Planning Ahead For When Life Gets Stressful

Hello Friends!  Monsieur is out of the hospital.  Thank you for your well wishes.  While he was recuperating, I had a lot of time to think over what I wanted to talk about here.  Sometimes, life throws you unexpected curve balls and sometimes you know those curve balls are coming.  What can you do for those times in life that you know are going to be stressful?  I have assembled a check list of sorts that might help.

1) Stockpile necessities.  I live in a small home with not a lot of storage space so I don't do any sort of extreme stockpiling (I admit that I have watched episodes of "Extreme Couponers" with stunned fascination at the idea of turning a basement or garage into one's personal Costco warehouse).  Also, coupons are not as easily available here and things like catalinas and coupon stacking are either rare or nonexistent in Canada.  So creating a stockpile on short notice can, in and of itself, just add stress.  However, if you see a good sale or a price that you know is the rock bottom price, then, if you can, buy a few extra.  This way, you don't have to drop everything to run out for a tube of toothpaste.

2) Be honest and tell your friends and family that you are going through a stressful time.  If you have a support system, now is the time to lean on that system, knowing that one day, when they are going through a stressful time, you will be reciprocating.  I don't have a support system nearby but a quick long distance phone call to a bestie does wonders for my mood.

3) Learn to say no.  This goes hand in hand with Number 2.  This is something that has always been hard for me as I invariably tend to feel loads of guilt at the very thought of saying "No."  If there is a regular commitment like a potluck dinner that you always attend, it is okay to say that you can't make it because you don't have the time to bring something.  If they are true friends, they will probably tell you to forget it and come anyway!

4) Meal prepping in advance.  Having something that has already been prepared which you can just chuck on the stove or in the oven is such a timesaver and stress alleviator (is that a word?).

  

I will readily acknowledge that sometimes you may be in such a time crunch that the very thought of meal prepping may be too much.  You know what?  I don't see anything wrong with buying prepared frozen meals and keeping them on hand in a freezer for those times when you just want to go on autopilot and not think too much about "What's For Dinner?!!"  Sure, it may not be the healthiest or cheapest option but if it gets you from A to Z and stops you from losing your mind, then do it.

5) Automate as many things as possible.  Put bills on auto-debit so that you don't have to think about paying them.  Believe me, when you are stressed, so many things that you are normally on top of, just fly out the window.

6) If you have outstanding items on a "To-Do" list, try to do them ahead of time.  Do you need to go to the dentist?  Is there a checkup at the doctor that you have been putting off?  Do them now, cross them off the list and then put them out of your mind.  This can also apply to mundane tasks.  You would not believe the loads of laundry I did in the week prior to Monsieur's surgery.  I swear the laundry breeds during the night whilst I am sleeping but I finally made a big dent in it and got caught up with the ironing too.  Yay, me!  As I tidied and organized the house, I even managed to take a bag of donations to the thrift store.  Woohoo!

7) When did multitasking become all the rage?  Try unitasking which allows you to focus on just one task at a time.  Do that task and then move on to the next.  Completing that one task gives you the confidence and the motivation to try another task.  I have found that those rushed, scattered feelings begin to disperse when I lean towards unitasking.

8) Lastly, but most importantly, be kind to yourself.  Forget about being Superwoman or Superman. Because I don't have a support system nearby, I had to learn to be my own cheerleading squad.  Know that you are doing your best to keep home and hearth together and no one can ask more of you than that.  I read somewhere about the magic of just thinking about what you need to do in the next five minutes.  And then the next five minutes after that.  All things pass and this time will pass too.

Do you have any tips to share?  I think if we all pool our wisdom we could come up with some wonderful ideas that would really help!  I would really welcome your suggestions.

I am linking up with Share Your Cup.

Grateful For

Hello All!  This has been a strange week with highs and lows.  I celebrated a birthday.   It just so happened that my new glasses, a sure sign of the passing of another year, were ready to be picked up on the day.

I had to finally admit to myself that I needed new glasses (and progressive lenses at that) as it was getting too frustrating to keep lifting them up to read small or fine print.  Luckily, lenses have come a long way since my mother's day when you could see the telltale line going across the middle.  When I put on my new glasses, I felt so thankful and grateful.  The frames of my old ones had warped so they sat crookedly on my face and  the arms were bent out of shape too.  It just felt fantastic to have glasses that sat properly and securely and to have the proper prescription too.  There was a really good sale at the optometrist's at the time which made the prescription, while still very expensive, not horrifically out of reach.  I used the points from my glasses towards getting a pair of sneakers.

