Happy Thanksgiving

It's the Monday after Thanksgiving and the days just got away from me. Baking and visiting family and being lazy. Yes - I even had some lazy hours.

Happy Belated and getting ready for Christmas.

Coming this Spring

Dinner on the Lawn

I love this concept. Dinner outside on a lawn. This spring I am hoping to implement this and share a dinner with the Residents of the Naperville Home.

The plan is to grill a bunch of whole chickens and corn on the cob. All the other sides could be salads and desserts. The home has a grill so I think this will work.

This is just one more concept I would have at the farm. Dinners on the lawn every weekend. Oh I can't wait.

Just waiting now until Spring. AND IT'S ONLY NOVEMBER :)

10 Things to Help Your Health

We can't always prevent an illness but why not make it harder to take hold?

Cancer is a scare and if by chance any of these things cause it, Why risk it?

Ten things you should do to help your health.

Stop drinking Diet Soda. FOREVER!

• Mix fresh juice with a splash of Seltzer.
• The entire ingredient list is all chemicals. Nothing natural - Every ingredient is a chemical. It’s just bad for you and you know it. Next time you pick one up - remember - the word DIE is in diet.

Stop using store bought deodorant.

• Mix ¼ cup cornstarch and ¼ cup baking soda - add a few drops of rosemary or lavender oil. Store in a seal-able container and dab on with a cotton pad.
• If you are a women and shave, do not apply to freshly saved arm pits. It stings. Shave in the evening before bed - no deodorant needed before bed

Stop buying processed.

• Cookies, frozen meals, snacks, anything with ingredients that you are not familiar with.
• If it has a chemical in it, don’t keep eating it

Stop eating FROZEN ground beef.

• If you are buying ground beef in packaging that isn’t showing you the meat. Don’t.
• You do not know what is ground up with it - remember the pink slime?
  
• Only buy ground beef fresh. You want to see it

Limit your fast food intake.

• I say limit because even though I know how bad McDonald’s fries are for me, I cannot stop eating them altogether. So I go once in a while and only get a small one.
• Don’t ever supersize. Eat as a treat – not in place of your weekly meals

Check Soap, Shampoo, Lotion Labels.

• Look for carcinogens. Ingredients that have unfamiliar names and dyes.
• Buy from organic distributors
• Etsy.com – many 100% natural soap makers

Check your Cleaning supplies.

• Read the Warnings on the cleaning supply labels. If they have a warning, don’t use it
• Use Bleach and water and a little soap
• While bleach is a powerful chemical and contains a warning, a little goes a long way and you know how much you used
• Vinegar is a natural cleaner

Limit Plastic Bottled water.

• Get a filtered pitcher and a glass
• While bottled water is nice to have, what chemicals are seeping through the plastic bottles? Get a carry-around bottle and take it with you. Glass is better but read the label on your plastic

Stop Microwaving everything.

• Watch your Microwave intake – again – Why risk it?
• Use the stove top to reheat
• Never heat in those throw away containers – use glass

Limit your Soda, Sport Drinks, Sugar Juice intake.

• Stop drinking Soda everyday
• Only drink a sport drink if you’ve actually participated in a sport
• Squeeze your own juice or only buy 100%. Read Labels- don't drink it if contains Corn Syrup (which is big time a processed sugar).

Garden Cleanup - Blooming Rose

Mini Rose Blooming in November!

Two More Buds!

These were all white 5 years ago - Beautiful Surprise while cleaning brush.

Butter Tub With Drain

Three Different Cup Sizes - One is a Bouillon Cup

I cleaned out the Garden yesterday and beneath the dead Zinnia's this beautiful rose plant survived the freezing weather and refuses not to bloom. AND it's November!

This was a Mini Rose plant I receive about 5 years ago for a birthday gift. I planted it and every year it blooms. It's a white rose and it took on some color this year. So beautiful.

The dish pictures are part of a multi set of "Noritake Azalea Pattern" china. Over 217 Pieces! It was a gift that Bobby brought home one day. They were in 5 stuffed to the rim boxes. I felt like a kid at Christmas opening each carefully wrapped piece. Someone loved this set of China. It was wrapped with such care.

There are so many unique and different pieces that I was amazed how detailed China was back in the 20's. A small plate with the loop - I had to look it up because I couldn't guess its use. Lemon Plate. Hmm. Another little tiny container with a mini spoon. Mustard dish. Then - there are these beautiful round bowls with three ball legs. It's a Whipping Cream bowl WITH little ladles to match. Each piece is so unique and I love the pattern. I've been hunting for China in vintage stores for years. Then - Low and Behold - Bobby brought home 5 boxes worth. Love that Man!

Thanks go to Nika who gave these to us. I can't wait to serve food for a special occasion. AND I can't wait to take them to the farm! They would be so beautiful and would be a fabulous set to serve a dinner on. "Farm to Noritake"!

My first thought was to sell some of them. Maybe keep just a full set of 12 but I can't part with any of them!

Enjoy your Sunday!