Happy Weekend and I am so glad you are here today for another Saturday Meanderings. What an interesting week~ranging from chores, bill paying, meetings, hearings and a wonderful tour of a transitional living facility. Let’s get started chatting about all good things this week.

A Snowy Mountain Getaway

We took a quick overnight trip up to our cabin as we had not been there since Thanksgiving. What a winter wonderland! There was a good dumping of snow over a week ago, enough where we could not get into our unplowed driveway.

However, it is far from a relaxing getaway as we finally got to see the results of a leaky new roof after the first snowfall. Last summer, we had the entire roof replaced. Our front entry is just a mess with ceiling, walls and some floor damage.

Hopefully, this will all be repaired soon. Sigh. It’s always something.

Guest Cottage Update

The preparation for painting the guest cottage is being done and painting will commence this weekend.

All the furniture is now in the driveway while the carpets are being cleaned. We have used Zerorez before and they do not disappoint. They are professional, affordable and do a very good job.

I removed all the draperies from the guest cottage. Unless you are a professional, who can understand all the fabric care symbols?

The drapery panels are linen with a blackout lining from Pottery Barn. Dry clean only and no ironing. When I stopped by the dry cleaner, I am surprised (actually shocked) that each panel would cost $100 to dry clean. What? Instead I decide to wash them myself on cold and line dry.

And guess what? They look beautiful. No shrinking, no wrinkles and clean as a whistle. Don’t you love saving money?!? Especially when washing them at home works.

Chickens Not Laying

We have had chickens for nearly 20 years. During that time, the hens tend to lay less in the winter, but we always get fresh eggs every day. Until about 3-4 weeks ago. The gals have completely stopped laying. I know there is a national debate about this as this seems to be more the norm than not.

My neighbor and friend, Kelly from Simple & Clean Living, had the same problem until she changed up their food~by fermenting the chicken feed. We are in day 6 of feeding the chicken fermented food, plus supplementing it with pumpkin seeds, dried peas, flax seed and Grubblies. No eggs yet, except an occasional fairy egg….which are tiny eggs without yolks.

Keeping my fingers crossed that the girls will start producing soon. I miss our delicious fresh eggs and not fond of spending the ridiculous price in the grocery store!

Signs of Spring

Even though our temperatures have been near freezing in the mornings, the first sign that Spring is coming is the blooming of the peach tree. These delicate pink blossoms are such a welcomed sight.

Robins, of all sizes are clustering in large flocks in the trees by the front fountain. I could spend hours just watching them fly in and out, sipping the water and staying hydrated. If you are on Instagram, I posted a reel yesterday of them enjoying the free water @lifeatbellaterra.

A New Recipe this Week

Half Baked Harvest is one of my favorite resources for recipes. In this chilly weather, I love making soups that satisfy. Here is a healthy version of Wonton Soup which you can whip up in 25 minutes. Since I did not have all the ingredients, I took the liberty of altering the recipe a bit.

For example, instead of shiitake mushrooms, I only had baby Bella (brown) mushrooms. This big bag of organic potstickers from Costco is used instead of wontons and Swiss chard is a substitute for bok choy. I did not make the sesame chili oil as I’m not a fan of hot toppings. It is delicious and you can find the recipe here.

Thanks to my neighbor, Steve, I have a huge bag of Meyer lemons. I can honestly say that this Meyer Lemon Marmalade recipe is truly one of my favorites. Doubling the recipe still doesn’t give me enough to give as gifts and enjoy. You can see the recipe here. Lemon curd to follow this weekend!

Problems Sleeping?

I am a night time processor. Falling asleep is not a problem, but if I hear or see something disturbing during the day, then a restless night follows. That why I stopped watching the news. I am very excited to share this delicious bedtime drink with you. It tastes like a coffee shop latte but with ingredients to help with energy, stress and mood.

By Clevr, the Sleeptime SuperLatte seems to be working….and it is delicious. Made with chicory, carob, vanilla bean, oat and coconut milk, valerian, passionflower, hops, ashwagandha and reishi, this soothing nightcap helps you de-stress and rest. Just add hot water~super simple!

I mix mine with an Ozeri milk frother, but here is a more affordable alternative. If you order Clevr’s sample set, I believe they include a milk frother.

If you want to try it, please order through this link and I will get $20 off my next order. I’ve actually already placed another order for some of their other products, which I will review once I receive them!

