Substance of Living

Spring is here and the farmers' markets are beginning to carry fresh fruits and vegetables.  Hurray for us!  That is, along as all that freshness doesn't end up uneaten. I used to buy, for example, a couple onions and by the time the first onion was completely used, the second or third had gone bad.  Now, I purchase a bag of onions and upon arriving home, all the onions are chopped, diced, sliced, or any combination and frozen.  That way the onions are available and ready for use.  In our house, onions are usually cooked and not very often used raw.  If raw onions are going to be used, say in a salad, then a quick trip to the salad bar in the grocery store is in order.  Perhaps a little extra in cost but no waste. Source: PartSelect When I was asked by PartSelect to share their infograph with you, I didn't really know who they were or their story.  Full disclosure here: I neither was paid nor received any freebies for this post but agreed t...

Are your eyes ever bigger than your stomach when it comes to food?  Mine are all the time and now my brain thought I was up for a challenge - beyond something I've ever done!  I've pledged (unofficially) to not purchase home decor or ready-made clothing this year.  When I talk about home decor, if it is something that can be sewn then it will not be purchased but made.  Purchasing fabric is permissible. This isn't a new idea and you've probably seen recycling , upcycling, refashioning , and other descriptions of such around the internet and in the book stores for some time now.  Since DH and I moved, we've been downsizing and a lot of the items were donated but now we're to the point that we are into the soft items.  Items that are still in really good shape but no longer wearable for whatever reason.  We don't want to pass along a top if there is a hole in the knit or a stain - so I'm reusing the material to make other things. A challenge, that...

General Mills Disclosure:  I received a box of each Fiber One Protein cereal shown above free in return for my honest opinion from General Mills through BzzAgent . Start your day with a big bowl of Fiber One ® Protein Cereal.  For the mornings you and your family don't have time to sit down to a wholesome breakfast, then be sure to have these incredible muffins on hand. It will be a tough call to decide which box of cereal is your favorite.  DH and I haven't been able to decide.  In fact, we hosted a brunch this past weekend serving both these cereals in bowls, muffins, and as granola for everyone to take home and eat later.  We asked them which flavor was their favorite and the overwhelming answer was, "Both!". Fiber One® Protein Maple Brown Sugar "A delicious granola cereal with the powerful combination of protein and fiber! It’s a perfect blend of wholesome goodness, the taste of maple brown sugar and our delightfully tasty sweete...

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies DH and I were trying to figure out when Red Velvet anything is not appreciated.  What we were able to decipher is that Christmas, Valentines Day, Birthdays, Parties of any sort, Weekdays, Weekends, in fact any time is appropriate to serve up Red Velvet something or other. We are serving Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies by Duncan Hines with tea this afternoon.  Here's how we did it (of course I had to change up the actual recipe a bit as you'll see in the notes). Duncan Hines Signature Red Velvet Cake Mix Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies Ingredients: (Taken directly from the box) 6 tablespoons Butter 1 cup Powdered Sugar 1 teaspoon Cornstarch 1 box Duncan Hines Signature Red Velvet Cake Mix 2 Large Eggs 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest Directions: Preheat oven to 375F. Melt Butter and set aside. Combine Cornstarch and Powdered Sugar in a shallow bowl - set aside. Combine and mix by hand the Cake Mix, Cooled Butter, Eggs and Lemon Zest...

Monopoly Board Games used in WWII Starting in 1941, an increasing number of British Airmen found themselves as the involuntary guests of the Third Reich, and the Crown was casting about for ways and means to facilitate their escape...Now obviously, one of the most helpful aids to that end is a useful and accurate map , one showing Not only where stuff was, but also showing the locations of 'safe houses' where a POW on-the-lam could go for food and shelter. Paper maps had some real drawbacks -- they make a lot of noise when you open and fold them, they wear out rapidly, and if they get wet, they turn into mush. Someone in MI-5 (similar to America's OSS) got the idea of printing escape maps on silk. It's durable, can be scrunched-up into tiny wads, and unfolded as many times as needed, and makes no noise whatsoever. At that time, there was only one manufacturer in Great Britain that had perfected the technology of printing on silk, and that was John Waddington,...

Skinny & Co. Coconut Oil in Sold and Melted Forms After my first conversation with Michael at Skinny & Co., I was super excited to try their coconut oil.  I didn't have to wait but a couple days and my coconut oil arrived in the mail. My initial thought was, "Which recipe do I try or should I create something new?"  That thought was blown out of the water when I began reading about the benefits of using coconut oil raw. Did you know that you can use coconut oil as a makeup remover, as a lotion for skin rash or reducing wrinkles?  I didn't.  In fact, I wouldn't have thought to use coconut oil in any other capacity except cooking.  I do use raw coconut oil to make my vegan butter.  I thought it would be too expensive to "waste" using it any other way than ingesting. I have since changed my mind. I now use a teaspoon in my morning coffee, use it to make vegan butter, lotion for my dry hands and feet, moisturizer on my face, and have be...

I love parties that are over the top with decorations and tablescapes but sometimes simple is more elegant.  Especially at Thanksgiving, it seems that we automatically want to concentrate more on those around the table than the decorations.  Besides that, if you have your table full of wonderful decorations, where do you put the food if not on a buffet? There are many occasions that the center of the table, the runner, is the buffet table.  That's when individual touches come into play. Tea Towel over Chair Organic Table Felt Leaf Table Runner Place Card with Herbs Natural Leaf Place Cards Simple ribbon tied around a napkin, folding a napkin , or by placing tea lights at each setting saves time and money allowing you more peace of mind. Use what you have on hand.  Because even if your dishes or silverware aren't complete sets, they will add authenticity and personality to your table. Tweet this Post Please share me with...