The Porch

Welcome to Betty's favorites! My name is Betty and I am a self proclaimed "Serial Plate Collector!" Please, take out your best tea cup, fix yourself some tea and stay a while.



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Friday, August 20, 2010

Taylor Leighton

Taylor Leighton, my great-granddaughter.
All natural beauty.  My daughter-in-law,
Lisa Beth loves photography  and takes
many photos of her grandchildren.

Betty

Valentine Wedding

Ed and I were married at
my friend, Barbara's house
during a two foot snow on
Valentines Day.  This year
we celebrated our 25th
wedding anniversary.

Blue and White Dishes

My 17th Century Stafforshire dish pattern.  This sets design is a countryside with church in background and an inn up front with a carriage, driver, coach occupants and four horses pulling coach.  Beautiful quaint scene in my favorite blue and white.

Hummingbird Nest

When I put together the spring wreath below, I had no
idea what history would follow it.  I hung it on our large
front porch and placed a glass top table under it.  One
evening, while working with dried flowers at the table,
a humming bird came down twice and hovered above
the table, so close I could have touched it.  I told my
husband, "It looks like she wants me to move!"  Little
did I know she had built her nest behind the bottom of
this wreath.  I didn't know until fall when I took the wreath
down, that she had built there.  I'm thrilled to have had this
experience and it will never happen again.  Next time, I will
know to move away.  I've had the wreath out again this
year, in hopes that another hummingbird will take up
residency, but no luck.

30 Year Old Birdhouse

30 year old birdhouse found in a thrift store.  Great find!
Devine Birdhouses

Decorating schemes soar with these colorful shelters.

The notion of a cozy hose is as appealing to finches, robin and wrens as it is to you and your family.  And birdhouses, whether designed to blend into their natural surroundings or provide a lively spot of color, double as decorative accents even indoors--with faux birds.

From the purely practical side a wooden box with a simple portal will do, but hanging a lovingly painted architectural folly shows off your romantic sense of style.  Creating a one-of-a-kind masterpiece is easy.  Store-bought houses can quickly be transformed with handcrafted upgrades--picket fences, weathervanes or shutters--or embellished with materials that reflect your passions.

Originally devised to attract songbirds to the garden, fanciful birdhouses strike a decorative note indoors or out.  In the same way that a single rose is beautiful but an entire bouquet is bteathtaking, a solitary birdhouse is beguiling.  Displaying a flock of these avian havens, however, makes any decorating scheme truly take flight.
TWICE AS NICE  A garden bench makes the perfect roost for a spectacular blue and white duplex with a steeple penthouse.
OF A FEATHER  Craft one-of-a-kind creations from architectural salvage and dollhouse supplies.
GO TO THE SOURCE
Looking for architecturally designed shelters that are as lovely as they are functional and species specific?  One of our favorite purveyors is:  songbirdgarden.com

Happy Birding!
Betty J 


Honey Scones

Honey Scones, a light taste of honey and ginger flavor
these tender scones;  nice with breakfast, as a lunchtime
treat or served with afternoon tea.

Makes 6 to 8 scones

Dough:
2  1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2  1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream

Olive-Nut Spread

Olive-Nut Spread seems to be a Kentucky favorite, as
suggested by my friend, Barbara.

This recipe makes about 2 cups and is also good with
wheat crackers, celery sticks or thick slices of cucumber.

Recipe:

one  8 oz. package neufchatel or cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup pemento-stuffed olives
Dash of black pepper or dash of red hot pepper sauce
(not both peppers)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, mixing until
well combined.  Store in refrigerator.

Use teapot cookie cutters to cut Hawaiian bread pieces.
Spread each tiny sandwich with Olive-Nut spread for
delightfully tasting finger sandwiches.