a journal of simple living + healthy eats
All we have to do is browse our favorite social media platform and we’ll come across a plethora of trending-food-days such as #MeatlessMonday #SundaySupper and #TacoTuesday. These are all lovely, of course. However, I’d like to propose we adopt a new one… #TapasTuesday. What are tapas? The word “tapas” originated in Spain and basically means appetizer or snack. They can be hot or cold as a regular appetizer… however I like to make tapas as an entire meal occasion. Let me explain why ...
“Stop sneaking the spiced candied pecans!” I said this not once, not twice, but almost three times before Dennis beat me to say those words again. “I’m sneaking some more,” he happily declared. This post is happily sponsored by Pure Texan Chili - championship chili mix you can add to more than chili! I’m delighted that he was enjoying them! I assured him that he could have allllll that his little heart desired… he just had to allow me to take a few photos for you! You see these ...
Even when life deals us blows and it’s hard to see the joy through the fog, it’s truly amazing how a little planned happy occasion - here and there - can lift our countenance. And sometimes we just have to declare that we’re going to have a GREAT day and, above all, have a good time. Okay, I borrowed this declaration from Julia Child. Okay, okay. More specifically, I borrowed this from Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck from their wonderful and timeless ...
Probably the most stressful thing about chili is wondering if all the time and energy you spent on those spices and ingredients... will actually turn out. The last thing you want after all that effort is a wasted pot of chili. Ugh! So today, let me share how to take the stress out of veggie chili! This post is happily sponsored by Pure Texan Chili - championship chili you can make at home! Keep it fun. Think about all the times that you’ve been to someone’s home, watching the ...
Well howdy. Even though I technically share 34 recipes and/or tips below for an easy Thanksgiving, there is one tip I didn’t include that I believe is most important It’s this… make it simple and joyful! Let’s just breathe and enjoy the scenic route. Speaking of joy, last week it was summer, this past weekend it was fall, and today feels like winter. Oh wait! My chives and parsley starting shooting up microgreens, so that means it is spring now, right? I digress. Hopefully, ...
Having a healthy snack ready to go at all times makes me feel like I’m winning at life! I also get extra bonus points if they taste yummy, too. If this is something that interests you, allow me to introduce you to power bars made quick and easy! This post is happily sponsored by Think.Eat.Live. Gluten-Free SunPower Bar Mix and I receive affiliate earnings at no cost to you. Think.Eat.Live. For over a year-and-a-half now I’ve been collaborating with Caryn and Dan, founders of ...
Have you ever opened your fridge door and wondered, “What’s for dinner tonight?” Have you ever just stood there and desperately wished that something – anything - would jump out and say, “Hey! Pick me! I can help you with dinner!” Today we’re going to talk about why learning how to use mustard will help you gain kitchen confidence. Okay, admit it. Open up your refrigerator door and count how many bottles of mustards you have. Care to share? I’ll go first… ten. I have ten. Before you ...
Cherry wood cooking spoon. Protect that enamel soup pot surfacePho birthday card. Extra-credit if you include a Pho gift certificate with the card.Rustic soup mug. I mean, doesn’t this mug just beg you to sit by the fire?Classic bone china soup bowl with lid. Ditch the ceramic and go with bone china.Class soup spoon. Once you’ve splurged with a soup spoon, you can’t go back. Raise your hand if you’ve been eating more soup lately. Go on, raise them! I can honestly say that we have not been ...
How many cookbooks do you have? None? Ten? Twenty? Two hundred? Did you buy them for yourself or were they gifted to you? Most likely, you have a combination of cookbooks that you’ve personally curated and others selected for you. So it begs the question, how many cookbooks are too many? The answer? It depends. If you’ve taken your cookbook collection for granted, perhaps now is a good time to dust them off and reassess what you have and what you’re missing. What type of ...
As soon as there's a nip in the air, you start to hear it. "Gimme all the soups, PSL, and comfort foods." Perhaps you're not hearing it... you're saying it. If so, I have a new one for you, "Gimme all the hearty winter salads." If you haven't, you should. And here's why. What exactly IS a winter salad? In a nutshell, it's like an everyday salad, only with heartier ingredients. Think root veggies. Cheese with depth. Savory ingredients. A winter salad is wholesome. Substantial. Strong ...
Congratulations! You are officially a member of the Apple-Pear-Cheese-Cracker Society! Requirements to join this society are a sense of kindness, urgency, and willingness to focus on others. Most importantly, official members are those who have the heart to provide a little “lift me up” and gift food to a caregiver. That’s right, today I am going to share with you a story about a dear friend who knew exactly what Dennis and I needed during a time when we were caregivers over seven years ago. ...
Turn on the Madeleine Peyroux Channel on Amazon Music and load my countertop up with all types of veggies and meats to chop up and I.am.a.happy.girl. If that’s a situation that doesn’t appeal to you, well maybe it isn’t you. It’s your cutting board. Today I want to chat about 4 things to look for in a cutting board. So, at the end of the day you can finally purge all those piles of cutting boards that you have stacked up in your kitchen cupboards. I’m looking at you, ...
What if you could add a little sprinkle of summertime joy on your food alllll fall/winter/spring long? Or, what if you could harvest the rest of your summer herbs and not let them wilt away? Now, what if you knew how simple it is to make your own herb salt using fresh herbs? You see, I had no idea this could even be a thing! Previously, I would either dry herb leaves on a towel or puree and freeze. I mean, those two methods work. But herb salt? That’s a game-changer! And now I want to ...
Baking completely intimidates me. Cooking? Well now, I can literally do that allll day. Meal prep, ditto. But baking? It freaks me out. Something about how precise measurements are and well, I love to experiment. Which is soooo funny because I like rules! In a nutshell, baking is unforgiving. At least, that is how I’ve always approached it. I’ve always thought that if I mastered baking bread then that would mean that I’ve “made it.” So, I put on my big girl pants and typed in “Dutch Oven ...
PSA: It is time to use up some of those dried beans we’ve hoarded. If you’re like me, you stocked up on dried beans and they are either (1) still sitting in your pantry, (2) still in a grocery bag stuck away in the basement/closet/root cellar/prepper dungeon (is that a thing?), or (3) you been using those dried beans in meals like a pro. My answer is all three. You? Because I like white space and order, I realllllly need to use up some of those beans. One quick and easy way I like to do ...
You know that phrase, “Bloom where you are planted?” I’ve always kind of liked that saying because well, clichés speak to me. Blooming where you are planted means that you make the best of where you are, grow in that space, and do the right thing. Even when that time doesn’t feel right. So my twist on the phrase is this: “Fish where you are planted.” You see, we live on the lake and it is overflowing with fish. Bass. Crappie. Panfish. I love to fish. Do you? And yet, I hardly ...
Want to know how to declutter kitchen gadgets? It is simple if you have this mindset: Gadgets are only useful if used. It’s kinda a life lesson that applies to so many things in our lives from physical to mental clutter. Gadgets, such as Instant Pots, air fryers, toaster ovens, toasters… these all take physical space and honestly, mental space if we let them. How many times have you found yourself saying, “I need to use my ___________. It’s taking up too much space.” Let them go. ...
