Mango Bread (favorite recipe)

I made this sweet bread a couple week ends ago and took it with us on our trip to the Springfield flea market. Thought that it would last us for the 2 day trip - not! Didn't even make it past lunch on the first day! AND - the three of us got into a fight over the last piece!! Yep - it's that good~~~

Mango Bread

~~

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups chopped mangoes

(I use the Del Monte mangoes in the jar

because they are always so fresh and juicy)

~

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup golden raisins

(going to be honest here - I use way more! I usually use almost a whole cup)

~

2 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

~~~

Beat eggs,oil, and sugar. Mix in spices, vanilla, and lemon juice. Alternately add flour, mixing until well blended. (Mixture will be thick - I usually do this by hand.)

Add raisins and well drained mangoes. Pour into loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

~~~

For me - this recipe seems to make enough for the one loaf pan and for about 2 muffins which I bake in little pudding cups - (I think this is because I add the extra raisins - oh well!)

~~~

I am sure that using fresh mangoes is probably just as good - I am just hooked on the ones in the jar!

Enjoy! Don't blame me when you can't stop eating this bread!

~~~

We are just back from our trip to Asheville, Black Mountain, the Biltmore, and lots more! (The rose garden at the Biltmore was stunning!) (My nests look adorable in their new home!) (We found some wonderful new places in Asheville!) (And - we attended the most charming Repertory Theater in Mars Hill!)

~~~

We went non stop for 3 days and I have lots of pictures and stories to share with you. Just need a few days to process it all (and I do have a job you know - so have to find time to work also!)

Vicki

Celebrate~~~

Celebrate, celebrate,
let's all dance to the music~~~

Celebrate,celebrate~~

all the nests are

knitted

and

delivered

to their happy

little homes!(the last little nests left this morning for their home sweet homes!)

all but one~

that is!~~~~

To celebrate

the end of the

~ "nesting" ~let's give this last

little nest

away!

Who wants to give a home to this last little nest?Just leave a comment here on this posting.

You can enter as often as you like!

Maddy girl is in charge of all contests, you know~

she will pick the winner on July 3.

~~~

If you want to post about this contest

on your own blog - just leave me a comment

that you have done so

and I will give you 3 extra chances

to win!~~~

(this little nest will travel to it's new home

anywhere in the world!)

~~

We are taking a little trip!

How exciting!

~~

~~

Where are we going?

What are we

packing?

~~

Some of my little nests are traveling

to a beautiful gallery

in the town of Black Mountain

just outside of

Asheville, North Carolina!

We are a little bit nervous!

This is a new venture for us~~~

We are leaving tomorrow~~~
Wish us luck!




I will have lots to tell you all about
when we return home
in a few days~~~
~~
I hope to have
some pictures
to share
also!


Oh! I almost forgot!!!
If the lucky winner
of the nest
is one of my
sweet followers~~
they can choose
to have me personalize
their nest
(if they wish)
with one of these
little jeweled
bird pins!

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who patiently waited for me to create their nest. This "nesting" experience has led me to meet the most wonderful people and they have gifted me with such sincerely kind and thoughtful comments.

~~~

Never, ever, would I have thought that the creation of a little bird nest would allow me to make such precious friendships from all over the world! I am truly blessed!

~~~

Our next "nesting" season will begin in August. Until then I am going to ~~~

(sit by the pool, visit the grand baby, read some great books, cook for my husband!, mow lots of grass (love that!), knit something besides a bird nest,~~~)

Vicki

Sacred Yarn Room Spring

I look out the window and think "oh at last!"
the spring days are coming, and winter has past~~~

Join me for a

little celebration of

SPRING

here in the

Sacred Yarn Room ~

this beautiful Spring doll

made by dearest

Dorthe
~~~

she traveled so very far

just to join in this

"Welcome to Spring"

celebration

she has the most beautiful face

and I love

that she holds

a little

nest!

a "found" nest and eggs
a beautiful friendship card from Dorthe
a little vintage inspired
wooden
bird


two more nests from nature
and some yarns
the color
of fresh green
leaves

a bird house crafted

from a vintage

Christmas

book

a vintage Enid Collins purse~

this one is called

"Flower Garden"

a beautiful

treasure box

don't you love the vintage

bird decor?

my roses

made from

vintage patterns

