Saturday Meanderings

Well, it is officially May~welcome to a fresh new month filled with the promise of Spring and sunny days ahead. I always love the saying “April showers bring May flowers,” and it feels especially fitting this time of year, even though we didn’t really have any April showers here. Thank you for joining me for my weekly Saturday Meanderings, where I share a lifestyle recap of the week-home, garden, entertaining, and all the little moments in between. So grab your favorite beverage, get cozy, and let’s dive into all the good things this week has brought.

Under the Weather

I’m writing this week’s post under less-than-ideal circumstances- an unexpected flu paired with acute bronchitis-and I’ve realized I do not like feeling sick.

Typically, when I start to feel under the weather, I gather all my “remedies” and convince myself nothing will come of it. Unfortunately, this time was different. When my throat was scratchy, I initially blamed it on yard dust after two days of trimming, raking and thinning. However it turned out to be something much more. Bummer. The fever is finally subsiding, but the deep cough from the bronchitis has left me a bit sore, and I’ve gone through an entire box of Kleenex thanks to the congestion.

The good news? I’m on the upswing and hope healthier days are just ahead.

May Day Traditions

Every year around May Day, I imagine myself making sweet little nosegays to hang on all my neighbors’ front doors. And every year, that lovely idea drifts in…and just as quickly drifts out, without a bit of action.

But this year, I decide to at least make one-just to see what the process might be like and whether it’s as easy (or complicated) as I’ve imagined. With plenty of craft supplies from the children’s school days, I roll a piece of decorative stationery into a cone and staple the sides. To disguise the staples, I add a few sweet flower embellishments with hot glue. I try to incorporate paper doilies, which look adorable but didn’t hold up once I added the flowers-so off they came.

Gathering blooms from the yard was the most enjoyable part, though a bit of trial and error. Some of the more delicate flowers, while beautiful, didn’t hold up well after handling. Staple the ribbon on before inserting the flowers~ergonomics comes into play so ribbon placement is necessary near the top of the cone.

Before inserting, I wrap the stems in a damp paper towel and cover them with a piece of aluminum foil. And voilá, a simple little May Day nosegay. Making one felt right this year, especially since I’m still not feeling 100%. Perhaps next May, God willing, I will follow through on the full vision. But for now, it feels like a small victory. Cute, isn’t it?

A Massive Loaf

Hankering for a really good slice of cinnamon raisin bread, I decide to make my own. Since I have an extra long 16″ Wilton loaf pan, I thought-why not go big? I made two batches of sourdough, loosely following a few cinnamon raisin recipes rather than sticking to just one. Into the dough went pre-soaked raisins (because no one wants dry raisins), along with roasted pumpkin seeds and walnuts.

After an overnight rise, I check on it and…oh my. This dough has seriously taken on a life of its own. We’re talking a lot of dough. The next step is forming it into a rectangle so I could spread on a buttery cinnamon-sugar paste for that classic swirl. Lastly, I topped it with streusel for an extra crunch. It actually took two of us to lift this massive dough into the pan- and it weighed a whopping 9 pounds. I mean, really?!

Of course, my mega-dough continued to rise right up and over the top of the pan. The final loaf (once baked and out of the pan) came in at 6.5 pounds-absolutely enormous, but thankfully, absolutely delicious. Could make a few corrections, which means the next loaf will be even better.

Fortunately, my sweet friend Chloe from Celebrate and Decorate sent me the most fabulous beeswax bread bags, so this big ol’ loaf is staying fresh and ready for the next slice.

A Delicious, High Protein Salad

We had friends over for dinner last Saturday, and I decided to try a new non-lettuce salad. Since one of our guests is vegetarian-while the rest are devoted meat eaters-I wanted something that could easily stand on its own as a main course if needed. This one did just that.

You can’t go wrong with the fresh ingredients of tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, chickpeas, and feta cheese. If I were to make it again, I would add a bit more tomato and cucumber, as I found it slightly chickpea heavy-but of course, that really comes down to personal preference. The Greek-inspired lemony oregano dressing is incredibly bright and flavorful, and one of the best parts is that this salad actually improves over time. The leftovers were just as delicious-if not more so-the next day, which is always a win in my book.

