There is corn everywhere!!

This past weekend, the mr and I were out and about in the sticks of Vermont and got an eyeful of this very familiar sight of corn fields forever. It’s just part of the landscape.. Blue sky, big lush mountains, little rives and big fields of corn. It is ever so lovely… and so telling. Tall high corn fields just means  two things. 1.We will be eating lots of corn, and, 2. the summer is winding down. So soon we will be talking apples and root veggies, but until then, we will just eat the corn and revel in what I consider one of the best and most beautiful times of the year here in Vermont.

And after seeing all the corn (and we have been getting a bunch in the farmshare) I realized that I need to step up my corn game.

What better why to fancy up some corn then to fancy up the stuff people like to smother on it…. butter. 

Whenever I think about butter, I think about my sister, the one that, as a little kid, used  sneak to the kitchen and eat whole sticks of butter. This (to me) just seemed like a pretty gross option for a snack, but you know, whatever floats your boat I guess.

Bur after making making this coconut butter, I can see the draw, for I would sure love to eat the entire contents of a jar of this butter. (I have been eating a spoonful here and there)

Lime cilantro coconut butter.. Its my new thing…corn or not.

The stuff. We have some lovely, super fresh from the farm, corn on the cob. Then for the coconut butter we have , unsweetended coconut flakes, a lime, som ecilantro and salt.

Dump coconut flakes into a food processor. Turn to on and let it go.

After about 7 minutes… you coconut will start to clump together and look like this. And maybe you are like, “this shit isn’t going to happen”.. well be patent. Scrap the coconut off the sides and keep the processor going.. scraping down the sides whenever you need to. 

And eventually, after another 8-10 minutes,  it will turn into this.. a nice creamy buttery butter. 

Now add in the zest of the lime, the lime juice, a pinch of salt,  and cilantro into the butter. Turn processor back on until combined.

And you got yourself some freak yeah cilantro lime coconut butter… ready to smother your corn with. 

This amount is good for 6-8 corn cobs… Any extra is excitlent on any veggies, bread, cake, or spoon.

And stick that butter in a jar.

I dare you not to eat a spoonful right now. (I licked the bowl down clean)

 So I hope I am not being presumptuous when I think that you know how to cook corn. Or maybe you have a specific way you like to cook your corn. But just in case,  husk corn and stick either in a pot and boil until cooked,(about 8-10 minutes)  or like me, char on the grill, or under the broiler. 

So cook some corn….And smother it with the butter.

And there you have it, some freak yeah amazing lime cilantro coconut butter smothered on some corn.

So good…..so good.

Have a great day!

-C

• 1 1/2 cups dried unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 lime
• 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro (about a 1/4 cup chopped)
• salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)
• freshly cooked corn on the cob 

Note. Any extra butter is good on anything and everyhitng!!!

Place coconut into a food prosser and turn to on. Prosse until coconut start to stick to sides. Stop, scrap down bowl, then conuitne to process. Repet this until the coconut has turned into a creamy buttery goodness.  

Add the juice, the zest, a pinch of salt, and the cilantro to the butter. Pulse until combined. If you want to add in a little coconut oil here to make it a little smoother, go for it. 

Scoop into a jar. When your corn is hot and ready, smother butter all over.

And eat. There swill be stuff stuck in your teeth..Don’t worry about it. Think of it as a snack for later.

Look at that old man face…. how can anyone stay mad at him? (there was a recent incident involving bananas, you can read about it in the last post.)

Before we get started on the leash, I’ll give you a little background about Washer the trash dog. A little over 9 years ago,  Nick brought home this 8 week old little ball of fur for us as a Christmas present. Oh man, he was so so so freaking cute, but that didn’t stop me from crying… Why you ask? Because I didn’t want a golden retriever, we never talked about getting a golden, we talked about getting a husky or a german shepherd. And so I cried.(I was so pissed) But it didn’t last long. A few hours after he was home, I fell in love and we have been a little family ever since. Mind you that the first two years of his life, he was a terrible beast of a dog. Nick and I were really young and neither of us had ever had a puppy before so we kind of let him do whatever he wanted…..not a great idea. He was a shit.  He would eat everything  and anything. Seriously anything; book shelves, linoleum floors, windowsills.. You name it, he ate it. He also started to act a little jerky, growling at little people and getting aggressive around food which ended with us having to hand feed him for about 8 months. But eventually he grew out of his eating parts of the house, now he just eats anything food or trash .He doesn’t mind little people so much anymore just as long as they don’t try to play with him, and he now sits in front of his food bowl leaving great big puddles of drool until he is told he is allowed to eat. Oh how he has grown

One question that people always ask us is,”Where did that name Washer come from?” Truth is, it was kind of joke. We had had him for a few days and  hadn’t named him by the time we went to my Dads house on Christmas. Sitting around with my family, we came up with all sorts of stupid and inappropriate names. At one point appliances were named off and I guess the name Washer just kind of stuck out. We had planned on changing it right away, but as you can see, we still haven’t gotten around to that.

