A September Sale!!

I have been knitting. Knitting, knitting, knitting. Ball after ball of yarn has been unraveled and transformed into all manner of the [greatly] beloved House Helpers. And now they're on sale! For the rest of September, find my handmade, 100% USA cotton House Helper cloths discounted at my shop. Then enter coupon code SAVESEPTEMBER for an additional 10% off!

I'm making room for a line of unique, handmade goodies for the holidays (shopping totes out of vintage pillowcases!... bread bags out of vintage linens!, etc.) and need to clear some space to make room for everything. Yay! No better excuse for a sale. *wink*

Run on over and get yours before they're gone by clicking here! And thanks... ever so much thanks... for supporting handmade. -Brin

The Hard Thing About Prayers

I got a series of Facebook messages this weekend from a man old enough to be my father. He has, he told me, lost his faith. His words were raw and real and hard to read. I woke up in the middle of the night Sunday thinking of them. All I could do was pray.

The more I thought about his God complaints and accusations, the more his words faded into this blurry canvas of dark, deep hurt. Hurt that felt unacknowledged. Prayers that seem unanswered. At the crux, he doesn't feel God has been listening, and if God has, well, His unresponsiveness is cruel. 

But there's one thing I'm learning from this constant stream of people- all ages and genders, friends and perfect strangers- who reach out to me: they come to me for reassurance that God cares. Why else would someone who's "lost their faith" reach out to a person of faith, as opposed to an unbeliever? To me it's obvious: we want someone to convince us that God hears us and that God loves us.

What We're Doing To Our Bibles

If you're a print Bible reading sort of person, you may be aware of the Bible journaling phase that's sweeping the print-Bible-reading-sort of-person nation. If you're new to this mad fad, I encourage you to take a second to Google or Pinterest search this. It's insane.

This is my Bible. Inspiration courtesy of genius on Tumblr.

For real, go search. In fact, I'm going to, too, because it's new and strange and you won't believe how talented some of these pages are.

....

Anyway. I am a print Bible reading sort of person, so I watched from the sidelines as these brave and careless people began writing, doodling, coloring, and doing all sorts of artsy things within the pages of their holy book. I wanted to dive in to this particular Bible weirdness, but I was raised Baptist. (Baptists don't dance, don't drink, and certainly don't color in their adult Bibles.) But then one day, I could stand it no longer. I have a study Bible that I would never draw in, but I have another that was a gift... more for casual reading. I picked up some colored pencils and began sketching something similar to a picture I saw on Tumblr. 

It was freeing. Like, kid drawing on the wall with nail polish, kind of freeing. It felt so rebellious and yet again, so right. Instantly, I was converted. 

Do you read the Bible? Do you ever write (journal, color, go crazy) in yours? This fall, I feel a renewed inspiration to spend time with my Bible, specifically in Genesis, Psalms, Daniel, Ezekiel and Revelations. I see much drama coming forth from- and on- these thin, delicate pages.

Speaking of thin and delicate, I picked up a few supplies to go with my underlining/highlighting/doodling/writing in the Bible phase. It should be noted that you can't begin "personalizing" your Bible with just any old rough, heavy pens and markers. So far, these color pencils are fantastic. Ditto for these no-bleed-through Bible highlighters. And don't try this for yourself without getting a hold of Micron's Bible Study Kit. What? I write with them for everything now. Love Micron pens.

Are you in on this Bible journaling and art thing? Would you rather walk the center aisle naked before you'd ever draw in your Bible? Tell me about it and we'll discuss. 

Happy Friday and weekend! -Brin

This post includes affiliate links. Because bloggers cannot live on Bread alone. (Haha. Bible joke.)

The Luxury of Common Threads

In the tapestry of childhood, 

what stands out is not the splashy, blow-out trips to Disneyland 

but the common threads that run throughout and repeat: 

the family dinners, nature walks, reading together at bedtime, 

Saturday morning pancakes.

-Kim John Payne

It occurs to me that, elsewhere, most are not living a life with common threads. There are no family dinners around the table. No bedtime stories. No Saturday morning pancakes.

Today I am painfully aware of my blessings... and my routine refusal to recognize them and be thankful.

Enjoying the luxury of common threads today, and thanking God for His graciousness. Even in hard times, we have so much to be thankful for....

