It’s hard to believe that this is the last Saturday Meanderings in February. Next week is March where, hopefully, Spring is just around the corner. Happy Saturday and thanks for joining me today! I love writing this post as it is a time where we can catch up on all good things this week.

Guest Cottage Update

The exterior of the guest cottage is painted. Even though the painters failed to use the correct color paint on the antique shutters, I think it is a happy mistake. Originally the shutters were painted a very dark blackish green, but this time, the shutters are painted the same color as the body of the cottage. I actually like it so, like I said, a happy mistake!

The painters did not want to paint the details around the front door, so I took care of that this week.

Attending an Art Class

If you live in this area, you know what a gem The Hermosa Inn is to our community. Not only is it a lovely place to stay or dine, but they hold fun classes on the weekends. Last Saturday, thanks to my husband for buying tickets, my friend, Tevia and I attend an acrylic class called Mimosas and Monet.

The class is taught by artist Carrie Curran out on the patio of the beautiful inn. For 3 hours, we sipped on mimosas and had step-by-step artistic instruction. The above painting is the inspiration for the class. Aprons, canvases, paints, brushes and easels are provided.

Certainly a fun way to spend a Saturday morning with a dear friend!

Cleaning an Oven

The double ovens in my kitchen have a self-cleaning option, which is really a gift. Unfortunately, the gas stove in the guest cottage does not have that, and I can honestly say it has been a LONG time since I’ve cleaned an oven.

The inside of this oven is so gross. It took me two days, two cans of Easy-off oven cleaner, but it now looks brand new. This picture doesn’t do it justice~grease caked on the sides, bottom and top of the oven, oven racks thick with icky cooked on food remnants.

Not the best picture, but trust me, this oven is 1000% cleaner! Oh happy days!

Making Candied Orange Peels

With March just around the corner, I am trying a few new Irish recipes. One of the recipes I’ve never heard of before (and will write a post about it soon) called for candied orange peels. Since we are in the height of citrus season here, all it takes is a quick trip to the orchard with fresh oranges in hand.

Perhaps the most challenging part is trying to get long strips of orange peel off the orange. Cook in sugar water and simmer. Dry the orange peels on a rack and then toss them in sugar. Relatively easy and they do add a bit of sunshine to the recipe. Here’s the link to the recipe.

Love this Litter!

When our sweet girls found 2 kittens in our yard, the agreement was that I would never clean the litter box. Personally, I cannot stand the smell and it was supposed to be a good lesson in animal care responsibility. Fast forward to now and the children gone, and now guess who cleans the litter box?

My friend, Christine, recommends this product called Pretty Litter. I cannot tell you how much I love this litter as it creates NO ODOR. It’s more expensive than typical cat litter, but my goodness, I am such a fan. Not only does it trap odor, but it monitors your cat’s urine health (color indicator for pH and blood).

Here is the direct link to their website.

Cooking Class this Week

A dear friend of ours is such an advocate for eating a plant-based diet. She hosted a cooking class this week at her home. It was informative as we watched the chef and nutritionist explain that plant-based eating is not only healthy but can be tasty too.

The nutritionist recommends eating 35 different vegetables (and fruits, I think) per week. Do you eat a lot of vegetables? In my stir-fry above, I have red bell pepper, snap peas, cauliflower, mushrooms, onion, and garlic contributing 6 veggies toward my 35. And yes, there is chicken in this dish.

Also, I find that if I pre-slice mushrooms and cut up the veggies before hand, freeze them in ziplock bags, then it is easier to throw all of this together for a quick and healthy meal.

Eat your fruits and veggies, folks!

What I was doing a Year ago?

In scanning through last year’s pictures, I realized I did a post on drying roses. Quite honestly, I forgot about these roses and now you can see what they look like after 1 year of drying. See the blog post here.

What project can I make with these? Maybe something for Easter? It would have been nice to remember them for Valentine’s Day but that obviously didn’t happen. Would love your thoughts and suggestions.

From Around the Internet

My spice cabinet is one hot mess. Looking for a particular spice is so very frustrating. It’s on my list of many things to do when I finally get to the kitchen (I am working my way from one corner of the house to the other).

Michele from Vintage Home Designs does a spice cabinet refresh. The spice jars she uses are cute and different. Check it out here.

When I was growing up, I loved rearranging my bedroom. Courtney, from the French Country Cottage shares her living room with 5 different configurations. So if you are thinking about a Spring refresh, you may get some ideas from Courtney’s post. If nothing else, you will love her pictures.

I want to try this….a 3 ingredient dish that takes 20 minutes? Has anyone tasted Trader Joe’s cauliflower gnocchi? This entrée from Kitchn sounds delicious and healthy too. Looks like I need a trip to Trader Joe’s this week.