Anyway,  Washer has had the same leash for about 7 years. (His first 2 years he ate a few) That’s   a long time for a leash, especially if you think of all the times that it has been dragged through the mud, pulled into the lake, or my favorite, peed on. Yup, his current  leash is ripe and it’s about time we  made the old man a new one.(Ok, its more for us, but he seriously has been peeing on it a lot lately and I am not a fan of handling a pee soaked leash)

1 custom sized leash. Super simple and cheapy cheap.

What you will need is….

• 6-7 feet of 3/8 rope(or however long you want it)
• two 3/8 inch rope clamps(1 package comes with 2)
• carabiner
• scissors
• hammer
• lighter
• measuring tape if you want exact measurements(it’s not necessary)

Note: You can get the rope, clamps and the carabiner at any hardware store, but I think the big ones like Home Depot or Lowes sell rope by the foot so you don’t have to buy a 50 ft piece…unless you want it. 

First thing.Trim the ends of the rope nice and clean. Take the lighter and melt the nylon around the end of the rope so it will stop it from fraying…BE CAREFUL….And do it over the sink or somewhere with water…It’s not hard to do, I just don’t want anyone to burn themselves or the burn their house down.(not that I think you are going to)

Once the nylon is melted and no longer hot…Make a small loop and place rope into rope clamp. Make sure to leave the loop big enough for the carabiner to fit. Now hammer the clamp around the rope, I mean, really smack that thing  We used a scrap piece of wood to hammer on… and I suggest you do the same.

For the handle, make a large loop, whatever size that works for you, and do the same hammer clamp situation on the ends here.

Pretty freaking simple….Thats it, you are done and now you have an awesome customized and pee free leash.

New and old. Hopefully he won’t pee on this one for a while.

Have a great weekend and l would love to hear from anyone that makes themselves a sweet ass new leash!

Have a great weekend!

-C

What a week. It was my birthday, which if you know me, is not usually something I like to talk about. I’m not sure exactly why, but I am not really big on celebrating my own birthday. Or its more like I hide away from everyone around my birthday.  ( I am not good with attention) But this year I tried. I had a couple little dinners with family, went on a few good hikes, gave the dog a bath (had to mention it because it was so needed and I was so happy to have a cleaner, less smelly dog..which lasted all of about 12 hours)  and tried to relax and enjoy myself. The mister and I also did a bunch of little house repair projects that have been needed to be done (Birthday wish list). All and all, I had a good week. And now the birthday week is over and we can get back to normal, not bugging me, hectic, crazy, life. That makes me happy. Here are a few of my happy bits from the big week.

 A birthday bouquet of veggies. My lover knows me oh so well.

I went to get myself a new skien if yarn and stumbled upon this wall display of sprinkles.. It took a lot to not buy a bunch.

 Every year I buy myself some special food for my birthday week. This is the bulk section at the local coop. They got in a bunch of new local dried beans!!!!  Local birthday week beans. ( yes, beans make me happy)

This hike was pretty treacherous, the whole trail was covered in this ice…. but look how cool it is. 

Huggable mountains

Birthday hike with big trees and a happy dog. 

 Split peas with tons of purple cabbage and purple onions plus chunks or bright orange carrots.. So freaking pretty and so freaking tasty!

And last but not least..a throw back that made me smile…Moving day last summer. Our truck full of my house plants. I love my plants. 

So now we go onto the last week of January! (holy crap, where has the time go?)

Have a great week!

-C

Yesterday I spent the entire day (ok maybe not the entire day), but a the better part of the afternoon defrosting my freezer. Sure, I do the occasional chip chop here and there, just enough from around the freezer door so it will close, but ever few months I notice that everything in the fridge is not staying cold and that the freezer is not freezing stuff. Thats when I know its for real time to defrost. So a few days ago when I noticed my bananas were turing to liquid in the freezer, I knew it what I had to do….Completely empty the fridge  and melt/hack away the 2-4 inches of ice build up that accumulated. It is such a freaking pain in the ass.So on this defrosting day, I took all the stuff from the freezer, stuck it in a cooler, and the rest of the stuff, which is basically all veggies, I just tossed on the table. As I am hacking away with a metal spatual, a wooden spoon, and a constant rotation of pots of boiling water, I was thinking about dinner. I figured I might as well just eat up as much of the veggies as I could, you know, so I didn’t have to put them back in the fridge. And also, I was getting pretty annoyed because this particular defrosting session was taking way longer the anticipated, which made making dinner seem like another pain in the ass.  I figured I might as well just eat everything that is already out on the table, which pretty much narrowed down the “whats for dinner” conversations because it was already all over the place. And so dinner was a humongo salad for me, and for the mister, I made him a monster of a veggie sandwich. (my salad was exactly the same stuff as the sandwich, minus the bagel) Easy, fast, super duper yummy, pretty and piled so high with tons of veggies that the fridge is pretty much empty now. 