The New (Growing!) Recipe Index

Just in case you wanted to kick off fall with a big... eating fest, now you have help! I'm so excited to announce that my indexed recipes are now available without the hassle of digging through archives or searching the entire blog!

 Texas Sweet Tea anyone?

 Or maybe some light and scrumptious Cheddar Crisps?

 Maybe Texas Loaded Queso Dip is more of your thing. It is football season, after all!

 

Or maybe you're feeling that Fall Apple Cake in honor of the first day of fall? Whatever you're in the mood for- whatever recipe I've featured here over the past 11 years- can now be had by clicking that handy dandy Recipe tab above. So much more convenient, right?

New recipes will be added weekly, but I'm sure you'll see a few old favorites already.

Happy cooking! -Brin

More Floors

Ah, old houses. One of the great things about these old places? The original wood features: built ins, crown moldings, trim, and of course, hardwood floors. This home is no exception. Only, like most old houses, the floors have seen better days.

This floor is in the master bedroom, and it's definitely showing its age. Scratches, spills and stains have left their marks, and the overall feeling is worn and... dirty. But after seeing the dramatic restoration with the kitchen floors, I was ready to try to resurrect these, too. So Saturday, I rented a drum sander and got to work. After pulling out the old furnace grate and pulling up/pounding in umpteen nails and staples, we were ready to sand. And sand I did!

I am thrilled with the results! The surface scratches, paint spills, and discolorations are gone. The room smells of fresh wood and sawdust. And with a little hand sanding around the perimeter, I'll be ready to stain and seal.

New flooring in this house would have cost in the thousands. Instead, we're out less than $150 to breathe new life into these floors while respecting the original features of the home. I'll take that any day!

I'm hoping we'll be moving into the master on Sunday. *Fingers crossed*. So excited!  -Brin

Fall Apple Cake

Here's what I know: that this world- as cold, and confusing, and complicated as it can be- still has apples in it. And cinnamon sticks. And salted caramel frozen yogurt. So let's make cake and let our mouths (and hearts) rejoice!

I made my Fall Apple Cake today. I made it because I wanted to give you something simple and super quick to sweeten up your day. Behold:

Y'all. You won't believe how perfect this is. This cake is a one bowl cake. You don't need a mixer. You don't need crazy ingredients. You don't even need a cake pan. This beauty is made by mixing dry ingredients, apples (and nuts, if desired), and wet ingredients in one bowl, like this...

...and then patting it into a regular baking pan...

...and throwing it in the oven until it's lightly brown and set. Check it:

Easy, easy, easy. And ooooooh so good. This is the perfect way to welcome autumn!
 
Oh man. Love yourself a little today and make this. Make it for you. Make it for someone who lives with or near you. Make it for someone who works with you. Just... make it. Trust me.

Here's how to bring this goodness home:

Fall Apple Cake

Adapted from family recipe

In a large bowl, mix together:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon salt

To those dry ingredients, add: 

3 cups peeled, diced apples
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts, almonds)

Mix well to coat apples and nuts in flour mixture.

To the same bowl, now add:

1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Stir well to combine all ingredients. Finished batter will be thick, like cookie dough. (Don't freak out.) Press into ungreased 9" x 13" pan and pat smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Don't overbake! Cool on wire rack.

Store in airtight container in cool place. Keeps up to 3 days.

I love serving this cake cut in thick squares and topped with cinnamon whipped cream or, as I did here, with a scoop of Oikos' Salted Caramel Greek Frozen Yogurt with just a light dusting of cinnamon. (Have you tried that stuff? Omgosh.) I also like it straight out of the pan with a cold glass of milk. But however you serve it, it's perfection. Simple, quick, apple and cinnamon and brown sugar perfection.

Let our mouths rejoice!

Hope you enjoy. And happy fall, y'all, from Texas. -Brin

Master Bedroom {DURING} Pics!

This master bedroom is coming along! While progress has been slow going and there are still several projects to tackle, I'm beginning to see an end in sight. Y'all. My air mattress will soon be a thing of the past! As soon as this room is finished, you're all invited over to beat the air out of that mattress with me, Office Space style. We'll also drink sweet tea and eat... something. It will be quite the party.

Ahem.

In the meantime, look! 

The dated, nicotine-stained mustard/cream colored paint is gone. Glory. We primed and painted it with Sherwin-Williams' Neutral Ground, which I am starting to crush hard on. It's soft and ethereal and muted without being too boring... i.e. the perfect backdrop color. At least for me. I have to admire you Bold Color People from the safe distance of my neutral quarters, you understand. Hee.

