Vermont Cottage

Red and Teal

2012-02-05T12:37:00.000-05:00

Red and teal. I love these colors together.

I found this inspiration for the dining room on Google Images. I forget the original source, sorry! This seems more turquoise to me; but, the idea is the same. Lots of energy in this space.

Enjoy the day :).

Rainy Days and Puppies

2012-02-02T07:38:00.000-05:00

It's been rainy and spring-like here this week. Since my daughter is home, we've been enjoying long walks and talks for the past two days. It is so great to have her home again! Today is Hubsy's and my 22nd wedding anniversary and it's such a gift to have our daughter here to celebrate.

We are working on getting her puppy back to the U.S. Knowing what we do now, it's really no surprise that it was all so difficult (or as the Chinese say, "Impossible!") for Courtenay to do this on her own.

We're considering using this company to transport her back for us. If you know anything about them, good or bad, please let me know! I've only seen one complaint and it had more to do with lack of communication; the pets that were transported were well cared for. We're hoping to have an estimate within a day or two.

Have a wonderful day!
D.

NEWS

2012-01-29T09:21:00.002-05:00

I just heard from my daughter. She'll be arriving in New York tomorrow, sans puppy. Bindi will stay with a friend in China and, who knows? She may end up going with him to his home in Germany in 6 months.

What a night and morning this has been. More gray hairs.

D.

Not The Best of Times

2012-01-29T07:09:00.000-05:00

I was planning on a blog post this weekend about my daughter and picking her up from the airport. This morning we were planning to drive to JFK to be there when her plane was scheduled to arrive at 1:15. Last night we received word that she had missed her flight. All went well from Xiamen (where she's been since August) to Shanghai; but, then she could go no further. Because of this:

Shortly after Courtenay arrived in China, her interest in this little girl took off at a rapid pace. She adopted her as quickly as she could. Bindi was just a little thing when she brought her "home" to her apartment.

Since then, she's been part of Courtenay's China experience. Now, we aren't a family that's naive about traveling in China; Courtenay checked with the airport at Shanghai no less than 6 times to see if she needed to do anything further to take Bindi on the plane. She had one of her teachers speak to people at the airport as well, just in case she wasn't understanding their Chinese or they weren't understanding her English. They assured her that she was all set, or however they say that in China.

Anyway, this morning, rather than driving to the airport, we are waiting to hear when these two girls will be catching a plane. I just hope it's soon!
So, not the best of times. But Courtenay is safe and folks at the airport thought she'd only be delayed a day. I have no idea what this will mean financially but we'll deal with that when the time comes.

Hope your Sunday is much more relaxing than mine,
D.

Eat Your WINTER Veggies!

2012-01-22T09:59:00.000-05:00

Today I read an article on Whole Living.com about winter vegetables. You know, all those root veggies that, if you were smart, you harvested in the fall and have stored for the winter? Mmm-hmmm....I didn't do that either.

Never fear, these are the veggies you'll find in abundance right now at your local grocery store or co-op. Two of my favorite veggies are considered "in season" right now: Brussels Sprouts and Yams. We often prepare our yams (or sweet potatoes, we aren't picky) by drizzling them with olive oil, sprinkling the outsides with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and then baking them until they are super tender. By baking them longer than is really necessary they start to crystalize, making them even more sweet. By doing this, we've found we don't need anything else on them. No butter needed!

This week we've had some very cold evenings and Hubsy cooked up this hot number on one of those nights:

Spicy brussels sprouts,

baby bok choy,

and Sushi rice.

So good.

Are you cooking up winter vegetables this time of year? Give something new a try the week! It's really fun to have something new.

D.

Make Yer Own: Vanilla Extract

2012-01-16T10:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I picked up four vanilla beans at the Co-op to make my own vanilla extract. I used rum with this; but, according to some research, I could have used brandy or vodka. It seems the vodka might take longer (up to 6 months) while some sources I found said that rum can produce good flavored vanilla in a couple weeks! I'll let you know how this batch turns out.

In the meantime, I'm planning to have a little experiment with different alcohols to see which one gives the best flavor (once I pick up some brandy and vodka, that is).

