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Calendula Salve Recipe

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Hey, friends! I have a fun new crafty gardening project for you today. I made some Calendula Salve and I’ll share the recipe with you.

First off, you need some Calendula flowers. I bought some seeds online during our quarantine and planted them in my small garden. They are doing well, but no flowers yet.

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Fortunately, my son got a job as a loader at Flower World. I’ve been spending a bit more time there lately (hello discount!) and they had a few Calendulas in stock.

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Once the plants have bloomed, pick the flowers. I cut the stem down to the next piece of plant growth, but then cut the stems off of the flowers to dry. I bought a dehydrator this year for my herbs and it works perfectly for this project too. I put the flowers in the dehydrator on the lowest heat possible, for several days. You really want your flower petals to be dry for this project so they don’t rot in the oil. That would make some really gross Calendula Salve.

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In this next picture, you can really see the difference between the dry flowers and the freshly picked flowers. Once the flowers were dry, I picked off all of the petals and put them into a Mason canning jar and filled it up with olive oil. I let that sit for about 2 weeks.

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After the two weeks were up, I strained the olive oil, discarding the petals.

In a double boiler, I melted one ounce of beeswax with 1 cup of Calendula infused olive oil. I let it cool a tiny bit and then added 40 drops of orange essential oil. I was planning on using lemon essential oil, but came across my orange oil first and decided to try it. Then, all you have to do is pour it into the little tins and let it set up. I’ve been using this on my hands lately. I wash my hands so much (because… Coronavirus) that they are really dry. I’ve read that this salve is great for cuts and scrapes. The Calendula adds a healing property. So there it is, folks. I hope you’ll give it a try. It was really easy and I’m happy to be able to put these flowers from my garden to good use.

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Calendula Salve:

1 ounce of beeswax

1 cup of Calendula infused olive oil

40 drops of your favorite essential oil

 

Happy gardening!

Farmhouse At Heart

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You guys, I recently fell in love with a magazine. It’s called The Farmhouse Movement. I stumbled across it online and I felt like it was written for people just like me. I don’t live in a farmhouse and I don’t live on a farm. I don’t have a barn or chickens, but I love everything about farmhouse life and I’m trying to implement many aspects of the farmhouse life into my own little suburban world.

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I’m going to share a few things this magazine says on the very first page of every issue:

*We believe there is a movement happening in our generation.

*We believe it is the epitome of days gone by.

*We believe that this back-to-our-roots movement embodies families moving toward sustainable options.

*Whether we live in a big city or a wide-open prairie, we are embracing natural products, mindfully made things, and the renaissance of lost arts and skills.

*We believe that our culture is coming full circle.

*We desire a more authentic lifestyle, similar to those lived out in the households of quieter times – where family values prevailed; ingredients were simple; mason jars, quilts, and shiplap were commonplace; neighbors were friends; and time well spent trumped task lists.

Friends, this is me. I swear they were inside my head when they wrote this. Do you believe these things too?

I subscribed to the magazine as fast as I could and even bought a few back issues. Picture a kid waiting by the mail box when grandma says she sent you a card with birthday money inside. That was me. I was checking the mail all the time. I could hardly wait to get my magazines. When they arrived, I poured through them and they did not disappoint. I saved every single one in a cute little wooden box in my family room. I usually don’t save magazines, but these felt more like books. Then, I got the letter in the mail. The letter that said, “Sorry, we will no longer be producing The Farmhouse Movement magazine.” Nooooooo!!!!!! I had just found my people and it was already over! They do have a website and the letter said that new things were in the works. I will anxiously await their next bit of work.

Then I ran across a new magazine. Farmhouse At Heart has many of the same ideas as the Farmhouse Movement. It talks about the sweet joys of homesteading, back-to-basics gardening, cooking, and crafting. All of these things are right up my alley. It’s part of a bigger company of magazines, which is ok. I really liked The Farmhouse Movement, knowing I was supporting a small business.

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So, I picked up Farmhouse At Heart and I was thoroughly pleased. It’s one of those magazines that comes out once in a while, but you can’t subscribe to it. That makes it much harder to get my hands on, but I’ll do my best.