Anyway. Paint has gone up. All woodwork has been sanded, puttied, primed and repainted in Sherwin-Williams' Westhighland White. 

The old window unit is also noticeably absent. Here is was, before:

And now:

 So long, farewell, you old gross thing.

(Also, please see yesterday's post re: broken camera and cell phone pictures. Yeah. Sorry.)

Moving on. This weekend, we tackle the hardwoods and the cut-in-half window. But here's a general idea of where things stand now and what remains to be done:

So quite a bit still to tackle, but I can definitely see this calming, gorgeous space beginning to come together. What a respite it will be! 

Off to get ready to tackle that floor restoration. Whoa boy. Hope your weekend turns out more fun than mine! -Brin

The Room of My Mind, Knitting, and an Explanation

She has gone inside the room of her mind

and is sitting there knitting or something.

-Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler's Wife

 

 

I have been in the room of my mind and knitting lately. So much. It soothes my mind to see fat, untidy balls of yarn unravel themselves into thick, swollen-stitch cowls. Every day it seems I get bits of words from women who say they wish they could knit. I always say the same thing to them: don't be wishing the same thing next year. Learn now. You won't believe the beauty knitting adds to your world.

It's staggering the work that has gone on here in the past week. The master bedroom is painted and we begin restoring the wood floors tomorrow. (Pictures coming!) The ground at the ginormous south side of the house- the tangled, gnarling mess of weeds and spent bushes and thorny vines and neglected roses- is clear. (Cue the band, because once that spectacular mess is put right, I want a parade.) The built-in shelves in the front room are replaced and repainted. The ancient wooden screen door into the sun room has been re-screened. Finally, finally, I look up from my knitting and see progress. I can't believe the beauty hard work is adding to my world.

Quiet

It's quiet today. Hushed. I walk over the slanting floors of the crooked hallway in this house and pause a moment to listen to the sound of ceiling blades slicing through the air. ffffwwwmmpp... fffwwwmmpp... fffwwwmmpp. It's the only sound I hear. So quiet.

There's dough rising in the kitchen. There's a pile of floppy quilts that need folding. There's watering to do outside. But right now, I'm just breathing in the quiet....

There's a point where you have to leave the dough alone. It's silly to anthropomorphize bread, but I love the fact that it needs to sit quietly, to retreat from touch and noise and drama, in order to evolve.

I have to admit, I often feel that way myself.
-Jodi Picoult, The Storyteller

Have a wonderful Wednesday. -Brin

Magic Milk Bread

I am in love. With bread. I am in love with this bread.

Imagine this: light, beautiful loaves- two of them- made from normal ingredients you probably have on hand. Imagine, further, that this bread doesn't need to be kneaded. Imagine that it also doesn't require any fancy equipment or processes. Imagine that it does its own thing while you're folding laundry or checking email or putting off cleaning the bathtub. Imagine all those things, and then reach for this bread recipe. Because honey, it delivers. Maximum reward for minimum effort. That's what this bread should really be called!

Ore

Times of great calamity and confusion have been productive for the greatest minds. 

The purest ore is produced from the hottest furnace.

The brightest thunder-bolt is elicited from the darkest storm.
-Charles Colton

I'm in the energy industry. Am. Was? It's hard to tell these days. Everyone, it seems, is out of work. I'm no exception. The oil company came down in March, cited falling oil prices and failing wells, and pulled the funding for the project I contracted. Not a problem, usually, only every other company was pulling plugs, too, and there were no other jobs around to get plugged into.

That was March. There's still no sign of work out there anywhere.

This is my second career. The first was reporting- I worked for ABC and CBS and other lettered affiliates and chased down stories and lived to be on the air. This oil and gas consulting came next. Long story about that transition. But here I am, at 36, coming to the realization that in today's economic free-fall we must all adapt or die.

But there's hope. The more I understand of the past, the more evident it's become that adversity produces. Hard times beget new ventures. It's all in what we make of it.

So I just finished packing my office, storing the tables and chairs and cabinets and files (what you see above was half of my little consulting business), and telling myself that it's okay... that God has a plan... and that I am not alone in this. ... ...

You know what ore is? Ore is a rock that has good stuff, profitable stuff, embedded in it. But ore isn't worth much unprocessed. It has to leave its environment, undergo extreme pressure, and watch itself be separated into waste rock and precious minerals. Then it's valuable. Then it's precious. 