Look at the is beast. I don’t call it a monster sandwich for nothing.

The stuff included in this monster veggie sandwich..

Romaine lettuce, tomato, avocado for there is not real sandwich without them. Thinly sliced radishes, cucumber,a and onion for nice crispy crunch. Shredded beets, carrots, and purple cabbage to give  more crunch and a bit of sweetness. Then of course there needs to be something pickled, so I used banana peppers cause they are the SHIT!! And lastly some hummus for a nice creamy finish (plus a bit of protein) and yellow mustard because mustard on everything is just right.  Heres to a mountain if goodness that is no longer in the fridge! Served with a another mountain of roasted parsnips and carrots (more stuff from the fridge) and a tall glass of iced tea.

Lucky that today is farm share pick up cause the fridge is pretty much on empty. 

Yea it’s Thursday!!!!

-C

Note. This is just a guide.. Feel free to use whatever veggies you fancy. 

• Either a bagel, 2 slices of bread, or a big chunk of baguette (use a gluten free bread if you want or need too)
• Hummus- Homemade or store bought
• Mustard
• Something pickled like pickles, banana peppers , jalapeños or all three 
• Lettuce, spinach or some kind of leafy green
• Tomato
• Avocado
• Onion
• Radishes
• Cucumber
• Shredded Carrots
• Shredded Beets
• Shredded Cabbage

To assemble. Ready your bread.. Toast if you want, and stick it on a plate

On either side, smear the hummus and the mustard.  

Pick a side, start to stack by evenly disrupting veggies on top of veggies. Place the second piece of bread on top and  giving a little smooth to keep it together.

And go at it. Cut in half or don’t. Have a napkin or a long sleeve ready to wipe your face.

Chomp Chomp Chomp… The sound I make as I eat this freaking fantastic crunchy granola. You know it’s good when the person sitting next to you is annoyed by the sound of you face while eating.  I eat a lot of crunchy stuff. And I am pretty sure I annoy the mister a lot. 

Oh well, he will live, and he eats his fair share of annoying stuff too so we can just call it even.

So granola. I love it. I make a batch every few weeks or so, and I usually make it just for me. (I almost never make things just for me) I like to keep it simple but flavorful. A tad sweet, but not really, and crunchy, without the oily fried taste. I also like a variety of sizes, some big clusters and some small pieces. 

This granola fits the bill perfectly. Made with 5 ingredients, no oil, and the perfect sweetness level.  It’s one of my favorite flavors yet. And I know I said I made it just for me, but the mister really liked it too. (I can’t help sharing)

The simplest of stuff. 1 smashed banana, a cup of pureed butternut squash, Vietnamese cinnamon*, honey, and old fashion oats. (and a dash of salt, not shown)

*Note. I only ever use Vietnamese cinnamon because once I start using it, regular old cinnamon just won’t  cut it anymore. It is a bit sweeter and a lot more spicy. If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, use regular cinnamon and add in 1/2 a teaspoon of all spice.Toss the cinnamon and salt with the oats. Mix together the banana, squash and the sweetener and combine with the oats until full incorporated. 

Another note. Because I made this granola for me and no body else, I actually omitted the honey (I think that banana abs squash make it sweet enough) But if I was making this for lets say, the mister, or a friend, I would use add a bit. The sweetness level and sweetener of choice is up to you, but 2-3 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup is usually sweet enough for  people.

Dump the mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet and give it a little pat, you know, to settle all the bit and pieces together, all cozy and evenly spread out. Now stick into a preheated oven and after about 20 minutes, take out of oven and give the granola a toss, breaking apart any super big chunks or overly wet pieces. Put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (I like my granola super crispy crunchy so I cook it a little longer, like 30 more minutes)And when you are happy with the crunchiness of you granola, remove from oven and let cool, trying not to eat all of it while it sit’s on the counter looking all pretty and smelling like happiness. 

Grab a bowl, stick the rest into a jar with a lid, hide it from others, and chomp chomp chomp away!

-C

Banana Butternut Granola

• 3 cups old fashion oats (use gluten free oats if needed)
• 1 ripe banana, mashed 
• 1 cup butternut squash puree (can use canned)
• 2 tablespoons Vietnamese cinnamon (or 2 tablespoons regular cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of allspice)
• 1-3 tablespoon honey or sweetener of choice (use greater amount for sweeter)
• dash of salt

Preheat oven to 375

In a large bowl, mix together oats, cinnamon and salt. Mix the mashed banana, squash, and sweetener of choice together and combine with the oats. If the mixture seems really dry, add in a very small splash of water to loosen just enough to mix.

Dump mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and evenly disperse the mixture. Give it a kind of smoosh to compact the oats and to make sure all its all the same thickness on the pan.

Stick into oven for 20 minutes. Remove and give granola a little toss, maybe breaking apart any really big chunks (unless you like really big chunks) and put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (30 for a crunchier granola) Remove from oven and let cool on  baking sheet before storing in an air tight container. If you find that it is not as crunchy as you would like or is a few days old and lost some of its crunchiness, just stick it back into the oven for a few minutes to re crunch.

