Snail Mail

Good afternoon, blog goers! I hope this Tuesday finds you in high spirits.

Let's talk about letter-writing. Well, in case you haven’t guessed, “snail mail” is used to reference the slow lag process between a letter’s send off and its arrival to the recipient when compared to its electronic equivalent. Unfortunately, the medium of technology is becoming increasingly popular and physical letters are becoming less and less frequent. I think this is tragic. Hand-written letters express more gratitude, character, love, and authenticity than any electronic portal. So, let’s change this.

Here are a few pictures that highlight some perks that come with snail mail:



If you don't have some pretty stationary, get on that.

An old war letter, in honor of the up and coming 4th of July!

Pure class.

If it tickles your fancy, send a post card instead.



Vintage Marilyn stamp.



Sound of Music style!

Lovely.

Have a great Tuesday, blossoms.

Today, take a minute and practice your penmanship by letting someone you love know you care.

XO.

[Sorta] Easy Bread

So. Today I woke up with a craaaaving for homemade wheat bread. Why I couldn't have just been satisfied with store-bought bread, Eggos, or Poptarts, I don't know. However, great stuff came as a result.

I had never made bread before because my mother has always made bread-making out to be a horrific nightmare, so I went into this experience hesitantly. I think I found a winner, though! I hope you think the same. Be excited.


Ingredients (only four!):

1.5 cups warm water

4 cups whole wheat flour (you can also use bread flour)

2 teaspoons yeast

2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. Place flour in a bowl

2. Put yeast on one side of the bowl and salt on the other

3. Pour warm water in the middle

4. Mix on low till dough comes together



5. Switch to medium and mix for 2 minutes

6. Let dough rest for 5 minutes

7. Mix dough again for 3 minutes

8. Take dough out of bowl and hand knead the dough for 3 minutes

9. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turning the ball over to coat entirely

10. Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel

11. Let rest for 1 1/2 hours

12. Remove from bowl; the dough will have doubled in size

13. Punch down the dough, reform the ball, and put back in bowl

14. Let rest again for 30 minutes

15. Remove from bowl and cut dough into 2 pieces

16. Form these pieces back into balls

17. Let rest, covered with a damp cloth for 1 hour

18. When dough is ready, preheat oven to 450 degrees

19. Slash the tops of the dough balls to allow breads to expand while baking

20. Bake for 20-25 minutes

21. Top with butter or a tasty spread

22. Share!



I hope you all try this one out. I don't foresee you being disappointed, just remember to allow for adequate time. Patience is key.

Happy Thursday!

XO.

Summer Pieces

Hello and good morning Wednesday goers! Can you believe we are already half way through the week? I can’t believe how time flies during the summertime.

This morning, I woke up and started my usual routine by flipping on the news while I made breakfast. I just happened to catch the weatherman predicting a day of 111 degrees for tomorrow. 111! Oh Phoenix, we have different definitions of summer.

Let’s try to not let this rain on the parade, though. Think beyond the heat and try to remember summers in different years and places that could capture the magic of this season. Here are a few summer staples I remember:

Flowers are my number one.



Spending time outdoors in the sunshine
(One day I'll live in a place where this is possible)

The sea. It always seems extra blue in the summertime.

Traveling to magical places while wearing beautiful clothes and sun hats.

Beautiful spots to escape the routine.

Summer love is so cliché, yet so marvelous.

Don't give up hope, cherubs; this heat will pass. Summer is a state of mind, not just a passing season.

XO.

Wall Décor

Hello, dearies! Thank you for turning your shining faces this way once again.

This past week was a busy, blurry whirlwind. It’s likely that I set a record for how many appointments someone can have in a seven day period. Plus, I wrote a paper that had a page requirement that was far too long for my tiny, summer attention span. So, I apologize for being sporadic in my posts.

Throughout my travels this week (most of which were around the Phoenix area—glamorous, I know), I came across bundles of inspiring wall décor. From classic vintage to sleek and modern, these pieces each had unique flair. If I had to put a few adjectives to these furnishings, they would be as follows: positive, comforting, lovely. Curious to join the insiders’ club and see these precious pieces? Take a looksie at a few of my favorites below!

Today, make a point to rejoice in Christ's sacrifice for you! Give thanks, be slow to anger and quick to love.

Happy Monday!

XO.

Brown Butter Banana Strawberry Bread

Hello all! And Happy Tuesday to you.

As promised, I’m here to share one of the best sweet bread recipes I have ever made! This sweet bread is otherwise known as Brown Butter Banana Strawberry Bread, inspiration found here. This is the perfect treat to compliment late night hangouts with friends, a work potluck, or a relaxing morning with tea. This bread is stellar. I can’t say it enough. Hope you love it!

Ingredients:

½ cup browned butter

2 cups flour

¾ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (try to avoid
getting imitation vanilla; it’s just not the same)

¼ cup plain yogurt (I used greek yogurt because it’s what I had in my fridge)

1 ¼ cup mashed bananas

½ cup diced strawberries

1 strawberry super thinly sliced for the top of the bread


Directions:

1.      Heat oven to 350 degrees

         

2.      In a skillet, melt and brown butter. You will know it is done browning when it has melted completely, stopped crackling and popping, and starts to smell nutty.

3.      Grease and flour a loaf pan

4.      In a mixing bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together

5.      If the butter is done, remove from heat and allow to cool in a little bowl

6.      In another bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla extract, and yogurt together

7.      Gradually whisk the smashed bananas into the wet ingredient bowl

8.      Then, if the browned butter has cooled, gradually whisk it into the wet ingredient bowl

9.      Add the wet ingredient bowl to the dry ingredient bowl, folding together

10.  Fold in the diced strawberries (do not over stir!)

11.  Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan

12.  Top with thinly sliced starberries for decoration

13.  Bake for about an hour, but monitor towards the end to ensure you don’t overbake

14.  Remove from oven when skewer comes out clean and allow to rest for 15 minutes

15.  Slice, love, and share with friends and family!

Take a deep breath and savor the blessings of today, friends.

Until next time,

XO.

Wish List

There are a handful of splendid things that I don’t have but make my lifelong mission to own someday. These include, but are not limited to:

1. An adorable, teeny bundle of cuddliness to chase butterflies and take naps with.

2. Children! My, oh my. And hopefully a husband to go along with them. Mom, I’m kidding.

3. This beautiful picture. Oh Anthropologie, you tease me.

4. An extremely expensive Nikon camera, complete with too many settings and lenses to count

5. A loaf pan

 

Surprised that this is on my wish list? Don’t be. Close to everyone in their right mind has one, except for me [poor Kristin]. Consequently, I’m using Lauren’s pan to bring you the details of a tasty, sweet bread...tomorrow. Lauren and I have wonderful times together. We like to eat TV dinners, watch movies, and chat. Thanks a million for sharing, Lauren!

Bloggers, be in suspense for tomorrow’s yummy post.

Hope you had a happy start to the week!

XO.