Month: November 2015

Limited Edition! Homemade Chocolate Coffee Creamer

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Chocolate Creamer hostess gift mugI did a double-take walking through the store the other day, as I happened across special limited editions of the usual Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk in the baking section. Nommmm… naturally flavored chocolate and caramel… Imagine the baking deliciousness to be had!

I immediately thought of what a delicious treat this would be in my Homemade Coffee Creamer.  And with house guests and holiday parties right around the corner, what a wonderful way to share homemade goodness with family and friends! Continue reading →

Easy Like Sunday Morning: Gluten Free Cranberry Banana Oat Muffins

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Cranberry Banana MuffinMuffins are the handiest treats around!  They’re quick and relatively fool-proof – and so easy to make healthy and wholesome without tons of sugar like you might find in packaged or bakery varieties.  I love to stock extra muffins in the freezer for quick grab-and-go breakfasts and snacks, too.

This cranberry banana oat recipe is mildly sweet, and makes a light-tasting muffin that’s gluten-free.  It’s also a great way to use overripe bananas, which are always in rotating stock at our house. I love using ingredients that are naturally abundant and in season, so I threw in some cranberries for Fall flair.   Continue reading →

A Week in the Life of a Tree

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Tree One WeekAs we meet the first autumn in our new home, this beautiful tree greets me as I leave my house each morning, and watches as I return inside at night.  We come to know each other. This is not a big tree, though it is interesting, and I can see it is strong and vital.  I see life passing through this tree, as it passes through me.  As the leaves begin to turn, I realize that in even just one day, it changes… The fluctuations of states and circumstances, colors, and moods are profound, yet often subtle in passing.  This is one week in the life of a tree.

~ Photo collage originally posted via Instagram October 27, 2015 ~

Love and light,

Samadhi ✷

Whitewashing Honey Oak Kitchen Cabinets: The Process Begins!

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Of all of the projects on my to-do list, this one Kitchen Beforehas been the most daunting: how to paint the honey oak cabinets and island AND extensive trim in our kitchen for a more updated style that matches our light-and-white French country-inspired cottage decor.  

I previously painted the large family room built-ins solid white, and the process was very time consuming. The result is beautiful, so it was worth it in the end – though at about 3 times the cabinetry, I have not been excited about the prospects of tackling the even bigger project of the kitchen.  Needless to say, this project has since been on the back burner…   Continue reading →

Front Door Redoux … And A Giant Lion’s Head

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Front Door BeforeEver since we moved into our house, I have wanted to re-paint the front door.  More importantly, I was eager to replace the door knocker, which was personalized with the last name of the original owners – who owned the house before the people we bought it from – and who  themselves were here several years. Like many things in the home, most elements of the decor (down to the lightbulbs… ;) were left as-is since those original owners before, so there has been MUCH updating to do.  The energy of this house needed to be refreshed, STAT – starting here! Continue reading →