I’m joining in with the pillow party going on at Rose Colored Glasses!
I’d like to introduce you to my new favorite pillow and her creator…
Rose Red the pillow and Hannah
Hannah and her friend Deb (Deb is the co-owner) make one-of-a-kind pillows and scarfs from reclaimed wool. Beautiful and eco-friendly, a win-win. (See her shop here.)
Take a look at one of her beautiful scarves…
Handmade and only $25!
I have been trying to compile a list of what foods are in season each month. Not only will the food taste better, but it will be a lot less expensive! I was giddy when this little gem showed up in my Google reader…
Chart by Leon
(The chart was made by the Leon restaurant chain in London, but since British weather is very similar to the climate of most of North America, it works well for most of us.)
Have you ever bought something and then seen the same thing a week later….on sale? I have and it’s really frustrating, especially for big ticket items!
I just ran across a great post that shows what months that certain groups of items are on sale. You can check it out here at Life Hacker. You can thank me later. {wink}
Now, dear reader, how do you find good sales? I can use all the help I can get!
For more Q & A head over to Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.
Welcome! Enjoy a peek at what the Herbert home looks like for Christmas…
One of the things I did differently that last year was to add red twigs to my mantel and to the Christmas tree. They were really easy and you could do them in any color that you needed. Just grab your branch clippers and some spray paint. Paint one side, turn them over and you’re done! Easy and very budget friendly.
An easy way to change your decor to Christmas is to just add a ribbon and an ornament.
Or gather up all the red things you have around the house. A little ribbon and a few berries and you’re done!
Remember my yule log from last year? This is my Grandmother’s.
It has over 60 years of Christmas candles on it. Happy memories indeed!
I’ve saved the best for last…
I’ve been wanting a Willow Tree nativity set for a long time. My husband’s mother gave me one for Christmas this year!!
This table is in our entry. I wanted the first thing that people see to be the One who is first place in my life. Without Him life would be just existence.
P.S. If you are needing some good Christmas gifts I’ve just added some new paintings to my shop. They make great gifts for: a house warming, teachers, friends and they also are a wonderful hostess gift!
Here’s a small preview…
This can be customized with any names you choose or can be left plain. (This is for my sister and her husband.)
(Don’t wait, because the coupon code will expire on December 21st.)
Better Homes and Gardens
I really like having the right tool for a job…problem is sometimes that tool is no where to be seen. So, what’s a thrifty gal to do?
Improvise!
Over the years I have learned some tips and tricks that can make cooking much easier. And when it comes to cooking easier is always better!
Here are some the tips that have helped me:
(These first two are from my Mother. Thanks!)
1. Whenever you need to cut something sticky, like brownies, use a plastic knife. For some reason the goo doesn’t stick to plastic like it would to a metal knife. Go figure.
2. Need to cut a cake into layers? Use un-flavored dental floss. Use about 12″, pull tight, get behind the cake and “saw” the floss toward you. The cake will cut easily and there will be very few crumbs.
3. Do you have a pastry cutter? Think it’s a single use tool? Think again! Use it to cut up eggs for egg salad and keep avocados a little chunky for guacamole.
4. Need to cool something down in a hurry? Fill your sink with cold water and add some ice cubes. Set your pot down in the water and stir. Your food will cool down quickly.
5. Coffee maker broken? Try this rustic cup of joe. First boil some water and put a paper towel into a small strainer. Next put about 2 tablespoons of ground coffee into the paper towel. Finally, hold the strainer over your mug and pour the water over the grounds. Dump the grounds and paper towel into the trash and enjoy your coffee!
Rhoda at Southern Hospitality is hosting a Fall Inspiration Party! Here in Tennessee, fall is just starting to touch the leaves with color and the breezes are beginning to cool. Thank God for an end to the humidity!
I thought I’d share my mantel decorations for fall…
The mantle clock belongs to my Grandmother, who is living with us and the waterfall painting is an oil that I painted a few years ago. Being an artist, I’m so critical of my own work, but I’m actually very happy with how this painting turned out!
(Speaking of art…be sure to check back often, because I’m working on some new paintings for fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas!)
This wreath is proof you don’t have to start from scratch to make a pretty arrangement. I just added what I had to a store bought wreath.
In this aged copper urn, I made an arrangement of dark tan dahlias, red mum like flowers, dried hydrangea blossoms and pheasant feathers. I have always admired these pheasant feathers, so I’m so glad to finally have some!
