Is it really the first Saturday in August? I cannot believe some children are already back in school. Are you wanting summer to stretch out or are you ready for fall? I am hanging onto summer, especially as we are enjoying it in the cool mountains of Arizona. It has been a very busy week so it feels like it just flew by. Well, Happy Saturday and it’s time for another Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things. Let’s jump in!

Local Farmers Market

A week ago, at this time, we decide to explore the farmers market up here in Pinetop. I would summarize it by saying it is small but mighty. I find pickling cucumbers, garlic and onions from the local produce lady; great Italian frozen take-and-bake food from Chef Scotty; an excellent quiche (by the slice or whole) that rivals my own; Japanese Milk buns from Cedar Hill Bake Shop (@cedarhillbakeshop); 1847 sourdough starter kit and grass fed beef from Skutel Cattle Company.

It can’t recall a time when we had such a haul from a farmers market, but this one is a winner if you get there early. If you are ever in Pinetop-Lakeside on a Saturday morning, check out the White Mountains Market, 1501 W Mountain Blvd. from 9 am to 2 pm.

What are Japanese Milk rolls?

According to King Arthur Flour, Japanese milk rolls are referred to as Hokkaido milk bread. These rolls are incredibly soft and airy thanks to a simple technique involving a roux “starter”, known as tangzhong. The roux is mixed into the final dough, producing wonderfully tender bread each and every time.

You are probably wondering why I am a bit fixated on Japanese milk rolls, especially since I have never heard of them before, nor have I tasted one. In reading Elin Hildebrand’s book, Five Star Weekend, her main fictitious character is Hollis, a food influencer. According to the story, Hollis has a website, Hungry with Hollis, and she posts a video with her “making a meatloaf sandwich with homemade refrigerator pickles on freshly baked Japanese milk bread”. The video goes viral and hence her story begins.

Well, being the food enthusiast I am, once I read that passage in the book, I just couldn’t let it go. So when I saw the Japanese milk rolls at the farmers market, guess what I did? Yes, you are right! I quickly made a meatloaf and refrigerated pickles with the meat and cucumbers I bought at the same farmers market.

Needless to say, it is all very, very good. I’ve never seen these rolls for sale anywhere so if you cannot find them, I would say a close second would be Hawaiian sweet rolls. Not as fluffy as the Japanese ones, but a good option.

BTW~Making refrigerated pickles is also simple and I hope to write a post about that soon. Also, do you have a favorite farmers market? If so, please share.

1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough Starter

As I mention above, I purchase the 1847 Sourdough Starter kit at the Farmers market. Story goes that the seller, during the pandemic got some of this semi-dry sourdough starter (you can find the entire source/story here) and is now selling activated bits of it. Since I don’t have any sourdough starter up here at the cabin, I thought, why not? Maybe it is the real deal or maybe it isn’t, but it will be fun to experiment with baking bread at 7,500 feet.

The instructions are not completely clear so I follow it as best I can. My beautiful Le Creuset pot which I use faithfully to bake my bread is also in the Valley, but I have a smaller Lodge cast iron Dutch oven that may work.

I literally just pulled the bread out of the oven and I’m so pleased with how it looks. Unfortunately I need to wait a bit before I slice into it, but so far, so good!

Pavlova

It is definitely a week for cooking and new recipes. After making two Apricot Almond tarts last time at the cabin, I had 10 egg whites leftover from that recipe. Since I don’t like to toss or waste, I freeze the egg whites in a Ziplock bag and use them for a pavlova.

What is a pavlova? According to Wikipedia, a pavlova is a meringue-based dessert. Originating in either Australia or New Zealand in the early 20th century, it was named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. Taking the form of a cake-like circular block of baked meringue, pavlova has a crisp crust and is soft and light inside.

A typical pavlova uses 4-6 egg whites, but with 10 I just assume I can make a bigger one…which I did but still had pavlova mixture left over. I use that for 6 more individual pavlovas. In summary, way too many pavlovas. Other ingredients include sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch. Here is a very easy recipe from allrecipe.

