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Almond Oat Rhubarb Cookies

May 19, 2018 Colleen Stem
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The rhubarb is ready and I am ready. There will be rhubarb in everything for weeks. But what to start with? I was debating if I should go classic and make a pie, or maybe savory and make a rhubarb tomato soup (going to make that soup later), or maybe just a big batch of jam to stick on and in everything.. Then I remembered  that I had a cookie dream last fall, a dream that I had made almond rhubarb cookie. (that is the extent of my dream memory)  And who am I to ignore a cookie dream? So I starting off rhubarb season with cookies. 

These cookies are all sorts of good. They have oats, almonds, flax, and a vegetable (because we all know that rhubarb is technically a veggies right?) so right there is a good enough excuse to make them. And to eat whenever, including breakfast, because remember, all the good stuff. But don't let that good stuff fool you. These cookies are just as good, if not better then any other cookie. Soft and chewy. So nutty, sweet but not too, and rhubarb all tart and fantastic cutting in to say hey hey hey. These are springtime, any time, cookie time cookies. Dream cookies that are now reality cookies.

Let the rhubarb begin!

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The stuff. Almonds, oats and rhubarb. Brown sugar, vegan butter, a flax egg, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla and salt.

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First we need to turn the oats into flour so blend them in a food processor until that happens 

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Next up are the almonds. These you want to pulse for about 2-3 minutes they become  more of an almond meal the flour. Don't over blend or else you might end up with almond butter. 

Next up. Sugar, vegan butter, cinnamon, vanilla, ans flax egg all go into a big bowl.

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Mix well until all combined and incorporated. 

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Now add in the oat flour, almond meal, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.

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Stir it up and there you go.. but the rhubarb!

Remove the leave from rhubarb if you haven't already. They will kill you!(or make you violently ill). Chop the rhubarb stalks into small pieces that are roughly the same size as chocolate chip. Some chunks can be a little bit bigger, but you don't want the piece too big or else you will end up with soggy cookies.

Rhubarb goes into cookie batter Mix it all in. 

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Scoop out dough onto baking sheet and give them all a good pat to flatten them down a good bit. Place them into the oven for  17-22 minutes to bake. until nice deep golden brown.

Golden brown and baked all nice. Look at those rhubarb chunks. So pretty.

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Cookies out on a wire rack to cool and firm up a bit.

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So now you eat yourself a cookie. Or two.

-C


Almond Oat Rhubarb Cookies

makes 18-22 cookies depending on size

  • 1 1/2 cups raw almonds

  • 1 1/2 cups old fashion oats (gluten free if needed)

  • 1/3 cup vegan butter room temperature

  • 1 flax or chia egg (1 tablespoon ground seed and 3 tablespoon water)

  • 1 cup packed brown sugar

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon

  • 2-3 stalks rhubarb (about 1 1/2 cups chopped)

Preheat oven to 350

Add oats to a food processor and blend until the oats turn into flour, which will take about 2 minutes. Dump the now flour into a bowl. Add almonds to the food processor and pulse for 2-3 minutes until the almonds turn into fine meal. Dump into the bowl with oats.

In a large bowl mix together the vegan butter, brown sugar, flax egg, and vanilla until fully incorporated. Add in the oat and almond flours, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda and mix until la dough forms. 

Grab rhubarb and chop into little pieces that are roughly the size of a chocolate chip. Measure out 1 1/2 cups and dump into batter. Mix until incorporated. 

Scoop out cookies onto a parchment lined baking sheet and flatten each cookie to aboutt 1/2 inch thick. Place into  preheated oven. and bake for 17-22 minutes (rotate after 12)  or until a nice golden brown on top and bottom. (Depending on your baking sheet and stove, it could take a few minutes longer, just keep your eyes on the cookies!)  Once bakes, place on a wire rack to cool. These cookies are very fragile until they cool off so be careful handling them. 

Let cool and eat. And yes, these are 100% exceptable to eat as a breakfast cookie. 

Left over cookies should be stored in an airtight container at room tempature for 2-3 day, longer in the fridge, and can be frozen .

And eat yourself a cookie. Or two.

