Goals - how'd I do?

What was going on in May? Well, I read a lot. And, I took in the entire first season of Glee. And, I finished two MBA classes and a canning class. I while I felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off, we also got quite a bit done. We got a few big ticket items completed (finishing garden planting, deck staining and cleaning out the garage). But, I fell off the consistent working out bandwagon. But, I have high-hopes for June.

The Wife's May Goals
Fun:
Read 3 books. This month, I read The Help, True Believer, The Pact, The Lucky One and The Lost Symbol (The Help and The Lost Symbols are must-reads)
Take a canning class. We've covered the basics, salsa, pickling, freezing and jams and jellies. And, I bought all the tools for hot water bath canning. Can't wait to try it all for myself.
Practice with camera.

DIYing/Crafting:
Sew something. I'm counting the embroidery, although not technically a sewing project.

Gardening:
Plant all vegetables and herbs.
Plant annuals in window boxes and pots. Everything seems to be doing well.
Begin eating radishes and lettuce like there is no tomorrow. It's been slower than expected because of the funky weather, but it's coming.

Home:
Kitchen organization. Still got a little to do, but I got my pantry and food storage organized.
Clean the windows.
Garage clean and purge. This was desperately needed.
Stain front porch.
Stain deck. More on this to come.

Cooking:
Make a new recipe.

Wellness:
Weights and cardio 3 days a week.

Onto June:

The Wife's June Goals

Fun:

Read 2 books. 

Go yard-sale-ing or junkin'.

Practice with camera.
Entertain.
Go on a day-trip.

DIYing/Crafting:

Finish sewing bag.

Gardening:

Keep up with harvesting and freezing or preserving.

Home:

Clean windows.

Stain front porch.

Cooking:

Cook freezer meals for the month.
Can something to practice (jelly? salsa?)

Wellness:

To the gym, 3 days a week.

How was your month?

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Memorial Day Inspiration

I usually steer clear of talking about anything related to work at NewlyWoodwards, for obvious reasons.

However, I recently put together a spread at work with items from the Gatherings website, that is perfect for Memorial Day, so I felt that it was my duty to share. If you have a picnic coming up on Monday, these are some great treats for patriotic holidays. And, I hope that the red, white and blue set-up will give you some ideas for patriotic decor without spending an arm and a leg.

Pretzel sticks, dipped in white chocolate bark and sprinkles.

And, this is Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Pie. Please make this. You will love it. It's truly delicious and quite simple. I rarely make cheesecake, but this is really simple. (I used a ready-made graham cracker crust and used fresh strawberries instead of strawberry jelly.)

And, for something more substantial - Patriotic Pasta (with red tomatoes, white pasta and bleu cheese, along with green onions and a creamy dressing). This is a great side for a potluck.

And, everything in the table decor was taken from my home or office. 

The bunting hangs on my fence in the summer, the tin star is usually at home in the guest bedroom, the lanterns were borrowed from the front porch and all the fabric came from my stash. (I was inspired by Michael to wrap the base of the mums in fabric. With the baker's twine I received from him.)

Hope you have a wonderful, patriotic Memorial Day with friends and family! 

(And, in the interest of full-disclosure, I work for the organization that runs Gatherings, the site mentioned above. I wasn't asked or paid to write this post. I just really enjoy the site - especially the grocery list tool - and have used and liked the recipes.)

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A Friday "Wow" Moment

Do you ever learn something, and think, "Wow... how did I never know that?"

Well, that's what I thought when I read about this tip for keeping herbs. According to the most recent issue of Whole Living magazine, you can keep your herbs fresh and perky for a week (or more) by keeping them in a vase with fresh water. Like a bouquet.

Genius! I usually refrigerate them. But, this is better. They look pretty, too. Like a pretty bouquet in my kitchen.

It's recommended to refresh the water every day for the longest lasting herbs.

But, I'm not fully enlightened, because it wasn't until I was uploading these photos that I realized I actually bought parsley instead of cilantro. (And, I buy cilantro all the time and am currently growing it.)

