My Garden {A Wild, Untamed Poem by TJ}

Inspired by the untamed and self sown beauty that is a small section of my garden, left mostly to it's own devices during our unusually hot summer. I am a wilting flower in hot temperatures so I was unable to tend and reign in much of it but...it THRIVED. And thankfully, these flowers aren't as delicate as their mama! All photos are unretouched and unfiltered, as the beauty of nature simply cannot be improved upon by such, in my humble opinion.

I present to you my wild, untamed, rambling thoughts that mirror the garden as I visited her at sunrise...

My garden is a wild child 

running free with tousled hair.

she has waves of flaming auburn,

and a freckle sprinkled nose,

ne'er a care, and burdens none,

laughing as she goes.

this moment is what she lives for,
tomorrow is not a thought.
my garden is a wild child,
her living not for naught.

today her flowers blossom,
tomorrow they will fade
it is her lot and all is well
as she rests beneath the shade.

will you let your garden blossom?
running yon and here and there?
living as a wild child,
like my garden, will you dare?

Thanks for stopping by and visiting my sweet garden!

💋xo, TJ 

New Video! Make No Knead Bread with Me ~

 

Hello again!

There's a new video on my TJ's Sweet Home YouTube channel, titled:

Make No Knead Bread with Me

If you'd like to pay me a visit over there, I would love to have you!

Here's a summary...

"I planned on doing a voice over but it just didn't work out🙄 I appreciate your patience as I try figuring out all this technology.

{It isn't easy making bread while looking through the lens! I was nervous, lol.😆}

I'm not a professional baker or bread maker, just an everyday home cook. I don't follow the bread making rules but the results always turn out fine.

My breadmaking story:
I began my bread making journey many years ago, first using a bread machine and the boxed bread mixes sold at grocery store. Then I ventured into trying out bread recipes in the machine. We quickly became spoiled to homemade bread! In the next gew years, I went through two bread machines, always declaring that I would NEVER knead bread dough and if for some reason we found ourselves without a bread maker, we would be eating store bought bread. When the second bread machine finally gave up the ghost, I researched the possibility of a "no knead" recipe. Fast forward to now. Fresh hot bread is made at least once a week around here, no bread machine needed.

(Full disclosure: since my son gifted us a KitchenAid mixer, that is what I use to make this dough these days but I made many loaves for a few years without the machine.)

Easy No Knead Bread

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm/"blood temperature " water (I use the hottest water from our tap)
1 tbsp sugar or honey
1 tbsp oil (a light tasting cooking oil of your choice)
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (plus more as needed to achieve desired dough texture)
2 tsp salt

Place ingredients (I rarely take the time to "proof" my yeast🫣) into a large bowl in order listed then mix until the ingredients are well incorporated and has a "shaggy" appearance. Using hands, form the dough into a ball (try to get any stray flour and dough pieces at the bottom of the mixing bowl added to the dough ball. If dough is sticky, add small amounts of flour until, when you handle the dough, it is no longer sticky.). Work the dough ball into an oval shape and until it as smooth as possible. Place dough into a bread pan that's been oiled or sprayed with a baking spray. (No bread pan? No problem! Just shape the dough into a baguette-or two-OR one round shape and bake on a sheet pan that has been lined with parchment paper OR sprayed with a bakers spray OR oiled and sprinkled with cornmeal.) You can leave the dough as is but I usually press mine in.

Now...it's time to let the dough rise (I only do one rise. Again...🫣🤫) to about twice it's size (mine usually takes 1 to 1 1/2 hours). I use my oven that I have warmed up for about a minute but you can place your dough in a warm area covered with a tea towel while it rises.

When the dough has risen, I heat my oven to 375°F (while it is still in the oven) and set the timer for 35 minutes (ovens vary so you may want to start checking at around 20-25 minutes). Your bread is done when it is golden brown and sounds hollow if you tap on it.