Cookie anecdote.  I placed a cookie sheet full of cookies back into a cold oven to store while I was cleaning up the kitchen. And left them there and kind of forgot about they, And then I cranked the oven on to make dinner and a few minutes later smelled something burning. OH fuck... the cookies! I pulled them out just in time to see that I had completely burnt the bottoms. SO PISSED ( I might have raged cried a little). But you know what I did? I cut all the bunt bottoms off and placed the crumbles up un-burnt bits onto a bowl. The mr came home and ate the bowl of crumble and was happy as a clam. And lucky had left out half of the cookies l on the counter so not all were lost. But lessons learned. Cookies crumbles are just as good as whole cookies and always check the oven before turning it on. There might be cookies in there!!! 

In Vegetables, Vegan, Sweets, Spring, Nuts, Gluten Free, desserts, Dairy Free, cookies Tags Almond Oat Rhubarb Cookies, Almond flour cookies, oat cookies, vegan, vegan cookies, gluten free cookies, vegan and gluten free cookies, cookies, rhubarb, rhubarb cookies, breakfast cookies, plant based, dairy free, snack time, diy almond flour, homemade almond flour
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Sunday Happy

May 6, 2018 Colleen Stem
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How wonderful has the weather been for you? Around here, it couldn't have been any better. Warm, not to hot, lots of sun with some good rainy spell, even a really cool thunder storm. Everything is growing and blooming and it is just so fantastic.  A good spring week. We deserved it for sure. 

The week was full of all sorts of things. We finally got out taxes done after having to file an extension (well, there are still few more things were need to do, but the accountant has the pile of papers so I don't have to look a them anymore), Now I can finally stop thinking about them and focus on anything but, because taxes suck, like literally sucked the life out of me.(lets never speak of taxes again..until next year)  There were stairs rebuilt, shelves moved around, mirrors hung, so so much yard work, my first bike ride, sunburns (the mr, not me) and best yet, we found and installed a new (to us) bathroom faucet. Hooray!!  It's pretty cool, one we have never seen and looks really good with the green sink. We found it at the salvage yard attached to a sink that we did not need so we removed it, brought it home, dragged our heavy ass sink out to the backyard, and the mr installed it. Then we brought the sink back to the bathroom and stuck it back in place.  Now we can stop brushing our teeth and washing our hands in the bathtub. Things are going good. 

 I feel like I have been rolling in the green all week (green as in plants and stuff). The mr bought me the coolest plant called the escargot begniioa (see picture below) and that's the plant that made me realized that I am now obsessed and need to start the worlds greatest begonia collection. I also got a few more house plants because I just can't stop/won't stop. (Our house is basically made up of chairs, books, and plants. Not a bad house if I do say so my self.) So now the inside could be mistaken for the outside. Outside we planted a bunch of raspberry bushes our neighbor gave us which I am so super excited about and I have a ton  more  seeds in the garden, Or I hope I do. I kept getting seed/plant robbed by the birds and squriells. All the greens that I had started inside and planted in the soil were eaten and a good chunk of the seeds I directly planted were also dug up. Little fuckers, but I think the chicken wire I placed over everything really helped. And it is still kind of early so I just planted and started more seeds because thats what we do.  I basically spent all all my time this week thinking about plants and I am ok with that. 

And it's Sunday. Today I am going to spend more time then I would like digging splinters out of my hands because for some reason I just don't think about putting on gloves when doing any yard work. I know of one really big one in my thumb from a tree root that won't come out, but all the twigs and sticks I picked up gave me quite a few little pesky ones. Other then that, as long as it is not super rainy, I 'll probably spend a good chunk of the day outside again, doing more yard stuff, probably without gloves on, because why would I do that? And I will  try to throw in a bike ride too. If I am lucky, once I get tired,  it will start raining this  afternoon so I can not have to water and I can spend the rest of the day reading on the back porch with all my new plant friends. 

Internet I looked at that you can look at too.

-I am a plant lady in all the ways. My new obsession.  Begonias. BEAUTIFUL BEGONIAS: TYPES & CARE. 

-Yes, yes they do. Drake’s Lyrics Make The Best Cake Quotes Ever

-This house is pretty cool, but the pineapple light fixture. Amazing.

-I think I might be a sensitive person. Everything to Know About the Highly Sensitive Person

-Now You Can Drink—Yes, Drink—Hummus. Yeah, I don't know. I think I would really like a chick pea tahini shake.  But is it really hummus? Hum.

-Vermont Wetland Types. Became I wanted to know and you might too.

-Should I make one for the mr to push me around in? Haha, but this is pretty cool,, like for the littles. WOODEN RIDE-ON CAR DIY!

