Sunday 3 May 2009

Marie's Sunday Six Smilemakers . . .



The sun has up and gone this Sunday morning. I mustn't complain though. We've had a beautiful run of it this past week and the gardens are just popping their buttons and bursting with colour! The drive that leads down to our cottage is lined with Rhododendrons that are all in bud and ready to explode in a wonderful frenzy of colour that is truly magnificent to see! It hasn't been too awfully difficult to find something to smile about this week, that's for sure!



Sunny days in England and it's rich green countryside make me smile. I just love this country. It's so very beautiful. Everywhere you look it's rich and green. Even the tree trunks are green, all mossy with ivy climbing everywhere. Rolling hillsides dotted with cotton boll sheep. Clear watered brooks trickling down over moss covered stones and making the most beautiful music to your ears. Ahh . . . to sit in the sun on a blanket on a warm sunny day with big fat bumble bees humming amongst the wild daisies, with sheep bleating off in the distance and a sky as wide and as blue as the universe . . . can anything on earth be more beautiful than that???



Well, the photo of a wonderful little grandson toting his much loved sock monkey around the garden just about does it! My son sent me this picture from his cell phone the other day and it made me smile from ear to ear! This is wee little Gabriel running through the leftover autumn leaves in their garden holding onto the sock monkey I made him for his birthday. Apparently he loves it, and that makes me very happy. Because I live so far away, I can never be a real hands-on Grandmother. I can only be one that loves from a distance. We get home to Canada only very rarely and so I must rely on being able to make an impression and showing him my love from afar. It would be really easy to be sad about this reality in my life, but then again . . . being able to spoil my three grandsons from afar is better than never being able to spoil them at all!! I'm the present giving, praying, telephone calling Grammy, and that can't be bad! Even if I only get to see them every few years or so, it means that when I do I am bound to make a lasting impression! They are sure to never get tired of me, or at least I hope not!



Bluebell woods, all carpeted with beautiful blue flowers and early spring green grasses. Oh, how beautiful they are. The air almost rings with the tinkling of a million little blue bells . . . and one quite expects each brush of the springtime breeze to send up a rush of little fairies dancing in the air around you . . . shh . . . if you stand very still and are very . . . very . . . quiet, you just might hear them singing . . .



Happy dogs make me smile, and our Jess has to be about the happiest, smilingest dog I know! With these warmer and dryer days she is often out on the drive waiting for me when I return home from work. She prances about like a pony, she truly does do a little dance and it makes my heart swell with love for her. She is such a treasure. We gave her her spring time bath this past week and so she is all fresh smelling and sweet now. We may not have been able to have any children of our own, but we do have a Jess . . . and that, my sweet friends, is a very special thing to have in your life.



Castles make me smile. It was such a lovely day yesterday that we took ourselves in the car down the road to visit Scotney Castle. It is truly a beautiful place and has the most beautiful castle. The rhododendrons are all in bloom and it is a real joy to walk it's grounds breathing in all the beauty that surrounds each and every step. We don't have castles in Canada, only in our dreams . . . it is such a blessing to be able to walk about them and to imagine the lives and feet that once walked upon their moss laden stones. Even though many of them are ruins, such splendor and beauty are a blessing to behold . . .



Little newborn grandsons make me smile. Look at that face. Does it not tickle your heart? Do you not want to just reach out and cuddle that? Or at the very least plant a big smoochie upon that little wrinkled brow??? This is wee little Joshua. He's about 2 months old now. I love him to bits! (How could I not?)

As well as visiting a castle yesterday and walking about it's grounds with Todd I also managed to do two new paintings. I love them both.

Uh Oh . . . I wonder what he's done? You'll have to hop on over to Blossomtime creations later on today to find out!

Joy . . . who can't use some of that!!!

I also made us a baked bean supper, with delicious home baked beans, homemade oatmeal brown bread, scalloped potatoes and ham . . . and for dessert a delicious buttermilk cake topped with a sweet fresh berry sauce. Yesterday was just the most smilingest day ever!!





*Buttermilk Cake with a Fresh Berry Syrup*
Serves 8 to 10

Printable Recipe

A lovely moist cake with a crumb quite reminiscent of a pound or Madeira cake. Topped with a delicious berry sauce this is truly a wonderful way to end a meal. You can also serve it with a dollop of whipped cream along side of the berries. In fact I think I may do just that today after church!

4 1/2 ounces butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease an 8 inch round cake tin and line with baking paper. Grease again.

Place the butter into a bowl along with the sugar and beat them together with an electric whisk until they are pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, beat in the buttermilk and the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder and the salt. Add this mixture in two batches, mixing them in well after each addition.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level off the top. Bake in the heated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to rest in the tin for 10 minutes before removing completely to a wire rack to finish cooling.

While the cake is cooling make the syrup.



*Fresh Berry Syrup*

This goes perfectly spooned out over the top of slices of this wonderful cake, but it is equally as delicious on top of ice cream or rice pudding as well!

1/2 cup sugar
2 TBS lemon juice
1/4 cup water
8 ounces of mixed berries
a dollop of strawberry or raspberry jam

Stir the sugar, lemon juice and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the berries. Lightly crush with the back of the spoon against the side of the pot. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Add the dollop of jam and stir in until it is completely melted. Set aside until ready to use.