To be honest, the farmhouse dream for me includes an actual farmhouse, room for animals (chickens, dogs, and bunnies), and enough space to have a large garden. My current garden is quite small and its sunlight is blocked by the neighbor’s large trees. Herbs and lettuce are my best bets in my garden space right now.

I think, with our current state of affairs (#pandemic2020), people are finding that they really are capable of doing things the good-old-fashioned way. Flour has been sold out for months at the grocery store. I haven’t been able to find yeast at all and finally had to do a bulk order and split it with a few neighbors. That tells me that people are baking again. Garden centers are still open because they sell vegetable starts and they are considered essential. They have lines wrapped around buildings to get inside. The local butcher is not taking large orders. They are limiting the amount of meat each customer is allowed to buy because they are selling out. Families are learning how to make their own cleaning products because the cleaning aisle at the grocery store is empty. We are sort of being forced to ask our grandparents how to do things (or just google it). Honestly, living through this pandemic is tough, but it makes me so happy to see families spending time together, bread being baked, and seeds being planted. We are getting back to the basics and I’m ok with that.

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Happy homemaking!

 

Snickerdoodle Cookies

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I decided that my Snickerdoodle cookie recipe needed some updated pictures today.  My brain has been playing tricks with me lately and movement is not my friend.  I was trying to think of things to do that didn’t involve reading, scrolling, watching tv, videos, excessive movement, or too much thinking. (#strokebrain)  Photography seems pretty harmless and I can type with my eyes closed, for the most part.  Plus, I just found out that my son’s girlfriend and family haven’t tried Snickerdoodle cookies.  Crazy!

Snickerdoodle Cookies
Print Recipe
These are super soft cookies that are easy to make and sooo yummy.
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Print Recipe
These are super soft cookies that are easy to make and sooo yummy.
Ingredients
Cookie
Cinnamon Sugar
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Mix shortening and sugar. Add eggs and mix. Add dry ingredients and mix. Using a cookie scoop, shape dough into balls. Roll dough balls in the cinnamon sugar mixture. I bake these cookies on a Silpat lined baking sheet, at 400 degrees, for 7 minutes.
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Happy baking, friends!

Applesauce Muffins

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Homemade Applesauce Muffins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every time I make these muffins (which is quite frequently) I have to look up the recipe, so I decided that it was time to put it on my blog.  Blogging kind of took a back seat when I had a stroke, so maybe this will jumpstart my writing and photography again.

I first made applesauce muffins when I was in junior high.  We made them in my Home Economics class and I loved them so much that I saved the recipe.  I think I kept that recipe for about 15 years and made them many times before losing it.  Over the years, I found a couple other recipes that did the trick.  Then, Pinterest came along and Rebecca, from Simple As That posted her recipe.  The recipe I use is basically the same as Rebecca’s, but I did make a few minor tweaks.

Applesauce Muffins
Print Recipe
Servings
24 muffins
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings
24 muffins
Cook Time
20 minutes
Applesauce Muffins
Print Recipe
Servings
24 muffins
Cook Time
20 minutes
Servings
24 muffins
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
Muffins
Topping
Servings: muffins
Instructions
  1. Beat softened butter in a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until incorporated. Stir in applesauce. Gently stir in dry ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. For the topping, wait until the muffins are cool enough to handle. Roll the top of the muffin in melted butter, and then immediately roll the muffin in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
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The biggest tweaks I made to Rebecca’s recipe are in the applesauce and the cinnamon sugar.  My mom makes our applesauce every Fall.  She adds cinnamon and sugar into the applesauce as she’s cooking it, so our applesauce has more sugar and more cinnamon than All Natural Mott’s Applesauce.  My family also likes a little more cinnamon in the topping, so I increased that.  There is also a pinch more salt than Rebecca’s recipe.  I guess it’s just personal preference.

My daughter has requested that I always make 24 muffins, instead of just 12.  Twelve muffins only last about a day in our house.

Applesauce Muffins

We are lucky enough to have a friend share their farm fresh eggs with us.  This recipe calls for 4 eggs, so I’m happy to have plenty!

