cff 2015 | Simple and Serene Living

Thursday, December 24, 2015

BEST EVER PUMPKIN MUFFINS RECIPE

My two precious granddaughters Facetimed me yesterday morning and all of their excitement got me out of my chair to bake some yummy muffins. The smell in the house was wonderful and they are perfect for a snack with a cup of tea.


gluten free organic pumpkin muffins recipe


This was my first time baking these muffins and I did have to modify them to make them gluten free. I am never quite sure how changing a recipe so that it is gluten free will turn out, but this one was wonderful. Here are some of the ingredients I used if you are interested in gluten free or want to use more organic ingredients. 


gluten free organic muffins


BEST EVER PUMPKIN MUFFINS
Serves: 12
Ingredients:
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour 
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 15 ounce can pure pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place 12 paper liners into each well of your standard size muffin baking pan.
  2. Measure out the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl and whisk together. Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut oil and vanilla extract.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together. Do not over mix, just stir until everything is incorporated into the batter.
  5. It is helpful to use a large scoop (like an ice cream scoop) to evenly distribute the batter into each well. They will be nearly full. This will help give your muffins a nice puffy dome.
  6. Bake your muffins for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Notes
:Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

If your coconut oil is solid, warm it up a bit so that it is in liquid form.

gluten free organic muffins recipe

As you can see I made plenty just in case you dropped by. Oh wait, Tessa is on her way over and she has a pretty healthy appetite when homemade muffins are involved. Gotta go. I need to find a good hiding place. 




Monday, November 30, 2015

FINDING A PLACE OF SERENITY

We all need a place of serenity. A place where we can go and find calm in the moment. That place can be anywhere. 

For me, my place of serenity is the greenhouses where I spent many wonderful days as a child. It is a place that I can enter and feel a sense of calm wash over me. 

an old greenhouse

It is a place where the smell of clean earth mixes with the aroma of growing flowers.

pots of cyclamens

It is a place where the very old mixes seamlessly with the new.


antique water wheel in a greenhouse

It is a place where my grandchild can feel right at home playing where her grandmother and great grandmother played before her. 


It's a place where everything old seems new again.

a greenhouse full of plants

My youngest daughter calls it her happy place. I call it memories of home.

Where is your place of serenity?


Monday, November 9, 2015

SHE SELLS SHE SHEDS BY THE.....

Well, never mind. I couldn't resist, but I have finally found a new fad I can really get behind. (I know that we are heading into the colder months, but in my opinion it is never too early to start thinking ahead to spring.) 

I am pretty sick of hearing about man caves, so I say move over man caves, bring on the she sheds. 

Can you say SWOON? If I had this "shed" I might never enter the house again.


How cute is this? It makes me want to throw on some gardening gloves and start potting plants right this minute. (It is definitely helping me to ignore today's cold rainy weather)


I have always been a firm believer that I was meant to have an English country garden. My family should never have left "Old Blighty". They failed to look into the future and ask me my opinion.


Wouldn't it be wonderful to take your sewing outside into a dedicated shed just for that purpose. It might put me back in the mood.


I would love to have a backyard greenhouse (if I had a backyard) and if it was also a she shed getaway, that would be even better.


So what do you think? Is it ever too early to start thinking about spring. Do you get those seed catalogs out early. Would you love to have a she shed as much as I would?

Photo Credits:
1) House to Home
2) Wooden House
3) Lushome
4) Ciao Newport Beach
5) Lighter Side of Real Estate



P.S. Thank you so much to everyone who left comments on my Friday post. Mom and I both appreciated the stories you shared and your sweet words of encouragement. 




Friday, October 16, 2015

FOUR STEPS TO BECOMING A FREE SPIRIT

When you have spent most of your life seeking the approval of others, living a life that you believe needs to be approved by others, or being a rule follower, it can be difficult to break out and be a free spirit.


I have actually been giving this quite a bit of thought lately, and have come to the conclusion that in order to have the life I want I am going to have to break the ties that bind and become more of a free spirit. 

How do we become free spirits?

