Items needed:

• pool noodle
• 4-5 zip ties 
• faux flower and plant bunches
• small plastic pumpkins
• wire cutter
• 3 wine or champagne glasses
• floating candles

I already had a pool noodle, glasses and floating candles. I got the zip ties and most of the flowers from the dollar store. I bought more flowers from the craft store when they were 50% off. I also had some fall decoration pieces I had stored in my basement. I strongly encourage you to add or change things based on your personal style! For example, you could use candlestick holders instead of glasses.

Instructions: 

1. Either fold or cut the pool noodle in half. Wrap the two noodle pieces around the glasses and secure with zip ties. Cut the zip ties if needed.

2. Use the wire cutter to separate the bunches so you have individual pieces of plants and flowers. Cut the stems to make them shorter so they don’t stick out too much. Stick the stems of the plant pieces into the pool noodle. I like to add the green pieces first as a base for my centerpiece, centering on the bottom and sides of the noodle.

3. Stick the faux flowers in, filling in the spaces.

4. Add any other decorative pieces, if you want. I had a couple of pumpkins on wires from a wreath I made last fall.

5. Fill the glasses with water and add a floating candle in each glass.

That’s it! I don’t think this took me more than 20 minutes to make. Here is how it looked when it got dark later:

I plan on making one for Christmas, using different kinds of flowers and plants. There are so many possibilities!

Cookie butter is a delicious, creamy spread made from Belgian Speculoos cookies. The most popular brand is Biscoff, and I only know these cookies from being given to me on airplanes. If you have never tried cookie butter before, and you like softbread cookies, I recommend you go to your local grocery store this week and get a jar. Yum! Since being enlightened to cookie butter, my son and I have paired it with pretzels, crackers, other cookies, chips, bread, even fruit. My son was starting to eat it straight out of the jar with a spoon, so I thought it was time I find some baking recipes that have it.

One of the simplest recipes are Cookie Butter Rice Krispie treats! They’re pretty much like the traditional treats, you just add creamy cookie butter!

Enjoy!

This is the basil I’ve been growing this summer in a whiskey barrel on my deck.

You can see the flowers growing at the top, which is a sign to prune. Once they flower, the plants bolt, or go to seed, which means their energy shifts away from leaf production and towards reproduction. Basil also has a tendency to become bitter in taste when you let it flower. I prune my basil all summer, but I take more at the end of summer. To prune my basil and get leaves for pesto, I snip the central stems back to a lower set of leaves where two tiny leaf buds emerge from the leaf axil. I’m always a little sad that the grow season is almost over but excited about everything that I can do with all of this basil!

Once I prune my basil, I cut the leaves off of the stems and wash them well with water in a strainer and allow the leaves to dry as much as possible.

For each batch of pesto, I try to have about 2 cups of basil leaves. Then, I gather the other ingredients for the pesto: garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, salt and pepper. I prefer fresh Parmesan and grate it myself, but bagged grated Parmesan with works if that’s all you have.

First, pulse the basil and pine nuts in a food processor. Then, add garlic and cheese and turn the food processor on low. Slowly add olive oil. Then add salt and pepper to taste.

That’s it! It’s ready to use immediately, or save for later. I freeze mine so I can cook with it through the year. There are a few ways you can freeze your pesto. Some put small batches in an ice cube tray. Or you can put them in a freeze prove plastic bag or plastic container. It’s often recommended that if you’re freezing it this way that you leave out the Parmesan cheese and add it later when you thought out. However I add the cheese in and vacuum sealed my pesto to keep it fresh, and then I can just thought out and use it immediately when ready.

I just started using my vacuum sealer, which I inherited from my dad, and I’m obsessed with it! It keeps food fresh for so much longer.

Ginger is especially good for an upset stomach, nausea and indigestion. Ginger is the only thing that relieves my menstrual cramps! Some say it can even prevent certain cancers and Alzheimer’s Disease. 

I’ve tried many candied ginger recipe, and this is my favorite and easiest. You can substitute the white sugar with brown, or supplement with honey.

Make sure you keep the syrup when making this. I add it to tea, cocktails, and club soda for my own ginger beer!

I’ve always loved sweet potato pie. My best friend and I used to eat it for breakfast when we were teens, because we said it was a whole meal since it had vegetables, eggs, and milk! Now, my son loves it too. We’re both a little picky about our sweet potato pie. There are definitely different textures and tastes, so not everybody’s sweet potato pie tastes the same.

I’m no expert sweet potato pie baker – I had so many relatives who made it so well, why should I? After some of the best bakers in my family passed away, I would buy frozen pie if I wanted some in the house. (It wasn’t that bad!) This year, my son was asking for sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving. His favorite is his grandmother’s, but my mother-in-law decided to go out of town this year and wasn’t making a pie. That gave me the motivation I needed to perfect my sweet potato pie!  I looked up a lot of recipes, and asked a lot of people. Most people made their by taste, so really couldn’t share a recipe.  After about 5 pies, I’ve come up with a recipe that I (and my family) love!

And, my son and I had a slice of pie for breakfast Sunday morning!

It’s super easy too! All you do is toss the broccoli with some olive oil and seasoning, then roast it in the oven. I just use salt and pepper, but you can also add lemon juice, parmesan cheese, garlic, or whatever else you like. 

