Checked Out: Simple Times

My "Chcked Out" book of the week is:

 

 

Simple Times

Crafts for Poor People

 

By: Amy Sedaris

 

Ca: 2010

 

I have two words for this book... cleverly hysterical.  I loved it!  It has the best crafts.  I have actually rented this book twice from the library.  The first time I kept calling Mary Evelyn to tell her funny stuff that I had read.  And the pictures are fantastic.  This book will get your creative juices flowing as well as have you rolling in the floor laughing.  My most favorite part was the stretching before and after crafting.  Good grief I haven't laughed like that in a while!  But seriously, the crafts are well thought out and most are really easy to do by yourself with kids out of what you have... if you don't mind them playing with tampons and matches that is. 

 

Checked Out Rating: 10 for sure!

 

 



Wild Violet Jelly

I postponed a post to bring you an urgent Spring message.  Wild Violets will not be in bloom for long.  I gathered a couple of cups full over the weekend to make jelly.  Unfortunately, my first attempt didn't turn out.  I almost freaked when the recipe said no sugar.  What The?!?!? Jelly with no sugar??? What a way to ruin a party!  So this morning I found a different recipe online.  It wouldn't let me print it so I had to copy and paste a bunch and while putting it together for myself I thought I would share it with you along with a link from where I got it which was HERE. 

 

Collecting the flowers for this beautiful jelly was so fun and it would be a blast to do with little helpers.  It is an easy and fun way to have kids outside this time of year while giving them something to look for and while teaching them about something that grows wild that can be made into something so sweet to eat.  And that is the thing about Spring... things grow and go so fast that you will miss it if you don't pay attention.  I hope you like it!

 

You should be able to right click and print this recipe.  If not, shoot me an email and I will send it to you.  Love... Laurie

Local Spotlight: Octane

While shopping in historic Crossplains, TN, my sister and I stumbled upon a completely cool and hip t-shirt shop!  I could have spent a lot longer browsing in this shop I tell you.  I wound up buying a cool shirt and felt like I should  spread the word.  I also picked up a couple of postcards.  One of them sums it up like this....

 

HOMEGROWN & HANDPRINTED

NATURALLY ASPIRATED OCTANE INSPIRED CLOTHING

OCTANE shop is a collection of old school octane inspired 1960s-70s rock-n-roll, surf, pedal to the metal, tire screechin', hell on wheels, muscle car, hot rod, monster and retro art tees. 

ALL HAND PRINTED on super soft, slightly fitted, cotton t-shirts. 

Plus find a unique selection of men, women and kids apparel. 

 

Clothing, Accessories, Hats & Beanies, Jewelry, Gifts & Novelties, $5 Tees

 

 

Octaneshop.com

facebook.com/highoctane

 

I have to say that I LOVE my shirt! 



Weekend Adventures

I wanted to share some pictures from the woods that I took this weekend.  I spent around eight hours this weekend in the woods (honestly more)  searching for morels, violets and fiddleheads.  Two of those were easier to come by than one but I am happy with what I did find.  I looked and gathered and wound up with two mushrooms, two cups of violets and one cup of fiddleheads.  We cooked supper over our camp fire Saturday night and that is also when I cooked the fiddleheads which were pretty divine along with the one mushroom that was fit for eating.  The violets became jars of jelly that I am afraid aren't going to set today... we'll see.

Mushroom hunting is fun but can be a tad exhausting.  They are hard to spot, especially when you've not found many where you are looking.  They don't grow in particular spots.  Oh you might think you know what they grow around or what trees they may grow under, so you spot these things and hike up the hills and through the creek only to find they aren't there.  So I wonder if my hunches are true.  But I try to mentally note what the area is made up of when I do find one.  Although I am tired and my body is aching from roaming up and down and all around about 15 acres or more I'm not giving up.  They are here somewhere.  I will try again maybe tomorrow evening and for sure next weekend.

Morel Mushroom

 

Fiddlehead

Violets

Bellwort

This is the first time I have ever seen the Bellworts.  Things flower and then finish flowering so fast in the woods that if you turn around twice you'll miss something.  Last weekend I didn't have my camera when the Trout Lillies were blooming and this weekend they were pretty much done.  I love knowing where all these flowers are in patches of our woods and adore the fact that I can take the time and care enough to venture out to see it all.