1) Is there something you feel passionate about, but haven't had the courage to take action on? Being a free spirit means that you may have to bypass practicality and instead follow your dreams. That may sound scary at times, but in the end, it can lead to true satisfaction and happiness.

2) Being a free spirit requires living in the moment. Instead of worrying about what others think of you or what is going to happen tomorrow take time to savor the moment you are in right now. Use all of your senses to enjoy where you are now. This is where meditation can help.

3) Embrace Humor. Have you ever noticed how freeing laughter is? We all get into uncomfortable situations, but free spirits may find themselves in more of those situations.  Look for the humor in even the stickiest of situations. Laughter and humor will lighten your load. 

4) Just let go and trust yourself. Trust that you know yourself better than anyone else does. Trust that you know what is best for you. Trust in your own path. 

Four steps to becoming a free spirit



Do you consider yourself a free spirit or want to become more of one? If so, what are some of the things you are doing?

Read more posts on inspiration

Shop Books:



Until we meet again join me on PinterestInstagram, and Etsy.

This post contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small commission. This does not affect your cost. Purchases made through these links help to support this blog. 

Monday, October 5, 2015

EMBRACING THE AGING PROCESS

Let's face it, we are all getting older. 

As I watch my daughters and grandchildren getting older it amazes me how quickly they change, and I see a reflection of my own aging in their faces. 

We so often think of the negative aspects of aging, but there is so much to be positive about. 


There is freedom that comes with aging. 

We learn that we don't need everyone else's approval in order to live our lives the way we want. 

We realize that we can dress how we want, think how we want, and make any changes we want without consulting with anyone else. 

We also may realize that this is the way we should have been living our lives all along. 

It can all be very freeing.

So I say let's embrace the aging process. 

Let's look at ourselves with love. Let's focus on the positives.

Monday, September 28, 2015

CHANGING OF THE SEASONS

The seasons are changing. Summer has gone and fall is here. As hard as we may try to hold onto summer, we know that we have to let it go and embrace the new season. 

white pumpkins fall autmn

The seasons of our lives change too, and although we often try to hang onto the past, in order to thrive we have to move into the new season.

This is a time of year where I always begin to feel nostalgia for things from my past. I always loved fall. Apple picking. The smell of baked goods. The leaves crunching under foot. A cozy fire on a cool night. The beauty of the changing leaves. Sitting around the dinner table with my family.

red leaves fall autumn

These are wonderful memories that I will hold close to my heart, but I know that I am in a new season, and although I may experience many of these things again I know that I will experience them differently. 

Life is meant to be lived in the moment. So for me, I will miss summer as I miss past memories, but I will enjoy the fall and not worry about the cold winter coming. 

As the sign says. It's fall y'all.

pumpkins autumn fall

Have a great Monday.

post signature
post signature

Friday, September 11, 2015

10 INSPIRING QUOTES TO HELP HEAL DEPRESSION

Sometimes it's a case of the blues. Sometimes it is situational depression. Sometimes depression is clinical.

There are many treatments for depression and you should always consult a professional if your depressed mood lasts longer than two weeks, if you have thoughts of suicide or harming yourself, or if your depression is not something that you can put into concrete terms and feel you can solve yourself. 

inspiration quotes depression

Many people talk about having the blues and so I thought I would compile a list of inspirational quotes to help you get through those bluesy feeling times. 

1) "Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. " Thich Nhat Hanh

2) "It has been my philosophy of life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly." Isaac Asimov

3) "Although the world is full of suffering it is also full with the overcoming of it." Helen Keller

4) "Don't let life discourage you. Everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was." Richard L. Evans

5) "Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." St. Francis of Assisi

6) "Good humor is a tonic for mind and body. It is the best antidote for anxiety and depression. It is a business asset. It attracts and keeps friends. It lightens human burdens. It is direct route to serenity and contentment." Greenville Keisser

7) "The greatest degree of inner tranquility comes from the development of love and compassion. The more we care for the happiness of others, the greater is our own sense of well-being." Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama

8) "The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, nor to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." Buddha

9) "Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice." Wayne Dyer

10) "You and I are essentially infinite choice-makers. In every moment of our existence, we are in that field of all possibilities where we have access to an infinity of choices." Deepak Chopra 






Wednesday, September 9, 2015

HOW TO CREATE AN ENGLISH COTTAGE INTERIOR

I love English cottage style decor and use that style for my own apartment, mixing antiques with more casual pieces.
 