Farm Fresh Eggs

 

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The fact that I get to bake these in my grandma’s muffin tin makes my heart happy.  I remember baking cupcakes and muffins with her and thinking that this pan was so “old” and she should really get a new one.  Now, I’m so happy to have this antique pan. I’m glad she never replaced it.

Antique Muffin Pan

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Happy baking!

Valentine Sugar Cookies

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We’ve been snowed in for days and days and days! I was thinking that some of my local friends might be in need of a new recipe to try. I’ve posted this recipe many times, but I thought it might need to move to the top of the blog for Valentine’s Day.  It’s my go-to recipe for any holiday or season.

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Valentine Sugar Cookies
Print Recipe
Servings
24 cookies
Servings
24 cookies
Valentine Sugar Cookies
Print Recipe
Servings
24 cookies
Servings
24 cookies
Ingredients
Servings: cookies
Instructions
  1. Beat butter, shortening, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix. Let dough chill in the fridge for 3 hours. Roll dough on a cutting board, lightly dusted with flour. I like a thick cookie, so I roll my dough slightly thicker than 1/4" thick. Cut in any shape desired. Bake for 7-8 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool and frost. For the frosting, my favorite is a simple powdered sugar and milk frosting. I pour powdered sugar into the bowl and add just a little bit of milk. Keep stirring and slowly add milk until you get to the desired consistency. If you want a thick frosting, add less milk. If you want a glaze, add more milk. I try to use as little food coloring as possible because DYE IS EVIL. A tiny little half-drop of red food coloring will make a nice pink. I also found an all natural food coloring on Amazon, by McCormick. You can also use a little raspberry juice to make a nice pink and then you don't need to use dye at all, which is good because DYE IS EVIL! (Ask me how I feel about food dyes in our foods!) Happy baking and Happy Valentine's Day!
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Classic Gingerbread Men

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Well, friends, this is my favorite recipe of all time.  There is nothing better than soft gingerbread cookies to make it feel like Christmas.  I could (and do) make theses any time of the year.  This is the recipe my mom always made when I was younger.

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They certainly don’t have to be in the shape of gingerbread men.  When I get the urge to make this recipe in the middle of summer, round cookies with plain icing is a good way to go too.

gingerbread cookies

Classic Gingerbread Men
Print Recipe
Servings
24 medium sized cookies
Servings
24 medium sized cookies
Classic Gingerbread Men
Print Recipe
Servings
24 medium sized cookies
Servings
24 medium sized cookies
Ingredients
Servings: medium sized cookies
Instructions
  1. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and molasses. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time. Chill dough for at least 2 hours. Roll the dough, on a lightly floured board, 1/4 inch thick. Cut in any shape you choose. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 7 minutes, longer if you are using extra large cookie cutters. Frost with a butter cream frosting or a powdered sugar glaze.
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Happy baking!

 

The New Hot Cocoa Station

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I know it’s not really Christmas decorating time, but it’s certainly hot cocoa time.  Every year, I put my hot cocoa station on my kitchen table.  My husband doesn’t like moving it every night, when we sit down for dinner. This year, I decided to try something different.

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We have a cute little corner cabinet in our kitchen and I thought it might be the perfect spot.

**Side story… When we bought our house, 13+ years ago, the previous owner had this corner unit.  It was handmade by her grandfather and she loved it, but she had nowhere to put it in their new house.  She asked if I’d like to keep it.  Well, I love unique pieces like this!  It’s so cool that you can see the hand carving.

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I bought a bottle of caramel syrup and two different types of caramel.  My favorite type of hot cooca is Nestle Quick, made with milk.  (Ok, my favorite is actually from Williams Sonoma but I can’t afford that all of the time.  Nestle works well for the amount of cocoa I serve at my house.) I put that in the cute jar with the jingle bells.  We also have some snowflake shaped marshmallows from Williams Sonoma, and I added the candy canes at my daughter’s request.

Aren’t those mugs the cutest?  I picked those up at World Market.  I saw them on someone’s Instagram and knew I had to have them!  I’m gradually adding some Scandinavian touches to my house and these are perfect.  They are also very large mugs, which gets two thumbs up from my daughter.

