Category Archives: favorite things

Favorite Things: Butter Mold

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When my Great Grandma passed away I inherited this little gem.

I have always like this little tool, and while I never saw her use it, she would let me get it off the shelf and play with it.

It is a butter mold, and if I remember correctly it belonged to her Mother, who died when she was a very little girl.

It is really easy to use and adds a little special something to your dinner table.

I made a batch of butter today and thought I would show you all how to use a butter mold.


It is really hard.


First you pack the butter in the mold, I use my fingers, because it is easier to pack the butter into all the corners with fingers.


Then you press the bottom on the plate and pull the cover off and there you go!
Fun and simple.

It is the perfect amount of butter for a hot roll or two and looks really pretty on a plate.


Have you inherited any fun little gadgets?

Getting Ready

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Today my two oldest girls worked really hard and fast so they could help me with these:

This is a beautiful set of silver that I am borrowing for a little bit and I am going to use them for Thanksgiving dinner.


I am so excited


Aren’t they pretty, I love the look of real silver, it makes the place setting so pretty and special.


My girls were so excited to polish them up to make our Thanksgiving table special.


What special item to do set your table with?

My Newest Favorite Kitchen Tool

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Last week I bought a new blender, something that I have been wanting for a long time. I had a pretty good blender before, however I wanted to be able to do green smoothies and most blenders can’t handle kale, spinach and chard. I have wanted to get a Blendtec blender for almost a year, but had a hard time forking over the money. While I was shopping last Friday at Costco Blentec was doing a road show and I stopped to watch and ended up buying one.

I have really loved my blender, I think I have used it at least twice everyday if not more. It can do some many things and is easy to use and clean up.


One thing that really sold me on this blender was its ability to grind grains.

I have a wheat grinder, it has two big stones and weighs about 40 pounds, so I only get it out when need to and I grind a bunch of grain at a time. The thing about grains is that the second they are cracked or ground they start to lose vital nutrients. If flour is stored in the freezer it help slow that process, but I never had enough room to store my flour in the freezer. I have loved this blender because it is quick and easy to just grind what I need when I need it.


This morning I ground a cup of rye into flour so I could add it to my sourdough start.
(sorry the picture is so weird looking, the light wasn’t do good in my kitchen this morning)


The blender is pre-programed for almost anything you could want, and yes it does make a really yummy soft serve ice cream.


Mostly I use this blender for smoothies. I really like my smoothies. I have a hard time eating breakfast, I am not hungry in the mornings and the thought of eating oatmeal or pancakes makes me a little sick. Typically in the morning I eat a smoothie, and I would go through blenders like crazy, most blenders out there aren’t made to take blending frozen fruits and ice everyday, I easily would buy a new blender every year if not a little more. My Blendtec blender comes with a 7 year warranty, I figure it can handle my smoothie addiction.

I like my smoothies yogurt based, the benefits of yogurt are huge also the fat and protein in yogurt give my smoothie staying power so I don’t become hungry before lunch time. I thought I would share one of my typical smoothies. My smoothies change from day to day depending on my mood and what fruits I have available.

First I start with a cup of homemade whole milk yogurt.


Then a cup and a half of frozen fruit. Today I picked blueberries. Blueberry are very nutritious and full of anti-oxidants and other macronutrients.


I drizzle a little Agava Nectar or honey. Only a little, even the “good” sweeteners need to be used in moderation.

I also added about a cup of fresh grapes, they add a nice sweet crisp flavor and are very good for you.

At the very end I add a little coconut oil, about a teaspoon. Coconut oil is very good for you too, if you would like to read more about benefits of coconut oil go here.


All I have to do at this point is hit the “smoothie” button and the blender does all the work. I don’t even have to open the blender and push down the fruit.

(here is my new love at work)


The finished product, a tall glass of yummy goodness that has all the servings of fruit I need for the day, plus a serving of dairy.

Another thing I love about this blender is its easy clean up.


I just add a little water to the bottom and hit the “pulse” button a couple of time and it is completely rinsed out.


At this point I dump the water out, give it a quick rinse in the sink and it is clean. At the end of the day I do put it in the dish washer, everything is dishwasher safe.


One of my pet peeves about blenders is the cleaning. Having to take apart everything and cleaning the blade, trying not to lose the rubber seal, then trying to find the seal when I am ready to use it again.

Well this little wonder blender is all one piece.

It all goes, blade, rubber seal and all into the dishwasher.
love that!


If you read this far you probably feel as if you are reading and infomercial.
Sorry.
I just love this blender, it is my new favorite thing, and I wanted to tell you all about it.

Join me next friday for “Favorite Things Friday”

Living Simple

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What does it mean to live simply.
I have been mulling this about in my mind for a while. I like the idea of living simply, today we are too busy rushing here and there that we don’t live. I want to live. I want life to flow past me quietly, softly, each day a precious pearl in the strand of my life.

How does one do this? In all the hustle and bustle that we call life. Some days it seems like all I do is go from one mess to another, putting out fires here and there. Some days it seems like all I do is think of cooking, cook and clean up after the cooking, without really tasting the fruits of my labors. Some days the endless core of laundry seems to take over the house and my life! In the middle of all the chores there are children to raise and nurture and a husband to love and I come out harried and exhausted!

Where do I find simplicity in all this?

I have come to the conclusion that simplicity isn’t something that happens, it is something that is sought.

Simplicity is a choice. When life gets busy and crazy, give something up. I don’t do much if any volunteering at my children’s school because I am not a person who juggles a lot of activities effectively. My first priority is to my family and home and I am not as effective when there are a bunch of other things I need to do outside of my home. I use to feel a lot of guilt for this, but as I have become a better mother and homemaker I have let the guilt go.

Once you have trimmed the extra stuff how do you find joy and simplicity in washing dishes and sticky faces? Once again it is a choice. You have to find the simplicity and joy. When washing dishes there can be beautiful music playing, or a conversation with children. Sticky faces and fingers…learn to laugh and give that clean face a kiss once the mess is gone. Folding laundry ( I feel like I am forever doing this!) be quiet and feel the calm of the repetitive process and pride in neatly folded stacks. Have a child join in with you and talk over the socks, more information is given and secrets shared when hands are busy. Almost any chore can inherit the air of simplicity if a little thought is given and a little more time taken.

What do you think living simply means?