Well, happy weekend, friends! We have house guests and our daughter is visiting for the weekend. It’s supposed to get really chilly again on Sunday and Monday. I am ready to plant our Spring garden but we are not out of the frost danger yet.

Happy Saturday and I hope you are enjoying the fall season. Our morning and evening weather is slightly shifting to cooler temperatures. Last weekend we went to the mountains where we had actual crisp sweater weather. The social season is starting up again here in Phoenix, and we are looking forward to entertaining again. It’s that time again for Saturday Meanderings where we recap all good things this week. Grab your favorite beverage and let’s get started!

Cute Fall Hostess Gifts

There is something romantic about a wax seal on an envelope or using it here, affixing paper oak leaves to the top of a candle. By simply tracing a real oak leaf, I made these sweet notes out of decorative paper.

If you don’t have a wax seal, please do get one as it feels oh so very civilized. They are affordable and you can choose wax colors and your stamp design here. If you are a Target shopper, there are such good candle selections from Threshold (Studio McGee). Check out this 14.5. oz. Harvest Apple and Leaves candle for $15.00. Personally I like the wooden lid to affix the leaf.

The perfect hostess gift.

Ever attend a Webinar?

I’m probably sounding like a dinosaur here, but I really prefer meeting people in person or attending real classes. However, this week I signed up for a webinar through the University of Virginia (my son graduated from there in 2018) for a 45 minute class entitled Behind the Scenes – Sketch a Fall Leaf with Botanical Artist Lara Gastinger. A webinar is an online seminar that turns a presentation into a real-time conversation from anywhere in the world

Lara keeps a perpetual journal that she uses to sketch plants everywhere she goes. Rather impressive and I can say it was nice to sit still for nearly an hour and focus on the structure, design and color of one leaf. I did get to draw along, however, I did not have a micron pen (which Lara uses) only a sketch pencil.

Here are my notes and my simple sketch. Anyway, it is a good way to learn something new.

Virtual Vacation

My husband and I didn’t do much traveling this summer as we spent lots of time at home with our dog, Cooper. Typically our summers are filled with travel destinations and I long and dream to go somewhere. I follow artist, Jeanne Oliver and she has been exploring Italy for the past 9 years. Just reading her post, An Artist in Bellagio, transports you to the beauty of Lake Como in Italy.

You will feel as if you are on vacation as her posts are filled with travel sites, restaurants, activities and nature. Jeanne also has other artist series in Florence, Tuscany, Marrakech, Lombardy, Oaxaca, and Lisbon. If you need a mental vacation, check it out here.

Autumn Play List

There is never enough music in my life. The music system we put into the house 20 years ago, is non-functioning and I miss listening to music while cooking in the kitchen. I need to plug my phone into a good set of small speakers, but I just haven’t done that yet. However, I may be inspired to do so.

Jen, from Simple Modest Mom recently assembled an Autumn Playlist, which she states is perfect to play on a cool autumn day. You can find it here. I haven’t sampled it yet, but if it is not your taste, you can search the web and find several other genres.

Visit to the Pumpkin Patch

I get a little giddy going to Willis Family Farm in Snowflake, Arizona. It was opening weekend and we (my husband , Scott and my friend, Tevia) bought 340 pounds of pumpkins! The trunk is full with all sizes, shapes and colors. I cannot wait to finish my fall decorating.

Doesn’t this look Good?

The Autumn issue of Chic & Country magazine is now available. Not only are all the home pictures gorgeous, but the recipes they are featuring this month look so yummy. I may try out this Hazelnut Cake with Pears and Grapes. However, one of the ingredients is 2 glasses of milk. What? How much is that? American sized glasses? Does anyone have any idea? Plus one of the ingredients is Maria cookies? On second thought, maybe it is just best to look at the picture.

Fun Story

With so much bad news out there, it is a delight to come across a good story with a happy ending.

Andrea Scholten of St. Albans, Maine, and her family packed up their pop-up camper late last month and set off on a road trip to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, for an airshow event.⁠
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Little did they know their cat, Delilah, had invited herself along for the ride.⁠
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After driving about 900 miles from home to Toledo, Ohio, the family discovered the stowaway in the camper.⁠

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Scholten suspected Delilah had sneaked into the camper when they were packing it that morning.⁠
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“The plan so far is to see how she does as a camper cat. If she doesn’t do well, we’ll have to find a kennel,” she wrote in a Facebook post at the time.⁠
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As it turned out, Delilah was well-suited to both camping and fame. Scholten’s Facebook posts attracted lots of attention, especially after arriving at their destination. Delilah quickly became an Oshkosh sensation, making multiple local news headlines and getting traction under her own hashtag, #stowawayoshkoshcat.⁠

On that note, I will wish you a wonderful weekend…and it is already October! Oh my what even happened to September?!?

