Name: Granny's Coconut Pound Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Ingredients: 1 stick of butter (salted); 1/4 cup Crisco; 3 Eggs; 1/2 cup Milk; 1 1/2 cups Sugar; 1 1/2 cups Flour; 1 cup Coconut Flakes; 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for cake); 1/2 teaspoon Lemon Flavoring; 2 cups Fresh Strawberries; 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream; 1 Tablespoon Confectioner's Sugar; 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for whipped cream)

How to Make my Granny’s Coconut Pound Cake

Home & Garden, Recipes

Today I’m sharing how to make my Granny’s Coconut Pound Cake and the story of the original recipe card. Granny was an incredible cook and baker. Every single thing that she made was fresh and prepared to perfection. And every time I make this cake it comes out perfect, thanks to her original recipe card.

The actual recipe card is a story within itself. Since not all of my family members have the opportunity to edit my version of the story…I’ll give you a brief look at how the recipe card fell into my hands.

Coconut Pound Cake with Strawberries and Homemade Whipped Cream

Granny’s Original Recipe Card

Several years ago I was reminiscing about this cake and decided to see if I could track down the recipe. My granny passed away when I was in college, so I wasn’t able to go directly to the source.

I was hoping that my dad had a copy of the recipe. The problem was he had moved off to Colorado a few years earlier and I didn’t know how to reach him (this is where I’ll leave out a few details).

So I decided to call my stepmom’s mom, Granny Helen (who lived in Texas at the time) and see if she knew how to reach my dad.

My dad answered the phone! I’m not kidding you! It had been over two years since I had heard his voice and he answered the phone.

I told him why I was calling and he said that he would get me the recipe.

A few days later, I received my Granny’s ORIGINAL recipe card in my Granny’s handwriting.

You’ll notice a few smudges on the card…I may or may not have shed a few tears that day.

My Granny's Recipe Card for Coconut Pound Cake — My Granny’s Original Recipe Card for Coconut Pound Cake

Let’s Bake a Cake

Are you back? Anyone need a tissue or was it just me?

Ok, let’s make my Granny’s cake. A couple of things about the recipe…I had to Google oleo. Apparently oleo is margarine. And since we didn’t have any margarine in the house, I substituted salted butter. You’ll also notice that the original recipe calls for a tube pan and six eggs. That’s a fairly sizeable cake. I didn’t think Bill and I could manage to eat an entire cake, so I’ve cut the recipe in half and used a loaf pan.

Whipped Cream & Strawberries

Since berries are plentiful right now and prices are great, I decided to top the cake with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries. I’ve also included below a simple recipe for homemade whipped cream. If you’ve never tried making it yourself, this is the time. It is so good!

Getting Started

To begin, let’s get organized. Below you will find an overview of what is needed to make Granny’s Coconut Pound Cake with Whipped Cream and Strawberries: Ingredients, Kitchen Tools and Basic Steps.

Ingredients for Coconut Pound Cake

1 stick of butter (salted)
1/4 cup Crisco
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Coconut Flakes
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for cake)
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Flavoring
2 cups Fresh Strawberries
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon Confectioner’s Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for whipped cream)

Kitchen Tools You May Need

Assorted mixing bowls
Measuring cups and spoons
Hand held mixer
Flour sifter
Kitchen utensils-knife, pastry spatula, spoon
Parchment paper baking sheets
Loaf Pan
Non-stick baking spray
Cooling rack
Chopping board

Basic Steps

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Line loaf pan with parchment paper, spray ends of pan if needed
Cream butter, crisco and sugar untill fluffy
Add one egg at a time, beat well
Sift 1/2 of your flour into the bowl and add 1/2 of your milk. Combine.
Repeat, adding the 2nd half of your sifted flour and milk to the bowl. Combine.
Add coconut, vanilla extract and lemon flavoring. Combine.
Pour into your lined loaf pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Clean and slice your strawberries, set aside.
Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream to a chilled mixing bowl.
Beat with chilled beaters.
Right before soft peaks form, add the confectioners sugar and vanilla extract.
Beat until soft peaks form.
Top the cooled cake with whipped cream and strawberries.
Serve immediately.

The Recipe Card

Granny's Coconut Pound Cake with Strawberries and Whipped Cream

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 stick of butter (salted)
1/4 cup Crisco
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1 1/2 cups Sugar
1 1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Coconut Flakes
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for cake)
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Flavoring
2 cups Fresh Strawberries
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Tablespoon Confectioner's Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for whipped cream)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Line loaf pan with parchment paper, spray ends of pan if needed

Cream butter, crisco and sugar untill fluffy

Add one egg at a time, beat well

Sift 1/2 of your flour into the bowl and add 1/2 of your milk. Combine.

Repeat, adding the 2nd half of your sifted flour and milk to the bowl. Combine.

Add coconut, vanilla extract and lemon flavoring. Combine.

Pour into your lined loaf pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Clean and slice your strawberries, set aside.

Add 1 cup heavy whipping cream to a chilled mixing bowl.

Beat with chilled beaters.

Right before soft peaks form, add the confectioners sugar and vanilla extract.

Beat until soft peaks form.

Top the cooled cake with whipped cream and strawberries.

Serve immediately.

