Substance of Living

Do you remember playing with homemade dough when you were little?  Oh my gosh, my middle sister and I would sit at the kitchen table for hours playing with our dough.  Mom would put a few drops of food coloring so we would have colored dough - like the kind that was available in the stores.  We would use cookie cutters, make our own shapes, blend the colors together to make another color.  We sometimes even saved our creations.  Searching (falling down the rabbit hole) Pinterest one day, I came across  this recipe By Oleander and Palm.  Aren't her ornaments gorgeous in their simplicity? She puts her designs in the oven to dry.  I read in another blog that you can also air dry them.  So I did; and I used this recipe that uses cinnamon !  Oh, they smell heavenly! I used cookie cutters on hand.  Here's the kicker.... patience was my friend.  It took about a week for the dough to thoroughly dry.  I started them out ...

This is a super exciting day for me.  Not only do I get to share with you the newest addition to Castello family - Burger Blue Cheese, but we are celebrating my fabulous husband's birthday and 4th of July!  (Although you've seen bits and pieces of him from time to time, he really does not like being in the limelight and yet he did an amazing job as Nathan Detroit in "Guys and Dolls" musical. I can go on and on and on about how adorable and wonderful my husband is, but you really want to know about this new cheese that people are talking about. "Transform your burger into an epicurean delight" "Top burgers with a perfectly-sized slice of NEW Castello ® Burger Blue cheese to give them a bold and sophisticated taste found in the kitchens of gourmet chefs across the country. With perfectly sized and supremely meltable Castello ® Burger Blue cheese, the messy, inconsistent coverage of blue cheese crumbles is a thing of the past. T...

If you've been tasked with hosting a party, consider an afternoon tea for your next birthday party, bridal shower, baby shower, Mother’s Day, or a girls get-together.  An afternoon tea consists of tea and a light meal between the hours of 3 and 5pm and is perfect for a group of 6 to 10 ladies. Did you know there is a difference between an afternoon tea and a high tea?  An afternoon tea offers tea and light food to stave off hunger between lunch and dinner.  A high tea is usually served around dinner time and is considered a working person's meal with meat or a heavier main dish. In the United States we often think of an afternoon tea as a pretty big deal.  In fact, if we were to go to a tea house or out for an afternoon tea, we would usually be looking at around $30 or more.  You don't need to spend that kind of money if you host your own.  Bring out your china or use a mix and match setting of china to add to the charm.  If you don't have a ...

What do you think of the name "The Traveler" for a drink?  When I made this the other night, it made me feel a bit like a big city dweller at the same time a world sea traveler. The two drinks that I chose to combine for The Traveler are the Cosmopolitan (more widely known as the Cosmo) and the Salty Dog. Ingredients 1/2 oz. Triple Sec 1 1/2 oz. Vodka Grapefruit Juice Splash of Lemon Lime Soda * Garnish with a sugared rim or a wedge of orange dipped in colored sugar. Directions In a shaker add ice, vodka, triple sec, and grapefruit juice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled margarita or martini glass. Add a splash of lemon/lime soda. Garnish. Note To garnish the rim of a glass, lightly dip the top of the glass in water, juice or rub a piece of fruit or rind around the edge of the glass top. After wetting the glass top, rub in salt/sugar/cinnamon/or any other garnish. We wanted to see how the taste and look would alter so we added a...

When you and your family head out for vacation this year, don't leave your household budget at home.  The price of rest and relaxation ought to be priceless but in more cases than not are quite expensive. Add up all your cost: transportation, accommodations, sightseeing, souvenirs, food, attractions -- you might be tempted to cancel the trip altogether. Alas - you can still enjoy your vacation, family, and stay within budget by following these simple tips. Be Flexible Travel during "Shoulder Season" (Not during peak season or off season) April - May or Mid-August - October Choose alternative dates or days of the week to travel Try Vacation Packages or All-Inclusive Packages   Eat for Free (or nearly free) Many restaurants offer a free child's meal for each paying adult.  There may be restrictions such as two children maximum or might only be available on certain days. If you do eat out, lunch might be your best time.  The prices are reasonable a...

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...