I'm listing a bunch of things on ebay today and generally just enjoying being home on this very frigid morning. Negative 11 degrees when I got up. Not fun.

What's up in your world on this MLK Day?

Pantry Challenge and Spelt Waffles

2012-01-14T10:29:00.000-05:00

This month, I'm joining my blog-friend, Angela, on her January Pantry Challenge. Her challenge is perfect timing since I've been anxious to clean out the cabinets and move towards a more vegan diet. I haven't finished all of my cabinets yet, but here's a peek:

(As you're probably aware, I'm also trying to eliminate plastic and I cringe a bit when I see the plastic that's still in the cupboard. Especially the Bob's Red Mill products. Such wonderful goods but all in plastic. Sad, really.)

One item that I had forgotten I had (and discovered in my pantry cleaning) was Spelt Flour from Bob's Red Mill (See? I really like their stuff!). I have never used spelt flour but felt like Spelt Waffles would be a wonderful Wintry Saturday Breakfast. Sounds good, right? Well, I am a bit on the bare side in the cabinets these days, but with a bit of substitution, I came up with these yummy (though non-vegan) spelt waffles.

Here's the recipe:

Spelt Waffles

2 eggs
2 cups spelt flour
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 c. olive oil
1 T. brown sugar
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp almond extract

We topped them off with berries and maple syrup.

I have to say I'm really having a blast with this. I had forgotten how FUN cooking can be!

Now to find a good lasagna recipe...

Vegan Dinner

2012-01-11T06:52:00.000-05:00

After watching Forks Over Knives, we've decided to eat far less dairy and little to no meat. We haven't eaten red meat in close to 20 years, so that isn't a problem at all, and I was a vegetarian for a long time. Still, I'm realizing how many recipes can be easily swapped out to become more plant-based and healthier.

Here's one of our recent dinners. This was a Curried Split Pea Soup served over baked sweet potatoes. I never would have thought to put the two together; but, it was really good.

The soup in process:

Organic veggies from the co-op and old spices (it's time to clean the cupboards!)

The soup is made in two parts. First the split peas and onions are boiled in water along with the spices.

Then the veggies are added, producing a flavorful and thick soup.

Whenever I make this again, and I surely will, I think I'll try cooking the veggies in curry and spices first and then adding the water and split peas. Although it was very good, I think that would enhance the curry flavor.

Tonight we're having Black Beans and Quinoa. What's cooking with you?

Busy but Focused

2012-01-08T08:12:00.001-05:00

A belated Happy New Year everyone! We were away between Christmas and New Year's which means I didn't get my usual time to reflect and organize during that time. I really like being at home during the holidays, but we had a wonderful time visiting family and friends. It was well worth the traveling.

I am feeling very focused on two things in particular for the coming year. I hope to finally have my car parked in the garage, for one thing. We've lived here for 8 years and have used our garage for anything but parking a car. There really isn't much in there, and the weather has been springlike lately, so there's really no excuse for this one.

The other major focus of the new year is a combination of adopting a plant-based diet and committing more fully to no waste. To that end, Hubby gave me a bunch of glass jars for Christmas and the other day we drove down to Brattleboro to do our shopping. They have so much bulk food at the Co-op there that this could prove to be very easy, indeed.

This is all that we brought home. I love the mesh bags I bought on Etsy and the only thing here that is non-recycleable is the plastic for the dried fruit. They were already wrapped. We'll have to check into this.

And, finally, I'll continue on my 1000 item simplification this year. In December, I only managed to eliminate 20 items, so my total for 2011 was 846. Pretty good, but I do have lots more to sort through.

I'm seeing the new year as a continuation of all that I've been working on for the past few years. Goals feel very much within my grasp now, perhaps because they aren't out-landish goals or perhaps because I've made small steps over the years. I'm feeling more focused than ever which can't be a bad thing.

What about you? Any big goals for the new year?

I'm off to clean out my cabinets and fill my jars :). Enjoy your Sunday.
xo
D.

Clutter Fat Challenge

2012-01-03T17:30:00.000-05:00

I just came across this challenge from the folks at Project 333. This is a clutter fat challenge. Take a gander. Are you in?

xo
D.

