My Five Favorite Spring Posts
Inside: Ah, spring! No more cold, dreary days. The earth finally wakes from its long winter nap. We’re celebrating the season with my five favorite spring posts.
Spring! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. . . Er, on second thought, let me give a sampling of my five favorite spring posts for your seasonal reading pleasure.
Picture courtesy of Emily Moore.
My Top Ten Must-do Spring Activities
Ah, spring! We’ve gotten a nice dose of it this week, and it feels as though we’re finally leaving the heavy coat of winter behind us. I am more than ready to move on! Now I’m turning my attention to the new season, watching the stories of budding leaves, flowering trees, warm winds, and green grass. Eagerly listening to the melodies of birds fiercely belting out their morning tunes and peepers rising from slumber to add to the chorus.
Here at the blog, I’m dusting off words and airing out posts from springs’ past. One of my favorites from last year was my Spring Bucket List: 25 Ways to Celebrate the Season. While I’d like to do each and every entry on the list, realistically I’ll probably only get to do a few of them. What follows is my top ten must-do activities. See if your list matches mine. CONTINUE READING
Spring Forward
Is it possible to be homesick for spring? If so, I am.
While most years you can count me in with the folks eagerly awaiting robin sightings and tulips pushing up through the cold earth, this year I’m lacking in patience. Signs aren’t enough. I want spring now. Now! And the weather is just not cooperating. Like Tuesday night’s snow–thankfully brief. Okay, I’ll admit it was pretty, but I’m done. Memories from one particular Easter from my teen years came back to me as I recalled women and girls in their pastel dresses and open-toed shoes gingerly walking in the snow to church.
It can happen in Missouri. . . CONTINUE READING
A Dozen Uses for Eggs
The incredible edible egg–do they still say that in commercials? Probably not, but it remains true, nonetheless. This time of year eggs often go on sale, so why not take advantage? As for Mom and me, we share the duties of feeding and watering a ragtag flock of chickens on an alternating schedule. The one feeding gets the spoils. During winter months–unless you provide a source of light to trick them into laying–production tapers off. In our case to zero or one egg per day. Now with the longer hours of daylight, we’re up to six or seven. With better temps and still more light, that number will increase.
Out of necessity, my preoccupation with eggs has led me to finding creative uses for the chicken fruit. What follows is a list of a dozen ways, some fitting in the odd or strange category. Have fun!
1) Make Tempera Egg Paint. Who knew? CONTINUE READING
Starting Seeds Indoors
Seeds intrigue me. A little miracle inside a small package. Potential. Possibilities. I love this!
I get excited when I see a rumple in the dirt, tiny shoot pushing its way to the sun. A seed does its magic unseen, underneath a dark blanket of soil. It takes faith and waiting. And waiting and waiting. I never tire of the miracle.
At my cousin Phil’s funeral recently, his brother-in-law retold a story from Phil’s mother, how as a small boy he used to put seeds in the ground to see if they would come up. I tucked that story away to take along with me. As a child, the “seed” of what he would become, a farmer, was inside him, too. . . CONTINUE READING
A Simple Fruit Dip for Strawberries, Plus 5 Ways to Use Up the Harvest
So it’s June and my strawberries have stopped bearing. (They’ve always been more May-bearing, actually.) It was a lovely harvest with plenty of fresh berries as well as a few gallons in my freezer for future use. The problem, if you can call it that, is I have limited room in said freezer. I need to start using up some of them to make room for the rest of the fruit and veggies coming my way this season. What follows are my suggestions for five delicious ways to use up strawberries. (Excerpt taken from the middle of the post.) CONTINUE READING
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Enjoy our selection of spring reading and get ready for the warmer, better days ahead.
Yes, I said it, better days ahead. Count on it!