Eat as is, as a cold cereal,  dip in peanut butter, add to popcorn or whatever way you want to eat it. No utensil required.

It rained a lot this week, and it was fantastic. I love summer rain. I love to play in rain, I love to watch the sky turn grey and big storm clouds roll through.. Add in a little thunder and lightning.. even better. I think the only issue with I have when it rains is when it floods the basement. That and wet dog.(Washer smells like something died when he is wet)

And as usual, this week we did, we went, we came back. We took in a little for a the weekend and had the greatest of times. Puddle splashing walks, waffles, carrots, and lot and lot of gardening. But now I am tired. So today, like every Sunday, I am going to try and take a little breather and catch up on my, “me time”.  And maybe I’ll get a nap in since last night I got almost zero sleep because the little and the Mr. were all cuddled up and I ended on the edge of the bed receiving a pretty aggressive kick in the back every time I was about to nod off. (She is lucky I didn’t make her sleep in a laundry basket).

Anyway, here is some internet fun from the week.

-I think this is where I am meant to go to school. Hogwarts Hops The Pond: Rowling Reveals U.S. Version Of Wizards’ School   

 –This  DIY HANGING PLANT LAMP  is cool. I want to make it. 

-These  are cool. Modern Minimalist Bird Houses from Twig & Timber

– This guy is amazing.. Monzter: Artist Hides Monster Murals Inside Abandoned Buildings In Berlin 

– ‘Chunky Knits’ by Anna Mo. I need….

-I love this headboard 

-This house… And check out the tubs next to the beds. Weird, but who am I to say

-12 OF THE BEST IN COFFEE BREWING TECHNOLOGY. Coffee stuff makes me happy.

And some pictures from the past week. 

And I am home. The mister and I woke up at 2:15 am Friday morning to drive to Easton PA and spend the weekend with family, going to the Crayola crayon factory, wondering a  grave yard, and hearing some fantastic stories about my family from the mouth of my 95 year old grandmother. (I’ll show some pictures and tell you some stuff later this week) Than we drove back late last night… I don’t know how I am even awake right now…I am sooooo much tired! But that’s how I work I  guess.  The coffee is almost ready, calling my name, telling me its totally cool to drink it all.

I’ll leave you with a few little internet things I liked this week..

– I just love looking at other peoples homes. Treehouse in the city 

– These puppies make me think of my little nephew., he is in love with bulldogs. 20+ Beautiful Bulldog Puppies That Will Melt Your Heart

-Holy Shit  YES!!!! ‘Full House’ Reunion on Netflix Is Officially Happening

-How cool would to find one of these? New Urban Geodes on the Streets of L.A. by Paige Smith

-I don’t know if I would want to stick stuff on these shelves.These Wall Shelves are Dollhouses for Adults

– And if you need a push…On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow: A Guide To Speedy Vegetables

A few pictures from earlier in the week..

 My forsythia bush in from of one of my houses… Always the first one to bloom.  This is how washer sleeps in the warmer months.. All feet in the air.  I ate it all and it was good. Two pretty ladiesVeggies Plants!!!! 

So yeah, I am tired and happy and in need of a day to processing, lounge and drink tons of coffee.

Hope your weekend was fantastic and today brings all the whatever you want and more.

-C

What a week. It was my birthday, which if you know me, is not usually something I like to talk about. I’m not sure exactly why, but I am not really big on celebrating my own birthday. Or its more like I hide away from everyone around my birthday.  ( I am not good with attention) But this year I tried. I had a couple little dinners with family, went on a few good hikes, gave the dog a bath (had to mention it because it was so needed and I was so happy to have a cleaner, less smelly dog..which lasted all of about 12 hours)  and tried to relax and enjoy myself. The mister and I also did a bunch of little house repair projects that have been needed to be done (Birthday wish list). All and all, I had a good week. And now the birthday week is over and we can get back to normal, not bugging me, hectic, crazy, life. That makes me happy. Here are a few of my happy bits from the big week.

 A birthday bouquet of veggies. My lover knows me oh so well.

I went to get myself a new skien if yarn and stumbled upon this wall display of sprinkles.. It took a lot to not buy a bunch.

 Every year I buy myself some special food for my birthday week. This is the bulk section at the local coop. They got in a bunch of new local dried beans!!!!  Local birthday week beans. ( yes, beans make me happy)

This hike was pretty treacherous, the whole trail was covered in this ice…. but look how cool it is. 

Huggable mountains

Birthday hike with big trees and a happy dog. 

 Split peas with tons of purple cabbage and purple onions plus chunks or bright orange carrots.. So freaking pretty and so freaking tasty!

And last but not least..a throw back that made me smile…Moving day last summer. Our truck full of my house plants. I love my plants. 

So now we go onto the last week of January! (holy crap, where has the time go?)

