With the passing of the Summer Solstice, here in Washington we’re ushering in the beginning of the dry season as well as the smoky season soon.
There’s something incredibly comforting about a lovely floral, herbal tea, but the idea of drinking something hot sounds comparable to a root canal when the temperature soars.
Many people hold their sweet tea to be precious, and despite growing up in the South, I find it to be too sweet. I’ve recently discovered a lovely way to achieve a COOL, refreshing, herbal tea for summertime sipping 🤩
Kouridashi tea is a Japanese style where lose tea leaves are sprinkled over ice, and allowed to steep via cold brew! Now, I don’t pretend to understand all the science behind it, but the technique certainly produces a very fresh, robust flavor in the tea that I have not noticed in it steeped hot.
Simply fill a bowl with ice, sprinkle with lose tea, and allow to melt! Then give it a good stir and strain into a glass!
I used a hibiscus and mint lose leaf tea and it is delicious!!!
“Took my family away from our Carolina home, had dreams about the west and started to roam…”
Lands, it has been awhile since I’ve posted on here. My husband got out of the Navy after a decade of service and we moved back west to Washington. We had fallen in love with it during his first duty station here and have been longing to go back. We might have been raised in the south but the PAC Nor-west has become our home.
We knew it was doubtful we would ever travel cross country again so we decided to make a whole sight seeing excursion out of the drive back! We’re major foodies and most of the stops had to do with FOOD 😋 I thought it would be fun to share some of our favorite food stops along the way, in case you ever find yourself in any of these towns!
First stop, New Orleans!
The land of pralines, parishes, and po’boys!
We spent our first day eating lunch at the famous Court of Two Sisters! We chose to partake in the buffet which was absolutely incredible. They had an impressive selection and the food tasted delicious. The dining room looks out onto the courtyard with the magical looking fountains and foliage. You feel like your in a southern fairy tale! I highly recommend.
Later we got frozen cafe au laits and beignets at the Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter. I had never had a frozen cafe au lait before and it was so refreshing! New Orleans in August can be STIFLING and it made me almost forget the humidity! The beignets were delicious as well and if you find yourself sightseeing or generally wandering the French quarter, its a quaint and lovely place to pop in for a snack.
SECOND STOP! AUSTIN, TX!
The call of the cicadas on the warm breeze was hypnotic and the swamp girl in me was raving about how, despite the 109 degree heat index, it felt “phenomenal” without any humidity. We were sooo excited to come to Austin because my hubby is seriously into grilling and smoking meat, and he has watched the Franklin Master Class about a thousand times at this point.
Our favorite stop of the entire trip had to be Franklin’s BBQ in Austin, Texas, HANDS DOWN! We’re already planning a trip there again.
We ended up getting several lbs of meat including pulled pork and brisket and sides of macs and cheese, and of course, their personal sized mini pies.
The pulled pork was incredible. The brisket was smokey and so soft. Their little personal sized pies were a revelation, if you go, you HAVE to try the Ruby’s Dang Good Pie. It’s pineapple and coconut and absolutely to die for. The wait starts up in the wee hours of the morning and they stay open until they sell out! We dropped my hubby off at 7 am and there was already a line of several people! Get there early folks, and bring a lawn chair! But everyone in line is so friendly and a really sweet camaraderie develops . ]
FOOD. AMBIENCE. AWSOME WAIT STAFF.
What more could you want?
Next awesome stop! Paige, Arizona!
Grand Canyon Brewery~ now this place is a chain, but I have to say, they made one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. They have a “beast” burger which has a mix of game like venison, and i think bison and elk, and it was amazing. Very lean and clean tasting meat, not gamey at all.
NEXT STOP! Brookings, Oregon!
Natural Bridge
Prior to hiking down to see this stunning view, we decided we needed the proper fortitude and therefore stuffed our faces at Mattie’s Pancake House! It was my first time getting a Monte Cristo but I’ve had multiple since then, trying to achieve that same euphoria as I had with Mattie’s Monte Cristo. Sadly I haven’t been able to find one nearly as delicious. If a salty sweet combo is to your taste, I highly suggest the monte cristo, but either way, Mattie’s makes an amazing breakfast for whatever suits your fancy!
We’ve spent the last several years in and around Charleston, Sc so I hope to write another post soon about all of our favorite restaurants from that area. There is so much amazing food there, though, I thought it deserved a post of its own!
“The power of finding the beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.”
Louisa May Alcott
There truly is something wonderful about slowing down and taking a moment out of the day for some tea. In the day and age where instant coffee and coffee concentrates are all the rage, I really value the relaxing pace of fixing some loose leaf tea.
While I do definitely have lots of boxes of bagged tea, I highly suggest trying loose leaf tea sometime!
While the kettle is coming to boil, warm the teapot with hot water, measure the tea into your infuser (don’t forget to smell the tea while scooping ☺️) and allow it to steep!
