• Home
  • About
  • !!! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER – FREE GIFT !!!
  • Blog
  • Contact

Lorraine D. Hebler

  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Breads – Quick & Yeast
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Canning & Freezing
    • Entertaining
    • Holidays
    • Main Dishes
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Fish & Seafood
      • Pork
    • Pasta
    • Salads & Dressings
    • Soups & Stews
    • Sweet Treats
      • Biscotti
      • Cakes & Cupcakes
      • Cookies & Bars
      • Desserts
      • Muffins
      • Pies & Cobblers
      • Scones
    • Vegetables & Sides
    • Visit My Galleries
  • Crafts
    • Crochet
    • Knitting
    • More Crafts
    • Visit My Galleries
  • Faith
    • Faith Statement
    • Faith Printables
  • Home and Garden
    • Birds & Butterflies
    • Flowers Plants & Herbs
    • Home Decorating & DIY
  • Family
    • Family & Friends
    • Grandchildren
  • Resourses
    • Gift Guides
    • Photography Equipment
    • Food Styling Photo Props
    • Sock Hop Party Shopping Guide
  • Travel
  • Vintage

Mother’s Day Weekend

By Lorraine

Saturday, John and I worked from 7am until 3pm in the yard weeding, trimming bushes and adding a new berm where there was a bare spot from a Japanese Maple we lost last year.  We quit to shower and dress for a drive to my cousin’s son’s wedding reception.  We picked up my sister on the way and headed to a lovely evening with family and friends.
Johnny and Nanea had a beautiful beach wedding a few weeks ago in Hawaii.

Continue Reading

Filed Under: Family, Grandchildren Tagged With: Caleb, Cambrie, Chloe, Garden, Grandchildren, Jamie, John, Josh, Karen, Keri, Lorrie, Noah, Silas, Sisters

Chamomile

By Lorraine

 I was able to gather a nice basket-full of Chamomile this morning to prepare for drying. 
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:12

Filed Under: Flowers Plants & Herbs, Home and Garden Tagged With: flowers, Garden, herbs

Cleome

By Lorraine

Unusual Cleome flower in purple

Continue Reading

Filed Under: Flowers Plants & Herbs, Home and Garden Tagged With: flowers, Garden

Flower Berms Project Status: Completed… finally

By Lorraine

Truckload of topsoil has been shoveled.
Mountain of mulch (that still didn’t go far enough) has been spread.
New berm created (to replace lost grass)
Walkway extended (for better footpath)
Perennials divided and relocated. (for low budget goal)
(billions) of weeds pulled
Watering system in place. (sort of)
Chicken wire installed (not soon enough for some plants)
Two (4′ x 8′) Square Foot Raised bed created (one for herbs and veggies and one as a cutting garden)
Leftover pieces of sod from daughter used to patch lawn.
Wheelbarrow and shovels returned to their place in the shed.
Knee pads and work gloves stowed.
Time required for project:  grossly underestimated.

Continue Reading

Filed Under: Flowers Plants & Herbs, Home and Garden Tagged With: flowers, Garden, Home and Garden

Trash to Treasure ~ A Garden Screen

By Lorraine

Last fall I noticed eight metal scroll-like things lying at the curb by
my neighbors trash.
(they were originally the four sides to a canopy that had seen better days)
I noticed them while walking the dog but didn’t haul
them home right away.

I liked them too much to leave them so, without a clue what I would do with them, I went back and lugged them home to the shed where they remained all winter.
 I tried using them separately as a kind of trellis but I didn’t really need another trellis.
Then I thought to stand them together to form an open screen and use as a backdrop to a sitting area we have along the back edge of our yard.
The posts are open and hollow on the bottom end.
John bought and cut conduit and drove half of it into the ground.
Then we slid each section over the above ground conduit.
It worked perfectly and is very stable!
To keep each section tight at the top, we secured them together with black nylon ties.
~*~
I transplanted some tiny Morning Glory plants that have begun springing up elsewhere.
I don’t think there is enough sun for the Morning Glories so I might have to root some ivy cuttings if I want foliage growing up my new garden screen.

