Good Things by David

It's one of my favorite times of the year.  Whenever I look at the calendar and realize that the Fourth of July is approaching, I long to make sugar cookies in the colors of our nation's flag.  I've made several different designs of iced cookies in the past showcasing our red, white and blue, but nothing beats making flag cookies. Having a variety of star spangled banner cookies for your Independence Day celebration, is a great way to usher in the summer holiday.  I love the way they look on white cake stands, such as these from my milk glass collection. While going through my cookie cutter sets, I immediately reached for some from Martha by Mail that I had never used before.  The large Flag & Shield cookie cutters are great for making generously-sized cookies, but you have to be careful with the flag's pole.  It has a tendency to break off when releasing the cookies onto lined baking sheets (if it does, simply wedge it back into place be...

Homemade jams are one of life's little luxuries.  An abundance of raspberries, can be found at farmers markets right now which can be enjoyed as is, but if you want to extend the pleasure of these summer berries, I suggest making a bit of jam so that you can stir some into a bowl of yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast, or to have on buttered toast with your tea.  Because it is homemade, you don't have to worry about preservatives, corn syrups or other unpleasant ingredients that are often found in supermarket jams and jellies. Here at home we've been having a bumper crop of raspberries, and now it appears as if we'll have an abundance of blackberries in the near future.  We picked a few blackberries a couple of days ago, but there are many more waiting to be plucked.   Can you blame us for being tempted just to eat these raspberries in their natural state? Small, dark red and very juicy, the wild raspberries that grow on the property are always anticipat...

I can't believe the month of July is already over.  Time sure seems to fly right by when one is busy with the every day duties and chores of a running & maintaining a household.  As I sit here writing my column for the month it is raining steadily in Montgomery County and the temperature is a cool 78 ° F.  I was joking with a friend that it feels as if I need to build an ark because we've had quite a lot of rain this summer.  Just the other day, Center City Philadelphia received between 7-8 inches of rain in one afternoon!  With drought conditions in certain parts of the country, I only wish some of this rain would fall in those areas. The stories and subjects I covered these past few weeks are so wonderful to go back to, because they are not only visually appealing, they're also informative and inspiring for me.  I love getting inspired from many sources and since I love sharing whatever I feel is important and beautiful, it's only a pleasure to p...

I love the month of July for so many different reasons.  At this time of year we're enjoying very warm weather, rain showers, lazy weekends, barbecues, vacations and the bounty of summer gardens.  Gatherings with family & friends always seem extra special, and mine have been a  lot of fun this month.  This year, I was fortunate enough to have spent an entire week with my extended family in California which was rather nice.  The weather out there was gorgeous, the food was delicious and the laughs seemed endless.  Although there was a flurry of activity at my parent's, I still managed to spend quite a bit of quality time with some of my favorite people at cafes, restaurants (the only time I ever go out to eat!), parks and shops.  My main objective of that visit, however, was to spoil my niece whom I adore immensely.  I must say that my mission was accomplished! A few delicious Good Things were shared this month, like that batch o...