Yes, I am finally at an age where comfort trumps fashion!  They are my first new pair of sneakers in 15 years.  And I have to say, they are incredibly comfortable.  It was a bit odd at first walking around in a pair of flat shoes but the ease and comfort have me sold.

And finally, birthday flowers from Monsieur.  He is getting a hip implant tomorrow.  The first attempt a year ago was a disaster with the surgeon breaking his femur into 5 pieces.  The second attempt will be performed by a new surgical team.  We are hoping and praying that all goes well.  Please send lots of positive thoughts his way!  I am going to do my best to keep up with blogging but, if it is a little quiet around here for a while, it will be because I am busy going to the hospital.  Otherwise, I will "see" you on the flip side.

I am linking up with Share Your Cup.

What I Am Wearing

Hello All!  I admit that I am a bit of a nosy parker and really love "What Is In My Handbag" and "What I Am Wearing Now" posts.  I can have a virtual rummage through someone's handbag and ogle their closets.  So today I thought I would do a "What I Am Wearing" post.  Winter came late this year and so I am still wearing a winter coat and boots when I go out.

The red tote bag was a Christmas gift.  It is vegan leather so I am curious to see how it will hold up over time.  I love how leather ages over time and just looks better and better but I am definitely open to trying vegan leather.  Of course, I remember when vegan leather was simply known as "vinyl" (!!).

Do you get bored with wearing the same winter outfit over and over again?  I have really embraced having a capsule wardrobe but when faced with the winter glooms, wearing the same winter coat for months on end does tend to add to the general seasonal dreariness.  One way I get around this is to switch out my accessories on a regular basis.

I have a small collection of vintage brooches, all thrifted, which I love and I will pin one to my coat just to add a bit of fun.  I love the penguin as he is such a cute little guy and reminds me of "March of the Penguins" (which I have never been able to watch all the way through because I get too caught up in the fate of the penguin chicks).  Do you have a favourite?

I do hope Spring will finally show itself.  Then I will switch out my wool scarves to a silk scarf.  I have a small collection of vintage scarves too which I love.  Scarves are a great way to change up an outfit.  Because almost all of my accessories were thrifted and/or vintage, they didn't cost a fortune and, when I look at my wardrobe, I don't feel a sense of deprivation because I know I can switch up a look if I am feeling a sense of ennui.  Do you have any thrifty fashion tips that you would like to share?

I am linking up with Share Your Cup and Woman In Real Life.

Being OK With Good Enough

Hello Friends!  I have so much on my mind these days. Do you ever have minutes, hours, days like that?  So today, I thought I would just ramble a bit and have a chat with you.  The uppermost thing on my mind is something that I read in a national newspaper.  It was about the rise of "fast home decor."  Much like "fast fashion,"  the article blared out that consumers needed to be "educated" about throwing out their current home decor and replacing it regularly (how regularly?  Every 2 weeks?)  with whatever is trending at the moment.  One interior designer opined, "I honestly think the home decor shopping cycle is not what it should be...I don't think that it's as cyclical as it could be or maybe should be in terms of the way that people live in their homes.  I think there's a laziness to the way we treat our home accessories..."  It doesn't help that with Spring and Easter around the corner, I always feel the desire to freshen up my home.

Vintage Easter Papier-Mache Eggs

 Now I don't know about you but my wallet would disappear in a puff of smoke if I was replacing my home decor over and over again.  Never mind the horrendous impact on the environment of constantly tossing out things.  To be honest with you, way, way back when I lived with my family far out in the 'burbs and driving into the city on a Saturday was an enormously exciting event, I would probably have read the article without blinking an eye and come away feeling like a country bumpkin, woefully out of step with "fashion."    The one constant message I have had thrown at me all my life, from demanding parental figures, and now from clever marketers, is "You are not good enough."  I absorbed that message and it became a running voice in my head that lead to constant feelings of inadequacy.  So I would work myself into the ground trying to gain approval, juggling multiple balls in the air.  Moving to the city as a university student,  I was seduced by the siren call of endless high end stores that called out to me to buy the latest hot thing.  I would see these fashionable girls on the street and I would want to be just like them.  Looking back,  I am embarrassed thinking of the money I wasted on the latest trendy thing and how I would mindlessly toss it aside as soon as the newness had worn off.