Let’s Make a Coconut Pound Cake with Whipped Cream and Strawberries

To get started baking there are two things that I always do first: 1. preheat the oven and 2. pull out all of my ingredients.

How to Make the Coconut Pound Cake

The pound cake cooks slowly at a low temperature, set your oven at 325 degrees. Your butter will also need time to come to room temperature before starting your recipe.

Place your parchment paper on your loaf pan. I like to place it so that there is extra paper on the sides that I can use to lift the cake out of the pan. If needed, spray non-stick baking spray on the ends of the pan not covered by the parchment paper.

Begin the recipe by creaming together the butter, Crisco and sugar until fluffy. I used a hand mixer.

Next, add 1 egg at a time and beat well. As a general rule when baking, crack your eggs into a separate bowl and make sure none of the egg shell has slipped by before adding eggs to a recipe.

Next sift 1/2 of your flour directly into the mixture and add 1/2 of your milk. Combine and then repeat (sifting 1/2 of your flour directly into the mixture and adding the other 1/2 of your milk). Combine.

The final step for your cake mixture is adding the coconut, vanilla extract and lemon flavoring. Combine.

Pour the mixture into the lined loaf pan. Even the mixture out and place in your preheated oven.

Granny's Coconut Pound Cake Ready to Bake — Granny’s Coconut Pound Cake Ready to Bake

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes at 325 degrees. The cake will be a beautiful dark golden brown when done.

After baking, remove the cake from the loaf pan and cool completely on a cooling rack.

How to Make the Whipped Cream

Next up, let’s make the whipped cream and strawberry topping.

Wash, hull and slice your strawberries. Set aside.

In a chilled mixing bowl, beat your heavy whipping cream (preferably with chilled beaters). Right before a soft peak forms, add the confectioners sugar and vanilla extract.

Beat until soft peaks form.

Beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form.

Top your cake (after completely cooled) with whipped cream and berries.

Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Tips and Other Ideas

So you’ve decided to make a pound cake…you are going to be so happy about your decision! Here are a few tips and ideas.

Don’t undercook your pound cake. It’s ok if the outside is beautiful golden brown in color. Just use a long toothpick to test.
Want to make perfect whipped cream? Chill your mixing bowl and beaters first. After putting the cake on to bake, I cleaned my beaters and place them along with a mixing bowl in my refrigerator to chill for a few hours.
Get creative, and substitute the strawberries for your favorite berries. Want to make a red and blue dessert, add blueberries or blackberries. Rather have raspberries, feel free to switch it out.
Use an oven thermometer to test that your oven temperature is correct.
Use pre-cut parchment baking sheets. So convenient and just the right size.

Fun Facts-Granny Pennington

Granny to me, Blanche Pennington to others, is where my love of antiques, quilts and baking originated. She was the sweetest and most talented woman.

Her desserts were incredible and every meal she prepared was fresh from the garden. Her home was filled with beautiful collections and I loved seeing what she had added each time I visited. I remember her having so many tea cups that my grandfather built her a shelf around the entire dining area for her to display the beautiful china.

She also handmade matching outfits my dolls and me. And, my mom and me. Not only could she sew, she could quilt. Someday I’ll tell you the story of the quilt she made me but never had a chance to give me. Tissues will be needed…again.

Until then…follow me on Instagram for daily life and family fun.

Enjoy your Coconut Pound Cake!

Drop me a comment below and let me know if you make my Granny’s Coconut Pound Cake. What berries did you use? Did you add the whipped cream and strawberries?

In the Mood to Bake another Recipe? Try one of these…

Strawberry Galette with Honey and Mascarpone

Sugar Cookies Perfect for Teatime

Homemade Cheddar and Parmesan Biscuits

Happy Baking!

X Penny Pennington Weeks

How to Make a Strawberry Galette with Honey and Mascarpone

Home & Garden, Recipes

Today I’m sharing how to make a strawberry galette with honey and mascarpone. The galette is one of my favorite baked treats to make with summer berries. I have been making galettes for the past year and every single one has turned out amazing. If you follow me on Instagram then you’ve seen me share lots of galettes in my stories.

The galette is so versatile, quick, and simple to make. I also think they’re very beautiful. Before I show you how to make my strawberry galette with honey and mascarpone, let me explain what a galette is…just in case you’re new to the term.

Strawberry Galette-Let's Eat! — Learn How to Make a Strawberry Galette

What is a Galette?

Galette is a French term that refers to a flat round cake or pastry. The galette is baked on a baking sheet without a cake, pie or tart pan. It is often filled with fruit but can also be filled with potatoes or other vegetables. Tomato galettes are one of my favorites.

Today the term Galette is most often used by bakers and home cooks to refer to a rustic pastry filled with fruit. Although the pastry is traditionally round, you will find many versions of the Galette that are free form and include rectangular and other shapes.

Getting Started

To begin, let’s get organized. Below you will find an overview of what is needed to make my Strawberry Galette with Honey and Mascarpone: Ingredients, Kitchen Tools and Basic Steps.