Valentine Tea Bags

How cute are these homemade heart shaped tea bags? Norma from Paint Me Pink has a beautiful detailed tutorial on how to make these with coffee filters. Even though I do not know Norma, I love her photos and her ideas! I hope to try this DIY before Valentine’s Day. You can see it here.

I always love to share things of beauty with you, but occasionally, life isn’t that way. However, I admire the tenacity of Tina from The Enchanted Home. Tina saw this video of an injustice to a young girl with spina bifida by her teacher. Once you watch the video you will know what I mean. Please read Tina’s post here as she provides an update on the situation and a way you can voice your concern. Sometimes it takes the compassion of many to change the behavior of a few.

Orvis Videos

Orvis is one of those companies I admire. They have been in business since 1856, privately owned by the same family. Every now and again, I get an email with a link to one of their amazing video stories. The videos are not about selling product but the topics ranges from tranquility to inspiration.

Here is a video about the president of Orvis’s dog, Copa. It’s about 6 1/2 minutes long but explains the importance of dogs in our lives. Copa is a mature dog, like my sweet beagle, Sox. You may shed a few tears.

Well, that’s a wrap! What are your plans for the weekend? I hope to do some painting (art not rooms) and more cooking. Have a lovely one and stay safe out there!

Happy post-Thanksgiving Saturday! I hope everyone had an enjoyable turkey day. Ours was fabulous as we are up in the chilly mountains of Arizona. Being spoiled by a fully equipped kitchen in Phoenix, it took some figuring to get everything prepared and cooked. Many hands made the work light and rather fun. It’s time again for another Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week.

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished~Oscar Wilde

Last Saturday I mentioned that our neighborhood group raises money to buy turkeys to support our Phoenix Police Turkey Drive. The turkeys are collected and then given to St. Mary’s Food Bank. This year, 41 turkeys filled the trunk of my SUV. I backed up my car to the refrigerated trailer and when I opened the trunk, a very large, frozen solid turkey fell out of the trunk and onto my right foot.

Long story short, I broke the bone in my big toe both horizontally and vertically. I won’t show you any toe pictures as it is black, swollen and not very attractive. After a long wait at urgent care, I am now in a boot until I see the foot doctor on Tuesday. The good news is that the turkey boulder did not land on the top of my foot~I was quick but not quick enough. A bit bummed over this.

A Gift of Roses

My sweet friend, Andrea from Design Morsels sent me these beautiful roses just prior to our departure to the mountains. We brought them with us and they’ve lasted all week in various locations.

I can’t say enough about the roses from The Bouqs. From Ecuador, the blooms are big, healthy and I’ve never been disappointed. Please keep them in mind if you send roses. Use the link on my sidebar and I will also get a small stipend for the referral.

Chilly Weather

It is very chilly up here (which I am not used to), but I am enjoying wearing sweaters and scarves again. Here is a picture of my daughter’s Cavalier King Charles puppy in his winter gear…so adorable!

But this fresh, clean, crisp mountain air is such a healthy tonic. Phoenix is in a valley and often we have air pollution alerts (which is so gross). Plus it is so quiet and we’ve hardly seen another soul. Here is a photo from our post-Thanksgiving family walk and I so appreciate the beauty of this place.

Thanksgiving Wrap Up

As you are reading this we are packing up and heading back to Phoenix as our son and girlfriend fly back to Chicago late on Saturday. Having all the children and their significant others, my husband’s brother and wife, and all the animals here together for this holiday has been magical.

With both fireplaces going, delicious food and fun cocktails, our cabin is filled with love and laughter. Isn’t that what life is all about? I can’t tell you how many times I count my blessings.

If you are looking for an apple cider punch to make for the holidays, this one by Half Baked Harvest is very good. The ingredients include: apple cider, vodka, apple butter, orange bitters, champagne (we used Prosecco), ginger beer and the glass has a cinnamon sugar rim. You can find the recipe here.

Now Off to Christmas

I hold off decorating for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. The season doesn’t officially begin for me until I see Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. I am excited to start transforming the house into a Christmas wonderland.

This week I did make Mary Berry’s Christmas cake as it is one you can make up to 3 months in advance.

My sweet friend, Christine came over and we baked one for each of us. Now it’s a matter of feeding it brandy or sherry every week until Christmas. These cakes weigh a ton as they are filled with brandy soaked dried fruit. So looking forward to cutting into this next month.

