Sustainable & Creative Living
Summer is the time of year for light, fresh, and tasty salads. They can be served at lunch or dinner. They can also be served as an easy stand-alone meal or a yummy side dish at a summer holiday party or picnic. My whole family loves this Veggie and Feta Pasta Salad, especially my husband. We’ll definitely be mixing up a big bowl of it for Father’s Day. Why not make some for the special man in your life.
It’s party time! This time of year a lot of us will be going to at least one party or another—from graduation parties to summer holiday parties and, of course, weddings! There will be plenty of food, drink, and conversation. Festive gatherings are an excellent opportunity to catch up with family and friends. It’s also a great way to meet and socialize with new people. Hopefully, you’ll even make some new friends.
I went through a period in my life a little over a year ago where I was really struggling with some transitions and changes. Some I knew were coming but they were still hard to deal with. Others were unexpected and, therefore, even harder to deal with.
These big changes include our youngest daughter graduating from high school. My own graduation from college (finally) with my Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities/American Studies. And finally, dealing with the transition surrounding [Read more…]
With spring officially in full swing, everyone is busy enjoying all kinds of outdoor activities. Not only are we spending time at parks and beaches, we’re also spending a lot of time in our backyards barbecuing, swimming, and gardening. Whether you’re outside enjoying your beautiful garden or even inside enjoying colorful spring potted flowers, keep in mind that some of these lovely flowering plants are poisonous to dogs and cats.
Florida springtime weather is so lovely. It’s not too hot or humid yet, and the rainy season is still a few months away. This is the best time of year for all kinds of activities here in the sunny South. Many of us will spend a lot of time outdoors walking, hiking, biking, picnicking and, of course, sunbathing. I love gardening and just spending time in my backyard.
Since spring is breeding season for many birds, this is a great time of year to go birdwatching. As an avid birdwatcher, I’m always concerned about the safety of these beautiful creatures. Here are some tips to help protect birds no matter where you live or what time of year it is:
One of my favorite DIY crafts is candle making. I love to burn candles…especially at mealtime. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch, or dinner, there’s nothing like the light from a burning candle to give any meal a special ambiance.
I used to make candles from paraffin wax, but now I only make soy wax candles. Do you ever notice the black around the rim of candles? That’s what you’re [Read more…]
Baking soda is one of the safest, simplest, and most gentle cleaning products available. It has so many different uses that it’s also one of the most versatile products you’ll ever buy. While it’s effective and inexpensive for many home cleaning chores, it also an excellent useful and a versatile personal care product.
Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) regulates and neutralizes pH. It cleans, neutralizes, and deodorizes. The best part is that when it washes down the drain, it won’t pollute our water supply.
You probably already have a box or two in your cupboards, but after reading this you’ll want to stock up!
One of my all-time favorite products is Dr. Bronner’s Pure- Castile Soap. It comes in many scents but I use lavender, my favorite, most of the time. Dr. Bronner’s is a company with a mission of environmental and social responsibility. These soaps are certified organic and 100% biodegradable. They’re also made in the U.S.A. Dr. Bronner’s comes in both bar and a concentrated liquid form. The best feature of Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap is that it has SO MANY uses! The label on the bottle says “18 in 1 Hemp Lavender”. It has at least that many uses.
I came up with this quesadilla recipe one Saturday afternoon when I didn’t have a lot of food in the house and I didn’t want to go to grocery shopping until Sunday. When I found the artichoke hearts and chickpeas in the pantry (two of my favorite foods) I had a feeling I could come up with something tasty. Then I found the corn tortillas in the fridge and I knew that a delicious meal would soon be on my plate.
Creativity is about bringing forth the new. It is the search for better ways of living and being and doing. Creativity isn’t about the kind of job we have, it’s about the kind of life we live. It’s about the life we build.
We are all creative beings. Sometimes, though, we need help being creative. Here are some techniques to help unlock your creativity and invite new ideas into your life:
My family loves my cornbread muffins! They’re delicious, moist, and the honey gives them a little extra but subtle sweetness. I honestly have no problem whatsoever with boxed mixes, but I always had extra cornmeal mix in the cupboard so I came up with my own recipe. Hope you love them as much as my family does. [Read more…]
When my kids are in the mood for a special breakfast treat, there’s usually pancakes involved. Although these ones are made from scratch, they’re pretty simple to whip up in a hurry. When I first came up with this recipe, I only added chocolate chips, but I’ve since incorporated [Read more…]
Strawberries are my favorite fruit. In fact, they’re one of my favorite foods. I love them! Who wouldn’t—they’re beautiful, practical, and versatile.
Strawberries make the perfect snack: you wash their red sweetness, put them in a container, and they’re ready to go anywhere. You can also dip them in just about anything for extra flavor. This little fruit can be made into smoothies, candies, cakes, pies, and salsas. One of my favorite treats to make from this fruit is my delicious Strawberry Muffins with Strawberry-Lemon Glaze.
