Feeding Your Face

What do you feed your face with? Do you think about what you put on your face as well as in it? About a year ago, I found the Crunchy Betty blog and I've been feeding my face (and hair) with things from the fridge, pantry, and farmer's market ever since. It turns out that healthy homemade skin care is also fun, frugal... and even a little addictive (in a good way).

Who wouldn't like to smear food on their face? Probably most adults. 
Little kids (who don't need skin care treatments) would totally get into this without even batting one of their extra long eyelashes. Boy kids, girl kids - giggling and smearing their cute little faces, then running to look in the mirror and giggling some more. Big kids (we adults) have outgrown that sort of thing. Or have we?

Blueberry Blues

or... can my cuter computer keep on keepin' on?

Let me explain a bit. I do still dig my groovy Blueberry iMac the most, but more and more my Fellow-Babies, it's getting to be like an LP in an MP3 world: you can still put a record on a turntable and listen to music, but it's usefulness is quaint and limited at best. 

The latest dust that I've been left behind in is when my e-mail client/program announced recently that it no longer supported the web browser I use. And now, I find that I am unable to send e-mails or reply to them. Never mind all of the other stuff that I haven't been able to do on it for years, sending e-mail is a bottom-line basic task... but now when I attempt it, my 'puter just sits there... cutely.

Coming up with creative "work-arounds" to get things done on the computer has been practically a way of life for me. No surprise with an 11 year old computer. She's a hell of a trouper though. Solid and dependable, intuitive... and darn cute to boot.

Must all good things come to an end? Can I keep squeezing usefulness out of the old Mac-asaurus? Will I find a way to send e-mails and thus be able post photos onto this blog again? These are the questions keeping me up at night. Well, that and watching old iMac TV ads on YouTube. And getting all weepy. 

In honor of that sweet little computer o' mine...here are a basket-full of blueberry treats to keep me going as I try to figure out how to keep her going...

• Browned Butter Blueberry Muffins from Joy The Baker
• Peach & Blueberry Sour Cream Cobbler from 3191 Miles Apart
• Tiny Blueberry Star Pies In Jars from Babble via Creature Comforts
• Blueberry Overload Coffee Cake and Blueberry Crisp Tart at Serious Eats
• Blueberry and Apricot Crumble at The Kitchn
• Lemon Blueberry Pancakes from The Pioneer Woman
• Mango Blueberry Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing from Veggie Belly
• Blueberry-Maple-Pecan Conserve from Serious Eats
• Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon-Blueberry Buttercream from My Baking Addiction
• And finally, a wine with "aromas of blueberry, cinnamon, and baking chocolate, all of which are echoed in the palate" via Good Wine Under $20 ...sigh.

Cocoa Kisses Melt In Your Mouth

It's summer. I want chocolate. It's summer. I don't want to bake. It's hot out. And yet, I want cookies. And I want chocolate. The sun is beating down. And I still want chocolate. The thought of dense and creamy chocolate, however, runs contrary to light summer fare.

Lately, my life seems to be nutty with contradictions and oozing with bad timing. Apparently my taste buds are no exception. Rich heavy desserts really are the last thing on my mind. And yet... a little bit of chocolate might be just the thing right now.

Winter Soup For A Summer Cold

Summer colds can sure be aggravating. Just ask me and my hubby. One sneaked (snuck?) up on us recently when we were least expecting it. It's not exactly "cold and flu season" you know? This is summer for Pete's sake: pool parties, fruity drinks, and sunscreen.

The traditional comforts that we cling to during a cold bout seem so very out of place this time of year: snuggly warm socks and blankets... hot lemon and honey drinks... big bowls of soup. It's 85 degrees outside... for cryin' out loud. Talk about feeling "under the weather".

The Garden Wars Of Aught-Eleven

I speak primarily of the big one: the Aphid War of 2011. Then there was the White-Fly Skirmish of the same year. And though it pains me to bring it up, I won't soon forget the Great Snail Ambush... we lost a lot of good basil in that one. They caught us unprepared there. It won't happen again.

Pest Control to Maj. Tom
The Aphids though, they were a tough bunch. As challenging an adversary as I'd ever come up against. But I persevered. I stood my ground and cried out "Remember the basil!" as I doused the tomatoes with soap spray. Over and over... day after day. In the end, I was victorious and the tomatoes were safe. I just hope the little creeps didn't send for reinforcements.

Gardening isn't usually all that serious around here... except when it comes to tomatoes*. And after last year's utterly dismal display of tomato productivity, I am fiercely protective over what is shaping up to be a bountifully good year for my favorite summer fruit.** That's right, fiercely. It has brought out my inner-Rambo.

My Summer Loves

straw hats clothes drying on a line cherries crushed ice  

children playing on the lawn fields of lavender in bloom strawberries 

soft breezes through open windows eating breakfast on the patio blackberries  

sunflowers ripe cherry tomatoes warm from the sun wearing flip flops every day

blueberries flying kites at the beach bossa nova  

farmer's markets and lemonade...  

For me nothing quenches on a hot summer day better than homemade lemonade. Lemonade redolent with fresh herbs and ripe fruits in a tall glass of ice. Pick your favorite summer flavors and customize your next pitcher or glass of lemonade.

I made two today: Triple Berry-Lavender and Peach-Thyme (that's the one in the photo)...  so now I'm going to go have a seat in the shade, put my feet up, take a long sip and remind myself that maybe, just maybe, summer isn't so bad after all.