This post was originally published on March 12, 2014. Seven years ago! Since then, I’ve moved from PA to CO, and Sarah’s moved from PA to NC to WA. Wow. I can say for certain that both of us are still getting to know our new home states, and something that brings us joy is understanding the seasonal variations.
This desire to know my place came up for me this week. I was hiking and realized that I could identify more plants, even in their deadened winter state, than I could last year. BUT I also realized that I wanted to make a recipe that called for newly developed evergreen needles, and I realized that I didn’t know exactly when the firs and spruces put out their new needles. Is it soon? Do I have to wait until June? I have no clue, but I bet by next year I’ll know.
What do you know about the natural cycles of the plants and animals where you live?
Rothrock State Forrest early spring, before the Mountain Laurel blooms
This week’s Waste Less Wednesday post was originally published in 2014, but we still approach egg dyeing the same way – with whatever we can find in the kitchen!
Have you ever dyed eggs the natural way, using veggies and spices? It’s a lot easier than you’d think and the results are terrific! You gotta love that dyeing eggs the natural way allows you to use up some kitchen scraps and there’s no need to run out and purchase a dyeing kit. Start this project today as I let my eggs sit in the dye bath for a full 36 hours before removing them. That way your naturally dyed eggs will be ready for Easter festivities.
For these dyes, I rummaged around in my cupboards and used ingredients that I had on hand. This post gives you the details of five different dyes, but there are many more options to explore. Once you get the hang of it, there is no need to use a recipe, just experiment and have fun!
If you’re looking for more Easter basket inspiration, we shared a couple of themed basket ideas here and here.
With Easter just over a week away, we wanted to share a few unique outdoor gifts for kids. I think you’ll agree that these gifts focus on connecting kids of all ages to nature in one form or another. We have something for the artist, the bug-lover, the bird watcher, and the explorer.
This post was originally published 4 years ago. How can that be(e)?! We’re republishing it this year because it’s such a great collection of bug treats for your little ones.
I’m so excited about this post! It may leave some of you squirming in your seats, but this sort of themed gift with unexpected items makes me so happy.
If you’ve been following us for a little while, you know that the boys in my house are really into bugs (and any animal, really). They like looking at them, holding them, talking, and reading about them. Our boys are 2 and 4, so I geared this basket theme for that age, but I do think this basket could easily be scaled up or down depending upon the books you choose.
This Easy Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry is truly a 30-minute meal. It has quickly become a favorite in our house and we lean on it every other week. We also whip this one out when guests are over and we need to make something with little effort, but lots of pay off.
My beef about beef: some people hate on ground beef, but that’s likely because they’re buying the cheap and creep (as I call it) from the bargain bin at the grocery store. Whenever I go to the farmers market, I stock up on ground beef from a local farmer. Not only is the quality great, but I can ask them for fattier or leaner pounds depending on how I intend to use it. Plus I know the cows aren’t pumped with hormones and fed piles of grain and corn, instead they’re free-range mellow grass grazers. The $2 extra per pound is well worth it. If you have trust issues with ground beef, I highly recommend a visit to your local butcher or farmers market.
Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry Ingredients
1 – 1½ pounds good ground beef – I typically use a leaner mix for this recipe
2 Tablespoons of fresh minced garlic about 4-6 cloves
1 cup uncooked rice
2 small crowns of broccoli
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup orange juice – I often use fresh-squeezed from one or two oranges, but pre-squeezed works just as well
½ cup brown sugar – it seems like a lot, but the final product is not sweet
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoons cornstarch – super important, this is what thickens the sauce
2 sliced green onions for garnish
1 tablespoon sesame seeds for garnish
Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe
Start the rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop and cook as directed.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rinse and chop the broccoli. Spread on a baking sheet, drizzle some olive oil over top and give it a liberal shake of salt. Place in the oven, check after 20 minutes or so. I bake mine for about 35 minutes because I love crispy charred broccoli.
