Photos of the Farm

Yesterday I walked around our house and took some photos. There are so many beautiful flowers in bloom - I wanted to share some of the images with you all! I love seeing the black-eyed susans grow in bunches each summer and I was lucky enough to catch some lovely yellow butterflies in my pictures as well. And how could I resist snapping some shots of our beautiful horses, Gusto and Fia to share? The summer heat is easy to grumble about this year in North Carolina but it is hard to complain when you stop and take time to notice all of the beauty around us! All of the flowers and creatures around our farm inspire me daily… you may even see one of these images in a painting soon!

Mary Beth's Pickle Recipe

Last week one of the artists in my studio, Mary Beth, brought in a jar of her signature pickle relish. Her pickles have the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors. They are so delicious, the studio ate the entire jar in one sitting! Lucky for you, Mary Beth is allowing me to share her recipe... Please try this at home; your family will love it!

Mary Beth’s Day Pickles

Ingredients:1 cup of vinegar
2 cups of sugar
1 Tablespoon of salt
1 teaspoon of celery seed
6 cups of cucumbers sliced
1 cup of green peppers sliced
1 cup of onions sliced

Directions:
Mix the first 4 ingredients and pour over the last 3 ingredients. Stir well, then let sit for 1 hour. Pack in jars and keep in the refrigerator.

Middle School Visit to the Farm

On Tuesday evening, the middle school group from our church made a trip out to our farm. We spent the evening playing games, grilling hot dogs, and visiting with the pigs, rabbit, and horses. My husband Al took everyone for a hayride but I think the middle schoolers had the most fun riding with my sons, Mac and Sam, around the farm on the gator. It is always nice to have a group of young people out to enjoy the land and animals with us. We all had a wonderful time!

Alexa's Cake

The other night my youngest son Sam’s friend, Alexa, came over for dinner. She brought the most beautiful spice cake with her. It was so lovely with the white icing and walnut décor; I had to take some pictures to share! I almost hated for Alexa cut into it, but glad she did – it tasted as wonderful as it looked!

Fresh Tomato Pie

One of my designers at the studio, Audrey, made a tomato pie for everyone to have for lunch today. It was wonderful as she used homegrown tomatoes, onions, and basil from her father's garden. It was so delicious I wanted to share the recipe with you all.

Fresh Tomato Pie
Ingredients:
1 pie crust
5 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and sliced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Directions:
First, brown the pie crust according to directions on the package. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then, mix tomatoes, onion, basil, salt, and pepper together and place in pie crust. Mix mayonnaise and cheddar cheese together and spread over the top of the pie. Then sprinkle parmesan on top. Bake pie at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

For more recipes from the Winget Studio, please visit our new recipe page on our website!

Thomas's Birthday

Yesterday one of my designers, Susan, had to run home to be with her young son Thomas. Unfortunately he was suffering from appendicitis and was rushed to the hospital for surgery. We all knew that Thomas would be okay and have a quick recovery, as he did. But, we felt terrible that of all days to have emergency surgery, it was the day before his 8th birthday! Birthday plans were postponed for Thomas but we wanted him to have something fun waiting for him when he returned home. So, we sent him a bouquet of birthday cookies. Susan brought in these adorable pictures of Thomas enjoying his cookies so I had to share them with you all!

Our Family's New Addition!

We have a new arrival on our farm! Bravo was born in the early morning hours last Sunday and she is beautiful! This Hanoverian filly's full name is "With Bravado" and she is already living up to her name and showing signs of becoming a strong and wonderful horse. Please click here to watch a video of some of Bravo's first steps.