Artists are different.
Artists are inventive, adventurous, expressive, and intuitive with an overwhelming desire to share their world.
I am such an artist.
Each Friday, I'll share with you a few beautiful, delicious, intriguing treasures I'm grateful to have discovered.
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♥ Henry Bockstoce Peonies
On Monday, a friend of mine and I visited another friend's peony farm, and we were delighted to discover several new varieties of peonies. They were all so beautiful, but none more beautiful than the deep red of the Henry Bockstoce variety.
♥ Fun, Talented, Amazing Artist Friends and Students
Being an artist is the best job ever! Each Thursday I get to meet with an amazing group of artists to paint for a couple of hours and then go to lunch together. I Love painting, I love teaching, I love the opportunity to teach in Spring Hill, and I love these artists!
♥ Yardley "Lily of the Valley" Talc
My mother grew Lily of the Valley in the shade between the house and driveway when my brothers and I were young. It always reminds me of home. Yardley makes a variety of products with the Lily of the Valley scent, but I like to shake the talc on my bed linens before I make the bed each morning. It's a simple pleasure to look forward to each evening when the covers get turned down.
♥ Lost and Vintage Recipes Cookbook
Some recipe books are as fascinating as a gripping novel. I first saw this cookbook in the gift shop at the Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson in Nashville, Tennessee, and was thrilled when my copy finally arrived.
In the Beverage chapter is a recipe for "Tom & Jerry." I've never heard of this. Or maybe I have and didn't realize it. Have you ever been to a flea market or antiques shop and seen a vintage Christmas punch bowl set with the words "Tom & Jerry" on the side? Who knew they weren't referring to the cartoon??
As it turns out "Tom & Jerry" is a holiday drink, similar to Egg Nog only made with brandy and created by a British sportswriter and journalist in the 1820s, Pierce Egan. The beverage is named after two characters in his best-known satirical work, Life in London.
Tom and Jerry
- 1 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 3 tablespoons light rum
- 3 tablespoons brandy
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tarter
- 1 and 1/3 cups hot milk
- Grated nutmeg, for garnish
Beat egg yolks, sugar, and allspice at high speed with an electric mixer until thick and creamy. Blend in brandy and rum.
In separate mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tarter until firm peaks form. Fold in yolk mixture. Spoon 1/2 cup of the mixture into four warmed, 8-ounce mugs. Fill each with 1/3 cup hot milk.
Grate nutmeg on top and serve immediately.
♥ Mrs. Wilson
In full disclosure, I love Masterpiece and just about everything else on PBS, but I especially loved discovering Mrs. Wilson. Fact is indeed stranger than Fiction.
In this 3-part series, actress Ruth Wilson portrays her own grandmother, Alison McKelvie, who met Alec Wilson during WWII when they worked together for M16, Great Britain's secret intelligence service. And the events that unfold are and are not believable, depending on where Mrs. Wilson is in her search for the truth.
This series has already aired, but for $5/month donation, you can become a PBS Passport member and access all the wonderful programs and all of their seasons.
What blessings, discoveries, and favorite things did you enjoy this week? Share them with me. I'm always looking for the beautiful, delicious, and intriguing treasures.
