The Apple Street Cottage

This summer, we were fortunate to have some Black Swallowtail Butterflies in the garden.  I had seen a few butterflies fluttering around but didn't give it much thought until I saw these little creatures on my dill: I was just puttering in the garden, pulling weeds and checking for tomatoes, when I noticed seven of them munching on my dill like it was a free buffet!  Let's face it, it was ! Within a couple of days,  the dill plant was almost completely devoid of leaves and some of the caterpillars had move on to greener pastures.  I decided to 'rescue' a couple of them in a jar and proceeded to feed them Queen Ann's Lace.   After about 6 days, the first one formed it's chrysalis.  I was so excited that I had actually been able to keep them alive to do this! This next picture is a little blurry, but it shows the second one forming it's 'J', which means it's getting ready to shed it's skin and become a chrysalis.   Two days

This post may contain affiliate links. Here's the back story on this piece... The storage unit we rented was in an old factory and they were cleaning-out.  When we arrived with the movers (same company) I spotted the china cabinet that had been left out in the rain for a loooong time.  It was warped, split, peeling, and had no glass.  Since I'm an idiot ...ahem, love a challenge, I offered to buy it.  The owner told me to take it - no charge.  He also gave me the maple table for free.  If you missed that makeover, click HERE .  Since I had no room for the china cabinet, it sat there until we moved into the new Cottage.   The china cabinet made it as far as the back porch and as soon as we were 'settled' aka: had a functional kitchen and bathroom, I got to work. The original plan was to reglue the veneer and try to add stain to blend in what was missing.  That plan was tossed aside as soon as I realized the extent of the water damage.  Take a closer look:

Summer may be winding-down for some of you, but for me, it's still summer and I'm hanging on to it for as long as I can!  Let me share my favorite pasta salad recipe that I've been making for years.  Just ask my kids...someone I know used to pick out all the 'green things'... This is one of those recipes that's easy to make and tastes great.  Let's get started. Ingredients: 1 lb. penne pasta 2-3 large tomatoes - chopped 1 cup frozen peas - thawed 2-3 small broccoli crowns - cut and cooked 1 tsp. dried basil 16 oz. bottle Zesty Italian dressing 8 oz. block of mozzarella - diced 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese Cook pasta according to directions.   Add tomatoes, broccoli, & peas to  a large bowl. Sprinkle with basil. Add about half the bottle of dressing and stir to combine. Add the cheeses and stir again. Sorry.  That one's blurry...cooking and taking pics is hard! Add the pasta and stir well.  Refrigerate.

If you follow me on Instagram, you've saw this picture: The doctor diagnosed me with tendonitis and gave me this lovely brace to wear. It's been over 2 weeks and I'm not getting better, therefore, it's back to the doctor next week and taking a little  blogging break.  Hopefully, just for this week. I've got stuff to do!!!!   Thanks for stopping by, and I promise, I'll be back soon!