Nice Conversation Area with Fireplace

I like this arrangement. Each wing chair has a reading lamp and an ottoman. Reading around an open fire is one of life's pleasures.The side tables are lower than the arms of the furniture too. This is one of the rules of good interior design and a very hard one to comply with when searching for low antique tables that you like. I am pleased that I finally found mine and it's much easier for the sitter to put down a drink or a cup of coffee on a lower table than reaching up to do so. Plus it looks nicer too. It's all about scale, you know. via

It is warm and rainy today and all the snow has melted. I entered my subscription to Netflix on Sunday and love it. I have watched both seasons of The Crown and later today I will search for another addicting series to watch. 

I just cooked some chick peas in my Instant Pot and have another batch of soy milk yogurt in the pot for a 10 hour session. My last batch (8 hours) wasn't tart enough. I have a new method. I inserted my pyrex 32 oz. (4 cup) measuring cup inside the pot, added 2 tablespoons of my own yogurt to a 32 oz. box of Westsoy as a starter, stirred it up and this method was perfect. No condensation on the sides of the pot to run down and dilute the yogurt and the yogurt was much thicker. Yay.

I stumbled on a very interesting article about the invention of the Instant Pot in the business section of the New York Times. Now I love mine even more! xo

Sheepish Sheep and Hard Boiled Eggs

They look a little startled. I wish I could read their minds. The two sets of twins are adorable, aren't they?

I should have posted a photo with chickens for those of you who have an abundance of fresh eggs. Do you ever complain about how hard they are to peel when you hard cook them for deviled eggs or egg salad? I know it's a big problem. I just got an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker and have been playing around with it. I had been thinking about getting one ever since I listened to a segment on NPR with Melissa Clark, the NY Times Food columnist and cookbook author. So far I have made soymilk yogurt and garbanzo beans, starting out with dried ones that I soaked overnight. Both turned out wonderfully. I am excited about my quest to get maximum nutrition without adding cans and cartons to the landfill. The link above is just to show you the model I purchased. If you cook for a big family, you might need the 8 quart model. I also got Melissa Clark's cookbook for this device and a glass lid to turn it into a slow cooker. This is not a sponsored post. You can purchase from any seller you want.

Watch this video and see how easily the eggs peel. You don't save any time in the cooking process but will in the peeling process. I can't wait to try this. You can cook as many eggs as you like by piling them in a pyramid. Do you already have an Instant Pot? How do you like it? xo

Here's the link in case you cannot see the video.

Christmas Cookies as Art

Christmas Cookies on a Cooling Rack.

Simply beautiful.

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Beautiful Christmas Cookie Scene

So pretty. I love this Christmas Scene made of iced cookies and powdered sugar. I have the perfect background board but will I make one of these? Sadly, probably not. via

Kitchen Island with Drawers

I like this kitchen island with drawers instead of an overhang to accommodate stools for sitters. Do we ever have enough cabinets? via

Blueberry Cake Photo YUM

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I wish I could tell you I had the recipe for this particular delicious-looking cake but sadly, I do not! I found another one that looks similar -- recipe here. I am finding I can decrease the amount of sugar called for in all recipes, and the taste is still fine and not overly sweet. Enjoy. xo

Larder Lust: Best Butler's Pantry

This photo stopped me in my tracks. It is the best larder I have ever seen. Call it a pantry if you must but larder sounds better for such a magnificent room. via

More Copper Cookware

Copper and polished nickel together. Nice!

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Happy St. Patrick's Day

Country Kitchen w/ Copper Pots

I am not actually looking for these kitchens with copper pots. They just keep finding me!

This one found me and begged to be posted. I thought it was worthy so here you have it. I love the overhead light fixture too. via

Kitchen Full of Copper Pots WOW

Have You Ever?

So many copper pots and cooking utensils. I'm glad they are all on display too. If you've got them, flaunt them. I love the open step-back cupboard and everything else in this amazing kitchen. via

Copper Pots in Home Decor

Beautiful copper pots and lids hanging from old beams in a kitchen.

This must be the back entrance into a kitchen. Copper cookware hanging and displayed everywhere. Wow. Both photos from Architectural Digest.

Small Electric AGA Cooker/Range

If you are fascinated by AGA cookers, as I am, here is an alternative version to consider.

more information here

First discovered here. Read more about this renovated lake cottage in Canada here.

