what i consider fun

We dream...

and when we dream

we make a mess.

Kitchen dreams...

of one day opening

our very own

restaurant.

Each of my boys

with the exception of reluctant

still working on him, Joe...

enjoys cooking.

Jacob is my Italian chef,

Joshua enjoys everyday practical food,

with James...

it's all about the bakery.

So on a recent tortilla

dinner night

I knew James would join me

in the process...

rolling out the dough

while I manned the griddle

and chopped veggies.

Look

at him

go!

I think it

wise to encourage

his specific love

of the sweet

shop.

Dinner's ready...

and

oh...

 do we have a dream to

share...

makes for lively dinner table

conversation.

good times.

good company.

good food.

dishes done.

my idea of a fun night.

this moment

Joining Soule Mama and Friends

in this Friday ritual.

A single photo that tells of

a simple, wonderful, extraordinary

moment from my week.

Have a moment-filled weekend.

lilacs

Lovely lilacs.

Is there really any need to say more?

There's just something about them

that triggers a nostalgic response

in people.

Myself included.

Beautiful smelling moments...

memories from childhood.

Lovely lilacs.

This bunch was given as a gift from

my garden

to the wonderful ladies at

Harmony

for their patience and

understanding.

The vase is none other

than one of my Repurposed Candle Tins

all dressed up in an Amy Butler fabric

for

Spring.

After the candle has burned its last...

another life awaits.

The life of a vase

this time.

Oh, how I wish you could put

your nose up close

for a sniff.

Then close your eyes as your

mind takes you to a

sweet memory.

A lovely lilac memory.

yoga toes

On a visit to see

soule mama

I noticed a sidebar advertisement

with

a footprint graphic

reminiscent of the old

hang-ten graphic

from years ago.

What ever happened to them?

Well...

inspiration struck.

I never question that!

It has been a while since

I've worked on altering t-shirts.

A little rusty.

Sometimes you have to wait for it

to happen...

creativity

that is.

After creating the image

I saw in my minds eye

and making stencils to reflect that...

it became a question of

placement.

Ah...

much nicer.

Appealing to the symmetrical

in me.

Do the smelly chemistry...

for this finished result.

yoga toes.

The ladies at

Harmony in Life

are going to

love it!

I know them well.

Make sure they know me...

the t-shirt artist...

OldMaidNew.

As much as I would love to

make enough stock

for the shop

I can't.

I must wait for it.

Otherwise,

I'm never happy with the

forced result.

Speaking of yoga toes...

Harmony now carries

toesox...

I've always wanted to try

these babies out.

With little grippers

on each toe

you never slip and slide around

but stay in the pose

you are meant to be in.

After taking them to the mat

 I can vouch for

them...

they work!

Plus it feels like your

feet are getting a gentle massage

with each and every step.

Be nice to your feet.

Get your yoga toes on.

old school repurposing

Repurposing

is a good thing.

(Thanks Martha.)

It is most definitely

NOT

a new way of thinking.

The contrary...

it is embracing a way of life

that saw our great grandparents

grandparents

and parents through

difficult times.

Or simply...

their way of thinking...

being frugal.

Before it was hip to do so.

Enter a new generation.

One that will often times pay big bucks

at fancy food chains

(aka Fresh Market)

to find others that embrace an

organic/expensive

existence.

Sure...

I could plant my own

strawberry patch out back...

pamper them...keep them

free from pesticides

and fertilizers.

Or...

I can buy three packages

for $10.

My first time at this market...

so that is what I did.

Super ripe...

smelling sweet...

I just read a list of must buy it organic

and strawberries topped the list

(all thin skinned fruits and veggies)

Now what?

Slice and eat...

Did that.

Still have 2 1/2 cartons left.

Refusing to watch them go bad

I got my frugal grandma on.

Enter Sure Jell.

Wash canning jars.

Dedicate an hour to this old craft.

I always follow the freezer method.

Wash berries...

chop/crush berries

with recommended potato masher

(don't own one)

or food processor BUT be careful

not to go too crazy

you want chunks.

(impossible for me)

OR...

use a handy dandy

pastry knife.

Thanks to mom

who purchased this for me

YEARS ago.

It can mash avocados...

chop eggs for egg salad...

today, crush strawberries...

maybe...

 sometimes...

 doing its job of

blending pie dough

ingredients.

:)

Add sugar per package

instructions...

yikes!

2 cups berries...4 cups sugar...

warning that if you don't measure

carefully the jam

won't set.

So I now have sugary jam...

in pretty jars.

I know it will be good

because I've made

it before.

I just forgot how much sugar

it called for.

Again...

yikes!

But with more strawberries

to be used I headed

to Kroger for more pectin...

reduced sugar recipe.

Unfortunately,

this recipe calls for

4 cups crushed berries...3 cups sugar.

I only had 2 cups left...

I did the unthinkable and

altered the recipe...

ignoring warnings.

Which meant I had to figure out

how to cut the pectin in half.

First measured contents=1/3 cup

(in case you are wondering)

got on ask.com to find what the

equivalent is in Tablespoons=5.

Needed 2 1/2 Tb.

Sure I could toss the rest

but the great grandma in me

found a more palatable

alternative...