I wonder if sometimes we aren't that processing or recently-processed ore. We're hating the transformation even as it's doing something fantastic to us. Or else we're processed, two halves of a former whole, and wanting our ore back together... identifying with the bulk of the waste rock while regarding that precious bit as insignificant. Or worse yet, despising the glittering, priceless treasure that came about because of the excruciating process.

Point is: yes, times are getting tough. The economy is failing. Jobs are scarce and necessities are expensive. Our country is hardly recognizable. And yet... and yet... what we're witnessing here- and in ourselves- is the process of adversity producing. Of staggering transformation. Of a separating of the highest order. And if we're willing to let it, this could be the best, most beautifully beneficial, time of our lives.

We're in this together, bright lightning bolts and purest ore friends. We're in this together. -Brin

Summer's Ghost

We know that in September, 

we will wander through the 

warm winds of summer's wreckage. 

We will welcome summer's ghost.
-Henry Rollins

Fall is out in the stores. I'm expecting, any moment now, to see pumpkins and leaf-strewn wreaths on front porches of houses I drive past. I love later summer/early autumn- its decay and moodiness and restlessness. Summer's is the only ghost I welcome.

I have Beef Stroganoff simmering on the stove and am half-heartedly mixing up leftover bits of cornbread and chunks of thick, white loaves for dressing. (Stuffing, if you're from up north?) Chicken and dressing will hit the freezer soon. I'm trying to make extras of meals and freeze them up for days I just don't want to cook. Which lately has been most days. Strange, seeing as how the kitchen sink just went in and we dreamed of home-cooked meals all summer. Very strange...

It seems I've hit a wall (early) with this renovation. Tonight will be night 93 on the air mattress and I think I'm just exhausted. He is adamant that the bed NOT be put together until the master bedroom is painted and floors are redone, so I toss and turn and toss and turn. I'm praying the bedroom is move-in-ready in a week. Y'all, I fear for life on planet Earth if I have to crawl off that thing many more mornings. How was this so much easier at 24 than it is at 36?

Ah. But there's progress in the kitchen! The countertops will be finished soon, so all that's left in this phase will be to paint and hardware the cabinets, tile a back splash, hang shelves and begin setting up. I'd show you, only right now it's a jumble of tools and pantry items and opened boxes of spices and a strange assortment of unpacked dishes. (Read: whatever was at the top of the dishes box is what's been unpacked and used.) The tentative "have company over" goal date of September 1 blew by without so much as an apology. It's okay. It's really okay. Those who matter, don't mind... and those who mind, don't matter. Right?

How are things with you? I feel as if it's been awhile since we talked. Drop me a comment or a Facebook message or email and let me know what's on your stove and what's going on at your house and how you're dealing with the ghost of summer. That's what we're here for, right?

I'm so glad we're friends. -Brin

My Messy, Thrilling Life Recipe Index

Looking for something delicious? Check out some of my favorite recipes!

 
 

Texas Loaded Queso Dip

Appetizers

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites (with Avocado Ranch Dip)
Texas Loaded Queso Dip

Texas Sweet Tea

Beverages

Christmas Glog
Texas Sweet Tea

Magic Milk Bread

Breads

Brin's Biscuits (!)
Cheddar Scallion Scones
Farmhouse Rolls 
Magic Milk Bread 
Southern Banana Bread (and Muffins)
Strawberry Sugar Bread

Fall Apple Cake

Desserts

Banana Berry Trifle
BEE (Best Ever Eaten) Cake
Blueberry Breakfast Bars
Cast Iron Skillet Cookies  
Chocolate Sauce
Christmas CrockPot Candy
Christmas Spiced Peaches
Cranberry Christmas Cookie
Fall Apple Cake
Fall Fruit Crisp
Fancy Pear Bread Pudding
Homemade Vanilla Pudding
Magical Apple Pie Filling

Cheddar Crisps

Favorite Extras

Cheddar Crisps
Cranberry Jalapeno Jam
Herb Bombs 
Homemade Butter

Second Runner Up Lasagna

Main Courses 

Brin's Second Runner Up Lasagna
Chump Chicken
Pollo Alla Cacciatora (My Crazy Chicken Fave)
Turkish Palace Stuffed Chicken
Quick Spinach & Lemon Pasta (Daffodil Pasta)

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Soups

Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup 
Tomato Basil Soup

Roasted Tomatoes

 Vegetables

Gruyere Potato Gratin
Roasted Tomatoes 
Thyme Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Blue Cheese

Keep Going

Because you know that 

the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

-James 1:3

Keep going.