Ingredients for Strawberry Galette

2 cups Strawberries
3 T. Sugar + extra for dusting
1 T. Flour
4 ou. Mascarpone
2 T Honey
1/4 t. Rosemary (optional)
Pinch of Salt
2 T Unsalted Butter
1 Egg
1 Pie Crust-store bought

Kitchen Tools You May Need

Mixing bowls
Measuring cups and spoons
Kitchen utensils-knife, spoon, pastry brush
Parchment paper baking sheets
Cookie/Baking Sheet

Basic Steps

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Roll pie crust out onto a lined baking sheet
Chop strawberries and mix with sugar and flour
In a separate bowl, combine mascarpone, honey, rosemary and salt
Spread cheese mixture in center of pie crust
Top with strawberry mixture and butter pats
Fold up sides of galette
Add egg wash and sugar dusting to crust
Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes until crust is a light golden brown
Cool, slice and top with ice cream or whipped cream

The Recipe Card

Strawberry Galette with Honey and Mascarpone

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups Strawberries
3 T. Sugar + extra for dusting
1 T. Flour
4 ou. Mascarpone
2 T Honey
1/4 t. Rosemary (optional)
Pinch of Salt
2 T Unsalted Butter
1 Egg
1 Pie Crust-store bought

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Roll pie crust out onto a lined baking sheet

Chop strawberries and mix with sugar and flour

In a separate bowl, combine mascarpone, honey, rosemary and salt

Spread cheese mixture in center of pie crust

Top with strawberry mixture and butter pats

Fold up sides of galette

Add egg wash and sugar dusting to crust

Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes until crust is a light golden brown

Cool, slice and top with ice cream or whipped cream

Let’s Make a Strawberry Galette with Honey and Mascarpone

To get started baking there are two things that I always do first: 1. preheat the oven and 2. pull out all of my ingredients.

The galette cooks quickly at a high temperature, set your oven at 425 degrees and be sure to give it plenty of time to preheat. Your pie crust will also need time to come to room temperature before rolling out.

Place your parchment paper on your baking sheet. Next, roll out the pie crust directly onto the parchment paper. This is much easier than trying to move the galette to the baking pan.

Prepping to Make a Strawberry Galette-Chopped Strawberries

Prepare the fruit mixture by first chopping the strawberries. Place the berries into a mixing bowl and add your flour and sugar. Combine.

Flour, sugar and strawberry mixture — Strawberry Galette-flour, sugar and strawberry mixture

In a separate mixing bowl, combine your mascarpone cheese, honey, salt and rosemary (optional)

Making a Strawberry Galette with Mascarpone and Honey

Place the mascarpone mixture in the center of your pie crust. Spread the mixture evenly allowing 2-3 inches around the sides of the pie crust.

Top the cheese mixture with your strawberry mixture. Divide your butter into small pats and place the pats of butter on top of the strawberries.

Making a Strawberry Galette-Adding the Butter Pats

Fold up the sides of the pie crust toward the center to create a folded edge. Press folds together as needed.

Strawberry Galette-Preparing the Egg Wash

Beat your egg with a fork in a small bowl. Use a pastry brush to brush the egg onto the outside of your crust. Sprinkle a dusting of sugar on the crust, as well.

Bake in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until slightly golden brown.

Strawberry Galette Hot from the Oven — Time to Cool

Tips and Other Ideas

So you’ve decided to make a galette…you are going to be so happy about your decision! Here are a few tips and ideas.

Be sure to let your store bought pie crust come to room temperature before rolling out. BTW-feel free to make your favorite homemade crust if you prefer.
Get creative, and substitute the strawberries for your favorite berries. Love raspberries and strawberries together? Then mix the two. Rather make a blueberry galette, go for it. I’ve tried all kinds of fruits in a galette, each is amazing.
Have picky eaters in the house? Then definitely leave out the rosemary.
Want to make the galette dairy-free? Skip the marscarpone mixture.
Use an oven thermometer to test that your oven temperature is correct.
Use pre-cut parchment baking sheets. So convenient and just the right size.
Have someone in the family that isn’t a fan of cake? Try a birthday galette with lots of ice cream!

Birthday Celebrations blowing out candles — Galettes are great for birthday celebrations especially when topped with lots of ice cream.

Fun Facts

The origin of the Galette is believe to date back to 1311. The first known version of the galette is the galette des rois or king cake. It was baked in celebration of the epiphany, a Christian celebration of the three wise men (Magi) visiting the Christ child.

The king cake looks much different than the rustic version of the galette shared here. Check out this photo and recipe by the NYTimes. Their version is made with puff pastry.

Enjoy your Strawberry Galette!

Drop me a comment below and let me know if you make my berry galette. What berries did you use? Did you try the mascarpone or decide to add a few scoops of ice cream or both?

In the Mood to Bake another Recipe? Try one of these…

Sugar Cookies Perfect for Teatime

Homemade Cheddar and Parmesan Biscuits

Happy Baking!

X Penny Pennington Weeks

A Home and Garden Tour at P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm: 6 Reasons You’ll Love It

Garden, Home & Garden

Looking for home and garden inspiration?!? You should definitely tour P. Allen Smith’s Home and Garden, you’ll love it! Bill and I just returned from Arkansas where we had the privilege of touring the home and gardens of P. Allen Smith at Moss Mountain Farm. Today I’m sharing six reasons you’ll love the home and garden tour at Moss Mountain Farm.

P. Allen Smith’s estate is located in Roland, Arkansas along the Arkansas River and is about 30 minutes outside Little Rock, Arkansas.

