Simple Home Living: 7/5/09

Friday, July 10, 2009

Summer BBQ Tip

One of the things I love to do while shopping at my local grocery is to come up along side another woman and begin some sort of conversation.

Today, I did I quick run to Sprouts to pick up a whole chicken (it's in my Sun Oven) for dinner. While there, I lolly gagged my way over to the cheese section. I needed/wanted some Brie cheese.

Lo and behold, while there I had a delightful chat with a New Yorker about the blue cheese she was looking for. Being simply me, I asked her about her plans for that blue cheese.

Of course, women love to share some of the secrets of their special dishes. And she did.

She intended to make a blue cheese sauce to pour over her BBQ chicken legs.

Well, these weren't JUST chicken legs - but she proceeded to tell me HOW to prepare them. She described the below rack and said that I NEEDED to get one to bbq chicken legs or wings. She told (with this big smile) me twice that all the fat dripped down and it left the skin nice and crispy.

On that note - I decided I WANTED one.

Anyone else heard of these or had experiencing using them for summer barbecuing?

A Story to Tell - Creating Beautiful Moments

The story is here.

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Making Cactus Jelly

Memories with mom are sweet and one of the sweetest was in the kitchen making all sorts of fun food. Cactus jelly is one of those fun foods.

Last week, one little grandson and I adventured down the street to pick up our cactus fruit to make jelly. This is the recipe I'll use. Thanks to one of the members of the Phoenix Permaculture Guild!

Steps
Collecting the pears (called “tunas” by the Natives)

Use tongs to pull off the fruits when there is no green left at the base. From experience, cut one open first to check. I didn’t and ended up wasting a bunch of harvested pears. It should look juicy with very little fibers.

Next, FREEZE em’ (I put em in gallon freezer bags)

Once they’re frozen for a couple of days (I think ours was about 4 days), then you can just set them in a strainer on top of cheesecloth. The spines somehow are messed up and caught up in the cloth. The pears will actually deflate and the juice will filter through the cloth. All the work is done for you!

Now, use the juice in the recipe below

(From Homegrownevolution.com)

2 1/2 cups prickly pear cactus juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

5 cups sugar (I used 4 ½ cups myself)

1 box of powdered pectin (18 teaspoons-note that not all pectin brands contain the same amount in a box, so measure it out to make sure)

Hard boil cactus fruit juice, pectin and lemon juice for 3 minutes. Hard boil means the point at which the brew still bubbles even when you stir it. Add sugar and bring back to a hard boil for 2 minutes or until the jell point is reached. Now can it!

Put in 8 once canning jars, seal and heat process for 10 minutes.

Go here for the beginning of this adventure! Have you visited La Maison et le Jardin yet?

Between Naps on the Porch: Welcome to the 46th Tablescape Thursday!

My New Love of Figs

Our garden's crowing glory is this lovely fig tree. I've never really been one for figs until this season when these jewels started ripening. After one little bite I knew I needed to find some ways to use them. See here what I did with these jewels.

Add a Little Color to Your Life

Being introduced to creative people who sew is always a high point in my day. Well, today, I've had a high point.
These nifty, coloful bags are the artwork of designer - Elisalou of Elisalou Designs and get this - my friend, Melissa (another incredibly creative woman) is offering a bag in a Summer Giveaway!

So, hurry on over to Melissa's and enter the giveaway!

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

My Favorite Shabby Chic Designer is Back

I couldn't help but get excited when I found out that my very favorite shabby chic designer, Rachel Ashwell, who inspired me years ago is back.

I thoroughly enjoy the two books pictured above and really Rachel's Shabby Chic Interiors, Shabby Chic, The Shabby Chic Home - actually ALL her books are wonderful cool weather coffee day book (hot days too) to peruse through and get tons of ideas to create a little sanctuary.

I look forward to reading more of the creativity and ideas that Rachel has as she creates sanctuary again. In case you missed out - I've begun to create a little "French" sanctuary over here at la maison et le jardin - French for "Home and Garden."

Vogue - Coming in September

Let's be honest. What woman doesn't like to look her best, hasn't envied another woman's style or wished she was only ...uh, 10 pounds lighter?

And . . . has their never been a Vogue Magazine that has NOT caught your eye while standing in line with a basket full of groceries?

While visiting La Dolce blog, I spotted this and wanted to share it here. What are your thoughts on these kinds of things?

Me? I do appreciate fashion and design, at least to look however my heart is geared toward Home and Garden...