Simply Home by Beth

Spring’s Strawberry Fruit Tart

It’s strawberry season, and nothing heralds in Spring better than fresh fruit tarts!

If you aren’t quite in a Spring-ready location, you can always find the fresh strawberries at your local grocery or market.

The last time I made this strawberry tart, I did not take a picture of it, now I wish I had.

My daughter gave me the recipe for this fruit tart with fresh strawberries, made with a sugar cookie crust, and it was amazing! The tart looked “fancy” and difficult, I had never made one, but she reassured me that it was simply the tart pan to get used to, the recipe itself was very simple.

My very first attempt was a success! I mastered the execution, the removal and release of the dreaded pan, finding the tart to be beautiful AND delicious, and for that reason, I’m posting this recipe here for you…

this is a ” I MUST try this…” recipe!

Strawberry Tart

serves 8

Ingredients:

1 1/2 quarts strawberries, fresh

1 C. sugar

3 tbs. cornstarch

1/2 C. water

1 pkg. 3 oz. cream cheese

Directions:

Make the tart crust from sugar cookie dough (sold in the pie crust section, sugar cookies in the tube)

Roll out the sugar cookie dough with a rolling pin, extending and shaping the dough the same way you would for a pie crust.

Coat your tart pan with a Pam cooking spray and lightly flour the pan, then shake off all excess flour.

Mash berries to measure 1 cup.

Mix sugar and cornstarch in a 2 qt. saucepan, gradually stir in water and mashed berries.

Stir and boil until thick, approx. 1 minute…. cool mixture.

Mix cream cheese and 2 tbs. sugar until smooth. Spread into baked tart shell.

Put remaining strawberries on top of cream cheese. Pour cooked strawberry mixture over the top.

Refrigerate until set.

I hope that you get the chance to pick or buy the freshest berries of the season.

What a difference it makes to eat “fresh”, not only is it healthy, but the flavor factor is off the charts!

Give this tart recipe a try, with berries of your choice, I know you’ll love it, and your family will as well. This bright and pretty dessert is the perfect way to end your Easter dinner, or just for a Spring gathering with friends!

Oh! Don’t forget the whipped cream topping! That’s a given.

Enjoy, and Happy Baking!

xx,

Ready, Set, Grow a Garden!

By Beth Wood

**Potted seedlings growing in peat moss pots.**

Are you ready to get down and dirty?

Are you ready to plant a garden?

March has arrived and the sun is shining, though it isn’t exactly warm, the high winds and strong rains have subsided, and I am grateful.

Grateful for this day.

Grateful for the first signs of Spring, tiny leaf-tips climbing out of our mulch, seeking the warmth of the sun. You can actually hear the birds singing in the treetops, if you listen closely.

I was born in the summer, and perhaps that’s the reason I prefer squinting in bright sunlight to shivering in the winds of early Spring. It may be ” biological”, but who could prove it?

I come from a family of farmers. Both of my parents grew up on a farm, in fact, they were on neighboring farms, with only barbed-wire fences between them. As a child, my mother helped with canning, freezing, and preserving the crops of summer. My father learned to plan and plot the land, how to carefully prepare the soil, to mark out the rows, and to hoe and plant the crops.

Together, my parents both offered their experiences and expertise, hoping it would create a love of gardening within me. It did.

Perhaps it is “biological” after all.

Currently, I don’t live on a farm, there is no country-farmhouse on this lot, in fact, a garden is “not allowed” on our property.

So, what do you do, when you’re NOT a “farmer”?

You “farm” anyway, and in any way that you can!

In this day of elevated grocery-prices, pesticides and chemical preservatives in our food, wouldn’t it be nice to know exactly what you’re eating?

Exactly what you are feeding your children as they sit at your table?

Container gardening, and herb and kitchen gardens are space-saving, easy to maintain and a way to bring “fresh” to your table all summer long.

This type of gardening is available to anyone who can find a pot of dirt to put in a sunny spot. Whether it’s inside or out, on patios, balconies, or windowsills, your garden will grow and produce just the same.