I came home with so many ideas for not only my garden, but also my home. The home and garden tour was spectacular and I’m sharing six reasons you’ll love it. Enjoy!

Six Reasons You’ll Love the Home and Garden Tour

Reason 1. The Sister Oak Tree

The home and garden tour started at the Sister Oak Tree in front of the home of P. Allen Smith. Our tour guide stood on the steps of P. Allen Smith’s home and told us a bit about the home’s history, the architectural style that guided the design and how this big beautiful oak tree influenced P. Allen Smith’s decision to purchase the 650-acre estate.

As the tour guide was diving into the history of the estate, I began wandering around the 300+ year old oak tree trying to capture the tree in one single photo.

The Sister Oak Tree at Moss Mountain Farm, out home and garden tour started here — The Sister Oak Tree at Moss Mountain Farm

The Garden Tour

Reason 2. Inspirational Gardens & Hardscaping

The group (about 80 in size) broke up into 3 smaller groups each with their own tour guide. Our group began the walking tour and headed over to the vegetable garden followed by a tour of the rose garden. It was everything I expected and more. The garden was in full summer swing and filled with variety of offerings.

I was most impressed with the hardscaping found in the gardens throughout Moss Mountain Farm. The inspiration was endless, I came home with a list of ideas to add trellis, brick walls, garden paths and other structures to the garden.

You'll Love the Hardscaping on the Tour — You’ll Love the Hardscaping on the Tour

Reason 3. The Hydrangeas are Incredible

A few weeks before heading to Arkansas for the tour, I watched a YouTube video linked here in which P. Allen Smith charismatically shared his love for hydrangeas. It is filled with his best tips and growing advice.

So, I was anticipating a beautiful show from the hydrangeas.

Oh my goodness! They hydrangeas were incredible and more than surpassed my expectations.

Bill and I are still scheming, trying to figure out how we can come close to replicating the hydrangea beauty on our property.

Vibrant Hydrangeas at Moss Mountain Farm

Beautiful Hydrangeas outside the home of P Allen Smith

Reason 4. Unexpected Drying Rooms

Talk about blowing me away!!! I had never heard of a drying room. Yes, I have dried herbs before, but a whole room?!?

Wait, there are two drying rooms. They were beautiful. Dreamy, actually. Bill thinks I’m crazy, but I want a drying room.

One will do. LOL!

P Allen Smith Tour-The Drying Room, the most unexpected stop on the home and garden tour — P Allen Smith Tour-The Drying Room

One of Two Drying Rooms at Moss Mountain Farm

The Home Tour

Reason 5. P. Allen Smith’s Home is Perfect

The house was spectacular. I love the pale yellow on the exterior, the decor was incredible, the books and art made my heart sing, and the sleeping porch was so inviting.

The kitchen though…it made Bill’s heart sing. We loved the marble counters, farmhouse sinks and the professional oven reminded us of our own kitchen.

Bill and I both spend a lot of time in our kitchen and we have thrown around the idea of updating our kitchen for years. Well, the kitchen at Moss Mountain Farm was the final push that we needed. We’re remodeling. I’ll share more soon. Thanks for the push, Mr. Smith.

You'll Love the Home of P Allen Smith — You’ll Love the Home of P Allen Smith

White Marble Counters and Kitchen Tour at the Home of P Allen Smith — Kitchen Tour at the Home of P Allen Smith

Vintage Chest and Glass Storage, one of the many beautiful details discovered during the home and garden tour. — Vintage Chest and Glass Storage

Lunch under the Tent

Reason 6. P. Allen’s Smith’s Homemade Pie

Our tour included lunch and lunch included homemade Buttermilk Pecan Pie. I caught a glimpse of the freshly baked pies waiting for us in P. Allen Smith’s cooking cottage.

I’d like to have a piece right now! You have to try this pie!

And, if you want to enjoy a little bit of the tour before you’re able to schedule a trip to Arkansas, then make this pie. I’ve linked the recipe from P. Allen Smith himself here.

I found the pies! During our home and garden tour I caught a peek of the pies that would be served during lunch. — I found the pies!

P Allen Smith Buttermilk Pecan Pie, a yummy ending to the home and garden tour — P Allen Smith Buttermilk Pecan Pie

Tour Tips and Basic Information

Home and Garden Tour Tickets

You can purchase tour tickets for Moss Mountain Farm online here. Also, if you’re looking for discount codes, Bill found one in an email he had received from Gilbert H .Wild.

Checking-In & Other Basics

Our tour started at 10am and ended at 2pm. Gates opened 30 minutes before start time. There is plenty of field parking, check-in was quick and there are bathrooms available at the check-in location. There was also a gift shop.

The Weather

We were expecting rain and were told that the tour would not be cancelled in case of rain. So we came prepared with umbrellas and appropriate wet weather shoes.

It didn’t rain. Instead, it was hot and muggy. The good news is buckets of cold bottled water were provided at check-in. Each of us grabbed water as needed throughout the day.

I did notice that by the end of the day, the buckets of bottled water were empty. But, there was plenty of water and cups available in the tent where we had lunch.

