tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42734850668915833052024-02-19T10:05:29.611-05:00Sweet Simplicity by ElleEllehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-62749619339717953352014-12-20T12:39:00.002-05:002014-12-20T12:43:05.388-05:00A Cozy Night In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>This time of year always seems so busy, so last evening my husband and I were thankful for a cozy night in. This coming week will be filled with Christmas festivities, and it was nice to have a quiet, relaxing evening. We had been given a fresh pineapple, and I had some bananas on hand - so I thought I would whip up a little snack for our evening. I melted some milk chocolate with a little bit of oil, cut up our fruit, and we enjoyed some yummy fondue while watching Jack Frost. Perfect night in!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>By the way, I'm loving this little clay dish I recently purchased at TJ Maxx. It was perfect for the fondue. I was able to use it on the stove top to melt the chocolate, and it made a very cute dipping dish!</i></span></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-6670474312930970952014-12-16T18:48:00.003-05:002014-12-16T18:48:48.858-05:00Homemade Gift<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Last weekend I went to a Christmas party, and we were told to bring a handmade gift for an exchange. I had seen on Pinterest the idea to add hardware to a crate to dress it up a little. I asked my wonderful husband to make me a crate and to then attach these handles. I'm thankful he's so talented, and I was very happy with how it turned out! I filled it with a tartan scarf, and some homemade goodies (including one of our loofah scrubbers!) I've requested that he make me yet another crate (for myself). I think it would look lovely with some fresh greens and berries arranged inside of it - rustic Christmas!</i></span></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-8759309654362647542014-12-06T14:08:00.000-05:002014-12-06T14:08:22.376-05:00Loofah Sponges<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> In the Spring, I had read in a gardening magazine about home grown loofahs, and I was amazed as I had never realized a loofah was actually a plant. Of course, with this new realization, we had to give it a try! </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We had one loofah plant that did really well, and produced several of the squash. Unfortunately, we planted it a little late, and the typical process to harvest our loofahs could not be followed. It did not mature enough by the time cold weather started creeping in, so it could not dry on the vine. I picked the loofahs in the beginning of November, and expected them to just rot. I still thought I'd try and salvage them, as I had been so excited about having these.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I first cut off the ends of the loofah squash, and then peeled the green skin off. I filled the sink with hot and soapy water, and worked on getting the seeds and other "gunky" matter out. Once the loofahs were clean, I placed them on a dish towel to dry for several days. I am so excited that they actually turned out perfect! My husband added some handles to them, and they are going to make some great Christmas gifts this year! Pair them with some homemade soap, or a body scrub. We plan to grow a lot more next year!</span></i></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-55956691947889672732014-11-15T12:12:00.000-05:002014-11-15T12:12:07.301-05:00Quick and Easy Italian Herb Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>It's been a little while since I've had the chance to sit down and write a blog entry. Things have been busy around here, and the time just seems to slip away! Today I'm writing about a delicious herb bread I recently started making. One evening, I was making a Tuscan bean soup, and I was craving some bread to go with it. I wanted something quick and easy that would be ready in time to serve with our soup. I decided to just try and whip something up, hoping it would turn out okay. Thankfully, it did, and I've made it several times since!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>This is a simple recipe, that really only takes about 45 minutes to put together. How's that for some quick homemade bread!?</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I started by using about 2 to 2 1/2 cups of flour in a bowl. I added a packet of yeast, about 2 TBPS of olive oil, 1 tsp of salt, and 1 TBSP of sugar. I slowly added warm water (it was probably about 1 cup) and mixed it with my hands until it turned into a consistency that was not sticky , and easy to work with </i></span><i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(add in more flour or water as needed)</i><i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">. I then kneaded it for about 10 minutes. Next I rolled it into a long loaf on a baking sheet, brushed olive oil over the top, and heavily sprinkled garlic powder, dried basil, and dried oregano over the top. I turned the oven onto warm, and let the bread rise in the oven for about 15 minutes. Then I turned the oven to 400 degrees and baked it for about 15 more minutes.