Garden Dreaming and a Pop of Yellow

ByCindy Hattersley Hours Posted on Hours Updated on
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How about a little garden dreaming and a pop of yellow to brighten your Sunday wherever you are! As always I am joining my pals Annie and Mary Ann for our Sunday favorites.

Garden Dreaming and a Pop of Yellow

Steve has been busy pruning all of our roses back this past week. It’s bare root season, and the best time to buy roses. Check out your local nursery or order direct from David Austin’s website here. I have had very good luck ordering from David Austin’s website. They ship from their US location in Texas. We have to give our roses a little extra care during the heat, but the “Austins” seem to like it here. I miss a few of my roses from our former home.

The beautiful Lady of Shallot rose from David Austin’s website. I have a fondness for the “egg yolky yellow roses”

Images via David Austin’s website

Outfits of the Week-A Pop of Yellow

I am a big believer in buying the best you can afford, and avoid fast fashion when you can, but we all don’t have that option. Everyone loves a bargain now and then as well! H&M has some really great dresses that you can wear now and into Spring. This dress is $29.99 and comes in sizes XXS to 4XL.

Pair it with a moto jacket and boots now.

Pair the dress with sneakers later in the Spring. I own the sneakers. I hope to add a couple pairs of colorful sneaks to my wardrobe this Spring. The Portland Leather bag is made in the USA in Portland

Shop Outfits of the Week

H&M dresses that can be worn now or later

Dresses I am Loving at H&M

New York Times Crab Bisque

New York Times Crab Bisque

It was rainy on Saturday and I made this hearty New York Times Crab Bisque.

New York Times Crab Bisque
Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

New York Times Crab Bisque

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Servings 9 cups

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter ½ stick
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 celery stalks thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1½ cups dry white wine
  • 6 cups seafood stock preferably homemade
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning-or more to taste
  • Ground black pepper
  • Ground cayenne optional
  • 3 thyme sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 pound cooked lump or claw crab meat or a combination (fresh, if possible, but frozen and thawed or canned are OK)
  • Fresh parsley finely chopped

Instructions

  • Step 1
  • Make the blonde roux: Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large, heavy skillet over medium. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk vigorously until the mixture is bubbling. Reduce the heat to low and continue whisking until the roux emits a nutty aroma and is the color of light khaki, about 5 minutes total.
  • Step 2
  • Add the onion along with a generous pinch of salt and increase the heat to medium. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon until the onion softens (about 5 minutes), ensuring that onion bits covered in roux do not stick to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Add the celery and continue stirring until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Step 3
  • Use the spoon to clear some space, and add the tomato paste; stir frequently until it caramelizes and emits a sweet aroma, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Step 4
  • Add the white wine and use the wooden spoon to scrape up any bits that are stuck to the bottom. Stir in the seafood stock, Old Bay seasoning, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, pinch of ground cayenne (if using), thyme sprigs and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cook at a low simmer, uncovered, 45 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the crab from the refrigerator so the meat will come to room temperature.
  • Step 5
  • Remove and discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup. (Alternatively, purée the soup in batches in a blender and return to the Dutch oven.) Over low heat, stir in the heavy cream and heat through (do not let the bisque boil).
  • Step 6
  • To serve, ladle the bisque into bowls. Divide the crab meat among the bowls and top with parsley and cracked black pepper.

Garden Dreaming and a Pop of Yellow

House and Garden UK

Many of you have asked about small home decorating ideas. I am working on a post. In the meantime I thought you might enjoy this article on Small Bedroom Ideas from House and Garden

Small Bedroom House and Garden UK-photo by Mike Brown

photo by Mike Brown

Eileen Fisher Sale

Eileen Fisher is having a great sale right now. Her pieces are timeless and last.

Thank you so much for joining me today and reading Garden Dreaming and a Pop of Yellow. If you would like to catch up on any of my Sunday favorites you can do so here. Have a wonderful Sunday. If you aren’t following me on Instagram or Pinterest, I would love for you to join me there as well. Now let’s pop over and visit Annie and Mary Ann for more Sunday fun.

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18 Comments

  1. Just a technical issue with the blog, I could not access your blog with my usual bookmark, I was able to access through Maryannes’ link. I just wanted to let you know in case others are having a similar issue. Love the h&m dress!

    1. Hi Arlene

      You probably need to clear your cache. It will send you to the last cached visit which was probably a former post. You can always use the direct link through the email. It will always take you to the current post.

  2. Love the coloured Adidas shoes. They look very flat though – have they got a contoured inner sole? I’d love a pair of yellow, watermelon or green.

    1. Hi Prue

      I read a ton of reviews and ordered them. The sambas are too narrow for my foot (the dreaded bunion). From what I have read these have better support and run wider. Many claimed they have great support? Others said they took insole out and replaced with an orthotic. I ordered the yellow. I will report back when I get them.

  3. Cindy, your yellow roses are gorgeous. My husband just finished pruning our nine rose bushes. We lost one and replaced it with a bare root one called “full sail.” It’s a white rose and just beautiful. I think our nursery only purchases David Austin roses. With our weather in Phoenix we had roses in January too. Can you grow Peonies in your area? I may have asked you this before. We can’t in Phoenix, our climate is too harsh. It’s okay I’m thankful my honey is a Master Gardener, you have
    to know what you are doing. Also protecting them with “sail shades,” in the summer helps them survive otherwise they would be going to “rose heaven.”
    Your garden is huge, there must be something to do constantly.

    1. Hi Katherine

      The roses in the pictures are from the David Austin website. Mine have just been cut back lovingly by Steve. He has taken over most of the gardening. I have never been able to grow peonies here or anywhere else in CA but I know a few who have.

  4. I’m always wowed by your yellow David Austen roses. I have roses and only one David Austen, Olivia. I bought it because my oldest granddaughter is named Olivia. I might need to add a few more to my rose garden. 😊
    Have a wonderful weekend. It rained last night and early this morning. It’s starting to look like Mother Nature wants to water our gardens a little more.
    Karen B.

    1. Hi Karen

      We are having good luck with David Austin’s here. I am so glad we tore out the modern roses and replanted.

  5. 5 stars
    Cindy! Your roses are always gorgeous! Love that H&M dress abs how you show it 2 ways! Your soup sounds amazing!
    Xx

  6. I Cindy
    I love all of your posts and I eagerly wait for each of them to show up on my iPad.
    Have you ever done a post on belts? A lot of the flowy dresses could use one. You had a great belt on your cheetah dress on of the other posts. Would you consider sharing the best belts for outfits and what makes them go with each dress.

  7. Love your blog. Can not ever open the NY times recipies though as I dont subscribe…..fyi. Can you copy them in? Would love that crab bisque

  8. OMG…love all the golden yellow. Such cute outfits. It’s just too darn wet here for roses. Camillas bloom though. We have a few. I wonder if those need trimming back. You are so good at gardening.

    1. Hi Mary Ann

      Yes you should prune your camelias right after they finish flowering in early Spring here in CA.

  9. Love the fun dress and I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A SUNNY YELLOW BAG for awhile. Thanks pal. ☀️

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