~ Martha Stewart's Banana Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies ~

Ingredients
Makes about 3 dozen.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 large)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped into 1/4-inch chunks
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (about 2 ounces), toasted


Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flours, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugars into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.
Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown and just set, 12 to 13 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers up to 2 days.
**********

I have to give credit to Miss Martha for coming up with these yummy, yummy cookies! They are great for an Autumn snack (good for a kid's lunchbox, too). I made a batch of these the other night and I had to control myself from eating the whole thing! The wonderful taste of banana bread meets a good, old-fashioned chocolate chip cookie. You'll like them, too, so bake up a few! :)

~*~*~*~Please visit my little shop...new items added regularly!~*~*~*~

Peaches And Dreams Store

~ Say Goodbye To Summer ~

Happy Labor Day!

Hope everyone is having a restful and relaxing holiday weekend! For some interesting Labor Day facts (it originated in Canada?) read these bits from Huffington Post here.

~*~*~*~Please visit my little shop...new items added regularly!~*~*~*~

Peaches And Dreams Store

~ Breakfast With Elizabeth From A Unique Perspective ~

Perhaps you are wondering who might have painted this picture? It looks like an ordinary young woman having her breakfast and reading the morning paper, doesn't it? But, take a closer look ~ doesn't the young woman look slightly familiar? How about the room ~ perhaps it is a bit grand for an ordinary person? The paintings and antiques look somewhat expensive. The gold-embellishments along the walls and over the fireplace mantel seem pretty posh, too.


Maybe you are guessing about the artist? Well, I'll give you some more hints ~ the artist is married to a very famous person. He is the father of five children; four boys and one girl. And, he's known to love horses and competition carriage-racing. Give up?


The painting was done by none other than Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II! Done in 1965 and titled "The Queen at Breakfast, Windsor Castle", Prince Philip shows a remarkable talent for capturing his wife in this private moment. We see the lovely crisp white tablecloth, the tiny little jam pot with the spoon, white china cups and plates, and a freshly-baked loaf of bread ready for Her Majesty to slice a piece for toast. Obviously engrossed in the newspaper, she seems relaxed and poised, ready to begin the day. A nod to the Royals love of horses and horse-racing are evident in the paintings on the walls. What appears to be an older radio sits on the table ~ perhaps the Queen is listening to the morning news or catching the horse-racing stats? It is a delightful glimpse into an intimate time of day in Royal life.Most people, like myself, were probably unaware that Prince Philip is an artist. He signs his works with a Greek "P" or "Phi", in a nod to his Greek ancestry. A new book titled "The Royal Portrait Image and Impact" will be published by the Royal Collections next week, and will include this and perhaps other paintings by members of the Royal family. I can't wait to see it!


~*~*~*~Please visit my little shop...new items added regularly!~*~*~*~
Peaches And Dreams Store

~ Won't You Be My Friend? ~

Hi Friends!

It's been such a long time since I've done any blogging and I've missed it so much! With Fall coming on my thoughts turn to quiet times indoors where I can think and write. I hope all of you have been well and had a nice Summer season!

My little store on eCRATER has been doing so well! I want to thank everyone who's purchased something from me ~ it is so much appreciated! I've been clearing out several storage areas for the past couple of weeks and my living room is brimming to capacity (I literally cannot see the window!). There's so much stuff still to go through....boxes stuffed with all sorts of goodies....pottery, glassware, linens, advertising tins, plates, lamps, you name it, it's here! ****If you are looking for anything in particular, please let me know!!!**** I'm feverishly listing things every day, so take a peek if you have a moment (link below).

Also, I'm a newbie to Facebook. You can come over and be my friend! :) Click the little box on my sidebar to come for a visit. For so long, everyone kept asking me, "When are you going to get on Facebook?". Well, now I'm there! I haven't figured everything out yet, but I'm working on it!

Hope everyone has a good week!

~*~*~*~Please visit my little shop...new items added regularly!~*~*~*~Peaches And Dreams Store

~ Gardening Thyme ~

Dear Friends,
Some of you have written me so sweetly to ask after my whereabouts ~ I haven't run off with a charming, handsome man (although, hmmmmm......now there's a nice thought! :). I've been busy pushing the Spring season by working in my garden the last few weeks. There are areas in my yard that had become seriously overgrown. In an effort to beat the heat and thwart those nasty creepy crawlies that come out in warmer weather, I've been cleaning and clearing, shoveling and pruning, and generally wearing myself out completely. Ahh, but the crisp air and exercise are good for the body and soul! So, thanks to all who have wondered about me....I'm okay, just working very hard to get everything ready for Spring and Summer. Down here in South Georgia, you have to pick your gardening times before it becomes to hot and/or too buggy. If anyone needs me, I'll be out there for the next couple of weeks. I'll still be updating Twitter regularly and hopefully will be back to real blogging soon. Love to all of you!!!

P.S. If you know any charming, handsome men who are good with a shovel and some pruners, let me know!!! A lady's work goes a lot faster with the help of a gentleman! :)

~*~*~*~Please visit my little shop...new items added regularly!~*~*~*~
Peaches And Dreams Store

~ Style Princess...Grace Kelly Exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum ~

Grace Kelly, successful film actress and later Princess of Monaco, has always been one of my favorite style icons. The dresses and accessories she had are classics, and fashion today reflects the designs made famous by the beautiful girl from Philadelphia. Starting in April of this year, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London is holding an exhibition of some of Princess Grace's most famous wardrobe pieces. Included will be designer dresses by Balenciaga, Dior, Yves St Laurent, and Givenchy, plus the serene wedding dress worn on the day she married Prince Rainier of Monaco. On display will also be the original Hermes Kelly bag, splendid jewelry by Van Cleef and Arpels, and costumes from some of her most famous movies from the 1950's.