</i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> It tasted wonderful, and went great with the soup. It is a little dense, but I prefer it this way for this particular kind of bread. If you want it lighter, the longer you let it rise, the less dense it will be. With this recipe, you can also mix the herbs into the dough, and maybe even some Italian cheeses for some extra flavor. Be creative with it!</span></i></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-28175489560051295222014-10-26T15:09:00.000-04:002014-10-26T15:09:49.630-04:00Herringbone Throw<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<em><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While I don't so much like cold weather, I do love that autumn brings a bit of coziness into my home. Who doesn't love snuggling up with a blanket on a crisp fall evening? </span></em><em><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have somewhat of an obsession with throws - especially those in neutral colors. I also happen to adore all things herringbone. I came across a herringbone throw on a site called Linen and Boxwoods (side note: when I first heard the name of the shop, I knew I would be in love with all of their products.) Anyway! I saw this throw and wanted it badly, but the price (+ shipping costs) was more than I wanted to pay. I seem to run into this problem a lot! When this happens, I often go to Amazon.com to see if I can find a similar item for a lot less. Amazon.com pulled through for me - not only did they have a similar one, they had the EXACT same one available (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0078AETQ6/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1414349491&sr=1&keywords=herringbone+blanket">Herringbone Throw)</a>. I chose the gray color because it went best with our living room colors, but I'm still lusting a little after the camel color. It arrived several days ago, and I'm so happy with it. It's beautiful and cozy. Great gift idea too!</span></em></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-47187407841759115362014-10-22T18:46:00.002-04:002014-10-26T15:10:04.336-04:00Olive Topiary Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I'm pretty excited about this little gem I found! I recently saw, in a Ballard Designs catalog, an olive topiary. I loved it, but I just have a slight issue purchasing fake plants. I'd much rather have the live plant in my home. I think it adds character, and there is a sense of satisfaction in keeping it alive and looking nice. I was browsing etsy, and found an awesome little etsy shop that had an olive tree topiary for sale! (<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/178127867/washpot-olive-tree-topiary-european?ref=sc_1&plkey=7b066cbe5ed67bee0e0456e9f580fdcb8f9ef321%3A178127867&ga_search_query=olive+topiary&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery">TuscanyTopiary</a>)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>It was fairly cheap - $30 plus shipping, and it is absolutely perfect. The terracotta pot it arrived in gives it such a Mediterranean feel. If you have a green thumb, and love topiaries, I highly recommend this little shop.</i></span></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-20777856618381692792014-10-20T19:09:00.001-04:002014-10-20T19:09:31.288-04:00Simple Fruit Smoothie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>It seems like recently at our house we have been eating large meals and lots of tasty sweets. With the start of fall it is easy to go to warm, hearty, comfort foods. During this season, we often neglect our fruits as they're no longer fresh and at our fingertips. There are some days when I think back to my day, and I'm disgusted at the few servings of fruits and veggies I've incorporated into my meals. On days like these, I usually opt for a simple fruit smoothie for dinner in place of an actual meal. It is so easy to make, very flavorful, and has plenty of fruit. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>It really is so simple. You just blend together a banana, a container of yogurt, and frozen fruit (as much or as little as you would like!) I also add water little by little as I blend it to make it a bit thinner consistency. Absolutely delicous and refreshing alternative after filling the body with such heavy foods!</i></span></div>
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Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-28531304468230084862014-10-12T16:44:00.001-04:002014-10-12T16:44:24.433-04:00Pumpkin Whoopie Pies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I realize most of my posts have been food related of late, but fall is one of my favorite times to be baking. The chill in the air warrants a bake session, and who doesn't love winding down with a cup of warm tea and a tasty fall treat? </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Right now, all things pumpkin have been on my mind. I've been wanting to make pumpkin whoopie pies the last couple of weeks, but for my husband and I to consume a whole batch of these would be very unhealthy, and might make our bellies grow! Today seemed like the perfect afternoon for baking these as we have a get together at church this evening.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I have to admit though, after these were baked and assembled I couldn't resist taste testing!