The slipcovered sofa and chairs in this room give it a very relaxed vibe, a place where you would feel comfortable curling up with a good book at the end of a busy day.

source
I love all of the vintage needlepoint pillows on this couch. I'm working on another one now to add to the ones I have collected over the years. 

source
The vintage white wicker chair I have is in my cottage style bedroom, and I am thinking that I would love to add a large floral pillow to it like the ones here. 

source
The style seems to call for a lot of plaids and checks mixed in with the florals. It's a great combination.

source
Comfort and coziness seems to be the theme of the English cottage style.

source
I am feeling a real love for all of that coziness.


Find some elements of English country for your home:
Bucilla Iris Paradise Needlepoint Kit (HERE)
Transferware plates (HERE)
A walking stick for your trek through the countryside (HERE)

(Simple and Serene Living participates in the affiliate program at Amazon. I may receive commissions for books and products purchased on this site.)




Friday, September 4, 2015

SIMPLE WAYS TO TACKLE THAT TO DO LIST

Do you have a TO DO list? I do and mine is so long at the moment that I almost feel frozen. I talk to my list and what I say usually isn't all that pleasant. 


It usually goes something like this. "Don't you realize that I am only one person. How can I possibly accomplish everything on here?" "Don't be ridiculous you stupid list, I can't do all of this." "This is so not fair." "GRRRR" I know I am starting to sound like my nine year old granddaughter, but let's face it, there are times that we feel like we just can't get everything done that we need to do. 

So how do we accomplish all that we need to do without stressing ourselves out. 

1) Breathe, Relax, and Cut Yourself Some Slack We are all human and there is only so much any of us can do in a day. Even though we may start off our day with the best of intentions, at the end of the day we will probably find that we weren't able to accomplish all of the things that we set out to do. IT'S OKAY. 

2) Prioritize Look at your list and decide what is most important for you to get done that day. Choose three things, and put those things at the top of your list. If you are able to get those three things done then pat yourself on the back and move onto the next most important thing on your list. If you don't get those done, and let's face it things come up, then go back to the cut yourself some slack.

3) Do One Thing At A Time until it is doneI don't know about you but this is a hard one for me. I tend to start something, get distracted, and the next thing you know I am completely off task. Once again, cut yourself some slack. Distractions are bound to happen. (Oh, sorry I was in the middle of writing this post and I noticed the one inch layer of dust on my table. It was imperative for me to dust it right now)

4) Do A Happy Dance when you complete something on your list. Be proud of the fact that you accomplished one of your tasks. You are just so completely awesome. 

5) Accept That You Will Never Get Everything Done You are only human and there is always going to be more things to add to that list. Once again, go back to cut yourself some slack. Life is too short to stress out over your TO DO list. You can't please everyone, so know that you are doing the absolute best that you can.

How do you approach your TO DO list. I would love to hear your ideas.
post signature

P.S. You can find more of the Rewriting Life series here.

post signature

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

ENGLISH COTTAGE STYLE

I have spent a lot of time over the last month looking at decor styles on Pinterest and trying to decide what brings me a sense of real peace and serenity. 

I am really not one to follow trends but tend to go with what my heart tells me. I've also been thinking about how I want to incorporate some of the pieces that I have in storage into my own small space.

Although I will never have these stone walls, I love the floral chairs and the beautiful antique secretary.

decor English country living room floral antiques
source unknown

Speaking of secretaries, I have one in storage that is very similar to this one. Can't wait to see it again.

antique drop front desk english decor
source unknown

Horse prints seem to be a must in an English cottage room. I have two that I purchased about 40 years ago. I am hoping that they survived the pilfering of my things several years ago, but I will have to wait and see when I move. 

English country decor
source

This looks like a cozy spot to sit and read, write my blog, or work on some needlepoint. 