Victoria and Albert museum Exhibition schedule About the new exhibit, her son, Prince Albert said 'My mother treasured her clothes and would have been delighted to have them exhibited at the V&A. Throughout her life she exuded effortless elegance, whether she was appearing at the most spectacular public occasion, or a simple family gathering.'
with her famous Hermes bag lovely on her wedding day to Prince Rainier

I thought she was utterly charming in "To Catch A Thief" with Cary Grant, who was always dashing and polished himself! :) They both looked fabulous together! Do you have a favorite Grace Kelly movie?

~*~*~*~Please visit my little shop...new items added regularly!~*~*~*~
Peaches And Dreams Store

~ What's Growin' On With Me ~

Dear Friends,
Gardening is one of my favorite hobbies. As well as being nourishment for the soul, it helps ease my grocery bill when I can bring in wonderful veggies and lettuces. Some of those bagged salads are $3-4 each and go for maybe one meal for two people. Half a garden bed full of lettuce, if properly tended and fertilized, would supply wonderfully tasty lettuce for most of the winter months. I'd rather grow my own any day! The last couple of weeks here on the Georgia coast have had unnaturally cold temperatures and I was worried, but most things made it through with only a little bit of frost burn. Now, we are back in the 60's during the day and I'm thawing out gradually. :) Thought I'd share some of my garden photos with you ~

Maypop

Don't have a lot of room? Plant a lettuce tub!

broccoli

cabbage

lettuce

baby kale for salads

Pansy

~Good Soup...Rachael Ray's Bacon and Kale Minestra ~

Dear Friends,

Here on the Georgia coast it has been a little on the frozen side for the past week. This beach girl has been having a rough time dealing with the cold weather! So I've been doing what comes naturally....hibernating underneath 5 blankets, dreaming of Spring gardening, and looking for really good soup recipes. Last night, as I was flipping through the December/January issue of Rachael Ray's Everyday magazine I came across her Bacon and Kale Minestra. The delicious smell of bacon and onions cooking in my big old Le Creuset pot about drove me crazy! But when it was all done, the soup was delicious! I grated some real parmigiano-reggiano cheese on top and heated up some garlic bread. Believe me, this soup warms you up from the inside out! It is easy to put together, fast to cook, and just hits the spot! Give it a try this week....

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1/3 pound smoky bacon (about 6 slices), chopped
1/2 pound red potatoes, cut into small cubes
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound kale or tuscan kale (lacinato), stemmed and shredded or chopped
6 cups chicken stock
One 15.5-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed (I used a can of red kidney beans)
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for serving

Directions:
In a soup pot, heat the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, onion and garlic, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the kale, cover and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock, beans and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls with the cheese on top. Yum Yum in my Tum Tum! :)

~ Cute Picture of the Week...Wen Li the Panda ~

How cute and cuddly is this? I love pandas and when I saw this adorable little fuzz ball, I couldn't resist sharing her with you. Meet Wen Li, almost 6 months old and ready to get into all kinds of trouble! She is shown here trying to escape from her "crib" at the Chengdu Giant Panda Research Institute. Luckily she was caught just in time before she made too much mischief. Enjoy and Happy Friday!

~ National Puzzle Month...Get Your Mind in Shape ~

Albert Einstein

Dear Friends,

Did you know that January is National Puzzle month? Even though it is cold outside, you can get those brains warmed up doing some mental exercises. Whether you like crossword puzzles, or word jumbles, Scrabble, Sudoku or (my favorite) jigsaw puzzles, take some time this month to challenge yourself. There are brain teasers of all kinds to fit every personality and ability.

Plus, they are a healthy way to start the new year! Research has shown that doing some form of puzzle every day helps keep the mind stimulated and alert. In the long term, puzzling helps to deter brain problems like dementia and Alzheimer's disease. By thinking out the solutions, puzzles help to increase the flow of blood to the brain. When blood flows to the brain, more oxygen is produced, thereby making the mind work to it's optimal capacity. In other words, figuring out a word in a crossword puzzle, or putting together all those pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, gives your brain a workout!! What a fun way to burn some mental calories and clean out last year's junk! :)

If you have access to a daily paper, try working the crossword puzzle or word jumble. Believe me, you won't know the answers to all the questions and that is okay. You might need to look at the solutions for a little while. But, soon you'll find that you can solve things faster and without any help. The same thing is true for jigsaw puzzles. Many years ago, I hated doing jigsaw puzzles, but over time I've learned to love them. With some puzzles, it is still a challenge, but the reward of having put it all together is wonderful! Now, I have confidence in my ability and I can put the picture in place much faster.

Here's a few sites to help you challenge yourself:

• http://www.jigzone.com/ ~ a new online jigsaw puzzle everyday (and one down at the bottom of this blog!); you can change the piece shape and size of the puzzle


• http://www.braingle.com/ ~ site has brain teasers, memory games, trivia, riddles, and daily challenges


• http://www.websudoku.com/ ~ tons of Sudoku puzzles to solve


• www.nytimes.com/pages/crosswords/~ a new Crossword puzzle everyday from the NY Times
  

P.S. I also have lots of regular jigsaw puzzles for sale in my little store ~ Peaches And Dreams