Vintage Papier Mache Egg.  I have to face the fact that I have a collection.  But look at the adorable faces!

With time and age, comes a semblance of wisdom.  Slowly, I have become more and more comfortable in my skin.  I know what I like and don't like.  I like vintage things, I like that they have scratches and scrapes because it is part of the history of the piece which makes them unique.  I like having something on display in my home that I have had for a long time because it uplifts me and makes me happy.  Don't get me wrong, I love going into decor shops and admiring all the pretty new things on display.  But now I can admire what I see and walk out again. Or I can absorb the ideas and try to recreate it in my own way, putting my own stamp on it. When I do buy something, I have thought about it and bought it hoping that it will last me a long time. And you know what?  That growing sense of sureness in myself feels sooo good.  Instead of comparing myself and my home to a gorgeous magazine layout,  I am learning to be ok with my home.  Maybe this is all part of learning to be okay with me.  My home may not be good enough for Architectural Digest but it is good enough for me.  And maybe I will always be a Country Mouse in a big city but that is okay too.

I am linking up with Have A Daily Cup Of Mrs Olson and Woman In Real Life.

Establishing A Morning Routine

Hello Friends!  Are you a morning person?  I admit that I have always been a night owl.  Even when I was a child, often I would wake up surrounded by my beloved books because I had fallen asleep reading far into the night.  Over and over again, I have heard how productive people wake up very early.  I have tried to be an early riser (by which I mean waking up at 5 am or earlier) and have failed miserably.  Living with someone who has a laundry list of health issues, more often than not, I am up and down quite a few times during the night.  By morning, I am a zombie.  However, I have found that, no matter if I have an early or late start, I have a morning routine that helps me start the day in a calm frame of mind.  When I refer to a morning routine, I don't mean one where you are scrambling to get the kids' lunches together or madly doing the dishes from the night before.  I mean one where you take a few moments just for yourself.

For me, my morning routine starts with a cup of green tea.  Even at the height of summer, I must have a cup of green tea.  There is a calming ritual to putting the kettle on, waiting for the water to boil and then waiting for the tea to steep.  I use full leaf tea, not tea bags as usually, tea bags are filled with the fannings, essentially tea dust, from tea production which is the lowest grade of tea.  Besides, I love taking the time to wait for the leaves to slowly unfurl.  It is such a lovely sight.  If you have some favourite china or a pretty mug or cup, use it!  Don't save it "for best", but savour using it every day.

Breakfast is usually light, a piece of fruit and yoghurt.  Sometimes I'll have oatmeal if it's winter.  Lately, I have found that saying an affirmation really helps me set my intention for the day.   There have been times when I couldn't get out of my bed because I was so overwhelmed with anxiety and dread for the coming day.  To help guide me through my day, I make a list of things I would like to accomplish on top of anything else that forms the day.  Are you a list maker?  So as not to feel overwhelmed, I started with just one thing. It doesn't matter if it is something inconsequential.  For example, last week, I put on my list to send out a thank you note that I had been procrastinating on for days.  When I sent out that note, there was a sense of accomplishment and completion that motivated me to continue to do another task.  This is especially important if one's mind is struggling with feelings of overwhelm.  Now I usually have about 3 tasks on my list. I know that 3 tasks might sound piddly but, again, the point is to build confidence.  Also, depending on how much time you have, you don't want to spend your entire morning routine writing a miles long to-do list!

I also spend a few moments in meditation.  Honestly, I think I have been meditating for years and not even known it!  Recently, I was listening to a podcast and the discussion was on the various meditating techniques. I had no idea that there were so many techniques.  I just thought there was just one which involved a lot of convoluted breathing exercises and chanting.  All I know is that even a few moments of meditating (or praying) is incredibly relaxing and centering for me.  I have also started a gratitude journal.  I am not sure whether to switch this to the evening as it seems to make more sense to me to write out what things occurred during the day that I am grateful for.  Do you have a gratitude journal?  Do you journal in the morning or evening?  And that's it, my morning routine.  Do you have a morning routine?

I am linking up with Share Your Cup at Have A Daily Cup With Jann Olson

Simple Valentine's Day Wishes

Hello Friends!  Valentine's Day is just around the corner and, while a huge part of me still cringes at V Day (Valentine's Day? Pshaw!!  I hate V Day, so commercial, so uncool!), I feel like I should still acknowledge it in some form.  I remember a time when I would pretend not to stare at the lucky girls in the office who would have huge bouquets of flowers delivered to them and who would gossip endlessly (and overly loudly) about their elaborate plans.  Of course, I didn't care but secretly I did care.  Now, I have come to a point in life where something simple like going for a walk, even if arduous and difficult, is meaningful especially when one's partner is disabled.  These days if I were to be given a hugely expensive bouquet, instead of being thrilled to pieces, I would be fretting about the cost, both financial and environmental.  How times have changed!

