Home Sweet Home #114

Hello and welcome to Home Sweet Home!  This week I styled a lovely creamer full of spring blossoms in Blue & White Spring.

I then discussed what book I should read to my youngest this summer in Summer Reading with Boys.

I then made a Sweet Potato Pie with a tropical twist.

 I would like to highlight a sponsor.  Phoenix Carpet & Flooring a family run business with 30 years experience within the industry, serving Bristol, Gloucester and Bath, England.  They have teams of fitters that are highly qualified in all aspects of floor laying which allows them to offer a diverse range of stylish and affordable floor coverings for domestic and commercial use.  Visit this sponsor if you are in that area to take care of your flooring needs.

Now, I would like to feature some of the great blogger's post that caught my eye from last week's Home Sweet Home.  

Diane at An Extraordinary Day created these book page spring blossoming flowers.  So very cute!

The Decorating Diaries created a Antique Sheet Music/Chalkboard Folding Screen.

Trudy at Looks Like White showed us a Swedish and French home that was divine!

Julie at Tattered Tiques showed us how she created a terrarium that was so sweet.

So many great post each week and so many talented people!   It is really hard to feature a few!  Thank you to everyone who joins me at Home Sweet Home!  It is wonderful to have you here!  

Sherry

Follow me on Twitter  
Follow me on Facebook 
Follow me on Pinterest 

I will join these ladies today:
Be Inspired Friday at Common Ground 

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Home and Garden Thursday  at A Delightsome Life 
G' Day Saturday at Natasha in Oz  

Guidelines for Home Sweet Home Party:

Attention: To link up you must have a permalink back to this party in your post or you won't be featured.

Link up anything in your home or garden.  I love seeing neat shops too!

My button is on my sidebar for the party, if you want to use it.   If you are new here I hope you will become a follower. Please don't link up more than two posts.  No Etsy link ups or direct advertising, please.  Please visit some of the other blogs and get some great inspiration.  Thanks.:)

Now let's see your beautiful homes, delicious recipes, crafts, or whatever makes your home special!

 *If you are pinning a post submitted here, please pin from the original site. 

Sweet Potato Pie

Normally I would consider this a fall or winter pie.  But, today I am making it with a tropical twist, Caribbean spiced rum.  So, don't let this overlooked vegetable stay off your menu in the spring or summer.  This pie is similar to pumpkin but, this a lot lighter and a bit more fluffy due to the whipped egg whites folded in.

2  9-inch unbaked pie shells (traditional size)
2 large sweet potatoes (boiled then pureed to equal 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons light molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs separated (yolks from whites)
1-12 ounce can Milnot
2 ounces Puerto Rican rum


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel and cube sweet potatoes and cook till soft in boiling water.  If pie shells store bought thaw on counter.  When sweet potatoes cooked drain water and puree with hand held speed mixer.  Measure out 1 1/2 cups of puree place in large mixing bowl.  Add brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, and nutmeg.  Mix in 3 slightly beaten egg yolks, the Milnot, and the rum.  Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the other ingredients.  Pour into two unbaked pie shells.  Bake 40 minutes with edges covered with foil until last 20 minutes.  It is done when a toothpick comes out clean.  
Recipe adapted from Food Favorites of St. Augustine
Serves 16
Sherry
I will link this to:

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff 

Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season 

Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky at Your Home Based Mom  

On the Menu Monday at Stonegable 
Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays
A Pinteresting Party  at Tutus & Tea Parties
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style 
Show-Licious Craft Showcase at Sew-licious Home Decor

Spring Thyme

I had the delight of reviewing a new book titled Spring Thyme by Bittersweet Walnut Grove.  Bittersweet Walnut Grove is a heart warming project book series sharing crafts and recipes, with sweet memories of priceless farm life from the Midwest.  Spring Thyme has recipes with ingredients straight from the garden.  Classic comfort foods (gluten-free) to satisfy a hardworking appetite.  It also has prairie tips for garden helpers such as homemade weed killer and plant boost.  There are many instructions to create useful items such as an infant's bib, a garden tool belt, or strawberry sugar scrub.  Other craft projects included are appliques, a stuffed rabbit, and an old-fashioned strawberry pin cushion.  
 

photo

All recipes, projects, and crafts are centered around the spring season.  The book was a delight through and through with memories of farm life that reminded me of my own farm upbringing.  The book is full of very useful recipes, projects, and crafts.  It is sure to be a favorite you reach for again and again.  