17 comments:

  1. Hi Marie,

    I love your smile makers! There truly is so much to smile about!

    I wanted to say thank you for your sweet and heart-felt comments you always leave on my blog. You make me smile! AND please tell Todd that I appreciate his comment as well! Just lovely!

    I am holding our little one most of the time (I just never want to put him down:) and it makes it more tricky to write comments. Please feel our love all the way from Utah!

    Much love,

    Erin and baby Cal :)

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  2. The photo of your grandchild holding the sock monkey made me smile. I remember having a sock monkey like that when I was little and I loved it so much. Seeing him hugging it and so genuinely loving it.. what a great picture to have captured.

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  3. You're right - every home needs a Jess, or whatever your own particular hairy friend is called. Our Sally still leaps about like a pup, though she is 15 and very deaf (selectively so I dare say!). She has taken to climbing up on the sofa for a snooze, a thing she's never done in her life before. I don't mind though.

    You must have sent the sunshine up here. I wondered where it had come from. It's a glorious morning.

    ove, Angie, xx

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  4. Happy Sunday, Marie! So much to smile about here! Lovely to see Joshua and Gabriel--they are such sweethearts!! :o) And so is sweet Jess--love that photo of her. So wonderful you had a day at Scotney Castle!! Hoping one day we can see it with you...remember we were so close last summer?! Glad you've been having a terrific weekend. Today we've been doing work in the garden and planting three new trees...pretty tired now, the first real gardening of the season--LOL! We could use some of your cake to perk us up! ;o)...mmm... Oh, your new illustration is so charming--beautiful! Happy Day, dear friend! Hope we talk soon...LOVE YOU HEAPS!! ((BIG HUGS))

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  5. What a lovely post and so English - your smilemakers made me smile too and think of fond memories - dogs, castles, the beautiful green countryside, grandchildren (although I don't have any yet but I'm sure they will make me smile when I do!), bluebells, and your mouth-watering photograph of your cake with berry syrup certainly made me smile!

    Have a wonderful week.

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  6. Hey cutie! It was so fun going to your "honor post" how sweet was that! Today...your smile makers have me sitting in the California home smiling from ear to ear as you share the blessings of life. Your grandbabies are adorable. There is just nothing like it. Hugs to you this Sabbath day!

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  7. I love your smile makers, I love Joshua and Jess, so cute!! Have a nice day,Gloria

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  8. gorgeous pictures and beautiful grandbabies! i bet it just made your day when you received that picture/text message from your son! gabriel definitely adores the sock monkey his grandmother made him:) and you are right i definitely want to snuggle with little joshua-what a cutie pie!

    that castle picture is amazing, did you take it? the only castle i've ever been to is at disneyland:) haha.

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  9. This feels like coming home!
    (p.s. never change feed browsers because it's WAY to easy to loose everyone you adore) Found ya again.

    Anyway, HOME. Beautiful writing. Check. Gorgeous pictures. Yup. Sock puppets. Yay! And food glorious food. Glad to see you are still doing beautiful. Gotcha on my new reader, life is good.....
    Rebecca

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  10. Thank you for sharing the photo of your grandbaby with his sock monkey. My little grandson Zack carries his around all the time. Have a great week.
    Hugs, Barb

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  11. You know your photos of food are so wonderful...seems one can smell them even!! And of course, I love all the photos you share of your home and other places you visit.

    I do identify quite well with your sentiments about family. We live a continent away from one child who is expecting this July and though the others only live 40 minutes from us via freeway, we rarely get a day to enjoy them. Usually we see them just in passing here and there. Just too busy to give us any time...no fights or problems really...just no time. Tisn't why we had children is it?
    Blessings and thanks for all you share here!
    Elizabeth

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  12. Hello dear,
    I am on the run so please excuse this brief comment. I must get over to our yw pres. asap and then out to Mindy's for dinner.

    Ilove the picture of Gabriel with his sock monkey... how wonderful that your monkey made such a hit.

    Also little Joshua is a doll... what a cute face... and Jess too of course.

    This dessert looks yummy...especially on fast Sunday... I couldn't look too close. I am sending love, Lura

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  13. Your lovely descriptions of the beauty about you made me feel as if I too was there with you enjoying every little part of it. Both grandsons are adorable and I am sure you are the BEST grandmother around even if you are not physically there by them! I love your new cards, as well as the ones they join. Happy day!

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  14. What a wonderful Sunday list Marie. Those pictures of your grandsons are just adorable. And so cute that he loves his sock monkey you made - sweet!

    Cute new pictures too. So lovely.

    I hope you had a wonderful Sunday!

    XOXO
    Jen

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  15. so much to smile about! have a wonderful week!!
    tina

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  16. Yum-I make something similar that friends refer to as simply "The Cake." It's been the gift to my friends for 3 weddings. I frost with the frosting from a red velvet cake and fill with either fresh strawberries & kiwi or lemon curd with raspberry jam.


    Ooooo...now I want cake.

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  17. Marie, Joshua is adorable. So...all boy, isn't he? I loved your little artist's rendition of the little boy that broke the window with his baseball. That was the first little boy I have seen of yours.

    Your recipes all look so fabulous! Honestly I wish I wasn't dieting but you know I am saving all of the ones that appeal to me (which is about all of them)for a later date. I guess I am finally going to have to learn the metric system! Bummer. We are so resistant to that in the US.

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