Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake; Want Not: 'Bug Out Kit'

Eat The Food: Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake. Broke into the last of my bargain bin almond paste for this recipe. Froze the half not used for another day. That stuff is soo expensive, I can only hope to find it on bargain again.

Plant Something: Hubby's many planted somethings are starting to get a bit spindly. He's never started this big a variety of seeds before, so he went out and bought him a rack just for this purpose! Sure do wish him luck...I think he's having fun with it so far.

Want Not: My in-progress Bug Out Kit. When our loved one suffered a medical emergency a couple of weeks ago, we packed and loaded up PDQ. The incident did make me realize the value of having a quick-grab kit that'd always be ready to go at a moment's notice. Still adding to this work in progress. As we're campers, I'm including things like matches/magnesium fire starter. Hope to toss in a mini-fishing kit, but I understand that in a pinch a safety pin will do for a hook. Also hope to find a mini-sewing kit to add. I'm sure makeup and conditioner wouldn't fit Hubby's idea of emergency preparedness! :)

I'm still having great fun with the Independence Challenge. Anyone else have a Bug Out Kit? Any suggestions for what I might include in mine?

Enviable green living in Berea's Eco-Village; Meatless Monday Hold That Line Hummus

We interrupted these students' breakfast, but they couldn't have been more gracious and anxious to share their experiences of living in the Sens Demonstration House. The residents of the house meet weekly to discuss their power usage and other ways to stay green and sustainable. These young women were in agreement that living in Sens House didn't take much additional effort, but mentioned composting food waste specifically as one way their lives differ from that of most students.

Soo jealous of the young folks who live in Sens House at the Eco-Village. Four Berea College students live in this solar-powered residence. Other residents from the eco-village help to tend these garden beds and share in the produce year-round.

Aquaponics at Berea's Eco-Village.

Totally missed this pic when sharing my Berea funky finds yesterday. LOVE this window--captured in the Kentucky Artisan Center.

Of course, I couldn't post without including some FOOD. And, YES, I am totally ashamed to share this picture with its Styrofoam containers. I have yet to figure out how to stay A+ green when traveling and staying in a hotel. *sigh*

   We had such fun in Berea, Kentucky, but my fav place to sightsee was their Eco-Village. This place pretty much blew my socks off!


   So, that pretty much does it for the vacay pics. Back to normal and I didn't even forget to post about Meatless Monday this week. Actually made an Eggplant Parmigiana for lunch but since the pic didn't turn out, Loved the ranch-flavored Hold That Line Hummus I made a couple of days ago. What's on your table this Meatless Monday?

Funky finds in Berea, Kentucky

Not your average porch benches!

Unique up-cycling of wine corks, wouldn't you say?

Unexpected greeter at entrance to the restroom in the Kentucky Artisan Center.

The Kentucky Artisan Center Grill's Veggie Burger. Yes, I am a condiment slut! ;)

Every shop seemed to outdo the last!

Such fun when shops do tablescapes.

While in Berea, seems we were always stumbling into music. This time at the Black Feather.

The Black Feather tickled our tummies with paninis: the Mediterranean Veggie for me and for Hubby, the Portabella with feta, balsamic and sun-dried tomatoes.

Finally getting around to sharing more pics from our mini-vacation to Berea, Kentucky. Hope to find the time mañana to share our visit to their fascinating eco-village.

Hangin' out at Historic Boone Tavern in Berea, Kentucky

Built in 1909, Boone Tavern's historic status is reason enough for a visit but their recently acquired status as an LEED Gold Certified Green Hotel gives them even more to crow about. And having a nice parking spot reserved up front for green vehicles was a nice touch too.

Way back when, Hubby and I stayed at Boone Tavern in Berea, Kentucky, to celebrate our 1st wedding anniversary. This time around we were celebrating our 30th! We try to make some little jaunt every year around this time to commemorate our "I DOs." Last year, we sashayed to San Diego, but this year I was feeling nostalgic and wanted to revisit Boone Tavern and Berea. Wasn't a hard sell...Hubby loves this place too!

Smaller 1st Floor Lobby

Time to check in...once we ditched our luggage, we were frequent flyers on these stairs.

