A Beautiful Attempt

I'm a little late in clearing out the garden box and starting the spring seed plantings, but I just haven't been ready to uproot these cauliflower plants. Aren't they stunning?

True, they've grown over two feet, like some sort of cruciferous Goliath. And yes, I confess, the yield was a big fat zero. No actual cauliflower grown here.

But really. Gardening is about the process and enjoyment, no? I have a very darwinian attitude about gardening. If it thrives, it's a keeper. If it doesn't ... it better, at the very least, be pretty or it's gettin' ripped out, never to be planted again. And believe me, I've ripped out my share of failed attempts.

I've always loved the quote from William Morris saying, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." Isn't that good? I think it would apply nicely to the garden, as well.

What are you going to try planting this year?

Because She'll be Wild with Delight

Miss Lucette has a birthday this Saturday. She doesn't know it, but the project Pops has been working on ... it's not just a peculiarly placed fence.

Mama and Pops came up with the perfect birthday idea for her. Pops is doing all of the work and Mama just watches with approval. She's going to love it.

Care to guess along with Lucette? You'll have to wait 'til her birthday right along with her to find out. (And in case you were wondering ... we're not actually growing boys out of 5 gallon buckets.)

No Time for Uppity

Normally, I'm not a fan of unpretentious crackers. You see, I'm a bit of a cracker snob. I like them all hoity-toity in their whole grain finery. But the saltine? Golly. They're just so darn good.

Time for lunch? Defrost some split pea soup from the freezer (thank you Easter ham-bone!), slice up a bit of cheddar-jack and whip out a sleeve of soda crackers. Yup. I love a little square of crispy niceness.

The Purpose for Which He Sent It

Yesterday, my girls delighted in the rain. Toss on a coat, a pair of boots, and grab a monstrously large umbrella, and they are good to go. I sat at the window and watched as they splashed and stomped with pleasure.

Where we live, we get plenty of rain. It doesn't bother me in the fall or the winter, as I actually kind of enjoy it. But by springtime, it feels as though we deserve some sun and dry weather. We very rarely get it with any regularity until mid-summer. The rain is what makes our point on the globe so green and lovely, but honestly ... I can grow weary of it.

I went looking for scriptures today about rain. Feeling a weighted spirit over difficult issues lately, I feel as though I've been in a personal rainy season for awhile. I know it will end and the sun will shine again ... but today ... it's still rainy.

What I found, however, was verse upon verse that described rain as a blessing. Not the gloomy, wet drudgery I had in mind, but a conscious and merciful act of God. Yes, rain can accompany storms or floods. Rain can be that from which we seek shelter and a reprieve. But a blessing? Is my rainy season not the torrent I believed it to be, but a time of watering to encourage new growth, a full yield, and an appreciation for refreshed beauty?

I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit. Leviticus 26:4

The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. Deuteronomy 28:12

"You heavens above, rain down righteousness;
let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
let salvation spring up,
let righteousness grow with it;
I, the Lord, have created it."
Isaiah 45:8

Well. Maybe so.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:9-11

Another Reason to Love Veggies

I think we've found the easiest, most tasty, and guilt-free gravy out there! After you pull your roast from the oven, pour or ladle off a good portion of the roast juices into a blender and add a bunch of the veggies. Blend well, add seasonings if needed, and more broth/veggies depending on the consistency you want.

Easy veggie gravy, and it's so, so good. Plus, when making soup with the chopped up roast leftovers, just add broth, some cooked barley, peas, salt, thyme, and the rest of the gravy. Serve with warm rolls or cornbread. Two meals in one!

What are your favorite low-effort recipes or tricks for turning out multiple meals in one fell swoop? I so want to know!

While Riding in the Car

Jane, guess what?
What?
I love you very much.
I know.
You do? How do you know that?
Well, you always love me!
Yes, that's true.
So ... just remember that when I'm naughty.

To Create One Large Bicep

Ironing: 6 little girl dresses, 2 young man button-downs, 3 ladies blouses, 3 mens button-downs. Well now, that only took forever and a half!

Does anyone have any tips to make this process more enjoyable? I confess, it's a task that I like to coat with a generous dousing of dread and and foot-dragging.

A View Through

It is not good to cross the bridge before you get to it.

