I am a mother of four adult children and grandmother of two delightful little girls living on top of a very steep hill surrounded by woodland.
I grew up in southeastern rural Arkansas–way out in the woods. Sewing, cooking, church and 4-H Club were an important part of my life. After getting married in 1972, my husband and I loaded a 1966 VW Camper Bus and headed to Berkeley, California for grad school.
We spent a year in Berekley and traveled throughout the west in the VW Camper. After Berkeley, we returned to Mississippi where we were living at the time, then moved to southeasteastern Pennsylvania in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Different assignments with my husband’s job took us to Oak Ridge,Tennessee, Germany for a year and South Korea for two years. In between assignments, we returned to the house on the hill in Pennsylvania. A change of jobs took us to Augusta, Georgia for 13 years. Six years ago, we once again returned to the house in Pennsylvania.
Our area of Pennsylvania is filled with dairy farms, the Amish, Old Order Mennonites, and many historical sights. This blog serves as a scrapbook of things that I enjoy including travel, nature and recipes.
Thanks for stopping by,
Mary Rieck
Nature and Life Notes 
Mary–
I’m so glad I found your blog. I love blog reading, but my favorites are all 20 & 30 year olds, so fresh and modern, but from a different point of view. I blog too and I’m so, so glad to find another person my age with such a similar blog (even some or our recipes are almost the same!). We have 4 kids too. Lived overseas in Spain for 12 years as you also lived out. And 2 of our kids went to Berkeley so we have a lot of warm (if crazy) memories of that place. We were married in 1975 and I love to cook, quilt and lead a couple of praying, sharing women’s’ groups. Thanks for your blog– lot all of it.
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Hi,
I saw your recipe for oatmeal cherry bars and want to try them. I look forward to reading your posts.
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Thanks for becoming my newest follower, Mary. I see we have a lot in common and I will enjoy receiving future posts.
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Thanks for becoming my newest follower, Mary. I am following you and look forward to future posts.
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I enjoyed looking at your blog. We travel through that area of Virginia frequently on our trips back to my home in southeastern Arkansas. Love the countryside and thanks for following me, also!
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sounds like you live in a very nice place.. thank you very much for visiting my blog and for the follow.
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Thank you and I look forward to reading your posts.
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Thanks for following my blog. I truly hope you will not be disappointed. Have a wonderful day my friend.
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Thanks, I am interested in seeing how other people photograph objects and trying to learn from them.
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Mary, I see you make no-knead bread. I have a a book on how to make bread by this method but have not tried it. I was wanting to make some bread like what you get at SubWay. I need to make the wheat buns they have. I just assume that I can make some by using a bun recipe but not sure of how to do it by the no-knead way. Got any suggestions?
Thanks.
On pictures. Stay tuned and as soon as things settle down around here I will be posting plenty of pictures of just about anything you can think of.
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I just started making the no-knead recently but have gone crazy with it. The secret is a moist dough and using the cast iron in a very hot oven. I have wondered how the big single loaves could be changed into sandwich loaves but have not figured that out yet. To get the chewy crust, you need the covered cast iron pot (or some other baking pot that can take the high heat). From what I read, that simulates the steam ovens that professional bakers use. I will keep pondering sandwich loaves and if you figure it out in the meantime, let me know!
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I sure will Mary.
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I love the variety of things in your blog – cooking, baking, photography. I’ll look forward to see what’s up next!
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Thanks a lot. Blogging is a fun way of sharing the things that interest you and connecting with other people who share your interests.
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Are you doing okay Mary? I haven’t seen a post from you since March 19th.
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Thanks for checking. Had a busy month with grant writing for work and visiting grandchildren in Charleston. I should be ready to get back in the groove soon. Anxiously waiting for warm weather to arrive – seems that winter will not end this year. Hope all is well with you.
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Hi there! I nominated you for a Liebster award: http://anateresaphotography.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/liebster-award//
Have a nice day!:D
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Thank you very much!
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I’m happy to have found your blog after you liked mine. I am enjoying looking though your recipes and your life story on this page is fascinating. I am just across the way from you in VA and my hubby and I go for drives when he is off sometimes ending up in your PA neck of the woods. Thanks for sharing your wonderful bog. 🙂
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Thanks a lot. I love Virginia, too. Have driven down I-81 many times heading to my childhood home in Arkansas. Love the mountains and scenery of VA.
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My Hubbys mother/step-father live in Arkansas what a small world. 🙂
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That is funny! Bundle up for the deep freeze tonight. I am ready for spring!
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Me too 😉
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Mary, your no-knead breads look fantastic!
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Thanks, they are really good (like bakery bread) and easy to make – just have to remember to allow enough time for the mixture to proof and rise. Thanks for stopping by.
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I have nominated you for some blogging awards see http://seasonsgirl.wordpress.com/2014/01/26/happy-day-three-new-awards/ if you want to check it out 🙂
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Thanks, will check it out
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Welcome I enjoy your blog 🙂
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