pleasure in simple things

september book giveaway!

August 24, 2018

Because of my unplanned summer hiatus, I am changing up the timing of my monthly giveaway a little bit. Today I am announcing the July winner and at the same time, I am putting up the September giveaway. This gives you a little extra time – from now until the end of September – to leave a comment for a chance to win this September giveaway.

I don’t know about you, but I constantly seem to be bombarded with creative ideas just when it is time to drift off to sleep! (Either then, or in the middle of washing my hair in the shower!) In an effort not to lose my marvelous thought, I have to quickly locate a pencil and paper to jot down my thoughts or I can not get to sleep! So, when I saw this book, I had to pick it up to use as a monthly giveaway! The title: Can’t Sleep Write Now…a nocturnal journal for tireless thinkers. The perfect journal to keep bedside!

In addition to the journal, I am including in the giveaway, some custom pencils I had imprinted with ‘bookish’ phrases and a custom designed bookmark. Just leave a comment and you will have a chance to win this giveaway!

Congratulations to Diane, winner of the July giveaway – the Kate Spade notebook. To see more, click here.

Thanks for the lovely email message Diane! Enjoy the notebook, I know you will put this win to good use!

Instagram users, please read on! From now until the end of September, please share your favorite reads from this summer. Just share a photo with hashtag #pleasuregram. I will be sharing some on my Instagram stories. I was able to get some great advance copies and I have some recommendations to share! (How many of you have read Educated this summer? Amazing, right?)

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

cereal treat bowls

August 21, 2018

Cereal treat dessert bowls have been popular for a while now. I thought I’d give it a try just once so I could put my own spin on it.

Since everything I’ve seen has been made with plain rice or fruit cereal, I decided to make some cereal treat bowls with a chocolate cereal. And what flavor goes best with chocolate? A darker chocolate? Coffee? Raspberry? Peanut butter? That’s it! I decided on peanut butter.

Peanut butter mousse in a chocolate cereal bowl sounds like a good combination!

I made the standard cereal treat recipe of 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, 10 oz. of melted marshmallows, and 6 cups of cereal. I lightly sprayed some small bowls with cooking spray (and sprayed a little on my hands as well). Using my favorite little Anthro bowls as a guide, I spooned the mixture into them and used my fingers to form the mixture into a bowl shape. Since I don’t have air-conditioning, I popped them into the fridge for a little bit to set them up.

I chose little bowls to make a nice sized individual serving, but you can make your bowls in any size you’d like! Since I am making a mousse to put inside, I am leaving them as is. If you plan on putting something more liquidy (I know this probably isn’t a word) than a mousse, I would suggest melting some chocolate and spreading a coat to harden on the bottom before adding anything so it will act as a seal and prevent any of your dessert from leaking out.

For the peanut butter mixture – kind of a cross between a mousse and a cheesecake – I beat together 4 oz. cream cheese, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2/3 cup heavy cream till smooth and then beat on high speed for a minute or two. I spooned this into the cups and garnished them with milk chocolate shavings. I think peanut butter ice cream would have been a better choice than the mousse idea. Whatever you spoon into the dessert bowls, be sure to do it just before serving so the bowls don’t get soggy.

Make a cereal treat bowl. Check. Have you tried making one? What did you serve inside it?

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great week!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. If you liked this, click here to see a similar treat I made recently…peanut butter cereal treat bites.

no comments

white flowers are the best flowers

August 17, 2018

One of the first perennial borders planted by the founders of White Flower Farm was pure white. (For a short time, the owners even considered growing and offering only white-flowered perennials and shrubs..I wish that was carried through!)

I call my all-white garden a ‘virgin’ garden. At White’s, the all-white garden is called a ‘moon’ garden. The white border is planted with a white tree wisteria and looks crisp and refreshing during the day and positively glows at twilight – the reason for its name!

This garden is my favorite at the farm, but visitors can’t get too close to admire it. This changes once a year when White’s has their open house. During the open house tour – and the best part of it – visitors can get up close and personal to the fabulous moon garden!

