this week in (and outside) my kitchen

Welcome!
Thanks for stopping by.

Now let's take a walk down memory lane.

Friday's dinner was a quick stir-fry utilizing some frozen veggies...and honestly, it was rather uninspiring. Definitely not picture worthy! The leftover jasmine rice has a different story. As I was packaging things up I had a flash from my past...rice cereal dessert.

This was something we did as children...not sure how it got started (feeding 7 on a budget...just guessing mom!) but it has been years since I've had a bowl of this simple delicacy.

The recipe is quite involved so grab a pen. Put rice in a bowl...sprinkle with sugar...pour on some milk and enjoy your bowlful of goodness. 

Memories started flooding in and I was transported (like that food critic in Ratatouille) to my childhood...with all my brothers and sisters...mom and dad sitting in their recliners...watching t.v.

Saturday morning found me picking oregano for drying (see hippie chick post below) then onto breakfast. Can you guess what I had?

Another bowl of memories.

Good to the last drop. 

Best enjoyed outdoors in the open air...with birds chirping...still in your pj's.

So much more than food...feeding us in so many ways.

Enjoy your day.

:)

the post that *almost* wasn't

this hammock 

has provided us with

years of use

when it came out of storage

i realized it was in need

of a little 

t.l.c.

cleaning in a mild bleach

solution

utilizing that kiddie pool

for more than

a doggie swim

letting it soak

to remove gritty dirt

green moldy stuff

and thinking about the next step

color

i had some 

BIG

plans for that old hammock

and then I hung it to dry

*footnote*

since then i learned it is best to let 

it dry on a flat deck...drive...sidewalk

so it won't stretch out

oops.

ah well...

it looks 

in my opinion

fantastic

sure 

a color change is more dramatic

and would have made

a much more impressive

blog post

but

natural beauty

works in this area

sometimes you just have

to sit back

and let the

hammock 

or

*whatever*

talk to you

and then

 listen.

i just can't see a bright blue

where

natural jute should 

be.

it doesn't stop there.

as I lie swinging softly on my hammock

it told me 

it'd love to have a nice

green patch of grass beneath it

so it's passengerss won't get

dirty toe syndrome

whenever they have a sit.

we compromised.

remember this picture?

look beyond the rit dye...

beyond the rubber gloves...

all the way to the lovely ground cover.

that's right.

clover.

soft

no maintenance

invasive in a good way

loves shade

tolerates sun

and

doesn't need to be mowed

win-win...win-win-win!

it will take some

convincing

but

i'm pretty sure

i can talk hammock into it...

now

where to find clover seed...

happy hammocking!

:)

hippie chick :: summer revival

Week Three :: Bohemian Crafting

Why Bohemian?

The answer is two-fold.

I married into a Bohemian family

and

my varied interests and

eclectic tastes

have me wearing the nationality

proudly...

I love trying new things

be it a recipe

crafting
outdoor activities

life long learning

is a part of who I am

deep in my soul...

My recent studies

have taken me down an

herbal path

discovering their 
medicinal uses

health benefits

harvesting practices

cosmetic properties and uses

substitutions

even contraindications

Is it any wonder 
that I look at my garden with
new and enlightened
eyes?

oregano

it has found a home

here

and like a loyal friend

it visits each and every year

prolific and plentiful

a little bunny has made this patch

its own

I'm fine with sharing

since it is such a bountiful crop

this is the first year

(I reluctantly admit)

that I have looked at its

potential

and thought

Let's give it a dry.

A quick-dry.

early in the morning

harvesting a small bouquet

washing it and spinning it dry

(A tip from Renee @ FIMBY)

 my favorite salad spinner

wrapping greens in a clean towel

taking it outside

and giving it a spin...

watering the surrounding plants is a perk!

I usually give it a little

more gentle drying

by dabbing with the towel

and airing for a bit

then laying it loosely

onto a cookie sheet

and preheating the oven to its lowest setting

mine is 170 degrees

propping the oven door open

with a wooden spoon

to allow air movement

I set the timer for a half hour

and kept close watch

careful not to burn it

taking a peek every

now and then

as the house filled with

oregano dreams

when the leaves looked fully dried

and were crispy to the touch

I turned off the oven and

left it there to completely dry

until the next day actually

then the fun 

really

started

holding the end of the stem

and dragging my fingers down

removing all the 

lovely leaves

filling two pint-sized mason jars

thinking Italian

delicious pizza

 spaghetti

even

gift giving...

oregano's endless possibilities.

Now that's what I call

practical magic!

summer's first morn

in my front yard...

treasures found

Summer...

by any other name

would smell as 

sweet.