2nd Floor Lobby. Just out the window is one of the Berea College buildings.

No plastic entry card around here--only an actual KEY will get you into this joint! With only a two night stay, there was no need for maid service. Just a small, painless concession to green living.

Our room was t-tiny but plenty big for us. (We're used to a full-sized bed. They have larger beds of course, and those rooms are larger.) All the furniture in the rooms is "handcrafted cherry, oak, and pine furniture made by Berea College Student Crafts over the past 100 years."

Our room package came with breakfast vouchers for the restaurant, so I couldn't talk Hubby into eating our lunches or dinners at the Tavern. Of course, that didn't keep me from sampling their desserts in the comfort of our own room!

Soo, where should we go next year for our anniversary weekend? Any ideas?

My New Year's Resolution: Do it up right this year!

Captured this gal with her tea tray at an historic hotel in Cincinnati. Pretty sure this was at The Cincinnatian, where we ate lunch in 2009 but didn't have the reservations needed to partake of this tea.

Well, yeah, I made some New Year's resolutions. Just because I rarely keep 'em doesn't mean there's no value in shooting for better habits! So, for what it's worth, here's my list:

1. Do it up right in 2012...meaning: put out the necessary energy to eat better food, enjoy better-planned vacations and host more get togethers, all while spending as little as possible and saving as much as possible.

   Okay, that's it for my list. Impossible in the chasing windmills kinda way? Mebbe, but what have I got to lose by trying?!
   HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!

Lookin' for adventure at Land Between the Lakes

Marshmallows anyone?

What a dump! Airing linens after a night of pouring rain jacked up the humidity inside the camper.

Can you say "WORTH IT"? In my book, camping's good definitely outweighs the bad!

Let there be lunch!

Oh, yes, I DID shower under an open sky each night while camping at Hillman Ferry Campground on Kentucky Lake. Incredibly, these showers seemed cleaner than most parks', seems they use a pressure washer to hose them down!

LBL's The Homeplace is a dogtrot-style log cabin.

Definitely jonesing for that spider dutch oven!

That's what I was up to for the better part of last week. Now I hope to get caught up on what everyone else has been up to! Did I miss anything wicked or wild??

On my soap box for everyday wine

First tipped off to the drinkability of Bota Box wines by Wine Spectator a few years back. We ditch the box and toss the bag in the cooler when we go camping. Nothing could be simpler. (Of course, my scale stays at home!)

Trust me, this stuff is not the Kool-aid sweet wines that used to be all you could get in a box. Last year we enjoyed Bota's Merlot. (Sorry, I forget which year.) Their Merlot isn't as good recently and neither is the Shiraz (at least what's available around here), so we tried their Pinot Grigio. Success! *Lucky for me, Hubby won't let the flops go to waste.*
   Unlike an open bottle, boxed wine doesn't get air, so it won't age once opened. As we don't polish off a whole bottle in an evening this stuff saves us money. Granted, we don't drink enough to save loads of money, but still...
   Also, the bag of wine is lighter for travel than a bottle would be, which makes it perfect for when we're hauling in everything when we're camping. So, is admitting I like some boxed wines even more shameful than the fact that I like Gorton's Tilapia? ;)

Teeny twist on tiny houses: a tipi!

Despite the fact that it rained on us now and again, we had a great time camping at Land Between the Lakes. More specifically, at Hillman Ferry Campground on Kentucky Lake. Definitely a fabuloso, unplugged time, and I hope to share some pics soon.
   Meanwhile, hope you like the video. Could YOU live in a tiny house...or tipi??
P.S. The latest copy of Mother Earth News magazine was in my mailbox today. Yea! Love that magazine! They have a homesteading blog some of you might enjoy checking out! It's where I found the tipi video, btw. If interested, see The Happy Homesteader. (Gotta go...it's margarita/movie night!)

Mending my Amish bread recipe and my belt; Pioneer village

Amish Friendship Bread. This is my second baking; first recipe didn't have enough sugar in it to suit Hubby. This recipe is still not as moist as the one I used years ago...and lost along the way. I'll keep tweaking the recipe 'til it's the yummiest ever! Any advice??

