I have served this dessert for the 4^th of July and other special occasions for many years. It is a favorite of my daughters and her friends and also gets raves from my friends.

I usually tend to make food from simple and fresh ingredients, but this recipe has several processed ingredients that I would normally not use. Just taste this and you will see why I break my rules for this one. It is truly delicious; the ultimate comfort dessert!!

Banana Cream Pudding

1 14 oz. can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 ½ cups cold water

1 3 oz. package instant vanilla pudding mix

2 cups whipping cream, whipped

36 vanilla wafers

3 medium bananas sliced and covered with enough lemon juice to moisten each slice

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl combine condensed milk and water. Add pudding mix and beat until well blended. Chill for 5 minutes.
2. Fold in whipped cream.
3. Spoon 1 cup of pudding mixture into a 2 ½ quart serving bowl. Top with one layer of each the vanilla wafers and the bananas. Repeat layering ending up with the pudding mixture on top.
4. Chill thoroughly.

Garnish as desired.

Serves 8 to 10

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These Victorian shell ships were thoughtfully made many years ago. The sails and bodies were cut and shaped from polished shells, the holes drilled, the miniature uprights cut and finally all woven together with wires or heavy thread to build the sailboats. Surely these were made by men who once sailed the seas on real ships.

These sweet images of sail boats are now anchored on top of an old desk of mine at the beach house along with some wooden fishing boat models, several horn sailing schooners and some delightful sea birds.

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I love to spend the longest day of the year at the beach. Looking out to the sea with no earthly interference to the light, the day is lengthened and the light stays longer.

We watched the sunset amidst the dramatic clouds, feeling fortunate that it was not overcast and hidden like it can be this time of year. We savored the last fiery lines of light as the sun gave up the fight for light and the darkness began to rule the night.

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My rose arbor along my front sidewalk is in its full glory, saturated with blooms and filling the air with perfume! When I walk under the trellis, the fragrance is stunning and takes me out of this world and transports me to heaven.

The name of this climbing rose is City of York. It is a classic, old fashioned English rose, sometimes called The Wedding Rose.

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I have a collection of treasures I’ve found on the beach stored in my kitchen drawers. I like to take out some of the sea treasures and play, creating pleasing arrangements and using them for summer decorations around the house. They are so much fun to use in tablescapes at my beach house. I make additions and rearrange them to keep the compositions fresh and fun. They also work great framed on the wall.

Here I have wrapped seaweed around coralline algae and muscle and scallop shells. I added another variety of funky pink seaweed and I fixed everything in place with gold sealing wax. The possibilities are endless! You can also use superglue for a permanent hold.

To mount these 3-dimensional collages on the wall, superglue your finished product to matt board and frame. It’s are a great project for the whole family to do together.