FRESH DECOR CHANGES INSIDE & OUT, BOOKS, AND SOME DELICIOUS RECIPES

Hello friends and strangers!  I'm not even going to apologize for all the time that has passed since I last posted🤦🏼‍♀️.  I'm trying to make up for it with a pretty picture from my archives.  These beautiful roses were from my grocery store if I remember right. So pretty. 

I stopped physically going to the stores back in November when I was worried about flu season starting on top of the Covid.  I really enjoy the whole shopping experience so I can't say I like having groceries delivered.  The shopper just never seems to get the produce right. The other evening I placed an order mainly for fruit and vegetables I had run low on since my last "big" shopping order.  Out of twenty odd items I received only half, and none of it produce.  I ended up having to place a second order with another grocery store and surprisingly, they had everything I needed.  🤷‍♀️

After I had packed away all of my holiday decor in mid January, I left everything bare for a while.  I am so tired of clutter but I have a hard time taking a minimalist approach.  Perhaps its just me but balance is the key when it comes to shelves.  It can all go downhill with the wrong number of pieces, their relation to each other, how they measure, how they're spaced, color family, etc.  When I try something simple, the shelves or mantel look barren.  If I use too many pieces it gets busy and confusing, the focus is thrown off.  Do I sound too technical for someone not trained in design?  Hahahaha!

I made a list of what I didn't want, sometimes that's a great place to start.  I wanted to get off the "cottage" style I had for many years.  I was so inspired by what I saw and read in Gil Schaffer's book A Place To Call Home.  I felt like I was stepping back in time to the way I decorated in my home long ago.  With the creaky floors and huge fireplace, I leaned toward darker colors, florals, thrift store finds with a history, and subtle pops of freshness with plants, books, and framed artwork.  I took tapestry rugs over geometrical, and drapes over curtains.  

Emily came over when I was contemplating what I wanted to do in the living room after Christmas.  She took all the pieces (is there a better word?) I wanted to use and arranged them in such a way that I had that balance I strive for.  As you can see, there are different heights and layers, organic touches as well as old books, and a color scheme of browns, creams, and green.  

  I was just so intrigued by how she walked around the house and picked up this and that from each room and then shuffled, arranged and rearranged everything until it was to her liking (and mine).  She also took a few steps back every now and then to look at different angles...now, remember to do that if you want to look professional!  Seriously, I can learn from her, free of charge of course.  She has that college degree in part by the generosity of myself and The Husband!

I started to use planner a few years ago when I wanted something a little more personal than a wall hung calendar.  It's nice to have something that can fit in your bag.  I no longer carry around cards with appointments, or pieces of paper with scribbles.  I guess I'm still a little old fashioned, I don't use my cell phone much for it's calendar or notes.  Anyway, even though you might have this end covered, I wanted to share my planner with you (and yes--I know, we are going into March!) and give a shout out to this women owned business, Me And My Big Ideas.  They make several types of planners and journals and they are just so cute, inside and out.  Colorful illustrations, quotes and inspirational words; it's also perfect for doodling in.  Grab some colored pencils or markers, maybe some stickers (I order them from Amazon), and start each month with some artwork that will unleash anticipation for the coming days and weeks.  I originally found this line at Target but since I haven't ventured out recently, I scored it on Amazon where you will also find all sorts of products by these talented ladies. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

My draw dropped when I saw this on West Elm, and not just over the furniture-- that's not too shabby either, but the whole space.  It looks like it can be boxed up and dropped off in my backyard where my current patio is.  Even the homes in the background resemble those here on the Southside.  So, very much in the same way that you might see a sofa or dining room set and say, "I love it and it's going to be perfect..." that's how I feel about this picture.  

This is the most recent picture I have of the patio, possibly summer of 2017.   I have wanted something done with the cracked concrete and I think I'll do brick pavers.  I have the room to extend all the way up to the brick.  I'll never grow ivy again, it was strangling my house a few years ago and I had to have it professionally removed.  To add greenery I think I'll bring out some of my large potted plants.  In a nutshell if I move things around I just may be able to have an informal gathering space.  So what do you think?  I'm in love with the size and shape of that little table, and how they mixed up the furniture by adding a chair rather than a third piece from the set.  That saves you a lot of money.  I've seen outdoor furniture everywhere so I hope I can get something similar if West Elm is out of the budget.  Any ideas or something you suggest I add to the whole patio?  I find making plans for summer a little uplifting when there are 10 inches of melting (finally) snow on the ground and another two months til warm sunny days.  