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I stopped by downtown Snohomish the other day and spotted this little sign at Cinnamon Stick.  That was a no-brainer.  It needed to be the finishing touch on my hot cocoa station.

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So, here’s your shopping list:

  1. Hot cocoa mix
  2. Flavored syrup
  3. Caramel
  4. Candy canes
  5. Marshmallows
  6. Cute mugs
  7. A few decorations
  8. Empty jars
  9. A tray to house all cocoa related items

There you go!  This is all you need for a hot cocoa station.  I usually don’t have to go shopping to create my hot cocoa station.  Most of the time, these items are already in my house, but this year I really needed those mugs.  And who could pass up a tiny little sign that fit perfectly into the tray?

Happy decorating!  And happy cocoa drinking!

Making Applesauce

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Recently, a friend of ours shared some of the apples from her apple tree with us.  She doesn’t know what variety they are, but they remind me of a Jonagold.  I’m not an apple expert, so that’s only a guess, but the apples are tasty no matter which variety.


I chopped up as many apples as I could fit in my biggest pot. I cooked the apples with the peels on, but I threw away the core before cooking. Once the pot was filled to the brim, I added water. I usually add enough water so that it fills about half of the pot. I really hate it when the apples scorch and stick to the bottom, so I always make sure I have plenty of water.  I added a few shakes of cinnamon, just so the house would smell good while they were cooking.


I put the lid on and simmered the apples for about half an hour. I always use a food mill to make my applesauce. My grandma and mom always did it that way, so I do too. We put the cooked apples into the food mill and start stirring and smooshing.  This was a pretty big batch, so we added about a quarter cup of sugar and a few teaspoons of cinnamon.  I hate it when recipes say, “Add such-and-such to taste.”  That doesn’t help me figure out how much I need!  But, applesauce is really one of those things that you need to add to-taste.  Everyone likes their applesauce differently.

When my kids were younger, we’d have applesauce with graham crackers.  These days, it’s usually just a side dish or an after school snack… and if it’s an after school snack, I’ll find the dirty bowl in the living room the following day. #momlife

Happy cooking!

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Copper Pot Therapy

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I’m calling this post Copper Pot Therapy because that pretty much sums it up.  In this post, you will see my copper pot and I’ll share the story behind the copper pot.  This post also serves as a bit of therapy for me, in a few different ways.  (typing, thinking, reading, moving) I’m having a bit of a pitty party today and I am forcing myself to do something… anything.

I signed up for an online photography class because I figured it’s something I can do while I’m on “activity restriction” and waiting for my brain to heal.  I had been saving my birthday money for fabric but decided to use it on a class instead.  The class is on finding and using light in photography.  I thought this would be a good one for me because it’s always dark and gloomy in the Pacific Northwest and I struggle to get the pictures I dream of in my head.  The lesson for this week is to take a picture of something from 5 different angles, really thinking about what we like or don’t like about the light. The story about the copper pot will be at the very end, so if you don’t want to read about photography you can scroll all the way down.

First off, we have a picture from the top.  I think this is my favorite. I have always liked pictures taken at this angle.  I would LOVE to get one of those tripods that holds your camera over the top of items.  Now that balance is a huge issue for my stroke-brain, I don’t foresee myself climbing on chairs and tables to get the perfect shot.

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The next two pictures are facing the windows.  I didn’t want to see the neighbor’s house or my son’s car out the window, so I blew out the windows a bit. Not my favorite pictures, but I see how it could work if you had to have windows in the background.

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I really like the next two pictures but I almost think I should use my 50mm lens and blur out the background.  One of the things I hate is having clutter in the background. Yes, I could clear off the clutter but I wasn’t feeling like adding extra work. Remember… I was just trying to get myself out of my pitty party.

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Ok, now onto the story of the copper pot.

