Sunflowers in the Garden. Sunflowers are great for flower gardens. Just beware they multiply and self seed. Plant them where they will have lots of room to grow. They are great for attracting birds and bees to your garden area.
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Nasturtium Flowers – I love adding nasturtium seeds into potted plants around the edge. They take some time to grow and fill in, but once they do they make a beautiful overhang for large patio pots. Now is the time to start thinking about buying seeds to start planting after your first freeze.
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Getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday! I added some seat cover to the dinning room in hopes to make it more neutral and slightly less formal. I think it looks good. What do you think?
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Blessings to you and yours during the holiday season ahead.
Pictured above my formal dining room at Casa Linda
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After – I updated the paint color in my dinning room. I am loving it! I went with a dark charcoal gray. It makes it feel updated without breaking the bank.
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Before – Dinning Room with Red Wood Paneling CeceliasGoodStuff.com | Good Food for Good People
Easy Center Piece – beautiful tables don’t have to be complicated. Use 6 or 7 glass vases to make a statement. Use single flowers in each. Table Scape Ideas
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Keep it simple this Easter or Passover – make a center piece with small glass vases and fresh flowers.
Table Scape Ideas
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It is almost time to start harvesting our New Mexico Chile crop! I can hardly wait! Red Chile Peppers CeceliasGoodStuff.com | Good Food for Good People
Heirloom Tomatoes from my garden. I had to pick most of them early because a severe hail storm. Not too bad for my first real crop this year.
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Each year for Halloween – I create a fun Halloween Candy Table. The kids love it!
Warning: the kids start running around like crazy! Sugar, sugar, way to much sugar. I only do this one day a year! (That’s how I justify it.)
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This little guy will bring a smile to your face. Happy little Pumpkin.
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Halloween Decor – It is that time of year, to start decorating for my favorite holiday Halloween.
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A sample of my Summer Garden Flowers. It has been a very hot long summer, with temperature still in the 90’s. Way to hot for this gal. My flowers are doing okay, with a little help from the garden hose each and every day!
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Lemon Thyme the Herb great for cooking, grilling and in summer drinks.
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A Cilantro Herb reseeded from last year’s crop. I love my herb garden. Fresh herbs really do make food taste 100 times better.
Growing the Good Stuff
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My hollyhocks have started blooming this week . . . they are just beautiful. They produce a huge amount of seeds and the birds love them. I now have plants growing everywhere in my gardens.
Growing the Good Stuff
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A Strawberry Spinach Plant in my garden.
Growing the Good Stuff
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Horse with Bangs White Stallion Ranch Tucson, Arizona USA
Nicholas my handsome cowboy . . . White Stallion Ranch, Tucson, Arizona USA – Spring Break 2017
Look Mom I can lay on my horse . . . having fun at the White Stallion Ranch in Tucson, Arizona.
Family Time at the White Stallion Guest Ranch in Tucson, Arizona. I think everyone need to play cowboy and cowgirls at least once in your life.
Family fun in Tucson, Arizona at the White Stallion Guest Ranch
A post card perfect image at the White Stallion Ranch
Arizona Cactus, I cannot take credit for this amazing photo, my twelve year old daughter took this photograph. Pretty amazing to say the very least.
A few image from our springbreak trip to Tucson, Arizona. This is unusual a Prickly Pear Cactus growing out of a Saguaro Cactus
We only had a small gathering for Christmas. It was nice and intimate. Every now and then a small group is fine by me. This is what my friend Maria had to say about my Christmas decorating, “Wow! This is just like the kind of dinners and decorations you see in a Norman Rockwell picture. I love the traditions you have and the beauty of it all. Truly an inspiration!”
Everyone waiting for me to sit down so they could dig in!
NOEL – I cover the buffet with garland and this NOEL decor. I love it. Sometimes the “Elf on the Shelf” plays tricks on me and moves the letters around. He likes to spell out LEON?! I think that might be his name. LOL
I usually set the table with my Spode Christmas Tree China, over the years I have added to the collection buying the wine glasses and serving pieces. My sister Penny is great about giving me a few pieces each year. I find so much joy in decorating for the holidays. This year I didn’t finish, due to getting the cookbook shipments out the week of Christmas.