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I used a Martha Stewart recipe, so I knew they would be delicious! </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Try the recipe! She won't disappoint. <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/344826/pumpkin-whoopie-pies-with-cream-cheese-f">Pumpkin Whoopie Pies</a></i></span></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-90548389068818822272014-10-05T14:50:00.003-04:002014-10-05T14:50:40.604-04:00Applesauce Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Every October my sister, niece, and I make a 2 hour drive to visit my grandmother, and we make applesauce together. We don't get to see her all that often, so it is great to have this time with her. She taught me how to make applesauce, and at first did a lot of the work and instructing. As she has gotten older, it is more difficult for her to be involved, but we still go every year and make lots of great memories. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>We always use Red Cortland apples, and it makes such a pretty sauce!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>We first cut up the apples, and cook them in a large pot until very soft with about 1 to 1.5 cups of water per pot (depending on the consistency you like.)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>My grandmother has had this "contraption" forever! It still works great, and is so easy to use. You don't even have to peel the skins off of the apples (which is another reason the sauce is so pretty).</i></span></div>
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I also love that every year she uses her vintage pink Pyrex bowls to make applesauce. It just adds to the overall experience of making applesauce with our grandmother.</i></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>And after the apples go through, a pretty pink sauce is squeezed out. (I add a few tablespoons of sugar to sweeten it.) There is nothing quite like freshly made warm applesauce on a cool fall day. </i></span></div>
<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-19624089654316669082014-09-30T18:33:00.002-04:002014-09-30T18:33:33.548-04:00Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>And I'm back with another great fall recipe! This one not only tastes amazing, but it brings to mind a lot of memories for me. For many years growing up at home, my mom would make this cake. When the fall season started, I knew I could look forward to enjoying this tasty treat after school at some point. It is one of my favorite cakes, and now I look forward to making it each fall. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>First you mix together the following ingredients in a mixer:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>4 beaten eggs</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1 cup of oil</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>2 cups of sugar</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1 tsp baking powder</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>2 tsp of cinnamon</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1 cup of pumpkin </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(I used pumpkin from our garden, but canned works too)</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>2 cups of flour</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1/2 tsp salt</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Pour the batter into a greased cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For the Frosting:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Beat 1 (3 oz) pack of cream cheese, 1 tsp of milk, 6 TBSP of butter, and 3/4 pound of 10x sugar. Frost the cake when it is cool.</i></span></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-31886759483369197652014-09-28T18:58:00.002-04:002014-09-28T18:59:12.136-04:00Apple Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>While fall is not my favorite season, there are certainly things I love about it. I do love bundling up in the chilly evenings. Soup starts to frequent our dinner menus, and coffee and tea are morning necessities. I love the pumpkin and apple candle scents, as well as the smell of leaves changing colors. (I know that doesn't seem to make sense, but fall really does have a specific "scent" as you wander through the forest of beautifully colored trees.) I also love fall treats. Apples and pumpkins frequent nearly every dessert, and I get pretty excited about baking these seasonal goods. The other day, I made a really delicious Apple Cake from our local community cookbook.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The recipe was submitted by a neighbor, whom I lived by for many years. She always made tasty desserts, so </i></span><i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I knew it would be a great recipe.</i></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I decided to top my cake with a glaze by mixing a little milk into powdered sugar.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>It was absolutely wonderful! Perfect start to fall. </i></span></div>
