Lunch with Iris

Quiet post

The Quilt

The quilt is finally done and on it's way to Toronto for the fundraiser in June.


I was lucky to find an April Cornell brown cotton throw which I used for the base of the quilt.
For the sashing I used brown cotton twill tape and the whole quilt was stitched with variegated brown cotton thread. The corners were mitered and the edges were double stitched.

The long weekend

Even though we had a long list of things to get done on the long weekend, we still had time to stroll through the Farmer's Market and then enjoy our Cowboy breakfast down by the river, just us and the geese.

What do you do when you come across a fresh slab of concrete? That's right. You get a nice pointy stick and write something silly in the cement for all to see.

A mourning dove and a grosbeak visiting the neighbourhood.

For dinner I made an over the top cheesy pasta dish with more of the local asparagus. And for dessert, a rhubarb crisp with lots of oats and brown sugar. The rhubarb from Darfield.

The 72 mile diet

This was a great recipe from the March 2012 issue of  Sunset magazine.
Prosciutto and asparagus pasta with a cream sauce. The asparagus is local, from Armstrong and it tastes like it was just picked from the garden. I went a little overboard with the chili flakes but as long as you have a crust of bread and a glass of wine, it's all good.

Lunch

Have discovered a new lunch spot. Lots of good seating with your choice of sun or shade. A lane of trees for the birds to perch in and sing while you eat. All the planters are still empty. A little noisy with the trains going by. Lots of fresh air makes my lunch taste so much better especially when it's from my favourite place (Cowboy Coffee). Today I had a crunchy croissant filled with avocadoes, eggs, tomatoes, and cheese. But no sunburn.

Garden day

This is how I started my Mother's Day; Mr. Cowboy served me a rich,creamy espresso in bed on a silver tray. My three morning pages were done in no time at all.

Then on to the dining room for my favourite buttermilk pancakes and my regular cup of coffee.

Perfect day to plant the garden; I put in kale, onions, and radicchio. And I planted all the plants gifted to me, can't wait to see what colour the clematis turns out to be.
And to end a great day, a great dinner of local asparagus (Armstrong).

Empty nest

I have been keeping an eye on this nest for the past month or so. The tree is right outside my window at work and to give my eyes a rest from all the computer work, I will focus on the nest to see if there is any one moving in. So far, it remains unclaimed.

Our B & B

Pictures from La Punta Norte Guest Inn just outside of Summerland. We experienced a little of the "Southwest" in the Okanagan and were treated to a full gourmet breakfast. There was only one other couple so it was a very relaxing stay.

New trails

From the McCulloch Trestle Trail, we crossed the highway and hiked up behind Hillside Estate Winery, home of our favourite Gamay Noir. This was an easy hike except for all the bikers whipping past us.

The road is narrow, lots of switchbacks, people with buggies, dogs, and a few bikers make the drive up to the top of Giant's Head Park a real challenge. We parked almost at the top and then we hiked straight up to the Time Capsule. The view is breath-taking, worth the white-knuckle drive. Was happy to have gotten a great shot of Naramata.

Food

Theo's in Penticton is a great place if you are craving Greek. There is no lasagna on their menu; we know, we checked. So after I explained to the waiter that Mr. Cowboy had his heart set on Italian, he kindly directed us to another Greek place down the street that makes awful lasagna; we know, we tried it.

But if you want a great burger, the Pub in Naramata is the place to get it. And while you're waiting for your food, the pull-tabs are great fun, especially when you win.

For a special dessert, The Heritage Inn is the place to satisfy your sweet tooth. The Double Fudge Chocolate Torte made with out flour is really rich but they off set that richness with a rhubarb compote, add coffee and a shot of sambuca and you can't  go wrong. I had Lemon and Basil Creme Brulee; absolutely delightful with a couple of cappuccinos.