The Home & Garden Tour is a Walking Tour

Keep in mind that this is a walking tour. I noticed several people seemed to struggle with the walking very early in the tour. Others were having a tough time due to the heat. I found myself searching for shade throughout the tour and was very happy to step inside P. Allen Smith’s home for the air conditioned portion of the tour. Several of my friends that toured with us were wearing step trackers and tracked 2.5+ miles during the tour.

I was also very happy that I wore my gardening hat!

Lunch, the Perfect Mid-Tour Stop

Lunch was perfect. The set-up was beautiful and the food was excellent. We arrived at the lunch tent a little after noon. The tables were already set with iced tea, a niçoise salad and buttermilk pecan pie. One of my friends who has toured the gardens THREE times said that lunch is always the same. This works for me.

P. Allen Smith’s Fall Home & Garden Tour

Guess what…we’re going back in September for the Fall Farm Lunch and Tour. We had so much fun that we’ve decided to repeat our trip in September. I’m looking forward to repeating this fabulous home and garden tour.

We will be staying three nights, renting one of the cabins at Petit Jean State Park AND touring the gardens at Moss Mountain Farm AGAIN. I can’t wait to see what it looks like in a few months.

BTW-If you’ve never seen photos of our home, I’ve linked a home and garden tour of the Weeks Farm here.

Happy Gardening

X Penny Pennington Weeks

His and Her Martinis: Think Pepperoncini (His) and Chocolate (Hers)

Home & Garden, Recipes

Do you have a favorite martini? Do you love to throw a picnic? I love both AND the crimson clover is in full bloom, so I decided it was time to plan a spring picnic right smack dab in the middle of the clover field. I thought I would make a beautiful three-layer cake…a gorgeous sponge similar to what you might find on the Great British Baking Show. But, Bill suggested martinis. So his and her martinis, think Pepperoncini (His) and Chocolate (Hers), and a spring picnic coming up. Let me tell you more!

His and Her Martinis-Think Pepperoncini (His) and Chocolate (Hers)

So, if you’ve followed me for a while on Instagram then you know that I love throwing a picnic. You also know that my picnics are typically picnics for two. The two being Bill and me. What you may not know is that I have a thing for chocolate martinis.

There’s a bit of a story behind my love for chocolate martinis (as explained below). It has to do with my love for Bill. Any romantics out there?

First Picnic of Spring 2021

Let’s get back to the picnic. I love planning picnics at home on our property. It’s something all of us can do. Whether you live on a farm or in a neighborhood or in the city, each of us can find a spot to dine outdoors. I always find something special about moving a meal (or dessert or drinks) outside.

For my first picnic of spring 2021, I decided to keep it simple. Our menu would be cake. Bill decided simple was good, but that our menu should be switched to martinis (in lieu of cake). Done! I also thought I’d throw in a basket of dominoes just in case the competitive spirit hit.

Vintage dominos and candles — Dominos, anyone?

So Bill agreed to mix up some martinis for us. When it comes to martinis, there are definitely His and Her Martinis in our household. Think Pepperoncini (His) and Chocolate (Hers). Bill loves martinis created with pickled pepperoncinis that he cans himself. I love very basic chocolate martinis without any garnish.

With the martinis in Bill’s trusty hands, I headed to the Crimson Clover field to set up our picnic. I grabbed Pippi (our trusty Kabota), a table, a few chairs and got to work.

Penny’s Chocolate Martini (Hers)

Let’s start with my chocolate martini and a little back story. The first time I had a chocolate martini, I was with Bill and a group of our colleagues. We were having dinner at a local restaurant in New Hampshire and I was in the mood to try something new. One of my colleagues recommended the chocolate martini, so I gave it a try and another try just to be sure. The chocolate martini has since been my absolute favorite martini. After all, it’s like having a drink and dessert all in one. Who needs cake when you can have a martini?!?

You may wonder why I remember this day so clearly. This day and the days preceding it are part of our story. The story of when Bill and I went from being colleagues to more than colleagues.

Bill had held my hand for the first time just a few days earlier. We were walking down the streets of Kennebunkport, Maine in October 2006. I was 40 at the time and he was 45. I felt like a school girl but knew this was a bit more than a school girl crush.

Bill and I dated a few short months in late 2006 before getting engaged and were married in March 2007. A few years later we moved out to the country and have never looked back. I love the quiet, and the pond and the wildlife. Plus there is plenty of room to garden, tend to our flock and throw whimsical picnics.

Our trip to the east coast will always be such a fun memory!

Picnic in the crimson clover — Waiting for Bill

Bill’s Pickled Pepperoncini Martini (His)

Bill’s martini is a newer discovery. Last summer Bill canned pepperoncinis from his garden. Yes, Bill cans! And, Bill gardens and Bill cooks. I do all of these things too, but not nearly as often as Bill.

If you do any gardening, then you know that each crop always seems to be ready to harvest all at once. As soon as the harvest begins, the search for creative ways to take advantage of fresh produce ensues and then we eventually resort to canning and freezing (when our taste buds can no longer keep up with a certain seasonal crop).

Last summer, Bill canned A LOT of pepperoncinis and we began searching for pepperoncini recipes to try. I love adding the pickled pepperoncinis to salads and I have a Italian Roast recipe from my mother in law that is amazing. (It uses pickled pepperoncinis and is served on homemade rolls. I definitely need to share it with you.) But, two options were not doing the trick. We needed more pickled pepperoncini recipes.

