Old cookbooks can be treasure troves of good food, memories, experiences, history. You name it. Recently Glen & Friends brought out a wonderful cookie/cake/? recipe from a vintage cookbook. Check it out:

Personally, I love finding a cookbook where the previous owner took the time to make notes (good or bad) and wasn’t afraid to actually use the book. Those stains and notes indicate a cook who was interested in trying new things, experimenting, finding the new item on the menu rotation.

The recipe Glen tried provides opportunities for a lot of customization, but it is also good as it is. Using pantry staples, or in this case the last of some staples, Glen created this bar/cake/? that would go well with a cup of tea or coffee and be a nice little something.

The true treasure in the book is the notes. What worked. What didn’t. How to adjust it. What to do with it. Priceless!

The next time you happen to find some old cookbooks, check to see if they are looking as if actually used or just stuck on a shelf. You might find treasure of your own!

Holidays tend to bring more stress than joy for many people. It isn’t always intentional or unexpected or accidental. There are loads of good intentions along with hope. Sara over at Frozen Pennies posted recently and I think her thoughts are worth contemplating:

I don’t know about you but over the years I have found myself starting to retreat around the beginning of November. The same time the holiday ads start to overwhelm pretty much everything. The over happy, over ecstatic energies make me want to find a place to hide.

For many years I watched crafters create holiday planners, made of multiple pages that covered every single detail of the process. Every. Single. Detail. Multiple. Pages. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a cross reference index show up…

Most folks I know have small budgets that really shouldn’t/couldn’t stretch to cover a holiday, let alone several holidays, that might ‘require’ a planner with several pages. The thought might be nice but the reality of lack of time, lack of funds, lack of fun just made everything exhausting.

Now I know that this time of year is when many businesses make the sales that keep them open for the next several months. But there is something almost abusive about the constant entreaties to spend, spend, spend…

A few years ago I made the decision to pare back my holiday celebrations. I didn’t send out cards to every person I encountered. I didn’t cook a huge meal or two or three. I didn’t give lots of presents. I made quite a discovery. I actually enjoyed the holidays rather than spent them stressed and exhausted.

“But everyone expects…” You might be surprised to discover that “everyone” would prefer to not find themselves caught up in the holiday insanity. You might be shocked to discover that the kids don’t remember every single event. (Do you? Be honest.)

The memories of happy holidays might not be tied to the number of lights on the house/lawn or the quantity of gifts or the variety of places and events. Those memories might be spending time with special people, enjoying a good meal, indulging in one or two special activities.

You don’t need to be in your 50s to make some changes in the way you celebrate.

Give yourself the gift of time this year. Choose those tasks and events that give you joy and set the rest aside for another day. See how you feel and what you think then make the adjustments that make sense for you. It is your holiday season, too!

Recently a friend reached out asking how to expand his diet to incorporate more vegetables. He said he was familiar with the ‘ordinary’ stuff but had no clue about most of what he encountered at farmer’s markets or produce stands.

He also has experienced some rather severe health issues as a result of allergies that took years to get diagnosed and under control. To say that he is a tad shy of trying new things is putting it mildly.

I admit I had a lot of thoughts floating through my brain. Here are a few:

Ask Questions

Believe it or not, the person behind the stand can usually answer a lot of questions or offer suggestions. What is it? How is it normally eaten? If cooked, how do they recommend that? Is it an heirloom variety? Don’t forget to take notes!

Give it a Try

Small quantities are a good bet for things you aren’t familiar with. If you like it, you can often go back and get more.

Try it Raw and Cooked

Most folks never really think about this but did you know that cucumbers and pickles like gherkins, Dill Spears, hamburger pickle chips and the like are actually the same thing only processed/cooked differently…or not at all.

Onions and pickled onions are another example. Beets, when pickled, take on an entirely different flavor and are great accompaniments to a lot of meals.

Broccoli and cauliflower might not be a favorite when cooked, but try them raw, with or without dips, and you have two entirely different tastes and textures. Frankly, I love these vegetables steamed, roasted, baked, you name it but raw is a treat.

Tomatoes are another item that changes when cooked. And the varieties of flavors and textures are amazing. Turn them into an amazing pasta sauce and you will not believe the difference. Try making some salsa.

Asparagus was something I had from a can as a child and it is no surprise that no one – no one – enjoyed it. However, when it is in season and I can get the tiny ones (the diameter or my little finger), eating it raw is amazing.

