As I’ve mentioned in the past, Josh and I live in an apartment. In an apartment building. In an apartment complex. Do you know where I’m going with this? We are renters. In a large community of other renters and, as such, cannot plant a garden, or make drastic renovations to our space or put up wacky Halloween decorations inviting trick-or-treaters to our door. (Note: We may not actually even get trick-or-treaters, which is sad, but we bought candy anyway.) What we can do, however, is make our inside space a little spooky - so that is what I did.
CONVERSATION
Tasty Puppy Treats
Sniffing out the new treat... |
The best part about these? They were super easy to make! First up, the ingredients:
3/4 cup of milk
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
After the first 2 cups of flour, I took the dough out of the bowl and mixed the remaining bit with my hands. Then I lay it out on the counter, dusted it with more flour, and rolled it out to about a 1/4" thickness. Nash is a small dog, so I just used the top to one of my empty spice containers awaiting a refill to cut a small circle for each one in the dough. About half of one of these will be perfect for Nash, but I didn't have anything smaller to use as a biscuit cutter.
After that, I took them out of the oven, let them cool, and gave one to my official taste tester! And the result? He LOVES them!
Sleepy treat nibbles |
Isn't he just the cutest? He's a little sleepy here - I urged him awake with the peanut butter aroma. These were so easy to make and Paula Deen says they can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! I plan on making a huge batch of these and storing them for later use. And it feels good to know that I made these and I know only the best ingredients went into making them. But enough about the biscuits, you really just want to see another picture of Nash, right?
Hello again everyone! I'm back with a short happy Friday afternoon post for all of you to show you these delicious doggie biscuits I made for Nash! He likes the Milkbones, but doesn't seem to LOVE them, so I'm hoping that these peanut butter treats do the trick.
Sniffing out the new treat... |
The best part about these? They were super easy to make! First up, the ingredients:
3/4 cup of milk
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
After the first 2 cups of flour, I took the dough out of the bowl and mixed the remaining bit with my hands. Then I lay it out on the counter, dusted it with more flour, and rolled it out to about a 1/4" thickness. Nash is a small dog, so I just used the top to one of my empty spice containers awaiting a refill to cut a small circle for each one in the dough. About half of one of these will be perfect for Nash, but I didn't have anything smaller to use as a biscuit cutter.
After that, I took them out of the oven, let them cool, and gave one to my official taste tester! And the result? He LOVES them!
Sleepy treat nibbles |
Isn't he just the cutest? He's a little sleepy here - I urged him awake with the peanut butter aroma. These were so easy to make and Paula Deen says they can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! I plan on making a huge batch of these and storing them for later use. And it feels good to know that I made these and I know only the best ingredients went into making them. But enough about the biscuits, you really just want to see another picture of Nash, right?
CONVERSATION
New Series: Read This!
Image from Entertainment Weekly
From Alice Hoffman, The Dovekeepers is described by Amazon.com as follows: “Yael was born of a dead mother and father who knows how to become invisible. Revka learned silence when her grandsons lost their voices after witnessing their mother’s brutal murder. Aziza became a boy to protect herself, and hates being forced to turn back into a woman. And Shirah will do anything to protect those she loves from the horrors of the world. The power and violence of these women is evident in every word of The Dovekeepers. Hoffman’s prose is vivid and unforgettable, scorching like the desert heat, and will stay with you long after you finish the last page. A story of sacrifice, endurance, and above all, survival, The Dovekeepers is homage to anyone who’s ever held fast to their beliefs in the face of nearly insurmountable adversity.”
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Image from Entertainment Weekly
From Alice Hoffman, The Dovekeepers is described by Amazon.com as follows: “Yael was born of a dead mother and father who knows how to become invisible. Revka learned silence when her grandsons lost their voices after witnessing their mother’s brutal murder. Aziza became a boy to protect herself, and hates being forced to turn back into a woman. And Shirah will do anything to protect those she loves from the horrors of the world. The power and violence of these women is evident in every word of The Dovekeepers. Hoffman’s prose is vivid and unforgettable, scorching like the desert heat, and will stay with you long after you finish the last page. A story of sacrifice, endurance, and above all, survival, The Dovekeepers is homage to anyone who’s ever held fast to their beliefs in the face of nearly insurmountable adversity.”