<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-3964635258264988052014-09-22T19:01:00.000-04:002014-09-22T19:01:01.379-04:00Drying Lavender<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I'm pretty sure I've mentioned several times before that I love lavender. This year I had planted several plants, and they are finally starting to bloom! It has been exciting watching the stems shoot up and bud. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Tonight, I was finally able to "harvest" the first of my crop. It was a small amount, but I was still pretty excited. My plan is to dry most of it, and use it for decoration, wreaths, homemade soaps - and maybe use some for culinary purposes!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I found this website <a href="http://www.learn2grow.com/projects/quickeasy/indoors/ScentsationalLavender.aspx">How to Dry Lavender</a> that listed several methods of drying lavender. I was pretty surprised to see it was possible to dry it in the microwave. Since I had a small amount, I decided to try the microwave method. I'm amazed at how quick and easy it was! This obviously wouldn't be ideal for large quantities, but it worked perfectly.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Simply lay out the lavender on a paper towel and microwave for 1 minute. If it is still not dry, continue to add 30 seconds on, checking after each interval. It literally took less than 2 minutes for mine. It also smells absolutely amazing in my kitchen right now. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Within minutes I was able to cut, dry, and use my lavender. We have several floating shelves throughout the house, so I thought it would be a nice touch to add some dried lavender. </i></span></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-64338867356095177382014-09-07T18:19:00.000-04:002014-09-07T18:21:02.199-04:00Fall is Approaching<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>This summer has flown by. It has been such a mild summer this year, and it almost seems as though we didn't actually have one. Usually by September I'm tired of the heat, and I'm ready to welcome the cool breezes fall brings with it. This year I've been sulking around at the idea of fall approaching. Don't get me wrong, I love fall. I love the campfires, colorful leaves, sweaters, and of course everything pumpkin. But, I know winter comes after fall, and I hate cold winters. I know fall will be gone in a blink too, and a long winter will follow. Depressing to listen to, I know! So this weekend I tried to embrace a little "fall" in preparation for it's official start in a few days. I think this "idea" started with seeing an absolutely beautifully colored mum the other day. I've been holding off on buying my mums, because I feel that way I can hold onto summer a little longer. But I couldn't resist, and they were almost out of this color. So I bought the mums and planted them this weekend.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I also made some soft pretzels... which for some reason I associate them as a fall snack.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>And, I indulged in a little caramel and fresh apples from the local orchard.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>As much as I hate to say "goodbye" to summer, I will try to fully enjoy the fall season, and all that comes with it! Hopefully winter flies by!</i></span></div>
<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-74023502975583415982014-09-01T07:35:00.000-04:002014-09-01T07:35:09.149-04:00Baked Oatmeal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I've got a sweet tooth, and every morning for breakfast I have to start my day out with something sweet. This morning I was up pretty early, so I made some baked oatmeal. I've had this recipe for quite a few years, and I'm pretty sure I got it from a friend in college. I absolutely love this, and it has been quite a while since I've made it. It was a delicious treat this labor day morning!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><u>Baked Oatmeal</u></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1 egg</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1/4 cup butter</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1 tsp baking powder</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1/2 cup sugar</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1 3/4 cup of oats</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1/8 cup of oil</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1/2 cup of milk</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1 tsp of vanilla</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1/4 cup of chocolate chips</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>First, beat your egg and combine with the butter. Next, add your baking powder, oats, and sugar. Mix in the oil, milk, and vanilla. Lastly add in your chocolate chips. The batter will be thin as you can kind of see in the picture below.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Pour the batter into a greased 8x8 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. It should be golden brown on top when you remove it from the oven. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>My husband loves to pour milk over his portion, while I usually eat it as is. If you happen to have fresh berries on hand, omit the chocolate chips, and add 1 tsp of cinnamon before baking it. It is absolutely wonderful with berries!