-J. Dench

Upside-Down Goodness

Caramelized Pear Chocolate Upside-Down Cake? Sounds good to me! I wanted to make a dessert for after dinner tonight and found such an idea in my Rustic Fruit Desserts cookbook and immediately started salivating.

I had some leftover hard caramels from a last week attempt to make soft caramels. Turns out my candy thermometer was defunct and we ended up with a toffee-ish substance. Tasty, but impossible to chew. So, instead of following the cookbook recipe, I just used it and my pseudo-caramels for some inspiration.

Melt caramels with a little water 'til melted through (or make some caramel sauce, not very difficult) pour into greased 9" cake pan, and let cool. Place sliced pears on top of caramel sauce and pour in chocolate cake batter right on top. (I had a boxed cake mix in the pantry that I used half of.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Cool for 15, then flip onto plate for another 5. Lift off pan, and hurrah!

The caramely chocolate goodness is divine and the pears soften and brighten in color making you sure that springtime has indeed come.

Because Us Girls Love Our Faves

Every now and then I'll stumble upon a "favorite products" article by regular moms, and I just love it. I do not have the motivation to research cosmetics, nor do I care enough even if I did scrape up the mojo. What I do want is stuff that works, is easy to find, and that won't break the bank. So, herewith, some of my product must-haves:

Cetaphil Cream
This stuff is amazing. It comes in a lighter pump formula, but I love this thick cream. It is fragrance free, super hydrating, not greasy, and doesn't irritate my skin. And I have cranky skin. In fact, at my last dermatologist appointment my doctor and I were discussing our Cetaphil love and she mentioned that she used it as a night cream for her face, too. "Really?? You can do that??" I asked. Ever since, I use it at night after I wash my face, as well as an all-over moisturizer. Cetaphil has been my lotion staple for a good decade and you can even pick it up at the grocery store. Perfection.

Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel
Since when did we forget about good 'ol witch hazel? It's gentle, natural, and won't strip your face of natural oils leaving that icky tight feeling. I use this as a toner after I wash my face and some evenings, if I'm dog tired, I won't even wash it but will swipe my face with a cotton pad doused with it. True, it doesn't take off eye product, but zips off the makeup in no time. I'm sure any kind will work, but Thayer's has a lovely light scent and is a favorite.

Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF 45 Moisturizer
A few years back, I had a skin cancer scare and now I am a SPF zealot. While I like to use a light SPF 15 lotion on my hands, neck, and any other exposed area during the day (yes, even winter), for my face I want something stronger. This facial moisturizer is the ticket. Not greasy, absorbed quickly, and works well under makeup. It's a keeper.

Rare Minerals Blemish Therapy
This is a rather new item in my product arsenal, but having recently hopped on the mineral makeup train ... I'm pretty impressed. This product has a main ingredient of sulphur and when dabbed onto blemishes, manages to dry the beasties up without causing dried, flaky skin. It works under makeup as well as a quick treatment before bed. If you are like me and can't believe that you've reached your 30's and still get breakouts (argh!) this little number might just make you giddy. And Moms ... please oh, please try this for your teen girls! I shudder at my Clearasil past and only wish I had something like this to soothe my horrified face. It's a bit spendy, but if you've struggles with breakouts you may find it's just worth it.

Maybelline Define-A-Lash Mascara
Love it. A little rubbery brush with scads of bristles and a smooth formula that glides on with ease. What else can I say? Oh yeah. It's about $6.00 at Target!

MAC Lipgelée
Lipgloss is the ultimate cheater makeup product. I am very average mom when it comes to cosmetics. I don't wear a ton and what I do is very simplistic. Perhaps that's why tinted lipgloss is an absolute must. Tap on a little powder, brush on a bit of mascara, swipe on the lipgloss and we're ready to rumble. This MAC lip "gel" is very sheer so you can't make a mistake. I swear, you can apply it in the car (which I do) and you won't miss. And you'll be glad to know, it has no fragrance or taste (who wants strawberry-kiwi lips, anyways?), nor is it goopy or sticky -- just smooth and lovely. It's on the pricey side, but a tube lasts me more than a year and I use it all the time.

There it is, girls. Some of my favorites. What are yours? I am so far from being any kind of an authority on this topic matter, and it's entirely possible that what I think looks chic and fresh could be anything but. So, if you know me personally and see me walking around with ridiculous makeup ... please, I beg you, come wash my face for me.