Cherry Cobbler

Well, after being laid up with the flu for a week, I finally felt a bit more like myself this weekend, and I was ready to bake - and blog! Growing up there were some days my mom would make cherry cobbler for supper- and those were great days! It's always a treat to have dessert in place of supper. We picked some sour cherries at my parents house this summer and froze them, so that we too could carry on this tradition. Today- a relaxing Sunday afternoon- seemed like a perfect day to have dessert for supper.

I used an old Mennonite cookbook - the same recipe that my mom always used.

First, mix together 1 1/2 c. of flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 cup of sugar. Cut in 1/4 cup of shortening. Next, beat one egg and add 1/3 cup of milk. Add this to the flour mixture. You will get a thick, sticky dough. Place your frozen cherries in the bottom of your greased baking dish. Sprinkle on the cherries a little lemon juice and corn starch. Then, using 2 Tbsp of butter, cut little pieces and drop it on the cherries. Next, take your dough, and drop 6-8 spoonfuls onto the cherries.

It looks delicious! Now, Bake at 400 degrees for 35-45 minutes.

Lastly... enjoy!

Apple Crisp

It's been really cold this week in Pennsylvania, and last night I needed a sweet homemade dessert to warm me up. There is nothing like a bowl of apple crisp fresh out of the oven on a cold evening. 

In the fall, I make and can homemade apple pie filling. It comes in handy on days like yesterday when I wanted something quick and easy! All I had to do was reach into the pantry and pull out a jar.

First you place the pie filling in your baking dish.

Then you mix together in a small bowl the following ingredients:

1/2 cup of flour

1/2 cup of oats

1/2 cup of brown sugar

a pinch of baking soda

a pinch of baking powder

1/4 cup of melted butter

After all that is mixed, you sprinkle it on the top of your apples and bake in the oven for 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

And lastly - dig in while it's still warm! To make it even better - add a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Apothecary Jars

Apothecary jars  - I love them!  I use them in the bathroom for q-tips, cotton balls, travel size guest shampoos, and bar soaps. When I open our linen closet, I'm no longer overwhelmed with disorganized shelves. Using these jars just makes for a much cleaner and elegant look. 

 For some reason these jars can be a bit expensive, though. I've searched on Amazon and one jar can be over $20 or $30! About a year ago, I found a three jar set for just under $30 at Sears. I also keep my eyes open for them anytime I go into TJMaxx (a favorite store!) I have found inexpensive, yet still lovely, jars there for $5-$8 each. 

These jars make great containers for my coffee beans. They can also be used for loose leaf tea, hot chocolate, candy, nuts, etc.  They are very practical and add a little bit of class! 

Cleaning day

It's Saturday morning,  and I have a date... with Mrs. Meyers - my favorite cleaning products! They work so well, and they smell amazing! Mrs. Meyers has so many different scents, and for the most part uses natural ingredients! They are much safer then your typical household cleaners and are about the same price.  

Saturday is cleaning and laundry day in our house. I used to dread cleaning, but now I get satisfaction from it. After a day of cleaning, when I walk by the bathroom, I breathe in the scent of lemon verbana, and in the kitchen - lavender. As I fold the clean laundry I'm welcomed by sunflowers and bluebells.  Knowing that by Saturday afternoon the whole house will be clean and tidy is a huge relief. My husband and I are both particular about things when it comes to our home. He needs everything to be perfectly organized, and I need everything to be clean. We work well together :) Saturday evenings are so relaxing and gratifying. The very best part is crawling into freshly washed sheets scented with lavender linen spray (I'll share the recipe sometime soon) on Saturday evenings.

Mrs. Meyers Products

Linen Love

Confession... I have an obsession ... with all things linen. 

I searched EVERYWHERE for decently priced linen pillows that went with our living room colors and came up empty handed. Then I went to etsy (Linen Fabric) and found some linen fabric that would be perfect... but I haven't sewn since 8th grade home ec class. 

Luckily, I have some great people in my life who do know how to sew! A friend's mom sewed them for me, and she did such a great job. I stuffed them and closed them up. Now I have 4 great pillows and all for under $40! They are just what I was looking for. 

(Slate blue pillow is from Bed Bath and Beyond)

(Snow flake pillow is from Target)

Dried Flowers

I LOVE dried flowers. They are absolutely beautiful! I used to splurge once a week and buy fresh flowers at the grocery store, but now I opt for dried flowers. Just as pretty, and much more cost effective. They also bring a natural feel to your home year round , which I love!

Dried Lavender is displayed above (It is still very fragrant, and so calming!). I purchased a candle at Target a few months ago, and once the candle burned out, I was left with this beautiful vase. It looks great with the lavender. 

This past summer I planted a limelight hydrangea. The blooms were so beautiful in the summer, and afterwards they dried so perfectly. I now have them on display throughout our home. These flowers remind me daily that Spring is coming yet again!

Christmas Ornament

 Each year since we've been married, we've added a new ornament to the tree. In June we took a trip to Montana and thought this little moose ornament was appropriate for this year's addition.

 Here is where we purchased the ornament:

Moose ornament

My husband stained it, and added the year on one side and our names on the other. 

Sad to see Christmas go, but looking forward to 2014 and the warmer months!