Me beloved Christmas Tree – this picture really doesn’t do it justice. Each ornament is special to me. I have been collecting ornaments for over 30 years.
Decorating my table is something I absolutely love. I try to change it up a bit every year. This year I added these amazing hand-blown glass vases and topped each one with a glass ornament. Instead of traditional green garland , I went for the bling affect and added this fun garland.
A few of my favorite Christmas ornaments. I have been collecting ornaments since the 1980’s. My collection includes ornaments from my travels. Each one is very special.
Some highlights from my Christmas Holiday – my great friend Gregg thought it would be a great idea to have a pie exchange. He made this amazing pecan pie. I made a Millionaire Pie. The Pecan was the winner! Pictures of my kids Christmas morning, enjoying every single moment! They might get a little upset if they knew I was posting all this pictures. So let’s keep it our little secret.
Thanksgiving Dinner Table at Casa Linda, my home in New Mexico.
Thanksgiving Dinner Table at Casa Linda, my home in New Mexico.
Half the fun of any holiday is setting a beautiful table. Thanksgiving Table Scape at Casa Linda | www.ceceliasgoodstuff.com
As we celebrate this Thanksgiving holiday please take a moment to reflect on all that you have to be thankful for. God Bless us everyone.
The centerpiece was filled with corn, feathers, pumpkins, dried purple artichoke, and squash.
Katherine is always acting up – love my girl.
Thanksgiving Table Setting – half the fun is setting a beautiful table.
Thanksgiving Table Setting, I am a bit of an eclectic, I mixed stoneware with formal crystal. I don’t follow all the rules, I do mix and match according to my own unique taste.
New Mexico Cosmos – nearly 7 feet tall, I have never seen anything like it. All I did was water them. The flowers are enormous. The most beautiful COSMOS I have ever seen in my entire life. Absolutely breathtaking.
My cosmos are the most beautiful I have ever seen. I planted them in remembrance of my late Mother Katherine, who loved these flowers. They are nearly 7 feet tall. Spectacular!
Image from my cookbook – Inspiration comes from family. I enjoy cooking for those I love and adore.
The collage is a collection of my daughter’s images. She has quite an eye for a twelve year old.
My cosmos are the most beautiful I have ever seen. I planted them in remembrance of my late Mother Katherine, who loved these flowers. They are nearly 7 feet tall. Spectacular!
Casa Linda – My home in New Mexico – Halloween Decorations
Fall in the mountains of New Mexico is so beautiful. I had friends in from out of town and we ventured up to Ski Santa Fe for the scenic chairlift ride during Balloon Fiesta. The colors were spectacular. If and when you visit our great state in the fall these are two things you must do attend the Balloon Fiesta and visit our beautiful mountains.
Fall flowers are blooming away in my garden. I love this time of year. It is great to be outdoors, the weather is perfect. It is in the low 80’s for a high in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Absolutely perfect weather. I can ask for much more. Feeling blessed.
Peacock Napkin Ring – sometimes by purchasing one thing you love, you can build an entire Table Scape. Like this Peacock inspired Table Setting.
Peacock Table Scape with matching dinner journal and bottle tops. Dinner journals are a great way to remember special events. I usually log who attended dinner, what I made and if I have any notes about cooking specific items. Like use more dressing on the salad, or add more cheese to the potatoes, etc. It comes in handy because more often than not we forget from year to year.
Plates and glasses don’t have to match. They just need to compliment one another. Using a variety of colors make this Peacock Table Scape Beautiful! Nice job Sis! Cecelias Good Stuff
One of the few people that I know might have more dishes than I do is my sister, Penny. She enjoys setting a beautiful table as much as I do. Shown here is a table set using Peacock feathered napkin rings and plates to match. Peacock Table Scape – Cecelias Good Stuff
Saint Frances in my Garden
This is my table setting for a small intimate Dinner Party. I love china and I love setting a beautiful table. The small center peice is a silver plated vase on a silver plated plate. The sunflowers were from my garden and the china was a gift from my late mother-in-law, Kelly. I love the combination of Wedgewood plates and Japanese salad plates. The silverware were a great find when I was thrift shopping in Boise, Idaho with my dear friend Darcy.