Remove from the oven and let sit in the pan for about ten minutes covered with a tea towel before turning the loaf out to cool (I turn my pan on it's side since hubby said that's what his grandma used to do.😊)

Enjoy your bread! (If you can't wait until it's cool...no shame! We've been known to cut into a hot loaf and slather with butter...SO GOOD!. The only down fall is, it doesn't cut as easily/cleanly when it's hot.

*a good serrated bread knife makes cutting easier.

🌹🐞While my dough was rising, I went outside and to my surprise, had a wonderful unexpected visit from a little ladybug. I was also excited to see a few fragrant roses on on our rose bush!"

I suppose I practice a "lazy girl" method of bread baking but if the results turn out well, why bother with extra time-taking steps? I know I could (and do sometimes) make extra special (read: pretty) loaves, but as I stated, I'm a home cook and my main objective each day is to get tasty food prepared for us, all while juggling the other tasks of the day. And I only have so much energy to spare. At the end of the day, the "rustic"😜 looking loaves taste the same as the "pretty" loaves.

I hope you enjoy the video, and as always...

thanks for stopping by! 

xo,

TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (October 15-21)~

endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

a walk in the neighborhood on a cool autumn day reveals the nicest surprises! 

Howdy! So glad you are here! 

We have had several glorious days of cool, almost chilly, temperatures. My kind of weather! I hope your weather has been nice as well.

I must confess, I don't watch the news (too depressing😭) so I don't know what the weather has been like in other parts of the country (other than the hubs exclaiming that it was snowing in the U.P. of Michigan one day, lol. I lived there for a while in another lifetime so I guess he thought I'd be interested.😊). 

What I'm cooking, baking and eating (besides the usual) ~ 

•  chicken broccoli "fettuccine"- made with jarred Alfredo sauce that was in the pantry, bought on sale several weeks back. And spaghetti noodles that have been in the freezer since I stocked up on pasta last November. I always keep chicken and frozen broccoli on hand as they are major components to my Dollface's homemade dog food.

•  chana masala served over rice. I keep an assortment of legumes in the freezer along with rice that is bought in bulk and divided into smaller portions. I used a sweet potato in place of the russet as that's what I had available. The rest of the ingredients I had on hand in the freezer (chopped onion and tomatoes leftover from previous recipes) and pantry (spices, herbs and seasonings). I had fresh cilantro,  lemons and ginger on hand. Since I had previously soaked, cooked, portioned out and froze the chickpeas/garbanzos for ready access, I made the recipe in a large skillet rather than in the slow cooker. My husband is not a fan of this type of food (more for me!) so I ate a portion for dinner and then divided and froze the rest for future meals.

Even though I'm trying to cut back on sugar,  hubby still enjoys sweet snacks. Rather than buying as many prepackaged snacks as we have in the past, I have resolved to doing more baking again.

•  enchilada casserole - this time I used chicken, pinto beans and a red enchilada sauce. 

•   Lemon Crazy Wacky Cake with an Easy Lemon Glaze (I only used 1 tablespoon of milk for a thicker glaze)

•  Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars (I used only 1 teaspoon of vanilla in order to conserve on this pricey ingredient, and all semi sweet chocolate chips since that is what we had.)

Homekeeping ~ 

This week's homekeeping focus was the bathrooms. Outside of regular cleaning, I spent extra time going through and wiping down cabinets. I checked expiration dates on medications and made note of anything that needed to be added to the shopping list.

Garden~

I sowed carrots seeds. 

Highlight~

 It goes without saying that the cool, chilly days we enjoyed were one of the highlights of my week. SO grateful! 

I hope your week was wonderful! 

Thanks for stopping by!

💋xo, 

TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (October 8-14)~

endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

How was your week? I hope it was a good one! I was able to be a little more productive this week, thank goodness. Here's a little peek...

gregg's mist

Garden~ 

I harvested swiss chard. I can't wait to incorporate it into something delicious (TBD)!