Some stitching on one of my belts came out; for $10 bucks, it was good as new. Took it to a joint in town called Raine's Shoe Hospital. ALWAYS leave that place with a smile on my face, because the owner/operator always has a smile on his face. Somewhat of a cobbler philosopher, he says things like, "My daddy always told me that life's only hard if you take it hard."

Why NOT use every last bit?
It's paid for and what's fun about spending money on toothpaste!!

Met DD and the grandgirls at a local park on Saturday to check out a free event at its pioneer village. This re-creationist found her milk strainer at Goodwill. She said no one there knew what it was. Well, I didn't know what it was either. Does milk fresh from a cow have to be strained???

Couldn't get the grandgirls to try out this yoke, but this little fella was game!

   As camping days ARE cheat days, I'm hoping to be sitting around a fire roasting marshmallows sometime soon. Raining, raining for now. Wish me luck! Whassup in your neck of the woods?

Longstanding love affair with Lincoln Boyhood Park

Lincoln Boyhood Living Historical Farm. This recreated log cabin is only one square foot larger than the one President Lincoln lived in as a boy in Indiana. The pegs jutting out of the wall to the left of the fireplace are steps up to the attic. Abe and his brothers climbed such steps to their beds each night.

Having visited many times since I was a little kid, I'd always called this place Lincoln State Park, but evidently the Lincoln Boyhood Living Historical Farm is a National Park.

This seasonal ranger said the shoes were made to be worn on either the right or left foot and that, back in the day, shoes were rotated from foot to foot, so that if something happened to one, a single shoe could be bought to replace it. Now, how frugal is that!?

LOVE these pegged shutters! Having finished installing my folks' new replacement windows, Hubby priced vinyl window shutters for them yesterday @ around $45 to $55 per pair. For some reason I couldn't convince him that he should make some pegged shutters instead. ;)

Lawn darts anyone? I managed to land only one of these corncob/turkey feather darts in the hoop lying on the ground by the tree.

How's that for a sturdy chicken yard fence? One of the rangers said that the eggs are the ONLY thing produced on the farm that they are able to share and take home at the end of the day, but I got the impression that eggs get wasted, because the workers can only use so many. *sigh*

Located in the memorial center, this may well be the largest braided rug I'll ever see.

Recent purchases of the truck and dishwasher really dipped in the till, so "brown bagging" lunch was the money-saving choice on this day's excursion. I keep forgetting to put some picnic flatware in our day cooler. We keep some plastic utensils in the cooler's side pocket and have washed and re-used them for ages.

"Labor is the great source from which nearly all if not all human comforts and necessities are drawn." Abe Lincoln

   On that note, time for me to go labor a little...laundry and ripe bananas are awaitin'! What labors await you today? Necessities or comforts?

Kentucky State Fair award-winning handicrafts

Had great fun capturing this gal licking her lips over this sweet little Best of Show dollhouse!

Okay, here's another of my "finally got around to its"...almost forgot to share some of the handicrafts we saw at the Kentucky State Fair. These were just too brilliant to keep to myself!

Dunno if double clicking will enlarge this sufficiently for you to see, but this quilt was an AMAZING piece of work!

In his retirement, my dad has taken up woodcrafting. Who'd have thought a folk artist was living inside him all those years? These canes remind me of some of Dad's creations.

I am crazy over hooked rugs. Found this one every bit as impressive as the rug that won at the Ohio State Fair.

Had fun capturing this gal too. We shared our awe of the HOURS that must have gone into the making of all the quilts at the Kentucky State Fair!!

   Working on a "something new" today...hope to make my first ever batch of yogurt. The 42 ounces of whole milk and 6 ounces of plain yogurt (the starter) are sitting out on the counter now, as they must be at room temp before I can get on with the yogurt making. Wish me luck!
   Anything new happenin' over at your place today? If you have any pics of handicrafts you'd like to share, please feel free to leave a link in your comment. 
   P.S.: Here in western Kentucky, we've gone from temps just a couple of days ago that hovered around a sweltering 100F to cool, breezy 70 degree temps for the daily highs. What is with that?!!