I hope everyone enjoyed the nice, long holiday weekend. Each year we head to the mountains where the July 4th holiday is extra special. Everyone’s cabin and golf cart is adorned in red, white and blue and there is a strong sentiment of patriotism and love for our country. And, I do feel like I got some relaxing in! Welcome to this week’s Saturday Meanderings, where we just chat about all good things.

I am always amazed at the energy and creativity residents put into decorating their homes and participating in the parade. From highly decorated trucks and trailers to innovate dance routines, the Bull Frog Loop parade doesn’t disappoint. And I think this year’s parade is extra special after a year of lockdowns.

Hosting a Brunch

Since our cabin is on the parade route, we always host a pre-parade brunch. With about 30 guests, I did rely on the same menu that I do every year. My egg casserole (here) and a blueberry coffee cake (here). Since we have a large rectangular wooden surface, I made this fruit/croissant board. Mimosas and bloody Mary’s add to the festivities.

Bringing the Dogs

This trip we did bring Cooper and Sox up to the mountains, and of course, it takes a few days for them to adjust to all the activity. But as you can see, it didn’t take Cooper long to dominate the sofa.

Our pocket beagle, Sox did celebrate his 14th birthday. Our sweet old guy can’t hear as well and his eyes are getting cloudy with cataracts, but he still has puppy moments.

New Baby Birds

Last Saturday, I did share this picture of a nest found in one of the large geranium planters. It’s been hard not to peek but I just couldn’t resist and yes, the birds have arrived!

Each morning, I sit on the front deck with my coffee and watch the parent birds fly back and forth with food for their babies. The marvels of nature.

Using Puff Pastry

Pepperidge Farm puff pastry is a staple in my freezer as there are so many easy recipes you can whip up at the last minute. This week I did try a tomato tart from Twigg Studio. With caramelized onions, goat cheese, thyme and lots of lovely tomatoes in a puff pastry, isn’t this tart beautiful? Click here for the recipe.

Having an additional puff pastry sheet, I did use up the rest of the goat cheese, sweetened with honey, and ripe apricots for this tart. Drizzle a bit of honey on the top and bake. Since I did this on the fly, I didn’t measure anything but in retrospect, I would add more honey as the apricots are a bit tart. 400 degrees for 30 minutes (but note: this is high altitude cooking here).

Personal Gourmet

For many years I use the services of Personal Gourmet. Locally, Chef Jimmy Watters delivers restaurant grade protein to our home. This service has been a life saver with being able to have chicken, salmon, steaks, fish, meatballs, shrimp and similar proteins always on hand. Individually shrink wrapped and stored in the freezer, I cook up what we need and only have to make a salad or provide a vegetable side dish for a complete meal.

This is such a convenient service, especially with our growing family or even now, just for the two of us. Before leaving for the cabin, I placed a large order with Jimmy and now I have both freezers filled with things to eat. Since I prefer to cook at home vs. going out to eat, I know we are getting high quality choices for lunch and dinner.

It appears that Personal Gourmet may be located in Californa, Texas and North Carolina, in addition to Arizona. For more information about this convenient and delicious service, contact Chef Watters at 602 -339-2059.

Finally Painting again

I haven’t picked up a paintbrush since my Christmas painting of our cat, Donovan. Yikes. For something that I enjoy doing, I cannot seem to be disciplined enough to make time for it. But, being at our cabin with a more relaxed schedule, I am able to start a new painting! This painting’s inspiration is actually an arrangement of wisteria and lilacs done by my friend, Barbara from Mantel and Table.

It is not done yet, but it does feel good to put brush to canvas.

Watercolor Tutorial

Danielle from Finding Silver Pennies is a talented artist and designer. In one of her latest blog posts, she has a tutorial on painting mini watercolor seascapes. The video is 6 minutes long, and it is a fun way to experiment with watercolor paints.

With limited supplies, I did Danielle’s video this week. I do not use watercolors very often but practicing with her guidance is a good start! See Danielle’s post and video here. Danielle and her son (a young and inspiring artist) sell their artwork and various items on the Finding Silver Pennies website. Check it out here.

If you are in need of a watercolor set, there is a nice selection here. It helps to paint on watercolor paper. And don’t forget watercolor paint brushes here. Happy painting!

Laughter Therapy

It’s fun to share a good laugh, but did you know it can actually improve your health? After a very long and challenging year, it’s more important than ever to laugh and be happy.

It is true: laughter is strong medicine. It draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body. Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. It also helps you release anger and forgive sooner.

As children, we used to laugh hundreds of times a day, but as adults, life tends to be more serious and laughter more infrequent. But by seeking out more opportunities for humor and laughter, you can improve your emotional health, strengthen your relationships, find greater happiness—and even add years to your life.

