Sometimes life and circumstances beyond my control collide in such a way I’m left feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and anxious. This pretty much sums up the last two weeks spilling over to this week, too. Last Tuesday my youngest sister gave birth to her second son and I was busy caring for my nephew for a couple days. Then, my husband with our kids left for Ohio and Michigan for a family reunion while I stayed behind. Initially I stayed behind because of my sister’s pregnancy but then, my sister stationed in Germany was able to fly home and my other sister from Spokane is also arriving soon. This will be the first time my five siblings and I have been altogether since my dad passed away six months ago. For those of you who have been following my journey of having my mom move in with s on Everyday Alice, then you know it’s been a difficult transition for me. And if this week wasn’t already busy enough, we decided to unexpectedly make an offer on a bigger house to accommodate our growing family better. With mom living here now, one bathroom will not do for a family of six people, not to mention we are a bit cramped. As a result I’ve been spending practically zero time on my computer and all my time working on clearing blackberry brambles, laurel bushes, de-cluttering, and cleaning the house. Who knew getting a house ready to sell was so much work!? [click to continue…]
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When reading Ina Garten’s new cookbook, Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?: Fabulous Recipes & Easy Tips, I was saddened to read in the headnote of her Watermelon and Arugula salad recipe (page 65) that she did not like the combination of watermelon and feta. Oh, how sad because I love the combination of watermelon and feta, and I love Ina Garten. But I am going to have to respectfully disagree with her on this one. The first time I tried the sweet and savory combination of juicy red watermelon with the salty soft flavor of the feta, I was hooked. I would never have though to pair these ingredients with each other yet they work harmoniously and not as strange as the Barefoot Contessa would have you to believe.
She has this wonderful salad recipe using watermelon, arugula, lemon juice, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. But my heart is totally devoted to watermelon and feta. And since we’re going with feta, I think adding a few slivers of red onion, a few other types of greens would make this the perfect light lunch for me today, wouldn’t you agree? [click to continue…]
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What I was thinking when I bought a 10 pound case of frozen blackberries? Nevertheless, they are taking up valuable real estate in our itsy-bitsy freezer. So don’t be surprised if you see an excessive amount of blackberry recipes on Savory Sweet Life coming to the world wide web soon. On the other hand, if you love blackberries (like I do) then you’re in for a real treat.
Inspired by the gorgeous Seattle (hot) weather yesterday, an abundance of blackberries, and a thriving patch of mint growing just outside my front door, what I have for you today is an awesome recipe for Blackberry Mint Lemonade. [click to continue…]
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Dishes made with puff pastry have a special place in my heart. Perhaps it is all the flaky, buttery layers of puff pastry which makes just about anything taste really good – especially desserts. Today I have a special treat for you. My eight year old daughter, Mimi, is featured in a cooking video I created and posted for PBS Parents Kitchen Explorers. In the video, Mimi shows you how to make a beautiful fresh fruit tart using strawberries and blueberries. It’s the perfect dessert for Memorial Day. [click to continue…]
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[donotprint] I wish you could have joined me yesterday as I enjoyed eating this scrumptious blueberry shortcake (pictured above) all by myself in complete silence while savoring each bite. Rare moments like yesterday are moments I treasure. I wasn’t planning on making this but it just happened on a whim. I had just put my son down for his midday nap and baked my favorite cream scones with the intent on just spreading some homemade strawberry jam and butter. But this silly visual picture of a shortcake popped into my mind tempting me with possibility. While the lemon zested scones were baking, I surrendered to my hearts desire. Why not just treat myself to something special… just for me. Before I had a chance to change my mind I quickly checked to see if I had everything I needed. Frozen blueberries? Check. Heavy cream? Check. And because my yard is covered in wild blackberry bushes (which I can’t stand!) and fresh mint, I was even able to make my shortcake pretty. [click to continue…]
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