Farmhouse Industrial

My taste in decor has definitely been a work in progress.

I had the early teen years of pinks and purples.

I had a definitely Victorian phase - which you can still see at my parent's house.

I have had an eclectic hodgepodge - farm table, lodge decorations, traditional seating ...

I have finally "nailed" a look I love - they call it Farmhouse Industrial.

I boil it down to beautiful woods and metal.

Yes, I love the mixed mediums.

Remember the porch with ropes, 

the porch with metal,

the new dining set of "wood" and metal.

After cleaning out the living room space and paring down,

I was left with a small entry table for a desk.

It also boasted a 5 gallon bucket for a stool.

I was determined to not make a silly decision for my work space ...

and it had to be fairly small.

So I searched and searched to find a new desk.

What I learned was that I have expensive taste.

I also learned that desks are typically very large.

But, I did find some ideas that I loved and some that could be simplified

so that hubby could build me a perfect desk.

So here is the pile of wood and angle iron.

Hubby cut the pieces on Saturday.

I will be staining and poly-ing this week.

Hopefully on Saturday ...

I will have a new workstation :)

... and hopefully you will see it on the next Transformation Tuesday!

The Hit of the Party

I have been living life again - 

and sometimes it gets too busy to write.

But I am back,

and while sitting at the tire shop last week,

I made a plan of topics and things to write about.

So maybe there will be a consistent month here.

Today,

I share a "hit" from our Memorial Day picnic.

We hosted the church picnic and I made a few treats along with the hotdogs and sausages.

The concensus was that the strawberries needed to appear at the next church dinner.

So here they are - they really are good ...

and not too time consuming (especially with my resident piper's help).

Cheesecake-stuffed Strawberries

1 pound strawberries (approximately 10-12 large strawberries)

4 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Using a paring knife, slice the top off the strawberries,
then cut out the center portion.

In a small bowl add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
Use an electric mixer, or mix by hand, until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.

Transfer the cheesecake mixture to a piping bag, or use a small spoon to fill the berries. 

I made a double batch - and did not have to put any away!

Practice What He Preaches

No, I didn't choose the wrong pronoun.

Usually I do have to practice what I preach,

 but in this case,

I have been giving hubby a hard time.

While I was working in the Prophet's Chamber at church,

I was listening to many of the Sunday School lessons

that I miss because I am teaching in a different classroom.

Many times throughout the series that hubby was preaching,

he preached on hospitality and practical showing of Christian love.

I have been teasing him

and asking if he could't preach on some things that I am good at or comfortable with.

It's similar to when you pray for patience and you are given many opportunities to practice it.

It seems that it has been 2 months of practicing hospitality.

I don't want hubby to be seen as a hypocrite,

so I must practice what HE preaches.

And in all honesty ... it is proper and right to do so anyway.

A Feast to Celebrate

We had a very pleasant weekend.

May 14 was the 14th anniversary of our engagement.

We celebrated at the wedding of a girl that we knew in NY

who would also be our neighbor in NC.

It was fun to have the whole day together.

We ended the day with a trip to Golden Corral.

May 15 was my 41st birthday.

The day was absolutely beautiful.

Sunny all day, cool breeze, and a pleasant 75 degrees.

Picture perfect day.

We believe that this is the fourth year that we have celebrated with my own special birthday feast:

hot dogs

deli mustard potato salad

canned Bush's beans

Not a very balanced meal ... but my favorite none the less.

I was missing my childhood favorite : a Carvel Ice Cream Cake

I can't have the yummy cookie crumbs

and I would regret having the ice cream,

SO

I made ice cream sandwiches.

We started with these ginger cookies.

Then we filled them with coconut ice cream.

The fun was a suggestion by google search.

In order to fill our sandwiches,

we took the pint of ice cream (yes, that's the only way it comes),

tipped the pint on it's side,

and sliced it.

It was perfect.

Then we just popped the cardboard off and sandwiched it between the cookies.

Pretty and practical.

For My Weekend Guest (and His Mom)

Last Sunday, we had a wedding shower after the evening service.

Cutesy - Easy finger foods were in order.

So I called on Google!

Up popped this recipe - 

How could it fail?

It had two of my favorite ingredients - cilantro and BACON!

I was called on to make it again this weekend,

and my weekend guest loved it too.

Bacon, Corn, and Jalapeno Bites

1 8-oz package bacon

2 c. fresh or frozen corn (thawed, if frozen)

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped (I only used one)

1 small red onion, finely chopped (I omitted)

1 c grape tomatoes, quartered

1 c fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Juice of 2 limes (4 TBSP)

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 bag of scoop-shaped tortilla chips

Cook bacon and reserve 2 TBSP of drippings.