My Wonderful Set of Old Copper Pots

I discovered this matched, graduated set of old copper pots at an outdoor antiques show years ago. Each one has this monogram on the front opposite the handle. Somebody was really proud of them and so am I because they look wonderful on the top shelf of my pantry. The large dovetails are beautiful too. The bottom of the biggest one is marked on the bottom with an incised E. I don't know what that signifies but it's probably a maker's mark. I didn't look on the bottom of the others. They fit inside each other nicely in a nest for easy storage. I like them lined up better. At my former house, they were displayed on a standing pot rack. The insides need to be re-tinned so I don't use them. Plus they are really heavy!

Tater Tots Cooked on a Panini Press

Yep. Tater Tots right out of the bag. This idea came to me recently when there was nothing in the house to eat and it was too hot to turn on the oven. Just line them up frozen hard as a rock, close the lid, and look after a while. They are flat and crispy and delicious. Good for a snack anytime, as a side with burgers, or as tiny hashbrowns for breakfast. Perfect comfort food. You are welcome! xo

My Kitchen Essentials, Within Reach

I love having these things on my kitchen counter in plain sight, within easy reach when I'm cooking or assembling my food. Left to right you will see: pepper grinder, balsamic vinegar, fine sea salt, himalayan pink salt, cinnamon in a salt shaker, seasoned salt next to that, red pepper flakes, and a sugar bowl filled with raw turbinado sugar. There's also a ginger grater and a milk glass container with my measuring spoons and a wooden honey dipper. Mixing bowls are underneath the splayed-leg stool in old red paint. I love my English china transferware sugar bowl covered with architectural engravings. I unearthed the massive pressed moulded glass shakers with pewter tops tucked in a corner of one of my kitchen cabinets recently. They are beyond fabulous with lots of trapped air bubbles. I had to soak the tops in a strong solution of Bragg's cider vinegar for days to get the corroded tops back to their original condition. I use the one for pepper for fine sea salt and the one with the larger holes for coarse pink salt. For me, things out of sight are also out of mind. I like to have my stuff where I can see it. So far this morning I have used the pink salt and ground pepper for my fried egg and a few shakes of ground cinnamon in my Greek yogurt. Enjoy your Sunday and the long Memorial Day weekend. See you later. xo

Kitchen Corner

Love what I can see. Want to see more. via

Spruce Up Your Christmas Cookies

Another Good Thing from Martha Stewart

Kitchen Cabinet Detail w/ Spice Rack and Chalk Board

I like the corner of this kitchen and would like to see more! This cabinet door probably stays open all the time, right? I think the things on the bottom shelf would bump into the lower spice shelf. How handy this must be to have all those little things and your favorite cookbooks in one place. Love it. via

Life Changing $1.00 Purchase

Yep. I have one of these things you see advertised on TV. I've always been curious about whether or not they work and as luck would have it, I found a Stonewave Microwave Cooker unopened in the original box at the church rummage sale for one dollar. I pounced on it and have used it numerous times every day for the past two weeks. The hardest thing for me to do in the winter is to eat green vegetables. This little nuclear cooling tower is perfect for frozen broccoli florets. Arrange as many as you can get in the container and still be able to get the top on snugly. Pop in the microwave for four minutes and they are perfect. Piping hot and not mushy. Dessert? How about a baked apple? Core one and cut it in pieces. Four minutes and it's the best dessert ever. No need to add sugar but some cinnamon is nice. I had broccoli tonight and then I heated up a bowl of chili. Onions are fabulous too. I cooked my chopped onions for the chili in this little thingie with some of my liquid aminios. Delicious. It's super easy to clean too. I have had string beans and peas and spinach, but broccoli is my favorite. I buy it in a big bag with loose pieces that have been flash frozen. The big bags from Costco are Organic. I really have eaten a nice helping of green veggies every day and I couldn't be happier. I want to try fresh cauliflower next. via

I searched all over and Bed and Bath has these cookers for $4.99 each. I'm going to buy two three more so I can keep things hot while something else is cooking. My local store has them in stock and I have a 20% off coupon. The size is perfect for portion control too. If I had heated up the whole pot of chili I might have gone back for seconds. You can top whatever you're cooking with grated cheese, put the top back on, and it melts with no additional microwaving. I think every household should have a set of these. You're welcome. xo

Letterpress Valentine Cookies

These are too beautiful to eat, aren't they? via