Sapone Fai Da Te... Handmade Soap...

I like the idea of making soap,  but not the idea of caustic chemicals... So ,  I "made " soap the easy, non scary way,  by simply buying soap base and adding pretty petals and essential oils.  It was easy to do and I liked using my own combinations of favorite fragrances... like,  Lavender and Thyme.  Marigold,  Honey,  and Oatmeal was my inspiration from a favorite magazine. Using baking molds that I already  had was handy.  Instant gratification... that's me!

Pane D' Oliva... Olive Bread...

I really prefer breads to be simple, and classic... no add ins... but,  i decided this time, to add in some pitted black olives because I like the rustic look,  and because we really love olives around here...

Una Torta Per Una Cara Amica... A Cake For A Dear Friend...

 The party for Jody was at Linda's house... The theme was appropriate for an avid gardener like Jody.  A woodland theme,  and a cake to match.  I made a "Tree Stump"  shape and decorated it with Wafer Paper Butterflies and Meringue Mushrooms.  It was a Dark Chocolate Nutella cake... Everyone loved the way it looked,  and... the way it tasted... The party was so fun... Linda outdid herself...

Autunno... Autumn...

Possibly my favorite time of year... although I would love to have cooler weather  and lots of color,  it's a little early and we just don't get lots of that here... Sadly, the Pumpkins are pretty much a failure this year...   I have very few and have begun removing the uncooperative plants... Next year I will start them very early!

Colori D'Autunno... Autumn Colors...

Happy to have saved and dried,  Roses,  Garlic Flowers ,  and Hydrangea...  Casually arranged on a pedestal,  makes for a pretty arrangement  of early Autumn color...

Melanzane ... Eggplant...

Thankfully,  Eggplants are easier for me to grow than pumpkins.  They are so pretty,  and we all love to eat them... the white ones are really beautiful,  but we've decided that they don't taste as good as the purple ones.  Been preparing them in the usual ways,  grilled, alone or  with  fresh mozzarella or fresh ricotta,  on top of just  picked  tomato, and arugula... and,  the traditional way that Mom taught me... thin layers wrapped around an herb, cheese filling, topped with a light tomato sauce and baked...everyone's favorite. It's so satisfying to step into the garden and plan a meal around what is ready to harvest,  combining  two of my  favorite pastimes.