</i></span></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-88558494125647514172014-08-30T08:30:00.000-04:002014-08-30T08:30:19.606-04:00Peach Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I was at a client's house the other day, and his wife was making a peach pie. It smelled so delicious, so I of course had to make one for Evan and I to enjoy! I love peaches, and they're probably my favorite fruit. I especially love all the delicious things you can make with them. I'm so thankful the peach season lasts a while! I spent my Friday night making a peach pie and homemade vanilla ice cream. All that work was totally worth that warm piece of pie right out of the oven. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>To make the pie, you first peel and cut up 6 large peaches. In a bowl, mix the cut peaches with 2 TBSP of corn starch (to thicken the filling), 1 tsp of cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Let this mixture sit for about 15 minutes.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>While you are waiting for your peaches to be ready, make your pie crust. I use a pretty simple recipe.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Pie Crust:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Mix 1 1/2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of crisco, 1 tsp of salt, and 1/2 cup of cold water. Roll it out on a floured surface, and then transfer it to your pie plate. Form the edges of your crust however you would like. </i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXGksyTZRORVgaJ94AweTWvL1eX7Rj5_VunwH9_j1Ez4XiDo7M5vIRFoOv5KCpbXzUs5GJYdw6g_zWCPk4PuDXYDBFFVdDnS5fMacSyP-VsWzI8BWOaOzx1_Su4HQlBCjnekSukuo2kyp/s1600/SAM_0943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXGksyTZRORVgaJ94AweTWvL1eX7Rj5_VunwH9_j1Ez4XiDo7M5vIRFoOv5KCpbXzUs5GJYdw6g_zWCPk4PuDXYDBFFVdDnS5fMacSyP-VsWzI8BWOaOzx1_Su4HQlBCjnekSukuo2kyp/s1600/SAM_0943.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>After your peaches have sat at room temperature for 15 minutes, pour them into your pie crust. I often have a little extra dough with my pie crust recipe, so I roll it out so I can make a lattice crust. If you use a different crust recipe, you may have to make two batches so you can do the lattice top. Lastly, bake your pie at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Ta Da! A delicious peach pie. Don't forget to eat it with vanilla ice cream!</i></span></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-66130991888788896492014-08-24T17:24:00.000-04:002014-08-24T17:28:30.603-04:00Farm To Table Dinner Party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>This has been a very busy, but fun weekend! We hosted our Farm to Table dinner party with 10 of our friends. Each dish on the menu incorporated local produce - most of it from our own garden. I spent Friday and Saturday cooking and cleaning, and today I'm happy to be able to relax some! I was hoping to be able to get more pictures during our evening, but I was so busy keeping up with the food. I sadly didn't get any photos after the guests arrived. Things turned out great, and it was a wonderful evening. I hope to share some of the recipes I used for the meal in the next few weeks. For now, here are a few photos of the tablescape and other decor.</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOXp9dFxjyDJUOUPAWu7KiDFp7riemFq61TnA7aYjUuhwqO0rBbJ38BUMM38sCKr8TKFm147J1CjBKj2E80N1qOpyP5jsTnPDk5NVEjEKbmGQyCn0Yx5_BcAnMbl-1O13phYONc44zIq5/s1600/SAM_0920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUOXp9dFxjyDJUOUPAWu7KiDFp7riemFq61TnA7aYjUuhwqO0rBbJ38BUMM38sCKr8TKFm147J1CjBKj2E80N1qOpyP5jsTnPDk5NVEjEKbmGQyCn0Yx5_BcAnMbl-1O13phYONc44zIq5/s1600/SAM_0920.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0LP4tiHmziai2pmIQeUk89RDISCO4wojVnmjMFv3TEUgOani2G9wqYznz0OwBPu4M9Sfe6ZmmozeOTD_k8cFLbijl3q9wRY1LL3suwZrJKeudOf-Sna65DX-Q3ca0CSsFswjzq9D92Xl/s1600/SAM_0923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY0LP4tiHmziai2pmIQeUk89RDISCO4wojVnmjMFv3TEUgOani2G9wqYznz0OwBPu4M9Sfe6ZmmozeOTD_k8cFLbijl3q9wRY1LL3suwZrJKeudOf-Sna65DX-Q3ca0CSsFswjzq9D92Xl/s1600/SAM_0923.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I realized quickly that our tiny kitchen did not have space for all the dishes I was going to be using. My handy husband happened to just build this shelf for the garage, and let me use it to keep my dishes on for the evening. I loved the way it looked with the linen table runner across it - a little rustic!</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EFIqmkopf7G-bff1cgpnNg5kwmkis75DYYPqFXNmhodkvXqQOBVp9COPH1eyvf6-5amJn5TJYvAr1sWCQzYLWSrKIuHtzrwjd4I9f8zWK5tMB8R3Jbz0rizFs_EGQkR8qcvs2SEkO03M/s1600/SAM_0941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7EFIqmkopf7G-bff1cgpnNg5kwmkis75DYYPqFXNmhodkvXqQOBVp9COPH1eyvf6-5amJn5TJYvAr1sWCQzYLWSrKIuHtzrwjd4I9f8zWK5tMB8R3Jbz0rizFs_EGQkR8qcvs2SEkO03M/s1600/SAM_0941.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>And this was the appetizer station. I love artichokes, and they make lovely decorations!</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBd1GXwGvd8RHTyEy5SrZhyNOTxoiGLqoY5mspc6vxqZcJnTRMpaL9w666_QavkkA4cxYJI4Cml73vPjQun0h6cVm73o_f0zfToKly3Q5Ek5KwtCVTQ4PIZ2XFGNFc2SBDaFvQE0wQLj75/s1600/SAM_0928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBd1GXwGvd8RHTyEy5SrZhyNOTxoiGLqoY5mspc6vxqZcJnTRMpaL9w666_QavkkA4cxYJI4Cml73vPjQun0h6cVm73o_f0zfToKly3Q5Ek5KwtCVTQ4PIZ2XFGNFc2SBDaFvQE0wQLj75/s1600/SAM_0928.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Beverage Station: Beverage tags are from Ballard Designs, Drink Dispensers are from Pottery Barn.