The fun part is the filling which can be fresh whipped cream, lemon curd or really what ever you’d like. I use whipped cream and fresh fruit for both the gigantic and mini ones. Thankfully friends agree to come and share the large one, with plenty left over to take home with them.

If you are looking for a light summer dessert, try making a pavlova. It’s simple and your friends will be impressed!

Gardening in the Mountains

Most of our property here is natural forest and not structured landscaping or gardens. However, we do have an existing pear and apple tree that came with the property. Recently, we add a watering system and now will do more planting.

To date, we have two new cherry trees~a Bing and Montmorency and one new apple tree~a Fuji. I am excited to see how they grow, as this hardiness zone (6b) is so different than the one in Phoenix.

New foundation plants should be going in soon and hopefully then I will have hydrangeas, lilacs, peonies and hostas. Yippee!

Do You Use Dryer Balls?

We use dryer balls but I never understood the benefits of something so simple. Dryer balls bring forth fluffier towels, softer sheets, and less-wrinkly shirts while also reducing drying time by 25%. This is an eco-friendly alternative to traditional fabric softeners and dryer sheets. The main purpose of using dryer balls is to reduce drying time, soften fabrics, and decrease static cling in your laundry.

Benefits of Dryer Balls

1. Drying time reduction: Dryer balls work by creating space between clothes in the dryer, allowing air to circulate more efficiently. This improved airflow helps to dry your laundry faster, potentially cutting down on drying time by up to 25-50%. This can lead to energy savings and lower utility bills.
2. Fabric softening: The tumbling action of the dryer balls against the clothes helps to soften fabrics naturally without the use of chemical-based fabric softeners. This is especially beneficial for people with sensitive skin or those looking to avoid synthetic additives in their laundry routine.
3. Reduced static cling: Dryer balls can also help reduce static electricity in fabrics, which is a common issue when using the dryer. The gentle agitation of the balls against the clothes helps prevent static buildup, leaving your clothes less prone to sticking together or clinging to your body.
4. Environmentally friendly: One of the main advantages of dryer balls is their eco-friendly nature. Unlike single-use dryer sheets, which are typically discarded after each use, dryer balls can be reused for hundreds of drying cycles before needing replacement. This reduces waste and is more sustainable in the long run.
5. Hypoallergenic: Wool dryer balls, in particular, are often preferred by those with allergies or sensitivities because they are free from synthetic fragrances and chemicals commonly found in fabric softeners and dryer sheets.
6. Scent options: While dryer balls don’t add artificial fragrances like dryer sheets do, you can add a few drops of essential oils to the dryer balls if you prefer a scented effect. This allows you to customize the scent of your laundry without using potentially harmful chemicals.

Overall, dryer balls are a practical, cost-effective, and eco-conscious addition to your laundry routine, providing a more sustainable way to dry and soften your clothes. Apparently wool balls are the best and you can find them here.

That’s it for this week’s Saturday Meanderings. If you missed my Tuesday post, you can see all the organizing and cleaning I did in my kitchen here. Next week I hope to share my Spice cabinet redo.

As always, thank you so much for joining me today. I so appreciate your continued support! Enjoy your weekend and stay cool out there.

Our peach crop this year is abundant and amazing. Typically by mid-May all the peaches are either picked or eaten by the birds. But this year, I am still picking peaches into June. The tree is still full of fruit and hopefully by this weekend, all the peaches will be gleaned, ripe or not. Peach season is always an exciting time around our house.

I am not sure what varietal peach tree we have, but these are true peaches~gorgeous, fleshy fruit that is flavorful and fuzzy. I’m not even sure you can find a fuzzy peach in a typical grocery store chain anymore.

We call these our “bend over and eat peaches”. They are so juicy and so sweet. Many a shirt has been ruined with peach juice.

Peach Crisp

This year the first dessert we make is peach crisp. I use the recipe from one of my favorite cook books. If you are not familiar with Susan Branch, she is an author, watercolorist and designer. Born in Southern California, she lives in an 1849 home in Martha’s Vineyard.