Bill discovered the perfect solution–Pickled Pepperoncini Martinis. He loves this pickled pepperoncini martini. I do not. It reminds me of my great grandmother, Maud–who I love and miss dearly, making us drink pickle juice if we swallowed a fish bone on vacation. Yuk!

But, if your palette loves brine, then this martini recipe is for you!

Let’s Make His and Her Martinis

Yield: 2 Servings

His and Her Martinis: Think Pepperoncini (His) and Chocolate (Hers)

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE MARTINI (Hers)
2 1/2 ounces Vodka
1 1/2 ounces Creme de Cacao
Optional Garnish-Chocolate Shavings
PICKLED PEPPERONCINI MARTINI (His)
2 1/2 ounces Vodka
1/2 ounce Dry Vermouth
1 ounce Pepperoncini Brine
Opt. Garnish-Whole Pepperoncinis

Instructions

For each martini recipe, fill a cocktail shaker 1/2 with ice.
Add the vodka and other ingredients.
Shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds.
Use a strainer to pour into cocktail glass.
Garnish and repeat.
Serve immediately.

Getting Started

Martinis are fairly simple to make and there are so many different options to try. My best tip is use the best ingredients, which means start with your favorite vodka. Below you will find an overview of each: Ingredients, Kitchen Tools and Basic Steps.

Ingredients

Chocolate Martini (Hers)

2 1/2 ounces Vodka
1 1/2 ounces Creme de Cacao
Optional Garnish-Chocolate Shaving
Ice

Pickled Pepperoncini Martini (His)

2 1/2 ounces Vodka
1/2 ounce Dry Vermouth
1 ounce Pepperoncini Brine
Optional Garnish-Whole Pepperoncinis
Ice

Kitchen Tools You May Need

Cocktail Shaker and Strainer
Martini Glasses

Basic Steps

For each martini recipe, fill a cocktail shaker 1/2 with ice.
Add the vodka and other ingredients.
Shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds.
Use a strainer to pour into cocktail glass.
Garnish and repeat.
Serve immediately.

Chocolate Martini and Pepperoncini Martini — Martinis by Bill

Next Time

Some day I’ll have to tell you more about our first trip together and “our story”…a story that goes from 5 years of being colleagues to quickly becoming a blended family of five. It includes fostering seven girls after our kiddos went off to college, retiring early and living the sweet country life tending to our gardens and flock. Maybe you’ll want to make yourself a chocolate martini and do a little light reading. Or maybe a pickled pepperoncini martini is more your style.

And, if you have any specific questions about “our story” that you’d like me to share, please be sure to drop me a note in the comments section.

In the meantime, choose joy and picnic often!

Introducing Ducklings to Water: The First Farmhouse Sink Photo

Farm, Home & Garden

As a new duckling owner, you might be thinking about introducing ducklings to water. You might also be thinking about capturing that first farmhouse sink photo of your ducklings splashing around in the water.

I know I was!

my farmhouse sink — Our farmhouse sink–ready and waiting for the ducklings

I love watching ducklings swim and I have seen the most adorable photos of ducklings swimming in farmhouse sinks. So, I have to admit that I was hoping to introduce my new ducklings to water in our farmhouse sink.

Bill was not so sure that this was a good idea. (I can always count on him to throw a few practical questions my way.)

So, I began researching the topic…

Let’s Talk about Ducklings and Swimming

This is what I learned about introducing ducklings to water.

First of all, your ducklings can drown resulting in death. Secondly, your ducklings can get chilled resulting in death.

Scary stuff.

So, our job as new duckling owners is to make sure that neither of these things happen. So here are a few tips and recommendations that I gathered from the experts.

Introducing Ducklings to Water in a Farmhouse Sink — Follow the safety tips below when introducing ducklings to water

Preventing Drowning

Let’s first talk about preventing drowning. Although your ducklings instinctively can swim, they can get fatigued very quickly and drown. This means that not only do you have to think about drowning when swimming, but you also need to take precautions in the brooder.

The water in their brooder should be no deeper than a 1/4 inch. That sounds really shallow, but think about how easy it is for a child to drown in a bathtub with just a little water in it. The same thing can happen to ducklings.

Mallard ducklings drinking from their waterer — The ducklings spend a lot of time at the waterer

You can avoid this issue all together by using a waterer with nipple stations rather than a trough. If you use a trough waterer, be sure you use one designed for chicks and ducklings. They are much smaller than waterers intended for adult members of your flock, so the water remains shallow.

Second, practice patience and wait until ducklings are at least one week of age before introducing ducklings to water. Their first swim should be brief regardless of if it’s in your farmhouse sink or anywhere else.

You will need to keep a close eye on the ducklings and the swimming session should be short (I know I repeated myself, but this is very important). Keep in mind that their mom is not there to teach them the ropes. So be cautious.

Keeping Ducklings Warm

You also need to keep your ducklings warm so they don’t get chilled. Before letting them swim in your sink, the room needs to be a comfortable temperature and the water needs to be at least 75 degrees. The water will cool down quickly, so again, keep the swimming session very brief.

Also, towel dry your ducklings after their swimming session. Keep in mind that if a momma duck isn’t around, the ducklings haven’t been waterproofed with protective oils. You will notice your ducklings beginning to preen fairly early.

