Wednesday, March 21, 2018

My Cottage Kitchen w/ Farm Table

I refuse to take any photos of Mother Nature's current temper tantrum aka known as Toby and Foureaster. Instead I took this photo of my kitchen. I finished my taxes on Monday and have put away all the papers and files I had spread out in categorized piles on my farm table. What a relief to have that task behind me for another year. 

The storm hasn't been bad so far (only a couple of inches) but the fine snow is supposed to continue for possibly another 12 hours. I'll give you an update tomorrow morning.

I watched a great movie on Netflix last night -- TULIP FEVER. 

Click here to view the video if you cannot see it above.

Settling-In - Chris Dunn: Badger, Wind in the Willows

"Settling-In" watercolor by Chris Dunn. 
Badger, Wind in the Willows
This is what I will be doing today as Toby, the 4th Nor'easter in 3 weeks plays outside. It is 8:30 on Tuesday morning and the very fine snowflakes are starting to fly at a pretty rapid pace. I am prepared to ride out this storm and hope for the best, but I'm prepared for the worst. Stay snug and warm if this storm is ruining the first whole day of spring for you too. 
I love this charming illustration and have always loved animal interiors in children's books. Mr. Badger has certainly done a wonderful job decorating his burrow under the roots of a large tree. The articles in The Woodland Times look like very interesting reading for a snowy day. xo

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Sag Harbor Kitchen to Love

Click here to view the entire house project in Sag Harbor, NY by S. R. Gambrel, Architect. The kitchen is wonderful, isn't it? A farmtable instead of an island shows great restraint in design. Give me a chair instead of a stool any day.

Old Mansion: Not Too Big

I love this small English Manor house! The architectural details are simply wonderful. via 

Monday, March 19, 2018

My Cookbooks

Someone requested a photo of my cookbook collection. I took this photo this morning and there are still some spiral-bound local private press cookbooks that won't fit on this bookcase under the counter in my pantry. I must confess, I don't use most of them with any regularity but I still like having them. Once in a while, I curate them for donating and I need to do this again soon. I have been eating real food with no additives for a couple of months now, following Michael Pollan's advice:
Pollan says everything he's learned about food and health can be summed up in seven words:
"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." Read more on his website.

This was yesterday's Instagram photo and I ate the same thing for breakfast this morning. As you all know, I have been making homemade soymilk yogurt in my Instant Pot since before Christmas. I use Westsoy organic unsweetened that comes in a box and is shelved. It contains only two ingredients: whole organic soy beans and filtered water. This breakfast bowl has one peeled kiwi fruit and one clementine as toppings. I have another cup of this delicious yogurt after dinner every night, eaten plain. I could never find a plain commercial yogurt in the past that was delicious enough to eat that way.
This all started when I listened to a segment on NPR with Melissa Clark singing the praises of the Instant Pot with its built-in yogurt setting. Then I got her cookbook, Dinner in an Instant, with recipes. That's where I learned about soymilk with no additives. And the rest is history. I was hooked.
I decided to follow Pollan's advice as well. My immune system has improved greatly and I haven't been sick with a cold or sore throat since October. This is amazing, especially since the flu season was so bad this year. I was beginning to be very concerned with my personal health and was coming down with way too many colds that went to my chest and lingered way too long. They say 90% of your immune system is located in your gut and I am positive the probiotics in the yogurt have helped mine immensely and I have lost some weight as an added bonus.. I am almost afraid to say that last part out loud. Fingers crossed this will continue by eating this way. See you later. xo

Sunday, March 18, 2018

HRH Princess Elizabeth + Corgi 1937

I love seeing vintage childhood photos of her. via

Great Tub for a Nice Hot Bath

I love this look for a farmhouse bathroom.
It might be a challenge to get in and out, but the charm of this horse trough tub is wonderful. I hope they used marine paint to cover the galvanized metal but I'm sure they must have and maybe they even had it enameled! I hope I can find a link that shows the entire room and I'll post it if I do. I love the little hinged windows that open to the inside. Enjoy your Sunday. xo via

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Shamrocks, Planted by Leprechauns

For some reason, I frequently get wild shamrocks growing along with my seedlings. In this case, it's a rosemary cutting. I have some growing along with a geranium in one of my pantry windows too. Happy St. Patrick's Day, dear friends. Today, everyone is Irish. xo