Growing Chile Peppers is not hard. They do love warmer climates. The high desert mountains of New Mexico is the perfect place for chile. Hatch, New Mexico is known worldwide for their green chile. These chile peppers are great for salsa. See recipes under the Southwest Tab on the home pages to find numerous recipes.
Well two weeks of nearly 100 degrees in the high mountain desert of New Mexico. My flowers faired well. My lettuce on the other hand is no longer.
The Peonies this year were magnificant. I love flowers of all kinds, but there is something special about peonies. They remind me of growing up in a small northern town in New Mexico. My next door neighbor grew them in her flower garden. I remember them so well and the smell of fresh cut flowers. I find it comforting.
Garden Kale – kale is very hearty and does very well in the garden. It likes lots of sunshine and grows nearly year round. I cover mine with hay over the cold winter months to prevent it from freezing. It can get avids. I recommend spraying soapy water onto the leaves to keep the bugs away. Use one teaspoon dish soap to 4 cups water and spray weekly.
Thai Basil – most of my garden herbs grow in large clay pots. Basil is one herb that you have to plant yearly. It is one of the more fragile herbs, it like lots of water and need plenty of sunshine. The heat here in New Mexico can be a little too much for the fragile herb. So planting it in partial shade helps prevent it from getting burned on the edge of the leaves.
First garden tomatoes of the year. I am so excited to see my first ripe tomatoes of the year, I did plant in April and kept my fingers crossed that we would not have a hard freeze. My plants are doing so well. I am feel like a little kid, filled with excitement!
Red Romaine Lettuce this is a nice change from regular lettuce, it is so beautiful in a salad. My neighbor stopped by and picked some for her sandwich. I was happy to share my bounty with her.
Garden Flowers for table centerpiece. I picked some of my garden flowers and lined 6 small jars with a few flowers. It made a lovely and simple table centerpiece. This motivates me to plant more cutting flowers. INSPIRED!
My neighbor has the most beautiful poppy garden. All red, except for this single pink poppy. Poppies are one of my favorite flowers.
Diluting Epsom Salt in a one gallon jug is a great Gardener’s Secret to growing healthy plants. Diluting helps it to be absorbed much sooner. Use 1 cup of empson salt per gallon and feed each plant about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup one or two times per month. It works great in Flower Gardens and Vegetable Gardens, as well as indoor plants.
Beautiful tulips picked in my garden, I used them as center piece in this fun Italian Easter water pitcher I found at a local thrift store. It made a beautiful centerpiece for my kitchen table at “Casa Linda” (nickname for my home here in New Mexico) for the Easter holiday weekend.
My Easter table setting at Casa Linda (nickname for my home here in New Mexico, USA) By adding just a few small floral centerpieces it can really help to make a table setting beautiful. I also added a small candy dish filled with color Easter candy for a pop of color.
Table linens can really help to make your table beautiful, this table runner is linen and had these two playful bunnies with little cottontails.
I kept the decorations to a minimum this year, I used candy and fresh flowers from my flower garden for the focal point, and a super precious table runner.
I have been going to estate sales and found this beautiful silver plated water pitcher – I just love it. I am a traditional gal at heart.
Setting my table is one of my favorite things about any holiday. Easter is no exception.
I love this picture of this awesome oversized wooden bench. I thought I should share it with you. Tanque Verde Ranch, Tuscon, Arizona
Living in the desert southwest we have some spectalur sunsets, this is one of my favorites, I took this picture at Tanque Verde Ranch in Tuscan, Arizona. Spectular – would you say!
