Day trip to Bell Island

My sister, niece,daughter and I took a little day trip to Bell Island last Sunday....what a beautiful day!!

Bell Island is a Canadian island located off Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula in Conception Bay.  It is home to three communities, the largest of which is the incorporated town of Wabana.  The provincial government operates a ferry service from Portugal Cove to Bell island daily. It is primarily used by commuters who work in the St. John's metropolitan area.

While waiting at Portugal Cove, for the ferry to bring us across the tickle, I took a shot of this lovely little waterfall.......................

 

After just a twenty minute ferry ride, here's what we saw as we approached the wharf on the island......

We drove around the island and were amazed at the quiet beauty.  I fell in love with this 

abandoned little house....

The beautiful, weather-beaten, old fences around fields and green pastures....

The scenery is beautiful from every angle......

This was the cherry on the top of my ice-cream......an antique fire truck, on display,

outside the local fire house

I would highly recommend, to anyone who has the opportunity, a visit Bell Island.  It is beautiful.

Cheers

:)

Happy Canada Day!!

Sour Cream-Rhubarb Breakfast Cake

Well, it's rhubarb season again, and we eat  a lot of things rhubarb around this time of year.  Last night, I made a Sour-Cream Rhubarb Breakfast Cake.  Here's a few snaps of how it turned out............

It smelled so good while baking that hubby needed a piece, with vanilla ice cream, as 

soon as it cooled a little- ha ha!

Here's my recipe....

Sour Cream-Rhubarb Breakfast Cake

Cake

           1 cup packed brown sugar                       

1/2 cup margarine (softened)

1 egg                

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

1-1/2 cups chopped rhubarb (1/2-inch chunks)

Topping

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions

In a bowl, cream sugar, shortening and egg.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Gently fold in rhubarb until evenly distributed. Spoon into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan, or a large pie dish.  Combine topping ingredients until crumbly; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes.

Cool slightly before cutting into squares.
 Enjoy!

More June Colors in my Flatrock garden

Finally finished up all my "weeding, planting and putting down new mulch.  Now I can just relax and enjoy it.  I can hear the chuckles from all you gardeners out there.  Gardening is a labor of love.  It is a lot of hard work.  I do get so much back from gardening though.  I am totally relaxed when I am crawling around weeding and planting.  I often stop to realize that I am actually humming.  My greatest pleasure is when my plants start to blossom and flower.

Here are a few shots of some of the different colors around my garden.........

 

 The next two shots are of a large flowering shrub in our front yard.  I don't know what it is, but

 if you do, I'd love for you to let me know!

 

 

Chairs--Cheers, ha ha!

:)

Rhubarb Custard Squares

I get so much pleasure from going into my own backyard and cracking off a few long, crunchy stalks of fresh rhubarb.  I actually love to eat it, right from the rhubarb patch !  The tartness, and crispy texture of uncooked rhubarb is so fresh-tasting and delicious, and it always reminds me that summer is just around the corner.

I remember that when I was a child, I always loved eating rhubarb.   My mother would tell me not to eat too much, because I would get a stomach ache.  Now, I feel so lucky because I can eat as much rhubarb as I like......and I do.  I am constantly nibbling on little chunks of it, as I prepare it for recipes.

I love to bake with rhubarb, and make jams or relish. My late mother-in-law was one of the best bakers I ever had the pleasure of taste-testing for.  She was also an avid berry picker, and loved to make different and delicious treats from whatever berries or fruit was in season.  The rhubarb was the first to be ripe, in early to mid-June.  She would go on a "baking marathon", baking anything and everything rhubarb.  I pulled out her "Rhubarb Custard Squares" recipe this morning, and gave it a try.  I've put the recipe at the end of this post. 

Here's how my rhubarb looked before I picked it..........

How many pieces did I eat, while chopping?????? (ha ha)

 Here's the recipe------simple and delicious!!!

RHUBARB- CUSTARD BARS

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter softened

1 1/4 cup flour

Blend crust ingredients and press into 13"x9" pan.

Bake 10 minutes at 350F and remove from oven.

Filling

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs beaten

5 cups rhubarb

Combine these ingredients well. Pour over crust.

Continue baking for 1/2 hour.

Cheers
:)