One tidbit that I recently learned from the herbalism courses I’ve been studying, is to let the tea steep and come down in temperature slightly before adding the honey! Otherwise it looses some of its helpful properties. 🍯
What is your favorite blend of tea? I recently stumbled upon the Old Barrel Tea Co. and I am loving the American Wildflower blend. It’s got portions of mint, lemongrass, rooibos, and chamomile. It’s sweet and minty and so refreshing! (I’m not sure if I’m suppose to mention this or not but for the record, I’m not being paid or endorsed by Old Barrel Tea Co or anything, I’m just a big fan of their tea 😅)
Take some time to brew some tea and maybe grab a book if you can! 🫖 📚
Spring is fully upon us now, as is the humid heat! We usually love hearty, comfort foods, like pastas, corn beef and cabbage, bbq, etc. Sometimes it’s hard in the heat to imagine eating something so heavy, and I’ve actually found myself making smoothies for lunch most days!
This definitely serves a dual purpose, as it’s lighter to eat, and it also encourages me to eat some fruit!
Todays recipe is blueberry lemon!!
I start by filling my magic bullet cup halfway with Greek yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon (keep in mind I really like lemons, you might want to only use 1/2 a lemon)
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
3 handfuls of blueberries
A generous drizzle of honey
Yummmm look at the gorgeous purple color it ended up!!!
As this Lenten season is coming to a close, we reach a pinnacle with Holy Week. Tonight we’ll be attending our Maundy Thursday service. It’s one of my favorite celebrations, even in light of its somber memory.
As Christ gathered with His disciples to celebrate the Passover, which would be the Last Supper, He instituted the Lords Supper. It is so humbling to imagine the feelings Christ experienced that evening, for us. He could not imagine an existence without us, and therefore He died and atoned for us.
Hebrews 9:22 sums it up so beautifully, “ Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness”.
Christ knew that. He knew it when the Israelites were instructed to cover their doorways with the shed blood of a lamb. He knew it as He was facing His crucifixion. And He knew it when He commanded His disciples, and thereby every other believer, to partake in Holy Communion in remembrance of Him, His life and death, His blood and sacrifice, His RESURRECTION, and that His blood alone atones for our sins.
Sola Scriptura
Sola Fide
Sola Gratia
Solus Christus
Soli Deo Gloria
May we praise God and repent on this Maundy Thursday ✝️💜
On nights like tonight, when the leftovers are slim and the temperature is too warm to imagine making a heavy pasta dish, I love to put together a charcuterie board for us!
One of our favorite elements to a good charcuterie board is baked brie!! This is such an incredibly easy thing to make but it really makes the difference.
All you have to do is unwrap your wheel of brie, lay it in a baking dish and score the top about eight times (think of it like slicing a cake but only barely cutting in), drizzle generously with olive oil and top with your favorite herbs! I used an herbs de Provence blend my momma got me and it was perfect.
Bake at 350 for about twenty minutes and it’s done!
If there is one thing that makes it difficult for even the most sincere people to communicate, it’s that all people process things differently and oftentimes people disregard that possibility. Sorry folks, it’s not actually Mercury’s fault, even if it is in retrograde. While everyone individually has their own set of thought processes and perspectives, it goes beyond that individual difference and oftentimes boils down to a personality type difference.
I’m not any kind of psychologist or therapist, but I do love to research and I’m fascinated with how our minds work. In the last couple years, I’ve stumbled upon the concept of enneagram types. Basically, each and every one of us fits relatively well into one of nine possible “types” and it reflects how we process information, make choices, handle conflict, view emotions, our motivations, what drives us, etc. In its simplest terms, it’s what makes us “tick”.
Back in 2019 my offspring was limited to virtual school due to the pandemic. I knew I was a type 6; I love plans, lists, set deadlines, etc. and I could NOT for the life of me understand why the offspring was not thriving under my deadlines (note the facetious tone 😂). I took it upon myself to take the enneagram test answering the questions the way I imagined the offspring would. Turns out they’re a 7! Well….lo and behold, type sevens struggle with the pressure of deadlines and lists. Being put in a “box” makes them feel trapped. I realized that what I felt was my “comfortable”, “safe” security blanket felt more like a trap to the offspring.
This revelation made me realize I had to switch up our type of schoolwork! I ended up laying out the expectations for the assignment, setting a timer for a reasonable amount of time, and then stepping away. I was obviously available for any questions or spelling assists needed, but I let the offspring brainstorm and create on their own. They thrived this way!
I delved further into studying the different personality types and how it affected my parenting and the way I communicated. I realized there were many ways that a cautious, careful, plan oriented type 6 such as myself could help give my sweet ray of sunshine, adventurous type 7 some perspective and motivation to set goals and deadlines, but that a type seven is going to be more focused on the optimistic, positive side of things, and the excitement. They are also more focused on the “big picture”. What motives a seven is different than what motivates a type six.