I sowed several different types of seeds: parsley, cilantro,  kale, spinach mustard, jalapeño, bell pepper, zucchini, turnip, radish and lettuces (Grand Rapids. Black Seeded Simpson, Four Seasons and Iceberg). Some of the seeds are several years old, so only time will tell if they are viable. I'm also experimenting with trying to grow more Gregg's Mist from (what I think is) seed from my existing plants. The butterflies love it!

We have not had rain in many, many days. Plus it hasn't been as humid on a lot of those days so I have had to water much more often. Our poor grass sounds crunchy when you walk on it if I don't. On the bright side, less humidity is making the mostly still warm October days, much more pleasant. 

Homekeeping ~

This past week's focus was the kitchen, dining room and breakfast nook. I focused on wiping down the cabinet facings, cleaning out the "junk" drawer and in the breakfast nook area, I set up a small table by the window for seed starting.

What I'm cooking, baking and eating (besides the usual) ~ 

Egg salad (hubby likes his served with crackers and I have mine served on a bed of salad greens), cheeseburgers & pork burritos (using the pork from this recipe that has been in the freezer. A pork roast lasts the two of us an astonishingly long time. I cook it, we eat some right away, then I cool the remander and divide it up to freeze for future meals.)

I was thankful for being able to pull out a couple of "power food meals" (the one I made "Italiano" style back in September) one evening that I had previously frozen from leftovers, for a quick and easy (seems to be a favorite thread that runs through my mealtime repertoire, no? 😁) dinner for the hubs and me. DIY "TV dinners"? I'll take it!

I know I don't often mention veggies but yes, we do eat them alongside our meals. Common around here are: broccoli, cauliflower,  mixed vegetables, green beans, salads of some sort or crudités.

“Walking is a man’s best medicine.” 

~ Hippocrates

wanna go for a WALK?

Highlight~

The "cooler", less humid couple of days we had afforded us the opportunity to take a walk around our neighborhood. 

the pattern the wind created in these fallen leaves fascinated me!

I'm looking forward to more cool weather walks but enjoyed immensely these little tastes of being able to enjoy the great outdoors in comfort! 

Thanks for stopping by! See you next time~

💋xo, 

TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (August 27-September 2)~

 endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

September is upon us, school is back in session here, and it's still hotter than a Texas bonfire outside! Whew! As long as our air conditioners keep on blowing the cold, I am good with laying low and doing indoorsy things. After several days in a row of rain, for which I am extremely grateful, we seem to be living smack dab in the middle of a mosquito hatchery. I rue the times I walk out the door not having had the forethought to apply my lemongrass essential oil, dabbing it on liberally like so much eau de parfum, to repel those tiny vampires.

While I was busy fanning myself and tending to my mosquito bites, I did jot down a few notes of the things I managed to accomplish this past week. Let's take a peek, shall we?~~~

What I'm cooking, baking and eating ~ 

Tomato and basil chicken sausage served over garlic cauliflower mash, enchilada casserole (Since I was making this in a 9"x13" pan-I don't have the size pan called for in the recipe-I used 12 corn tortillas rather than 8. I substituted pork from this recipe that I made in the past, portioned out and froze for future meals. The black beans were big batch cooked in the past as well, divided up into 1 1/2 cup portions and frozen. I substituted green enchilada sauce for the red, as that's what I had on hand. I also added about a half of a cup of salsa verde that I had in the freezer to help stretch the saucy part to accommodate the extra corn tortillas and larger pan. I also used more cheese on top than one cup-maybe 1-1 1/2 cup more), a little garlic powder and a bit of salt.😋), "power food meal", devil's food bundt cake, chocolatey chip yellow snack cake (using up cake mixes I bought at a great price several months ago)

Homekeeping ~ 

this Mainstays candle from Walmart has the most delightful Autumnal scent!

This weeks focus was the master bedroom and closet. I straightened up my shoes and organized a few things on the closet shelves. 

What I'm watching/reading~

After reading this article I decided, after getting away from reading fiction in recent years, to revisit a long lost favorite author of mine and tackle some of her books that have been gathering dust on my bookshelves. I used to devour Ms. Steel's books back in the day. Now, I don't know if they qualify for the fiction Dr. Restack meant but hey, baby steps😉.