Dope!


Do you have any household tips that must be shared?

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Quick gift for a bride

I haven't had much time to sit down and write blog posts like I used to. But, I hope that I'll make some time soon. (Just pretend that you miss me. It's good for my self-esteem.)

Anyhoo - here's a peek at a gift I gave to a friend getting married this weekend. I just wanted to get her something small, and I think this would be a perfect gift for a shower. (I think I would pair this with some cooking utensils, measuring spoons and/or a cookbook.)

I think any gift with the bride's new married name is fun, and all brides I know enjoy personalization. And, I just love aprons as gifts for brides-to-be. It's something most women won't often buy for themselves. I've been getting in the habit of buying or making a fun apron for all my women friends. My maid of honor gave me an adorable apron, and it was one of my favorite gifts. I use it all the time.

I actually (surprisingly) bought this set at the farm store, which is really handy since I had no free time to make one. And, the apron was adorable. Ruffles and buttons and pockets... But, I did embroider the letter on the towels and the name on the apron. *Patting myself on the back.*

I'm getting much better at working my embroidery machine. It's such a great thing to have to make ho-hum gifts really sing.

So now you know what my favorite shower gift is -

Do you remember your favorite shower gift?

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Inspired by... kitchens

I've been thinking a lot about kitchens lately. It may because we will be planning a new kitchen in the near future. (See this post. And for those of you who care, one of these two homes will indeed be ours. With any luck, this means a late-June closing date.)

But, kitchens are something that require a lot more decisions than a paint color. And, I'm hoping to go into this home with more of a plan than our current home, which was renovated in 2007.

I've noticed that I'm attracted to all things white, red and aqua lately. So, let's see what's cookin':

Inspired by: bold red accents, stripes and white.

(Coastal Living)

Inspired by: white beadboard, woodwork, glass front cabinets and gorgeous aqua tile backsplash. And, don't get me started on that Dutch door.

(This Old House - Thanks so much to Sarah for the link to this article, you'll love it.)

Inspired by: pale blue/aqua and a walk-in pantry, along with the lovely lighting and horizontal planks on the walls.

Inspired by: a dose of shiny chrome/silver and open shelving, along with lots of natural lighting.

(Coastal Living)

Inspired by: that perfect color on the walls, the charm of the home and the lighting.

Inspired by: glass doors, wood countertops and the open shelving.

Inspired by: Vintage-looking fixtures, countertops and wall color.

Inspired by: that sink, the red and the wood countertops.

Inspired by: Those tiles, the ceiling and everything.

So, that's where I'm at so far. While it's highly likely that this will change, I'm currently thinking:

• white cabinets
• wood countertops (still debating this one)
• a wide farmhouse sink (have you seen this one at IKEA?)
• aqua walls
• red accents
• vintage-type or pendant light fixtures
• white trim
• some sort of subway tile backsplash

And, I absolutely want this rug from IKEA. Unfortunately, they have currently been pulled out of stores due to a quality issue, according to my IKEA friend. Boo!

What do you think? And, what does your dream kitchen look like? 

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Garden progress - mid-May

Radishes and carrots and strawberries, oh my!

The garden is going so well. Just swimmingly. We have been getting a ton of rain, but if it brightens up this week, I have a sneaking suspicion that this garden is going to explode

Although the strawberries already are. They must really love their home. They will probably take over the entire bed by next spring.

The number of blooms is astonishing to me. These started as really tiny little plants that the neighbor got for free from the grocery garden center. They were going to toss them because they were getting dried out and dying. (No one wants to buy a dead-looking plant.) So, he brought them home for us to nurse. And, wow!

The tomatoes also seem to be happy in their new bed. I planted some basil and cilantro in this bed as well. Along with marigolds. I'm anxious to see all the varieties - there's an heirloom green, two cherry tomatoes that we started from seed, a beefsteak, romas..... mmmmmm......

And the final bed - a variety of peppers, eggplant, brussels sprouts, beans... all are still rather small. But, I hope it will warm up soon so they can grow grow grow.