So here are a few suggestions for a simple, meaningful Valentine's Day celebration:

1) For me, as an English Major, nothing is more meaningful than a heartfelt letter or note.  Tell that special someone all the things that you are too shy/busy/overwhelmed with life to say.

2) My sister always gives me a tin of homemade shortbread every Christmas.  Aside from the fact that they are delicious, the fact that they are homemade makes me appreciate them even more.  So cooking your special someone their favourite food will always be received well.  I have been thinking of a chocolate or cheese fondue.  Yes, a fondue is so stereotypical but, let's face it, it's a no brainer because even a klutz in the kitchen can do it.  What do you think, sweet or savoury?

3) Offer to do a chore.  I am the chief dish washer, laundress, clothes-off-the floor-picker-upper in my household.  An offer to do the dishes for the day (or the week, hint, hint) would thrill me to no end.
4) Give a gift that keeps on giving.  I received this travel tumbler recently.  The  brilliant thing about this gift was that it entitled me to a free coffee or tea at my local coffee shop every day for an entire month!  Amazing!  It was the gift of an experience.  Every day I looked forward to that little bit of me time.  I still bring my tumbler as I get 10 cents off my tea and I avoid the use of a disposable.

Last week, a friend of mine was looking particularly despondent.  When asked what was the matter, he said that he had been dating a girl for about a month.  Operating under the assumption that they were an "item,"  he said to her "Valentine's Day is coming up so I guess we should make plans?"  To which she replied, "I already have plans."  Turns out she had more than one tong in the fire. I know that he will be a glum chum on THAT DAY, thinking about the fact that he is stuck at home alone while she is out partying it up with someone else.  It reminded me of the times when my single girlfriends and I would give each other cards and little gifts on V Day, just to cheer each other up.  I mean, if we could do it in kindergarten, why not as adults?  So this is for all of your single friends or if you are single.

MAKE VALENTINE'S DAY FRIENDSHIP DAY  

1) A little note saying how much you value their friendship. 

2) If you are single, consider getting together and going out for a coffee or movie or ask them over for a potluck dinner. Schedule a movie night and laugh/cry over all the crazy romantic escapades that you have  endured.  Make Valentine's Day Friendship Day.
3) And if you just want to be alone on Valentine's Day, that's okay too.  If you have a furball, give them an extra cuddle which I am sure you do every day anyway because they are your fur Valentine baby.  Be your own best friend and book some me time.  Get a massage, get your hair and nails done, or go for a relaxing walk because you deserve it.

Do you have any Valentine's Day tips or suggestions?

This week I am linking up with Have A Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson.

Homemade Chicken Stock

Hello Friends!  You know what?  Living in the city is noisy.  Sirens are blaring at all times of the day and night.  The roar of traffic is incessant.  It can be hard to find those little pockets of silence that keeps you sane and your brain from exploding.  When I first started thinking about living a more intentional life, I felt stymied and frustrated.  But what I have discovered is that it is possible by making the space for those seemingly small inconsequential actions.  You don't have to have a big garden or live on an acreage in the country to live a simple, intentional life.   Take chicken stock for example.  It can be made in any sized kitchen.  I am so embarrassed just thinking of the many, many chicken carcasses that I threw away as a carefree, single girl.  The great thing about homemade chicken stock or broth is that you don't have to worry about presentation or making it look pretty.  It is stock, after all.  I don't have a set recipe, I just use whatever I have on hand.  The main thing is that you are extending the use of the chicken as much as you possibly can and helping the household budget.  The mainstays for me are a small handful of whole peppercorns, a roughly chopped up carrot, a couple of celery stalks (I use the celery leaves as well) and whatever herbs I have on hand like parsley, thyme and oregano. Everything gets thrown into a stock pot and allowed to simmer away for at least an hour.

I used a whole chicken here because we were making a Thai dish but, after stripping the meat off the bones, I am going to save the carcass and make more stock.