Christmas Movies

Do you have a favorite Christmas movie? Last night we watched The Holiday with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black. Every time I watch it I try to absorb all the details of both houses in the movie. If you love Nancy Meyer films and a good love story, you will enjoy this.

Please share your favorite holiday movie. I will have the excuse to elevate my foot and enjoy a movie or two this holiday!

A Delicious Cranberry Tart

I love cranberries and they are so good for you. Even though I haven’t tried this recipe, I like several things created by Annie from Most Lovely Things. How pretty is this for the holidays!

Now is the time to take advantage of all the fresh cranberries in the grocery stores. Here is the recipe.

I hope you are enjoying this Thanksgiving weekend. Though I do not participate in Black Friday sales, if you do, be careful out there!

Sox (our beagle)and I are here at our cabin in the mountains and enjoying the peace and quiet. Leaves are changing colors and it’s a chilly 57 degrees inside. It will take a while for the walls to warm up but in the meantime, it is definitely fall here in Pinetop, Arizona. It’s that time again for another Saturday Meanderings, where we chat about all good things this week. I hope it has been a wonderful one for you so let’s get started.

Beautiful Roses

As I have mentioned in the past, I subscribe to The Bouqs for a monthly flower subscription. I have never been disappointed with their roses. Here is the bunch I got this week~a combination of coral, peach and white roses and they are just stunning. These roses are flown in directly from Ecuador and open beautifully within a day. This bouquet is so breathtaking, I may try and dry them so I can enjoy them longer. To see my post on drying roses, click here.

I prefer their roses to their market bunch as I am 100% satisfied with their roses vs. 85% satisfied with their other arrangements. If you order flowers and want to try them, please click on their logo on the right side of this post and I will get some credit for your order.

Growing Lettuce from your Lettuce Core

I have never done this before, but wanted to try it to see if it works. We go through LOTS of lettuce here because I try and have a salad every day. Instead of tossing out the lettuce core, you can salvage it and actually grow more lettuce!

Here I am using a Romaine lettuce core, which I usually chuck into the composter. But instead, I submerge the bottom in a glass of water and wait. Within a few day, new lettuce leaves are growing out of the cut end. This is my second one, as I planted the first sprouted one in my garden. However, I just read that it will not thrive in dirt without roots (not sure mine had roots).

Steps for How to Regrow Lettuce from a Stem

1. Eat your purchased lettuce, cutting the leaves at about 1 inch from the bottom.
2. Place remaining stem in a shallow dish of water (about 1/2 inch).
3. Place on a window sill or under grow lights.
4. Change water in bowl every 1 to 2 days.
5. Watch your lettuce grow.

Lots of Apples

Our Anna apple tree in Phoenix bears fruit in June. The apple tree at the cabin is chock-a-block full of apples now, however, I don’t know what kind. Depending on the spring conditions, we can go for years without any apples. But this year we have so many. Taste-wise, they remind me of a Pink Lady. I’ll need to do some research, but I thought I would ask if any of you know what type of apple this is? They are mostly yellow, but the ones with the most sun exposure have a pinkish blush.

Focusing on Pollination

This gardening season I want to focus on having more plants that will attract bees and butterflies. Over the summer, my enormous watermelon plant only produced 4 watermelons, so I’m guessing the problem is with pollination.

There is a good selection in seed packets specifically designed to increase the beneficial insects in your garden. From what I understand, the monarch butterfly is endangered (could that be?) so I want to do my part to help. I am getting ready to plant them and will let you know what happens.

Our coral vine is currently FULL of bees and if you look closely at this photo, you can see a couple of them.

Bread Baking

Whether it is a quick bread or one that requires longer preparation, I am starting to bake again. It is the season for pumpkin bread, or quite frankly, anything warm and yummy out of the oven. Even if you don’t bake much, you can find good quick bread ingredients all ready to go in a box.

Trader Joe’s has a very good pumpkin bread and muffin mix. Typically, I will use this but add a few more ingredients to make it my own~dried cranberries, dried cherries, walnuts or chocolate chips (my daughter’s favorite). Plus baking it in a decorative loaf pan makes it all the more special.

Lately, I am making a loaf of sourdough bread each week. I’ve been experimenting with a new recipe and adding shredded gruyere cheese, rosemary and garlic. For some reason it’s a bit different every week so once I feel like I can share the recipe I will. It certainly makes the kitchen smell great (and the quick breads do too!).