Tip: To get tall pheasant feathers without breaking the budget; get small feathers and use floral tape to add them to floral stems. (Or just go with what you have and tape them to sticks or old silk flower stems!)
One of my favorite ways to celebrate to start of fall is to simmer cloves, cinnamon and orange slices in water on the stove. In just a few minutes the whole house smells so cozy!
What do you add to your home to make it feel like fall?
How many of you make sauerkraut?
I have made two batches. The first (amazingly) was really good, the second was really bad. I used whey and salt for the first batch and just salt for the second. Has that made a difference for you all?
What do you all put your cabbage in while it ferments? I just read that Sally Fallon (Nourishing Traditions) puts hers in closed top mason jars. Will the building gasses cause the jars to explode?
Thanks for all your help! Any advice is much appreciated by this sauerkraut making newbie!
Head on over to Food Renegade to learn more about real food on Fight Back Fridays!
I grew up eating wild mushrooms called Morels. They are some of the most delicious things you will ever put into your mouth!
They grow better in the Northern states, but we still find a few in Middle Tennessee.
This is Matthew, our son, holding a Morel mushroom we found in our yard last year. One of two…not quite enough to eat!
I had been doing some research on edible plants and mushrooms in our area, so Matthew and I went on a search in the woods around our house to see what we could find. We found a tree that had fallen, but the large stump was still standing. On that stump we found… Oyster Mushrooms! There are no look alikes in the US, so we were sure that we had the real deal.
This is what we harvested…about four pounds of free, tasty, gourmet mushrooms!
The best way that we have found to eat Morel and Oyster mushrooms is to gently pan fry them in butter.
After we harvested them, I put them in salt water to get rid of any bugs. I rinsed them off gently and carefully. Next I put them into a zip-top bag and coated them in flour. Then I fried them in butter and salted them to taste. They were so good!
The next time you go to the grocery, look at the gourmet mushroom mixes. I bet you’ll see small oyster mushrooms in there!
For more information check out these sites:
(Time for the disclaimer: Do your own research. Make sure you are harvesting in a clean area, not by a road, because mushrooms absorb heavy metals and toxins. Don’t eat any mushrooms that you aren’t ABSOLUTELY SURE are safe.)
I just finished reading some wonderful books…I have limited time to sit down and read, so I usually stick to topics I’m trying to learn more about.
(If you read this blog very often you’ll not be surprised at my list!)
The first book I’d like to recommend is Crunchy Cons. As I read this book, I was so glad to know there are others like me out there!
You see, I’m usually walking this narrow road between the right and left wing politicians. For example: As a Christian I believe we are to take care of our earth because we are to be good stewards of God’s gifts. But, we also need to remember that all we do is for people…for their good. If we plan carefully, the earth can be kept clean and people can be well taken care of. (stepping off of soapbox now)
Even if you don’t see eye to eye with me (and that’s okay) then you will still learn a lot from this book.
Now for a classic…Nourishing Traditions! This book changed the way I fed my family forever. I have seen some amazing changes happen in our family since I started feeling them whole, real foods, made in traditional ways.
By the way this “traditional” doesn’t mean your Grandmother’s condensed soup filled, topped with fried in trans fat onion pieces, canned green bean casserole that showed up at the Thanksgiving table every year!
Tasty, yes. Good for you, nope. Sorry.
By “traditional” I’m talking about things that healthy, “primitive” cultures have been eating for thousands of years. Like butter from animals fed only grass, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, etc.
Now for the benefits we’ve seen by eating this way: Since October 2008, my husband has lost over 20 pounds, I’ve lost 30, my children have had an easier time doing school work, their behavior has improved, they are growing well and we are all really healthy.
I could go on and on…go ahead, take the plunge into traditional, nourishing foods and see what good things happen in your family!
Want more? Then head over to Fight Back Friday to see what’s new!
Wool Dryer Balls From Good Mama
My Mother in law just gave me some wool dryer balls that my aunt made. I’ve been wanting to make these for a while, but have never taken the time to do it!
I used them on the mountain of laundry that I washed yesterday and they worked really well. My aunt said that when she uses 8-10 of them she is able to cut her drying time in half!
Saving money and having no static cling… naturally, that Works For Me!
If you want to make your own dryer balls, GoodMama has the instructions!
Be sure to check back on Friday for the latest L. Herbert Design prints that will be featured at Nesting Place!
Want to win a free print from my store? A High And Noble Calling is hosting a giveaway!