Resources and related posts:
Spring Bucket List: 25 Ways to Celebrate the Season
Leggy Seedlings: Don’t Let This Happen to You
Uncovering Strawberries in Spring
Posts from a year ago:
You’re Never Too Old for a Tea Party
My Top Ten Must-do Spring Activities
From two years ago:
Spring Bucket List: 25 Ways to Celebrate the Season
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Seems my yard is getting in on the act, “wearing the green,” with this lovely patch of green clover.
Remember, spring is just around the corner.
Have a wonderful day!
My Simple Solution to Mail Clutter
Inside: Organizing incoming paper doesn’t have to be complicated. It starts with a decorative storage basket. Curious? Check out my simple solution to mail clutter.
*This post contains affiliate links. Click here for disclosure policy.
Got Mail Clutter?
Is your kitchen table cluttered with mail? Be honest. Bills. Catalogs you’ve been meaning to look through. Coupons. Advertisements. Newspapers with assorted sales inserts. Invitations. Fliers.
Or maybe your kitchen table looks great, but your counter is a mess? Or maybe you’ve just got papers strewn everywhere?
If the answer to any of the above questions is no, then I’ll save you some reading. Visit our fudge recipe to make and celebrate your savvy organizing skills. Way to go, oh organized one! We salute you.
If the answer is yes, then settle in for the short read. . . And maybe check out the recipe after you read this.
Finding a Simple Solution to Mail Clutter
I’ll let you in on a little secret: It wasn’t long ago that all those above mentioned pieces of mail–plus other papers that found their way into our house–sat in sloppy piles at the end of my kitchen table, threatening to spill on to the floor. A holiday would roll around, and I’d find the nearest Amazon box and start inserting assorted (and unsorted) paper items into their new large cardboard home, only to be placed in my catch-all room. But soon I’d see those piles forming again, small and innocent at first, until I had the same large stacks, precariously balancing on table’s end, only to have the cycle repeat itself over and over and over.
Last fall I signed up for an organizing summit (different online presenters discussing a topic) over at I heart planners with Laura. I took lots of notes that week, and I can’t remember who to thank for this tip, but one of the presenters showed her system of dealing with all the paper coming into her home. She had a large box with a few file folders in the back of it, and, basically, she merely dumped everything into the box. Period. Once a week she’d sort through the box and file items away into the folders or discard them.
Having a place to dump all of the paper made sense to me, and so I bought a functional, nice-looking container. So now into my box it goes–everything from clothes catalogs to coupons. Papers that need our attention, such as license renewals or bills or checks to cash? Into the box. Random old photo? Homemade card from my nephew? Find your spot inside the confines of my lovely decorative container.
Throughout the week, as I have time, I dip into the box and sort. Like while I’m waiting for my cup of coffee that’s heating in the microwave. I place checks, coupons, and other very small snippets of paper on the right side of the box, vertically. On the left go bills, folded but standing upright against the inside of the box. In the middle are things like sales papers, clipped articles, fliers, and catalogs, which lie flat. In the back I place large manila envelopes with important materials, such as tax papers that I need to work on, and magazines, standing on their sides, as it looks more confined that way.
While I can understand the benefits of the folders, that’s a bit too much work for me. I like to keep it simple, and this unsophisticated system works for me. I feel so much better about the space!
A Few Tips
Choose a box or basket you love. That way you’re more inclined to use it. I found some attractive-looking boxes and baskets on this page that you might like.
Make sure it is rectangular shaped and large enough for the amount of paper coming into your home. Because it’s just the two of us now, we don’t have near the amount of paper as we once did with a school-age child in the house.
Look for handles, which come in handy (no pun intended) for moving the box (temporarily) out of sight when company comes. But don’t leave it there!
If you’re into folders, by all means, go for it!
Oh, and one more thing. I don’t get down to zero contents. Sometimes I have an item (or several) that I haven’t yet decided what to do with. The point is, I know where to find it, it’s not falling on the floor, and it looks neat and straightened.
