Family and Friends
Pure Art
Children’s artwork and handwriting always makes me smile. I love to display it where it can be seen everyday. This piece, simply framed in antique red and displayed in our…
Keep ReadingTie One On
There’s very little that compares to the camaraderie of working side by side in the kitchen. It’s cozy. Intimate. You’re slicing, you’re dicing, you’re julienning . . . .All the…
Keep ReadingSupport Systems, Check!
In the Connecticut Country House gardens, I rely on a wide variety of support systems to keep my plants at their best. Whether in the form of simple stick teepees,…
Keep ReadingMurphy & Son
Last Tuesday was an emotional day for the Murphy’s. Tuesday marked another milestone for our family – Conor’s high school graduation. Murph and I tried to hold it together, but…
Keep ReadingThe Connecticut Country House gardeners
Tending the gardens at Connecticut Country House, that’s what we do. And I guess you could call it a labor of love. On one hand, that labor of love comes…
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Kicking back
Moving furniture around at Connecticut Country House is an indoor and outdoor activity. Depending on what’s going on in the various gardens around the house, the whitewashed Adirondack-style chairs get…
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A bank of gold
If you were to ask me what one of my favorite plantings at Connecticut Country House is, I would have to start with the forsythia. I think my love of…
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Foodie friday:Chicken Soup Love
Nothing tastes better (and more comforting) than a bowl of homemade chicken soup served up really hot. A couple of weeks ago I was as sick as a dog, so…
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Foodie Friday: Sea to Table
It all starts with the love of fishing. And for Murph, that LOVE is spelled out in all caps. At the break of dawn, with two of his best buds,…
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The greatest gifts
The very best things I remember about my dad were the littlest things. My parents came to America during the 1956 Hungarian revolution. Like so many refugees, they arrived with…
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Create an heirloom cookbook
If you’re looking for a very special gift to make for a bride-to-be…something she’ll cherish forever…this is it. My God daughter Aileen’s bridal shower is featured in the current spring…
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Planting tomatoes
Just got back with a beautiful batch of organic tomato plants (their names and descriptions were so intriguing, I had a tough time walking away without buying one of everything).…
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Foodie Friday: Pesto White Pizza
One of the options for pizza toppings that always gets rave reviews is pesto. Every summer and fall we harvest our basil from the kitchen garden and make batches of…
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Foodie Friday: The Hamptons Sorbet
If you’re looking for a dessert that can be described as enticing, colorful, heavenly, tasty, simple, cheerful, pretty, refreshing, light, playful, classy, charming, happy, jazzy, showy, and just a little…
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Foodie Friday: Hash browns for Conor
My son Conor is turning into a foodie; he truly savors the meals at his weekend part-time gig at our hometown eatery – My Place. When he’s not up to…
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A labor of love
For over 20 years now, Murph’s been getting up at daybreak and driving to Main Street to set up front row seats for our town’s annual Labor Day Parade. This…
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My gardening guru
“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.” – Gertrude Jekyll, British gardener (1843-1932) When…
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One take
Murph was really on his game this weekend – concocting probably the very best, most awesome batch of Corn and Crabmeat Chowder he has ever made – ever. One taste…
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A million little things: courage
“A ship is always safe at the shore – but that is not what it is built for.” – Albert Einstein (1879-1955) I love the sea. And this wonderful old…
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From Newtown with love
Twenty years ago my best friend Suzy married a sweetheart of a guy. His name is Ron. Earlier this spring, I asked folks to send me their favorite family recipes,…
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When sweet met sassy
Next time you’re walking by that flat of pansies – more specifically those cute little faced ‘Johnny Jump Ups’ – not so fast, they’re the key to your next dessert!…
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The thrill of the hunt
The countdown begins. Tomorrow we’re hosting a big family gathering here at Connecticut Country House, and we’ll kick off the Easter Sunday festivities with our annual Easter Egg Hunt. I…
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Mama’s pots of gold
For as far back as I can remember, my mom’s (a.k.a. Mama) stuffed cabbage has been a mainstay at all our holiday suppers growing up. And this upcoming Easter Sunday…
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Miss Fannie’s mac n’ cheese
Yucky and yummy. The two words that best sum up this past weekend. The weather here in Connecticut was cold and raw, rainy and (anticipating) snowy, so obviously this was…
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A presidential good read
We love a good read. And by the length of today’s posting – I hope you do to! When it comes to good books, here at Connecticut Country House we’re…
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