A good tip that I have heard is to save the vegetable peelings in a freezer bag.  When you have accumulated enough, use them to make vegetable broth.  How genius is that?  Full disclosure, when I don't have any homemade stock on hand, I do buy it.  I don't beat myself up about it as I think it is important to be kind to myself and just do the best I can.  Here I have decanted the stock into a vintage mason jar.  Another good tip that I have come across is to pour the stock into an ice cube tray.  Then you will have frozen bouillon cubes ready for flavouring sauces and gravies.
  

The most important thing is the sense of accomplishment you feel when you look at the finished product.   It is these little wins that give you the confidence to try something else.  Do you have any other easy cooking tips to share?

I am linking up with Have A Daily Cup of Mrs Olson, A Stroll Thru Life.

Makeup Remover Recipe With Baby Wash

Hello Friends!  Post-Christmas, I think we are all staring into our wallets and taking a deep breath.

One of the ways I found to stretch the household budget was not just to make things from scratch but look for things that could serve a variety of purposes.  I have sensitive skin so sometimes I use baby wash instead of adult body wash.  Baby wash is supposed to be very gentle, hypoallergenic and moisturizing to the skin. I even use it to cleanse my face.  With the onset of a typical harsh Canadian winter, my skin still feels supple and moisturized after using it.  One day, I ran out of eye makeup remover and decided to try my hand at homemade makeup remover.  There are lots of recipes on the Web but this one works well for me as it only requires ingredients which I already had on hand.

You will need olive oil (preferably organic), tearless baby wash (this is important as you don't want the makeup remover to sting your eyes) and water that is either distilled or that has been boiled and allowed to cool down.  I also sterilize the bottle that I store the makeup remover in and any tools that I use.

Recipe:
1 part organic olive oil (I used 1 ounce)
1 part tearless baby wash
2 parts distilled or water that has been boiled (2 ounces)

Decant the ingredients into the bottle, give it a shake and that is it!

You will see that left on its own, the makeup remover will separate out.

Just give it a shake before you use it.

I have found that it works well on my smudgeproof eyeliner and waterproof mascara.

Do you have any tips or suggestions for multipurpose household items?
(This is not a sponsored post.  All products featured are products that are my own and that I use).
I am linking up with Have A Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson.

Homemade Citrus and Vinegar Cleaner

Hello Friends!  As the last year drew to a close, I did a lot of soul searching.  I was working 3 jobs and felt really overwhelmed.  Luckily, because I had started "zone cleaning" (more on that later) and had begun simplifying my life in other areas, my home didn't fall into a complete shambles.  Well, at least not right away.  I had heard about the versatility of using vinegar as a household cleaner long ago but for some reason, the concept had never "clicked" with me.  I just assumed that commercially made cleaners would do the job much better and I would have to put up with the hassle of searching for a cleaner whose artificial fragrance didn't make me sick.  Late last year, I chanced upon the idea of making a citrus vinegar cleaner.  And as clementines are in abundance during the Christmas season, I decided to try it out.  

I am not a particularly crafty person so the simplicity of making this cleaner really appealed to me.  All you need to do really is eat the clementines (or any other citrus fruit of your choosing) and put the peels into the vinegar.  I used a vintage mason jar.

I leave the peels in for about 2 weeks.  The essential oils in the peels slowly leach out and turn the vinegar orange.  The vinegar takes on a fresh citrus scent.  Plus the citrus ingredient boosts the cleaning power of the vinegar.   I love the fact that it is all natural and homemade.  You get your Vitamin C and make your own citrus cleaner at the same time.  How easy is that?

The sense of pride and satisfaction that I get every time I use the cleaner was quite unexpected.  I truly feel like I am "blessing" my home whenever I use it because it is non-toxic and I took the time to make it.  Now, making sure I always have a supply on hand to keep my spray bottle topped up is part of my household routine.

I am linking up with Have a Daily Cup of Mrs Olson.

Christmas Wishes

Hello friends!  I can't believe that we are counting down the days to Christmas!  This year has not been without its challenges for Monsieur and I and in many ways I will be glad to ring in a new year and its chance to start afresh.  When we first set up house together, I was swept up by the idea that our home had to look "perfect" at Christmastime. Inevitably, chasing perfection just led to a lot of stress and feelings of inadequacy.  Now, I am at an age when I don't feel the need to buy a whole set of new decorations each Christmas.  Instead, I look forward to bringing out of storage old, sentimental favourites. I try hard not to be seduced by the twinkling displays as going down that avenue just leads to a budget blowout.  This year, only a couple new to me vintage gems crept into the house.