Gorgeous Home for Sale

Well, it’s way out of my price range, but I love the fact that someone has preserved all the unique historical attributes. Built in 1926, typically, over time, these older homes get gutted and all the charm and detail is removed. Designed by the first African-American architect west of the Mississippi, Paul R. Williams. He also designed homes for Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, Howard Hughes and Sharon Tate. Such beautiful detail in this one.

If you love look at historical homes, you can see more of it here.

Preserving Your Carved Pumpkins

Here is a great tip on preserving your carved pumpkin. If you want them to stay fresher longer, here is a great tip on how to do so without using bleach. You can see the post here. I’ve not tried this yet but it looks interesting.

If you missed any posts this week, you can find them here.

Learning How to Make a Mesh and Ribbon Wreath

Halloween Ideas for Spook-tacular Decor

Well, that’s a wrap! I am already feeling more relaxed being up here in the quiet mountains. Hope to stay for the next 5 days! Have a fabulous weekend.

During my very quick trip up to the cabin for the Labor Day weekend, I finally tackled a project that has been bugging me for years. Our cabin’s exterior is cedar plank with 4 over 4 windows and multiple sliding doors. All the windows have anodized bronze frames, a deep brown to blend in with the exterior wood. However, at some point a previous owner added sliding glass doors with aluminum frames, vs. an anodized bronze color. Yuck.

The Before

Here is what the sliding door(s) look like against the warm tones of the cabin exterior. They stick out like a sore thumb. The cooler color of the aluminum just doesn’t work with the rustic cabin vibe.

Prepping the Site

Perhaps the most time consuming part of any paint job, is prepping the site. As much as I don’t like it, it is time well spent. The threshold is quite dirty and needs a thorough cleaning. I also note that the wood frame is cracked and it could be a result of the new deck installation. Yet another thing to be fixed.

Vaccuuming with a brush gets most of the dirt out of the nooks and crannies. I go over the entire area with a damp cloth to pick up any residual dust.

I test the color of the spray paint can cap with the existing window frame. Rustoleum Anodized Bronze #7754 in semi-gloss is pretty close to the frame color and fortunately I have two cans on hand in the garage.

Now comes the really tedious part~taping off the edges of the doors and door trim. Using blue painter’s tape, the masking begins.

There are multiple surfaces to protect as I do not want any overspray on the cedar planks or on our brand new Trex deck. Next it is time to cover the glass which I do with old newspapers. Any overspray can be removed with a single edged razor blade.

Applying the Paint

I remove the sliding screen door, and take that out into the woods to paint. Carefully leaning it against a tree, provides a well-ventilated space for spraying paint.

Right after painting the screen door and using one partial used can of spray paint, the other full can doesn’t work. Instead of spraying a nice mist, it squirts out clumps of paint. Darn. So I have to stop the project and go to the nearest hardware store. Since I am sure these two cans are a few years old, I am hoping to find the exact same color paint in stock.

Fortunately, Ace Hardware has 3 cans of an anodized bronze with a similar (slightly different) product code. I buy all 3 cans and head back to the project.

After the first coat, I look over all the edges and corners and touch up any bare spots. So far I am happy with the color.

Cleaning up and After Photo

After the manufacturer’s suggested drying time, I carefully remove all the blue tape and newspaper. There is some slight overspray on the glass but I will clean that up on my next trip. Doesn’t it look so much better? The door frame actually disappears and blends in so well with the rest of the cabin exterior.

Now the broken wood threshold piece sticks out but that will get replaced and repainted to match.

I am so pleased with this project. Unfortunately, now I need to do the inside of the door frame as that is still the aluminum color. Even our beagle, Sox seems to like it!

In our other (and now sold) smaller cabin, I did this application to all the windows and doors, which again were aluminum. In this photo, you would never know it but see how the frames just disappear? To see the sweet master bedroom remodel at this little cabin, click here.

I love this affordable treatment and the Rustoleum paint applies easily and holds up for a very long time.

Now I have more sliders to do, but I am encouraged on how good it looks. If only the prep stage would go faster….

Do you have windows or doors where you are not fond of the color?

Have a wonderful Wednesday and thank you so much for all your hugs and loving comments to yesterday’s post about our wonderful dog, Cooper. It means alot.