Have a great week!

-C

 I spent a lot of time indoors this week, due to the fact that my eyelids would freeze shut when going out for more than a few minute..(for real, walking to the gym the other day, I had my head tightly wrapped and the condensation from my breath went up, into my eyes, and froze.)  I mean, I love winter, I love the cold, but I am not a huge fan of -30 with wind chill… I get cold bones.  After that morning, the mister insisted on diving me…Love. So we (me, Nick, and especially Washer) might have felt a little trapped this week, and when trapped inside, we get a little antsy, but we have been trying to make the most of it. Cooking, baking, cleaning, drawing, reading, knitting, drinking lots of coffee and tea, and overall trying to stay warm (and sane) Yup. trying to ward of the cabin fever, especially this year, living in a little tiny bit of a room with one window..has been a little difficult. And I know it’s going to be a bitch when it hits. But it’s all cool, We have plans in the making, places to look forward to, things to see. It always helps to have an adventure awaiting to keep the fever at bay.

Anyway, not a bad week, maybe a little stuffy, but nothing to complain to much about. Here are a few of highlights that made(make) me happy.

The kitchen, living room, dinning room, office…all over great room., covered in piles of clothes. Sometimes listening to music and folding laundry can be so, I don’t know, peaceful. I just felt happy at this moment. (might be the fact that I know have some clean clothes and dish cloths)

The trash dog and I went for a lovely little hike by ourselves…It was so nice to get out of the house. We both really really really needed it that day. And look how handsome he looks.. so red against the world. 

 Standing in line at the grocery store, saw this magazine and started to laugh. I love Oprah…but now…I really love Oprah. Best magazine cover ever!

Another picture of the pup. Letting his rino toy have the bed. A little pathetic…A lot cute

  I am doing little recipe testing and this situation in this pot is so freaking good! Just trying to work out a  few technical kinks. 

I love to look up… don’t forget to look up.

I made a large quantity of banana dream (what I call banana ice cream). This stuff is like crack.. Once I start eating it, I can’t stop. I might overdose on bananas but I am ok with that. 

I went to a granite and marble showroom this week. And like whoa, so freaking cool. Walking among huge pieces  of gorgeous slabs of stone is kind of magical… and a little cold.

A basket of roots….More like a basket of rainbows. 

I currently don’t have a pretty vase of zinnias on my table, (these beauts are from this past summer) but I really wish I did. Fresh flowers are one of my favorite  things. This picture has inspired me, I am on the hunt for some pretty fresh. 

That sums up the week…Stay warm!

-C

Look at that old man face…. how can anyone stay mad at him? (there was a recent incident involving bananas, you can read about it in the last post.)

Before we get started on the leash, I’ll give you a little background about Washer the trash dog. A little over 9 years ago,  Nick brought home this 8 week old little ball of fur for us as a Christmas present. Oh man, he was so so so freaking cute, but that didn’t stop me from crying… Why you ask? Because I didn’t want a golden retriever, we never talked about getting a golden, we talked about getting a husky or a german shepherd. And so I cried.(I was so pissed) But it didn’t last long. A few hours after he was home, I fell in love and we have been a little family ever since. Mind you that the first two years of his life, he was a terrible beast of a dog. Nick and I were really young and neither of us had ever had a puppy before so we kind of let him do whatever he wanted…..not a great idea. He was a shit.  He would eat everything  and anything. Seriously anything; book shelves, linoleum floors, windowsills.. You name it, he ate it. He also started to act a little jerky, growling at little people and getting aggressive around food which ended with us having to hand feed him for about 8 months. But eventually he grew out of his eating parts of the house, now he just eats anything food or trash .He doesn’t mind little people so much anymore just as long as they don’t try to play with him, and he now sits in front of his food bowl leaving great big puddles of drool until he is told he is allowed to eat. Oh how he has grown

One question that people always ask us is,”Where did that name Washer come from?” Truth is, it was kind of joke. We had had him for a few days and  hadn’t named him by the time we went to my Dads house on Christmas. Sitting around with my family, we came up with all sorts of stupid and inappropriate names. At one point appliances were named off and I guess the name Washer just kind of stuck out. We had planned on changing it right away, but as you can see, we still haven’t gotten around to that.

Anyway,  Washer has had the same leash for about 7 years. (His first 2 years he ate a few) That’s   a long time for a leash, especially if you think of all the times that it has been dragged through the mud, pulled into the lake, or my favorite, peed on. Yup, his current  leash is ripe and it’s about time we  made the old man a new one.(Ok, its more for us, but he seriously has been peeing on it a lot lately and I am not a fan of handling a pee soaked leash)

1 custom sized leash. Super simple and cheapy cheap.

What you will need is….

• 6-7 feet of 3/8 rope(or however long you want it)
• two 3/8 inch rope clamps(1 package comes with 2)
• carabiner
• scissors
• hammer
• lighter
• measuring tape if you want exact measurements(it’s not necessary)

Note: You can get the rope, clamps and the carabiner at any hardware store, but I think the big ones like Home Depot or Lowes sell rope by the foot so you don’t have to buy a 50 ft piece…unless you want it. 