~~~

remember ~

I bought the patterns at the flea market?

the roses were crafted

from the pattern

tissues

Don't you love

the vintage look of these

roses?

a closer look at this little bird house
~~~

I love

that it is made

from a

vintage book!

a treasured porcelain box

that once belonged

to my

grandmother

a precious bird collage

made by Tami

and some

beaded yarns

in the colors

of

Spring

another view
of the

birdhouse

and the lovely

collage

my "turtle bowl"

filled with

yarns
~~~

(does any body know why they are called turtle bowls?)

a piece of vintage Hall pottery

that belonged to my Mother

~~~

(found this in Mom's potting shed after she had passed away -

caked with dirt, this had once been a "pot" for flowers

took me forever to clean this up and make it usable again~~~)

priceless

a vintage inspired pitcher

(love the bird pattern!)

bought at my favorite store

Hobby Lobby!

a sweet little porcelain bird

sitting on a

"nest"

of my "Wild Stuff"

Prism yarns

a beautiful sketch by Michelle

and a new little

pottery bird house

that I purchased

on a recent trip

to

Black Mountain.

However you celebrate the arrival of Spring,

I wish you the happiest of days~~~

Vicki

Baby Love ~~~

Our precious little Karington Elizabeth (Keri Beth) is just over 3 weeks old.
I just returned from a visit to see her today~~~



She weighs almost 9 pounds now and is a cuddly, snugly, bundle of baby love. She is sleeping with her little guardian angel doll that was given to her by my dear friend Dorthe.


This precious little angel doll traveled all the way from Denmark to watch over our little grand baby and keep her safe in her little crib. Thank you sweet Dorthe for a gift that has touched our hearts. We are trusting this little guardian angel to watch over our little one while she dreams~~~





Little Keri Beth is sound asleep here - resting on my shoulder. I snapped this picture while she was up against my chest. She is in a serious "milk coma"!

Is there anything sweeter than a sleeping baby?

This gb is in heaven with little Keri on my shoulders! Several people have asked me - "what does gb stand for?" gb stands for granny boster - which I do NOT want to be called. Hence - I will be just gb. Little g - little b. gb. Easy for a little one to say - don't you think?

This is it - mostly what she does all day. Sleep and sleep and sleep. She is a very good baby. Her parents say that she sleeps about 3 hours at a time and does not cry except when she is hungry. What a good little girl!

A rare moment - with her eyes open! Doesn't she have the most adorable little face? She is looking at her gb. She loves me~~~

Belch and then hiccups. Then do it again!

Asleep on gb's shoulder again. Don't you love that little mouth?

Just spending time with our little one today - was so wonderful. Her parents live about an hour and a half away - so I can't go everyday - but I wish I could!

This little one is such a blessing in our lives~~~

vicki

Spring Melodies

There is always music amongst the trees in the garden~~~

but our hearts must be very quiet

to hear

it.

We have had the most beautiful spring~~

our yard has been filled

with blooming

trees

when the wind blows

the air is filled

with showers

of falling

blooms

our majestic

snow crab apple tree

has never been

more

beautiful

a palette of colors

in all the shades

of new

spring

the gardener

left his toys

out

(again!)

the fragrance of spring blooms

fills the air

and is mixed

with that wonderful smell

of fresh cut

grass

the trees are showing off their

very best spring

colors

this tree is so beautiful

it takes my

breath

away

we have

waited

so very, very long

for this spring

to arrive

is that why

it seems

so very

beautiful?

standing beneath this tree

you can hear

the buzz of

hundreds

of busy bees

what a wonderful

and welcome spring

we have

enjoyed

perhaps I was a little anxious~~

I worked so hard to make our back deck look like this

and then - last night the weather report said

scattered frost!!!
~~~

so I gathered all the flowers together

and then they all looked like this!

(the sad thing is - that even though I know better,

I do this every year!)

We are going to be on a little spring theme here for the next few postings.

Coming up next, a celebration of spring in the Sacred Yarn Room. And after that - a crafty little post about "Spring - in a jar". I will show you how to make your very own~~~

Enjoy these blessed spring days~~

Vicki