Month: August 2015

Gluten Free Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

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Gluten Free Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt BreadBy the end of summer, we’ve had our fill of zucchini side dishes and add-ins to every soup, stir fry, and entree.  Time to get creative and indulge in some chocolate bliss…

This Gluten Free Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread is a sinfully delicious, yet not overly rich, recipe adapted from one I found on allrecipes.com.   This can be served as a breakfast bread or with afternoon tea, or as a scrumptious dessert.  We actually just served this up at Mighty O’s birthday party this past weekend, disguised as chocolate cupcakes.  I don’t think the kids realized this was a veggie dish at all!  ;)   Continue reading →

Inspiring Light

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cropped-Stars-jar-e14390884354205.jpgThe inspiration for this site is just that… inspiration! The light in every day, the light in each of us, and the light of all Creation constantly creating!  Here, my humble home projects are how that manifests – and in my work outside the home, it’s in teaching yoga, meditation, and spirituality, among other healing techniques.

There’s a lot of intersection – though sometimes it may not seem so, if you boil it down to simply whipping up a batch of homemade detergent or shabbying up a cabinet. ;)  Though if there’s one thing we learn in the practice of yoga and meditation, it’s that spirit is to be found in all things – all beings, and all activities – from the most holy to the most mundane – and in each moment.

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Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

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Dishwasher Detergent Result GlassDishwasher detergent seems to be one of those items where we always seem to be looking for something better.  Especially as someone who prefers the more natural route, though still wanting exceptionally clean dishes , believe me, I have tried them ALL!

With my recent efforts to change over to as many homemade cleaning products as possible, it seemed like I was starting all over again.  I had a favorite big-name brand of dishwasher detergent that I became loyal to over the years – and though the “natural” products never quite measured up to that degree of commercial-grade sparkle, I always felt much better using them.  Unfortunately, they do get spendy – and are harder to find.   Continue reading →

Quickest Update for an Outdated Fireplace

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Family Room Fireplace Work Set UpIt seems too obvious now, but in all my DIY-ing about the house, this quick and easy fireplace update took quite a lot of consideration to figure out.  What was it?  Painting the old, outdated shiny ’80s brass fireplace door surround – fast, cheap, and looks SO much better!

We started out with this giant built-in bookshelf/wall surrounding the family room fireplace in that go-to late-1980s/early ’90s builder-grade honey oak cabinetry and shelving.  The wood is in great shape, and solid, though it strikes me why such a significant wall unit would be custom-made in a builder-standard style like this.  I never remember this finish being “all the rage” – it just seemed like what every builder put in every new kitchen and bathroom at the time…  it was everywhere.  Oy vey.   Continue reading →

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent

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Laundry Detergent BucketOne of my latest obsessions is making homemade cleaning products.  My mom initially turned me on to the idea of homemade laundry detergent when she reported making 5 GALLONS of laundry detergent – that worked well! – for just a couple of dollars.  Whaat?!  This appealed to me on so many levels.
There are so many good reasons to make your own laundry detergent.  To live more naturally, consume fewer products with less packaging, reduce chemicals in our homes and on our bodies, and to stem the pollution going into the waste stream and waterways – and last but certainly not least, to save money.  Laundry detergent has always been one of the most expensive items on my grocery list, especially since liquid detergent is pretty much all we can use in our HE machine – so this is an awesome way to conserve in the household budget.   Continue reading →

Green Tomato Lime Cilantro Salsa

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Green Tomatoes Pig Plate

My son, Mighty O, will be starting at a very cool, very small school this Fall. We’ve had lots of interesting experiences with education already in his young life (perhaps more on that later…), though we are very excited about this one!  This school follows an outdoor-oriented program that is similar to the forest schools of Scandinavia and the American Pacific Northwest, with a very hands-on learning approach that also includes lots of music and performing arts.  If I were the type to ever say, “Squeeeee!” – well, it might be now.

At any rate, the school maintains a wonderful garden, which is tended by the students during the school year and once a week through the summer months.  A very nicely-producing young tomato plant was uprooted by a well-meaning child at our last visit, and the green tomatoes on the bush were begging for a use. I grabbed them to make a tomatillo-style salsa or chutney, which could come in use for the school’s Fall festival, where they serve food from the garden’s bounty.   Continue reading →

It’s a New Day and I’m Feelin’ Good

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Dont Have to be Perfect - SteinbeckI never have been much of a journal person.  Any diary, notebook, or calendar meant for recording the ins and outs of day-to-day life, confessing my innermost thoughts and feelings, or even just keeping track of appointments and other obligations has often lain empty or abandoned after a few paltry attempts at use.

Maybe it’s because I keep so much in my mental filing system. I’m lucky enough to have landed a photographic memory, though with a seeming total inability to organize outside of my head. No doubt, this has left many a frustrated parent, teacher, employer and friend in my wake over the years… but all in all, I do ok. As the saying goes, “A messy desk is the sign of an organized mind.” Continue reading →