First thing.Trim the ends of the rope nice and clean. Take the lighter and melt the nylon around the end of the rope so it will stop it from fraying…BE CAREFUL….And do it over the sink or somewhere with water…It’s not hard to do, I just don’t want anyone to burn themselves or the burn their house down.(not that I think you are going to)

Once the nylon is melted and no longer hot…Make a small loop and place rope into rope clamp. Make sure to leave the loop big enough for the carabiner to fit. Now hammer the clamp around the rope, I mean, really smack that thing  We used a scrap piece of wood to hammer on… and I suggest you do the same.

For the handle, make a large loop, whatever size that works for you, and do the same hammer clamp situation on the ends here.

Pretty freaking simple….Thats it, you are done and now you have an awesome customized and pee free leash.

New and old. Hopefully he won’t pee on this one for a while.

Have a great weekend and l would love to hear from anyone that makes themselves a sweet ass new leash!

Have a great weekend!

-C

Oh, it definitely was a long week. Did a lot of holiday stuff, watched a lot of littles( got peed on) got sick and lost my voice for a couple of days.(that was fun). All sorts of good stuff. But for real, I had a great week. Here are some bits. Persimmons.,,,,,,,,,,,. Do I need to say more?

This new tea… I wasn’t sure I was going to like it but oh do I. It’s so freaking good, I have been drinking it every day. I must stock up before its gone!

Everything about getting our Christmas tree makes me happy. Every year, the mister, the dog, and I drive down to the rangers station,, get our tree tag , and hike into the Green Mountain National Forest to hunt for and cut down our Christmas tree. The tree is the thing for me. I don’t want presents, no shopping, take the food, just the tree and I will be happy.  Its our most fantastical tradition. We make is a whole day event. A nice drive, lunch, listening to Christmas music, lots of hot coffee, a long hike in the most beautiful place in the world. The perfect day. Look at how happy this guy is. Its hunting season and we forgot his bright colors so we improvised. Yellow trash bag ribbons. His new nickname is now Trash dog. It fits him.

Watching this little. She is an amazing human being and I love love love her.. I think she might be mine. She really likes soup..

My elf candle holders I got from CB2. I wanted them so bad for years and finally the last year they sold them I bought myself these guys. I heart them

Oh you like my new milk crate show bench? Its awesome,, one of the best uses of scrap wood and milk crate that I have ever done(Yes there has been other scape wood milk crate projects) Well you are in luck..I will show you how to made it.. watch for it next week!

I love old strainers. I kind of have a thing for them. This big guy is now in my collection. Bonus, green AND purple kale….

Hanging out with my sister. I haven’t seen her for what seems like the past 4 months(she is in nursing school). This was her last day of classes  so we cleaned her house, folded laundry while listening to music and I made her dinner.We wrapped up the night by mass texting our other sisters inappropriate pictures of the elf on the shelf. It got pretty crazy.  It was such a great night. I love my sisters.

Hope you found some bits of happy this week, if not, your not doing it right.

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY!!!

I don’t think I need to tell anyone about how weird the past few weeks of weather have been, so I will just leave it alone because we don’t need to keep thinking about how stupid cold it is outside or that the next week is only suppose to get worse. Booooo, but oh well. More time for cooking, reading, and trolling the internet (I have spent a little more time then usual getting sucked into the world-wide web.) Beacause I have been spending a little more time interneting, I have added an addition to  my usual happy bits,  a few links that I have stumbled upon that I think are cool and of things that I want or want to make… Cool internet stuff…..a bit of internet happy. 

• So I recently discovered that I can waste a good amount of time on pintrest, especially looking at interiors and architecture and clothes (which I found really weird, but with one pin, an open can of worms…Dangerous stuff). I have a long way to go before I have nearly as many pins as other folk, but I am getting a good a start. Check out my boards…
• I smiled so much when I read   this article.    So sweet and are some of the coolest tattoos  ever.
• The original nomad. I am not a hot tub person (it makes me feel like I am being cooked..) But I might be able to get into one of these when doing some camping.
• I practically started salivating when I saw this falafel.  I am so going to make it for a special mister and me dinner!
• I don’t have any big kitchen utensils… like a kitchen aid or a panini grill, and for now, I am ok with that, but I really want this waffle iron. I could so use the crap out of it.

So that’s some internet stuff and here are a few life moments…..

I got to hang out with my little sister for the first time in like a month… She is just so busy being busy. I guess high school,play practices and boys and friends can fill up ones time at 15… but I miss her so much! I was very excited that she was able to hang out with me this week.  What did we do? Well we spent most of out time together taking pictures of her in my glasses, making food and then taking pictures of her eating food.  (She is eating whipped carob moose… like one should eat it) A fantastic day of silliness. 

