THE GIFT ~ 'WINTER SOLSTICE' .......... GOURMET ESPRESSO DRINKS (BRANDY-RUM MOCHACCINO & GRASSHOPPER CAPPUCCINO)

"Never are voices so beautiful as on a winter's evening, when dusk almost hides the body, and they seem to issue from nothingness with a note of intimacy seldom heard by day."

~ Virginia Woolf

(Night and Day)

~ WINTER SOLSTICE (Hubbard Lake)

~ 'FATHER CHRISTMAS' (dressed for Winter)

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BRANDY-RUM MOCHACCINO

~ Warm yourself on frosty winter nights with this piping hot chocolate drink compliments of Mathew Tekulsky's Making Your Own Gourmet Coffee Drinks

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cup of hot espresso

1 1/2 tsp. brandy

1 1/2 tsp. rum

1 12 tsp. creme de cacao

1 Tbsp. chocolate syrup

3 oz. steamed milk

1/4 cup heavy whipped cream

ground cinnamon

ground nutmeg

thin wafer garnish

Mix espresso, brandy, rum, creme de cacao, and chocolate syrup in a (warmed) glass.
Add 1 1/2 oz. steamed milk and 1 1/2 oz. milk foam. Top with whipped cream, sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Garnish with thin wafer.

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GRASSHOPPER CAPPUCCINO

~ For the minty coffee lover from Matthew Tekulsky's

Making Your Own Gourmet Coffee Drinks

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cup of espresso

1 1/2 tsp. creme de menthe

1 1/2 tsp. creme de cacao

3 oz. steamed milk

1/4 cup heavy whipped cream

sweetened chocolate powder

fresh mint sprig for garnish

Mix espresso, creme de menthe, and creme de cacao in a (warmed) glass.
Add 1 1/2 oz. steamed milk and 1 1/2 cup milk foam. Top with whipped cream and chocolate powder. Garnish with fresh mint sprig. (Also good over ice)

OCTOBER JOY ~ AUTUMN MINI-ROAD TOUR (HUBBARD LAKE, MI)

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October." ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne Up driveway and overhead sky (Click on all photos for larger view ) 'Wa-gi-daa-king' Autumn South shore drive South Shore view West Branch River West Shore Drive Tamarack Island Old Marina Down hill Mt. Maria view Down hill Mt. Maria Remains of the Day (October Sunset)

AS THE GARDEN GROWS (MID-JUNE GARDEN STROLL) ~ 'BURSTING BUDS'

"In June, as many as a dozen species may burst their buds on a single day. No man can heed all of these anniversaries; no man can ignore all of them." ~ Aldo Leopold WAVE PETUNIAS ROCK GARDEN WONDERS STREPTOCARPUS BLUE WONDERS GERBERA DAISY IN THE ROSE GARDEN CHOCOLATE COSMOS JOHNSON'S BLUE GERANIUM EVENING PRIMROSE ( Oenothera) - ASTILBE HYDRANGEA (ANNABELLA - MACROPHYLLA) ASTILBE KOUSA DOGWOOD JAPANESE PAINTED FERN - HOSTA

'JUST FOR ONE'S HEALTH' ... ~ PURPLE CONEFLOWER (Echinacea purpurea) / 'NOT YOUR ORDINARY' BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

"Just for one's health ... it is very necessary to work in the garden and to see the flowers growing." Vincent Van Gogh PURPLE CONEFLOWER ( Echinacea purpurea ) 'NOT YOUR ORDINARY' BLUEBERRY MUFFINS ~ On the lighter side, these are always a family favorite from ... PICNIC! Recipes and Menus for Outdoor Enjoyment 1 2/3 cups flour 1/3 cup wheat germ 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 t sp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1 1/2 cups MICHIGAN blueberries (preferably small wild ones) 1 cup buttermilk 2 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter Preheat oven to 400-degrees. In large bowl, combine flower, wheat germ, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add blueberries and stir to coat. Add buttermilk and butter. Stir until just mixed. Spoon batter into greased muffin pans. Bake 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans for 2 minutes. "The purple coneflower isn't really purple at all. The large, eye-catching flowers are bright rose-pink. Each flower has a bristly iridescent orange cent...

THE VILLAGE VOICE

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