Japanese Maple Tree Seedlings

We had to make a tough decision and cut down a gorgeous Japanese Maple Tree this past weekend.  (I will share the reason why in a soon in an upcoming post!)
I hate cutting any trees down but especially one as unique as that!  Before we cut it though I did some research to see if there'd be a way I could "root" the branches.  So based on my research I decided to give it a try...what did I have to lose?

Here are the simple steps I used based on what I read.

1. Fill a container with potting soil - I chose to use old plant pots, the kind you buy the plants in.  

2. Cut a small branch off the tree (sorry for the blurry pic, it was a little breezy!)

3. Remove the lower leaves leaving a little bud or at least exposed green growth

4. Place the branch in soil so that the bud is covered with dirt - do not let any leaves get under the soil.  

Thoroughly water and pack it in.

5. Place the container in a plastic bag, do not close the bag but keep it around the container to keep the moisture, humidity in.

6. Place the container in a warm area but not in direct sunlight and let nature do its work! 

Hopefully I will have a follow-up post soon with pictures of beautiful seedlings!

Linked to:

 Making Monday Marvelous

Avocado Quesadilla

The other day I was craving black beans and avocado, so I threw a few things together and YUM - it was delicious, so I had to share!

This is a quick and simple lunch with leftovers for the next few days! 

I started by putting black beans and a can of diced tomatoes into a colander.  I wanted to drain the tomatoes a bit.  (Salsa would have been a better option, but I didn't have any!) 

Then I cut the avocado up and added it to the beans and tomatoes.

I added a little lime juice and cumin for some flavor.

Once I mixed it up I placed it between whole wheat tortillas with some cheese. 

Microwaved it for just under 2 minutes and then cut into a delicious quesadilla! 

Ingredients:

1 Avocado
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomato with onion and green pepper
1/4 C shredded nacho cheese blend
1/4-1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
Whole wheat tortilla

When I make this again I think I will add some fresh green onions and perhaps a dash of chili powder for an extra zing.


 Linked to:

                   

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

              

  

Pictures of Spring

Spring is such a pretty time of the year here on the East coast.  Recently, Suzy from suzyhomemaker.net shared a beautiful picture of the trees in bloom.

This inspired me to start snapping some spring photos myself.

I love pussy willows.  They aren't very colorful but they represent spring to me.  I just think their texture and shape are beautiful!

We haven't had much rain this spring, except for this past week.  Capturing rain drops on leaves or flower petals is one of my favorite shots!  It always reminds me to look beyond the obvious and see the details in nature.  

Each time I look at this picture I feel calm and peaceful.  It helps me remember to take moments throughout the day to relax and appreciate the life in bloom all around us! 

I hope you are enjoying this spring season!  

Linked to

A Non-green Smoothie

I have been sharing my spinach-rich Green Smoothie recipes.  You can read about them here and here.

As I've mentioned before my other half will NOT eat green vegetables so there was no way I was going to get him to eat a green smoothie.

So I did some research to find non green fruit or vegetables full of nutrients/vitamins and fiber.  I was very surprised to discover that blackberries have over 7g of fiber in them!  Since berries aren't in season right now I chose to use a bag of frozen mixed berries.

I stuck with the base of coconut milk and banana since it worked so well with the green smoothies and he'd get all the great benefits of both!  I blended it all up...a nice pretty color...well not that pretty, but it wasn't green!

It was met with a little hesitation, but after the first sip he was sold! (whew!)

Non-Green Smoothie #1
2 Bananas
1 Can coconut milk
12 Ounces frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries)
1/4 C cranberry juice


I might try sneaking a little bit of spinach in next time to see if it's even noticed.  As long as it doesn't turn green I think the secret will be safe!

Link Parties

Tasty Tuesdays

High Five for Friday

I'm hooking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk today for High Five for Friday!





The past few weeks I have enjoyed reading other bloggers' posts for High Five for Friday, such as suzyhomemaker, so I thought I'd participate this week.  It's so easy to forget the good things that happen, now I'm forced to think of 5...although, now that i'm thinking about it I have way more than 5!

1

I finally found the most perfect dining room hutch after months and months of searching! 

2

We had amazing weather at the beginning of the week - over 80 in April! 

Sanka has been enjoying extra walks on the local trails! 

3

I had lunch with my friend Suzy from suzyhomemaker, that I don't get to see very often, and her 'lil one!  

It was nice just to chat and catch up! Oh and of course super fun to be around the baby!