Cabbage might not be your favorite thing cooked, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you enjoy a good coleslaw. Sauerkraut is just the pickled form of cabbage.

Squash might be something new to you but if you enjoy pumpkin – as in pie or bread – you might find that you enjoy it as a savory dish, too.

Potatoes… I’ve never met one I didn’t like! Isn’t it amazing how many ways we eat them? Baked, fried, boiled, just to name a few options.

Not sure where to start? Think about the things you already eat. Salsa? What is in your favorite? Relish? Same question! When you get your favorite meal at a restaurant, ask the same question. Think about what it is that you particularly like.

And, before I forget, tastes change over time. The things we don’t like as kids might be an entirely different experience as we get older. And vice versa. Growing up my mom made relish using a variety of vegetables, including green peppers. It was perfectly balanced for our tasted and a welcome addition to our table. Now, green peppers and I don’t always get along. I’ve learned to peel them as I prep them for use.

My point is don’t get stuck in that ‘ew!’ mindset back when you were in grade school.

You don’t have to go out and buy up all the fruit and veg stands, but it could be fun to experiment with what is on offer and expand your ‘like list’ along with your cooking list. You might not like everything but I doubt you won’t like anything.

Enjoy!

Hiding As ‘How To’ Videos…

I’ve watched How To shows for decades. How to cook. How to garden. How to update furniture. How to … You get the picture. And, over the years I have learned a lot. Like, how to properly prepare a room for painting or how to make many of the Mother Sauces (look it up). I have also learned there are lots of things (!) I have absolutely no intention of doing myself, but really enjoy watching someone else go through the process. 😀

Saturday is usually my day for catching up with the various folks who produce these shows. Channel surfing could often result in finding the various shows, some at rather early hours. In this day and age, however, a good portion of them can be found on YouTube.

Here are some of my favorites. The links go to the channel itself where you can learn more.

Salvaged by K. Scott is a wonderful resource to learn about furniture flipping – or just updating second hand pieces you find at yard sales, second hand shops and the like. Katie does an amazing job explaining, and showing, her process and the end results are often stunning. And, to be honest, not that difficult if you are willing to put in the time. That is not to say there isn’t a lot of work involved.

DIY In Progress (formerly DIY Danie) is a DIYers playground. Danie tackles a wide variety of projects from building her garage to creating furniture pieces. She isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, frankly I think she prefers them that way, and often finds unexpected and unusual solutions.

Quick Cuts is one of those channels I tripped over (no idea why, either) that focuses on overgrown garden clean ups and more. Set in Australia, I appreciate being able to see not only a beautiful part of the world, but one I would not be able to see on my own. George does an amazing job clearing out all sorts of properties and the results… <chef’s kiss> I turn the volume down, settle in my comfy spot and let ‘er rip!

Watching these folks do what they do feels a bit Zen to me. Restful, relaxing, and I get the added bonus of learning a bit, too.

Enjoy!

When I was a small child I used to sit on my mom’s lap on Sunday morning while she would read the funny pages to me. The ‘funny pages’ were the comic strips that were published, usually in its own section, in the Sunday newspapers.

As I grew up, I could be found stretched out on the living room floor reading the funnies by myself. As I made it into adulthood, the funnies were welcomed in whatever form I could find. including on the Internet.

For those of us of a certain age, we grew up reading the classics. Dick Tracey. Beetle Bailey. Peanuts. B.C. and a whole lot more. I have favorites that I read every day even though they went out of production years ago. For Better or For Worse, for example, tells the stories of a family and friends in Canada. Years after the strip ended production, the stories are still engaging, still relevant, and even still funny.

The comic strips (funnies) made way for the cartoons, some of which began production in the early 1930s. They all share a love of art and a love of story telling.

Recently CBS Saturday Morning brought us the story of Beetle Bailey turning 75. (!!!!) I remember reading Beetle’s adventures way back when. Check it out:

I like the idea of the retrospective. Lots of things have changed over the years while lots of things haven’t. I love the idea of the family carrying on Mort’s work and I especially love, and appreciate, that his techniques are being taught to new generations of comic artists.

Have you read a comic strip lately?

Looking outside as I write this, it is 90 degrees and HUMID. The idea that now is a good time to start prepping for the Holidays seems a bit… … … But the truth is, now is the perfect time to start prepping.