This year, the open house happened on a rainy day, but I wasn’t going to miss the tour and my chance to get close to the moon garden!

Today, on Friday field trip, I am sharing some photos from the beautiful moon garden at White Flower Farm in Morris, Connecticut. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

lesson learned

August 14, 2018

There are some things that are just out of our control. I learned this the hard way recently. I also learned how very lucky I am. The support I have been receiving from my family and friends during this tough time is truly amazing! I am humbled by all the amazing people that surround me.

Thank you. I could never even begin to express the love and gratitude I feel.

As I continue to grow stronger each day and try to get back to my regular schedule, I am happy to welcome you all back into my life. I may be a little slow on the upswing, but I am back!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie xo

P.S. I will do the July giveaway I missed while on break next week.

no comments

to my dear friends

July 27, 2018

Hello friends!

I am sorry to say that due to some totally unexpected circumstances, I am unable to use the computer – probably for a couple weeks. :( Since this blog has been started, I have never missed a post – so you know this is serious!

I will be back at it as soon as I am able. I will miss you during my break.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

lavender in connecticut

July 24, 2018

I’m still trying to recover from an exciting weekend! Our family had a big (white party) celebration on Saturday and it is taking me some time to get back into my work routine!

Today, I wanted to let my local friends know that right now is prime lavender blooming time here in Connecticut! If you have not yet visited Lavender Pond Farm, now is the time to go!

With over 10,000 plants on 25 acres, Lavender Pond is the largest lavender farm in New England.

It is easy to find off the Clinton exit of I95 – just a couple minutes north of the outlets.

The photos here were taken before the prime blooming season – about a month ago.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great week and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

P.S. In other news – It is SHARK WEEK on the Discovery channel!

no comments

open house at white flower farm 2018

July 20, 2018

Yes, the day my friend and I planned on visiting White Flower Farm for their annual open house was a rainy day! But, that did not stop us from attending!

We weren’t going to let the rain get in the way of our day off and the fabulous prospect of visiting one of our favorite garden centers in Connecticut!

The annual open house is a great time to pick up some discounted plants, tour the grounds, and enjoy some complementary refreshments!

I purchased one of these ‘Little Henry’s’ to plant in my own yard!

For today’s Friday field trip, enjoy a little glimpse of White’s during this year’s open house. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

top 3 summer seltzers

July 17, 2018

What is your beverage of choice for the summer if you aren’t drinking alcohol?

My fave is iced tea…but once in a while, a few bubbles are in order! When the urge for bubbles occurs, seltzer is the obvious, and refreshing, choice!

I am thinking seltzer must be a choice for many out there since there are SO many different ones available! Today, I thought I would give you the benefit of some extensive research in seltzer tasting and present my choice for the top 3 summer seltzers!

Overall, citrus flavors are the best summer seltzer flavors since they are the most refreshing in the hot weather. But, a non-citrus flavor did make it to the number 3 spot. That is La Croix’s coconut flavored seltzer.

At the number 2 spot for the best summer seltzers is Waterloo in either lime or grapefruit. The best place to find Waterloo is at Whole Foods. I haven’t seen it at any other store.

And, in the number 1 spot for the best summer seltzer is…drum roll, please!

Polar’s starfruit lemonade!

That is my quick list of top 3 summer seltzers. If you like seltzer, be sure to give them a try. Let me know how they stack up to your fave!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

milk house chocolates at thorncrest farm

July 13, 2018

Connecticut constantly amazes me. I have lived here my whole live and I am still able to discover some great, new places on a regular basis!

Milk House Chocolates at Thorncrest Farm was a recent discovery that blew me away. Artisanal chocolates are made in small batches one at a time with no preservatives using their own fresh milk, cream, and butter.

The phrase coined by the farm ‘the magic is in the milk” is an understatement!