Simple Holiday Pleasures

2011-12-26T16:43:00.000-05:00

This has given me so much joy in the past month.

Watching it grow has been so much fun. I can't wait to see where the blossoms end up. Will they be out of the vase entirely?

The amaryllis will be red, according to the box anyway, and it will be one more shot of color. See the pillow in the living room? I'm working on it. As you can probably see, I'm going with Simply White on the walls in our new dining room. The same color is in the adjoining living room. It's been a long project, but enjoyable.

In the year ahead, I'll be striving to simplify my life even further. Healthy meals, simple work-outs, a simplified wardrobe (maybe even Project 333), and, because debt is way too stressful to be part of cottage living, simple budgeting techniques and tips to live well when times are tight.

Hope you'll join me in the new year!

Christmas Dinner

2011-12-24T09:07:00.000-05:00

This has been our Christmas Day Dinner for the past few years:

Salmon Fillet with Citrus and Thyme

Horseradish Potato Gratin

Spinach and Gruyere Gratin

And, of course, a salad with all this rich food.

Perhaps an Apple Crumb Pie for dessert.

On a different topic of food, we watched Dive! last night. Have you seen it? It really makes you think about food waste, hunger, and the systems that need to change in order to feed the world.

No one should be going hungry.

Enjoy this holiday season, whatever your belief system may be.

I'll do my best to clean my plate :).

Good for You Granola: A Great Gift too!

2011-12-15T19:23:00.000-05:00

I've been making this recipe for granola from Country Living:

Ingredients

U.S.

Metric

Conversion chart

1 container(s) (18-ounce) old-fashioned oats (6 cups)
8 ounce(s) sliced almonds
1 cup(s) dried cranberries
1 cup(s) chopped dried apricots
1 cup(s) light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1 1/2 stick(s) unsalted butter
1/2 cup(s) honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss together all ingredients except butter and honey.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt unsalted butter. Stir in honey. Pour over oat mixture and toss to distribute. Spread granola onto a parchment lined baking pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until oats are toasted and sugar begins to caramelize, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely on pan. Transfer to an airtight container.

Read more: Golden Honey Granola Recipe - Country Living

It is so easy! The only thing I do not include is the honey. I really think it's sweet enough without it. This is also a great recipe to adapt depending upon what's on hand. No cranberries? Use raisins. Have some unsweetened coconut? Toss it in. I love how flexible it is and yet it always tastes great.

I am still not in holiday baking mode, or even gift-wrapping mode for that matter, but I'm always up for a good breakfast :).

Enjoy!
D.

November Simplicity Round-up

2011-12-09T06:31:00.000-05:00

Things have been so busy here that I've barely kept up with my decluttering efforts. I've been working on the dining room every chance I get but still don't have enough done to show you all a sneak peek. Maybe this weekend will finally be it.

November started out like gang-busters, but then tapered off, with 65 items out the door total. I'm not so sure I'll make it to 1000 for the year; but, I'm sure going to try!

Here's the round-up:
43 rolls of 8mm film
1 VHS tape
2 sweaters
1 jacket
1 coat
4 necklaces
7 pieces of transferware
1 book
1 coffee press
1 ornament
1 blanket
1 oven mitt
1 placemat

I usually weed through my Christmas decorations when we decorate the tree and we are doing that a bit late this year.

How's your decluttering going? Or are you waiting until the New Year?
xo
D.

Bulk Food at the Co-op

2011-12-03T19:30:00.000-05:00

Last night we shopped at the Brattleboro Co-op, which is probably the biggest and best co-op around. We were in Brattleboro anyway for dinner and always love to stop there. Since eliminating packaging has become such a big part of our lives, I happily checked out the bulk foods while Hubsy picked up some beer.

They have a tremendous selection of bulk items including vinegars, oils, and just about any spice you can think of. If we limited our diet to what they have in bulk and what is in their produce section, we would be very healthy, indeed: organic pastas, quinoa, wheat berries, oats, dried fruits, and even chocolate chips.