 

I talk more about my reading on Instagram, maybe because I post more often there, but I really have been hitting the books.  I vowed to read a book a week and I'm doing pretty well.  Some books overlap such as when I have a non fiction book going and then feel the need for something fictional and so I go back and forth for a few days.  I don't do book reviews so if you see one you might be interested in, all I can do is tell you what I thought of the book after finishing it.  I almost always order from Amazon and I think they have good reviews from publishers, media, authors and the average Joe.  What a pile I have here.  A few I've read. 

As I look around my bedroom right now from where I'm typing away on my bed, its piles of books on my nightstand along with a lukewarm cup of tea (spiced turmeric), laundry to be folded in a basket on the floor, random slippers and socks, and a menagerie of dog toys.  Home. And I'm almost looking forward to getting up tomorrow morning and getting things in order and doing a nice housecleaning.  Still nesting and faffing (as they say in England).

I have two recipes for you.  One I clearly made at Christmas and it has become my very favorite homemade cookie.  I only make them for special people because I will surely eat half of them.  I recently gifted our next door neighbor with a box for snowplowing our driveway a few times over the past few weeks that we've had tremendous amounts of snow.  Even with my wonky back I can shovel the porch and steps but forget the driveway.  Then the snow plows come by several times a day and make a wall at the end of the driveway and it's back to square one.  Anyway...here's that famous recipe:

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies 

3/4 c butter, softened

3/4 c dark brown sugar

1/4 c granulated sugar

1 egg, room temperature

2 t vanilla

2 c flour

2 t cornstarch

1 t baking soda

3/4 c white chocolate chips

3/4 c  dried cranberries

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg and vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go.  Mix in the flour, cornstarch, and baking soda.  Finally, stir in the white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.  Chill dough at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.

Drop tablespoon size balls of dough on the lined baking sheet spaced about 1 inch apart.  They really don't spread much.  Bake approximately 8-9 minutes until barely golden brown.  They will firm up as they cool.  Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then remove them to a rack or platter.  If you are using the same baking sheet, make sure it has cooled down completely before dropping more dough.

Easy Focaccia Bread

A lot of people have started baking bread, or have returned to baking bread during this time that we are sheltered in.  I have made bread in the past but it seemed like a long process only to result in one loaf-my sons could make one sandwich with.  Another reason I wasn't keen on it also ties in with baking.  I detest cleaning up flour and washing dishes and utensils with clumps of flour and dough.  Weird?  I think it's just in my blood I should cook and not bake.  

Then you find a recipe that's easy and has your mouth watering before you've finished reading it.  I can't remember where I found the original recipe and I tweaked it quite a bit as it was very wordy with a lot of unnecessary tips.  It's a winner in more ways than one.  The recipe turns out fab results with minimal hands on time.  And for people like me who don't "get" the math and science of baking, its ridiculously easy.  Shall I add that there is no kneading? It may sound time consuming and a lot of steps but I wanted to break it down for those of you who haven't given bread making a try.  So let's get on it.

4 c flour

2 t kosher salt

2 1/4 t instant yeast (or 1 packet)

2 c warm tap water

1 t butter, softened  ( for greasing pan)

4 T olive oil, divided

Italian seasoning or finely chopped herbs

Flaky sea salt

In a medium- large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and instant yeast.  Stir well.  Add the warm water.  With a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula mix well until there are no small pockets of flour.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24.   

About two hours until baking time, lightly grease two round pans with a bit of soft butter, line them with parchment paper and then give that a drizzle of olive oil.  Remove the bowl from the refrigerator, divide the dough in two and place them in the pans.  Now just go on about your business and come back two hours later.  

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  The dough will have filled the pans and be ready to bake.  Top the dough with another drizzle of olive oil.  Poke a few holes in the soft dough (after you washed them of course), and then sprinkle with sea salt and whatever you have chosen as far as herbs and spices.  I like the combination of rosemary and oregano.  If you are using fresh herbs, chop them up finely, and for presentation, maybe use a whole rosemary stem or two decoratively on the surface.  

Reduce the oven heat to 425 and bake for 22-28 minutes, until the tops are golden and the undersides crisp.  Remove from the oven and using a spatula, remove the rounds from the pans and transfer to a rack to cool.  Cut into thin slices to serve.

This bread is delicious with meals or to make sandwiches with.  I like it as an appetizer with company cut into two inch pieces and served on a platter with a small bowl of olive oil flavored with garlic and parmesan cheese.  You can also freeze the bread and when ready to use, thaw it, then heat it up in a 350 degree oven.  Enjoy!

 

I hope that this post wasn't too long.  Now that we're caught up we can move on to current happenings, and there are a lot, just in my world alone!  Take care.  Stay healthy.  Keep wearing those masks.

Jane x