I have been feeling like I might be fighting off an illness so I have been eating this Turmeric Ginger Garlic Carrot soup which I have been adding cabbage and topping with these pickled heart beet, all week long. So tasty and full of so much good.

 Oh yeah. Me, the mister, my sister, and her lovely little little went to Ikea this week. (the littles first international trip!!! Over the border and into Montreal) And of course at the end of any good shopping trip there is some type of food…. She  was so excited for the hot dog and frozen yogurt cone at check out. Champion food eater this one is.

And what’s not to love about pretty flowers (primrose)…..Sadly this is not a current picture. I need to get me some color today. 

Which leaves me with my goals for the day..

• Get 2 new library books (and return the huge stack by the door)
• Make something tasty good for dinner and prep food for the week
• clean bathroom and change sheets
• buy flowers
• Take a nap

Hope you all have a great day and the most splendid week!

Stay warm!

-C

I have managed to wear my overalls all week, cause it has been that kind of week. Rainstorms, the loudest and longest clap of thunder I have ever heard, yard and garden work, and many many mosquito bites. Me and the mr. took the afternoon on Friday to go pick strawberries and snap peas down at our farm share and now my hands are stained red and think I have eaten my weight in strawberries over the past two days. And one might think that I would get a little berried out, but every time I walk by the big bowl of berries I left on the table, I grab a few. (pretty much every time I get up in my house, you walk by the table) We also got to spend a little time hanging out with the family and seeing some little littles.  Grilled cheese sandwiches (with american cheese of course) drawing on the deck with chalk, and talking about upcoming birthday cake ideas  (pink or purple and must have lots and lots of sprinkles!) 

And begin that its the 4th of July weekend, the mr. finally busted out our sweet little cast iron hibachi grill and set it up pretty much right in front of the front (and only) door. Once that beast is hot, it really can’t be moved easily, so there was a fire hot grill to navigate around to get out of the house. But it was ok because we  grilled up a bunch of veggies (and a few little strawberries…so good!), I made the bestest potato salad that has ever been made (I’ll share the recipe this week) and we had ourselves a most fantastic time.

And fireworks…. well, I am not the biggest fan. (more of a sparkler fan) I mean, I won’t turn away if I happen to be in the area of things blowing up in the sky but I don’t actively go out of my way to see that, especially at 9:30 at night, cause geeze, I am in my pjs, on my way to bed. So no, I didn’t see any fireworks and yes,, I am an old lady.

I hope that you all had and are continuing to have a fun, festive weekend! 

Here, have some internet fun.

-I could/want to live here. In off-the-grid yurt, Montana couple live ‘on our own terms’  

-Or maybe live here. The Bohemian Dream, in 350 Square Feet

– Making pigeons more awesome. Towering New Pigeon Murals by ‘Super A’ 

–Read this. The Blight of the Honey Bee  

– If I ever have the oppritunity, I want take the Le Creuset Factory  

-I kind of want this 

-Holy Crappers, these are amazing! This Artist Makes Incredibly Tiny Pottery By Hand  

–Listen…New Beach House Song!! 

–

And pictures from the past week

There is a joke about Vermonters, that all we talk about is the weather. Well, it’s kind of true. But to our defense, we get a lot of weather, and it’s always changing and intense and both lovely and crazy and all over. So yeah, we talk. A lot, about the weather. And on that topic, I am trying so hard not to complain, but honestly, I am getting a little sick, both physically and mentally from all of these  super, to freaking cold temperatures. Yesterday the high was 0 ( which was at like 2 in the morning)  and factor in the windchill, the temp stayed at like 25 below. It f**king sucks. I can’t  stay outside for too long or else I will probably die. The dog  is having a hard time making it around the block before he gets ice paws, and the mister, well he even started wearing gloves (he wears a sweater all winter and never gets cold…..he is officially cold)

 And not only is the cold keeping us all indoors, but its making us all borderline sick. We both have been fighting something for the past few week. The headaches, stuffy nose, chest congestions. The puppy is getting super dry skin and gave himself a hot spot. BLAh!! Ok, enough! No more complaining

Because  I do really love the winter and all the pretty snow!!!!

But we are feeling kind of sick so to make us feel oh so much better, a fantastic, super tasty, healing, good for me, good for you, soup. Turmeric ginger carrot… oh man. Made with lots of ginger, turmeric and garlic and finished with a drizzle of raw honey. This soup is exactly what we need. All ingredients scream.. FEEL GOOD, BE WARM AND COZY! Almost everything in it has antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties. The veggies are hearty and heathy and just eating soup helps to keep hydrated. And the best part..it tastes so freaking amazing. 

So whether  you are feeling a little mah, or just a little hungry.…this soup is where it’s at!

Lots of chopped up carrots, a small onion, a little bit of cauliflower I had left over and a small beet. If you don’t have the cauliflower and or a beet, just use  ares pepper or another 2 carrots.. no biggy. 