Have I said that I have decided to take up needlepoint again? It is something I loved doing when I was younger. I found it to be very relaxing. 

source

Fresh flowers seem to be an important part of an English cottage living room. I can live with that.

roses shabby chic English cottage
source

How do you feel about English cottage decor? I am feeling like I have found my style for my new home.

Monday, August 3, 2015

GOING "AFOWL" IN HOTLANTA

 I finally made it to Atlanta, where my first day seemed to be taken up with the feathered members of the family. Morning comes early and the first thing that happens is shooing the chickens from their coop. 



The girls seemed pretty happy to get back out in the yard and I am just hoping that they have left us with some breakfast. Please tell me there is something in there, Sid because I am starving. This urban farming is hard work. (Okay, that was a gross exaggeration. So far all I have done is walked out to the coop)



Fresh eggs still warm from the chickens. It doesn't get much better than this.



After a big farmhouse breakfast of scrambled eggs Tessa took me out for my next task so that I could work off some of those calories.



Come on, Nana. Time's awasting. These ducks aren't going to get fed by themselves.



Phew!! Who knew that throwing a few lettuce leaves to some ducks could be so exhausting. 

Next we were off to the farmer's market, where my family dispersed and I was left wandering around in a post breakfast fog taking photographs of random strangers.



I could see an afternoon nap in my immediate future, but my daughter had something else in mind. At only 91 degrees and low humidity, Hotlanta was feeling pretty cool apparently, and it seemed the perfect time to take me on a forced march nice hour long walk around the neighborhood.


Even the butterflies enjoy feasting on the local Georgia peaches.


 It was a perfect day, and by 8:30 I was so exhausted I crawled upstairs into bed. I think I am seeing why my daughters only weigh 20 pounds each. By the end of the week I will probably be down to just pleasantly plump.

Have a great day. Sid and I are sneaking off to the diner to get some real food.



Monday, July 27, 2015

ROLL OUT THOSE SUMMER DAYS

"Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer......". 

The days are steamy and the nights are languorous, and I love it. 


I want to wrap it all up in little boxes tied with pretty bows, hide them away, and pull them out throughout the rest of the year. 

Summer lays itself out, like a picnic on a red checkered tablecloth, just waiting for us to sit down and enjoy the feast. 

fresh picked summer peaches fruit produce summer

Dip your toes into its warm waters.

Turn your face up into its hot sun. 

Smell the soft scents of the colorful bouquets that are flourishing all around you. 

Taste its fresh offerings. 



Summer is like an old freight train. It sneaks slowly into the station, stops briefly, and then speeds away almost before we noticed that it was here. 

I want to whisper softly in its ear to stay forever, but I know that just as it does, year after year, it will leave and I will be left with just its sweet memories. 

In the meantime I will embrace its simple moments. I will bathe in its serenity. 

post signature
post signature

Monday, July 20, 2015

WHY WE SHOULD BUY LOCAL PRODUCE

Summer means that there is an abundance of fresh produce, and the local farmers seem to be everywhere selling it. Buying local produce is always the best option, and we should never undervalue it. 



According to Local Harvest, "by doing so you'll be helping preserve the environment, and you'll be strengthening your community by investing your food dollar close to home. Only 18 cents of every dollar, when buying at a large supermarket, go to the grower. 82 cents go to various unnecessary middlemen. Cut them out of the picture and buy your food directly from your local farmer." 



It takes approximately seven days for produce to arrive on the shelves of a supermarket. During that time the produce is losing its nutrient value. If you are purchasing produce that was grown in another country, the time of transport is even longer. Think of the fossil fuels that are being used to transport all of that produce and what that is doing to the environment. 


One of the things I love about shopping from local farmers is that I can talk to the farmer face to face. I can look them in the eye and ask questions like when was this picked and is your produce grown organically or do you use pesticides.


Buying produce directly from the farmer helps to support local families. It puts money back into the local economy and helps to sustain the local tax base. 

The best reason of all for buying local produce is that, not only is it better for us, it just simply tastes better. All in all it is a win win situation in leading a simple healthier life.
post signature
post signature