Creative Bird Feeder and Flowers, this is where I spend some time each day watching birds at the Ranch. It can get interesting, rattlesnakes also love to hang out here. Travel – Tucson, Arizona
I came home after being gone for ten days to find my plum trees were in full blooms. They are too beautiful not to share.
It is almost that time of year, I can hardly wait to plant my herb garden.
I love decorating for the holidays and Thanksgiving is no exception, I am playing with ideas for the dinning table and thought it would be fun to share some of the images with you.
Setting my Thanksgiving Table give me so much joy, I love playing around with different ideas, I haven’t really made a decision yet, but I am have loads of fun.
It is that time here in New Mexico for Green Chile, I found some beautiful chilies at the market this morning and wanted to roast a few. They make the entire house smell so good, I am going to use them to make a batch of green chile enchiladas!
My front entry way has two huge hibiscus trees, I bring them in during the winter months and then transplant outside in springtime. They produce the most beautiful red flowers you have every seen.
If you have never tried growing Cosmos – they are a must have, they reseed themself every year, making a beautiful addition to any cut flower garden. They range in colors from purples to white, gold and orange. Simply a must have for you garden. I planted them by seed in late spring, once the threat of frost is gone.
More sunflowers from my garden, the bees are in their happy place.
Greek Oregano blooming in my garden. It was very colorful, I thought it would be fun to share with you. The bees love it.
A picture of one of one of my garden beds. My rhubarb and tomatoes are doing so good this year!
A picture of my heirloom tomatoes, I can’t wait to see what they look like once they are ripe.
A single echinacea flower, popped up in one of my flower beds. The color is amazing!
I am growing dill in my herb garden, I used seeds from last year’s dill. I am so impressed with how well it is growing. I always let some go to seed to insure I have more dill the following year!
I love growing herbs! I really do feel like the difference between good food and great food is using the proper herbs in recipes. I also feel strongly that some herbs pair well with specific foods. I love dill on fish and in salads. Sometimes I just throw little pieces of dill directly into my salads. You don’t need a lot, a little dill goes a long way. Try it next time you are making a salad toss a little fresh dill into the bowl. Let me know what you think. Please comment on my recipe post or on Facebook or Google+.
Growing the Good Life – Growing Herbs is easy – I grow all mine it pots so I have fresh herbs, nearly year round!
Believe it or not, this thyme was a little tiny plant that I purchased at the grocery store, within a few years it took over the entire pot, now I grow all my herbs in pots. It is a great way to keep them contained so they don’t take over the garden. I had to learn this the hard way with lemon balm and mint taking over my garden boxes. I am still find mint sprouting up every now and then. Growing your own herbs is so easy and the cost is very inexpensive compared to purchasing a small handful at the grocery store for nearly $3, you can purchase an entire plant for that much and have an unlimited supply on hand for 6 to 9 months out of the year. How do you like that!? Not a bad idea . . . share you stories on gardening with me. Follow me on Facebook for my latest posts. Happy Gardening!
The Health Benefits of Lemon Balm – a Powerful Herb
I love this picture look in the background to see Katherine much anticipating the spaghetti! I remember feeling like that when I was a little girl, waiting to each something delicious my Mom had made!
My daughter loves to help in the kitchen. We have a great time cooking together. I like to encourage children to cook at a young age, I started cooking at the age of 10, all the practice is what has allowed me to be creative and discover my passion for creating great recipes. Having your children share in the cooking experience will help prepare them for life and it allows for family bonding. I highly recommend it.
Dill in my herb garden. The seeds blew from my herb pots and landed in the flower pot and reseed itself!
Fresh Herbs are simply just the best thing to add to food.
Sage is one of my favorite herbs. I add it to lots of stews, soups, and meat dishes. I love the texture of the leafs and the aroma it adds to my dishes. In the fall I cut all my herbs and dry them on cookie sheets. I package them in baggies and use them all winter long.
Lemon thyme in my herb garden. Fresh herbs add such a depth of flavor to food. I grow nearly 30 different types of herbs in my garden. I grow three different types of Thyme. Thyme is one of my favorite herbs to add to soups. It really enhances the flavor of soups and stews.
