Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies and An Impromptu Victorian Tea Party

On Saturday, my Mom gave me the last zucchini from her garden.  I have been making zucchini bread all summer and while we all love it, I thought it might be time for something new!  

I came up with these Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies and the whole family loved them!  (Make sure to click on the link for the recipe!)  While I was waiting for them to bake, I was visiting LOTS of blogs and sharing the news about my new Homemaking Link-Up Weekend linking party!

I saw so many beautiful tea parties that I decided to set up one of my own to show off my new recipe!

Once I got it all set up, I realized I had sort of a Victorian era theme going on!  Here is the beautiful spoon-backed parlor chair that I found at an antique store when we were living in Mount Vernon, WA.  It came from a farm house on Whidbey Island.  The original needlework on the cushion must have taken a lot of time, patience, and eye blinking to complete!  The pillow features ladies from the Regency era and was also found in a shop in Mount Vernon.

This pretty pink bonnet came from the same booth as the chair and since it's from the same time period, I'm assuming it also came from the same farm house.  Most of the pretty beads are still sewn onto it.  I just love how delicate and clean it is!  My 11-year-old daughter loves to wear it and I'm so glad that I'm not too stuffy to let her! Like she always says, "It's just stuff!"

Here are two books from one of my favorite authors, Louisa May Alcott.  Jo's Boys was published in 1886 and this copy is from 1899.  Under the Lilacs was published in 1878 and my copy is from 1898.  I just love these pretty books!  I'd like to find the whole set.

My tea cup is not Victorian but it is from a favorite set that I hope to collect more of!  It's called Bella by Debbie Segura. 

My pretty little teapot is not Victorian either---though it is a good replica!  I got this for my birthday about 8 years ago from my Dad and his wife.  I believe they found it at a local shop in Baker City, OR and that it was hand-painted by a local woman.

I hope you enjoyed my little tea party today!  Please grab my Homemaking Link-Up Weekend button at the top of the page to help you remember to come link up your homemaking post this weekend!  Anything related is welcome:  recipes, decorating, crafts, DIY, a story about something you did lately...  I'd love to have you!

Linking up to these fun parties:

Show Off Your Cottage Monday @ The House In the Roses
Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays @ Blessed With Grace  
Amaze Me Monday @ Dittle Dattle 
Tea Time Tuesday @ Rose Chintz Cottage 
A Return to Loveliness @ A Delightsome Life 
L.A.C.E. @ Lily-Rose Cottage 
White Wednesday @ Faded Charm Cottage 
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers 
Vintage Thingie Thursday @ Coloradolady 
Teacup Thursdays @ Miss Spenser's 
Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch 
Pearls and Lace Thursday @ Faith, Grace and Crafts

How To Freeze Basil: Easy Tutorial

I adore basil. It is my most favorite herb! In fact, I love it so much that the name Basil has been on my "names for little boys" list since 1999!

I recently finished putting some freshly picked basil away in my freezer and thought my readers would enjoy an easy tutorial!

It's only within the past couple of years that I've begun to use fresh basil, and while the dried-in-a-jar variety is fragrant and delicious, it doesn't hold a candle to my homegrown!

You will know that your basil is at it's best "picking state" when it gets buds on it and begins to flower.  
Clip as much off as you want but leave a few leaves to soak up the rays for more plant growth! Something to keep in mind with basil: the more you clip, the more you get as basil grows back two new stems for every one that is clipped!

Pick off the big leaves and carefully wash each one. Be aware that little bugs like to hide in the shady places under the dark basil leaves. Wash both sides and run your fingers along to wipe off any dirt or baby snails!

Take a moment to look for any that might be trying to get away!!
When you've washed all the leaves, place them in a colander and shake or use a salad spinner if you have one. Then lay them out in a single layer on paper towels or napkins and pat dry--soaking up as much water as possible.

  Next, place the leaves in a food processor, if available, and pulse until they're the size you prefer. I don't have a food processor so I used my Pampered Chef Food Chopper.

You'll want to add a little bit of olive oil to the basil to keep it from turning black in the freezer. (It doesn't affect the taste...just helps the appearance)

If you are using a food processor, you can add it in as you're chopping the basil. I just poured some in the bowl when I was done chopping with my food chopper and mixed it up with a spatula. The amount you'll need will vary depending on what you plan to do with your basil, but I just used enough to cover each piece.

Finally, you'll want to decide how you're going to divide it up to freeze. It is wise to freeze each recipe size separately. I divided mine up to have a couple good spoonfuls in each container. I plan to put it in pasta sauce and my pasta sauce must feed a family of 10!

You can freeze your basil in small containers, if you have them. I used these two:

Notice they're not fancy! I got one at the Dollar Tree for my daughter's baby food and the other is a little Rubbermaid-type lunch box one. You just need something that will be airtight to avoid freezer burn. If I didn't have these two containers, I would have used sandwich bags and then just placed all the bags into one large freezer bag.
 
