Cornbread made, gorgeous day -again!, finished off beet tart, frosting to be whipped

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Jack and I took Oliver to family visiting day at O's school this morning- so cute to see J in his old classroom. Everything was the same, but now he's so grown up. It's almost hard to remember him at 2 years old. Then we came home, walked the "canine", got a cookie treat and have been snuggled up reading Aladdin on the couch. I made the red chile cornbread, and once I get Mr. O down for his nap and J into his quiet time, it's whipped cream-mascarpone frosting time- SUCH a good icing for cakes. Jack refuses to eat buttercream so I found this recipe out of necessity but am so glad I did and will post it soon. It's so beautiful again here today. I just want to go roll around in my yard, but having seen Percy and his "spot-treatment" on my plants, I think I shouldn't do so.

Can I just tell you that the beet tart ages well? Heck- I just finished it off for a mid-morning snack. The goat cheese-onion mixture is really sublime. Ok, we gotta get O. How gorgeous are these apples and pears?

Garden discoveries

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What day is it? Does it matter?Anyway, after getting the boys to school and swearing I'd come home and nap, I did not. No, I just had to do some more gardening, and boy am I glad I did. I had somewhat given up on my Red Runner Beans but just look at this handful, and there are more out there. My aunt Renee sent me some of these to plant, and they just grow like the wind. When you shell them, they're a beautiful magenta color and so delicious. I also got a few more tomatoes that have grown despite the recent cold.

And, there is a darling cat family in one of my back corners. People, who can resist kittens? Not I. Percy was doing his there's-an-invader moan, and then I heard a vicious hiss. Lo, a mother cat was guarding three darling kittens. So I shooed Percy inside and left a bowl of milk for the cats. From my window, I can see them all drinking it and romping under the bushes. Don't tell Tom, but I hope I can adopt them as yard pets.