used:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cinnamon-sugar-biscotti/

Bon appetit-

Kathleen

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TEN DAYS UNTIL SPRING!

Spring is a gardeners dream come true! With it's arrival come longer days and warmer temperatures. I don't know about you but I am ready for those warmer temps.

Last Fall I planted 50 tulip bulbs that I am so excited to see poke their little heads through the ground. My sister and brother-in-law brought them back from their trip to Holland, I can't wait to see the colors. I chose to plant them very close to our front porch which will give a nice splash of Spring color walking up the sidewalk.

Until then.........thank you Whole Foods for having a tulips Sale on Friday......fresh from Virginia!

I added a bit of red to our Living room------love that color!

                                         And then a more demure white to the Dining Room.

Some of you don't have to wait for the snow to clear to check out your gardens after a long winter.

If you are lucky enough to live in a nice warm climate you are already witnessing the beautiful

blossoms of Spring. Wherever you call home, one thing is for sure, there is nothing like the glory

of the Springtime blooms!

                                                           Wishing you a colorful day!

                                                                         Kathleen

***Thank you for visiting The Lavender Bouquet. Please feel free to pass our link along to your 

friends. This is how we grow!

It's Mod Podge Monday.......Check out our DIY Vases & Springtime Placesetting!

My husband and I traveled to our Florida house this weekend. A little change of scenery from the snowscapes to the beautiful palm trees and 80 degree weather has been wonderful.  Not only did we get to see our Florida friends, but we also got to spend a few days with old friends from our Perrysburg, Ohio days. I think it is safe to say, a good time was had by all!

Whenever I am in the warmth of the South during the winter months, I find myself longing for Spring flowers, and the bright colors of Springtime. With that in mind, I managed to find an interesting DIY project involving Mod Podge. I started with Dollar Store vases.........and one squeeze bottle of Mod Podge from Michaels.

Pour Mod Podge into the vase and swirl it around.

 

 

Swirl to coat entire inside of vase and let dry.

The result is a beautiful sheer pink glossy finish. The actual pink is a bit lighter and more pastel than the photograph.

 

 

I have plans to use these vases with all of my fresh cut flowers up North, but until then I created a Springlike table setting to showcase the vase.  I built this tablesetting using the white Mikasa plate as my foundation, then a Lenox aqua luncheon plate that I purchased in Home Goods in the center, and topped it off with my Noritake wedding china dessert plate. Look at all of that Springtime color!

Now run to Michaels and the Dollar Tree to create your very own easy and colorful vases for your home.

                        Happy Mod Podging.....and a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my baby brother!

                                                                       Kathleen

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A Burst of Springtime!

The temperature is 40 degrees today with our local weather stations predicting 55 on Friday.  That means sunshine, snow melting, and a teasing of Springtime will be in the air. At least for me!

In case you have not had time to check out the PANTONE Fashion Color Report for Spring 2014 yet, check it out below! What a beautiful collection of colors. After our dreary Winter days lately, I was ready to add a burst of color in the house. It's hard to chose just one color, they are all so beautiful. I can see myself rotating color this Spring!

                                                     

I think my favorite is the Dazzling Blue. How gorgeous this will be in the form of clothing as well as household collections.
                                            

I  happened to have a few pieces of pottery in that Dazzling Blue, and I just couldn't wait to display them. The pitcher I had found at Home Goods last year, and the Polish Pottery is something I have  had for years.  I added the touch of Pussy Willows, since they are one of the first "spurts of Spring" we see in the North as our snow melts.

While we were in Napa the girls bought me the lazy susan that I used as my base for the display. I love the rustic oak wood, and the fact that its origin is an actual wine barrel from the V. Sattui Winery. Great memories.

Take a look at the Pantone chart, and scour your house for colorful Spring finds. There is nothing like a burst of "Spring" to lift our spirits.

                                                          Wishing you a colorful day!

                                                                       Kathleen

      Thanks so much for stopping by.....see you Foodie Friday!