Tyler and Kym (my brother and sister-in-law) bought a house on the Outer Banks last fall and we finally got to go out there to visit them and see it! It’s truly the perfect house for them, complete with a saltwater pool and gorgeous lake views, while only being a 5-minute drive to the beach. It was the perfect way to spend a 5-day Memorial Day weekend. Trust me, we did NOT want to leave. We had so much fun! Continue reading
Category Archives: Simpler Living
Recipe: Chorizo, Kale and Onion Quiche
I love quiche. Sean loves quiche. Quiches are a frequent breakfast, lunch or even dinner in our house. I always make up my perfect pie crust and find that quiches are a great way to use up vegetables that need eaten or, in this case, to creatively use a yummy meat like chorizo. This is a quick and easy recipe for a family meal or to share with friends at brunch, etc. Continue reading
Family Memories + Our Re-upholstered Rocker-Recliner
My mom’s dad, who passed away from a heart attack when she was 13, had had this Lazy Boy recliner and it stayed in our family, used often by all of us and featured in countless photos. My brother and I were rocked in it, played on it, slept in it and received much love in it.
After my mom and stepdad built their house in the late 1990s, it went into the basement and stayed there. Ever a quality piece with a sentimental value, it was out of sight but not out of mind and whispers of getting it reupholstered occurred from time to time. Read on to see what we ended up doing with the chair. Continue reading
Nursery Update: 21 Weeks Pregnant
Once we found out we were having a boy, we started ordering for our nursery with a crib and bedding set. Good thing because the bedding set has been discontinued on Wayfair and I got a great deal on it! Things are now really starting to come together. Continue reading
Easy Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock Recipe
For years, I’d been making my chicken stock in the slow-cooker – 24 hours on low, getting to be more of a bone broth. I thought it was the best out there – no other method could beat it. Enter the pressure cooker and my recognition of a superior way to make chicken stock at home. It’s even easier, too! Continue reading
Uncle Jeff: In Memorium
This is my favorite photo of me with my Uncle Jeff.
The day before I started my new job at FIS, my Uncle Jeff passed away in hospice up in Ohio. My dad was with him. Jeff had been in hospice for several weeks and in a nursing home for several years before so it wasn’t unexpected. But it’s still sad and I’m still going to miss him – honestly, as I have even since he went into the nursing home and got sicker and sicker to the point where he couldn’t come home for holidays and then later, when he didn’t remember me anymore.
Last weekend, I flew up to Ohio for the calling hours and services. My Uncle Jeff was a special human being and it was important for me to be there. It was also great to have the family together again. I wrote a few words and read them during his service. They are below, along with his obituary – and some photos of our family all together. Continue reading
Our First “Atlanta Food Swap” Event
We’ve been making kombucha at home for a while now and felt like it was getting to the point where we’d like some objective feedback and to see if it’s in-demand. We’re not ready to sell it so the Atlanta Food Swap seemed like the perfect next step for us as we hone this craft beverage. Sean and I work together on all our batches of kombucha and think that our Lavender-Mint Kombucha is our best and most unique flavor to date. So that’s what’s going to the swap later today. I’ll probably update this post with a report on how it went, but wanted to get this up in case we had site visitors from the event today.
Welcome! Thanks for stopping by! If you’re interested in potentially ordering some kombucha, leave a comment. All kombucha is made-to-order and can take 1-2 weeks.
Update: The Swap Meet was great! There were all kinds of items from fresh produce to canned jams and jellies and handmade toys to spice blends. We got a lot of stuff and had a wonderful time meeting everyone and learning about their crafts and hobbies.
Easy Refrigerator Pickles
Ah, summer produce. It’s here in all its glory and abundance. In past summers, I’ve had great success with cucumbers, often having many more at one time than we could eat. This summer is our first one with a garden at our new house, so it’s been a learning experience on what will grow, where the best sun is in our yard, etc. I’ve still gotten quite a few cucumbers from just a couple of plants but they’ve been very small. I don’t think they’re getting quite enough sun but they’re still tasty.
One of my favorite things to do with “too many” cucumbers to make refrigerator dill pickles. They keep in the fridge for a few months (but are generally best within the first few weeks) and are a great snack. I’ve experimented with a few different recipes and have finally put together the one that I think delivers the most crunch and flavor while being QUICK and EASY! Continue reading