Ghost Diving USA I love that they are upcycling the lost nets into other items while helping to clean up the ocean floor!

Arctic Daughter: A Lifetime of Wilderness

and

Rewilding Kernwood, both on Prime Video. The two documentaries were a fun mental escape-sentimental, real and raw from the perspective of Jean Aspen and her husband, Tom Irons.

Garden ~

Haha! Do you ever feel the way Miss Sourpuss does when those never-ending bumper crops keep coming through the door while you feverishly work to put it all up? I know I shouldn't get frustrated and overwhelmed at the work the blessing of the bounty creates,  but I do sometimes if I am to be perfectly honest 🙄. Thankful? Most definitely. But I am after all, only human.

I harvested a few spinach leaves from a volunteer spinach plant and some basil that I used to make some basil ice cubes that will be easy to throw into our favorite Italian dishes.

Create~

After spending all of last week working on trying my hand at my own watercolor rendition of Monet's Water Lilies on a small scale in my traveler's notebook, I thought this was an appropriate quote to salve the frustration that can come with trying to learn something new...

"When I'm working in the barn or house I often think of all the errors I've made in my life. But then I quickly put that behind me and think of water lilies. They will always eradicate unpleasant thoughts. Or goslings are equally comforting in their own way."

 ~Tasha Tudor

Thinking of water lilies and trying to paint them are two totally different things, lol! 

Well, that about wraps it up for this week. Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ 

A Peek Into Last Week (August 20-26)~

endeavor:

authentic•oldfashionedvalues•lowtech•slowliving

~livingsimply~

It was one of those weeks around here. We all have them. Nothing major, just enough wrenches being tossed into gears to throw me off balance a bit. A leak in the laundry room that had to be sorted out. Sir Galahad our kitty had to be taken to the vet for some skin issues (and I am, and always have been what some would call a "nervous mother", even with my fur babies). The truck window decided it would not roll back up again. Ya know, life stuff. I know it could always be worse. So, I did what I could around here despite feeling wayyy off kilter, and let the loose ends fall where they may. They will still be there when I can get to them.

And even during those days and weeks when I'm feeling a bit jostled...

"There's nothing half so pleasant as coming home again."

~ Margaret Elizabeth Sangster

Errands ~

On my way to the pharmacy and grocery store where I only picked up a few sale items.

What I'm cooking, baking and eating (besides the usual) ~

Italian herbed baked chicken (that we had for several meals) to go with sauteed cabbage or pan fried green beans (different nights), Toll House cookie bars, banana bread snack cake, tuna salad (that we had with crackers), devil's food bundt cake, a loaf of white bread, easy blender salsa (I'm more than happy to make a meal of chips & salsa!)

I made, and will freeze in ice cube trays, our Dollface's food. I only have to do this every two or three weeks.

Homekeeping ~ 

This past week's focus was the bathrooms. There are two and a half that I need to tend to, the other is our daughter's responsibility. 

In addition to the usual cleaning, I focused on decluttering the powder room cabinet and it is practically empty now. Only a couple of rolls of backup tp. It was so packed at one point, I would squint my eyes when I opened the doors to the cabinet, as I never knew if things would come tumbling out!

In the upstairs bathroom, I dove in under the sink, wiped it down and tidied it up.

Garden ~ 

a tiny bud from "rose" readying to unfurl

I am experimenting with propogating my old girl "Rose" (🤭) by ground layering a couple of stems. Fingers crossed in hopes they take off. I would love to be able to plant her babies in our front garden beds. She has been a faithful bloomer for close to twenty years now and was one of the first plants we brought home after we moved here. She was a lone rosebush with no tags or markings so I don't know her origin. It was her pretty pink bursts of blooms and wildly intoxicating scent (interestingly, not everyone can smell it like hubby and I can🤔) that won me over.

I harvested a bit more swiss chard annnd...I know you're tired of hearing about the growing-in-overdrive sweet potato leaves, so I won't mention them again until they die off.😆 (But I am still squirreling them away for the winter as fast as I can!)

