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Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

Weeping for our willow

September 22, 2012 by Mary Frances 7 Comments

Fallen willow tree limb.

This is what we woke up to this morning!!! We arrived last night in the dark and did not see this until today. This probably happened on Tuesday, when there was a big storm and fierce winds. It couldn’t have happened last night, we would have heard something!

Our willow is a magnificent tree, probably at least 200 years old or maybe even older. I showed you pictures of it when we stayed up here for a week in July. I’m not sure if you get the massiveness of this limb that broke off – it’s really like a third of the tree! But thank goodness, two-thirds of it is still standing. Perhaps this is nature’s way of insuring that what’s left will be healthy and strong and keep on going for another 100 years? I sure hope so as we love this tree.Fallen willow tree limb.

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Hudson Valley, storms, weeping willow, willow

Our week upstate

July 7, 2012 by Mary Frances Leave a Comment

We are rounding home stretch here on our vacation week upstate. We had glorious weather the whole time to be greeted by rain this afternoon. But that’s okay, it feels like a Nantucket day today so I am writing and reading and hopefully napping soon, a true vacation luxury.

I always end up saying to my husband, after my daily bike ride, that there is no prettier place than here. (Well Bali may be prettier but I’ve not been there yet.) It is just so darn pretty here – the sky even competes with a South African one! We often just sit staring out at our backyard, watching the show of animals that randomly appear, which provides a great sense of renewal to us city dwellers during the week.

Here are some photo highlights of our week. I’ll post some bike riding pictures soon!

Nantucket green backyard.

Our backyard sunset cocktail lounge

Hudson Valley sunset.

Hudson Valley sunsets can’t be beat!

Blueberry pie.

My 4th of July blueberry pie – served with Blue Marble vanilla ice cream and fresh raspberries to make it complete!

Blueberry pie with flakey crust.

I’m very proud of this super flakey crust.

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: bike rides, Blue Marble ice cream, blueberry pie, cocktails, Hudson Valley, outdoor cocktail lounges, raspberries, sunsets

Hudson Valley

June 11, 2012 by Mary Frances 2 Comments

Horses at a fence. Stallions at Silvernails sign.My bike ride yesterday was so lovely. I keep saying that the Hudson Valley is just so, so pretty. The light here is so spectacular. No wonder all the artists and painters congregated here.

I have several routes that I go on for my rides. This particular one is about 8 miles and takes in numerous horse farms. Spectacular pieces of property and interestingly enough, the horses and cows all came to their fences to say hello to me as I was riding by yesterday!

Here are just a few shots for your pleasure.

Corn just starting to grow in cornfield.

The corn is just starting to grow!

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: bike rides, bike routes, horse farms, horses, Hudson Valley, Hudson Valley School of Art, Silvernails stallions

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Mary Frances

Mary Frances

Spread love through cooking.

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Easy Cheesy Sautéed Squash The Best Potato Salad Super Quick Chicken and Summer Vegetables Stir-fry Chimichurri-ed Wilted Endives with Walnuts Chilled Curried Zucchini Soup with Apple Garnish Best Strawberry and Rhubarb Crisp to make now!

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