This book series began with the #1 best selling title Winter Thyme created by a Mother and Sister team.  The book is filled with family photos and tips from family members, Kristy from Life n' Reflection, her sister Tiffany, and mother Reta  .  You may get your own copy for Kindle here.  

I couldn't wait to try a recipe from the book!  I made the White Chocolate Strawberries for Easter.  They were a hit!

 

White Chocolate Strawberries

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 tablespoon shortening

8-12 whole fresh strawberries

Prep:

Wash and dry strawberries

Directions:

Melt chocolate and shortening in microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time until smooth.

Dip each strawberry in the melted chocolate by holding onto the leaves.  Make sure to tap off any excess chocolate before placing on wax paper to dry.  Allow to dry for 2 hours.  Store in an air tight container in the fridge.

The strawberries I used were huge.  They were really pretty on the transferware platter for Easter.  

Thank you Kristy for the copy of Spring Thyme!  I can't wait to make more recipes and crafts from the book!  I truly appreciate you letting me review your wonderful book!

 Sherry
I will link this to:

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff 

Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season 

Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky at Your Home Based Mom  

On the Menu Monday at Stonegable 
Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays
A Pinteresting Party  at Tutus & Tea Parties

Home at Rose Chintz Cottage 

Whole Foods Wednesday at Whole Lifestyle Nutrition 

Waste Not Want Not Wednesday at Poor and Gluten Free 
The Weekend re-Treat at The Best Blog Recipes

Pear Spinach Salad

Like I've mentioned before, eating is one of my absolute favorite things to do.  I feel a lot better about it when I'm eating fairly healthy and I love making easy things at home with my family.  I threw together a salad last week that I'm still thinking about, so I thought I'd share it with you:

I start out with the empty salad bowl & mixed in my family's oil & vinegar recipe for the dressing (Plain Olive Oil -Filippo Berio- and balsamic vinegar... More olive oil than vinegar.  Slice up onions (I used red this time) thinly & let sit in the dressing for a bit with a little salt & pepper.)

Once the onions had time to soak in the dressing (5 mins or so)  I tossed in:
~Baby Spinach Leaves (& a few leftover Boston Bibb leaves)
~Crushed Walnuts
~A Cut up Pear
~ Feta Cheese
~More Salt & Pepper

It was Heaven and so easy.

Now that the baby's a bit older, we're able to be a bit more organized about our meals again, which makes me so happy.  We've been making tentative weekly menus before grocery shopping & have been putting together some yummy meals.  There aren't many things I love more than making food at our big island and feeding my family.  (including feeding myself-- I'm no martyr ;) ;)

If I can get a tad more organized, I'll try to start sharing some of the recipes!  Have a great week!!
To check out some other easy recipes I've mentioned on the blog in the past, click here  (or under categories at the top, Click "Food")

ps- Thank you so much for all of the encouragement about the last project I shared!!



If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

Home Sweet Home #111

Hello and welcome to Home Sweet Home!   This week for St. Patrick's Day I made Shepherd's Pie.

I had a Spring Tea and found a wonderful gluten/flour free muffin recipe that tasted like cake!

I showed you how to Get Your Store Bought Roses to Bloom.  It works like a charm!

 I would like to highlight a sponsor.  Vision Blinds is a family business that has been operating in the UK for over 100 years.  They supply the finest quality window blinds, awnings, and conservatory blinds.  They also have a line of  Perfect Fit blinds by Louvolite® and cane furniture.  Visit this sponsor to take care of your window fashion needs.

Now, I would like to feature some of the great blogger's post that caught my eye from last week's Home Sweet Home. 

Cindy at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home had her front porch refaced with stone and it was beautiful!  

Linda at The French Hen's Nest showed off her place setting for 12 of Masons Vista that was given to her by a dear friend.  I just drool looking at it!

 Julie at The Vintage Barn showed off a little buffet she painted in a butter color.  I just love this color!

Jody and Stan of Rooted in Thyme showed off a dollhouse that got a magical spring makeover!

Tammy at A Primitive Place showed off a galvanized bucket she restyled and placed on a scale.

So many great post each week and so many talented people!   It is really hard to feature a few!  Thank you to everyone who joins me at Home Sweet Home!  It is wonderful to have you here! 