What I'm watching/reading ~

This past week I was feeling a bit nostalgic and watched Baby Boom with Diane Keaton. That movie always reminds me of around the time my middle child was born. 💕

I also watched Edie on Hulu. I can relate to the character of Edie in several ways, and found myself boohooing😥 within the first few minutes of the movie.

Two great movies that I would watch again and again!

Highlight ~

L👀K  what arrived from my from my Amazon Wish List! 

I am so excited to use it to continue my watercolor adventures!

You MADE. MY. DAY! 🥰 (Yes LOTS of exclamation marks but that's just how excited I am. 😊) Thank you.

Now, that the week's end is here, I shall resume sipping tea and reading other's blogs. Won't you join me?

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ 

Sweet Potato Leaves~

 

♡♡♡

Ahhh the sweet potato! Sweet, delicious, nutritious along with its many other attributes. 

I was happily minding my own business one day, scrolling Facebook, and happened to notice this post by Merriwether's Foraging Texas . Intrigued, I set out on a quest to purchase an organic sweet potato the next time I had to go to the grocery store. No luck. They were out of organic ones, so I thought I would roll the dice and purchased a conventionally grown one. 

I got that baby home, stuck it in a glass of water and waited. In the meantime, the next grocery shopping trip, I struck gold! (Or should I say orange? 😉) I bought two organic sweet potatoes and ferried them home to join their step-sweet potato siblings on my windowsill. And I waited for the first tiny slips to sprout. 

And waited. Patiently at first, but as each passing day went by and my hopeful expectation every time I walked into the kitchen to gaze upon my (non existent) crop turned into exhasperation, I began to research. And I found Deep South Homestead. Danny suggested planting the sweet potatoes in the ground, not in water to get the slips started. AND BOY WAS HE RIGHT! I took the three tubers that had been languishing in glasses of water, plated the two organic ones in a large container filled with soil, and the non organic one in a garden bed, just for comparison of the two methods (garden soil vs container planting). I'm not surprised at how much more prolific the garden grown plant is compared to the other. But I am surprised at the abundance of leaves I am harvesting. I am SO excited! (Especially about the money we will save by not having to buy so many greens for our diet. It has particularly been a godsend in combating high food prices.)

Note: I am specifically growing them for the leaves, but hey, if we get some sweet taters outta the deal too...win-win! 

So far I have only used the leaves in smoothies, but I do plan on using them as one would with spinach or other similar greens. Hearty winter soups, stir-fries, sautéed with garlic and anything else I can come up with!

I have harvested some leaves from this organic sweet potato, but not many

If you are hungry (😉) for more info on sweet potato leaves here's an interesting article, and another.

Do you grow sweet potatoes for the leaves? I would love to hear how you use and prepare them.

Thanks for stopping by! ~TJ 

A Peek Into Last Week (July 30-August 5)~

Errands~ It's been a busy week for me! Usually the most I get out is to buy groceries. This week I had to take care of that, plus a few more things: Dr appointment, groceries, pharmacy, vet grooming appointment, orthodontist appointment.

What I'm cooking, baking and eating~

white and cinnamon raisin breads

oatmeal coconut cookies 

breakfast burritos, fried egg sandwich using a lone leftover hamburger bun (one of hubby's favorites. He's the breakfast eater, I don't eat my first meal until later in the day. I have never been  much of a breakfast eater,  I guess I was an "intermittent faster" before it was cool, lol.), fruit and veggie smoothies, oatmeal coconut cookies, "wacky" cake, black bean dip and tortilla chips, chicken and broccoli fettuccine (using thin spaghetti noodles, as that is what we had on hand-I freeze pasta when I buy it in bulk on sale, and jarred Alfredo sauce I bought on sale this past week at Kroger.), cinnamon raisin and white bread.

mix in baking pan Wacky Cake

pouring on the fudgy icing 

finished Wacky Cake! 

What I'm watching/reading~I'm still reading the same books as I was last week, as I only read a few minutes here and there when I can squeeze it in between all the other things I like and must do.