Then we have the fresh ginger ( you can use powdered) turmeric and garlic.  All the good healthy spicy and yummy stuff. 

I accidentally spilled the turmeric on the counter..but it kind of looks like I might have done it on purpose… yeah, let’s go with that.  Chop the garlic and he ginger into    chunksAnd toss into the pot to warm and activate. Just a little toasty toast. 

And the veggies are roasted and tender and smell so good.  It took a lot of will power to not eat the whole pan right there.

I added the roasted veggies and 3 cups water straight into my pot  with the spices because I used an emulsion blender. If you are using normal blender, add the veggies, the toasted spices and the water to the blender and blend until smooth. Then transfer to a pot.

Pretty much all blended together….(I left a few big chunks in there to snack on while I was waiting to eat serve…I was really hungry) and let to simmer for a little longer…

And now ladle into a bowl and get ready for a fantastic finish… drizzle a spoonful of raw honey into soup…….so so good. You could add the honey before serving, but heating it kills all the good antibacterial stuff so that’s why we wait. Then  I sprinkle some chopped kale and chives. (do it if you want, but not necessary)

Now enjoy. Let the warmth wash over you and feel all those good spices helping to fight the good fight to keep you well and all the yummy to satisfy your hunger.

And lets hope for some warm (above 0!!) weather!

-C

Turmeric Ginger Carrot Soup

Ingredients

• 5 large carrots
• 1 small onion
• 1 small beet*
• quarter head cabbage ( or a cup of frozen)*
• 2-3 teaspoons  turmeric 
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh  ginger (1/2 teaspoon if using powdered)
• 4-6 cloves garlic
• salt pepper
• raw honey (omit if vegan)

* If you don’t have or want to use beet and or the cauliflower, you can use a red pepper, a small sweet potato, or just use a few more carrots. 

Chop all veggies into similar sized chunks and toss into a lightly oiled pan or on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.  Stick in oven at 425 for about 30 minutes or until all veggies are fork tender. 

In a large soup pot or dutch oven, toss chopped garlic, ginger and the turmeric and place on medium heat for a few minutes to activate the spices. Add the roasted veggies and 3 cups water to pot (if using emulsion blender) and blend until smooth. If using a blender, add the toasted spices, roasted veggie and 3 cups water and blend until smooth then transfer to a large pot or dutch oven. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn heat down to  simmer and let cook for an addition 10 minutes. 

When ready to serve, ladle soup into bowl and drizzle a spoonful of raw honey into soup. Garnish with fresh chopped kale, chives, cabbage or whatever you want. (or nothing is good too)

I am a mint lover, even when it grows at such a ferocious speed that it threatens the lives of all the plants near it. That just means that I have to be vilagent and harvest and use as much as I can.

This drink is a fantastic way to use up some of that mint. I have been making and drinking fresh, hot, mint tea almost ever night for the past few weeks, but this weekend was way to freaking hot to be doing hot tea. So using my little noggin, I figured I should just chill it and added some lime because mint and lime are oh so nice together.  Now my favorite, and one of the most refreshing drinks after a long hot day.

 And limes just happen to be on sale this week…. 

The stuff. A few stems of fresh mint, a couple juicy limes, and water. And if you want, a little sweetener of your choice. (I used a tiny bit of honey..not shown) 

Start by placing  the mint, leaves and stem, into a big pot. Take a wooden spoon and gently muddle the mint. Add in the water, making sure that all the mint is fully sumerged (stuff it down in the pot)

Now place pot on the stove and bring water to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.

After steeping  for a few, pout tea into a big jug, straining out the mint leaves. Add any sweetener that you might like (just a little.. you can always add more later if you need it) and stick into fridge to cool, or just leave it on the counter if your want.

While you are waiting for the tea to cool, you might as well juice the limes (cause we need the lime juice) 

After the tea  is cool, add in the juice of the limes and mix/shake/stir around.

And thats it.. 

Serve in a cup with a few chunks of ice and a mint leaf garnish (not necessary but nice)

A nice tall glass of cold yumminess… Keeps one from melting completely in this crazy hot weather and keeps mint from killing everything around it.

Stay cool!

-C

• 4 full stems of fresh mint
• 6 cups water
• 2-3 limes (I used 2 1/2 which was almost a full cup of juice)
• sweetener to taste (a tablespoon of honey is nice)

Place mint, stems and all, into a large pot large pot. With a wooden spoon or sme type of blunt object, lightly muddle the plant. Pour water over mint and place pot on the stove. Bring water to a boil, then remove and let cool for a few minutes. Pour the mint tea into a big jar, straining out the mint leaves..(A half gallon ball jar works perfectly) If using a sweetener, add it to the tea while it is still warm.( little goes a long way… you can alway add a little more later!) Place mint tea into the fridge to cool. When the tea is cool, juice you limes and dump the juice into the tea and mix or shake.

It is now done and ready to serve. Pour over ice (thats in a cup) and serve with a fresh mint leaf (if your fancy)