4

After a little break, from frustration, I've gotten back to sewing! 

(This isn't me...but it is my sewing buddy/teacher...check out her website: fashioned4you.com)

5

The yard is starting to look alive!  

The grass seed we planted is starting to sprout and we finished mulching the garden beds!  

I hope you had a great week too - don't forget to take the time to think of the highs, or good things, that happen everyday!  

Patience is a Virtue

Patience is not exactly my strong point, but I am slowly learning the benefit of waiting to find the perfect furniture piece!  Over a year ago we finished remodeling our dining room, which I shared here.  It was a big change in terms of the decor but we didn't change the furniture.  

 I really wanted a china hutch to center on the wall of windows.  I was fairly open, but knew I wanted drawers and glass doors - any combination of those things would work fine.  I also felt pretty sure I wanted something that was antique or at least old! So I've been searching and searching.  I would often find a nice piece but the price was never as nice!  Finally I found the perfect combination at a local store called Necessities.  The store itself is in an awesome building with little treasures tucked in every corner!  (Check out their website to see some of the inventory!)

I was so excited to get this new hutch to its new home!  The drive home was a bit nerve wracking, but we made it!

Those bungee cords held it the whole way home!  

\

Nice empty spot perfect for a china hutch! 

Ahh!!!
Unfortunately the sun was so bright I couldn't get a matching picture with and without the hutch.   

Once we got the hutch in place I was super excited to clean it with a natural fresh lemon and olive oil mixture!  I mixed 1 part lemon juice to 3 parts olive oil.  (Yes, I read about it in Pinterest!)

Now that it's clean and fresh, my next step is to wax it to add the perfect sheen.  THEN I can finally fill it with all my goodies that have been hidden away for too long!  Although I am excited to fill my new "toy", the beautiful summer weather we've been having this spring has distracted me a bit! The rain this weekend should help me get this finished though! 

Linked to: Share The Wealth, Wow Me Wednesday, Hookin Up with HOH

Spinach Smoothie #2

After a week of spinach smoothies I have decided I am going to continue creating and consuming these vitamin  packed smoothies! You can see my original recipe here.

I am not sure if it was a mental trick of if I physiologically was more energetic and feeling alive!  Either way I liked how I felt and so I wanted to try a new recipe.

I chose not to use any dairy products this time.  Coconut milk is a non dairy alternative packed with health benefits.  If you're interested in the nutritional breakdown the coconut research center has a great .pdf available here.

Spinach Smoothie #2 (Makes approximately 4 smoothies)
2 Bananas
1 can coconut milk
3 rings of pineapple (canned)
1 kiwi
4 handfuls of spinach

I really enjoyed the fruitiness of this smoothie.  I did have to use canned pineapple, I am sure it would be even better with fresh!

Linked to: Chef In Training, Hookin Up with HOH, Frugal Friday, Functional Friday

Spring Silhouette

I wanted to create a very simple spring element to place on my fireplace mantel.  I seem to have a thing for birds right now so I decided to do a bird silhouette on burlap.

The project was very simple and extremely cheap!  I paid $1 for the wooden bird.  Everything else I had - black paint, burlap, frame & white spray paint.

Once I painted the black frame a nice bright white, I placed a piece of burlap inside.  I chose not to glue the burlap since I am hoping to use this frame for other decorative elements as I change things for the seasons.  Along the same lines I didn't glue the bird to the burlap I just pinned it so that I can use it somewhere else if I choose.

I love how such a simple project has such an impact on my spring decor!

Linked to: Frugal Friday, Functional Fridays, Shine on Fridays, Making Monday Marvelous

Treasure Hunting

My aunt lives on our family's farm.  My great grandfather owned it originally so it holds many memories, as well as many treasures! I was recently vising my aunt while she was clearing out the barnyard to plant her garden.  As we dug the rocks out we unveiled two fun treasures...well one is much more fun than the other.

We found a small glass bottle and part of a very old hoe.   The hoe blade was covered in rust, as would be expected after being buried deep in a barnyard for decades! 

The glass bottle was also covered in dirt but it also shows signs of being under pressure.  

The neck of the bottle is actually bent!

I washed both treasures.  

As the water flowed the dirt off, it was as if the memories were being washed away!

The bottle still has a long way to go before it's completely clean, I guess some memories aren't ready to be washed away!  Every time I look at the bottle I can't help imagining a fun story about whose bottle it was, what was in it and what they were doing with it!