(photo not taken at the co-op, but they do have this much stuff, maybe more!)

I wasn't quite prepared for shopping last night so had to go to my nearby store today and I sure did see things differently. It's much harder to escape the packaging in a traditional grocery store.

So, I decided what I want for Christmas...a nice supply of jars for my bulk goods ;). This will mean a big trip to the co-op every three to four weeks, but much less recycling and garbage.

I cannot wait to clean out my cupboards ;).

Dr Bronner's Magic Soap

2011-11-26T10:10:00.000-05:00

I'm a huge fan of The Zero Waste Home and have been working for a couple years now to reduce the waste in our home. Bea has recommended Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap in several blog posts, so I thought it was time to give this a go. I intend to use it as a cleaner (although I primarily use vinegar, Bea recommends adding a touch of Dr. Bronner's for the scent) and as a hand soap. Once the 7th Generation dish detergent in the kitchen is gone, I'll give it a try there as well. If you're interested in Dr. Bronner's soap, you may be interested in these articles (below), especially the last one...that is really interesting ;).

On the many uses for Dr. Bronner.

On cleaning house with Dr. Bronner.

A really great article on the uses of Dr. Bronner soaps and which uses aren't so great.

So, tell me, do you use Dr. Bronner?
xo,
D.

The Day After

2011-11-25T08:57:00.000-05:00

What will you be doing today? I'll be...

Making homemade cranberry sauce to go with our leftovers.

Participating in Day 2 of the 100 pushups/200 situps challenge.

Picking up some wine at our local wine and cheese shop, Meditrina.

And sending a goody box to my daughter in China.

I'd say that's plenty for the day after :).

Whatever you do today, be good to yourself!

xo,
D.

Interesting Find

2011-11-23T08:16:00.000-05:00

Huh. Look at this on today's Tastemaker Tag sale. It's like digging through my attic. In fact, I have a pair of these, one of the few things I've kept from my mother. She had them hanging in the kitchen above the sink. Mine are painted red, but they have the exact same design on them. And now I know something about them too. Cool!

Lots of baking on the agenda today. Baking with a friend and digging out from under last night's snowfall. A good day ahead.
D.

Holiday Stress is a Choice

2011-11-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again when expectations for perfection are at an all-time high. For many, the 6 weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year's does not mean fun and merriment but instead a great deal of stress, and ultimately, disappointment.

Like so many others, I used to find this time of year particularly stressful and sad. A good friend and I would lament how we just wanted to "get through it". It seemed I was either full-on holiday mode or wishing it were over.

If you find the holidays particularly stressful, here is a reminder that you have a choice in whether or not the holidays "stress you out". I'm no expert, but here are a few things that have helped me get a grip on the situation. This list is for the next big holiday, Thanksgiving.

-Meals: Make them elegant and simple with recipes from Real Simple. Honestly, you don't even have to buy the magazine. Just google, search, click and print. They usually have few (high quality) ingredients and we always feel like we're eating in a restaurant when we use their recipes. Make some tried and true dishes and go for at least one new thing. This year, we're making Rosemary Maple Butter (the recipe was in the AARP magazine!).

-Decorating: Keep it simple by keeping it natural. Pumpkins, gourds, and leaves for Thanksgiving give way to bowls of pinecones and cinnamon sticks for Christmas. Think ahead and start some paperwhites and amaryllis bulbs this week for a beautiful and classy low-cost accessory by Christmas.

-Relationships: This is hard, but if you don't limit toxic people in your life, you'll never really be content. Stop making excuses for your toxic friends and loved ones. Snip them out of your holiday if at all possible. Who needs such negativity? If you can't snip them out entirely, put a timeframe on their presence and be ready to treat yourself with some good wine or champagne once they've gone :).

How are your Thanksgiving plans shaping up? I'm smack-dab in the middle of painting my dining room this weekend; but, I do have my menu all set and am going to the grocery store this evening. No traveling for us and no out-of-town guests, so I really am not terribly stressed this year at all. It's nice.

xo
D.