-I feel like I could really get down with the contra. Square, Contra and Henry Ford: The History And Lasting Appeal Of Country Dancing

-TALKING BREAD AND EVOLUTION WITH JEFFREY HAMELMAN Who doesn't want to t talk about bread, especially a master baker from VT? 

-This seems kind of crazy and a little gross. Old cake for hundreds of dollars. How about you throw me the money and I make you a fresh cake?  Slice Of History: Pieces Of British Royal Wedding Cakes Up For Auction. 

Pictures from the week.

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Have a good one. 

-C

In sunday happy, Spring, internet links, photography Tags Sunday Happy, internet links, photography, summer, spring, vintage sinks, faucets, green, plants, Vermont, Vermonting, Everyday life
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Sunday Happy

April 29, 2018 Colleen Stem

What kind of bees give milk?

Boo bees. Hahahaha....hahaha

I know, what an awesome joke. When I heard it, it sent a deep ripple of laughter through me. Who doesn't love a good bee joke right? 

Anyways.  How did your week go? Are you in shock and awe that it is actually finally spring? I have been. Every morning I wake up and expect to see a new coating of snow, but no, it has been ever so pleasant and warm. And raining, which makes me happy because spring rain is the best. Everything is all of a sudden  green and growing and the flowers and it's just all so freaking magical and awesome and so so needed. The winter almost broke me. I'm so much better now. And so are my feet. Chacos or barefoot all day long. I have spent way to much time in shoes this year. 

And the heat is off and all the windows are open. Ah, freshy freshness. Good stuff.

This spring week has brought on a lot of outside stuff.  I spent a good day turning over the garden beds and started to rake up the leaves. I need about another day to finish that and to dig up all the baby thistle that is covering the lawn. Although what I really need to do is get over to al the apartment buildings in town and tend to the gardens and clean up around the outsides. That's probably what I am going to be doing this coming week.  I did manage to plant some greens and peas in one of my newly turned beds, but I am having a slight problem with squirrels right now so I didn't plant any more then I was able to cover (I need to get more chicken wire). 

The mr and I did trip out to the NEK for a day. We stood by a rushing river for a while waiting to see the trout jump (we didn't), then we went to meet the piggies at Jess's farm, and installed the farmer lady a hot water heater (It's actually a water heater, not a hot water heater, but I can't stop saying hot water heater) The trip out of town and into the lushness of spring nature had me even more excited about the weather. Soon there will be days of hanging out by the river, the mr fly fishing,  and me hiking around, looking for rocks, and reading under a tree. Oh so soon. So so soon. 

We had the littles a few times. and did a sleep over the started with cupcakes and ended with Barb and pancakes and now my sprinkle stock had dwindled drastically. We watched a movie (I read, they watched), trashed my house, ate all my peanut butter, and crawled onto the new couch in the morning and feel asleep. Highlight was Judah and I got into a debate over the  pros and cons of a magic carpet vs a magic couch. I said I wanted a carpet because you can roll it up and put it away, but Judah was all about a couch because it would be more comfortable, turn into a bed, come wit pillows,  and because it was magic, you could still fold it up and store it. That kid, he got me on that one. Now I think I want a magic couch instead. 

The agenda for today. I finally broke down and bought myself new running shoes (my toes are breaking through my old ones) so when I go to the gym this morning, I am going to be breaking the new batboys in.I  know, big plans right.  Then up until like 10 minutes ago, I thought it was going to be a cool and sunny day, and I was going to be able to spend the day doing yard work.  Turns out  it's actually going to be raining and cool. I guess that just means I will have  to spend the day on the porch, wrapped in a thick sweater, reading, napping, and enjoying the coolness before it gets to mother find hot next week. 80 degree days... Now I am going to be bitching about how hot I am. Ha. 

Things that I actually spent the time to look at  on the internet.

-Homes Or Gardens? Developers And Urban Farmers Grapple Over Vacant Land. There is a need for food and a need for housing, it's a hard one.

-I didn't realize that there really was anyone that really believed the earth is flat. How to argue with flat earthers

-When I fist saw this, I thought it was fake and a little creepy. Spectacular Fans of Feathers Define the Vogelkop Superb Bird-of-Paradise Courtship Ritual

-Always thinking about what the bees will like. Make Your Yard Bee-Friendly

- Cozy 250-Square-Foot Cabin in the Pacific Northwest. Just the right size for me to escape to. Or this Joshua Tree Shack would also of the trick. 

-I check this every few days to see what the pollen count is and how miserable I might be. 

