Although May Day isn't celebrated here as widely as it is in Europe, I still think it's one of the sweetest holidays. The tradition of leaving a basket of flowers and treats on your neighbors door reminds me of simpler times, when neighbors actually knew one another. And did you know, historians say, if they catch you in the act, they must give you a kiss!

The furthest project we have planned for Grove House are the gardens, even so, I can't stop thinking about them. Maybe because the excavation and foundations aren't that exciting to me, it leaves me to wander off and daydream about the potential beauty at the end of our build.

The Food Crafting 101 class at The Institute of Domestic Technology, began with bread making. Erik Knutzen of Root Simple, started off by sharing his thoughts on various flours and yeast, followed by a hands on demonstration for making our own Twenty-One-Hour Boule. Now, I know that sounds like an enormous amount of time to make bread, but it's only about 10 minutes worth of work, the remaining time is resting & rising the dough.

A few days ago, on a whim, I decided to treat myself to a day of culinary adventure at The Institute of Domestic Technology. I'd been wanting to emerse myself in one of their classes, since the first time I read about them in the LA Times.

The Man tops off his Raisin Bran with granola nearly every morning. Sometimes he switches things up and has Frosted Mini Wheats, but there is always granola. He's a creature of habit.

One of his other daily eats are nuts. Roasted and salted almonds, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, cashews...you get the idea. He doesn't discriminate, and will power through an entire bag in no time. So when I was on location in Texas, the homeowner (Thanks, Susie!) shared a granola that was jam packed with nuts, and I knew I had to make it for him as soon as I returned home.

One of my favorite things about my job, is seeking out those hidden gems. People, places, or products that are unique, well made, and somewhat original. In this months Country Living Magazine, one of my picks, Janna Lufkin of Raw Materials Design, was featured in our Making a Country Living column.