I do love these wooden pyramids!  They are a lovely twist on the traditional Nativity scene.  There are tiny shepherds and sheep on the second level and the Three Wise Men are on the bottom level.  The next one is not a candelabra but a music box.

They are so sweet and charming and the craftmanship is admirable.  In line with trying to inject more meaning into gift giving, this year, I have started giving away family heirlooms to family members.  If it is something that they truly desire and it gives them pleasure, I don't see the point in having them wait forever.  Obviously, a family "treasure" is by nature second hand.  Do you think it is tacky to give a gift that is secondhand, vintage or antique?  I would love to know your thoughts.  So far, the reaction has been positive.  And I have to say, selfishly, that one less trip to the mall is always a good thing!
I wish you all a lovely Holiday Season.  See you in the New Year!

I am linking up with A Stroll Thru Life.

From Retro Glam to Scandinavian Cool, A Vintage Bar Two Ways

Change has been been blowing in my little corner of the world.  Monsieur is away in Montreal visiting an ill family member.  While he is away, I have been catching up on the laundry pile, also known as Mt. Washmore.  I have been switching things up a little too as a bit of a respite from the everlasting laundry.  Part of slowing down, for me, has been reassessing what is in my home. What works for me, what inspires me, what can I let go?  Lately, a yearning has been growing within me for clean and simple lines and a more cohesive colour palette.  More and more I find myself staring, entranced, at photographs of stark Scandinavian interiors.  Now, I will never be a minimalist as I am too much of a magpie for that and Monsieur loves being surrounded by familiar, sentimental things.  But I did want to make a nominal nod in that direction, at least.  In accordance with this yearning, my current bar display kept catching my eye but not in a good way.  I do still like it a lot but the Hollywood Regency look of the cranberry red and gold colour palette just wasn't doing it for me any more.  I think I detect a latent obsession as I have blogged about my bar here.  I seem to waver continuously between warm, gold tones and its polar opposite, silvery frosty hues.  Here is an old, before photo of it.

Monsieur loves the glassware and the brass pineapple so I have not gotten rid of them, just packed them away.  Who knows, they may make a reappearance at Christmas time as the colours are appropriate for that time of year.  Here is a photograph of the new bar.

From retro glam to Scandinavian cool!  I love the long white lines of the pitcher and icy look of the glassware.  I think they would still work over the holiday season as the new look reminds me of snow and ice.

Which look do you prefer?  I have to say that even with my yearning for simpler lines and neutral colours, there will always be room in my life for sparkly shoes.

After all, life can't always be about doing laundry.  I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

I am linking up with Natasha in Oz and Have a Cup of Mrs Olson.

A Monstrous Cookie Halloween

In my continuing quest to slow down, I have temporarily put aside learning how to bake a decent loaf of bread due to Monsieur's increasingly frequent comments regarding a passing gluten intolerance. Strangely, this intolerance tends to disappear when cookies and cakes are on the menu.  Hmmm, I think I will have to try my hand at baking cookies.  I am very fond of ginger and molasses cookies and, as I had unearthed a long forgotten carton of molasses in the kitchen cupboard, I set about attempting to bake them.  I used a recipe from epicurious.com which I won't copy here for various reasons to be explained later.  I have never used molasses in cooking before and so had no idea how hard it was to get out of the carton.  I wonder what Monsieur thought when he came home and saw this.

Note that I do not have a mixer.  In this house, mixing is done a la Little House On The Prairie style, with elbow grease and a wooden spoon.  The molasses is so viscous that I am unable to mix it consistently throughout the cookie dough.  I am sure that extreme minimalists everywhere would applaud my exhaustive and exhausting efforts with a wooden spoon.  However, all I can think of is the time Monsieur came home with a steam vacuum cleaner instead of a mixer.  Honestly, a steam vac!  In despair, I give up and throw the batch of "cookies" into the oven and hope for the best.

Suffice to say, the cookies are a failure.  They don't rise or spread out and develop strange crevasses all over. In fact, with the strange spotted colouring, they almost look like chocolate chip cookies.  In fact, they look like Frankenstein monster cookies!