Filed Under: Home and Garden, Home Decorating & DIY Tagged With: Garden

Barn Swallows

By Lorraine

My photos are totally blurred and out of focus but still a thrill to see this pair of barn swallows swoop and swirl on the front porch early one morning.

Filed Under: Birds & Butterflies, Home and Garden Tagged With: Birds, Garden

Nesting Wrens

By Lorraine

Nesting Wrens are the new occupants among the Petunias and Inpatients.Continue Reading

Filed Under: Flowers Plants & Herbs, Home and Garden Tagged With: Birds, Childhood Memories, Daddy, Garden

Passion Flower

By Lorraine

such intricate beauty

Filed Under: Flowers Plants & Herbs, Home and Garden Tagged With: Bible, flowers, Garden

Lavender Lemonade

By Lorraine

Using lavender from my herb garden, I made some refreshing lavender lemonade.

Continue Reading

Filed Under: Beverages, Recipes Tagged With: Bible, Encouragement, flowers, Garden

Re-purposed Curtains for the Patio

By Lorraine

Create an inviting ambiance for dining and entertaining with an easy up-cycling DIY. Re-purposed Curtains for the Patio look lovely and romantic.Create an inviting ambiance for dining and entertaining with an easy up-cycling DIY. Re-purposed Curtains for the Patio look lovely and romantic.

Continue Reading

Filed Under: Home and Garden, Home Decorating & DIY Tagged With: flowers, Garden, Home and Garden, Patio

Rosemary Scones

By Lorraine

When I saw this recipe on Julie’s blog, A Little Bit of Everything, I was intrigued by adding a strong herb like rosemary to a breakfast scone. (Julie got the recipe from Giada De Laurentiis) John LOVES Rosemary and he LOVES scones but I wasn’t sure what he would think about them together.
It was early Sunday morning and the house was quiet so I headed out the side door to snip some of the highly aromatic herb.

Well, we both really liked this recipe! 

Strawberry Rosemary Scones
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients

Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (I used Kosher)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup strawberry jam

Glaze:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
2 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons water
Special equipment: a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter (I used a round cutter)

Directions
For the scones: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 1/2-inch thick, 10-inch circle. Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart-shaped pieces of dough and put on the prepared baking sheet. Gently knead together any leftover pieces of dough and roll out to 1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough into more heart shapes and add to the baking sheet. Using an index finger or a small, round measuring spoon, gently make an indentation in the center of each pastry heart. Spoon a heaped 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Transfer the cooked scones onto a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.

For the glaze: In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Gradually add the water until the mixture is thin enough to spread. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the scones. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes. Serve or store in an airtight plastic container for 2 days.

Cook’s Note: The dough can also be made by hand by stirring together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough

NOTE:  Julie thought the glaze was more than she needed and suggested cutting the recipe in half.  I followed Julie’s suggestion and it was plenty.
~*~
 My Rosemary plant was a gift from a friend.  I grew it on my kitchen windowsill for a couple of years then transplanted it to an outside container where it has been for several years.
I read that Rosemary won’t survive winters that get below 30 degrees F but even in our cold and snow, the plant continues to thrive.
 Up close you can see the woody stem
Here is my new raised bed where I have divided and transplanted my herbs that were growing in pots.  I added a few vegetables where I had space.
I have:
chamomile
oregano
basil
Flat leaf and curly parsley
sage
common mint
spearmint
Rosemary
lavender
Excerpts from Wikipedia:
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae.
The name rosemary derives from the Latin name rosmarinus, which is from “dew” (ros) and “sea” (marinus), or “dew of the sea” because in many locations it needs no other water than the humidity carried by the sea breeze to live.

It is considered easy to grow for beginner gardeners, and is pest-resistant.
Rosemary grows on friable loam soil with good drainage in an open sunny position, it will not withstand water logging and some varieties may be susceptible to frost. It grows best in neutral to alkaline conditions pH (pH 7–7.8) with average fertility.
It can be propagated from an existing plant by clipping a shoot 10–15 cm (4–6 in) long, stripping a few leaves from the bottom, and planting it directly into soil.

