“Don’t you know that everybody’s got a Fairyland of their own?”

              P.L. Travers (Mary Poppins)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While out wandering one fine day I met a little Green Fairy dancing all alone in the forest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon seeing me the little fairy politely bowed, curtsied, giggled and twirled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I stepped closer she paused and smiled sweetly,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then snapped her fingers and fled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Express yourself …

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dance … because you can.

Sing … because you want to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take time out each and every day to be outdoors among the natural world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sing to stars,

whisper to clouds,

walk among nature with your shadow and dance with the trees.

 

 

 

Home Place Fairies are generous and kind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

They know that gentle acts of kindness reach far and wide.

What touches one, touches all.

 

“If you want to go fast

Go alone.

If you want to go far

Go together.”

 

African Proverb and Fairy Proverb too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September is the busiest time of year here at our farm. There are so many fruits and vegetables ready to be harvested all at the same time.

Fairy Folk busily sprinkle fairy dust to ripen and sweeten fruits, vegetables, autumn flowers and herbs.

Here at our farm the Wizard and I along with the assistance of Grand Children and Fairies have harvested all of our blueberries and peaches. Grapes are sweetening and our Arctic Hardy Kiwi vines are waiting for the first gentle frost to ripen their abundant bounty of fruit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Esmeralda climbs among the branches of “Aria”, a Great Wolf River Apple Tree, on the look out for what few apples Aria will produce this season. Wolf River Apple trees produce bountiful harvests every other year and Aria was heavy with fruit last year so will offer up only a few random apples this season.

Taking her task seriously, Esmeralda will search until she finds those few apples and collect them for pie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friends come in all shapes and sizes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cherish them for the gifts they are.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Make sure you are fairy careful and pay extra attention when driving,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All sorts of Wee Folk are out and about heading to and from school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yum, there is nothing quite like a Pixie Pear Tart made from freshly picked pears.

Here is a delicious and simple recipe for making a pear tart of your own that my fairy friends shared with me.

I have included a gluten free version for the crust. The Fairies and I hope you like it!

PIXIE PEAR TART RECIPE

1.) Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and gather together your ingredients.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.) Spray bottom and sides of an 11″ tart pan with organic olive oil and  set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RECIPE for CRUST and CRUMBLE TOPPING:

(Regular Flour or with Gluten Free Flour) :

1- 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons  All Purpose Flour or for Gluten Free use

( 1- 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour Mix)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar OR: I use  (1 teaspoon  ZING  a stevia / sugar blend)

1/4 cup organic canola oil

2 Tablespoons coconut milk, canned or from carton

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

 

2.) In large bowl stir together 1-1/2 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 Tablespoon sugar (or 1 Tablespoon Zing stevia) and set aside.

3.) In small bowl whisk together 1/4 cup canola oil, 2 Tablespoons coconut milk and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Pour this into flour mixture and mix gently with fork and fingers just to dampen. Mixture should be crumbly, you don’t want to over mix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.) Transfer dough to 11″ tart pan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spread crumbly dough over bottom and up sides of pan evenly, pushing with fingers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I use a 1/4 metal measuring cup to press down and along and into sides of pan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set aside.

TART TOPPING INGREDIENTS:

8 or more, nice sized ripe pears

2 Tablespoons cold butter sliced thinly

1/4  cup of white sugar or 2 Tablespoons stevia to taste if you must add sweetener. (I personally prefer not to add sweetener of any kind, the natural fruit is sweet enough for my liking)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon of brown sugar

A handful of chopped walnuts ( optional: you can also add some hulled sunflower seeds, Fairies love nuts and seeds.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.) In a small bowl mix together 2 Tablespoons of all purpose flour (or 2 Tablespoons gluten free flour mix), and 1/4 teaspoon salt and  2 Tablespoons cold butter. Use a pastry blender or fork and fingers to mix up flour, sugar and salt with butter til crumbly. Set aside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.) Slice pears somewhat thinly and evenly and arrange slices in a circular pattern on top of dough in tart pan. Then arrange a second and third layer of fruit slices overlapping the previous layer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.) Have your flour mixture handy and spread evenly over top of tart. Slow down, take your time and enjoy the process.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly dust the top of your tart ever so lightly with the brown sugar.

4.) Finally your tart is ready to place in the oven.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes, until you see thick bubbles and your crust has turned a light golden brown.

5.) For you nut lovers, I add the walnuts and seeds during the last 15 minutes of baking time.

6.) Cool completely on wire rack before slicing. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream…or both!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Folks often comment about an added something in the tarts I make that they just can’t put their fingers on…a certain flavor which they say eludes description.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just smile, because in fact there is a bit of fairy dust in every tart I bake, courtesy of the Home Place Fairies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feel free to experiment and make this recipe your own special kind of magic. Try hazel nuts instead of walnuts…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Try peaches instead of pears.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apples instead of peaches…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A mixture of two fruits or a combination of three!

You can even add blueberries!

(Though if you do I suggest you add them during the last 20 minutes of baking, as their small tender skins can crisp up slightly and burn.)

Enjoy.

 

 

 

September is a generally a month of superb, kind weather. The heavy heat of summer has passed and cool nights have settled upon us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the time of year when my gardens have grown beyond their borders, boldly heralding their abundance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am busy collecting seed for next season’s plantings as fairies twinkle, scattering fairy dust where ever they go.

Elecampane, also known as Elfwort rises regal behind me, yellow and proud. Elfswort grows up to 5 feet tall, is a perennial plant that flowers from July through September here in Maine. He is the favorite plant of Elves and attracts Fairies, butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.

Purple Loosestrife is in love with Elfwort and the two in my garden are often found side by side. Though Purple Loosestrife is very beautiful she is also aggressive and dominating, it takes a steady hand weeding to keep her from free ranging and growing wildly out of control.