Saturday Meanderings

Welcome to the first Saturday Meanderings of 2022! There are so many things to chat about! Did you have a good week of the new year? Around here it is rather relaxing and we are just now starting to take down the holiday decorations. So let’s get started on reviewing the week.

A Bargain to Share

This week, I visited Arhaus for the first time. They have a very large showroom at the Biltmore Shopping Center. I am in the early stages of searching for a new sofa for the family room and want to sit in one before making the big purchase. Surprisingly, I found these Charcoal Tartan throws with Faux Fur poms, regularly priced at $99 for $14.85 each! See Arhaus link here.

If there is a store near you, it would be worth a trip to purchase these. They are SO soft and acrylic and machine washable. Who doesn’t love a cozy throw during the winter months? Plus, what a great item for my gift closet.

Herbal Coffee and Rose Cocoa

For the month of January, I am giving up my beloved cup of coffee in the morning in an effort to live 30 days caffeine free. In lieu of my scrumptious cup of Nespresso, I am drinking Herbal Coffee from Wooden Spoon Herbs. Here is the description on their website:

“Brew a batch of microbiome-friendly energy. Prebiotic roots and invigorating herbs join forces to help you become solar powered to greet the day.”

A 7 oz. jar is $38.00, but a jar has about 64 servings. Each 8 oz. cup takes 1 tablespoon. So far, so good. With a little steamed oat milk, it’s a great substitute.

Here is the ingredient list and link here to Wooden Spoon Herbs website.

Another product I just love from Wooden Spoon Herbs is Rose Cocoa. This is luscious and creamy and you can sweeten it however you want. However, I don’t see it on their website and am inquiring as to its status. They do have a Mushroom Cocoa that I haven’t tried yet (as Rose cocoa sounds much better than mushroom cocoa). Keeping my fingers crossed that they are just out of stock.

Chihuly in the Desert

If you are not familiar with the stunning glass work done by artist, Dale Chihuly, then you are in for a treat. In Phoenix, we have the fabulous Desert Botanical Gardens and until June, they are featuring Chihuly in the Desert. A new exhibit set against majestic saguaros and the striking Papago buttes, this is a delight for the senses. You can view the sculptures during the day or at night. Reservations are required.

One of the perks of having our son visit, is that he is on top of what is going on in our City. We had a wonderful day at the gardens viewing these spectacular glass sculptures and finished with a delicious lunch at Gertrudes, a restaurant on site. Can you imagine the work involved in setting up these elaborate displays?

I believe this is a traveling exhibit, however, there are permanent exhibits in Colorado Springs, Seattle, Tacoma, Omaha, Oklahoma City, St. Petersburg, Columbus, Ohio and Toyama, Japan.

If it ever comes to your city, please do check it out. To learn more about the Chihuly in the Desert exhibit, click here.

Homemade Panettone

I have always wanted to learn how to make panettone and finally, made my first one in December. Pronounced “pah-net-taw-nee,” Panettone an Italian yeast-leavened bread, usually made with raisins, candied fruit peels, almonds, and brandy. It started off as a “luxury cake” that was only eaten for religious celebrations.

Mass production in the early 1900s gave the bread its domed shape and made it more available, and Italians who migrated to the US brought the Christmas tradition with them. Instantly recognizable for its tall, rounded top, panettone is more a bread than a cake.

If you are a fan of The Great British Baking Show, then you are familiar with the blue-eyed baker, Paul Hollywood. This is his recipe, which sits between a classic panettone and a brioche, and I can honestly say, it is easier than I imagined.

The biggest challenge for me to make this, is finding an appropriate size panettone tin. Fortunately, I did find a 7″ loose base pan online from The Bee’s Knees British Imports. Within 9 days, the pan arrived.

The preparation time is overnight, and the kneading is done mostly by the dough hook and your mixer. In summary, the panettone is delicious…and the tin worked like a dream. I will definitely make this again. For Paul Hollywood’s recipe, click here.

Fixing Red Berries

As we slowly take down the Christmas decorations, I try and fix or repair as many as I can before storing them for next year. My red berry garland is used every holiday. And there is nothing more obvious than a white berry among the red ones.

An easy fix is with red nail polish. Actually, this Dior polish doesn’t seem to last very long on my nails so it is perfect for touching up the red berries. But any inexpensive nail polish will do.

Look how simple and effective this is! And now the berry garland is all ready for next year’s display.

Gorgeous Sunrises and Sunsets

I don’t know what it is about our winter sky but both the sunrises and sunsets are stunning. Yes, air pollution does factor into it and being a valley, we have our share of dirty air. But imagine waking up to this?

Here is the sunrise from our master bedroom balcony facing east (obviously).

I believe this was the morning of the day we had record-breaking rainfall, which just confirms the saying “Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.”

And here is a sunset, also taken from our master bedroom outdoor terrace facing west, which overlooks the pool and pool house. I hope you, too are having fabulous skies! Got to love Mother Nature’s canvas.

Well, that’s a wrap up for the first Saturday Meanderings of the year. Yesterday, we enjoyed celebrating our “baby’s” 21st birthday. So hard to believe.

If you missed this week’s posts, you can see my goals and aspirations for 2022 here. And if you are motivated to clean and organize, see what is happening in the master bathroom here.

Have a wonderful weekend! A quick update on my injuries~I am rounding the bend and feeling MUCH better. Thank you for all your well wishes!