After the excess of the holidays, it’s good to pare things down in our lives. Keeping home decor to a minimum and more neutral is calming. Like a blanket of snow it just soothes everyone. You can also keep your meals simple, uncomplicated and comforting. Soups and stews make a great choice for easy winter meals. Simple roasted meats like chicken and beef don’t take a lot of time andRead More →
Do you find crafting as enjoyable as I do? It’s great to come up with an idea and then work with your hands to create something new! I will usually get craft ideas from looking around on Pinterest or reading magazines. Sometimes I find ideas in home decor and garden books. Certainly, the craft stores like Hobby Lobby and Michaels are a good place to get ideas. Lastly, I oftenRead More →
What’s a gardener to do when it’s __________________ outside? You fill in the blank…cold, wet, snowy, icy, windy, dark. Take your pick of any of these adjectives. This time of the year it is just too miserable to be outside working in our gardens. As I sit in my house lamenting the fact that I am not able to get outside, I have been thinking about the indoor gardening activitiesRead More →
The first soup that I want to showcase for my Soup of the Month will be Navy Bean and Ham. I chose this because I happen to have that ham bone left over from my New Year’s Ham. This soup also includes protein rich legumes and kale. It is a little difficult to find lots of in-season produce in January but there are a few varieties available. Most common areRead More →
Have you noticed how many people are creating a word of the year these days? In the past, I have contemplated doing this but somehow it just never sticks for me. Maybe I’m just not committed enough. Or I just have too many thoughts and ideas running through my head to focus on just one. I have however been contemplating a “food” of the year for this blog. After muchRead More →
The holidays are officially over. Have you have put away your tree and ornaments yet? I am a procrastinator about cleaning up because I enjoy the decorations so much. But it’s time to move on. As magical as our homes are during the Christmas season, when winter rolls around it is time for more serene atmosphere. During the winter months I like to keep my decor warm and cozy. IRead More →
Welcome! I have been working on decorating Pinecone Cottage for the holiday season. I am using it as a place to craft Christmas wreaths and ornaments. So it’s been a regular Santa’s Workshop. It is also a wonderful place to stash my gifts. My family does not think to look here to see what I have bought for them. Come on in and see all of the touches I haveRead More →
Time, we all have the same amount each day. However it seems like there is never enough to get all the things done that we need to do. Between our homes and jobs the days just fly by. Instead I would like to make more time each day to putter in the garden, to craft, to read or to bake. I want to wake up each day looking forward toRead More →
Over the years I developed the habit of creating a huge cookie platter at Christmas with everyone’s favorite cookies. Does that sound familiar? Now, my family expects a wide variety of Christmas cookies. Since time is short these days and I don’t want to spend so much time baking, I have found a few shortcuts. One of those shortcuts is to use a boxed cake mix as the base. CakeRead More →
There are many traditions in our society that are becoming a lost art. One such tradition is to bring a hostess gift when you are invited over by friends and family. I am a firm believer that we should always take a small gift to say “Thank You” for them opening their home to us. Hostess gifts do not need to be expensive but they should reflect the season andRead More →