Her cookbooks are works of art with handwritten copy. One of my favorites is The Summer Cookbook, published in 1995. The peach crisp recipe is based on the Peach & Plum Crisp one in this book. You can tell I use this recipe a lot as the page is a bit dog-eared! I believe this book may be out of print, but Amazon has it here.

You can’t go wrong with anything crisp~~apple, peach, pear, and cherry. I use this recipe for all fruits because the “crisp” part is the perfect topping. I adjust the recipe by increasing the quantity of one fruit vs. two. Click here for the recipe.

Peach Salsa

What is interesting about picking fresh fruit, is that it doesn’t last very long. So I need to use the fruit within a few days. As a result, yesterday we made peach salsa.

I didn’t really follow a recipe this time. This batch is made with tomatoes (cherry ones from the garden), yellow and orange bell pepper (as I didn’t have any green or red), peaches, cilantro, red onion, jalapeño peppers, lime juice, and salt.

More Recipes

This salsa is perfect with chips, but also goes well with fish or chicken. If you would like to get the recipe from a previous post on Peach Salsa, click here. I have two other blog posts with peach recipes~~Tomato, Peach and Corn Salad (which is delicious!) and homemade Peach Pie.

We will be picking more peaches today and maybe peach ice cream this afternoon? At some point, my family will tell me they are “peached out”. That is my cue to preserve the rest of the harvest.

Have a peachy day!

Happy 1st Saturday in May! We are experiencing the absolute best weather~cool mornings and days in the low 70s. All the windows are open and the birds are singing and life is good. As I write this I am home alone, which is rather rare and I am enjoying the quiet and stillness of the morning. Let’s get started chatting about all good things this week.

A Late Birthday Celebration

Now for the second year, my dear friend, Christine, takes me to the English Rose Tea Room to celebrate my birthday. If you live in the area, you MUST go to this very special place. You can choose to dine out on the patio or inside the very girly, rose-filled tea room.

In addition to high tea (with those lovely small sandwiches), they have daily specials. We order the most delicious watermelon, arugula salad with chicken with a few pots of a rose tea. What a delightful time we had and I look forward to this being an annual birthday tradition.

It seems like I don’t dress up very often lately, so it is extra fun to pull out a very feminine skirt (purchased long ago from Soft Surroundings) and heels for lunch. I think decorative longer skirts are back in style? Is that possible?

Thank you Christine for a memorable day! The English Rose Tea Room is located at 201 East Street, Carefree, Arizona, 480-488-4812. If you want to see a video of the interior, check out my Instagram @lifeatbellaterra.

Technology Overhaul continues

A few months ago, we embark on re-doing our antiquated wired technology system…and the project continues. We hope to wrap up soon, but what an undertaking. Twenty-three years ago, when we restored this house and all the walls were open, we had miles of wires installed to have a “smart” home. Well, everything is now obsolete and the wiring worthless, so it’s been a huge project to update it.

We are nearing the finish line and it’s nice to remove all the old, larger equipment for a system that is fast and efficient. We are even seeing our electric bill go down which is a big plus. Looking forward to fixing all the holes and doing a final clean up.

Big Week in the Garden

My artichoke plant is really producing this year. I am able to harvest 4 good size ones this week. Typically I parboil them and finish them off on the grill with a homemade Remoulade sauce. However, this week I try a new recipe where I baked them instead. Less work but I prefer grilling them. But I really think it’s the yummy Remoulade sauce that’s the best (with the most calories!)

Strawberries are juicy and delicious but will soon be gone as soon as the temperature increases.

The peach tree is abundant with fruit. For the first time ever, I am netting the tree this year in the hopes that we get to eat the peaches before the birds.

Remember the gnarly looking hollyhock plants near my garden? Still not sure what caused the disfiguration but all those plants are now gone. Nearby, I have nasturtium that comes up every year and that, too, is looking a bit stressed. So we pull all the sickly plants and reveal that my small raised flower bed needs some attention.

The soaker hose is dried and requires replacing (thank you, hubby). New healthy soil is added and I plant several seeds~zinnias, pincushions, and poppies. We have quite a few quail roaming the property and they are notorious for eating new shoots and sprouts.

