I love Swiss chard and enjoy its beauty as well as its taste and healthfulness. One way to prepare it is to cut the stems out and steam them first, cut up, so they are a bit more tender, and then take the leaves, pile them up, and slice them into half-inch (1 cm) ribbons and put them in the steamer basket with the stem pieces. Cook ’til tender. Then either a cream sauce or an Italian one with garlic and olive oil, and you have a yummy treat for a cold night.

Fresh-washed green, yellow and red chard being sliced into ribbons

Joining Monday Mellow Yellows, Ruby Tuesday 2, Macro Monday,  Water World Wednesday, I Heart Macro Saturday, My Romantic Home, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, NF Abstract Wednesday and Saturday Show Off.  Glad you stopped by, and be sure to try a new tag or category while you are here. Fruits/Vegetables, perhaps?

In a restroom in a Mexican restaurant in Gig Harbor, Washington, I saw these sinks. This is something that you just don’t see every day.

A rainbow of colors in this pair of Mexican-style sinks

Linking to Monday Mellow Yellows, Blue Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off.  Thank you so much for visiting, and come back soon! Click on Sara’s Fave Photos above to see all the recent pictures here.

Let’s hope that the nasty hard freeze we had last week has not killed the dahlias tubers, still in the ground. Here’s one blossom from my favorite plant, from August.

Bouquet of dahlias and petunias

Connecting up with Floral Friday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, My Romantic Home, Blooming Friday and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for visiting, and please come back soon! To see all the photos, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above.

These pretty (and edible!) nasturtium flowers were growing on my patio in July, now just a sweet memory.

Close look at peach nasturtium flowers in my garden in July

Linking to Outdoor Wednesday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, My Romantic Home, Blooming Friday and Saturday Show Off. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog if there is only one photo here. Thank you so much for visiting, and come back soon!

I guess I could call this color peach or coral, but doesn’t it look just like watermelon? Missing fresh flowers very much, I raided my archives for this image of a bouquet on my table from May. And don’t you miss the Dutch irises in the background, too?

Peony blossom the color of watermelon, in a bouquet

Linking to Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Pink Saturday, Ruby Tuesday 2, My Romantic Home, Blooming Friday and Saturday Show Off. Try a new tag from the tag cloud at right, why don’t you? “Peonies” or “peony,” perhaps? Thanks for visiting, and please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog if there is only one photo here.

Some people are so good at decorating. I am envious. Wish this stairway was at my house.

Holiday decor all festive for the season adorns a stair railing

Linking to Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Today’s Flowers, Floral Friday, Macro Monday, I Heart Macro Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Pink Saturday and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for visiting, and please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog if there is only one photo here.

I was in Seattle and saw this view of the Space Needle, and the Experience Music Project on the lower left. Glorious!

Seattle’s iconic Space Needle against the skyline on a cold, sunny day

Please visit Skywatch Friday, Scenic Weekends, Outdoor Wednesday, Blue Monday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, and Saturday Show Off. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the latest posts here, and thank you so much for your visit here. Hope you enjoyed it!

We got a new hummingbird feeder and it’s sort of a half-tube shape (the back of it is flat against the glass) that attaches to the window with a suction cup. The window faces south, so now winter sun comes in on a sunny day. Look what was on the carpet yesterday!

Another benefit is that the warmth of the house through the windowglass is keeping the sugar water melted, even in this awful arctic weather we’ve been having.

Rainbow from convex hummingbird feeder

Linking to  Pink Saturday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Ruby Tuesday 2, Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, My Romantic Home, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, and Saturday Show Off. If only one photo shows here, please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above for more.

Finally got to get outside today. Super cold, but sunny. Here are some trees and sky and brick buildings with windows reflected in windows of brick buildings, looking fine in Seattle.

Bare branches and sunshine reflected in Seattle brick building windows

Linking to Whimsical Windows, Skywatch Friday, A Piece of Heaven, Scenic Weekends, Outdoor Wednesday, Weekend Reflections, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Monday Mellow Yellows, Ruby Tuesday 2, Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, and Saturday Show Off. Thank you so much for your visit here and hope you enjoyed it. Please click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the latest posts here.

I was looking for something red to post and found this image from a county fair this summer. Totally straight out of the camera and just for you:

A red horse blanket, under a beautiful saddle and on a beautiful horse

Linking up with Outdoor Wednesday, Ruby Tuesday 2, Shadow Shot Sunday 2, Straight out of the Camera Sunday, Mandarin Orange Monday, Orange You Glad It’s Friday, Camera Critters and Saturday Show Off. Thanks for your visit here, and please come back soon. Click on Sara’s Fave Photos Blog above to see the latest images.