New Address

Hello friends. I finally have a new website.
www.Blossomsundries.com

see you there!

Lori

What do you think?

I could use your advice, I am working on a little website, not sure if I want to do a traditional website or a blogsite. Having a blog for a website means it would always be updated with new things {good for search engines I guess} and not just sitting there collecting dust, so to speak. What do you think?
Pretty sure I will keep my "shop" at Etsy, love it over there just haven't had much time to post new things, not that I have new things. I did make Kudzu Blossom and Lavender soap yesterday and I have a few new surprises for you... hopefully by next week.

Lately it feels like all my days are running together.... I hear it's common when you work from home. The last few weeks have been a bit crazy and the to do list keeps getting longer. The garden is in, but you know what comes next. There are goat babies to feed, did I tell you about that? The boys are out for summer break and even though they are 14 and 15, they make our house look like a tornado has hit, thankful they do help cleanup when I can grab their attention. Oh and Zack, the youngest {14} broke his elbow. Not a serious break, more like a hairline but he's healing nicely, there's a silly story about how that happened that I will have to share later.
Brian has been busy with his carpentry work, which keeps me busy helping him with the loose ends. Whew, a bit tired here. You would think after 17 years of marriage I would be more organized, but there is always something new to add to our happy little mix; any advice on how to stay on top of things?


thank you Crystal for the bloggy award!

Favorite Weekend Bread Recipe

A few years back I had decided to take a part time job, at a local bakery while the kids were in school. I wasn't new to working in a bakery, but this one was different. Owned and operated by a fourth generation Italian baker, Joe and his wife Annie. What I enjoyed the most about this time was that Joe took his time to teach and share everything he knew about baking, everything.
I learned to make old world style breads and pastries, that are still to this day the best I have ever had! While I decided to let the job go to pursue staying at home and growing my small soap business it didn't stop me from continuing to bake on an almost daily basis for years.
I have tweaked the recipes found in popular bread books and following the techniques for bread baking that Joe shared I have come up with a few favorites of my own, I wanted to share.

My Cottage Style Focaccia Recipe:
3 cups unbleached white flour {not self rising}
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
3 glugs olive oil
2 teaspoons yeast {rapid rise}
a couple handfuls of Shredded Parmesan Cheese
4 tablespoons Basil {i love. love. love basil}
1 small cast iron skillet

Prepare your cast iron skillet ahead of time by pouring in 3 glugs {equal to 3 tablespoons} of Olive Oil in the skillet...then set it aside.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
I start by combining yeast, water and honey in a measuring cup and set it aside...let it sit for about 10 minutes while you combine flour, salt, basil, cheese and olive oil.
In the summer when we have an overabundance of tomatoes, I will slice them up to dry and add some to this recipe.
Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture. Blend everything in together then start to knead the dough, I use my Kitchenaide mixer with bread hook attachment for kneading but there have been many time I have used just my hands...both will work fine. Kneading with your hands is a good way to get rid of frustration!

If you are kneading with your hands, be sure and lightly dust your workspace with flour first so it doesn't stick. With the kitchenaide I knead the dough for 5 minutes, with my hands it's a bit longer. Try not to tear the dough when kneading. You will know the dough is ready when the consistency is almost like elastic and not sticky anymore.
After you let the dough rest for about 15 minutes you can begin to flatten it out with your hands, directly in your oiled skillet. After it's flattened out in the skillet just flip it over and make sure it has a good covering of olive oil all over.
Cover it and let it rise {about 15-20 minutes}, then sprinkle the top with salt and then pop it in the oven. I'm terrible about timing my baking, I usually just take a peak to see if it's turned brown on top to know it's done. But by my guess it takes about 20 minutes to bake.

If this is the first time you have ever made bread, I know it seems a bit complicated but trust me once you do it a few times you don't even need a recipe.
Happy Bread Making!

Newbies

Two new faces that I immediately fell in love with.

Works in Wood

I just wanted to share the website I finished for my husband last night. Brian is a woodworking craftsman and has been building the most incredible pieces of furniture and handcrafted doors for thirteen years now. He specializes in building one of a kind pieces using the older methods of joinery. While most people would only use power tools in this day and age he enjoys using tools from his collection of vintage chisels and planes. He's always an incredible source of inspiration and happiness for me. That being said, Second Nature Woodworks is now online.

Sweet Mother's Day to You

1. La Bohème, 2. Jeanne Bayol, 3. La Bohème, 4. La Bohème, 5. Jeanne Bayol, 6. all tied up, 7. 37:365, 8. Patina, 9. { sim.plic.i.ty }

I wanted to wish all of you mamas a very beautiful weekend and Happy Mother's Day.
And to my mom, a very Happy Happy Birthday too, love you much.
xo

Romantic Country Style Clothing

picture courtesy of Malphi
I'm in love. There are so many things I heart and I just had to share the newest one on my list. Malphi. Susannah {aka Malphi} has beautifully infused my two of my greatest obsessions ~ handmade clothing and simple living and her presentation {photography} is just as lovely.
"Dresses, Bloomers and Aprons with a rustic country style feel."
What more could a girl ask for?
Although I would be hard pressed to pick my favorite The Verity Wrap Hope Dress seen here is made of linen/cotton blend has my attention and she's an Etsy seller too. CompletelyEnchanting!

what ever you do, don't look him in the eye

Is it a full moon or something? This bad boy has done nothing less than send three boys
{bigger than me} tucked tail and run screaming out of the chicken coop, like little girls.
While I quickly scoffed at the idea that any of my chickens {or roosters} had gone mad, I
soon realized that carrying a broom into the chicken coop for my own protection wouldn't be a bad idea. This realization happened after he bit my finger, when I was changing out the water bucket and then he followed up by throwing his wings wide open and chased me toward the door. I don't know where I went wrong...you love them, feed them, talk to them and once they are teenagers, just look what happens.
And note to self or anyone else out there with crazy man eating rooters, just make like
"the crane" off The Karate Kid movie and you're all good! Trust me, it works better than a broom.

that's a bad billy

You wouldn't believe the morning {or the last hour} I've had, well maybe...no, no you wouldn't.
I just finished untangling one of the billy goats from the hog fence. His horns were caught and because of this he tried to free himself, only to tear down five panels of fencing in the process. Now mind you, I had been running errands all morning so there's no telling how long he had been tangled up.

When I pulled up our dirt road all I could make out was a strange looking goat on his front quarters all bent over, with what looked to be his head stuck in the ground {you know like an ostrich} and bellowing like there was no tomorrow. Once I could make out what was going on I ran up into the field to help him out, okay so maybe run is too strong a word.

If it weren't for the fact that I felt so sorry for this old boy I would have run to get my camera and take pictures. Instead I did the next best thing and freaked out on the phone to Bri. I was so out of breathe from running {humor me} up into the field that he thought the house was on fire. No it's just a goat with his horns stuck in a fence silly and nobody here but little old me to untangle this beast, who by the way was sitting on top of the fence he tore down.

This is the most action we've had on this little farm since the weather warmed up!
Anyone who can blog this moments after it happened with fresh goat poo still on her boots deserves a farm girl award if you ask me...I will have to go make one!