Mr. Carrington was in a local shop the other day and found, much to his disbelief, Fall decor items. In July. Boggles the mind, right? But the truth is one of the reasons stores start putting out their Fall and Holiday items is that buyers have need, let alone desire, for them.

Norine over at The Crafty Organizer put out a video recently that provides a lot of tips, tricks and food for thought on the topic. Check it out:

Granted, space could be an issue, but with preparation and thought, I think we could find options that would work for us. I like the reminder to go through our stash and see what we really have on hand rather than go out and spend on things we aren’t sure we don’t already have. I don’t have either the space or the budget so this is an important one to consider.

Many items for baking are less expensive at different times of the year. And if you have the space to grab some of those items it makes sense to do so. Freezer space is a premium but dough rolls don’t take up a lot of space and will save you time later on.

Check out Norine’s website for more information and tools.

When you find yourself in a rut (or two or three) sometimes it can be difficult to find inspiration and encouragement to move forward.

That meal plan has become dull and repetitive.

The closet is, frankly, boring.

The house just doesn’t … … …

The garden.

Now, everyone goes through times when life is just too much and there isn’t much left over for us. We all have our reasons. But sometimes we lose track of the most important thing in our lives. Ourselves.

You can’t take care of someone else if you haven’t taken care of yourself first.

When you take a plane ride or a cruise the first thing you are told is how to take care of yourself should an emergency occur. It comes with the instructions on how to find the emergency exits and use the flotation devices, etc. Once we know that, we have the ability, and the power, to help others.

As we deal with life in uncertain and anxious times, I think it is important to reevaluate our places, spaces and abilities to find those things that give us a sense of security, accomplishment and peace.

Lately I have been looking for those resources that give me ideas, provide inspiration (You can do this!) and encourages me to step outside the box.

Recently Mr. Carrington embarked on an overnight camping adventure that was not only peaceful but grounding. As he shared his experience it was clear he was reconnecting with the world without all the noise, hustle and bustle. You know, all the stuff we are inundated with each and every day.

I should share that it was Mr. C who inspired me to look at my deck and re-imagine it with plants. It was glorious!

I’ve been indulging in creators who share recipes from around the world. I’ve discovered new to me foods and rediscovered some favorites from years gone by. Slowly but surely my weekly meal plan is evolving.

This time of year is, for crafters, the time when we start planning for the holidays. Projects are chosen, supplies gathered, the process started. Soaps are made. Quilt patterns are chosen. Holiday cards are designed.

This year I am contemplating upping my paper crafting game a bit. I’ve found lots of ideas for new designs and am close to making a decision (or two…) on new equipment.

Yes, the budget is tight. When is it not? Really, when is it not?

Which reminds me, I have also found some folks who have given me ideas and inspiration (yes, more of that) for managing my budget without feeling like I’m being punished.

Moving…Forward

It is easy to get caught up in all that is happening to the point of being overwhelmed. Anxiety can not only move in but take over our lives, if we let it. It is important to take a moment to evaluate where we are, what we are doing, and what we can do, or not do. We can’t control every minute detail of everything. But we can control some parts of the world we live in.

Change is a Good Thing. It opens options, provides opportunities and growth. That new recipe could be fantastic and lead to more amazing meals. The garden update could provide a calming space where you can sit and watch the birds, enjoy the butterflies, or simply enjoy the antics of the local squirrels. Home updates, no matter how big or small, could provide new enjoyment of the space.

What do you think?

May seems to be moving at warp speed. It seems like yesterday we were anticipating the end of April and now…

Prom. Graduation. Summer vacation plans.

The weather is slooooooowly shifting, too. Last week or so rain was always, always a threat. We were advised to keep an umbrella handy or to have a jacket on hand just in case. I checked the weather forecast for the next week or two and the temps are hovering around 80 and rain…rain seems to have put itself on hold for a while.

Gardens are starting to be a priority. The last hard freeze has moved past so it is relatively safe to start planting.

The mind boggles at how quickly things change, for good or for bad.

Here’s to the end of one season and the beginning of another! Before we know it, it will be time to return to our regularly scheduled lives, as in school will start and the weather will turn cold and … … …

Bring on the iced tea!

Wyse Guide recently posted this recipe and I can’t wait to try it:

I just received my latest order from Nut.com which included orzo. It sounds silly to be so excited by a bag of pasta but when you realize how ridiculously difficult it is to find in my area you will understand.

Caleb’s lemony chicken is perfect for a Spring meal. I can’t wait to give it a try!