**Vintage laundry cart holds my herb garden.**

The herb garden above, is on my South-facing deck. The pots of herbs are elevated to deter rabbits. I chose rosemary, lemon thyme, curly parsley, chives, and basil. Together, these herbs are displayed in a vintage laundry cart, which makes watering easy.

Tips for container gardens/ herbs, vegetables or flowers:

1.Choose your container with depth for roots to grow and drain, unplug the drainage hole on the bottom of the pot, use a small pan, dish or plastic drainage tray to protect the surface of your deck, rugs, windowsills, etc.

2.Plant together plants with the same sun/shade requirements. Place them accordingly either in the sun or shade.

3. With a generous base of topsoil in my container, I space the new plants (still in their containers) where I want them, with the tallest in the middle, lower plants surrounding it.

4. Place your new plants carefully in the topsoil, cover roots with more soil and tap upright and into place. Continue with the rest of the plants, covering the roots and lightly tapping into place, then I sparingly sprinkle a slow-release fertilizer over the entire top of the soil, I use Weed and Seed granular. Now, cover your surface between the plants with mulch or Spanish moss, then water all plants.

5. Remember, container pots do not have the space for very deep roots, so water when the soil is dry to the touch. Very hot summer days will dry your soil quickly, and you may have to water daily, just until the soil is moist.

6. I like to water in the early morning, to give the plants a good drink before the sun evaporates the water. The covering of moss or mulch also helps to keep the soil moist for the plants.

7. In addition to regular watering, I use Miracle Grow liquid once a month to fertilize, all during the growing season.

8. Finally, don’t let herbs go to seed. Prune off the seed. This will keep your plants full and thick, not taller.

**A wooden container of parsley herb plants for container gardening**

It’s a long list, isn’t it?

Learning is a continual process, but these steps will get you started.

I hope you consider using container gardening in the space you have available. If you try this, please let me know.

If you have a favorite way of keeping your herbs and plants healthy, please share, would love to hear from you!

Go get dirty!

xx,

The Comforts of Home…

By Beth Wood

**Tiny checks, carrots on a pillow, and a warm throw create a cozy room.**

“There is nothing like staying home for real comfort.” quote from Jane Austen.

Remember when Dorothy, on the Wizard of Oz, stated that “there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home!”

I am clicking my red heels in agreement as we speak….!

Funny thing is, in my life, I’ve lived in many different homes, from a century-old Summer Kitchen, a farmhouse, a Craftsman bungalow, an English Tudor, another farmhouse, married, then back to another Craftsman bungalow to begin life as a newlywed Bride.

In the past few weeks, we’ve been “gone” for three weekends in a row and look so forward to a weekend when we’re finally home.

Last weekend was the busiest, or most productive. We celebrated a belated Valentine’s Day dinner, attended grandchildren’s musical events, sporting events, and next weekend we’ll be gone as well, with a Baptism to attend. In each city, we’ve had lovely accommodations in local hotels, clean and beautifully- styled rooms, King-sized beds, a “lounge” to grab a snack, or a breakfast room to start our day.

What more could we ask for?

**Valentine’s Day in Burr Ridge, Illinois, cheesecake with raspberry ice cream**

**These are my people! Looks like we may have another gymnast in the making!**

In Wisconsin, naturally, we ate cheese curds for a snack during the gymnastics meet. The evening before, we met our son at a Cuban Restaurant for a leisurely meal, where we spent time just “catching up”.

The restaurant was fun, brightly hued, and the spicy aromas were as vibrant as the orange walls filled with art! The evening was filled with family, good conversation, great food, and all-around perfection. We loved every minute of our weekend getaway,

and then, on the last night, my husband says, “I can’t wait to get in our own bed!”

For the life of me, I laughed out loud!!

Our mattress needed replaced about two years ago, there’s a crater in the middle, and I literally have to hang on to the side of the bed, so I don’t roll into the hole! This doesn’t bother my husband; the compressed mattress seems to conform to his “shape”!

Sorry for such a long drawn-our story, but when I’m not at home, I’m usually with family. I do love the Jane Austen quote above, that ” there is nothing like staying home for real comfort.” And yes, no matter how many houses you may live in, and no matter where they are, they will each become your “home,” simply because this is where YOU are, where you live, laugh, cry and love those whom you share your home with.