May love surround you

this Summer Solstice

like sunshine

on a sunny

day.

~this moment~

a drive-by snap

that I couldn't replicate

 if I tried

love when the camera surprises me.

Hope your first weekend

of Summer!

is filled with surprises.

:)

this week in my kitchen :: easy vegan

As dinner hour arrives

~portabello mushrooms prepared and waiting for the marinade and later the grill...taking center stage on Father's Day...joined with Italian Spaghetti and a simple fresh-from-the-garden salad.

~easy Enchilada night...filled with flavors that the whole family enjoyed!

~Giada's Amaretto and Raspberry Smoothie with a crumbled macaroon on top...cool and refreshing on a hot, late-Spring eve...definitely an adult dessert.

Joining in the hop

with all my friends from

Beauty That Moves...

Won't you hop along?

hippie chick :: summer revival

Week Two: Seeking Options

Whether making simple changes

or major adjustments

going natural and organic

where body care is concerned 

still poses its challenges.

Since every body is different

skin types

hair types

personal preferences

research is of utmost importance

so I'm sending out a big 

thank you

to all those brave souls

seasoned veterans of this lifestyle

who share their

knowledge

freely

with others

on-line.

It's an invaluable

resource.

A gathering of books

and titles

recommended

with offerings of herbal remedies

and recipes

which are surprisingly simple.

A perfect segue 

to introduce

a recent change I've made

Changes that are necessitated

by depletion.

As old products are used up

I am turning to 

natural alternatives

(I'm nothing if not frugal in this regard)

The family was literally

compiling their respective lists

of needs

preparing for a trip to Target

when mine had me turning to 

the internet

for a natural eye makeup remover.

Two recipes caught
well...
my eye
especially since I had the ingredients
needed to make both
right in my pantry
and so I made both
creating a little competition
if you will
of homemade eye makeup removers.

Let me introduce you to
the competitors...

#1



reusing the empty, cleaned
container of the original
that really wasn't my
favorite
since it left my lids
feeling
super greasy and I found
the remover was hard to remove
plus
I often had to get rather
aggressive when using it
not a good idea around those
delicate, sensitive...ahem...
maturing baby blues.



mixing two
that's right...
TWO ingredients 
together

ready for this?

olive oil and water.

pouring it into a clean container
and shaking before each use.



like I said...
simple.

Competitor #2
even easier.

Coconut oil.

There are those who 
worship
this magic, natural elixir
and claim it can
be the only product you'll
ever need to do everything from
sauteing vegetables to removing cellulite.

Yo,
 they had me at hello.
I already love this stuff
I eat it right out of the jar
and no...
I'm not kidding.

the flavor
the smell

ahhh...



Getting clever with the container.
sanitary and relevant
to its use.

The only thing left...

the actual contest
mano-a-mano
basically 
olive oil vs. coconut oil
in the world series of
 makeup removers.

Here are my findings:

Again
everyone is different
and what works for me
may not necessarily work for others

But 
in this case
a clear 
clean
make-up free
mascara free 
lid
declared the winner.

I was very impartial
not knowing what to expect.
First,
on the left eye
I used the olive oil and water
I dabbed a cotton ball with
the blend
and immediately

 liked the feel...
cool and refreshing.
Better yet
the cotton ball was dirty
and my lid was clean
with a few quick swipes.

Next...
the right eye
where I applied the
coconut oil directly
to the lid and massaged briefly
wiped with a cotton ball

a marked difference

the cotton ball was not
as dirty
and I had to work a bit harder
so
I switched
(this was a very controlled scientific test)
using the olive oil on the right
after the coconut
and found it
removed more makeup
but
the same could not be said
vice versa
which in my mind
shows the clear 
winner

not Covergirl

but 

olive oil and water.

If you're curious

give it a try!

a blog share DIY from 

beautiful kayekie

obviously adding a label is completely optional

but it does score big 

on the cute factor

check it out:

seriously cute.

mine?

not so much...yet

since I'm still in the test kitchen.

For those who are mathematically

challenged in regards

to percentages...

I combined

1 teaspoon of olive oil

9 teaspoons water

That's it, folks!

A bonus:

I liked the after feel so much

I am now using it as

a nighttime moisturizer

as well.

It absorbs quickly

and makes my skin feel

amazingly soft and luxurious

In a word

calming.

A two in one.

That's a

win-win!

Trying on hippie for the summer

is proving to

be so much

fun.

A summer revival

a wee bit before the actual season...

but I'm ready for it, baby.

Summer On.

:)