The recipe is from The Kitchn and you can find it here.

Stay at Bella Terra

Would you like to stay at Bella Terra? We’ve decided to begin sharing the Bella Terra experience in a more personal way. Since so many of you already feel like dear friends, we would love to open our home to you. If you’re planning a visit to Phoenix, or even if you already live here in the Valley of the Sun and are in need of a little getaway, both the guest cottage and pool house will be available for overnight stays.

We won’t be listing Bella Terra on vacation rental platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo. This is something much more intentional-an invitation extended only to you, this wonderful community who has supported and followed along over the years.

Let me share a bit more about what’s available here at Bella Terra. We have two charming places for guests-the guest cottage and the pool house-each with its own unique character and history.

Guest Cottage

The guest cottage is tucked into the northwest corner of our two-acre property and according to stories passed down over the years, dates back to the 1940s. Quiet and private, it has been lovingly restored and thoughtfully updated. Inside, you’ll find a full eat-in kitchen, a bathroom with shower, washer and dryer, a comfortable cozy bedroom with a queen bed-everything you need for a relaxed and restful stay. You can read more about the guest cottage here.

Pool House

The pool house, newly built during our extensive property renovation in 2000, offers a fresh and airy retreat. It has been recently updated with new flooring, fresh paint, and an improved kitchenette. The main bedroom is wonderfully flexible, with two twin beds that can be combined into a king, depending on your needs. There’s also a bathroom with a shower-and of course, my very special hand-painted floor, which adds a personal touch I absolutely love. You can see more of the pool house here.

If this sounds like your kind of getaway, I’d love to hear from you. While I’m still working on adding a dedicated page to the website, please feel free to reach out to me directly ([email protected]) for more details, availability and rates. It would be such a joy to welcome you to Bella Terra.

A Must-Have Staple

I cannot recommend enough having this staple tucked away in your freezer. It’s one of my go-to ingredients that works beautifully for both savory and sweet recipes-and best of all, it requires very little advance planning. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets are easy to find in the frozen section of most grocery stores, and I always have a few boxes on hand.

This week, with an abundance of beautiful heirloom tomatoes from the garden, I whip up this simple and delicious tomato tart. Using a 9″ square tart pan with a removable bottom, it came together in just minutes. I moved a package to the refrigerator for a few hours (each box contains two sheets) to defrost. Even though one sheet nearly fits the pan as is, I like to roll it out just a bit so I can press it neatly into the fluted edges.

From there, it’s all about layering flavor-spread one package of Boursin cheese (leftover from my charcuterie class), add sliced tomatoes, sprinkle with shredded cheese (Parmesan or Pecorino Romano), and finish with a light drizzle of olive oil.

Into a 400 oven, bake for about 20-25 minutes. Top off with some fresh chopped parsley if you’d like and just like that you have a beautiful appetizer or light meal for two…maybe even four.

What I love most is how versatile this pastry is. The very same sheet can easily turn into a quick dessert-simply add apples, cherries, or peaches, a sprinkling of sugar and/or cinnamon, and you have a fruit tart ready to enjoy.

Who doesn’t love an easy recipe? I really should do an entire post on all the ways you can use this puff pastry!

As we wrap up this week, I realize I forgot to mention that before this flu decided to slow me down, Scott and I participated in a 5K last Sunday with our friends and neighbors, Mitch and Tevia-all for a wonderful cause supporting Phoenix Children’s Hospital Home Safety and Safe Sleep Program. Funds raised help support those families affected by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. It felt good to be out there together for something so meaningful.

This weekend, however, will be far less ambitious as I am very ready to kick this bug and get back to feeling like myself. I’m hoping I feel well enough to attend our neighbor’s annual music festival, held at their lovely historic home tonight. Do you have any fun plans for the weekend. Remember, stay safe out there!