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In a Word…2018

January 10, 2018 / / 3 Comments

Several years ago, I was first introduced to the concept of choosing “One Word” for the year instead of a list of resolutions. I’ve chosen words in the past, with minimal follow-through throughout the year. As 2017 was winding down and I was starting to look ahead to 2018 and all that is on the horizon, one word popped up and I brushed it aside as I kept looking. But that first word kept coming back to the front and the more I thought about it the more I realized it was the right one for where I am. My word for 2018 is…

More to come on this throughout the year. Do you have a “one word” for 2018?

A Year in Books…2017

January 9, 2018 / / 13 Comments

Somehow 2017 escaped from me without spending time here on the blog recounting my reads. A lot of my reading occurred while on the road (or more accurately in the air) – I was blazing through books until August – and well, everything has been different since then – including reading. I set a goal of 60 books for the Goodreads Reading Challenge and I just barely managed to reach the goal before the calendar switched to 2018. The stats that Goodreads provides are always fun to look at.

(After these screen grabs, some highlights from the year.)

Looking through the eclectic assortment of reads, there are some themes and some definite highlights.

  • Thoughtful police detectives are a good read- I continue making my way through the Inspector Gamanche series set in Quebec (books 3/4/5/6/7/8 this year). Additionally, I started into the Commissario Brunetti series set in Venice and my first visit with Bruno, Chief of Police in a small French town has me wanting more visits. These series are all library loan reads – I need to get my queue setup to keep moving through them in the new year.
  • I finally started into the Anne of Green Gables series ahead of our road trip to Prince Edward Island – these reads will continue, for sure.
  • I continue to work through a couple of fun “thriller/history/elite agencies/fate of the world in the balance” series by Steve Berry (Cotton Malone) and James Rollins (Sigma Force)
  • Charles Martin books always seem to be read at just the right time for me – this year, I enjoyed 2 more from his collection: Long Way Gone and Thunder and Rain.
  • Becoming Bonnie was a fun debut novel from a colleague’s wife. This take of Bonnie before she became “Bonnie & Clyde” is a nice addition to the “fiction inspired by real women of the early 20th” genre – together with The Wife, The Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhorn and Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart.
  • I enjoyed several memoirs throughout the year.
  • The Secret Wife was a sweeping fiction read that came highly recommended by my best friend. I was immediately pulled into the stories from the last days of the Romanovs connected to a modern day women in transition.
  • While I haven’t read many short story collections to date, I enjoyed the Uncommon Type collection by Tom Hanks and want to read more collections in the new year.
  • During the Christmas season, I seek out fun and sweet Christmas stories. In 2017 I enjoyed several, including: A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg; Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan and Dear Santa: Children’s Christmas Letters and Wishes, 1870-1920. A couple more Christmas stories were picked up via Kindle deals and filed away for next Christmas,
  • My under the tree fiction gifts were just right! The last week home in the Ville was filled with lots of reading time for all of us and my varied fiction stack was very enjoyable. I started with The Austen Escape – then onto Sourdough – and my last night in the Ville included staying up till 1:00 AM to finish Manhattan Beach. Once I got to the gate for my flight home, I started into The Simplicity of Cider and it was finished before bedtime back home in PA that evening.

For 2018, I’ve kept the same goal of 60 books to read. Along the way, I plan to be involved in a couple of book related blog connections to help ensure I’m sharing books here along the way.

What were your best reads from 2017?
What are your reading goals for 2018? 

Finally connecting up with Stephanie & Jana for the monthly Show Us Your Books link-up. Also joining in the Modern Mrs. Darcy QuickLit roundup. 

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

January 7, 2018 / / 2 Comments

In canning season, tomato jam is always one of my favorite things to make (& share). Since I’m currently doing a January Whole30 reset, the tangy sweet goodness of tomato jam is a no-go for the time being. Last week, I picked up a bowl of small tomatoes in a rainbow of colors on an impromptu Costco run. This weekend, I turned them into jammy tomato “chips” to use in my meals for the upcoming week.

Tomato Evolution

  1. Pre-heat oven to 325.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or foil).
  3. Wash & slice tomatoes in half.
  4. Toss with olive oil & pink Himalayan salt.
  5. Place tomatoes on baking sheet – cut side up.
  6. Roast for about 2 hours. I checked at 55 minutes & kept going. At 01:50, I turned the oven off and kept the tomatoes in the oven for another 15 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven – flip all tomatoes over to cool.
  8. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

These will be put to tasty uses during the week – obviously, any salads will include them; maybe an omelette or egg scramble; a twist on the classic wedge salad.

This is a great way to incorporate tomatoes in the off season! How would you use these tasty morsels? 

Three Essential Things…

January 4, 2018 / / 3 Comments

As we dive into the new year, filled with new intentions…many times involving homemaking, today’s “three” are household items I no longer purchase. Instead, I’m making these products with essential oils. In fact, on New Year’s Day a fresh bottle of each of these was made.

