A Pinterest Test!

Every so often my mom and I will come across something on Pinterest that we just HAVE to try.  Last week, it was apples.  How to prepare apples for apple butter or apple sauce - it's suppose to be the easiest way and we had to test it out.  Really!? No peeling or coring of the apples?  I was hopeful.

Here's where I would normally insert a link to the pin but for the life of me I cannot find that pin, so I hope you will trust me that we REALLY did see it!  Now I will pour another cup of coffee and we'll move forward.

These are apples we found with a "please take" sign in our little town - so the apples are local, very fresh and free - the best kind for this type of experiment!

Next step - you wash them...

we did have to cut a few bad spots off because hey, they are really fresh and didn't go through quality control!

Next - they go into a pan...whole.

And bake until they are very soft - I think we had them in at 350 degrees.

So far this was very easy... of course I was letting mom do most of the work while I snapped pictures and gave a little more than my 2 cents.   Here's where it got a little less easy.  The pin made it sound like now all you have to do is put it through a sieve (no picking through the apples) and you would be done...

Not so much... really you have to just put the flesh in there and leave the skin and core pieces, that,have easily come off at this point, in the pan while only getting the flesh of the apple in the sieve to push it through.

When you are done, it looks like this.

Our conclusion?  Six one way and half dozen the other.... you still have to use some effort to separate the skin and core, it's just do you do it pre-cooking or post-cooking.

Now the apples are baked and ready to be turned into whatever you want to make.  Ours was so good, we added just a little cinnamon (no sugar) and ate it just like that.  They reminded me of the canned apples my Grannie Jones made and always had in her pantry.  I think I would  have liked them over some vanilla ice cream while it was hot, but I'm not eating ice cream right now so I had the healthy warm apple sauce without said ice cream!

Have you ever tested out a pin?  What was the outcome?  If you try this one, let me know how it turns out for you.  I'm not sure if I will core them first next time or not,, but rest assured, I will be baking more apples come fall!

Picking the Right White

It's time to pick your trim color and you know you want to go white, but you get to the paint store and what was suppose to be a quick trip to the paint store becomes an overwhelming decision as you wonder.... WHICH WHITE do I choose?

The following 6 examples are just one of many to choose from at Benjamin Moore and then you have just as many at Sherwin Williams to name 2 of my favorite paints.   See the colors below?  ALL of them are classified as white, so it's important to choose carefully by the color - not the name!

Tip #1 - pick your white with the other colors you are painting because it will influence the color of white.

Tip #2 - If white is your main color, keep your inspiration close at hand to get your pallet started.

Tip #3 - ALWAYS get a small sample and try it out in the room before committing to any color.



Do you have a favorite white?  How did you pick just the right shade?

5 do's and don't's for displaying collections

At a loss for how to display your small collectibles?  Here are a few tips to make sure that they are cared for and don't get lost among your other décor.

1) Do group them together so that they are seen as a group.  This allows for several things to be seen together as one accessory making more of a visual impact.  This also encourages someone to come closer and see each individual item in the collection.

2) Don't be afraid to put out only a few and rotate them - especially if it's a lifelong collection.  It will be like seeing them new all over again when you make the switch.

3) Do allow for a little space around your grouping so that each piece is easy to see, and clean.  Think about how much space is in the spot you are using and put out only the number that will easily fit.

4) Don't allow the items to "spill over" into other areas - keep them confined to a display cabinet, shelf or table.

5) Do feel free to purge your collection from time to time.... is something broken?  Be ok with tossing that piece to make room for a new collectible.

There are some exceptions - large items or books that have been collected over time, may require a few different rules.  We'll tackle those on another day!