And I was SO thankful to have that perspective in how I parent, and teach, and communicate! It helps me to understand the offsprings motivation and what will help them thrive! So instead of thinking I needed to make them a 6, I can help them be the best 7 they can be 💜 One of my favorite things to do has been to find Bible verses that relate strongly to our types. For example, a verse that strongly speaks to me as a type 6 is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to give you peace, not disaster, plans to give you hope and a future.” While a verse that speaks to my little sevens heart is Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: Rejoice!” If there is one fruit of the spirit that truly embodies a seven it is JOY! 🤩
I highly recommend people take the enneagram test and find out your type. It seriously helps so much with communicating with others and having empathy. My husband and I laugh that he is a type one and I am a type six, so while it soothes me to reconfirm the same detail with him 135592847 times in a row, he is more than happy to “run through the plan” again.
I truly believe that this can help whole families, friends, and even coworkers have a deeper understanding and empathy for relating to and communicate with each other. Which then in turn creates healthier relationships and happier campers ☺️ Maybe my little type seven is rubbing off on ME now!
If anyone is interested in taking the enneagram test or taking it to find out their kiddos type, I recommend the truity website. I’ll post the link below. They also have a lot of great info on their website to help understand what each type means.
“Love is patent. Love is kind. Love does not envy. It does not brag. It is not arrogant. It does not behave indecently. It is not selfish. It is not irritable. It does not keep a record of wrongs. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 EHV
We all know the multitude of glorious things we can make with potatoes, but today I’m talking about baking them!
One bit of cooking that I have always struggled with is baked potatoes. We absolutely love them! But every time I tried to make them, they ended up either still raw on the inside or overly dried and flakey. The skin was tough and tasteless.
I have finally perfected the art of the baked potato and I thought I would share with you!
Preheat your oven to 400
Poke the potato with a fork all around it about 5-6 times
Slather GENEROUSLY with olive oil and then roll it in a mixture of course ground sea salt and black pepper
Bake for 1 hour on a baking sheet
The inside is baked and juicy and soft, soooo soft!
The outside is seasoned and scrumptious 😋
I hope that this helps any of you who have struggled with the enigma that is baking a potato!
“Herbs are the friend of the physician and the pride of the cooks.” Charlemagne
I have always loved herbs. All throughout my childhood I collected book after book on herbalism and plants, notebooks to fill with notes and drawings. When I was a teenager I had a huge herb garden that overflowed with mint and chives and lemon balm. Walking through it would release the most fragrant clouds.
In 2020 I embarked on my first formal herbal education. I took the introduction class by the Herbal Academy and enjoyed myself immensely. Compiling a materia medica absolutely spoke to my organization inclined, herb loving, note taking heart 🤩
Do you have an herb that is special to your heart? Mine is basil 💜 There is something about the smell that just brings me joy. I saw my first little bee buzzing around the clovers amidst the morning dew and the spring equinox has passed, which means spring is here and I am cradling a new basil plant home. I can’t wait to have a huge garden again, but for now with another move in the works, I am settling for a little table top plant.
Basil is considered to be an adaptogen plant, which means that it helps our bodies and minds adjust to stress. Generally speaking, it helps us achieve homeostasis, aiding us to combat the physical and mental effects of stress or strain. I enjoy brewing tea with the fresh leaves and find it to be very soothing and also excellent for a sore throat!
I pluck four to five fresh leaves, give em a good squish-squash with the mortar and pestle, then steep in boiling water for about twenty minutes. Don’t forget to place a small saucer over the mug to trap the oils. If they are allowed to vaporize, the tea will lose some of its effectiveness. Add honey to sweeten and drink up! It’s always my go to when I start to feel a tickle or scratch in my throat.
Basil’s culinary uses are also plentiful! Throw a handful in some spaghetti sauce or fresh pesto!
I like to layer a slice of mozzarella, tomato, and basil leaf then sprinkle with balsamic reduction for a bite size capresi.
Firstly, please do not judge the doggie fur on my floor, the culprit is in the picture too, if you look closely!
Over the last few years I have tried hard to downsize, streamline, and generally organize our lives better
The last time we were moving I was beyond exasperated with the fact I had THREE large Tupperware totes of DVDs….they barely weighed anything but we had to devote a significant amount of space for the packed cases.
When we settled into our new home, I resolved to declutter them. I ordered a 500 count of DVD sleeves from Amazon (you know, the little paper ones with the clear cellophane front). I grabbed a bunch of those cute slightly larger than shoe box size decorative boxes from Michaels. Then the back numbing, eye crossing, seriously- SO -WORTH- IT work began.
I labeled each and every sleeve and slipped the dvds in, then I alphabetized them into three of the decorative boxes. It is so much more efficient to be able to store all of our DVDs in three small boxes, and they’re also alphabetical so when we need to find a movie, it is only a matter of seconds!
I recently organized the offsprings DVDs. The entire stack fit neatly into that little box. Keep in mind, that stack is only three inches shy of 5 ft tall! An immense amount of space condensed into a pretty box 🤩
Monday felt like a good day for an organization post!
Hobbits and Hearthsides 