I've just begun a new Norwegian series on Netflix- The girl from Oslo. I haven't watched enough yet to form an opinion but I do enjoy seeing the different decor and layouts of homes in those areas (actually, I have always found that I will sometimes watch a movie or show soley based on the decor or scenery. Does that make me odd?🙃)

Homekeeping~ Along with the daily chores of laundry, dishes and whatever else needs to be kept on top of, this week's focus was the laundry room and storage area (which in my case, could mean the garage or my craft/sewing/office room 😎)

I braved *wink* the heat and went out and swept a portion of the garage that has been in sore need of it. I usually only spend 5-10 minutes at a time doing chores outside during the summer months Heat and I are NOT friends. I also spent some time decluttering a few things out there. Even though hubby has been unable to spend any time in the garage doing anything for years, I am careful to not throw out any of his things without his "ok". 

In the laundry room, I wiped down and reorganized the messiest shelf. I was able to declutter several unused items that had been covertly taking up space (you know, those things that become part of the landscape and manage to hide in plain sight?). 

Garden~ I planted out four more seedling tomato plants (2 Roma and two Jellybean). I harvested some Swiss chard and sowed some cucumber seeds.

Highlight~ More rain! Rain is ALWAYS a highlight for me.

can you hear the rain?!♡

Annnd...my orthodontist only charged me half price to repair my permanent retainer that had come loose. Plus, she squeezed me in three weeks earlier than the first appointment she noticed available, I just had to come in super early, before their business-as-usual day started. WOW! Thank you Lord!

It is my sincere wish that something you read when you visit here gives you an idea or inspiration that you can use! And as always, thanks for stopping by!~TJ

A Peek Into Last Week (July 16-22)~

 Another little peek into this past week for us...

In the garden~ I'm still enjoying the beauty of these golden dahlias!

I harvested a big bunch of sweet potato leaves (enough to fill two and a half gallon zipper freezer bags). The vines are growing so rapidly and abundantly, me thinks I will have more than plenty to get us through the winter.

Errands~ At least once weekly I head out to gather the things we need. This week: groceries, the post office and prescription pickup. It's nice to be able to get out for the short time I am able, as I can't leave hubby alone at home too long on his own.

What I'm cooking, baking & eating~ After spending time outside in the garden and running errands in the brutal heat and humidity, I've been enjoying some of my own home brew. Homemade cold brew coffee that is. Slightly sweet, creamy & over ice is enough to cool me down while feeling indulgent.

over night oats in the fridge 

A few other down home delicacies😉we've had this week: pancakes, cream of wheat with cinnamon raisin toast, hot oatmeal with cinnamon toast, egg and cheese sandwiches, overnight oats, smoothies, burgers (cheese and beef for hubby, bean & mushroom for me), pizza pasta bake.

Homekeeping~ Most days have a gentle rhythm to them where housekeeping is concerned. I  loosely follow a schedule that gets things done in a decently timely manner, but I've made peace with not sweatin' the small stuff~life has its own way of doing a good enough job in that area at times. Things get done without me pressuring or stressing myself out (too much).

This week, as I was changing the bedding on hubby's bed, Galahad decided to help, as he often does. And then...he couldn't resist climbing under the sheets for a quick cat nap. Mommy can finish making this bed later.💤

Highlight of the week~

Although, like last week, we had a nice afternoon rain shower one day, this week had a highlight that Dollface (my mini doxie) and I always enjoy. While dropping off an Avon order to one of my clients, we couldn't resist stopping by a favorite park near her home. Because it was so terribly hot, we only strolled around a few minutes. It was long enough for me to spy out the Little Free Library and how far it has come from when they first installed it. From plain & undecorated and only a couple of books, to now colorful and bursting at the seams with reading material!

another delightful surprise hidden in a tree on a different day at the park

May your week be gorgeously abundant with ALL good things! 

I would love to hear about it! 

dried and saved flowers from bouquets

Thanks for stopping by!~TJ