I’ve always been deathly afraid of going to Mexico.  I would hear scary stories of drug lords on the news, or hear of people being kidnapped.  Everyone I know, who has survived their Mexican trips, always has stories of getting sick and spending half of their vacation near a toilet.  Nothing about these scenarios appealed to me.  Well, my kids’ friends would always post their awesome Mexican adventures on social media and the kids finally wore me down.  I agreed that we could go to an all inclusive resort that had to be in one of the areas I had read about being “safe” and they had to use filtered water to wash all fruits and veggies and make ice.  Once at the resort, we were not allowed to leave.  My family rolled their eyes and agreed to my terms.  Well, it was a bait and switch!! Once we got to Mexico they told me about the sight seeing they wanted to do!  The resort assured me that if I stayed in the areas my family wanted to go that I would be safe.  (I’ve never seen so many armed guards in my life!)

We took a giant van, because we were with another family as well, to two different cities.  I can’t remember their names because I was a complete stress case.  We went to a little market where people begged us to buy things.  We ended up with a hammock and a hanging chair, and I had no idea how we were going to get those home.  On the way home from the second stop, I spotted a guy on the side of the road selling copper.  So. Much. Copper. I couldn’t resist and I begged my family to let me stop.  I asked my husband and the cab/van driver to come with me.  I really wanted the copper kitchen sink, but my husband said I was being unreasonable.  I ended up with a really heavy copper pot (the one pictured) and another bowl that was a bit smaller.  I bought the big pot for $40 and the small bowl for $15.  I was giddy.  I got back in the van and suddenly, I loved everything about Mexico!

The tricky part was finding a way to get the copper pots home.  We ended up putting the pots in my daughter’s carry-on and the hammocks and chair in my son’s.  Then, all we had to do was figure out how the kids were going to get their clothes home.  We couldn’t put the clothes in the big suitcases because they were already at the 50 pound limit.  So, my kids had to stuff all of the clothes from their carry-ons into the teeny tiny backpacks they bought at the market.  Needless to say, they were suddenly cursing my copper pots.  After we got home, I told everyone who stopped by about the copper pots and my new love of shopping in Mexico.  The kids would just roll their eyes.  I’m sure they will be fighting over who gets the big copper pot someday.  I guess I’ll have to put it in my will.

Ok, I think my pitty party is over.  Photography makes everything better.

Happy picture taking!

Pets and Flowers in the Golden Hour

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It’s been raining for days.  I don’t mean that it’s been raining like a nice spring rain.  It’s been raining like it’s November in the Pacific Northwest.  It’s the kind of rain you can hear when you’re inside with the dishwasher and washing machine running.  Well, it finally stopped and it just happened to be the golden hour, so I ran outside with the camera.

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The flowers really love the rain.  No matter how much water they get with the sprinkler or hose, there’s just nothing like Mother Nature’s sprinkler.

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The pets got to enjoy some outside time too.  Cookie has recently discovered that there is a whole new world underneath the deck.  My hubby came out with us and his job was to watch the bunny, while mine was to watch the turtle.  Well, guess who bolted for the deck?  My son came out and found us trying to lure her out from the playground under the deck.  As he went back inside I could hear him tell his sister, “Dumb and Dumber lost the rabbit.”  She finally came out when the dog started barking and spooked her.  When she’s scared she wants her humans.

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Peanut is home for the Summer and finally got to go outside to catch some bugs.  She loves her potato bugs.  We flip over the landscaping bricks and she charges after the bugs as they scatter.  She’s quite the hunter.  She loves basking in the sun and hiding under the plants. For those of you who don’t know, Peanut was gifted to our kindergarten class last year.  She is a 30 year old box turtle.  She is very set in her ways, doesn’t like to eat her greens, prefers bananas, and will grab onto your finger (tightly) if you wave it in front of her. (Ask our librarian how we know that!)

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Here’s the big guy.  This is Cooper.  He’s such a dork.  He’s a total goof ball and he loves his pets.  He gives the bunny kisses on the side of her head and kind of sniffs the turtle.  He gets upset when the bunny goes under the couch and was really upset when she went under the deck.  He tried to go under to get her, but quickly realized he’s too big to fit.

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Seriously, could these three be any cuter?  Someday I’ll have my farm animals, but for now I’ll be happy with these guys.

I’m so thankful that the rain stopped and that sunshine is on the way.  I loved getting outside at the perfect time of night.  Between sunshine, the golden hour, my favorite pets, and getting the chance to use my camera, this was just the mood booster I needed.