</i></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwn1Y2tUlLTdSJFBYqLI6zS5r8QdyWsZb9j5xz2c3w-HUxeCDldL0YkvKj2PRQ9o0K9r3-6tlypXlL-ROHjUhaPuqUZ7LS6wvW-Tq1b7nQ1aZY2Sb5woWWtkEdUrbNzZG88RHAukkx-hj/s1600/SAM_0934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwn1Y2tUlLTdSJFBYqLI6zS5r8QdyWsZb9j5xz2c3w-HUxeCDldL0YkvKj2PRQ9o0K9r3-6tlypXlL-ROHjUhaPuqUZ7LS6wvW-Tq1b7nQ1aZY2Sb5woWWtkEdUrbNzZG88RHAukkx-hj/s1600/SAM_0934.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I managed to get one "food" photo of our soup for the evening. This <a href="http://www.simplylovefood.com/2011/12/14/rustic-tuscan-vegetable-soup/">Tuscan Vegetable Soup</a> was absolutely so flavorful!</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>After months of planning and days of preparation, it was a great success! I had a lot of fun with the theme, and all the food turned out great. I tried many new recipes that I'm sure I will make again. Now I need to start thinking about a theme for the next one we host!</i></span></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-4136318365720089312014-08-20T17:30:00.000-04:002014-08-20T17:30:28.224-04:00Dinner Menu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>This Saturday we're hosting a Farm to Table dinner party at our house. Earlier this year we starting getting together with a few other couples and having themed dinner parties. We go all out with the theme and plan a huge meal. My husband and I decided to do the Farm to Table theme as right now our garden is giving us lots of great produce! I finshed our menus, and I'm happy with how they turned out! I was going for a simple look, and I love the radishes at the top. I'll be spending the next few days cooking, cleaning, and decorating. I hope to do a blog entry on the dinner party next week sometime!</i></span></div>
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Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-4623690538191222322014-08-18T20:09:00.004-04:002014-08-18T20:09:52.135-04:00Chocolate Zucchini Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Right now my kitchen smells so amazing. I just pulled out two loaves of freshly baked chocolate zucchini bread. I've been freezing lots of shredded zucchini just so I can make this throughout the year. Earlier in the summer we were at a picnic and had this bread. It was delicious - the best zucchini bread I've ever tasted! The recipe comes from </i>Taste of Home, <i>and it is very simple.</i> I<i>t makes a great hostess gift for all of those summer get togethers, and it is yet another great recipe for all that zucchini growing in your garden. I know in the fall and winter when I'm craving some comfort foods, this will absolutely satisfy!</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-zucchini-bread/print"><i><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chocolate Zucchini Bread</span></i></a></div>
<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-16986348270895967552014-08-10T16:46:00.000-04:002014-08-10T16:46:01.285-04:00Pickled Veggies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Yesterday was a canning and freezing day for us. We've been doing everything in small batches, as we have to go with the flow of our garden. We picked a bunch of chili peppers, jalapenos, and a few cucumbers this week to pickle. We also were able to freeze some bell peppers and shredded zucchini. Thankfully our pickling recipe is versatile, and we can use it for both cucumbers and peppers with a few easy adjustments. For the basic pickling "juice" we boiled 4 cups of water, 4 cups of vinegar and 4 TBSP of pickling salt (pretty simple to remember, and really easy to cut in half or double)! This receipe makes about 8-10 pints.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For our Dill Pickles:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Fill pint jars with sliced cucumbers, a garlic clove, and a sprig of fresh dill. Pour the boiling vinegar/water combination over the cucumbers, and leave a half inch head space from the top of each jar. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For our Pickled Peppers:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Fill pint jars with hot peppers (we did some with chili peppers, and some with jalapeno peppers), a few onion slicies, and chopped chives. </i></span><i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Pour the boiling vinegar/water combination over the peppers, and leave a half inch head space from the top of each jar. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.</i></div>
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Hope you enjoy these recipes!!</i></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-36580466877240130952014-08-03T20:01:00.000-04:002014-08-03T20:01:10.492-04:00Sunday Baking - New Bowls!