A Visit to Bok Tower Garden, Lake Wales, Florida

Bok Tower Gardens is a 250-acre contemplative garden and bird sanctuary located atop Iron Mountain, north of Lake Wales, Florida. It was created by Edward Bok in the 1920s. It's a National Historic Landmark in Florida, known for its stunning 205-foot Art Deco/Neo-Gothic Singing Tower with a 60-bell carillon. The beautiful Olmsted-designed gardens are a peaceful bird sanctuary, all created by philanthropist Edward Bok as a gift to the American people, with its dedication attended by President Calvin Coolidge in 1929.

There are many types of plants in the gardens that include flowers, but it is not really a flower garden. In winter, the camellias are wonderful. In spring, the azaleas provide a magnificent display. Throughout the year, the garden is a quiet place to view green vistas and relax.

Let's start with a quiet moment with a view worth lingering over. Sometimes the most beautiful experiences are the simplest ones. A beautiful view with a trusted companion is hard to beat. I hope your day includes a moment like this.

 

Japanese camellias aren’t just gorgeous — they can bloom in winter and early spring when most other flowers are taking a break. Let's look at some camellias in bloom at BoK Tower Gardens in January and February.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owls and hawks are often more active and easier to spot in cooler months, making January and February a great time to keep an eye out for our nocturnal friends. Below is a Great Horned Owl, a powerful raptor with a huge range across North America, and they don’t migrate.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 I'm wishing you a beautiful view and the time to sit and enjoy it.

 

 

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Spinach Mushroom Quiche For A Meatless Meal new

 

 

 

Lent will be observed from February 18th to April 2 in 2026. It is a period of religious observance in many Christian churches marking the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the desert, enduring temptation by Satan. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later with the celebration of Easter. Fasting before Easter can be traced back as far as the 2nd century.

 Whether you are trying to eat less meat for your health or you are looking for meatless meals for Lent, a vegetable quiche is a great meal to add to the menu. Quiches may be served hot, warm or cold. Today I'm sharing spinach quiche which can be made year round with frozen spinach. If using fresh baby spinach, sauté it with the onion and garlic. Frozen spinach works well. Defrost it, and then squeeze all the water out with your hands. Then press it between paper towels. If you leave any water in the spinach, your quiche can be soggy. You can also add and delete ingredients in the filling to meet your family's needs or what's in the pantry. I am using feta cheese and cheddar. This quiche is easy to make and is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dinner.

 

 

 

 Don't like a soggy crust on the bottom? To be sure you have a crisp crust on the bottom, pre-bake the empty crust for a few minutes before filling it with egg mixture. If you are a good pastry baker, feel free to use your favorite recipe for the crust. If you are like me and don't enjoy making pastry, buy one at the grocery store. Place the crust in a 9 inch deep dish pie pan. If you are buying ready-made crusts, please note size. Many pre-made are 8 inches and not as deep as a standard pie pan. If you don’t want to use a pie crust due to gluten or calories, you can skip the entire crust part and just bake the filling in a well-greased pie pan. Check the quiche 15 minutes early because it shouldn't take as long to bake.

 Spinach Mushroom Quiche

 Use organic when available. Serves 6

 

Ingredients

• 1 9" deep dish crust
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained or fresh baby spinach
• 1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained or fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 tsp  crushed red pepper
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 oz crumbled feta cheese 
• 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese divided
• salt and pepper to taste

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
• Place unwrapped frozen pie crust on a baking sheet and bake for 2 to 3 minutes
• Remove from the oven and gently prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork
• Return to the oven and bake for 8 more minutes
• Remove and set aside
• If making without crust, carefully oil pie pan
• Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees F (163 degrees C)
• Put olive oil  in a medium skillet over medium heat
• Add onion and sauté about 3 to 4 minutes
• Add garlic and sauté for another minute
• Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta, and 1/4 cup Cheddar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Spoon mixture into the pie shell and let cool slightly
• In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, salt, pepper, thyme, nutmeg, and crushed red pepper
• Pour the egg mixture over the spinach layer in pie shell
• Bake for 15 minutes
• Sprinkle last 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese over the top of quiche
• Bake another 35 to 45 minutes until center is set and crust is golden
• If crust browns too quickly, tent with aluminum foil
• Let cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving
• Serve with green salad or fruit salad

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pan Seared Tilapia

 

This 15-minute recipe is great for a weeknight meal. My seasonings are simple: salt, pepper, basil, garlic, and lemon juice. If you like a little spice, try adding a pinch of paprika or crushed red pepper flakes.

