Here at our farm on the north side of a small mountain in Maine we honor the fairies all year long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During these quieter months of winter when the ground is frozen hard snow covered statuary  adorn the gardens and pathways to the meadow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

as well as the entryway to The Enchanted Woodland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this way we honor the fairies even when they are no longer with us having retired to their winter chambers before the first snow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Home Place Fairies spend all but the coldest months of winter helping tend my gardens and blueberry barrens at the farm.

After a long growing season they deserve their winter rest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fairy Folk are tiny and delicate and winters are cold here in the north country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home Place Fairies have humble chambers in which they rest and retire, cozy and warm deep within an ancient oak tree.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for myself I sit by the fire sewing fairy finery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Using enchanted fairy dust left for me by the fairies last spring I am able to reduce the garments from human to fairy size.

 

 

 

 

I tend to the plants in my little earth bound pit greenhouse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most days I walk through my gardens under cover of snow

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wander atop Blue Fairy Hill and meander about the back meadow still enchanted with fairy glow.

 

 

 

 

 

Though I will not see them until spring, the warmth of my fairy friends is forever within my heart where ever I go.

 

 

 

 

Here on the north side of a small mountain in Maine winter has made clear she has finally arrived.

 

 

 

 

 

Early each morning I go out into the garden to tend Old Horse. Some mornings the sky is brilliant with colors of the rising sun.

 

 

 

 

 

Other mornings the skies are rather grey but a gray softer than most blues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What ever colors the sky presents or the weather at hand, Old Horse is always there to greet me.

Old Horse was long ago enchanted by Home Place Fairy Folk and though he ages, he never grows old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Horse is very wise; he is the sentry and guardian of the Home Place Fairies winter chambers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though I spend most all of my hours here at the farm with Old Horse and the Fairy Folk, I am still in awe of how very beautiful the world around me is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy New Year From the Home Place Fairies!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!!!

Some people believe there are fairies wherever there are children, gardens and pets and some people do not believe in fairies and probably never will.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High upon the Blue Fairy Hill among the fields once blue two little friends set out hoping they might be lucky enough to catch sight of a Home Place Fairy or two.

On the hillside they saw a twinkle, just one tiny little glimmer of light.

“What do you think “,  said one child to the other, “Is this a lone fairy or a single sparkling light?”

“I am not sure”, said her friend, “This hill is getting steeper and that light is climbing higher than I want to go. I think I will turn back for my supper”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So the one child climbed on all alone with her Teddy to the top of the hill.

When she reached the highest peak  she was very tired so she sat down to rest taking in the view.

The sun began to set rewarding her with the sight of three dancing fairies as they bid farewell to the day and welcomed the night.

Not everyone believes in fairies but if you look real close you might just find them right there beside you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

              P.L. Travers (Mary Poppins)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

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.