If you enjoy this post, please share on Pinterest.

Happy Saturday and welcome to another edition of Saturday Meanderings. An impromptu trip to the mountains for the Labor Day weekend is in store for me. What a week of peaks and valleys but I’ll explain more next week. Today I’d like to just share all the good things that happened since last Saturday.

This is my second trip (about 185 miles one way) to the cabin in one week. Our state has been blessed with so much rain. Typically, this time of year, our mountains are brown and dry, but not the case this year. Everything is so green and lush, looking more like Switzerland than Arizona. A blessing to help reduce our drought conditions and potential of forest fires.

The wildflowers are abundant and colorful. With the big sky and all this to look at (in addition to the road), the 3.5 hour trip goes rather quickly.

So much rain is beneficial to the pear and apple tree. Last year we had no fruit on either tree and this year, the crop looks promising.

The first trip to the cabin last weekend was to check on the progress of construction of a new deck. More to come on that but it seems that nearly every contractor doesn’t spend the time or attention to detail on the last 5% of the project. Unfortunately the last 5% is what everyone sees so the deck is not complete to my satisfaction. Hopefully the punch list will get remedied soon.

Finally the tomato sauce is finished!

Of course, the last 20 pounds of tomatoes to process ended up being the most difficult. The food mill bit the dust and stopped working. Out of frustration, I took the cooked tomatoes, garlic and olive oil and pulverized them (skins, seeds and all) in a Vitamix blender. If you don’t own one of these blenders, I cannot recommend this brand enough. Within seconds I had sauce. Surprisingly the end result is a thick sauce that didn’t require a 50% cook down reduction. In the photo below, those are the jars that are more orange, vs. a deep red.

The pantry is full of jars of sauce and no more canning for me this year (thank goodness). I think 70 lbs. of tomatoes may be a bit too much!

Fall Garden Preparation

Soon I will be planting the fall garden and this week, I made a check list of what needs to be done beforehand. Surprisingly, a few plants are able to make it through our exceeding hot summers. The grapevine arch is lush and full providing a nice respite from the harsh sun.

Earlier in the summer, I put a few sprouted potatoes in the dirt just to see what would happen. Since I have never formally grown potatoes, I’m looking forward to see if in fact there are any below ground. But the sweet and white potato vines love the heat apparently, as they look rather good in the raised bed.

Of course, my poblano pepper plant also loves the heat and it is still producing fruit.

Soon all the dead and dried plants will be pulled; new compost put in the beds and a soil test to let me know what nutrients I may be missing. More to come on the Fall garden.

Very cool house with a” makes me nervous” pool

Check out this fabulous home nestled in the cliffside of Zihuatanejo bay, along Mexico’s coastal landscape. I am always dreaming of a house on the ocean and this one doesn’t disappoint. The perspective on the above photo is stunning, however, here is what the infinity pool looks like from a distance.

You can see more about this beautiful home here.

Getting in the Fall Mood

Anytime I get to peek into my friend, Kim’s home it’s a treat. Her blog, Shiplap and Shells never disappoints. Her latest post, 7 Simple Ideas for Creating a Warm and Cozy Cottage Kitchen for the Fall, will inspire you to decorate for cooler temperatures. I need to find an excuse to go to the Pacific Northwest just so I can visit her!

My End of Summer Cocktail

It is still so hot here, and there is nothing more refreshing than a fabulous cocktail. Since I am trying to watch my sugar intake, this week, I tried making Ranch Water, a recipe I got from my friend, Rachel at The Pond’s Farmhouse.

Three simple ingredients: tequila, lime juice (fresh is best), and sparkling water. That’s it. It tastes like a super skinny margarita. Since tequila is made from agave (a plant), is this vegetarian?

You can see Rachel’s recipe here.

Homemade Meatballs: Pan fry or oven bake?

My friend, Stacy, from Bricks ‘n Blooms, has a very detailed post about making meatballs. I find it interesting that she refers to tomato sauce as Italian gravy~I’ve never heard that before! Anyway, check out her post. I am now dreaming of making homemade meatballs to go with all that sauce in my pantry! You can see it here.

I am dashing off now to enjoy some down town in the mountains. It may be a bit warm for up here~in the low 80s, but hoping for afternoon thunder storms every day. Have a truly wonderful Labor Day weekend and let’s celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers.