Author Archives: Katie

Splitting Up

by Katie | 40 Comments

Plants are our favorite subject. We hang air plants in the shower and on walls.  We plant indoor gardens and outdoor gardens and we also use plants to keep mosquitoes away.

We’ve talked before about the many ways that bouquets and houseplants are good for you. I’ve also mentioned the challenges of living with a husband that doesn’t love big, overflowing houseplants as much as me. Today I’m back with another houseplant post, because they really are good for you, and because this is another easy compromise for plant lovers living with the plant “eh”-ers.

The plant in the crosshairs this time? A split-leaf philodendron.

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Welcome May!

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On the first Wednesday of every month you will find us checking in with what’s coming up on the calendar and what’s going on outside. 

I almost started this post complaining about our long cold spring, but caught myself in the nick of time. Most days it still seems to be unseasonably chilly. Case in point, we walked down to the baseball fields for concession-stand-dinner tonight (our new favorite dinner “out” with Alex), and I found myself bundling up in my vest and cozy winter hat! So while I could grumble, I would be doing just as much complaining if the weather were warm, because we don’t have time to enjoy this year (apparently I’m a complaining ball of fun these days). There’s packing to do! As I got ready to write this post, thinking about all of the creatures just ending their spring migrations, I’m reminded that we’re just starting our migration west, and at least for the next month, I hope time stands still outside so I don’t miss all of the action.

Of course, I want to quickly point out that while I’m calling this an unseasonably cold spring, it’s just that I’m used to the warm, early springs we’ve experienced over the past few decades. Records show that spring is arriving an average of 25 days sooner than it did a mere 40 years ago!

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Rosemary *Sage* Fizz

by Katie | 1 Comment

Rosemary is our ingredient of the season (season of the season?). This is our second rosemary drink. We’ve already discussed infusing vodka with the herb, and today we’re using it to infuse simple syrup for a gin-based drink.

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You may recognize the photo above from Alex’s striped birthday recap. As I mentioned before, we were catering to the adults this year. Being the proud Pennsylvanians that we are, family gatherings always involve a case of Yuengling, but we often like to include a fun* alternative or two. With the little guy underfoot, I’m trying to be more smart in my planning. An alternate drink is awesome, but one that doesn’t have to be made glass-by-glass is even better. So, when I saw this recipe on A Cup of Jo, I couldn’t wait to try my first group-sized cocktail!

The original recipe called for gin, but I used my favorite substitute ~ Art in the Age’s Sage, which they describe as being a “garden gin” made from plants collected, grown, and chronicled from the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Ingredients & Such

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • fresh rosemary
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice & lemon slices
  • 1 cup Art in the Age Sage
  • 1 bottle of Prosecco
  • Make the simple syrup. Mix together the sugar, water, and a few sprigs of rosemary. Bring to a boil until the sugar dissolves, then remove from the heat and let cool.
  • Mix the cool simple syrup together with the remaining ingredients.
  • Serve with a garnish of rosemary and/or lemon slices!

I loved this drink! It was delicious, and the combination of lemon and rosemary gave it a fresh and somewhat light flavor that I think would make this perfect for any sort of spring or summer event, particularly one outside on the green, green grass.  That said, I loved it so much that I’ll probably find an excuse to make it year round. Come back in December and I’ll be telling you that with its rosemary garnish, it’s the perfect drink for your Christmas party (especially if you add some frozen cranberries to the punch bowl!). 

The drink was strong, but as Joanna recommends, you can add a second bottle of Prosecco to lighten it a touch.  I kept it to one bottle, because our gathering was small, and as it was we still had some left over, and I would say that that is the only downside of the big-batch cocktail. On the other hand, I put the extra in the fridge, and happily sipped on it for the rest of the week. The Prosecco’s bubbles faded, but it still tasted delicious. 

*While the party was in full swing, I referred to this drink as being fun. Our sister, Kristin, then told me that she’s noticed (and it drives her crazy), that as women age they start to use fun as an adjective more often than they should (Isn’t that shirt fun? Look at this fun rabbit hole we’re going down. Should I go on?). Does this drive you crazy too? Or did you see this post and think, “my word, what a fun drink!”? Apparently we aren’t the only ones caught up in this debatable use of the word!

Cold Oat Noodle Salad {Gluten Free}

by Katie | Leave a comment

If you’re willing to experiment in the kitchen, there’s nothing more fun that moving out of your comfort and cultural zones for ingredients.  Have you visited any of the many Chinatowns in the US? That’s where I had my first bubble tea (over 14 years ago now!) and some delicious meals, but when I want to really go shopping, I search out the large grocery stores. My exploration started when I discovered a large Asian grocery store in Philadelphia and then Ming’s Supermarket in Boston. Leaving behind the large markets was one of the urban luxuries that I mourned when moving to central PA, but, as luck would have it, our little town has a number of Asian markets! While they aren’t as big as their city counterparts, they have a surprising amount of variety in a small space.

Side note – did you hear the This American Life episode on Coincidences? The Asian grocery stores in Philadelphia and Boston were both on Washington Ave. When still finding my way around Boston, that little coincidence was a sign to me that everything would be ok! Silly? yes.

What do I buy when I go to the markets? Anything that catches my eye! I went shopping a couple of weeks ago and took a few pictures to show you both what I buy and why I love the markets.

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Carrot Cake

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Last week I experimented with making a cake for Alex’s upcoming first birthday. If you caught this post, you know we’re planning a striped affair for the little guy. I was trying to come up with an idea for the cake when a neighbor, whose son’s birthday is on Easter this year, told me that she’s doing something like this. You bake a cake in two circular pans, one becomes the bunny’s face, the other is cut in such a way that you make two ears and a bow tie. With a striped bow tie, the bunny would fit our theme!

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Knitting Project : Washcloths

by Katie | 4 Comments

I’m the first to admit that knitting a washcloth sounds a touch absurd, especially since you can go out and buy a dozen lickety split. But don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Washcloths are the perfect canvas for trying out new stitches. They’re quick to knit and make the perfect gift, especially when paired with a bar of fancy soap. The only downside? Knitting with cotton yarn can be a bit rough as it doesn’t have the same stretch as wool.

Today we’re sharing ideas for five washcloths including the full pattern for this cute-as-a-button lamb. Pick up the supplies this weekend and you’ll have plenty of time to knit a few lambs for Easter baskets!

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Rosemary Room Spray

by Katie | 5 Comments

Rosemary is our ingredient of the season. Today we’re stepping out of the kitchen and using rosemary oil to create a room spray that will leave your whole house smelling fantastic!  If you follow this link, you’ll see some of our other favorite uses for essential oils. 

Hey readers, it’s been a fun week around here, hasn’t it? Did you check out Sarah’s profile of Connie Zamorano Tuesday afternoon? Now I’m obsessed with getting one of those cicada prints on my wall!

If the bugs left you squirming in your seat, you can channel that energy into this super simple project: homemade rosemary, mint and eucalyptus room spray. Have you tried store bought room sprays? I have a few, and I have to admit that I love them at first, but find that they can be a bit overpowering in their staying power and/or they just smell chemically over time. I don’t have either problem when I make my own. As for complexity, it’s going to take you longer to read this post than it will to mix up your spray.

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Welcome April

by Katie | Leave a comment

On the first Wednesday of every month, you can find us checking in with what’s coming up on the calendar. 

Well, Punxsutawney Phil was not joking this year! March never quite warmed up, did it? As I sat down to write this month’s welcome letter, I thought about how almost nothing has happened in our backyard, but that just means we have so much to look forward to in April!

The snowdrops and winter aconite that I mentioned last month timed their bloom to the first day of spring. Sarah reports that the forsythia and magnolias are blooming in North Carolina.  And we can feel the warmth moving north as our mom’s crocuses bloomed last week in Virginia, while mine started blooming just two days ago in PA. With everything off to a slow start, April will be bursting with flowers. I’m a big proponent of picking flowers and bringing the beauty inside. A vase of cherry blossoms, daffodils, hyacinth, and tulips creates the perfect early spring mix! And if we’re lucky, that will be followed by vases of lilacs and tree peonies.

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Rice & Pulses Two Ways

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I originally wanted to title this post “Rice & Beans Two Ways”. After a bit of research I learned that lentils are not officially a bean, but chickpeas and lentils are both pulses.  Pulses are the subset of legumes that are harvested for their dried seeds, differentiating them from other legumes like green beans and peas that are eaten fresh.  On with it then…

While the term rice and beans may conjure up images of Mexican or Tex Mex cuisine, today’s dishes reflect the flavors of middle eastern cuisine. I like both recipes because they push me outside of my seasoning comfort zone. We all have that selection of herbs and spices that we use on a regular basis, and we’re happy with the results, so that’s not the issue, but sometimes it’s nice to shake it up, and that’s what these dishes do!

Speaking of seasonings, another good reason to get out of your comfort zone and eat dishes with a variety of herbs and spices is because there are so many health benefits associated with both. Cumin, my favorite spice lately, protects against cancer and encourages the secretion of pancreatic enzymes necessary for good digestion and nutrient absorption. The second recipe contains turmeric, a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant with proven cancer-blocking activities. Parsley’s a rich source of antioxidants and vitamin C, the latter protecting against rheumatoid arthritis. Cinnamon is considered to have one of the richest sources of antioxidants and studies have shown that it lowers the risks for a variety of type 2 diabetes factors.

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Moving West!

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*This post is probably best read as a drinking game ~ line up the shot glasses and knock one back every time we use the words excited and explore, or anything similar. What can we say, we’re excited (ding ding!).*

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Cash & Calder on Independence Pass, Dec. 2011

We have (ahem) exciting news ~ half of the Seasoned crew is moving west! To Boulder, CO, specifically, and we are jumping at the guns to explore our new digs.

We knew that sooner or later our current posts would be up and it would be time to move. For the longest time we didn’t know where to go, batting around east and west coast ideas, and just dabbling at the thought of planting ourselves in the majestic scenery that is the Rockies. Then, as luck would have it, an opportunity came up for Calder, and we jumped! We’re moving in shifts this summer, with a little bit of back and forth because there’s east-coast-beach-fun that has to happen before we settle out west.

Needless to say, I’ve been researching all things Boulder, trying to learn more about the new place we’re going to call home. I thought it would be fun to share a bit of what I’ve discovered, and if you any suggestions, please share!

We’re moving from a grey zone to an orange zone!
I love opening my weather app and seeing this.
  • Perhaps one of the most surprising things to me is that we can expect to have better weather than we’ve experienced living in central PA. The Boulder area folks are quick to point out that they average about 300 sunny days per year. Calder’s first reaction was “that’s excessively sunny,” which still has me laughing; we are so used to the cloudy and overcast days here.
  • In the interest of research, we’ve been looking for movies filmed in Boulder, so far all we have is Catch and Release. The reviews are average, but C and I loved it! Have any other recommendations?
Our current CSA, I’m going to miss you!
  • Bon Appetit named Boulder America’s #1 Foodiest Town. The sheer quantity of restaurant mentions and food-based blogs that have come up in my online searches for Boulder, suggest there’s something to this. It’s obvious that there’s a lot to explore, and I can’t wait to get out there to start sampling and sharing my experiences. And of course there are a million and one CSAs ~ which to choose?
  • Likewise, there’s  a healthy brewery, distillery, and winery scene. Is there any question that I’m beyond excited to report back?
  • So of course, with sunshine, good eating, good drinking, and good mountains, it’s no surprise that Boulder has won a slew of “happiest/healthiest city” awards in all variations of the phrase.
Snowmass, Summer 2011
Independence Pass, Summer 2008
  • Hiking is going to be a whole new adventure as I learn about Boulder’s grassland ecosystem and the ponderosa pine forests, which are both so different from the humid forests of PA.  Along the same lines, I’ve been researching native plants with the hopes that we’ll eventually have a yard that needs tending.
  • And then there’s the biking. I think this sums it up: they don’t just have bike lanes, they have “bike  routes”, “sharrows”, “multi-use paths”, and underpasses so you don’t have to even intersect with cars. Everything will be done by bike (until we get cold)! When Alex was born, my mom bought a Taga, and I think we’re going to clock a lot of miles on it as we explore.
  • I love a good city guide, especially written by a local, and find myself heading straight for Design Sponge’s guides whenever I’m going to a new place. So of course, I immediately opened their Boulder guide, and am excited to visit their recommendations.
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Snowshoeing near Ashcroft, January 2014

We’ve visited Colorado quite a bit (thus the Colorado photos in this post), and Calder even lived out there for a year in high school, but neither of us have spent much time in the Boulder area. As I said above, we would love recommendations ~ if you’ve been there or live there, give us some tips! 

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From our road trip in 2008. Can’t wait to go on more photo-taking adventures!

But ugh, as exciting as this is, I still find a lump in my throat when I think about moving so far away from my east coast home and family. My head is a whirlwind of “you only live once” excitement mixed with the homesick blues. {Sarah here: I have that same lump! I also have excessively tapping feet because I can’t wait to plan my visit!} I hope that if anything, our lives will be richer because we already know the east coast up and down, so now we’ll get to explore the big mountains and skies of the west.

Cloud cover map from here.