Don't give up now. Not now.

Not now, even when it seems there's no way out.

Not even tomorrow, when you feel like things will never get better.

Not even later, when you just don't see how you can do one more day.

Just keep going.

Keep blinking. Keep getting out of bed. Keep walking out that door. Keep breathing.

Keep holding tightly to the hope you have, because He who promised is faithful.

Keeping holding on to whatever faith you still have, because these are the days that stubborn, beautiful perseverance will take root in your heart and ground you in faith. And one day, that thickly and deeply-rooted perseverance will bloom, and even you will marvel at its beauty.

You're not alone. Keep going.

 

Monday Moment is a little devotional to help kick start your week. See you again next time!

Monday Brain

My Must-Do List this week is getting me down. Especially because I woke up with a monster awful sore throat and aches. Ain't nobody got time for that!

There's so much I want to say this week about the stock market, the deal with Iran, and what this fall has in store for us. It surprises people, I think, when they meet me and realize I'm not all gardens and homemade bread and refinished floors. I bore people to death with documentaries on Netflix and random YouTube videos. In real life, I'm a pretty intense person. (Or so I'm told.) As a former reporter, I live and breathe news. And stock market reports. And economic collapse blogs. And weather model forecasting. But here, none of that. Here, I'm sink-shining Brin with a long Must-Do List.

We're okay with that, right? 

I think of all the things I have to tackle this week, getting back into bread making is what I'm least dreading. Fresh bread! There's something everyone can agree on. My banana bread recipe is an old favorite on this blog. (You can find it here.) In addition to having some banana bread tucked in the freezer, I also want to have bread dough I can pull out and bake in a flash. Omgosh, have you seen that they came out with a NEW Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day?! I'm so excited. I have the first (old) copy and the master recipe for the Boule (the artisan free-form loaf) is my favorite, favorite bread ever. It's ridiculously easy, even if you don't bake.

So. The kitchen. We've had a brief hold up in there. It's me. I can't decide what to do with the countertops, so everything's come to a stand still. I'll show you tomorrow and maybe we can come up with something workable.

In the meantime, happy Monday! And happy back to school to all those headed back today. May God keep you all! -Brin

Week Of Tips I Love: Tip #3- How to Keep a Sparkling Kitchen Sink

I should have called this: How To Fake Having a Live-In Housekeeper. Because with tips like this, we could so pull that off!

Okay. So last year, I did something I've never done in my life: I hired a housekeeper. A lady from our church- a lady who owns a housekeeping business- was going through a lot, and a mutual friend suggested she could really use a few additional houses to clean. So I hired her. Instantly, we were friends. She taught me so much about keeping house... things that my southern housekeeping extraordinaire mother didn't even teach me! Clearly, my new friend knows how to keep a house.

One of my favorite things about coming home to a professionally cleaned house was the sparkling sinks. How did she get everything so beautifully... perfect? Before our time together ended (sigh), I asked her. Oh...that?, she said, shrugging. It's just baby oil.

Low and behold, ladies. It truly is the secret to shiny stainless steel sinks and the silencing of every southern wagging dirty-sink tongue out there: Baby oil your sink.

 Here's how:

•  First, empty and clean that sink. I like using baking soda. Just sprinkle in a little baking soda, scrub it around, and rinse the sink well. If your sink was gross... or if you're really going for it... splash some vinegar on a towel and rub the sink down and rinse well again. That will really clean her up.

• Now, get your baby oil. Just regular old baby oil. I picked some up on clearance at Target; brand doesn't matter. Saturate a soft cloth or towel with a good glug of the baby oil and begin wiping down your sink: bowls, faucets, drain holes, everything.

• Finally, using another clean cloth (or paper towels), quickly wipe down the sink again, being sure to buff it and remove any streaks or water marks. There. You did it. That's all there is to it!

The best part of going to the trouble of doing this, besides walking into your kitchen and having that The housekeeper just left feeling, is the fact that your sink will stay looking this shiny-gorgeous for a few days. (Depending on what kind of life your sink lives.) Be sure to repeat the process for a perpetually sparkling sink.