Place the beef in a frying pan over medium heat. Break up with a fork while it’s cooking. Chop the garlic and add to the beef. Drain off excess grease if necessary though I rarely find I need to do this step.
Prepare the sauce – in a medium-sized bowl, combine ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup orange juice, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Whisk until combined and then pour into the pan of cooked beef.
Reduce the heat to low – simmer for about five minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the beef.
Plate rice, beef, and broccoli in a bowl and sprinkle with a bit of sesame seeds and top with sliced green onions.
That’s that! The easiest Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry that truly only takes thirty minutes. Even though this dish is straightforward, the flavor of the glazed beef combined with the crispy broccoli is filling, delicious and perfect for those busy weeknights.
Last year I started a series that I call Make with Me. The name is a bit misleading because I don’t really allow for us to make the same project concurrently, instead, I share projects in their finished state. Most of these projects use other designers’ patterns, so I can’t even share a pattern or tutorial. Instead, I give you the project details, helpful hints, and links to the patterns and materials.
If I’ve talked to you about 2020 and the pandemic, I’m sure that I’ve told you that this was the sort of situation I was made for. Definitely didn’t like the health crisis, but I was so excited to not leave the house for weeks on end. I have enough ideas and supplies to keep me busy for years (no joke), and 2020 was my big chance to get busy….
But about 6 months into quarantine, I needed something new and a bit of inspiration.
I’m so excited to share this project for today’s Waste Less Wednesday post because it brings together two of my favorite things: homemade customized gifts + reusable water bottles! Click through to learn about how we made these custom bottles to give as Christmas gifts.
In addition to sharing our resolutions this month, we’re also going to share some of the good habits that we’ve picked up over the years. We try many things, but these are the ones that stuck.
What is a podcast? It’s simply a digital file that you can download on the internet, usually part of a series, and once you subscribe to a podcast it will automatically download to your computer or device each time a new one is released. Think of a podcast as a radio show, but instead of catching it live, it is saved to your podcast app. You can use your phone’s podcast app or upgrade to an app like Stitcher, Breaker, or a number of others.
The following are my favorite podcasts spanning nearly nine years of listening. You’ll find a good mix of storytelling, comedy, science, true crime, and human psychology. I’ve listed them in alphabetical order and below that by category. Full disclosure: some of these have fallen off my listen list, but at one point in time I was keeping up with them weekly and really enjoyed them, so I’ve included them here for a full roundup.
Be sure to click on the podcast and read the description first so that you aren’t surprised by the content. I update this list a couple of times a year, so check back if you ever need a new suggestion.
I use the app Breaker. If a podcast is new to you, search by popularity and listen to the highest-rated first. Do you like it?
Because I listen to podcasts so often, I’m thinking of starting a new post series and linking to a few favorite episodes that fall into different categories. I’m wondering if people would be into that?
My focus for this goal is to increase our awareness of the role that the seasons play in our daily lives. I want to find ways to highlight for the seasonal shifts that occur in in the foods we eat, the activities we do, our celebrations, and even in how we feel.
Today I wanted to share the seasonal focus that we’ve added to our morning routine.
With the new year, we’re starting a new weekly series called “Waste Less Wednesdays.” Our passion for preserving Mather Nature is strong, but we recognize that we live in a consumer-driven society. As such, we try to be honest with ourselves about our own consumption, our needs vs. wants, and the opportunities that we have to reduce waste. We are often sharing tips and tricks to reduce our consumption, and this series was born from those conversations.
Today’s post is actually a throwback from 2019, but hoooopdiehoo, this cup is still one of my favorites and standing strong in my beverage vessel rotation.
Did you catch Good Stuff : The Cup Part I? If not, check it out! Also, know that I’m totally joking when I pair them together. They both involve cups, we think they’re both good, but that’s as far as their connection goes.
The cup is really just a wide-mouth Mason jar. The brilliance comes in with its leather zarf (didn’t make that word up, I promise) made by Holdster USA and its sippy cup lid – the Cuppow. Sweet Katie actually bought me this set up about five years ago. She’s the best!