Tell me, where is your favorite place to “be”?

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t sit in the house for days on end, I love to get out, to see and do, to travel to places unknown to me. I love the “new” that adventure brings: the new sounds, sights, tastes and roads traveled. Travel is both inspiring and stimulating to me, it feeds my curiosity, I must have an inquisitive soul.

But my friends, when the trip is over, nothing can beat the feeling of “coming home”.

Don’t you agree?

If I asked you where your favorite, most comfortable “place” is in your home, where would it be?

And why?

Personally, I enjoy finding “beauty” in unexpected items, or a view, a piece of art or furniture, all of the “things” needed to create a cozy corner of my home, or a sense of comfort. Would you think it silly to say that I’m really quite fond of the block-print fabric lampshades that are becoming popular, again? They’ve taken an old-fashioned fabric and brought it right into the Target stores, and I’m excited to see that.

**A small, checked fabric lampshade adds a cozy glow in this bedroom’s corner.**

In the above photo you’ll notice antique items, vintage and worn combined with the new lamp and candle. I love the mix of old and new. The aged items add a story of their own, the wooden pieces add their warmth, then I add a scented candle. Please consider pleasing all of the senses, and not for your guests alone, but for yourself!

My husband and grandsons prefer to please their senses in the kitchen.

The scent of baked goods, breads, cakes or cookies put them over the top, but I still think my Mr. prefers to smell a roast in the crockpot or lasagna in the oven. Food is their love language, the look of it, touch and taste of it, the smell of it, all of it except the dirty dishes afterwards. Then, the “workers are few”.

Friends, I feel like I’ve rattled off quite a bit, but on the subject of HOME, I could go on and on.

So, where do you start, when creating a “home”?

With one small corner, one open shelf, a plant in a basket by the window, a picture hung over the mantle…one step at a time. There is no rush, no contest to win.

I recommend taking your time, choosing one task, or area at a time, always inserting yourself wholly into everything you do, just love your house, and in return, it will give you a “home.” ~~Me

Blessings,

xx,

To plant a garden…

By Beth Wood

is to believe in tomorrow. ~Audrey Hepburn

Will you be planting a garden this Spring?

Although it is still quite cold where I live, every January or February, I remember my father poring over the Burpee’s Seeds Catalog, deciding what to plant and how much to order for his garden, the anticipation of the warming earth and Spring rains to nurture his seedlings was a joy he spoke of often. He would tell me that Winter was the time of rest for the soil, and preparation for the farmer.

Today, when I see the Burpee’s Seeds Catalogs in the stores, I always leaf through them thinking of my father, sure he’s looking over my shoulder.

The photo above is my grandparent’s farm, where my father let me “help” with the gardening. Everything I love about gardening, and some of my dearest memories are from that farm.

Without acreage, or even a large plot of land, you can still “garden”.

Have you ever tried container gardening?

I currently live in the city, on the edge of a Golf Course, and I’m not “allowed” to plant a garden. I am, however, allowed to plant in pots or any other containers on my deck and porch, or even in the landscaping surrounding the house. My favorite “garden” to plant, is a Kitchen Herb Garden, where I combine my favorite and most-used herbs in a large pot, set in a sunny spot where I can easily keep it watered.

That’s it.

Easy-peasy!

You can see in the photo above, that I gathered my pots together and put them in a vintage Laundry-Mat cart on wheels. Unusual? Yes…I love it! Anything that you love, and water can “drain” from the bottom, can be used as a garden container.

A container can be one small pot, though my grandmother used empty soup cans to “start” her seedlings for the garden. A sunny kitchen’s windowsill is all you need for pots or soup cans alike.

Should you try the soup cans, they do work and can be “art” of their own.

Let me know if you’re ready to start planning your garden, would love to hear the tips and tricks you use!

Hugs, and happy gardening!

Delightfully Decadent, a Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

By Beth Wood

**Olive Oil Cake, a rich and moist chocolate cake, is a “healthy” choice for dessert.**

What is your favorite dessert?