Chop bacon, add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

Serve with "Scoops."

A Creature of Habit

I guess I am a creature of habit or routine.

My mother knows my schedule.

The people at church know when I clean my house.

Some people might find it boring,

but I think that it helps me to get more done.
I know what has to be done

and I know what time I have to get it done.

I guess it is part of liking order and schedule.

Do you thrive on a schedule?

or do you like constant change?

maybe a blend?

Kitchen Reveal

Finally ...

The pictures of the updated church kitchen.

What a difference some paint,

some trash removal,

and some splashes of color make.

The old curtains were black and white.  

A little bit blah - and definitely needed updating.

Green - life!

We added the curtains at the egress with magnetic rods
 so that guests could shut them while up later into the night.

A reminder for all.
I love to have verses in every room.

We had no art work before.

So with some fabric - some ribbon - and some herb pictures ...

instant art work.

Our welcome basket in the kitchen as well as the "in case you forgot it basket."

Thank you for all of your great ideas!

.

Usually at our church dinners, the utensils were put out in plastic shoe boxes.

I decided to update as well as take less space.

So - little painted flower pots.

Our next guests will be here at the end of next week.

And this week, I need to plan some decorations and snacks for a graduation/wedding shower.

Fun, fun, fun.

What Would It Take?

I have mentioned many times that I have a "secret" weapon - 

an extreme help in being disciplined and balanced - 

it is my hubby.

Throughout my life, I have watched people struggle to do what is best for them.

Some have fought doctor's orders.

Some have fought well meaning family members.

Would you give up salt for your health?

sugar?

red meat?

canned foods?

Would you restrict calories to be a proper weight?

You will see many allergy friendly recipes on this blog.

Some of our friends and even some family members

think that we are following a trend

or being unreasonable,

but the real reason is ... 

we want to give our body the proper fuel.

In my search to reverse infertility,

we have given up many foods.

While not getting the "prize" I might have sought,

both hubby and I have learned to listen to our bodies.

The gluten free life has made me less emotional.

Less dairy has improved our digestion immensely.

Cutting highly processed foods and red meat has ended hubby's fruit allergy.

Limiting sugar has improved my skin and general well-being.

While there are times when the restricted diet is a nuisance,

the feeling of good health is tremendous

and the consequences of giving our body things that it doesn't thrive on are not worth it.

I also must add that there is nothing wrong with gluten, dairy, red meat ...

if your body tolerates it.

Just be sensitive.

The Transforming of a Mind

It is time for another Tuesday Transformation.

I should have taken pictures of the kitchen transformation at church,

but I keep forgetting the camera when I head over there.

Maybe next Tuesday, I can share those with you.

We will have our first fellowship meal this weekend

and I hope the church family will enjoy the transformation.

But today,

I will talk about a change of mind.

I have been battling loneliness recently.

I enjoy peace and quiet,

but sometimes 10 hours a day is a bit rough.

Recently, I have missed some days for piano lessons,

and many of the folks at church have seemed busy or preoccupied.

When I explained the need to hubby,

of course, he understood - 

even with his work companions,

he gets lonely too.

He hurt for me and was even ready to send me off to work

so that I could interact with others.

Here is where the transformation comes.

I knew that I should not be tied down to a job.

We had settled our convictions in this area years ago.

There are many ministries that in the home and church

that require my flexible schedule.

So ... I thought of a solution, I swallowed my pride, I left my comfort zone.

I told hubby that I would invite myself over to the homes of ladies in the church.

One each week.

I had my first visit today.

Three hours flew by ...

I think that not only did she meet my need,

but I met a need in my hostess' life that I did not know existed - 

she craved companionship too.

I don't know if each visit will meet 2 needs,

but for today,

I am encouraged to keep stretching outside of my comfort zone.

Another Sweet Treat

I just have such a sweet tooth,

so I try to meet its needs healthily.

We enjoyed "cuties" all winter.

Melon has been really good recently.

Strawberries are just about "in season" here and the imports are good right now.

I found this fudge recipe the other day.

We both enjoy it and again ... it is easy.

3 simple ingredients ... and voila!

Almond Butter Fudge

1/2 c almond butter

2 1/2 TBSP coconut butter (can use virgin coconut oil as well)

2 1/2 TBSP maple syrup

Combine the almond butter and coconut oil or coconut butter,
and gently warm until the nut butter is easily stir-able and the coconut oil is liquid.
Stir in the sweetener if desired, then spoon into a plastic container or candy molds.
I used silicone ice cube trays - very easy to "pop" out and a good size for serving.
Freeze a few hours until solid, and store leftovers in the freezer.