A Few of My Favorite Things :-)

There is just something about getting away from modern technology and returning to the basics that will always inspire and make me feel good about life.  Mr. Z informed me the other day that when the zukes start producing that he wanted to see my zucchini casserole on the table A LOT.  While I was at my new favorite store :-p I see they have "fresh" zukes - big ones. They weren't the little itty bitty rubbery things at Aldi's - these were nice. And only .99! Why wait till ours are producing, I'll surprise Mr. Z. 

That mean't getting out my ziplock bag chock full of recipes that I've cut from magazines or jotted down. As I was sitting there with a cup of "caramel drizzle" coffee looking for my casserole recipe I found myself relaxing and being in no hurry. Pinterest has nothing on sitting down with recipes you can touch, see, and smell. Yes, I like the smell of paper. Its not uncommon for me to stick my nose in the pages of a book and take a good whiff. You should try it sometime :-)

I used to read cookbooks like others read novels. Then Pinterest came along and I got away from it. Strumming through my pile of recipes reminded me of what I'd been missing... They were like old friends... I think they even made my coffee taste better :-)

Warm, homemade bread and homemade jam are some of my favorite things. You won't ever find me using a bread machine. They are a convenience to a lot of women, but there is nothing like bread rising on the back of the stove like has been done for decades. The smell is out of this world. Can you tell my nose is a huge part of my life. Smells can be amazing, I love how they can transport you back to "long long ago..."  

The older I get the more I love this time of year. Everything is so fresh. The earth is beautiful with it's green grass, green leaves, flowers everywhere, and fresh food. We do not yet have our own strawberry patch, but give us time. Until then, I'll take advantage to all the fruit farms that surround us. 

Fresh, strawberry pie - SIGH!! It don't get much better than that. Especially, when made with fresh, locally grown berries. YUM!! I can't wait till tomorrow when I can dive right in. I'm going to go slow and savor every morsel. Yes, food is one of my love languages :-) That explains the cookbook reading.

Sadly, this property contained no roses when we moved here. It's a pitiful existence to live without roses. I mean seriously!! Take a moment to smell just one and you will want a yard full. So early this Spring we took the itty bitty garden that had apparently been used for tomatoes and we turned it into a rose garden with a few herbs. This is the first bud to open. 

This is the 2nd bud. I believe they are called Queen Elizabeth. Their smell is intoxicating - I love to stick my nose smack dab in the middle. It reminds me of my Katie girl. Her middle name is Rose and I sometimes refer to her as my little rosebud - sweet and tiny. 

A cozy bon-fire. I seriously have no recollection of these as a kid. So I love the fact that we are building memories with our kids doing this. Sitting around the fire roasting golden, melty marsh-mellows, seeing who can out tell the funnest joke, or the scariest story. It's one of the most relaxing things to sit and stare into the flames and feel it's warmth. You can almost feel yourself slipping into la-la land.  

I hope you will step away from the computer more often this summer and enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer. Maybe it's a stroll on sandy beaches in your bare feet, casting a line into the water, having a watermelon contest with your kids and see who can spit seeds the farthest. Whatever you do leave the electronics behind for awhile and return to basic living. You will be amazed at how relaxed you find yourself.