-The Tweeting of the Lambs: A Day in the Life of a Modern Shepherd. This dude takes care of 500 sheep. Thats freaking nuts. Much respect. 

-The latest star map from the Gaia spacecraft plots 1.7 billion stars. Thats a lot of stars. 

-I am either really good or really shitty at mindfulness. Mindfulness Meditation Advice for the Anxious and Distracted

This Healthy Convenience Mart Aims To Take On 7-Eleven Think this is pretty neat. 

Pictures from the past week. 

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In vermont, sunday happy, Spring, internet links, photography Tags Sunday happy, everyday life, internet links, photography, trout run, farm, littles
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Lemon Rainbow Sprinkle Cupcakes

April 28, 2018 Colleen Stem
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The person that invented sprinkles is a very smart person. Whoever they are, I wonder if they new exactly what they were doing, that even the mention of sprinkles can, and does, drive a person (mostly littles) mad with the need for sugar. Just the mere glimpse of the rainbow colored topping was enough to bribe a few little littles into somewhat decent behaviors, even for just a little while (especially when I let them know about the sprinkles on the inside, well they just snapped into line). No rainbow sprinkle cupcake if you don't clean up and eat all you peas!. That goes for everyone, not just the littles. Haha. 

Have you notice that most of the snow melted and it's finally spring? Whoop whoop. Now that the house is feeling fresh because the windows and doors are thrown open, I feel the need to blast music and bake. I went with cupcakes because I haven't in a while, and lemon because its fresh, and sprinkles because we need to celebrate spring and really, sprinkles in and on everything will never be a bad idea.

 I have more or less been using kind of the same recipe for a vegan vanilla cake for a while. And while it was a good cake, it was never a great cake. When I made these I decided to tweak it a bit and they came out awesome. Finally a great cake. The mr, the littles, everyone who has eaten one has reached for another. And eaten the crumbs off the table and licked the parchment wrappers clean. The littles even asked if they could have the recipe so when they grow up they can make them by themselves. (So cute.) A cake winner here for sure.  

So if you are feeling sprinkly and lemony and want a sweet, then go, go to your kitchen. Throw open the windows, blast some tunes, and bake away. 

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The stuff. Vegan butter, oil, sugar, and a few lemons. Flour, baking soda and powder, salt, plant milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla extract*, and of course sprinkles. 

*I used imitation vanilla extract because I have read in more then a few placed that the typical funfetti cake uses it. So I did and there were zero complaints. 

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Start by mixing the dry together along with the zest of the lemon. After zesting, add the juice of one of the lemons and the apple cider vinegar the milk and give it a mix. 

Beat together the sugar, butter, and oil until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla. 

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Then to mix it all together. Interchange adding dry to the butter mixture and beating, then add some milk mixture. Repeat until lit's all mixed and beat just until everything is all incorporated. Don't over beat the mixture. 

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And for the happiness. Fold in the sprinkles.

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Cupcake tin lined and greases. Fill each equally until you have no batter left. 

Into a hot oven they go to bake and be great.

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Baked and looking all sprinkly.  Get them out of the tin and onto a wire rack to cool. 

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While the cupcakes are cooling, make thefrosting. Vegan butter, powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice  with a splash of vanilla. Or if you want to make it all vanilla, omit lemon zest and juice with  more vanilla extract and a little splash or plant milk. 

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All beaten together until nice and thick and creamy. 

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Then it's time. Get them frosted.

And don't forget to add more sprinkles.

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Now you are done and now you eat.

The rainbow coffee cup was a completely coincidence. 

-C


Lemon Rainbow Sprinkle Cupcakes 

makes 12 cupcakes 

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup vegan butter
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil
  • 3/4 cup plant milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used imitation vanilla)
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • teaspoon apple cider vinegar 
  • 1/4 cup spinkles 

For the frosting 

  • 1/3 cup vegan butter
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 lemon (zest and juice )
  •  1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

Preheat 350

First zest the lemons because it is alway easier to zest a whole lemon then a half of one. Measure out the milk and add In the juice of one lemon and the apple cider vinegar. In a small bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and  the zest of the two lemons . In another bowl beat together the sugar, vegan butter, oil, and the vanilla. Interchange adding  the dry mixture into the butter sugar mixture and bating with the wet mixture. Once all is together,  beat only until all the ingredients are incorporated, then stop so you don't over beat. 