Filed Under: Recipes, Scones, Sweet Treats Tagged With: Garden, Home and Garden

Busy Days Creating a New Garden Berm

By Lorraine

We have had so much on our plate lately.
Last Saturday I photographed a wedding
(I will share a few photos soon).
Then I spent several days editing the photos.
Wednesday we had a (really fun) cookout to finish up our weekly
Community Group Bible study for the summer.
Thursday evening we had Aldara and her mom (visiting from Spain) for dinner.

Friday we had a truckload of dirt delivered so that
today we could spent all day working in the yard.

We began this project in mid-April thinking it would
take just a few days.
I hope to divide plants throughout the yard to fill this new berm and finally get it finished this weekend.

 

A few fitting quotes:

Gardening is a matter of your enthusiasm holding up until your back gets used to it.  ~Author Unknown
~*~
What a man needs in gardening is a cast-iron back, with a hinge in it.
~Charles Dudley Warner, My Summer in a Garden, 1871
~*~
Gardening requires lots of water – most of it in the form of perspiration.
~Lou Erickson
~*~

Raider kept an eye on every move I made.
Poor little guy is way overdue for his grooming appointment.

I’ll just add that to my list of things to do!

Filed Under: Home and Garden, Home Decorating & DIY Tagged With: Garden, Quote

That’s Not a Hummingbird it is a Baltimore Oriole

By Lorraine

 
But just as exciting to see! Imagine our surprise to see a beautiful Baltimore Oriole on this dreary morning on the hummingbird feeder. We don’t remember ever seeing an Oriole in our yard.

Continue Reading

Filed Under: Birds & Butterflies, Home and Garden Tagged With: Birds, Garden

Blue Salvia

By Lorraine

While on bended knee placing pieces of sod in the bare spots in the lawn, I came face-to-flower with the blooms of the blue salvia growing in the front yard.
No matter that my hands were muddy and my pant legs wet, I headed inside for my camera.
These photos remind me of  plants growing in an aquarium
or on the ocean floor.
A little like the growing Magic rocks I had as a kid.
The photos were taken early morning
with the eastern sun behind me.

Looking at this one, I think I might see a tiny Gnome pop up any moment in a forest of purple!
~*~
I Come To The Garden Alone

I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The son of God discloses.

And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.

He speaks and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet that the birds hush their singing
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.

And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there
None other has ever known.

I’d stay in the garden with Him
‘Tho the night around me be falling
But He bids me go; through the voice of woe
His voice to me is calling

And He walks with me and He talks with me
And He tells me I am His own
And the joy we share as we tarry there~*~Searching for the name of the author of this hymn, I was surprised to learn he was born and lived close to where we live and is buried in the same cemetery as my husbands parents. Charles Austin Miles was born in Lakehurst, New Jersey which is also the location of the Hindenburg Disaster

~*~Charles Austin Miles

Lyrics and Composer
Born: January 7, 1868, Lakehurst, New Jersey.
Died: March 10, 1946, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Buried: Hillcrest Memorial Park, Sewell, New Jersey.

Miles attended the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and the University of Pennsylvania. In 1892, he abandoned his career as a pharmacist and wrote his first Gospel song, “List ’Tis Jesus’ Voice” which was published by the 
Hall-Mack Company. He served as editor and manager at the Hall-Mack publishers for 37 years. In his own words:

It is as a writer of gospel songs I am proud to be known, for in that way I may be of the most use to my Master, whom I serve willingly although not as efficiently as is my desire.

Source:  Bible Study Charts.com

Filed Under: Faith Tagged With: Encouragement, flowers, Garden

May Flowers

By Lorraine

outside

inside

Filed Under: Flowers Plants & Herbs, Home and Garden Tagged With: flowers, Garden

WIP by DIY’ers making a new Berm and Sidewalk

By Lorraine

We have been on our knees a lot lately.
Not all for praying although there have been a few prayers for aches, pains and sore muscles.

Because of the below average rain last summer, we lost some large patches of grass throughout the yard.

Continue Reading

Filed Under: Crafts, Home Decorating & DIY Tagged With: Garden

Newer Entries
Previous Entries
Hi! I'm Lorraine. Welcome to Grateful Prayer Thankful Heart. A place to find food for your tummy, projects for your hands, and encouragement for your heart.

Theme by 17th Avenue · Powered by WordPress & Genesis