For the last fifteen years my friend Vicki and I have been traveling the roads around the lake and the rural country side with an occasional trip into the City. Recently we traveled to a near by City for a Scrap Book Luncheon and afternoon of Scrap Booking. We met a group of friends at The Potpourri House a lovely restaurant and gift shop in Tyler, Texas. They have a very nice menu selection in addition to a lovely buffet. I ordered the Chicken Crepes which was served with fruit and a Zucchini muffin...Yummy! If you are ever in Tyler you might try The Potpourri House. I give it my Texas Star Award! Then we were off to do our work/play time. I have been blessed to know this group of ladies who want to have fun and give back or pay forward to others. Our afternoon of Scrap Booking was just such a time. It is so much joy to be able to give to others for their contributions in making life better for other women. There is so much creative energy that flows at the Scrap Book...

Its Pizza Night here at the Country Cottage. Our Great Grandchildren Brinden and Kyleigh have been here for a summer visit. One thing that we have always enjoyed as a family is Pizza Night. Everyone gets to help make the Pizza, its a lot of fun and it is soooo good! Kyleigh (nickname Miss Texas) made a Pepperoni and Cheese Pizza.   Great Pizza   Brinden made a Hamburger, Red and Green Bell Pepper, Onion and Purple Basil Pizza. They both helped out with the Basil Pesto and Cheese Pizza. We made our Pizza Sauce and Basil Pesto early in the day so all the seasons could set. Pizza Sauce 24 ounces of homemade tomato sauce 2 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced fine 1 tablespoon fresh basil, fine chop pinch of salt pinch of red pepper flakes Mix all the ingredients together and simmer for at least one hour. Print Recipe Basil Pesto From: "Miz Helen's Kitchen Table" cookbook 3 cups fresh Basil leaves 3 Tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese...

  Hi, I am so glad that you all came back for our last talk about preserving and the special use of our Herbs. I am so happy to have my Great Granddaughter Kyleigh , helping me harvest the herbs today. She is wearing a frontier dress and bonnet that was made for her mother Tiffany at her very same age. We had found it when we went through the antique trunk which is packed with memories and history to pass down to family. Get your Garden Journal out and we will get started. We have found that Basil, Chives, Dill, Mint, Oregano, Rosemary, Sage, and Thyme are a great bug repellent in the garden. I have also found that the Squirrels will not come near Collards. I always plant some Sunflowers for the Squirrels to deter them from the garden, they will eat the sunflowers and leave the garden alone. It is wonderful to step outside the door and have fresh herbs, however when there is a foot of snow and ice on the ground we will not be doing that. There are many diffe...

I am so glad that you could come back to continue the tour with us. Did you bring your Garden Journal ? As we continue our tour of the Herb Garden we will look at the different kinds of Herbs that we have here at the Country Cottage. Basil is an annual plant, which means that usually it will need to be replanted every year. I have had some success in my Basil coming back for several years. We plant it in late April or early May as the ground needs to stay a bit warmer for it to grow. We plant the seeds directly in the garden, although I have grown it from seed indoors. Basil loves the hot sun. It may wilt out a bit in mid day but it will bounce right back in the late afternoon and early morning. Try not to cut the Basil in the heat of the day, cut it in the early morning or the late afternoon. We try to keep our Basil cut back during growing season. Try not let it seed out to early as it will make it bitter. When it has stopped producing in the late fall, just cu...