Sherry

Follow me on Twitter  
Follow me on Facebook 
Follow me on Pinterest 

I will join these ladies today:
Be Inspired Friday at Common Ground 

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Home and Garden Thursday  at A Delightsome Life 
G' Day Saturday at Natasha in Oz 

Guidelines for Home Sweet Home Party:

Attention: To link up you must have a permalink back to this party in your post or you won't be featured.

Link up anything in your home or garden.  I love seeing neat shops too!

My button is on my sidebar for the party, if you want to use it.   If you are new here I hope you will become a follower. Please don't link up more than two posts.  No Etsy link ups or direct advertising, please.  Please visit some of the other blogs and get some great inspiration.  Thanks.:)

Now let's see your beautiful homes, delicious recipes, crafts, or whatever makes your home special!

 *If you are pinning a post submitted here, please pin from the original site. 

Spring Tea '13

You know when to prune your roses right?  When the forsythia blooms.  Our forsythia has not bloomed yet.  It is still trying to snow here this week!  Soon, spring will come soon!

I am very excited about these gluten/flour free muffins!  They taste like cake to me because I haven't eaten any cake in maybe two years.  So, I was excited to find this recipe that was so similar to a cake that I could eat.  Unlike flour, I dare you to try to over eat these!  They are made of mainly eggs and coconut flour and they are so full of protein you will be full for awhile after eating them.  A perfect breakfast muffin because they will keep you full till lunch.

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Ingredients:

6 eggs

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup honey

1 lemon, juice and zest

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Whisk  the eggs, coconut oil, pure vanilla extract, honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a large mixing bowl.  Sift the coconut flour, salt, and baking soda and stir until well combined.  gently fold in the blueberries.  

Line your muffin pan with natural parchment muffin papers.  (The printed ones from Wilton will stick to your muffins).  Scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into each lined muffin cup and bake for 26 minutes.  You can stick a toothpick in them just like regular cake to test if they are done.
Yield; 12 muffins
 * To make Strawberry Lemon Muffins just replace the blueberries with 1 cup of fresh strawberries chopped up into small pieces. 

I was so happy with this recipe that I also made it in strawberry.  They were even sweeter than the blueberry muffins.  Love them!

Sherry
I will link this to:

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage 

A Return to Loveliness  at A Delightsome Life

Table Top Tuesday  at A Stroll Thru Life

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff 

Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season 

Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky at Your Home Based Mom  

On the Menu Monday at Stonegable 
Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays
A Pinteresting Party  at Tutus & Tea Parties

Whole Foods Wednesday at Whole Lifestyle Nutrition 
Waste Not Want Not Wednesday at Poor and Gluten Free 
Share the Shelter at A Sheltering Tree

Shepherd's Pie

I made this dish for St. Patrick's Day, being that it originated in Ireland.  I created it as I went by combining two recipes and I made it with a dual topping.  On the left side you have the traditional mashed potato topping and on the right side you have a low-carb mashed cauliflower (mock mashed potatoes).  I made it like this to attempt to share the dish with my family and still have a dish I could eat with the allergies I have.  You could make the dish with all mashed potato topping or an all mock mashed potato topping (cauliflower).

Ingredients:

11/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound of ground beef

5 spring onions, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon coconut flour

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon parsley

If an all potato topping:

8 potatoes (medium sized)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon garlic powder 

If an all cauliflower topping:

1 head of cauliflower (about 4 cups)

4 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee

1 tablespoon coconut milk

1/4 teaspoon rosemary

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Grease an ovenproof baking dish with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil.  In a medium skillet heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the spring onions until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the ground beef and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add the cumin, salt, and paprika and cook over medium heat until the ground beef is cooked through, another 15 minutes.  Drain the grease from the ground beef and add the water and stir in the coconut flour.  When well mixed, remove from the pan and put into the prepared baking dish. Meanwhile boil the potatoes, and or cauliflower until fork tender.   

For potato topping:  Drain water and add the butter, milk, and garlic powder and whip with a hand held mixer till desired consistency, adding more milk to get smooth mashed potatoes if needed.  

For cauliflower topping: Drain the water and place the cauliflower in a food processor.  Add the coconut oil or ghee, coconut milk, rosemary, thyme, and salt.  Puree until smooth and creamy.

Spread your cauliflower or potatoes evenly on top of the ground beef in the baking dish. 