So go out there and laugh! It will make your face look younger too!

Cheers to you from the White Mountains of Arizona! Have a wonderful rest of the weekend.

If you missed my blog posts this week, see them below.

This past weekend I did do more window washing and tackled the job of cleaning the range hood. Using a newly recommended product from my friend, Andrea from Design Morsels, I am amazed at the results. A weekend of cleaning resulting in also doing some easy kitchen updates. But let’s start with this new product.

A great Degreaser

Andrea is the modern day Hints from Heloise (am I dating myself?). From her decorating tips to product reviews, I know I can trust that Andrea has done the homework for me. When she recommends Krud Kutter to clean your range hood, I immediately order some online. See here.

Our Dacor stainless steel range hood looks clean from a distance….until I spray Krud Kutter on it. Immediately the smell of old grease fills the air and much to my horror, the range hood is far from clean.

When I spray Krud Kutter on my Waterworks tile (again they look clean) the degreaser quickly does its job. At this point, I am just appalled.

In the range hood, I have 4 metal filters which I spray down and place in the sink. Thinking grease is difficult to remove from the mesh, I pour boiling water over the filters. You can see the difference between the dirty vs. clean part.

By the time I finish, not only am I pooped but what other items can I attack with Krud Kutter? Now that this cooking area is super clean, I want to mix things up a bit.

My Inspiration

I love art in a kitchen. However, I have so few walls that it is difficult to find a place for it. Inspired by a picture of Heloïse Brion’s kitchen, (author of Miss Maggie’s Kitchen cookbook), why not put art on the shelf above the stove?

Before and After

Here’s a picture of my cooking area before Krud Kutter. A bit cluttered and well-used.

And now here it is ~new and improved! Look at the clean hood and tile!

I know you are thinking that having original artwork about the stove is not practical…..and it probably isn’t. However, I did have such fun playing with the space and changing things up. Will I leave them there while I cook? No. But for right now I am enjoying the new look around the stove.

Scrubbing the scale and coffee bean container add to the shine.

By the stove I keep handy things for cooking on a pedestal plate~oil, seasonings, spices. Even the water faucet cleans up nicely!

The double ball boxwood topiary is from Ballard Designs and is one of two. And the twine holder with scissors can be found at the shop at Whitfill Nursery.

The paintings are done by me. The blue bowl and oranges is from a Kelli Folsom online art class. Since I do love chickens, this painting is just for fun.

There is something fun about re-arranging items in your home. It’s easy to leave things as is, but mixing it up helps stimulate my creative juices. I am enjoying my much cleaner kitchen and the new look in the cooking area.

Have a happy Wednesday and hopefully the warm Spring sun is shining on you.

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

Sticking my face into a hedge of lilacs is a fond childhood memory. Inhaling deeply, I recall this heady, sweet fragrance confirming that Spring is here. My lilac memories as an adult are a bit of a blur since life took me to multiple geographic locations, some with lilacs and some without.

These flowering, woody plants range in color from magenta to purple to white. The colors symbolize every thing from purity and innocence to love and passion.

I have a longing for lilacs every single year, because they do not grow in our hardiness zone in Phoenix. Buying them locally is a disappointment due to lack of smell. What is a lilac with fragrance?

One year when I was back east visiting my parents in Connecticut, I literally brought a huge bouquet on the plane which took up most of the overhead bin. I was the only one happy about that!

Another time, during a business trip to Lake Tahoe, the hotel’s flower shop had an abundance of beautiful, fragrant lilacs. I purchased all of them and requested they be sent to my room. I don’t remember much about that 4 day conference, but I do recall how wonderful my room smelled!

Since I am unable to enjoy lilacs in person, I am inspired to paint them. Recently, my friend, Barbara from Mantel & Table created a gorgeous arrangement with lilacs and wisteria (another thing we cannot grow here). To see her lovely post, click here.

I have never painted these flowers before, but I know that it is difficult to capture the color and detail. This weekend, I took a few hours and found an online class by Kelli Folsom on how to paint lilacs. She luckily can pick them from her yard and this is a photo of her still life inspiration.

What I love about art and painting is that everyone has their own interpretation. Here is Kelli’s finished version.

And here is mine~~again not completely finished yet as I need to noodle it a bit more.

Now that I see these paintings side by side, I have an idea on what I can do to improve mine.

Kelli Folsom recently posted more lilac paintings. Unfortunately they are not subjects of an online class, but the paintings are up for sale on her website. Wish I had some extra cash laying around!

Practice makes perfect so I will be painting many more lilacs! Do you have a flower(s) that you love? That evoke wonderful memories? If so, please share.

Wishing you a Tuesday where you smell lots of flowers!