Some important tips when roasting broccoli:

1. Make sure your broccoli is completely dry. This is probably the most important tip! The drier it is, the crispier it will be. I use paper towels to ensure dry broccoli. I’ve heard you can roast frozen broccoli, but I haven’t just because it doesn’t seem like it will even be completely dry.
2. Cut the broccoli into small pieces. Smaller (and same size) pieces mean crispier broccoli that takes a shorter time to cook.
3. Turn the broccoli over when it’s halfway done. This will give you a good char on all sides. You’ll think you burned it, but the brown char makes it taste better!

We usually eat it right out of the oven, but I’ve also used roasted broccoli in rice bowls, omelettes, and pasta.

Enjoy!

To me in cold New England, winter is already here! But if we go by the calendar, we still have a few weeks until the first day of winter. I’ve been a homeowner for almost 20 years, and I’ve had a lot of problems that could have been prevented- from frozen pipes to ice dams to drafty windows. So I work hard to protect my house from weather-related problems each season! 

Here’s my list I use to prep my house for winter. Most of them I do myself, but I also call for help for the big things!

• Turn off outside spouts
• Drain sprinkler system
• Remove attached hoses and store away
• Clean leaves and dirt out of lawn mower
• Clean gutters; check gutters and downspouts for proper fastening, and re-secure if loose or sagging
• Divert water away from house – add extensions to downspouts so that water runs at least 3 to 4 feet away from the foundation
• Repair loose shingles on roof
• Clean, dry and store patio furniture
• Mulch leaves when you mow – I mow my leaves instead of raking them so that they will decompose and nourish my lawn over the winter. The trick is to cut the leaves, while dry, into dime-sized pieces that will fall among the grass blades.
• Wait to prune trees, shrubs and most plants until late winter when they’ve been long dormant and just before spring growth begins. (You should consult a master gardener about your specific plants and region.)
• Check handrails on exterior stairs and repair, if needed
• Inspect outdoor lighting and replace bulbs, if needed
• Restock ice melt, shovels, car scraper, and sand
• Clean Chimney
• Service furnace
• Seal cracks and air leaks – caulk doors & windows
• Replace screen doors and windows with storm doors and windows
• Install foam-insulating sheets behind outlets and switch plates on exterior walls to reduce outside airflow
• Reverse ceiling fans
• Ensure all vents and openings are covered to prevent insects, birds, and rodents from getting in

Stay warm and safe!!!

 

In the last two weeks, I have made a dress, and this shirt!

McCalls 7360 is a loose-fitting, pullover top with a neck band, half-placket and back pleated into a self-lined yoke with forward folder seams. I read reviews that this was more of an advanced pattern, so I made it mostly to challenge myself. I consider myself an advanced beginner sewer- I had never sewn a yoke correctly, nor had I ever sewn cuffs. It also gave me a chance to use the button hole feature on my new sewing machine, which was lovely.

I used a light, soft flannel. The fabric reminded me of Christmas pajamas, and since it’s the holiday season, I thought this was perfect.  By pattern measurements I fit a size 10, but I cut a size 8, because I wanted it to be a little fitted. In my experience sewing for myself, I have more fitting success if I go a size down. I really enjoyed putting this together. The instructions were easy to follow, even if some of it was new to me. I did look up attaching a neckband online! Using a plaid fabric wasn’t that difficult either. I made sure I stayed on the grain, and didn’t worry too much if the plaids matched up.It’s so comfortable, fits me well, and can be dressed up or down. I love that I can roll the sleeves up or keep them down. The neckline is a little deep, but it’s easy to fix or put a cami under.

I’m definitely making this again in other fabrics. I really love wearing this style of shirt and have always thought it was flattering for my body.

Elderberries are high in vitamin A and vitamin C. The elderberry is known to help the immune system fight viruses like the flu and can help inflammation. Some say it helps with pain, hay fever, constipation, chronic fatigue, and even some cancers. Last winter I had so much good luck with the elderberry syrup I bought from the store- only 1 cold, and was able to stop 2 colds before they got bad- I decided to make my own this year in my Instant Pot. I thought this was a quick, safe way to make it without worrying about stirring and watching it boil.

I keep my recipe simple: dried elderberries, cinnamon sticks, ginger, orange, lemon, water and honey. My man and my son don’t like cloves, so leave them out.

I buy my organic elderberries on Amazon. It’s best to buy them in the warm months, because by the fall, the prices go up!

I keep my elderberry syrup in a mason jar and store it in my fridge for about a month. During cold and flu season, my 9 year-old son and I each take a teaspoon every day (adults can take up to 2 teaspoons). When we feel a cold coming on, we double it!

Enjoy!

• How do you think Freddy was born? He has to have a mom and dad, right?
• How does Freddy carry my notes to Santa?
• How does Freddy get back in the house every morning? Didn’t you put the alarm on?
• Why doesn’t Freddy ever stand up?
• Can we put a video camera out, so we can see Freddy move?
• Why does his face look so creepy?

I get most of my ideas online, but I also try to come up with ideas that are related to what Xavier is into. Like, Grossery Gangs:

X is all about privacy in the bathroom, so Freddy showed what happened in the bathroom the other night, which made X use the other bathroom all day.  He didn’t want Freddy seeing him go to the bathroom!

Freddy is a great partner to give Xavier a message. Freddy has left notes about Xavier doing his homework, his chores, going to bed on time, and more.  Once, Freddy stayed away for a couple of days until Xavier starting doing what he was supposed to.  My poor boy was devastated, but he turned his attitude around. Ha!

Here are some pictures from our first two weeks with Freddy this season!