Eliminating Morning Screen Time

2011-11-12T09:38:00.000-05:00

How much time are you on your computer every day? Lately, I've been on my computer practically the entire day. Perhaps not too surprisingly, I'm not feeling very well, not sleeping well, am headachey and sluggish. I think the computer use in my life is a big culprit. I am not only on the computer all day at work but also a good chunk of the time that I am at home.

I am old enough to remember what life was like before computers and now that I think about what my mornings used to be like, I think I need to return to that lifestyle and see if it makes a difference. I used to exercise in the morning and then enjoy my coffee in relative peace and quiet (often getting up before the kids just to have this quiet time), thinking about the day to come. It was almost meditative, sitting in silence and thinking. Visualizing what I wanted to accomplish in the hours to come also made me more productive, at least in my memory.

So, with this in mind, I am beginning a screen-free morning routine (beginning tomorrow) and will not be checking email or blogs until later in the day. Ultimately, I'd like to not check email before I leave for work in the morning. I'll also be doing yoga or pilates before work, so that will also help me to feel better; but, I am pretty sure the decreased screen time will help a lot.

What about you? Does your morning routine include your computer? If so, are you then free to stay away from the computer at work? Do you limit your screen time?

xo
D.

Rae Dunn Clay: Rustic and Modern

2011-11-09T07:56:00.000-05:00

I am so in love with Rae Dunn products. If you aren't familar with them, check them out:

Word Stones

Sugar and Creamer

Word Mugs

Aren't they cool? If you think they're as wonderful as I do, go here to read about Rae Dunn Clay, based on the philosophy of wabisabi. I think you'll fall for Rae, and her great stuff, just as I have.

You can also go here for the Rae Dunn Etsy store or, if you're local, come visit The Pear Tree in Chester where I first saw these wonderful products. (Come on Sunday from 12-4 when I work there!).

Gorgeous day here in Vermont. Hope it's equally lovely where you are!

October Simplicity Round-up

2011-11-02T14:25:00.000-04:00

October was not a stellar month for clearing out, but it's coming along! Only 19 items this month:

4 books
2 sleeping bags (donated to Occupy Wall Street)
1 DVD
1 tank top
1 sweater
10 pieces of scrap metal

More to come...
D.

Chalkboard Paint: Overdone or Still Cool?

2011-11-01T15:02:00.000-04:00

Ok Peeps:

I need some advice.

Is this still hip?

Or did I miss it?

(LOVE the red!!)

Do tell!!
D.

Having Some Fun When Decorating

2011-10-31T16:41:00.000-04:00

I guess it's the bit of snow (about 6 inches) that we got over the weekend that has me more in a Christmas/New Year's frame of mind than a Halloween frame of mind. I do love Halloween, in general. I just didn't get into it this year. Ah well, on to other things, I guess...

I can't really say that I'm thinking about Christmas, either, since my daughter won't be home for the holidays. It will surely be lonely without her. What I am in is total clearing-out-and decorating-you'd-swear-it-was-January-mode.

I know I've said it before; but, I really used to have so much fun with this sort of thing. I wonder if I had more fun when I was renting. Or is it my age? Or is it that I keep thinking about selling? That is probably it: the whole selling thing; but, I have to tell you, the homes I've been in that really look like the people there love their homes are the most appealing homes to be in.

In order to spruce up the fun factor, I started looking at pillows on Etsy. This first pillow is pretty tame but I love the red.

I found these from here. Check out her store. She has great prices and lots of nice things.

I also liked this:

and am pretty confident I can make something similar. Looks like fun, right? To make and to use! (Go here to purchase).

I am still thinking about those red cabinets in the kitchen, but first I need to finish the dining room project. It is really taking a long time and, well, there's nothing FUN about it. Soon, soon, soon, I'll be ready to show what we've done so far.

Have a wonderful Halloween! And, please, if you have any fun decorating ideas, send 'em my way :).
D.

Red Cabinets

2011-10-29T09:04:00.000-04:00

I've always wanted red kitchen cabinets. What do you think?

(from frugalqueenafter6)

(google images)

The woodstove is almost ready to be fired up, and just in time. Snow is in the forecast. Can you believe it?

xo,
D.