The farm operates on a core focus of comfort and happiness of their cows. They recognize each cow’s individual flavor in the milk, and ensure that flavor isn’t compromised by never allowing the cows to be stressed out! Kimberly and Clint Thorn believe great flavor from milk comes from lack of stress – that any kind of stress shows up right away in the milk. Everything from which cow is sitting next to which, to the hay they eat (they are fed only the sweetest hay and natural feeds) and the comfort of their beds can directly affect the flavor of their milk, so every little detail related to the cow’s happiness is considered!

Each chocolate is connected to a very specific cow, with each cow’s milk making an unbelievable difference in the flavor of the chocolates. For instance, after meeting the cow Daydream, I discovered every single caramel at Milk House is made strictly from her milk since the sweetness and flavor of her milk, with its ivory, buttery tone, makes it the best choice for a great tasting caramel!

I was fascinated to find out that milk works much in the same way as wine – just like each wine has a specific type of grape from a specific region and is affected greatly by the climate, soil, and other factors – milk works much in the same way. So, the 122 unique chocolates in rotation throughout the year at Milk House Chocolates are determined by several factors – including which cows are milking at that time!

These chocolates are truly amazing – of course, the freshness is off the chart, but also, they melt different, taste different, and feel different than a typical chocolate. I tasted the root beer filled and the dark chocolate and peanut butter with sea salt and couldn’t believe the fresh, rich tastiness of each piece.

A fresh peanut butter sea salt chocolate.

I brought myself home a bag of caramels made from Daydream’s milk. I really wanted to bring home some fresh milk infused with vanilla bean (doesn’t that sound luscious?), but I hadn’t brought a cooler with me so I couldn’t safely transport it home.

What a find this place is! I can’t wait to make another visit!

Biting into a fresh root beer filled chocolate at Thorncrest Farm.

Note: In addition to visiting Thorncrest Farm in Goshen, Connecticut, you may enjoy making a day of exploring 10 farms in Goshen this summer. The tour is offered free of charge on August 4^th and 5^th through the Goshen Agricultural Council.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

deviled eggs, hold the mayo

July 10, 2018

People find it hard to believe I don’t like mayonnaise. It’s true.

And, I think the reason I have never been crazy about deviled eggs is because of the mayonnaise in the filling. I’ve always eaten the outside, white of the egg and left the filling!

I decided if the mayo could be eliminated from the filling of the egg, I could enjoy the entire deviled egg!

So, for this year’s 4^th of July celebration, I made deviled eggs…minus the mayo!

My idea was to substitute yogurt – which I do like – for the mayo. I always have plain nonfat Greek yogurt in my fridge. I added that, as well as some fresh herbs from my garden, to the yolks of eggs for my deviled egg filling.

I boiled up a dozen organic eggs and got to work!

Here is what I ended up adding to a dozen egg yolks:

1/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons organic, plain, nonfat Greek yogurt (you can adjust to desired consistency)
3 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
3 teaspoons fresh chopped mint (plus more for garnish)
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 teaspoon sea salt

I cut the 12 eggs in half lengthwise. The 12 egg yolks went into a bowl and were mixed with the ingredients above. I mixed well with a fork. (Maybe a mixer could be used here for more of a whipped consistency filling, but I didn’t have one available.) After the filling was mixed well, I piped it (not very neatly, as you can see!) back into the egg white halves and finished with salt and pepper to taste and some chopped fresh mint from my garden to finish!

My deviled egg creations came out really tasty! Now that I have tried a nontraditional filling, I think next time I experiment with deviled eggs, I may just remove the yolks altogether! Alter the spices to suit your taste. (Try the Trader Joe’s everything bagel spice!)

Thanks for stopping by! Have a really fabulous and safe holiday!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

↑ Back to top

search

categories

recent posts

archives

my friends & favs

september book giveaway!

cereal treat bowls

white flowers are the best flowers

lesson learned

to my dear friends

lavender in connecticut

open house at white flower farm 2018

top 3 summer seltzers

milk house chocolates at thorncrest farm

deviled eggs, hold the mayo