Metal hoops and bird netting is added and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a lush flower garden!

Spider Mites~yuk!

Just when you think things are going well in the garden, I now have a nasty case of spider mites. Spider mites feed on the leaves through their piercing-sucking mouthparts. They remove contents from individual plant cells, leaving behind the the cell wall, which makes the emptied cells appear silvery. The most noticeable damage of symptom of infestation is white stippling on the leaves. Heavily infested plants take on a faded, yellowish or greyish cast. Severely infested plants are covered by a thin layer of webbing created by the large numbers of spider mites.

First they attack a very large tomato plant which I pulled and discarded. But the mites are spreading to the tomatillos and possibly my eggplant. We’ve had windy days here so it’s highly possible they are just blowing all over the garden.

Isopropyl alcohol seems to do the trick. I spray a solution of approximately 70% isopropyl alcohol on all the affected plants. So far so good, but they can devastate a crop very quickly.

In gardening, there is always SOMETHING trying to ruin your crops.

Baking and Making this Week

Last Sunday was National Raisin Day (yes, who knew?). It was a good excuse to whip up some homemade rum raisin ice cream. Again, I don’t need the calories but it is really, really good. You can find my recipe here.

I need to share my go-to sourdough bread recipe where I add cheese (gruyere, mostly), fresh rosemary and garlic. If you have sourdough starter this recipe is made the night before with little work, and bakes the next day.

With a lone zucchini that was beginning to decline, I made healthy Zucchini brownies which are gluten free, paleo and deliciously fudgy. You can find the recipe here.

Gravestones Arrive

It took me a while to get up the energy to order gravestones for Cooper and Sox.

But they arrive this week and I am pleased with them. From Etsy, they are black granite, approximately 12″ x 6″ and personalized with laser engraving. Our hearts are still heavy from losing both dogs, but now they are memorialized properly in our family’s pet cemetery.

Monograms

I LOVE monograms but have never had one made for myself or my family. Do you have a monogram? Coco from The Crowned Goat has a wonderful post about creating one using Shuler Studio. The photos are so dreamy that I am excited about finally getting my own monogram. What a great idea for gifts, too. See it here.

Happy Derby Day (May 6th)! If you need any Derby Day inspiration, you can link to two previous blog posts on Derby Day recipes here and How to Set the Perfect Table for a Kentucky Derby Party here.

Have a marvelous weekend. A few of my friends are arriving today and spending 4 days here. I expect we will have lots of fun. Do you have anything fun planned for the weekend?

In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours. Mark Twain

As I watch the effects of snow storms, nor’easters and relentless rainfall in other parts of the country, I am grateful to live in an area with a more mild winter.  Born and raised in Connecticut, I have fond (and not so fond) memories of four distinct seasons. Though I do miss the stillness and peace a new fallen snow brings, I am not fond of the unpredictable weather between winter and spring~dirty snow, dreary days and monochromatic skies.

Though we have four seasons in Phoenix, the weather is quite lovely most of the year. Our summers are comparable to harsh winters where you are inside more than outside. During the month of March here at Bella Terra, we are now noticing the changes that spring brings. Our morning temperatures are finally out of the 30s and into the 40s with warmer days.

Bulbs

The arrival of the first tulip is always a magical moment. These apricot (dusty pink on the outside and apricot/mango on the inside) beauties from Longfield Gardens are the ones I planted in January. Aren’t they just gorgeous?

Bulbs (in the ground) seem to only last a few years here. So far, none of the bright red tulip bulbs that I planted in 2019 have made it out of the ground…yet. Also, the 50 hyacinths I planted 3 years ago, only 8 of them bloomed this year. There is a good possibility that something is eating the bulbs too.

In front of the guest cottage, the first jonquil has shown its beautiful trumpet.  A member of the daffodil family, the jonquil has six outer petals and slender, hollow foliage.

Arrival of the Ducks

Another first sign of spring is the arrival of the ducks. Typically our first sighting is outside our gates and in the irrigation lateral that runs in front of our home. A few weeks later, duck dating occurs in our pool.