You know, the one where you actually look for the leftovers, and keep going back for more?

Well, look no further…. this richly flavored chocolate cake will not linger long on your counter or in the fridge.

Leslie, from Lemon Grove Lane is the creator of this Cacao cake, and when I found it on her website, I knew I’d keep it for myself, and share it with you if I LOVED it!

I did!

Leslie made her cake in a heart-shaped cake pan for Valentine’s Day, which is the sweetest idea, but since I don’t have that pan, or want to buy one, I was more intrigued by the ingredients in this recipe. I’ve made similar cakes with sour cream or buttermilk to keep a cake moist, but never olive-oil!

I like a “new-to-me” recipe, and I’m hoping you do as well, I also feel this would be so pretty as a treat for your Valentine!

Ingredients:

1 C. all-purpose flour, or almond flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. almond milk, hemp or buttermilk
2/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 c. honey
1 and 1/2 tsp. vanilla (or 1/2 of that in almond extract)
1/3 c. chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Spray or grease and flour a 9″ baking pan or dish.
Whisk together all dry ingredients, set aside.
Whisk together liquid ingredients, set aside.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir until well blended.
Use a spatula to pour the batter into your prepared pan and then sprinkle with the chocolate chips on top.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out “almost clean” This cake is best when it’s really moist, do not over bake it.
Cool for 10-15 minutes, before you carefully invert the pan or dish.

When cooled enough to slice, top each piece off with a fresh whipped cream, ice cream, or I use powdered confectioners’ sugar dusted over the top.

Great with a cup of coffee or tea!

Enjoy your decadent little dessert!

As always, let me know if you make this and how you liked it, I’d love to hear from you, and I will reply when I read them…

Happy Baking!

xx,

Before and After’s

By Beth Wood

Hey all, how are you?

If you’re into before and after’s, you are in the right place!

Recently, we bought an antique oak hutch with a white painted interior at an old farmhouse’s estate auction. It just about killed me when my husband said we didn’t have the “right vehicle” to haul it home, “but tomorrow we’ll be back and it’ll be half price!”

“ONLY if it’s still here!!!”, I’m not too proud to admit that I practically squealed.

Fortunately, it was.

The hutch was “meant to be” mine after all, though they only took 20% off of the original price instead of the expected 50%.

As it turns out, having the extra day gave me time to measure the inside of my SUV, declaring that it would be tight but would indeed make it home.

Listen, do you ever go to an Estate Auction and want ALLLLLL of it, the house, the lot, the barn and little sheds, the well pump with the cistern cap, apple trees and garden? Yes, I do get carried away, not because I believe it to be romantic or an idealistic existence, I’ve done reno before on century-old homes and it’s a never-ending process, or so it seems, but it is always worth the effort, in my opinion.

So… before and after’s, here is the hutch we bought, below.

This is an oak hutch with the top of it having glass doors, missing its hardware to open with, and two drawers and smaller doors on the bottom with its original hardware. The hutch has been refinished at some point in its history because white paint is still “stuck” in the corners of each panel on the doors below. It is less then 6 feet tall and about 48″ wide. I originally thought it would be used in my kitchen.

We’ll see.

My inspiration piece for painting it an antique white came from Liz Marie Galvin, the photo is below.

I love this piece. I also think this cabinet has more character than mine, no matter the color. I love it’s raised panels with curved corners and the big wood knobs for drawer pulls.

Notice that the original wood inside the cabinet is emphasized by the contrast of the white exterior. I would have the opposite effect with my cabinet. If I leave it as is, I have the white interior with the oak exterior.

Ugh! In the meantime, let’s enjoy a close up of the above cabinet….

Too sweet.

Does this inspire me to get to work on my cabinet?

Of course it does!! Wouldn’t it inspire you to hustle around and get it done?

Realistically friends, it’s easier to bring home a hutch, no matter the vehicle needed, than to renovate that entire farmhouse.

So, there you have it, that’s my post.

Now I’m off to the paint store and I’ll keep you posted with my progress,

Wishing you dreams that come true, and the ability to jump up and make them happen!

hugs,

xx,

simplyhomebybeth