After about four weeks they will have created their own waterproofing and can protect themselves more easily from being chilled.

Follow these tips, and you can keep your ducklings safe when you first introduce them to water.

Towel drying duckling after swimming — Warming our ducklings up after their first swim

Our Ducklings’ Arrival

So with this new information, I was ready for my ducklings to arrive and prepared to wait a bit before introducing my new flock to water.

Our ducklings arrived last week, Mallard ducklings to be exact. Such an exciting day!

We ordered them from an out-of-state hatchery and had them shipped to us via the USPS. Did you know that ducklings and chicks and bees and other live animals can be shipped in the mail?

We ordered 15 ducklings. Two did not survive the trip and another two died within a few hours of their arrival. Our money was refunded, but it wasn’t exactly the way I was hoping to start my duckling ownership.

Let’s backtrack a bit…

Picking Up our Ducklings

The week of the ducklings planned arrival, I stopped by our post office and chatted with them about the ducks arriving. We have had chicks shipped to us before, so I knew the drill and I also knew that they would need our phone number.

The post office called us bright and early Thursday morning, 6 am to be exact. At 6:06am, we were out the door. I don’t t think I’ve ever popped out of bed so quickly, or at least not since I was a child on Christmas morning.

Bill and I headed to the post office and went around the side to the loading dock. I thought I could hear them as soon as I walked in to the warehouse area. But, I was wrong, it was chicks that I was hearing.

Next to my box of ducklings were two other ventilated cardboard boxes. Both of those were filled with chicks. And to my surprise, chicks are so much louder than ducks.

I don’t know why I thought my ducks would be louder. Maybe I was expecting them to be quacking. Lol!

Picking up our ducklings from the post office — Our ducklings have arrived!

Bringing our Ducklings Home

We arrived back home where I had already set up the brooder (aka the duckling nursery) inside our home. My plan is to keep them inside where I can keep a close eye on them for the first 7-10 days.

Even though taking photos was high on my priority list, as a new owner of ducklings or any animals, my first priority is always their health and safety. So first up, lots of water (to drink not swim in), food and warmth.

Everyone filled up on water and food and some more water and then took a long nap underneath their Brinsea brooder. It mimics their mom as they lay underneath it for heat.

This is how the first couple of days went. Water, food, more water, sleep, repeat. I was completely amazed by how much water they go through and spill all over the place.

So messy (I had been warned by some of my fellow duck owners).

Swimming in our Farmhouse Sink

The ducklings were hatched on a Monday, so at their one week birthday it was time to take a few swimming. I decided 11 would be too many to keep my eye on so started with about 1/2 of the flock.

It was a beautiful day, the mudroom was warm and I placed the ducklings in an empty sink. I decided I was more comfortable adding just enough warm water so that it was deep enough to swim and shallow enough that they could still stand.

introducing ducklings to water — Introducing our ducklings to water

Oh my goodness! They were in heaven!

My ducklings began paddling around and diving!!! So adorable.

I took a few dozen photos and 3 minutes of video and then called it a day.

ducklings in farmhouse sink — Shallow enough to stand and deep enough to swim AND dive!

I knew if they could talk, they would be like I was as a child, begging my mom to stay just a few more minutes at the pool.

I placed the ducklings in a bucket that I had lined with a towel, we headed back to the brooder and dried each one off.

Too much fun!

Strong Swimmers

The ducklings have been swimming in our sink daily. They are so active and literally splash the water out of the sink. If you’d like to see my ducklings in action, check out my Instagram reels and stories @pennypenningtonweeks.

Introducing my ducklings to water has been so entertaining. I now know where the phrase, like a duck to water originates.

I love watching them dive and preen. So adorable.

I am still cautious, I keep the water level low and the water temperature warm. I also keep the sessions at around 10 minutes, towel the ducklings off and return them to the brooder.

A Final Note

The ducklings’ brooder will be moved out to the barn this week. After seeing how much they love the water, it is tempting to provide a place for them to splash around on their own. But it’s too soon.

Ducklings become strong swimmers at around 5 weeks of age. So, I will be on lifeguard duty a bit longer.

And they won’t be fully feathered until 8 weeks. So it’s important to make sure they can warm up after swimming.

To be continued…

More coming soon as the duckling adventures continue.

How to Start your Garden with Cool Season Vegetables

Garden, Home & Garden

Today I’m sharing some tips for how to start your garden with cool season vegetables. If you’re like me and you’re eager to get your garden going, cool season vegetables are the perfect solution.

Cool Season Vegetables and Eggs — A cool season vegetable harvest and farm fresh eggs

As a gardener, winter can seem so long. And sometimes, the eagerness for planting season leads to planting too soon. It goes something like this…we’re tired of winter, we miss gardening and then all of sudden there is a gorgeous sunny day. And then maybe a whole weekend of warmer temperatures. So we head out to our local gardening center and sure enough they are ready for us. We are surrounded by plants, fill up our cart and head home to begin planting.

We start our garden filled with excitement.

But it’s too soon.

A frost hits, we lose our plants and we have to start all over again.

Cool season vegetables are the perfect solution.

Cool Season Vegetables

One of the basic concepts that all gardeners should have as part of their arsenal is an understanding of cool season vs. warm season plants.