Because apparently, having clean sinks, faucets, and floors is the secret to faking a clean house. That's according to my housekeeping genius friend. Next time you're expecting company, give the ole baby oil tip a try on your sink and faucets. Just have something ready for when folks ask for the name of your housekeeper. *wink*  -Brin

Week of Tips I Love: Tip #2- Homemade Foaming Hand Soap

Fact 1: I nerd out on soap. Full-on nerd out. The baskets of beautifully wrapped soap at Anthropologie? I'm a gonner. The aisle of cool soap at Target? Forget it. Prunella Soap being on vacation forever? Saddening. I love soap.

Fact 2: Soap is expensive. There, I said it. Soap is getting really pricey. Why is it so expensive these days?

Fact 3: As my health remains precarious, I'm getting more selective about what I put on (and in) my body. All these chemicals? Not good. They're not good at all. I'm becoming more proactive about what I use and what I buy.

Add all these together and you get why I've started making all of our hand soap around here. And it's so easy! Today I show you how I do it, and if you're so inclined, maybe you'll find a method (and a new soap!) that works for you, too!

Okay, first off: there are a hundred bazillion "recipes" out there for making hand soap. I've adapted this one from several methods, changing it up until I found a soap I liked. Adapt it to your preferences, by all means.

What You Need to Make Foaming Hand Soap:

•  A foaming soap dispenser such as this one or this glass one. I have glass ones in the bathrooms but am reusing a plastic dispenser in the kitchen. Any dispenser will do, but if you plan to make a citrus-based scented soap, glass would be best.

• 2 Tablespoons castile soap. I like Dr. Bronner's Magic unscented soap. It's pricey up front, but it lasts for ages and is gentle enough for everyday use and delicate skin.

• 1-2 teaspoons coconut oil. After purchasing this from the grocery store for awhile, I now go with doTerra's fractionated coconut oil. This is the renewing part of the soap. It nourishes my skin without leaving a greasy or gummy residue. Like the castile soap, this also lasts forever... and it has no odor and doesn't stain.

• 5 drops tea tree oil (Melaleuca). This is the purifying part of the soap. You can skip if you'd like, but Melaleuca is a known cleansing super star, so I add it... and even more during cold and flu season.

• 5-10 drops essential oils. Here's where you make it yours. Lavender, Wild Orange, Rose, Grapefruit, Lemon... there are hundreds of single oils or oil blends to choose from! I'm using doTerra's Lavender now, but will likely change it up next month for fall, etc. I'm new on my essential oil journey, but I'm astounded by how oils have improved our lives so dramatically already! 

 How To Make Foaming Hand Soap:  

1.  Add castile soap and coconut oil to your soap dispenser. Gently swish to combine.
2.  Use a dropper (or carefully pour) essential oils in. Again, swish to combine.
3.  Fill container with clean water (filtered or purified, if you'd like).
4.  Gently shake to mix.

That's all there is to it! This method makes 9-11 fl. oz. of soap, but if your container is larger, simply up the soap and oils proportionately.

By my best math guesstimations, a dispenser of this soap costs me roughly $2.11 to make. Since a bottle lasts about 3 weeks around here, that comes to around 10 cents a day per bottle. Not bad!

You should know: when friends and family come over and use this soap, they will ask about it. And, if they're anything like my people, they will ask for it! I've discovered that with a handmade dish cloth or nail brush, etc., a pretty dispenser of this soap makes thoughtful gift. Actually, it would make a fantastic friend or teacher gift, wouldn't it?

Here's to improving our health and our homes, one pump of soap at a time! Hope you enjoy. -Brin

(By the way, this post contains some affiliate links to Amazon. I add these because they directly and easily connect you to the products I like and use, and Amazon gives me a tiny percentage of any sales that may result from this post. Links like these make my blogging possible... if only so I can prove to my husband that photographing soap dispensers is not a waste of time. Heehee.)

Week of Tips I Love: Tip #1- Herb Bombs... Or, How to Use Fresh Herbs All Year

Hey there! Welcome to a week full of tips I love... little things that make my life easier and better! This week I'll be featuring some of my favorite quick, simple projects anyone can do to make baby steps to improve our homes and our health. (Also this week, a kitchen update. Promise!) But first up: Tip I Love #1: Herb Bombs.