Gloomily, I eat a breakfast cereal bar wrapped in a non-recyclable wrapper.  Yes, I know.  Fortified with mass-produced food, I am determined to try again.  Forget faffing with molasses, also known as edible road tar (although if you have experience cooking or baking with molasses please send along any tips or suggestions!).  This time I will try that old standby, chocolate chip cookies.  I have a bag of peanut butter chips so I decide to switch out the chocolate chips.  Obviously, my rebellious spirit is still alive and kicking.  I use a recipe from Martha Stewart's website.  Thank heavens, the Queen of All Things Good doesn't disappoint.

Strangely, though, the cookies nearest the heating element stayed smallish (the row at the top) while the cookies on the tray further away from the heating element in the oven spread out more (the row on the bottom).  Baking is an exact science and to me a mysterious one.  Still, whatever their size, they taste scrumptious.

  Perfect for a Hootin' Halloween.

Or, for would-be Dragons and Dragonettes, a Roarin' Halloween.
Wherever you are, I hope you have a Spooktacular Halloween!

I'm linking up with Natasha In Oz.

Trying To Grow An Indoor Herb Garden

I guess the title says it all as in I'm trying, desperately trying, to grow an indoor herb garden.  I've read many suggestions about the benefits of growing your own herbs as you can harvest them when needed and use them right away.  I have found that there is quite a bit of waste involved with buying herbs as we only ever use a bit of it and then the rest goes mouldy before it gets used up.  The problem is that I don't have a backyard or a balcony.  But herbs are just weeds and we all know weeds have evolved to grow anywhere. So I thought, why not trying growing them indoors?  When I saw this glass miniature greenhouse at Ikea, I was entranced.

via Ikea.com

I had these romantic visions of casually sauntering over to my lovely miniature greenhouse that was perched in my kitchen bay window and snipping off a few leaves of herbaly goodness which then gets tossed nonchalantly into my Michelin star recipe.  Like so...

via Ikea.com

Maybe I would have so many herbs that I could make my own cosmetics!  Yessss!!!  BUT my kitchen has no deep bay window, no natural light and very little counter space.  In fact, I was stumped as to where to put this green house, miniature though it was.  Insert sad face.  Still I was game to try and so, rustling up a couple of tiny coconut husk cups for starting seedlings, I decided to try growing dill and cilantro.  After many days spent on bended knee waiting and then pleading (and ignoring Monsieur's postulations about a watched pot or in this case watched dirt...), this is what I had.

That's right...nothing.  Insert another sad face.  Why???  Why??  Were the seeds old?  But seeds, by definition, are young.  How can they be old before they have even started growing??  You will see that, in an ecstasy of optimism, I even labelled my little seedling pots.  Hmmm...I am beginning to think that this business of simple living is not so simple after all.

At this point, I remembered reading somewhere that a good way of jumpstarting a garden is to just buy seedlings or save the roots of store bought herbs (if they come with roots attached).  I saved the roots of a green onion and lo and behold it grew one stalk and then another!  Obviously, it is the one in the blue pot.

I was so excited and admittedly took an inordinate amount of childish pleasure out of watching it rocket upwards especially after the dill and cilantro failure.  And then, one morning, I checked on it and the first stalk, now a long tall stalk, had inexplicably flopped over. Was I supposed to stake it?  I have heard of staking tomato plants but spring onions?  I guess I should harvest it as it looks a wee bit pathetic flopped over like that.  You will see that I have a basil plant to the left.  It was bought as a seedling and is still in a plastic pot because I am too afraid of transferring it to a proper plant pot for fear of killing it.  I think that next year, when there are more seedlings available in the nursery, I will buy a few and do my best to keep up an indoor herb garden.  I haven't given up the dream completely.  Do you do indoor container gardening?  Any suggestions on growing herbs indoors, please send them my way!

I am linking up with Natasha in Oz.
 

Adventures In Baking Bread

Simple living in a large metropolitan city has seemed, at times, a near impossibility.  For example, trying to eat organic, local food has been a source of great frustration.  I don't have a backyard so I can't grow my own vegetables.  True farmers markets are few and far between and tend to be at odd hours like between 3 and 7 pm on a Tuesday which makes them inaccessible to anyone holding a full time job.  Even trying to be more frugal with the grocery budget has been a difficult task as I find that groceries are at least 30% higher than out in the suburbs.  However, I persevered and thought to myself, "Why not start this seemingly impossible journey with teaching myself that most basic of life skills, baking bread? After all, every journey starts with one step."  Now, I will never be one of those people who springs out of bed at 4 am every day and bakes a loaf of bread.  But I was willing to get up at 7 am and bake bread once a week.  I used the No Knead recipe which I found on the Down To Earth blog.