I made this funnel

using a pop bottle top

from the recycling bin...

the rest of the bottle went back to recycling.

Now I have

a kitchen funnel

and a labelled spice jar with

an explanation for the me of the future

who won't know what the heck that

powdery stuff 

is in that jar.

At home with various

spices I have accumulated...

sitting on the shelf

of a spice rack I found at

a Goodwill in Manistee MI.

My sweet mom...

who started this strange behavior

of mine...

was over for lunch yesterday

and commented on my little

kitchen corner...saying...

"All those reds look so pretty together."

Don't you just love moms

who see beyond the mess

to the beauty of it all?

Back to repurposing...

I ask you...

a new fangled concept

OR

old school thinking known as

"make do with what you have?"

I think you know my answer.

Thanks to all the women in my life

past and present

who

were the founders

of the movement.

this moment

....

blog sharing with soule mama

and friends...

one moment...

a simple fur flying extraordinary moment

that begged to be shared...

enjoy your moment-filled weekend!

what's for dinner

As the

Whole Food Kitchen

Workshop

comes to its final week

(sniff-sniff)

I reflect on the continuing

journey that I

and therefore my family

have embarked on.

My student binder

is fat with

delicious

nutritious

recipes.

Enjoyment and meal planning

have merged

as I finger through

the pages

deciding what new and exciting

meals I want to try

each week.

Exciting?

Yes!

When you are trying ingredients

for the very first time

ever!

Trying with confidence

since each attempt

has yielded

such amazing results.

Translation:

There hasn't been a recipe

yet

that I haven't loved.

Case in point...

Sun-dried tomatoes.

Re-hydrates in boiling water

for a brief minute...

adds such an amazing flavor to

the dish.

Fresh Wheatberry Salad.

Wheatberries?

Another virgin grain that has been

introduced around these parts.

It was love at first bite.

Mixed and mingled well

with the sweet onion

asparagus

and parsley.

Tossed with an easy

balsamic vinaigrette

and

sitting atop fresh baby spinach.

I will confess

that my over zealousness

has been off-putting

at times with

my boys.

But I shall stay the course...

when a body feels this good

you just know...

you are doing something

right.

words

Ever notice how certain

words just roll off

the tongue

and

tickle your senses?

Case in point...

arpeggio.

"You need to play this

piece...arpeggio."

Well, like you

(possibly)

I loved the word

BUT

I had no idea what it meant.

Loved it so much in fact,

I asked the person to repeat it.

Not for clarity,

mind you...

but for the mere pleasure

of hearing it said...

again.

"Arpeggio."

I found it means

to play notes of a chord

in succession.

"I will try that," I said with a

cheeky grin.

Before I did...

I went home and had to

first search

for this new...strange...yet wonderful

word.

Then...

I went to a most

remarkable site

www.howjsay.com

to hear it pronounced

properly...

by a

tall, dark,

(or so the eye of my imagination saw)

gorgeous...

intense brown, dreamy-eyed...

Italian.

oooh...

arpeggio...

aaah...

arpeggio...

push.

play.

repeat.

love it!

downtown saturdays

usually the fourth saturday of the month...

but when another group

asked us to switch

it became the second saturday.

the saturday my church family heads to

downtown toledo to

feed God's flock.

people...just like me...

who need a little help.

so we help where we can...

with hunger.

lutheran's love the

potluck.

hungry?

well do we have a casserole

(or brat)

for you!

since we made the trip...

and we held a few friends hostage

(I carried the keys)

we had to make a stop

at the farmers market.

i needed my honey fix!

not just any ol' honey

local honey

thank you very much

supporting the local economy.

small business owners

and operators

own a corner of my heart...

i am one after all.

sure...

i know how to crochet

but when the dishrag is

this cute and colorful

and i'm low on yarn stock...well

i will take three

please.

now my kitchen

towel drawer

is replenished...

sweet.

i love all the market has to offer

even the unusual jewelry.

not just any jewelry...but

earth grrrl

(said with a growl)

jewelry.

repurposed...

again tugs at my heart...

leather belts.

embellished artistically

by the earth grrrl herself...

ila aki

such a cool name

for a cool gir-r-rl.

this cuff is going to look

fantabulous

with my summer wardrobe...

playing my guitar...

whenever i feel like it.

its that kind of cool.

i even talked my sis into getting one

that caught her eye...

with a little charm

that simply said

faith.

i probably would have snatched it up

but it wasn't available

when i found

mine

ahh-well

there's always the borrow.

next stop...

home?

nope...sorry...

the driver wants to see what's

new at

swan creek candle company

maybe more candles...

whaddya think?

ooh...aah

sniff testing

settled with cilantro clementine

for my newest kitchen

scent

fresh clean and citrus-y

love it!

yes...i do make candles

but i love...love...love 'em and

can never have enough.

at the check out my sis saw this

and knew it was one of my

hard-to-find

favorites that i passed on

last trip

(we all need our little reminders)

naked bee

hand and body lotion

in the best scent ever...

orange blossom honey.

it is

heavenly

with "all the good stuff,

none of the bad"

a perfect way to

sum-up my day...

thanks to all for joining me

whether you wanted to or not!

tee-hee-hee...