Here's the goal: to preserve fresh herbs we grow or buy so we can use them hassle-free all year long. In order to accomplish this, I started freezing these bite-size herb portions so I could toss them in all kinds of recipes: soups, stews, breads, sauces, pasta... there are so many options! The best part? The herbs are already clean, chopped, and ready to use. If you're someone who uses fresh herbs- or wants to start- these are for you.

And plus, I did say quick and easy, right? Let's get started...

First, get some herbs.  Since we moved this summer, I grew this basil and these chives in pots. Super simple. If you're not the growing kind, hit up the farmers market or produce section of your local store. Look for herbs that are vibrant green and strong on their stems... i.e. not wilted, curled, or damaged. Then get your herbs into the kitchen, rinse gently in a sink of cool water, and lay out on a clean towel to dry.

Then start chopping. I began with my chives, and chopped them up into 1/4 inch long pieces. For the basil, I tore the leaves into small pieces. Then I put roughly 1 Tablespoon of herbs into wells in a freezable tray:

This is my Herb Freezing Tray Set from Pampered Chef, which I lurrrrve. I got these because I make and cook with a lot of these herb bombs, and these trays make them super easy! If you want one, holler at me and I can get you hooked up. BUT. Ice trays work great. Don't feel like you have to go out and get a fancy little set when your regular ice tray will also do the trick. Your call.

Anyway. The goal is to get about 1 Tablespoon of chopped herbs into each little well. Once you've done that, fill your tray with enough water to cover the herbs. Check to make sure that most of the herbs are covered with water, then pop in the freezer for several hours (over overnight) to let them set up.

Once your tray of herb bombs is frozen, pop those beauties out, seal in a freezer bag, label it, and stash it in the freezer until you're ready to cook. That's all there is to it! Next time your recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of herbs, you'll be ready! Simply thaw your herb bomb cube (if you don't want the water in your recipe), or throw the cubes in whole. Yes. Wow. So much easier than washing and chopping herbs every time you need them!

I make herb bombs with all my favorite herbs: basil, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme. I even do blends: my Italian herb bomb has basil, oregano, and parsley. I add it to pasta dishes and sauces. My standard Soup herb bomb has chives, rosemary and thyme and it goes into most of my soups. So good!

If you want to be totally adventurous, take the herb bomb further and freeze your herbs with extra goodies like minced garlic, chopped onion, or freshly cracked pepper. Or freeze them in olive oil. Yum! Or... try mixing chives and parsley in softened butter, spooning into your tray, and refrigerating until firm. I try to keep Butter Herb Bombs on hand for baked potatoes and bread. (They never stay around long. Ever. Can't keep those in stock!)

So. To review, we can have it all: fresh herbs, all year long, ready to cook when we are. Try today's tip and let me know how it works in your kitchen. I trust you'll start loving these as much as we do!  -Brin

Liking

Houses are like people - 

some you like and some you don't like -

and once in a while there is one you love.

-L. M. Montgomery 

 

It's true: houses are like people. Some we adore and could live with- live in- forever.

Others we're happy to visit but glad to leave.

And yet others we'd just rather not go around at all. Houses are like people. And every now and again, you fall in love.

This house is really growing on me.

There's a hole in the ceiling above the dining room table. It was there when we bought the place, but I know from touring the house with the realtor that there was a gargantuan palm tree light fixture hanging there before. After spending hours online and at local flea markets, I got discouraged: the chandelier of my dreams is way out of my price range. Way out. We're talking seared duck on a corndog budget here. 

And then so serendipitously, a box appeared in the attic. Confirmed: the original dining room chandelier has been located! It was here all the time!

I took it out of the box yesterday and examined it closely. Was I in love? No. But could we do lunch every day? Definitely. There's a lot to like here! I'm pretty sure it will need to be rewired, though. And restored. The glass shade thingys are gone. (What are they called? It's escaped me.) It seems like some of the crystals are missing and/or broken, so I'll need to figure that out, too. But part of loving an old home is keeping what you can, so I am thrilled to keep and rehang this chandelier once again... even if it isn't the one I've dreamed of.

(The more I'm discovering about the original look of the place, the more I'm uncovering glass and mirrors. Lots of glass and mirrors. Glass knobs, glass-fronted cabinets, mirrors and windows. Glass, glass, sparkly glass. So it's becoming a theme.)

I'm off to get some buffing cream and then get to work. It will be fun to see how this old girl shines once again!

Enjoy your Thursday. -Brin