I’m Jammin’!

Blackberry jam…so yummy!

Got lots more blackberries, so it is back to the kitchen for me!

Enjoy the harvest!

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

I have an insatiable sweet tooth, and I’ve discovered the joy of pinning decadent recipes to a Pinterest board that I call Sweet Tooth.

Summer has arrived and the tempting raspberries are ripening.  

One of those recipes, Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Cupcakes, from Annie’s Eats, is perfect for a sweet raspberry treat.

Make a graham cracker crust, add a cream cheese filling and top with fresh picked raspberries blended to a puree.

Swirl the puree and bake.

Easy and scrumptious!

The blackberries are flowering, and I’m keeping watch for more juicy, plump berries and sweet treats!

And let’s not forget the pie cherries!  I share them with the birds, but I’ll still have enough to savor!

I love summer!

A Weekend to Retreat and Kitchen Makeover Update

Sisterhood is powerful.  ~Robin Morgan

What a blessing to spend a weekend of spiritual and emotional renewal at a Ladies Retreat!  I was fortunate to spend three days with women from all over my small corner of the world.  We worshipped, laughed, cried, ate, treasure hunted, prayed and more together. 

True…I am biased, but I highly recommend the speaker we were blessed to have for the weekend.  She knows the Word, and she has a love for her spiritual sisters.  And yeah, she has a love for her physical sisters too.  I just happen to be one of them.  Check out Linda Jo Reed’s website.

While I was enjoying a great weekend away, Hubby was working hard to surprise me (I love him!).  He got the kitchen floor finished!

Remember this?:

And this?:

Now it looks like this!:

Fresh, light and no gaps!

I don’t have a large designer kitchen and I don’t need one.  I love my country bumpkin kitchen makeover!

Previous Posts:

Kitchen Makeover

Kitchen Makeover – Part 2

Kitchen Makeover – Part 3

Kitchen Makeover – Part 2

The cabinets doors are unhinged (literally, since we are changing the hinges).

Cleaning and lightly sanding:

That’s no super duper cleaner…just diluted Lysol.  The sandpaper is a fine grit (220 wet/dry).

The primer:

I have a love/hate relationship with this stuff.  It dries fast, so I’m not so neat and tidy applying it, but it does a wonderful job!

The lazy woman’s way of storing her brushes:

I’m not even trying to clean my brushes.  The paint is oil based and hard to clean up.  And since I’ve set a goal of painting at least two cabinets a day, and therefore, using my brushes daily, I see no reason to clean them.

My fancy workspace:

My dining table is set with a vinyl picnic table cloth (I use the cloth for fabric painting and dyeing sessions) and kitchen cabinets balanced on paint cans so that I can paint them.

In my next life, I’m going to hire someone to do this job.

Meantime…

I’ll keep ya posted.

Me and My Girl Part 2 – Potholder

This afternoon, Alyssa and I finished our project.  In preparation, Alyssa had to change into pajamas (She’s no fool…she knows what is comfortable!).

We pinned.

And we sewed.

And we turned our project right side out.

Pressed, topstitched and done!

Cute potholders! 

 Thank you to Sew We Quilt for this fun tutorial!

With a little alteration, this owl could be so cute decorating a bag or pillow.  Hmmmm…a future project perhaps?