The Mint Needle

For the love of land... To sharing some sights we enjoyed from the road. "Land really is the best art." ~ Andy Warhol Happy Trails:)

Ohhhh....yummy blackberries....There's so many ways we can enjoy these fruits. Blackberry muffins, blackberry juice, blackberry tea (infused with leaves), jam, pound cake with blackberries, yogurt, and the list goes on & on. Today I share my recipe for blackberry cobbler. It's been perfected over the years & it's definitely worth a try for berry lovers. Here's what you'll need for the crust: 1 14oz. can of sweetened condensed milk 1 egg 1 stick of butter 1/3 cup regular milk 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 1/2 cups of flour * This will give you enough dough for a 9 x 13 pan. Mix all your ingredients together while your oven preheats to 350. In your cookware, use non-stick spray to coat. Place your blackberries in the pans & sprinkle sugar generously. Don't forget, the larger blackberries are much more sour than the mini wild ones. Take your dough and spread it over your fruit. There is no real method for this...

Okay...here's the story: We are in fruit consumption overload! Everything is ripening & at a very rapid pace. There's tomatoes, peaches, blackberries, & grapes galore. So much so that I found myself making jam in two separate pots, with three fruit based desserts in the oven. Yes...it is all good, but I'm exhausted. (And... I have so many projects to still finish up. I missing my sewing machines.....)But, I will say I was given some special compliments with my made up recipe. So of course I have to share them. Let's start off with what I call a Peach Pie. I consider it a pie because of the crust, even though it looks like a cobbler. Here's how it goes: Crust: 3 cups flour 3 Tbs. milk 3 Tbs. water 2 sticks unsalted margarine 1 teaspoon salt 2 Tbs. sugar 1 teaspoon canola oil Mix your ingredients together. Place your dough on a floured surface and roll it out. I used white corning ware for my 'pie pan'. (Deeper d...

There are soo many things that I want to share about summer harvesting, I just don't know where to start. I write today's post about a little yellow flower we've been busy picking. It's usually called pot marigold. But the interesting thing is... it's not even really....a marigold . I'm talking about calendula. For centuries, countries in Europe have been using calendula flowers for it's healing capabilities. It is known to reduce pain & inflammation of the skin. Often, it is seen to treat wounds that have difficulty healing. It helps leg ulcers, ear infections, bladder infections, menstrual cramping, tonsillitis, gum, & tooth infections. I think you get the hint that it has huge antibacterial properties. Hip, hip, hooray for calendula!  The flowers can be made into tinctures, teas, salves, & ointments. But....if you decide to use it for a skin wound, use it only in tea form only. You could do this by placing a couple of...

We are history lovers.... America's largest home boasts 250 rooms, 8,000 acres, & 43 bathrooms when many people didn't even have 1 indoors. The home was built in 1895 by George W. Vanderbilt and was designed by Richard Morris Hunt. (He also designed Central Park in New York.... I thought that was pretty cool.) We were utterly blown away by the immensity of this home. More like a castle if you ask me. Completely self-sufficient at the time, the Vanderbilt family were pioneers in gardening & agriculture. George & Edith had one child, Cornelia, who inherited the estate & continued to maintain & expand on the family's establishment. Regardless of how close all the hotels are to the home, everyone has to pass through the gates and embark on a beautiful scenic road that leads you to an entrance building where you can purchase tickets. (You can get them in advance online & cheaper if you have a promo code.- Kids were free.) Then, bac...