Ryan's potatoes and onions are going NUTS! Every day, they just multiply. I cannot believe it. And, I think we are going to have tons of both crops. He just planted all the starters we got from Burpee. There were about 100 red onions and 100 white onions. Yeah.... 100 each.

He's been nurturing these like they are his babies. He waters them and checks them out and just added some compost from our worm bin (along with some to my plants, too.) He's so proud, with good reason. Lots of the neighbors have commented on the garden this year.

Finally, his corn. (And, to the left against the fence, my squash and zucchini and Ryan's raspberries.)

He's staggering planting his corn so we can get corn throughout the summer. The second rotation will go in tomorrow, he tells me.

So, that's the garden to date. This year has been wonderful, even better than 2009.

I've hardly had to weed at all. Last year, I had to do TONS of weeding. I have to give my husband a shout-out on that front. Last year, he put down a layer of newspaper to kill off the grass in the fall. Then, he brought in a layer of compost to cover the entire garden. In the spring, he tilled it all up. The difference in the soil is astounding. It's so much better this year. Not only is the soil more resistant to weeds, it's also a dream to work. I hardly used any tools to plant after he tilled it up. It's just perfection.

How's your garden growing?

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Iowa road trip

I mentioned yesterday that Jen and I hit the road last weekend to go on an Iowa roadtrip.

And, since she's knee-deep in a kitchen renovation right now, I thought it was my duty to share the story. Because it's not every day that two really awesome, fun and beautiful lady bloggers hit the roads of Iowa. Below: photo documentation.

(Thank goodness that Jen took this photo. My head looks much less imposing than the last time we got together.)

Our first stop was an hour down Route 61. The Nest is in Southeast Iowa, and about the most inspiring and fun shop ev-ah! It's only open one weekend a month, so make your plans now. 

The owner loves herself a little burlap. And, Jen and I were all over that. I didn't get a great photo of this - but it's burlap - and crafted into a cafe curtain. Adorable. And, so simple and fun.

And, The Nest is also where I picked up the burlap potting idea I posted about yesterday. All of her plants were just gorgeous. She clearly has a green thumb.

I picked up this cute little tablecloth. Doesn't it fit the table perfectly?

Then we grabbed some lunch and went to The Junk Asylum. Oh baby...  that place is also fabulous. This was recommended to us by the fab Miss Effie. And, it didn't disappoint.

Jen showed total restraint. Kim didn't. (She's making me look bad.) I nearly walked out with a 1935 vintage blue refrigerator. But, it wouldn't fit in her car. ;)

What did fit was this fun Coca Cola crate. It was in great condition. Perfect for storing picnic gear that we don't often use. I'm thinking about getting more to put them around the top of the cabinets.

I also brought home this vintage kitchen scale and the blue mason jars. Do you love? I'm considering painting the scale red. What do you think?

I think that the Jen-Kim Road Show will have to have a reunion soon. 

Tell me about your last road trip.

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What is old is new

You may remember this cute little milk jug holder and the egg crate that I picked up when Sarah and I went junkin' a month or so ago. (And for those of you who asked, the place she found was a roadside farm where a man sells tons of junk he picked up at estate auctions. It's open during the weekends.)

The wood crate was quite cute and pretty cheap, but I thought the wood was a little blech. But I didn't want to paint it, as I did love the wood look. So, I lightly sanded it and picked up some Miniwax Gel Stain in Mahogony. After a quick coat of stain, it looked so much better. (And, if you haven't used the Gel Stain, I highly recommend it. It's simple to apply and covers really well.)

Voila! Fun planter for the patio table with a little vintage flair.

The original plan was to add some vinyl decals from the Cricut, but I kinda like it in it's natural glory. Once my annuals bloom, I think it's really going to be a showstopper.

And, lookie at the transformation of this little egg crate.

