Shipshape and Bristol Fashion
Our water here in Montana is extremely hard. I heard a commercial on the radio the other day and don’t quote me on this, but I’m pretty sure the guy said water in Montana is 50,000% harder than the national average. Give or take. If we forget to replenish the salt in the softener, all our dishes will have a layer of film, resulting in a beautiful sea glass effect. It also covers the sinks, tub/showers, and anything it splashes onto with that same gorgeous frosted muck. The softener helps with the calcium deposits, but it leaves its own mess behind. Stalagmites of salt build up around faucets, hand towels…
It’s Good to Live It Again
Thanksgiving was a little disappointing this year. It was a lot easier but disappointing. We had reserved our turkey back in September, so we didn’t want to get too far away from a typical Thanksgiving, but we couldn’t have things like bacon-wrapped jalapenos, sage sausage stuffing, or pecan pie, so everything we made was a sad version of what we’d normally have. In the early part of the year, when we switched back to healthy foods and smaller portions, we decided Thanksgiving and Christmas would be treated the same as always, but now, ten months or so later, unhealthy things don’t come across as treats when you don’t want them.…
It’s the Hap-Happiest Season of All
I have a confession. I’ve already started decorating for Christmas. I don’t think I’ve ever decorated for Christmas before. We’ve had trees, of course, the doodads we painted, and outside lights, but I’ve never filled our rooms with themed things. For me, it’s just stuff I’ll have to dust, and I abhor dusting. But this year has been different. The moment Halloween was over, I started to get excited about Christmas. I know Thanksgiving is in there, but since food has shifted for us, and family is too far away to be with, Thanksgiving is more vacation time than holiday time. Plus, while I am looking forward to the cozy, sparkle-filled look…
Healthier Pumpkin Molasses Spice Bread
Here is the pumpkin bread recipe I mentioned in a previous post. I have a few things to say before you run to your kitchen to make this. First, if you are looking for a great pumpkin bread recipe, I can promise you, this is not it. Healthy food can be good, but it’s not always as tasty as the unhealthy version. I would bet all our Monopoly money against you finding someone who honestly thinks a baked potato is better plain. However, in my experience, if your goal is to live a healthy lifestyle, something being fantastic doesn’t matter as much as something not rushing you toward a heart…
Burgers and Fries and Cherry Pies
After a few days of sitting in the living room, our new stove is finally in place. It looks … interesting. The old range was white, as was the old refrigerator. The new appliances are both black and stainless steel, but since they’re not made by the same company, each is its own shade of silver. On top of the slight color difference, the handles don’t match. It doesn’t matter since the fridge will be coming with us, but it looks a bit silly. However, the most important parts are all fantastic. The oven turns on and back off again the very first time you tell it to do so. This…