A few years ago, Bill and I served as volunteer 4-H leaders for a campus based club we created to serve children of students living on campus. Our 4-H club was named Eat, Grow, Lead. The Grow part of our club focused on gardening and included each of our participants sharing a portion of the campus community garden.

One of the first Grow lessons we shared with our 4-Hers was one about cool season vs. warm season plants.

It was important for us to begin gardening as soon as possible, meaning we didn’t want to wait until summer to begin gardening. So we taught our 4-Hers how to start their gardens with cool season vegetables. It was a great way to get started in the spring before our students (and their children-our 4-Hers) took a summer break.

Some of our 4-Hers learning how to garden with cool season vegetables

What is a Cool Season Vegetable?

Cool season vegetables have either a hardy or semi-hardy frost tolerance. This means that the gardening fun can begin before your average last frost date and you won’t risk losing your plants, if you plant cool season vegetables.

Hardy plants can tolerate cold weather and can be planted before your last frost date. Some can even handle a freeze. Semi-hardy plants can also be planted before your last frost date and can handle a light frost. However, a hard frost can damage semi-hardy plants.

In our zone (7a), our average last frost date is April 15 and we begin planting our cool season vegetables around March 1.

Warm season plants are considered tender or very tender. They cannot handle cooler temperatures and grow better during warm temperatures.

Carrots and other vegetables — Carrots at a farmer’s market in Washington, our carrots cannot compete!

Our Cool Season Favorites

I love when Bill and I head to our local feed store to pick up potato tubers and onion sets. It means the gardening season is about to begin and we will have homegrown vegetables in our kitchen in the near future.

Potatoes ready to plant — Not so pretty, but these potato tubers will produce gorgeous Yukon Gold potatoes

Earlier this week, we planted potatoes, peas, kale and broccoli. Bill also planted onions, spinach, beets, and rhubarb. (I, also, snuck a row of sweet peas on the trellis in the back of the raised bed where the potatoes are planted. I think the leafy greens of the potato plants will pair perfectly with the multi-colored sweet pea flowers.)

Newly planted potato tuber — Planting the Yukon Gold potatoes, my sweet peas will be in the back on the trellis

As someone who did not grow up gardening, I find it so interesting how the different plants are started. We start some from seed and some from plants. And others from crowns, tubers, and sets. There is always so much to learn.

Cool Season Plants to Start from Seed

The following is a list of our favorite cool season vegetables that we start from seed. We always end up planting more leafy greens then we can keep up with, but the chickens don’t mind helping us out. Not included on our list is carrots, we have tried them but they carrots always end up tasting something like pencil wood. It’s just too hot in Stillwater.

Kale
Lettuce
Peas
Radishes
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Turnips

A hand full of garden peas ready to plant, a great cool season vegetable — Garden peas ready to plant, a great cool season vegetable

Cool Season Vegetables to Start from Plants

My favorite cool season plant by far is cabbage. It isn’t necessarily my favorite one to eat. But it is definitely my favorite one to watch grow. It is truly a miracle that what looks like a few leaves turns into such an amazing and huge plant. And if you have the space, try both red and green cabbage plants. They are both so gorgeous.

Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower

Bill planting broccoli, a great cool season vegetable — Bill planting broccoli

Cabbage plants, my favorite cool season vegetable!

Cool Season Vegetables to Start from Crowns, Tubers and Sets

I loving growing Yukon Gold potatoes! They are so good, you don’t even need butter. We, also, planted a new crop of asparagus this year, Jersey Knight Asparagus to be exact. It is a predominantly male variety, the stalks are thicker and more tender. We will not harvest it for a few seasons. The plant is a perennial and can last as much as 20 years. So amazing!

Asparagus-Crowns
Onions-Sets
Potatoes-Tubers
Rhubarb-Crowns

Bill planting asparagus — The asparagus crowns have been soaked and are ready to plant

Bill modeling my favorite cool season vegetable, cabbage — Bill modeling my favorite cool season vegetable–cabbage

Our Vegetable Garden

Our vegetable garden is mostly contained in the raised beds surrounding our barn. Each bed has water directly to it and we use soaker hoses to water the beds. In addition to our cool season vegetables, we grow lots of warm season vegetables.

When planning your garden, keep in mind that after you harvest the majority of your cool season vegetables, you may be able to follow-up with planting some of your warm season vegetables in the same location.

vegetable garden and barn — Our barn surrounded by some of our warm season vegetables and a few cosmos flowers

The exception to that are perennial vegetables like asparagus–they will need their own permanent space. For us that means our asparagus has a separate area. We keep the asparagus along a fence so that the area is out of the way and not disturbed year round. For northern climates (not ours), rhubarb is also a perennial.

I’ll share more with you soon. You can also check out my Instagram stories and posts, where I have been sharing our garden for a few years now.

A Few More Tips and Ideas

Save your leftover seeds and use them in your fall garden. Store the seeds in the refrigerator or a cool location.
When planting from seeds, remember that your seeds need seed to soil contact. So be sure to press the seed into the soil.
Your local county Cooperative Extension Service provides fact sheets on gardening for your climate. Be sure to check out available online resources for more ideas.
You can also find information on local 4-H Clubs through your county Cooperative Extension Service. You could serve as a volunteer and/or enroll your child in a club.