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For months I regularly looked at these mixing bowls on Pottery Barn's website wishing they were in my kitchen. I kept hoping they'd run a sale or go on clearance - I loved these bowls. I tried to forget about them and tell myself I really didn't need them -but they're just so pretty! And it is of those purchases that I don't regret at all! After talking with my husband about how wonderful it would be to have them, he said " buy them." I was a bit surprised at his response, because he doesn't often encourage me to buy stuff (he usually talks me out of it!) After thinking about it though, I bake A LOT. At least 2-3 times a week! I'd get plenty of use out of these bowls, and my other plastic mixing bowl set was cracked. I felt I could justify this purchase, even if it was a bit more than I'd normally spend for mixing bowls. I finally caved in the beginning of July and ordered these mixing bowls (with a free shipping coupon to save a little bit of money). Then I waited, and waited. They went on back order for like three weeks. As soon as I got the "shipped" email, I checked the tracking information like 10 times a day. Finally, the day they were at my front door, I was so excited - only to open a package filled with broken and chipped bowls; what a let down! Pottery Barn was quick to replace my order though, and a week (a very loong week) later they arrived in tact. This time perfect! </i></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/products/rhodes-ceramic-mixing-bowl-set/?pkey=e%7Crhodes%2Bmixing%2Bbowls%2Bset%2Bof%2B3%7C1%7Cbest%7C0%7C1%7C24%7C%7C1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules">Rhodes Mixing Bowls - Pottery Barn</a></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>This Sunday evening was a perfect night to get some use out of them. I was craving some chocolate, so I used my favorite <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mmm-mmm-better-brownies/">Brownie Recipe</a>. Mmm, great way to end the weekend!</i></span></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-51561709826181622832014-08-02T12:28:00.004-04:002014-08-02T12:28:51.176-04:00Homemade Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>This morning my kitchen was filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread - one of the most amazing smells ever! About once a month I bake my bread, and then freeze the extra loaves, and use as needed. Today was a bread baking day for me. The recipe I'm sharing with you today came from a friend - along with a "starter mix." It it the best white bread recipe I've found yet.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>In order to make this bread you need to make a "starter." To do this, you combine the following ingredients into a large glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1/2 cup of sugar</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>3 TBSP of instant dry potato flakes</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1 cup of warm water</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Put the initial starter in the refrigerator 5-7 days. Then take it out and feed the starter with the following:</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>1/2 cup of sugar</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>3 TBSP of instant potato flakes</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Mix this well and stir into the starter.</i></span></div>
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Take out 1 cup of starter to use in bread and return remaining starter to the refrigerator. Keep refrigerated 5-7 days, then feed it again. If you do not make bread on the day you feed, throw out a cup of the starter (or give it to someone as their starter). The bread has to be fed every week, and a cup has to be removed each time. </i></div>
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">To make your bread:</i></div>
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">In a large bowl, make a stiff batter of:</i></div>
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 cup oil</i></div>
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 TBSP salt</i></div>
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 cup starter</i></div>
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 1/2 cup warm water</i></div>
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">6 cups of flour</i></div>
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Grease a large bowl, put in the dough and roll it around. Let it rise overnight (or 8-12 hours) covered lightly with a dish towel. Do not refrigerate the dough.</i></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Punch down the dough and divide it into 3 parts - knead each part 8-15 times on a well floured surface. Put into greased loaf pans and brush the top with oil (I also separate it into rolls, and put the rolls into a cake pan). Cover and let it rise 6-12 hours.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Bake on the bottom rack of the oven at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Remove and brush with melted butter. Cool on a rack. Serve fresh, or wrap to freeze. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>We have a picnic later today, so I made a bunch of rolls this time and will take some homemade peach jam along to enjoy with them! </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>*Note - this bread is especially delicious toasted for BLT's and other sandwiches.</i></span></div>
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Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-81915871956716941212014-08-01T20:34:00.000-04:002014-08-01T20:34:25.028-04:00Blackberry Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Well, the blackberries are in and the other evening we picked quite a few. I love just snacking on these, but I also wanted to incorporate them into some other recipes to switch it up a bit. I found a recipe for <a href="http://www.bhg.com/recipe/salads/peach-and-blackberry-slaw/">Peach and Blackberry Slaw</a> from Better Homes and Garden, so I thought I'd give it a try! It looks pretty, and if you like cabbage, you'll love this recipe. I don't particularly like cabbage, so it wasn't my favorite dish I've made. I thought it would be amazing with spinach or mixed greens - next time I think I'll make it that way. </i></span></div>
