Crafts, Canning, and Lots of Cat Pictures
The beautiful boxes that our Light Mountain Naturals Henna came in. Foxy!
If you’re at all interested in natural beauty options, specifically henna hair dye, or if you just want to see a lot of pictures of me, then check me out over at TurbyandJohn.com today. And leave a comment!
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My sweet sister Dawn gave me this wonderful healthy gift basket for my birthday last week. I love birthdays so much, which is why I’ve neglected posting for the past week. I’ve been too busy having birthday fun! Click the picture to read more over at Turby and John 
Pumpkin granola, luna and larabars, Ms. Meyers room spray, cake mix, a handmade headband, and a beautiful birthday card!
(Photo courtesy of Turby and John)
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I went shopping for birthday plants this afternoon.
I love the powdery blue of this cape plumbago. Photo courtesy of dbgg1979 via Flickr.
I confess I've always wanted a bougainvillea of my very own since the first time I heard Iron & Wine's "Passing Afternoon." Photo courtesy of digital cat via Flickr.
Not only is butterfly weed beautiful, it's easy to propagate. This time next year my yard will be covered up with butterfly weed---and butterflies! Photo courtesy of Dendroica cerulea via Flickr.
We got a blackberry bush to go with the blackberry bush I got a couple of weeks ago at the local farmers market. There will be some delicious pies, cobblers, and muffins happening next summer! Photo courtesy of the_girl via Flickr.
I've tried unsuccessfully to grow echinacea more times than I can count. If the plant I bought doesn't survive then I'll accept it's just not meant to be. Photo courtesy of Derrick Coetzee via Flickr.
A lot of people think black eyed susans are weeds. I think those people are crazy fools. Photo courtesy of cygnus921 via Flickr.
We also got bulbs, which we’ve yet to plant. I’m still working out where to put them in my head.
This picture is the closest thing I can find to the beautiful replete daffodil bulbs we picked up. Photo courtesy of Tobyotter via Flickr.
Ranunculus is one of the most beautiful flowers I can think of. I can't wait for these beautiful blooms next spring. Photo courtesy of Beckwith-Zink via Flickr.
I love double tulips because they're so much frillier than the grocery store tulips I'm used to seeing. Photo courtesy of chad_k via Flickr.
Posted in garden
Add vanilla ice cream and get ready to be amazed.
I needed something impressive to take to a girls’ potluck this weekend (living in a new city and all), but I didn’t feel like going to the grocery store either. All I had on hand was a big bag of frozen blackberries I picked up at the local farmers’ market the weekend before, and I also had to shower and get dressed–all in a couple of hours. I decided to make this blackberry cobbler from Buns in my Oven because it required very little preparation and only a handful of ingredients. And, really, who doesn’t like hot, sweet fruit with bread on top? Apparently everyone at our potluck does, because it was a hit! I’ll be making it again very soon.
To make this cobbler happen, you’ll need:
Preheat the oven to 400°. Mix the first five ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped butter and combine, mashing it with a fork until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Pour in the boiling water and stir until dough is combined, then set aside. In another large mixing bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the cold water. Add the lemon juice, berries, and sugar and toss until combined. Next, pour the berry mixture into a cast iron skillet–the original recipe calls for a 10″ skillet, but I used an 8″ with fine results. I wouldn’t, however, stray by any more than a couple of inches larger or smaller. Heat mixture over medium heat until boiling, stirring frequently. Allow the the berries to cook for at least 10 minutes, or until everything is thick and goopy and delicious-looking. Remove from the heat and drop spoonfuls of the dough mixture over the berry mixture. Don’t worry if the dough sinks to the bottom, because it’ll come back up. Place the skillet on a foil lined cookie sheet and stick it in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the dough is golden brown and the berries are thick and bubbly. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Maybe this is a southern thing, but I prefer cobbler to both cake and pie. Not only is it easier–way less mixing and measuring, and only one pan gets dirtied up–but I don’t feel quite as bad about loving it because there’s at least a little fruit involved.
Posted in eats
Featuring Dawn's beautiful thrift store tablecloth; also, Kirby couldn't wait.
Monday morning as I was unloading the dishwasher I was surprised to hear our doorbell ring. Having gone to a wine party the night before, I correctly assumed our visitor couldn’t have been one of my friends since they were probably still sleeping. When I got to the door I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my new neighbors, Theresa, standing on our back steps with this beautiful pie in her hands. Needless to say, that pie didn’t last long around here. I’m so happy with all the neighbors I’ve met so far; they really couldn’t be nicer or more welcoming.
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