Grease and line a cupcake pan and fill each mold evenly until batter is gone.. Bake for about 20- 22  minutes or until a slight golden brown and a tester comes out clean.  Once baked, remove from pan and place on a rack to cool completely. 

While cupcakes are cooling, make the frosting. Beat together the butter, sugar, and the juice and zest of a lemon until light and fluffy. IF the frosting seems to thin add in a splash of milk or too the, a few tablespoons more of powdered sugar.  !f you prefer vanilla frosting, omit the lemon and add another 1/2  teaspoon of vanilla and a splash of plant milk. 

Once cupcakes are cooled, frost them and cover with sprinkles. 

Eat at your leisure. Cupcakes will last in a airtight container for 3-4 days but really, they probably will be gone before you get a chance to hide them. 

In Sweets, Spring, desserts, Dairy Free, cake Tags Lemon Rainbow Sprinkle Cupcakes, Funfetti, Vegan Vanilla cake, vegan cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, sprinkles, vegan funfetti cake, vegan dessert, plant based, lemon cake, spring cake
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Sunday Happy

April 22, 2018 Colleen Stem

I didn't do this, it was Coco. I think he has a slight vendetta agains the Hulk. Must be jealous of his really big green body, or maybe his tiny head. Whatever it is, I am sure it is a valid problem that the 17 month old has. The head must come off. 

Another week come and gone with more snow then I think is acceptable. (The acceptable amount of snow now is none) This weather is really stalling a lot of outdoor work and projects that the mr and I have and need to do so I am very much going to appreciate the fine fine weather when it actually comes. Especially my feet because I don't know hoe much longer I can handle having to wear socks. I should be in sandals right now. 

Other then the weather holding us back, we did accomplish somet things. We brough the new couch home (yay) but it is still sitting on the front porch awaiting the cleaning of it's life.I didn't get out to the garden this week, because ice and snow, but the seedlings are growing so well that I have upgraded their indoor soil dwellings to newspaper pots. We are still on a massive, ever more pressing hunt for a new faucet for the bathroom sink, and I have decided to go into business  for myself making and selling sourdough bread and paintings of fish. (hit me uo if you need either) So yeah, we are doing things.

Early Friday morning  the mr and I hopped into the car and headed south for PA to visit with the Family. While down there we stayed at the old mans house somewhere in the Poconos. Megan, Justin, Alex, and the Bean (Sophia), came down too so it was a full house.  The visit wasn't super long but we were able to spend the afternoon yelling at  Grammy (because she can't hear for shit) at her swanky new digs of a home. There we met up with aunt Teena  for a quick visit because she too is all out crazy now with seedlings, plowing fields and keeping the voles from eating her livelihood. . We also got in a hike, walked with the dogs, saw so many deer that I don't really care that I see deer anymore and watched Major Pain because that movie is pretty much it. A good quick visit for the books. 

And it's Sunday, actually it is freaking way early Sunday morning. If you are reading this before noon, the mr and I are most likely in the car driving home.We decided to hit the road early so we have some afternoon time to get some shit done. As soon as we get home I am in for food, a walk, a nap, and then hopefully enjoy some of that spring time weather that I hear is "suppose" to happen starting today and get some yard work done.  It had better be nice out when I get home or else.

Internet fun times from the week

-All of the World's Yeast Probably Originated in China. Oh so thats where it came from. 

-This could be a great game changer, but lets not let it be an excuse to be assholes and use a bunch of plastic. Recycling hope for plastic-hungry enzyme

-I did not know, and now I do. How Birds-To-Be Get Oxygen Inside Eggs

-The Turn-of-the-Century Pigeons That Photographed Earth from Above. Pigeons are cool.

-A Decade After The Bubble Burst, House Flipping Is On The Rise. It's a crazy business.

-There’s a Giant Unicorn Island Floating Off the Shore of the Philippines This is for real and I don't think I like it.

-Why buy pots when you an make them (just make sure the new paper ink is food based) Easy Newspaper Pots

-Do I Have Seasonal Allergies or a Cold? This is always the question. And I would rather it be a cold but it's usually allergies.

-Your Cheat Sheet for All the Spring Alliums. Good to know if you don't already.

-To Curb Ocean Pollution, U.K. May Ban Plastic Straws, Stirrers And Cotton Swabs. Super proactive,smart people.

Pictures from the week

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-C

In sunday happy, Spring, internet links, photography Tags Sunday Happy, everyday life, internet links, photography, Vermont, Pennsylvania, spring, weather
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