It is now the nest to these mums that I picked up at the grocery store. I just added two layers of burlap. I was inspired to do this after another junkin' trip last weekend with Jen (more details coming soon). Both Jen and I gasped when seeing this lovely little arrangement at The Nest. Who would have thought to use burlap to make any old wire container into a pot perfect for plants?

So, I had to try it myself. I had the flowers, the burlap and the egg crate. How simple! I love how it turned out.

Neither of these projects were a lot of work, but I think they look great. Those are the best projects, right?


What do you think?

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Can-do spirit

With the garden go-go-going, I enrolled in a class at our local University extension to learn about preserving foods from the garden. The class covers hot water bath canning, pressure canning, jams and jellies, freezing, pickling, salsa and more. (And if you haven't checked out your own University extension, get Googling. The resources they provide are so helpful.)

So, anyhoo... I've really learned a lot. The first week, we canned salsa, green beans and carrots. I took them home the following week. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Ryan doesn't eat green beans, so I will be devouring that can of beans soon. =)

I also brought home the book So Easy to Preserve. If you are thinking about preserving anything from your garden, from canning to freezing to drying, this is the book for you. It's so handy. Another resource I learned about was the National Center for Home Food Preservation website. It's chock-full of resources for preserving food. I think you'll find it handy.

Anyhoo - last week, the class covered jams and jellies and freezing. Did you know that you should blanche everything before freezing to lock in nutrients and taste? No? Me either. But, it's true. And the book even tells me how long to boil the vegetables before blanching. So handy. I think I'll be freezing lots of things this summer. It definitely seems to be the quickest way to preserve. And, with our new freezer, we have plenty of space.

One of my biggest takeaways from this class is that you shouldn't ever can anything that is not made from a tried-and-true canning recipe. If you try to can a family recipe or another recipe that isn't tested for canning by one of the above sources (or others), it can be harmful to you and your family.

The biggest thing I was to preserve is tomatoes. We buy diced tomatoes like it's going out of style. I'm hoping to have enough tomatoes to can lots of them, along with canning tomato sauce, salsa and jelly. The freezing tips will be helpful for everything else.

And, in case you are interested, here's the recipe our teacher gave us for:
Hot Pepper Jelly
Makes 5-1/2 pint jars
3/4 cup hot peppers (jalapenos or other)
2 3/4 cups sweet peppers (red, yellow, orange)
1 pouch Sure-Jell pectin
5 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar

Sterilize jars (heat jars in boiling water for 10 minutes). Liquefy half of the peppers and half vinegar in blender. Repeat with remaining peppers and vinegar. Boil peppers, vinegar and sugar slowly. Remove from heat, add pectin and boil hard for 1 minute. Skim top and pour into jars. Leave 1/4" headspace from top of jars. Apply lids. Boil in hot water (1 inch over the top of the jars) for 5 minutes.

It's quite yummo. Serve this with Ritz crackers and cream cheese. I think you'll love it. We had TONS of peppers last year. What a fun way to use them.

So, tell me. Do you preserve your food through canning, freezing or dehydrating?

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The Man Issue

Getting magazines in the mail is one of my favorite things. Right behind chips and salsa. And IKEA. And, spray paint.

So, imagine my confusion when I saw this note on the cover of my pristine issue of Woman's Day.

If you don't know what WTF means, call my mom. I had to explain it to her on the phone yesterday. (Love her.)

Apparently, my husband took offense to the editorial content.

But between you and me, the joke is really on Mr. Woodward. Because I've been using those tricks, and he's been doing dishes, staying healthy and more. Putty in my hand. Shhhh.... ;)

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You-musts

You must:

• put beadboard on your ceiling,  and hope it looks half as good as this ceiling at House of Smiths.

• adore this rolling outdoor cart that Jenny and her hubby made at Anything Pretty.

• hang a chain link fence curtain rods like Beach Brights.

• spruce up your camera strap with this tutorial at Moda.

• drool over the headboard and footboard makeover by Britt at a penny saved.

• positively DIE over the Jessica's kitchen at Jessica Leigh (especially that swoon-worthy sink).

What do you think?

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