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<i style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Only a few days left of these yummy berries - better get my fill of them!</i></div>
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<br />Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-68219236037898433832014-07-28T19:15:00.000-04:002014-07-28T19:18:23.215-04:00Honey<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I love the simple things in life, and one of those simple things that brings me joy is honey. Starting my day with a hot cup of tea with honey makes me smile. One day I hope to have my own hives, and be able to harvest my own honey, but for now the store bought kind will do. As I've mentioned in a previous post, I've discovered one of the most amazing honeys out there by </i>the Savannah Bee Company. <i>For my birthday this year, a friend got me a gift box full of honey related items - body lotion, lip balm, a honey pot, and of course a jar of honey! The flavor of this Tupelo honey is great! Anything I bake with it tastes extra delicious. Tonight, I made a honey corn bread (recipe from the taylor house), and it tasted so sweet. The most amazing corn bread, made with the most amazing honey!</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.savannahbee.com/">Svannah Bee Company</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.thetaylor-house.com/sweet-honey-corn-bread-recipe/">Sweet Honey Corn Bread</a></div>
Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-7352452726795193932014-07-22T18:59:00.001-04:002014-07-22T18:59:56.847-04:00Sweet Corn<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Have I mentioned before this is my favorite time of the year? I love opening my fridge and seeing fresh veggies from our garden, and always having a healthy snack at hand. Summer really is perfect! This week has been especially great as one of my favorite fruits - peaches- are finally in, and the sweet corn is also here! I don't know if it is like this in the rest of the world - but in central Pennsylvania, it is perfectly acceptable to make a meal out of corn on the cob! So that is exactly what we did for supper tonight (along with a little chocolate zucchini bread for dessert, yum!). My husband and I shared these ears of corn, and it was great! So simple and satisfying on a hot summer evening. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgUym6X0EQu_tdnTDfB722x95kH8hoblqiPybQT0wPr5a4BYYjHRGYzaYZg7xlXc3AOaH_FX9ZA86i2T9xXpDVdN-Ht84k3OZ-Of-OLwfj6YqnQks3ZxlXqZDmLERbBjMc26rHCLwlDgi/s1600/SAM_0837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghgUym6X0EQu_tdnTDfB722x95kH8hoblqiPybQT0wPr5a4BYYjHRGYzaYZg7xlXc3AOaH_FX9ZA86i2T9xXpDVdN-Ht84k3OZ-Of-OLwfj6YqnQks3ZxlXqZDmLERbBjMc26rHCLwlDgi/s1600/SAM_0837.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></i></span></div>
Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4273485066891583305.post-47916252935440548312014-07-19T14:45:00.001-04:002014-07-19T14:45:21.188-04:00Lavender Wreath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I'm a little excited today - well very excited! I have been looking for the perfect spring/summer wreath for a long time... it's mid-July and I had yet to find one. I still have our boxwood wreath up from winter; it has now dried - making it a perfect fall wreath - but it just doesn't cut it for summer! </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Last weekend, my husband and I had been shopping at Target, and I was browsing the home section. I found the absolute, most perfect wreath! It was made of lavender - and i LOVE lavender. I'm slightly obsessed with lavender. It was everything I had been looking for - but it was $39.99. I just couldn't bring myself to pay that much for a wreath. I know that price is actually pretty good compared to many others that you can buy, but it still just felt like a lot. I sadly left the store, and hoped that soon my lavender plants would start getting blooms that I could dry, and then create my own wreath - but I knew it would be quite a while until I had enough dried lavender to make a wreath. </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Well, I've been thinking about that wreath since last weekend, so I decided to look it up again today online and remember how beautiful it was. When I got to Target's site, I saw that there was free shipping, and 20% off of that lavender wreath! Not only that - but I'm a member of <a href="http://www.ebates.com/">ebates.com</a> - so by logging in there first, I got an extra 5% off! I am one happy girl, and I cannot wait for my wreath to get here!</i></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.target.com/p/smith-hawken-french-lavender-wreath/-/A-14992851#prodSlot=medium_1_1&term=lavender+wreath">Lavender Wreath - Target</a></div>
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Ellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15193750951381254727noreply@blogger.com0