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CONVERSATION
Introducing Nashville {Thankful Thursday}
Nash, taking his first steps in his new home! |
Why Nash, you ask? Shortly after Josh and I met, we’re talking less than a month, we took a wonderful road trip to Alabama and Mississippi, stopping in Nashville along the way. This trip brought us closer together and, we like to say, is when we fell in love. And so, it was clear to us that there was no better name choice than Nash. (We’re a little sentimental and a lot in love, so we don’t mind that sometimes we get a little cheesy.)
We picked him up last night after I got out of work and brought him to his new home! I took today and tomorrow off from work to spend enjoying his company and helping him get accustomed to his new home! Today, I am thankful that Josh and I have one another and that we are able to welcome this handsome ball of energy into our lives. He is incredibly cute, so much fun and, we can already tell, definitely super smart! Today, enjoy these new pictures while Josh and I enjoy the time we have with our wonderful new puppy!
Sniffing his way around... |
Crawling over Josh |
The cutest! |
Playing in his puppy bed with his new toy! |
Nash likes the Kong ball |
Tentative steps... |
Learning how to pick it up |
His toy is as big as he is! |
Nibbling on his Kong ball! |
Nash, taking his first steps in his new home! |
Why Nash, you ask? Shortly after Josh and I met, we’re talking less than a month, we took a wonderful road trip to Alabama and Mississippi, stopping in Nashville along the way. This trip brought us closer together and, we like to say, is when we fell in love. And so, it was clear to us that there was no better name choice than Nash. (We’re a little sentimental and a lot in love, so we don’t mind that sometimes we get a little cheesy.)
We picked him up last night after I got out of work and brought him to his new home! I took today and tomorrow off from work to spend enjoying his company and helping him get accustomed to his new home! Today, I am thankful that Josh and I have one another and that we are able to welcome this handsome ball of energy into our lives. He is incredibly cute, so much fun and, we can already tell, definitely super smart! Today, enjoy these new pictures while Josh and I enjoy the time we have with our wonderful new puppy!
Sniffing his way around... |
Crawling over Josh |
The cutest! |
Playing in his puppy bed with his new toy! |
Nash likes the Kong ball |
Tentative steps... |
Learning how to pick it up |
His toy is as big as he is! |
Nibbling on his Kong ball! |
CONVERSATION
DIY: Leaf Art
Now, some people might have just thrown these out with the rest of the scraps. But nope, not me! I allowed them to inspire a little bit of art in our home. You see, when I was at Michael’s, I also picked up a display frame, thinking that I might, at some point, be able to find a use for it. I washed the glass, arranged the leaves in the pattern that I wanted, and TA DA! Leaf Art was born!
Now, some people might have just thrown these out with the rest of the scraps. But nope, not me! I allowed them to inspire a little bit of art in our home. You see, when I was at Michael’s, I also picked up a display frame, thinking that I might, at some point, be able to find a use for it. I washed the glass, arranged the leaves in the pattern that I wanted, and TA DA! Leaf Art was born!
CONVERSATION
Cookie Bake-Off: Heavy v. Light
Softened Butter vs. Melted Light Butter: Can you tell the difference? |
I mixed the flour, baking soda and salt in one bowl, and set it aside.
You can see the difference the melting makes. |
The softened butter is on the left, the melted light butter on the right... |
Beth and I were both right! The butter made the cookie a little sweeter (“more buttery,” as one taster commented), but the melting of the butter didn’t change the texture at all. So, for all of you butter softeners out there, you now know that if you forget to soften the butter ahead of time, your texture will remain the same. All tasters said that while the light butter cookie wasn’t as sweet, it was still good and definitely not something they would turn away.
Light Butter |
Real Butter |
Last week, when I posted about the apple crumb cake, I mentioned that I had melted the butter (as I always do
when I bake). Later, my friend Beth commented that melting the butter would
ruin the texture of the cookie. I told her that I was pretty sure it didn’t
make a difference and that I had been doing this since I was in high school.
Well, Beth insisted, and the idea for a little test came about. In our
discussion, I also happened to mention that I usually use light butter, instead
of real butter; this too, became a part of our taste test.
Softened Butter vs. Melted Light Butter: Can you tell the difference? |
I mixed the flour, baking soda and salt in one bowl, and set it aside.
