Saturday Meanderings
Another week has come and gone! And it is nearly February~this year is already flying by! It’s been an exciting weather week here. I am so happy you are joining me today for Saturday meanderings to chat about all things new and wonderful this week.
New Beverages
Nothing better than a cuppa tea when it’s chilly and rainy. My sweet friend, Gabie from Tea End blog is my go-to person when I am seeking a new tea. She recently featured this one, The Wellness Tea on one of her blog posts. Ordering online is very easy and here are some of the claims this 100% organic herbal blend does to boost your daily balance:
- Immune System
- Anti-inflammatory
- Ease digestion
- Control blood sugar level
- Calming
- Cleanse
- Heart Health
- Energy Boost
- Improve skin health
Every afternoon I make a cup and add a bit of honey of Crozier honey. The tea package holds 30 pyramid tea bags. There is no caffeine, artificial colors or additives. See Gabie’s post here (photo above from Tea End Blog). To shop The Wellness Tea click here.
Our orchard is bursting with delicious citrus fruit but we are specifically enjoying our fresh tangerines. This Sidecar cocktail is SO good. Not only are you getting lots of Vitamin C, but I also add fresh ginger to the simple syrup. The bourbon is warming on these chilly evenings too. We are loving this tasty cocktail. Recipe is below.
Time to Prune
January and February are gardening months here in Phoenix. It is time to prune your fruit trees, before the spring growth starts to bud. This year I decide to prune the apple, peach, apricot and fig trees myself as I haven’t been happy with how they look.
In doing so, I discovered that our apricot trees have a borer which is creating havoc. I am in the process of reading up how to deal with these nasty characters as we have previously lost a peach tree due to these invaders.
Cleaning and Organizing Projects
There are no big or complicated projects on the horizon. But I am tackling smaller ones that take an hour or so each and every day. Does anyone hate cleaning out the freezer as much as I do? It would be embarrassing to show you the before picture, but here is what it looks like now. Hard to believe I threw out a lot of things.
Over 3 years ago, I converted a huge tv armoire to store our bedding and linens (see post here). It is finally messy enough for me to pull everything out and re-organize it all over again. Why can’t things stay perfect?
It feels good to get these things done as they are not overwhelming nor do they dominate my day.
More Antlers
Our sweet friends Sam and Kate, who provided us with the fabulous elk antler sheds (see post here), just sent us several deer antler sheds. I cannot wait to use them in different scenarios up at our cabin. Just a reminder that deer shed their antlers every year and no animal was hurt in the process.
Does anyone watch The Great British Baking Off? Well, we are watching the Masterclass episodes by Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry. They are addicting and the worst part, is that all I want to do is B.A.K.E. Recently I made cinnamon rolls with dried cherries, cranberries and walnuts with an orange glaze.
Then I had a hankering for brownies, but made these Black Bean and Avocado brownies instead. I know what you are thinking~black beans and avocado? Surprisingly, these brownies are rich and chocolatey. For this recipe I did add butterscotch chips vs. chocolate ones. Here is the link to Ambitious Kitchen for this healthier version.
Making Nut Milk
Several people find it surprising that I make my own nut milk. I cannot tell you how easy it is to make this. What I like most about it is that I get to control the ingredients. My fresh nut milk only lasts a week so I wonder what they put into commercially produced nut milk to lengthen the shelf life. The best and inexpensive helper to making nut milk, is a nut milk bag. You can find it here.
To see a post on how to make your own nut milk, click here.
iPhone Photos
A year ago I invested in an iPhone 11. There is probably still so much I do not know about it, but I do know that the camera function is excellent. Most of my photos are taken with this iPhone. Since improving my photography skills is ongoing, I take a lot of pictures. Here are some I took this week while walking the yard after the rain.
Our Weather
Since Phoenix has approximately 300 sunny days in Phoenix, we LOVE getting any weather that produces precipitation. With little rain this past year, it is so glorious to have all the rain (and snow) this week.
My friend, Louise, who lives in a more northern part of Phoenix, sent me this picture. Typically, her desert views are expansive but not only did it snow, but the visibility is nearly zero. Such a rare occurrence!
And we had 14 inches of snow at our cabin in the mountains!
Well, as we wrap up January 2021, I hope all is well with you and your family. So happy you are here today for Saturday Meanderings. Stay safe, healthy and warm!
Tangerine Sidecar
Ingredients
- 2 oz freshly squeezed Tangerine juice
- 1/2 oz fresh Lemon Juice
- 1-1 1/2 oz Bourbon small batch bourbon preferred
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- dash orange bitters
Simple Syrup
- 1:1 ratio of water to sugar; dissolve
Instructions
- Put all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for 15-20 seconds. Strain into your cocktail glass
- Garnish with a strip of tangerine zest
Notes
Just a reminder that any words that are italicized bring you to the source. If it is a product on Amazon, please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you purchase something through my website, I receive a small (very small!) stipend, which doesn’t affect the price you pay at all. My goal is to make sourcing the items easy for you. Thank you for your continued support.
sure do enjoy your posts, especially the organizing….I downsized and think maybe too much so
as am having difficulty with so much that I kept. Need a great deal of editing and organizing
Thank you for sharing your talents in many areas. Very helpful
Your posts are always so inspiring. Very busy you are. Pruning the trees looks like a lot of work ! What do you do with the trimmings ?
I love hearing about your week! I’ve always been so impressed with your photos, and now that a new phone is eminent I’m going to find one with a super-good camera! Thanks for the reminder about nut milk, brownies, and organizing! All three are going onto my list! Happy Saturday my friend – have fun down there!
WOW. Your weather makes me jealous. Our son lived in Arizona for a while We loved the area, especially in the winter months. Do you get up to your cabin during the winter? I look forward to your blog
Loved the post. So good to catch up with you friend.
This is such an informative post. Thank you especially for the nut milk information. Your photos are, indeed, lively!
“lovely”
Mary, what so you do with the left over nut stuff in the bag? Do you just throw it away?
Janie, I do throw away the leftover almond mush in our composter. I tried saving it once, drying it out as almond meal, but it was lacking flavor. There is probably a way to salvage it but since we compose it, I feel like I’m just recycling it into rich soil.Thanks for the great question.
Love reading all the new posts. I love that Bella Terra is in The Heart of North Central!
Shelley Caniglia
Shelley, it is such an oasis here in No. Central. We live in such a vibrant, architecturally diverse community with a sprinkling of Arizona history. I personally think it’s the best place to live in the Valley! As you well know!
Wow, such beautiful photos. I have wanted to make my own nut milk. I might give it a try! I love your armoire.
Pam, making nut milk takes me 5 minutes at the most. If using almonds, I just soak a large quantity overnight; use what I need and freeze the rest. That way if I run out of milk I already have soaked almonds on hand. I do not soak pistachios or cashews. It’s fun to try new flavors!
Always great to hear the latest and greatest at Bella Terra! Your pictures are beautiful and those recipes sound amazing.