Recently, 6 gorgeous mallards are vying for the lone female’s attention.  She appears to have settled on the last two.  Who will be the lucky guy?  Her suitor will stay by her side for the next few months.  Soon she will bring her little ones, teaching them how to swim here. As you can imagine, this makes our pool guy rather unhappy.

The Shifting of Light

With the sun a bit higher in the sky, the morning sunshine light makes it way into the eastern rooms.  Bathed in softness, the subtle difference is a reminder that spring is on its way.

Blooming and fragrance everywhere

Stretching along the eastern side of our property, we use Lady Banks Roses, R. Banksiae Lutea as a natural screen along the adjacent street. These roses can vigorously grow to a height of 25 feet and produces pale to deep yellow flowers.  It is not strongly perfumed and the wood is almost thornless. This makes the perfect privacy fence.

Just this week, we are seeing the very first of its blossoms. These roses only bloom once a year, but shortly will provide a stunning wall of yellow.

In the orchard, it is nearly time to glean all the citrus fruit from the tree.  We are encouraged to do so when we start seeing the early citrus blossoms for the next cycle of fruit. The air is filled with an intoxicating scent of orange blossoms.

The apple and apricot trees are budding and I am tempted to cut these gorgeous branches to display inside. But I leave them alone and let nature takes its course.

Due to our extreme summer heat, I have only had success in growing Anna apples, which will be ready to pick in June.

The apricot tree is in its 3rd year of production, so I am hoping for a great yield this year. Look at how delicate these blooms are!

Our peach tree has tiny fuzzy fruit appearing as the blooms fall off the tree. So looking forward to juicy, sweet peaches the second week of May.

The Chickens are Happy

Even the chickens are sensing the change in season.  Our Araucanas have started laying their blue-green eggs again.  Chickens need 14 hours of daylight in order to have egg production.  Some chicken breeds lay more than eggs others.

After changing up their food and letting the hens have more free range time outside, they are rewarding us with fresh eggs every day.

Lots of Pollinators

The yard is full of robins and bird chirping! Flocks are on the lawn eating all the small dates that are dropping from the palms.

The flower beds in the front of the house are just starting to come to life. Here the lavender flowers are showing off and the bees are LOVING all the blooms.

Are you experiencing signs of Spring yet? Please tell me what is happening in your area of the country. Like Mark Twain’s quote above, we are experiencing spring-like days mixed in with dreary, raining ones too.

Happy 2nd day of Spring! Here is to new beginnings.

We are having such chilly, rainy weather here in Phoenix. Not that I am complaining as we always need the rain, but usually by March, we are having warmer temperatures. As I write this I am bundled up with the fireplace on making a pot of soup for lunch. Happy Saturday and of course, it is time for another Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week.

Some Favorite Food products

I want to share some of my favorite items to always have on hand. Organic chicken stock from Kirkland (Costco) comes in a case of 6-1 quart containers. During the winter months, I am a big soup fan and this chicken stock is the base to many quick, easy recipes. Throw in lots of vegetables (fresh greens, onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrots, parsnips), a protein and some noodles and you have a filling, nutritious soup.

The other item I have in the freezer from Costco is Ling Ling frozen chicken and vegetable potstickers. Not only are these delicious on their own, but adding them to the broth mentioned above, is so delicious. You can find these in the frozen food section. I shared another brand of potstickers last month, but it appears they are no longer in stock?

A new item I am trying is Millet and Brown Rice Ramen Noodles from Lotus Foods. Again, a Costco purchase sold in a 12-pack. These noodles are ready in 4 minutes and the possibilities are endless for lunch or dinner.

I love a rich broth soup with tons of veggies, moderate protein, and a bunch of flavor. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am chopping different kinds of vegetables and freezing them. Just before serving, I add a big handful of power greens (spinach, kale, chard). So whipping up a healthy homemade soup is really easy.

Winter Garden Harvest

Due to our intermittent frost, my garden beds have been covered for a few weeks. What a surprise when I uncovered them to find juicy red tomatoes, orange cherry tomatoes, Swiss chard and lots of poblano peppers.

Also, our chickens are starting to lay again. We are getting 4-5 eggs per day vs. nothing for several weeks. In addition to fermenting our existing chicken food, we now have organic feed and are allowing them to free range a few days a week. It probably doesn’t hurt that we are also supplementing their diet with fresh greens from the garden.

Hopefully this is the beginning of no more store bought eggs.

Guest House Project this Week

It seems like it is taking forever to finish the guest cottage. Lots of stops and stalls due to electricians not showing up. In the meantime, we are fixing all those annoying projects that were overlooked in the past. For example, when we put in the hardwood plank flooring, the installer failed to lay material under the stacking washer and dryer. In pulling out the unit for servicing, it is difficult to get it up and over the lip of the flooring. To complicate matters further, this stackable unit is in a very tight and small alcove.

Being the only person who can fit in this small space, I laid the flooring while my husband cut the planks to fit. It now looks so much better!

The enjoyable part of remodeling the guest house is adding all the special touches, like pretty shelf paper inside the drawers. I love this Lauru Sage removable adhesive contact paper. Doesn’t it look sweet inside the drawers?

Not only is it affordable ($7.49 a roll), it is functional too~will keep the drawer bottoms clean.

More Signs of Spring

Last month, we had peach blossoms which are now tiny peaches.

The apple tree is in spring-mode with its pretty, delicate pink blossoms. The bees are certainly loving it.

The hyacinths are popping up with an intoxicating fragrance. However, I can tell that these bulbs are getting past their primes. When I planted the bulb garden four years ago, each spring we get to enjoy the hyacinths. Starting with 50 blooming bulbs, I’ll be lucky if 10 or 15 bloom this year. The downsides of living in 9b is that bulb flowering plants don’t do well over time.

Book signing this week

If you live locally, I highly recommend The Poisoned Pen book store. This week, the bookstore hosted author, C.J. Box. C.J. happens to be from the same home town as my neighbor, Mitch. Mitch’s parents, are visiting here from Wyoming and his mom, Deb tells me about her friend, the author giving a talk at a local book store.

Deb and I attend and what a fun event. I am not familiar with C.J. Box but he’s quite the famous, New York Times Bestselling author. Plus he has two television series on Paramount Plus and ABC. The place is packed with fans. After a long wait in line, Deb gets me a book signed by C.J. Box, her friend and neighbor.

Even if you don’t live locally, check out The Poisoned Pen’s website. They host both virtual and in-person book events and their calendar for March and April is VERY impressive. Great place to find some new books to read. See it here.

New Rose Bushes

Each year we tend to lose 2-3 rose bushes in our rose garden during our hot summers. Not sure why as they get plenty of water but it is something I expect each season.

This year I order 3 rose bushes from Grace Rose Farm and honestly, they are the heartiest and healthiest rose plants I’ve ever purchased. Look at the size of that root ball!

Last year I wrote a post about growing roses and you can see it here. We always add a whole fish and a handful of iron pieces (nails, rebar) in the bottom of the hole. Looking forward to seeing how well these 3 rose bushes produce. The three I selected are : Moonlight in Paris, Pure Perfume and Koko Loko.

A Few Fun Finds on the Internet

Being thoughtful and deliberate is an ongoing goal for me. I also know that if I write things down and make a schedule I am far more productive and efficient. CoCo from The Crowned Goat has a very informative post on 7 Tips for a Successful Week. Great reminders on how to keep on track and utilize your time well.

A Beautiful Stone Manor

I love homes with character and often, newly built homes, though beautiful, lack that sense of charm and integrity. Here is a gorgeous stone manor where all the details have not been overlooked. This new home looks like it was built decades ago. Lots of eye candy if you love character. Built by Pinemar in Philadelphia and I love their tag line: We build beautiful homes for nice people. Check them out!

As always, thank you so much for joining me every Saturday. It means a great deal to me and I hope the content each week keeps you coming back for more.

Our sweet beagle, Sox isn’t feeling well. We are keeping our fingers crossed as our little fella has been part of our lives for 15 1/2 years. Next week, I am traveling and not sure if I will have time to send out a blog. If not, I will see you again next Saturday. Have a blessed weekend.