You can see the difference the melting makes. |
The softened butter is on the left, the melted light butter on the right... |
Beth and I were both right! The butter made the cookie a little sweeter (“more buttery,” as one taster commented), but the melting of the butter didn’t change the texture at all. So, for all of you butter softeners out there, you now know that if you forget to soften the butter ahead of time, your texture will remain the same. All tasters said that while the light butter cookie wasn’t as sweet, it was still good and definitely not something they would turn away.
Light Butter |
Real Butter |
CONVERSATION
DIY: Zig Zag Tray
I roughly eyed a matched design to the one on the Etsy tray, and making sure my corners were all even as I went along.
Then, I took the tray outside (specifically to my parking garage), laid down a large piece of cardboard, and got my Rust-Oleum, Oil Rubbed Bronze (ORB) spray paint ready to go.
Here's the tray sitting on our hallway table! (Please ignore the empty picture frames, they're being filled!) |
PS. I linked up with the Twice Owned Tuesday Party over at House of Grace!
Good morning and happy Monday everyone! This weekend in Boston was another perfect Fall weekend. Josh and I took a day trip on Saturday to Plymouth, used a BuyWithMe (link) coupon for a new restaurant called Waterfront Bar & Grill (link) and got some things done around the apartment. I hope your weekend was as wonderful as ours.
I roughly eyed a matched design to the one on the Etsy tray, and making sure my corners were all even as I went along.
Then, I took the tray outside (specifically to my parking garage), laid down a large piece of cardboard, and got my Rust-Oleum, Oil Rubbed Bronze (ORB) spray paint ready to go.
Here's the tray sitting on our hallway table! (Please ignore the empty picture frames, they're being filled!) |
PS. I linked up with the Twice Owned Tuesday Party over at House of Grace!
CONVERSATION
DIY: Easy Stamp Art
I also bought a bunch of different cardstock to play around with, but I decided to start easy. There’s a song that, while a little silly, holds special meaning for us and I used our favorite line to create this art. I took a picture frame I picked up for $1 at, you guessed it, the Dollar Tree, and measured the cardstock to fit the inside. Then I took the piece of cardstock, eyed where it would be the most even, and stamped away! When it was done, I framed it and placed it on the dresser in our walk-in closet (yes, you can be jealous) so that Josh would see it when he’s getting ready in the morning.
PS. I linked up to Remodelaholic's Friday Link Party!
Good Morning and Happy Friday! I’m looking forward to some exciting adventures this weekend, as well as some relaxing downtime on Sunday. I also have a couple of movies from Netflix to watch and I’m excited for some home projects that Josh and I will be tackling!
I also bought a bunch of different cardstock to play around with, but I decided to start easy. There’s a song that, while a little silly, holds special meaning for us and I used our favorite line to create this art. I took a picture frame I picked up for $1 at, you guessed it, the Dollar Tree, and measured the cardstock to fit the inside. Then I took the piece of cardstock, eyed where it would be the most even, and stamped away! When it was done, I framed it and placed it on the dresser in our walk-in closet (yes, you can be jealous) so that Josh would see it when he’s getting ready in the morning.
PS. I linked up to Remodelaholic's Friday Link Party!
CONVERSATION
Thank You Cards {Thankful Thursday}
When I was younger, and my mother would tell me to write a thank you note after I received a gift from someone, I always dragged my feet. Didn’t the person who gave me the gift already know I was thankful? They gave me something I wanted, I said thank you to them when I received it, for what reason would I possibly have to have to thank them again? But my mother told me to write them, so I wrote the mandatory notes quickly and then moved on. Then, for a brief period of time in college, I stopped writing them altogether. There a came a time, however, where I decided that there was in fact a very good reason to write a thank you note. You can never be too thankful or too gracious and no one ever tires of being thanked for their gift giving. Whether electronically or by hand, sending a thank you note lets the gift giver know that their gift was valued and that it means something to you. I was recently reminded of this as I wrote out thank you notes for gifts that I received for my birthday and as I spoke to my newly married friend Beth about the thank you notes that she’s writing now.
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Meet Sara
Hi! My name is Sara and I'm a mama of 2 littles, wife, and a high school history teacher! I love my family - my husband and I met in 2010 and married in 2014, our mini-doxie, Nashville, was born in 2011, and my two children were born in late 2016 and early 2018! I love to read, cook and am focused on keeping my mind, body AND soul healthy!! I started blogging at Forever and a Recipe in 2011, but in 2016 moved to blogging here at Sara Levine, sharing everything from home projects to teaching tips, and family life to book recommendations!
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