Sprinkle the parsley on top of this and bake for 20 minutes.  

Yields: 6

*Optional- There are a lot of variations to this dish and you could add shredded cheese to the top of the potatoes/cauliflower before baking or a few tablespoons of garlic butter. 

**If you make it like I did above with a half and half topping just divide each topping recipe in half and spread accordingly on top of ground beef and bake. 

So, how did my family react to this Shepherd's Pie with a split topping.  I got my diet friendly serving out first and had the cauliflower topping on mine and the rest of it was devoured.   I never heard a complaint.  Someone had to have eaten the cauliflower but, they never noticed.

 Don't forget to go here to enter for this fantastic giveaway from Eco Natural Soap!

 Sherry
I will link this to:

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff 

Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season 

Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky at Your Home Based Mom  

On the Menu Monday at Stonegable 
Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays
A Pinteresting Party  at Tutus & Tea Parties

Home at Rose Chintz Cottage 
Whole Foods Wednesday at Whole Lifestyle Nutrition 
Waste Not Want Not Wednesday at Poor and Gluten Free

A Little Tea for Breakfast

I wasn't going to let St. Patrick's Day slip past and not do a little something related to it.  So I pulled out my one tea set that has a little Irish theme to it. 

I am having an Apple Streusel Egg Muffin.  This is a flour/gluten/wheat free muffin so the main ingredient is egg. 

This is a new way of eating to me so it takes a little getting used to.  I normally am not an egg lover.  So to embrace a baked product made so heavily with eggs takes an adjustment.  Unlike the pancakes I made last week, this muffin taste like eggs right out of the oven.  It tasted like a sweet quiche.  After the muffins cooled off they tasted better.  Much more like the apple and other flavors.  I might try this recipe again with bananas and see if I like it more. 

The tea set was purchased at TJ Maxx 2 years ago, the pattern is Grasslands Road.  The Mug is by Pfaltzgraff the pattern is Weave.
  Sherry
I will link this to:

 Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage 

A Return to Loveliness  at A Delightsome Life 

Tea Cup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites

Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations

Table Top Tuesday  at A Stroll Thru Life

Country Whites Weekend at The Country Farm Home and Old Time Farmhouse

Home Sweet Home #109

Hello and welcome to Home Sweet Home!  This week I styled my Spring Mantel.

I recycled another wreath in a Spring Wreath for Easter and Beyond.

And, I shared a way I survive my food allergies by eating Gluten Free Coconut Flour and Banana Pancakes.   Which are delicious, by the way.

 I would like to highlight a new sponsor.  Phoenix Carpet & Flooring a family run business with 30 years experience within the industry, serving Bristol, Gloucester and Bath, England.  They have teams of fitters that are highly qualified in all aspects of floor laying which allows them to offer a diverse range of stylish and affordable floor coverings for domestic and commercial use.  Visit this sponsor if you are in that area to take care of your flooring needs.

Now, I would like to feature some of the great blogger's post that caught my eye from last week's Home Sweet Home. 

Debra of Common Ground showed off her spring Mantel in Tell Me it's Almost Spring.

Luisa at Living and Learning with Luisa had a wonderful craft room makeover!

Kelly at Eclectically Vintage showed us how to grow our own Springtime Grass Centerpiece.

And Liz at Quirky Vistas had a great fun post on Competitive Thrift.

So many great post each week and so many talented people!   It is really hard to feature a few!  Thank you to everyone who joins me at Home Sweet Home!  It is wonderful to have you here! 

Sherry

Follow me on Twitter  
Follow me on Facebook 
Follow me on Pinterest 

I will join these ladies today:
Be Inspired Friday at Common Ground 

Feathered Nest Friday at French Country Cottage

Home and Garden Thursday  at A Delightsome Life

Guidelines for Home Sweet Home Party:

Attention: To link up you must have a permalink back to this party in your post or you won't be featured.

Link up anything in your home or garden.  I love seeing neat shops too!

My button is on my sidebar for the party, if you want to use it.   If you are new here I hope you will become a follower. Please don't link up more than two posts.  No Etsy link ups or direct advertising, please.  Please visit some of the other blogs and get some great inspiration.  Thanks.:)

Now let's see your beautiful homes, delicious recipes, crafts, or whatever makes your home special!

 *If you are pinning a post submitted here, please pin from the original site.