Small Changes Yield Big Results
It’s funny how small changes can sometimes yield big results. This simple purchase of a decorative box has made me feel better and not as stressed. While a few piles of clutter might not seem like such a big deal, even the little things tug at you. This is one less thing. The space is ordered and functional. I like sitting around my kitchen table again.
One small step for a rural girl. A big leap for creating a peaceful environment.
Resources and related posts:
2018 Decluttering Challenge, Day 4: Paper
2018 Decluttering Challenge, Day 1: The Kitchen
Posts from a year ago:
Uprooted, Seeing Green, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
25 Ways to Be Good to Yourself
From two years ago:
Trending Spring, Garden Talk, and Other News Fresh From the Farm
Our Very Simple Valentine Tart
Inside: What’s quick, simple to make, has only five ingredients, and celebrates Valentine’s Day? Our Very Simple Valentine Tart, that’s what!
*This post contains affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
Admit it, Valentine’s Day snuck up on you this year. You need something quick, easy, and fitting the occasion. Something that doesn’t require a lot of ingredients or preparation. Something that can be somewhat healthy–or defiantly not—with some flexibility in the recipe.
Enter our Very Simple Valentine Tart. It’s crispy. It’s fruity. And cinnamon-y, too. What’s not to like?
So let’s get to it, shall we? Here are some step-by-step, easy-peasy instructions with pics. The recipe follows.
How to Make Our Very Simple Valentine Tart
Here are the ingredients you will need.
Fold one tortilla in half.
Cut into a heart shape. Kitchen scissors work great!
Ta da! A heart! Now spread a 1/2 tablespoon of butter evenly on one side.
Sprinkle a 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon and sweetener (or sugar) over the butter, covering it.
Now flip tortilla over so the buttered side is down. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread 3 – 4 tablespoons of your favorite red preserves.
(I used my homemade plum.) Bake for 10 more minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sweetener or sugar!
- 1 large whole wheat Carb Balance tortilla
- ½ tablespoon of butter
- ½ tablespoon of cinnamon/sweetener (or sugar) blend*
- 3 - 4 tablespoons of your favorite red preserves
- powdered sweetener or sugar for dusting (optional)
- *Cinnamon/sweetener (or sugar): 1 part cinnamon to 4 parts sweetener or sugar
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
- Fold the tortilla in half and cut to shape like a heart.
- Spread butter evenly over one side of the tortilla.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon sweetener or sugar over the butter and gently flip the tortilla over, making the buttered cinnamon side the bottom of the tart.
- Bake for five minutes and remove.
- Spread the preserves over the top of the tart and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Cool and dust with powdered sweetener or sugar if desired.
- Enjoy!
Recipes Notes
While I usually post keto and low carb recipes, this one isn’t particularly so. Yet it’s not terribly unhealthy, either. There is a lot of flexibility within this recipe. For starters, you can choose your type of tortilla–regular, low carb, white, whole wheat.
You can choose sugar free preserves, though I have not tried this, so I’m not sure how that will work. I use reduced sugar preserves, which have fewer carbs than regular jam but taste better than sugar free. You can also use fewer tablespoons of preserves, though the tart might not look as pretty. As for what flavor to try, I have used plum, cherry, and strawberry with success. You can also use different colors. (Peach is really good as well as apricot.)
You might also get really creative and try raspberry jam with a drizzle of chocolate. If you do, leave me a comment. I’d love to hear about it.
Make our Very Simple Valentine Tart today, for your special someone–even if that special someone is you!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Resources and related posts:
Mission Carb Balance Large Whole Wheat Tortillas
Make Our Keto Red Velvet Mug Cake for Valentine’s Day
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 9: Tortilla Cinnamon Rolls
The 12 Posts of Christmas, Day 2: Spiced Nuts
Post from a year ago:
What’s in my Winter Wellness Kit
Butternut Beer Brats Soup Revisited
From two years ago:
How I’m Finding Time to Read and Other Worthy Pursuits
Birdwatching Birthday, Photography Lessons, and Other News Fresh From the Farm