Shower Spray – I came across this “recipe” over the summer on Stephanie’s blog and was instantly intrigued. Before long, I had ordered blue spray bottles and acquired the “non oils” ingredients. I vary the essential oils I use each time I make this – the current bottle is lemon & eucalyptus. I have Mom & Rebecca using the same spray now – we all have noticed that it definitely helps keep the shower cleaner. Since we weren’t keen about glass bottles in the tile showers, we ordered these JarJackets to provide a bit of glass safety.

Linen Spray – I used to buy a big bottle of lavender linen spray & use it on my bedding. In the fall, I made the switch to DIY and definitely won’t look back. Now, I follow this simple recipe – instead of lavender, I normally use the doterra Serenity oil (which is my preferred sleep oil for the diffuser). I keep the small bottle on my nightstand and spray my pillows each nite as I get ready for bed.

Fabric Softener – I’ll admit, this was triggered by a Facebook sponsored “life hack video” – although I can’t remember the specific brand promoting it – it was an appliance company. I go very basic – just white vinegar and a few drops of essential oil in a pretty kombucha bottle. As I looked at online recipes, many include baking soda – since I normally toss a scoop of baking soda in with each load of laundry, I kept it out of the mix. (A couple of years ago I stopped using fabric softener sheets & now just use wool dryer balls – when I remember to, I’ll put a few drops of an oil on the balls to provide drying freshness.)

I first started using essential oils in a diffuser about 18 months ago and since then have been increasing use in other areas.

What homemade cleaners do you use? How do you use essential oils?

Linking up with Carole and Kat for Three on Thursday. 

Recently…December 2017

January 2, 2018 / / 2 Comments

Ah, DECEMBER! A month filled with…holiday preparations…first snowfall…cold temps…holiday gatherings…pausing to celebrate Christmas and more…in the midst of it all, these are the things that filled my December days…

Visiting with Santa & Mrs. Claus! The first Saturday of the month was filled with errands. First on the list was a stop to a favorite local chocolate factory where a charming Santa & Mrs. Claus were taking pictures with everyone.

Sheet pan suppers…once for myself and once in the Ville, a simple pan of rainbow potatoes + kale + sweet onion + chicken made for a quick, healthy and tasty meal (and leftovers)…I definitely plan to incorporate more sheet pan suppers into 2018 meal planning…

Minimal mantel decor – My simple Christmas vignette on the mantel was “just right” for bringing holiday joy into my apartment this month! The accompanying JOY decor completed it.

Watching…way too many Hallmark Christmas movies. I did chuckle with this article about needing the escape from the year with these movies.

Christmas in the Ville…I was lucky enough to be home for 2 weeks with Mom & Rebecca. We navigated through Christmas without Dad pretty well – some traditions were in play this year; some traditions were not included; some new celebrations and moments were added. Visiting Dad’s grave site right after the Wreaths Across America had been placed upon the rows was quite an experience – while the majesty of the national cemetery is always a site to see, the rows upon rows of white markers with the contrast of the green wreaths and red bows is truly awesome.  At Thanksgiving, we decided on a live tree with just colored lights & pearl garland – it provided just the right holiday glow in the living room for us this season. A couple of days were bliss for us all as we spent hours in the living room each deep in our own books, the fire going, coffee nearby and just being together.

Viewing…lots of Christmas lights. All told, we went “light looking” 4 evenings while I was home for Christmas. Rebecca has already challenged us to hit 5 nights next Christmas.

Catching up…with lots of friends while home in the Ville – often over food. In addition to several meals out and about, Rebecca hosted some girls for breakfast one morning. After Christmas, a delightful evening was spent at the now annual high school gang holiday gathering – this year was our largest group to join in – we all agree that we prefer this to the school reunions.

Visiting Vermeer…while home for Christmas, Rebecca & I made a quick day trip up to DC to take in the current Vermeer exhibit at the National Gallery of Art. A separate post is planned to share some of the highlights from that day…

Wrapping…Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve. While I’m always thankful for the “fabric bag” approach that we adopted from a college roommate more than 20 years ago, this year I’m even more thankful – I’m confident that gifts would not have been wrapped without them.

Reading…a whopping 13 books in the month to somehow meet my Goodreads 2017 challenge. Indeed, my Christmas break was filled with plenty of reading – including 4 of the 5 books that were under the Christmas tree for me. While book posts were nonexistent around here in 2017, I’ve missed sharing my reads and plan to share reading moments more in the new year…

Sipping…all the Christmas flavored coffees…Door County Candy Cane was in frequent rotation – especially with a splash of Califia Farms Mint Cocoa creamer…

Looking ahead…as the calendar changes to 2018, I see a year filled with lots of opportunities on the horizon – which I look forward to writing bout as they unfold…I’m narrowing down my One Word for the year and will share that in the coming weeks…January will be a Whole30 reset month for me so I see lots of kitchen time in store – and my goal is to blog more of the food fun during the month…

What filled your DECEMBER days?

Once again linking up with Leigh for What I’m Into.

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