The great thing about this recipe is that you prepare the dough the evening before and let it rise over night.   I think the name of the recipe is a bit misleading because there is some kneading involved. Now, you are advised to flour your hands and the board lightly but I can attest that you actually need a lot of flour and to dust the board regularly otherwise you will have a sticky, gluey mess all over your hands.

I did slash the top but I don't think it was deep enough because, somehow, magically, while in the oven, the dough decided to thumb its glutinous nose at me and mend itself back together again.  Monsieur assures me that, for my very first loaf, it was a passable attempt but he is being very, very kind.  There is no doubt that, if used to conk someone on the head, it could be classed as a dangerous weapon.  I am not sure if it was because of the lack of a slash on the top preventing it from rising or the finicky nature of my oven that never gets very hot.  Well, Rome wasn't built in a day so....I tried again, only this time with rye flour.  I mixed the dough and the next morning peeked in the bowl expecting to see a giant mushroom cloud of risen dough.  And...nothing.  It was a soggy lumpy mess.

Ugh!!  Why?? Why?? Is rye, by its very nature, too fibrous to do anything except sink wilfully towards the earth?  In an effort not to waste the dough, I mixed in a cup of white flour and hoped for the best.  Luckily, in 2 hours, it had risen considerably.  I toasted some almonds and added it to the top of the dough ball.  This time, I made sure to make deep slashes to the top.

 Well, this is looking more like a homemade loaf!

I used a toasted slice for my version of a beef brisket sandwich.

The Down To Earth recipe is a variation of a recipe from the New York Times which calls for the dough to rise twice and be kneaded twice.  The rye loaf was still on the heavy side so, next time I will try the New York Times recipe and knead it twice to see if that produces a lighter loaf. I guess this blog post is more of an anti-post that shows all the stumbles and not just picture perfect, Pinterest-worthy triumphs.  My main takeaway from this is to persevere and not give up.  If any of you have any tips or suggestions, this budding baker would love to hear from you!

I am linking up with Natasha in Oz.

Simple Hair Care

Hello friends!  I never thought the day would come when my hair would become a topic for discussion but the day has now arrived.  Of late, I have noticed that I have been losing quite a bit of hair.  I know that the hair shaft tends to thin with age but I think that stress may be playing a large part as well.  Monsieur is a baldy and soon I think I will end up being his twin.  I had been using Jason Aloe Vera shampoo and conditioner for a while but I suspect that they have changed their formula as the last bottles I bought smelled absolutely vile. So I thought now was as good a time as any to overhaul my hair care routine.  I searched around and ended up getting Desert Essence Organics Fragrance Free Shampoo.

I really like the fact that it is fragrance free as I am not fond of heavily scented body care products.  It is 100% vegan/wheat & gluten free and doesn't contain any parabens, sodium lauryl/laureth sulfates, phthalates, artificial fragrances or colors, silicones, EDTA, glycol or petroleum based ingredients.  And most importantly, to me anyway, it is cruelty free.  There is a fragrance free conditioner but I have found that the shampoo is so mild that I am going to try skipping the conditioner.  I do find that organic products tend to be a bit on the pricy side so I thought that, if I can skip the conditioner, the cost of the shampoo will be somewhat mitigated.  Also, with one less product to buy, it means that my hair care routine is now much more simple.  There was a time when I used a plethora of hair grooming products, but I found that none of them really delivered the magical results promised and I grew tired of the constant hit to my wallet.  Plus with stress levels at maximum, I just wanted a straightforward routine without a lot of fuss.  If you have any recommendations on shampoos, please let me know!  I have been researching vitamins and supplements to help my fast diminishing strands so if you have any tips or suggestions, please let me know as well!  Of course, I can't leave a blog post, even if it is on hair care, without a quick snapshot of something vintage.

I was very pleased to thrift this vintage gilt mirror tray.  The gold is still lustrous and the gilded edge really pretty.  I have always had a fascination with vanity tables and all the lovely things associated with them although I have never had the room to have one.  However, a mirror tray on a dresser has the same impact and is a good compromise.  On it, I have a vintage wooden brush. I have heard that regular brushing helps to restore the hair's vitality.  I also use a wide toothed comb for sorting out tangles and knots.  So that's it, my simplified hair care routine.  Do you have a hair care routine?

A quick note that this is not a sponsored post and I have no affiliation with Desert Essence.

I am linking up with A Stroll Thru Life.