 Pan Seared Tilapia
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4   4 oz tilapia fillets
• 1/2 cup flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon cut into 4 wedges
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine

 Instructions

    1. Rinse tilapia fillets in cold water and pat dry with paper towels
    2. Mix flour, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic in shallow dish
    3. Press fillets one at a time in flour on both sides
    4. Shake off excess flour
    5. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat
    6. Add butter or margarine and melt
    7. Cook fillets in the hot oil until fish flakes easily with a fork, about 4 minutes per side
    8. Drizzle fillets with lemon juice or serve with wedges
         
  

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Camellias In Bloom In Our Central Florida Garden

 

 Camellias are popular, long-lived, evergreen shrubs (or small trees) renowned for their glossy foliage and stunning, rose-like blooms that appear from fall to spring. As staples of Southern gardens, they bloom in white, pink, and red, thriving in acidic, well-draining soil and partial shade in zones 6-10. 

 

If you visited me before on my old blog, you probably know how much I love flowers.  I've updated my header with a floral graphic similar to part of my old blog's header. What do you think?

Here in central Florida, we are in zone 9B which is semi-tropical.  Our two camellia bushes get buds in December and bloom late January, February, and into March. I look forward to the short time of flowers in winter. The freezes we had two weeks ago, made the buds brown and the flowers too.  Now we are back to beautiful white flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It irritated me when I lost a week of flowers, but all is well now. Hopefully, we don't get more freezes coming south.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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How To Create An Entryway

 

      

                           Originally published on comfortspringstation.com on 8/17/21

                                                    #8 in post visits in 2025!

 

 

Back a few years ago, I spent the afternoon looking at beautiful spaces online. The next day, I shared the fabulous designs I discovered in this post. I hope you enjoy  it.

 

A home’s entry can be tricky to design. Many of us actually do not have an entry space at all.  From apartments to houses, many homes like mine have a front door that opens straight into the living room. Some homes might open into a small space or hallway that leads directly into a staircase. Or in other instances, the entryway has little to no room. Let’s look at ways to create the feeling of an entry.

 

                                                    Photo Pinterest
 

 

I. Create a landing spot

 If you have little or no room at the entry, create a landing spot at the door with a rug and tile flooring where the door swings.  It will help keep your living area clean and will visually suggest an entry.

 

 

                                                        Photo by Savvy Interiors

 

 If you have room for a table or bench, add that. A mirror or art on the wall can help develop the feeling of an actual space.

  

 

                                                            Photo Pinterest
 

 

 An umbrella urn or stand to the side of the door helps develop the feeling of a landing. You can find them in wood, metal, or pottery.

 

                                                    Photo Huffington Post
 

 

I. Male a mud room at the front door

If your front door opens into a more open concept room, you can define an entryway. You get to decide on its size, too.  The easiest way to create a visually distinct entryway in an open floor plan is to position a few furniture pieces with an area rug and a mirror, wall art, or hooks.  I really like the modern hall trees with storage.  They create a mud room at the front door with the addition of a rug and pillows.

 

                                Photo Wayfair
 

 If a hall tree is not in your budget, and you have no space, you can make your own.

 

 

                                                            Photo Liz Marie

 

If there’s no room for furniture, use a runner, baskets, and hooks to create that feel.

 

 

                                               

 

                                                    Photo Happy Organized Life

 

 How about a shelf to help create your storage?

 

                                                 Photo One Crazy House 
 

 

III. Create an entry with furniture

 

 A. Place the sofa with the back lined up with the entry door.  The back of the sofa effectively produces the feeling of an entry hall

 

                                Photo Terracotta Design Build

 

 B.  Add a table with baskets or seating.

 

 

                                                        Photo Paper Blog

 

 

C.   A tall bookcase is another great option.

 

 

                                                           Photo Schwartz and Architecture 

 

 

IV.  Build a half wall

 

Building a half wall can be more expensive than adding furniture unless you have a carpenter in the family.  This Old House gives complete instructions on how to build a half wall  with a column for those who want a challenge.  I just love the look and trim.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                 

                                                     Photo Hometalk

 

 

V. Add a bookcase to the half wall

 

 Thrifty Decor Chick gives directions on how she built her half wall with shelves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                             

 

                                                         Photo Thrifty Decor Chick

 

 

VI. Add a room divider or partition

 

     There are room dividers of every style and shape. Do a search online and explore the possibilities! and             materials.

Photo Paper Blog  

The wonderful thing about many partitions is that they are not solid.  If you are trying to create a feeling of more space,  a partition of glass, plexiglass, or one with a cut-out design provides visual sense of light and space.

 

                                                                Photo Wayfair

 

 

 

                                                                    Photo Etsy

The craftsman who made the above room divider no longer has an Etsy account.  So, I wanted to give you the idea just in case you or someone you know could make it.  Below are a few room dividers currently available on Etsy in 2026.

 

 

                                                            Photo:  Etsy

 

 

                                                                          Photo : Etsy

 

 

 For those of us with no entryway, my goal was to provide ideas and inspiration for possible changes to create a perfect small space to greet your guests. Here’s wishing you a beautiful day and a happy home.

 

 

 

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