Please Don't Eat the Daisies

My Roses have peaked and are beginning to wane,

kinda of a sad moment for me, I just can't get enough of them

But there is this phrase I heard in a movie, years ago, that I use

all the time when I discover I am a bit too attached to something;

"Hold on tightly, Let go lightly"

Here come the Daisies and Hydrangeas!

Kyra

Garden Haul

Beet greens, kale, sugar snaps, oh my..

God Bless the snails, the slugs, the ants and the deer

I've still got something going on out there!

The snap peas I eat fresh and raw almost as fast as I pick them

But the greens can be a bit overwhelming

So, I sauté them, each type at a time, in olive oil with sea salt and garlic

  They are young and tender, so just 

a bit of cooking until they are wilted and aromatic

Then I toss them all together, use them a few times;  over polenta with

parmesan, in a frittata, room temp with a dash of vinegar and a grilled steak, etc.

Then, I freeze the rest in smaller portions to enjoy 

in the winter when I'm wishing for them all over again.

I just love it out there in the quiet of the morning,

squishing bugs and pulling weeds

Listening to the birds, and remembering the earlier sounds of 

boats going out to haul

It is so safe in that little world, I find myself wanting to create that

energy everywhere I am

and then,

this was part of my affirmation for today:

.....You have the power within yourself to encounter only those who bring love and joy into 

your current world....It is in your best interest to do so"

Here's to love and joy! 

enjoy

Kyra

Chalk Paint

I had been lusting after this paint by Annie Sloan for over a year.

Soft matte finish, the French look, old world colors, easy "aging".......

I kept stalking her website, pouring over the colors

and awesome possibilities, but just never would push that send button.

Do you ever do that?

Then presto!  The universe clicked in and the wonderful client of 

a big design project this winter emailed me to ask if I knew about these paints,

she was headed to the retail store near her home and could

bring me back some with her when she arrived back on the island in the spring.

Yes please.

I am SO in love with these earthy, clay like colors.

I just want to rub them all over myself! 

 But, I chose this old desk to rub on instead :0)

 I picked  "Old Violet" for the first coat and was going to

put Paris Gray on top,

But as usual, I changed my mind and did another coat of Old Violet

before putting on the dark wax to "age" it

The best part was hanging out watching the traffic go by while the first coat dried

Now the wax.  

Yikes!  That changed the color drastically.

Aha! Now I know how they get that brownish aged look on painted furniture.  

After the wax dried, I sanded the whole piece with very fine sand paper

and did a little "age distress" rubbing.

Voila! Not too bad for my first try.

So many possibilities, so little time....

It's mowing day at Lily's

 Happy Monday!

Kyra

The Power of Friendship

Perfect rainy day plans yesterday;

an early supper in Ellsworth with good friends that I don't get to see very often.

I wound up in town a little early and stopped in to 

see Peter (my sous chef at Lily's) at his new gig,

The Maine Grind.  I hadn't seen him in months.

He looks great, the place was humming and we chatted and laughed for a good half an hour

Arriving for a bring your own dinner on Kathleen's back porch, found me surrounded by

beautiful gardens, a sweet black cat, and two very dear friends.

The time spent together was simply magical

Driving home in this incredible golden late evening sunlight,

glimpses of sparkling water shores, thru diamond lit trees and fields

I was filled with this incredible lust for my life.

I care about people, they care about me, we connected.

I don't think there is a purer way to light up your life

Thank you

Here's to connection!

Enjoy your weekend

Kyra

Lobster, Potatoes and a Good time

I had such a wonderful time yesterday, I hope you all did too.

We were invited to a lovely picnic after the island's parade

and then dinner with friends that night with a killer view to watch the fire works

I have to admit it.  I've been trying to avoid social obligations

in the summer for 15 years.

Hundreds of people in the cafe, 12 hours a day, 5 days straight

By the time the 4th came around I really just wanted to curl up on the back

porch and read a book.

But this year was different.  I was craving the company.

Excited about it

And so so grateful that invitations had been extended.

Feeling relaxed all day, really jubilant to see so many people that

I haven't had an opportunity to connect with, it was so nice.

Really nice.  And the food was good too!

I didn't want anyone to think I'd lost my touch with the cafe closed,

 so I tried to bring something special to the picnic.

  Tickled pink I was, to hear rave reviews.

LOBSTER AND POTATO SALD

This is simple and delicious.  It's best if you make it a few hours before serving

so the flavors have a chance to meld and settle.

Adjust your salt and pepper one last time before serving.

Salad:

Approximately 1 lb fresh lobster meat, cut into large chunks

1 pound new red potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks

1/2 cup sliced green onion

Boil the potato pieces in salted water until just tender all the way through

Drain and allow to cool to room temp

Place lobster, potatoes and green onion in a large bowl and toss to combine

Dressing:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp curry powder

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until nice and creamy

Pour dressing over salad and toss lightly, but well, to coat entirely

Let stand a few hours in fridge if you can and adjust salt and pepper.

I didn't have any, but it would be nice to garnish this with freshly chopped parsley when serving

Enjoy your day!

Kyra

Brownies and Grilled "Fried" Chicken

Hi All!

Here is a link to my guest blog for P. Allen Smith and two new recipes!

http://www.pallensmith.com/blog/food/grilled-fried-chicken-lee-baileys-brownies

Happy 4th of July!

Have fun

Kyra

Happy Sunday

play by your own rules, express gratitude and

Enjoy yourselves!

Kyra