You can also measure your basil out into ice cube trays and freeze it that way. Then, once it's frozen, pop all the little cubes into a freezer bag to be taken out individually for soup, sauce and more! I will be designating a tray specifically for this as I imagine the tray would eventually take on the wonderful aroma and color of basil! (Though that little taste of basil in lemonade or iced tea might not be too bad??)

Herbs will keep for many years but you'll get your best flavor if you use your basil within the year. Here are a few facts about basil:

**Basil comes from the Greek language and means "king". Basil has been called the "King of the Herbs"

**Basil is highly poisonous to mosquitoes, (Yay!) but safe for rats (bummer!)

**Basil is thought to be a great treatment for arthritis and has antioxidant and anticancer properties.

**Basil will affect the taste of tomatoes if planted too close together. This could be a good or bad thing--depending on what you're doing with your tomatoes!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Have a wonderful evening!


Linking with:
Lou Lou Girls Party
Inspiration Monday @ Your Homebased Mom
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Motivate Me Monday 
Modest Monday @ The Modest Mom 
Living Proverbs 31
Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy 
Masterpiece Monday @ BoogieBoard Cottage 
A Round Tuit @ Creating My Way to Success 
Monday Funday @ C.R.A.F.T. 
Making Your Home Sing Monday
Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Through Life
A Return to Loveliness @ A Delightsome Life 
Teach Me Tuesday @ Growing Home
Tutorial Tuesdays with Hope Studios 
(Titus 2)s Days @ Time Warp Wife
The Scoop @Stone Gable
Make Bake Create @ Hope In Every Season
Cottage Style Party @ Lavender Garden Cottage
Tasty Treats @Simply Helping Him
Winsome Wednesday @ My Daily Walk in His Grace
Whole-Hearted Home Wednesdays 
Encourage One Another @ Deep Roots at Home
A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Homemaking Link Up @ Raising Homemakers
Home @ Rose Chintz Cottage  
Inspire Me Wednesday @ MamaBuzz
What's It Wednesday @ Ivy and Elephants 
Wednesday Link up at Adorned from Above
Home Link Up at Raising Arrows
Homemaker's Encouragement Party

Fall Candy Jar Display

I'm a little late getting started on my fall decorating as we did just move in a few months ago...I'm still trying to unpack!

However, I did a little update on my candy jars that I made last spring and the kids are thinking it's pretty festive!  I'm having a hard time replacing all my pinks and greens with reds, oranges, and browns.  This is definitely strange for me because fall is my favorite time of year!

I'm excited to be linking up with Modern Country Style's Fall In Love linking party today! If you have the chance, head over there and see what other neat fall ideas Sarah is featuring today!

Also linking to parties at:  Centsational Girl (This is a huge one.  Have never heard of her before but she's got over 10,000 followers---hello!)

SJC8NSAHXQTU 

The Beginnings of a Craft Room

I just finished bringing up all my craft stuff from the basement and setting it up in my sun room.  Since fall is here and winter is on the way, I don't think I'll be spending a lot of time "sunning" in there!  Now all my things are handy and accessible...I'll get a lot more crafting done this way!  I thought I'd put up my early photos so when it's all cozy and personalized here in a few months, I can see the improvements!

This is the view from the doorway.  Straight ahead is a sideboard I purchased at a yard sale in Mount Vernon, Washington last year.  Now that I've got the high cupboards in my kitchen, I can store my glass and things there and my linens in another hutch in the living room.  I've got lots of crafting supplies stored in there now.  To the right of the sideboard is a plant stand, a pie hutch and our second refrigerator.  With 10 people in the house, one needs a second refrigerator!  To the left is a little white shelf holding supplies and our old (new) dresser which houses all my scrapbooking materials.  Straight ahead is my little table and a counter separating the sun room from the kitchen.

Here is the pie hutch to the right of the sideboard.  On it, I've displayed my 1920s era typewriter and some Japanese things that are special to me:  a tea set that a friend from the UK sent me (made in Japan) and a painting that our cousin painted and auctioned off for Japan's tsunami relief funds.  I, of course, bid until I won...but I think I got a pretty good deal!  Inside the hutch are cookbooks, my couponing materials, and the school books we use regularly.  In that basket underneath, I've got the school books and notebooks that the kids use daily.  This keeps them very accessible when it's time for school each day.  (We homeschool)

Here are some of the jars of trinkets and found items that I've got displayed on top of the sideboard.  I've been collecting them in pasta and baby food jars and plan on spray painting or otherwise decorating the lids here really soon so they're prettier!

Here's a picture of the little white shelf in the corner.  It's holding various supplies and my half-finished Holly Hobbie pumpkins that I need to get done and into my Etsy store here really soon!

This dresser holds all of my scrapbooking materials...there's a lot!  On top are various things and my brand new sewing machine that my husband bought me last week!  The one he bought me in 2003 gave out a few months ago and I've been desperate for another one!

Here's my pitiful little crafting table.  It needs a cloth...or something...  I plan on actually doing most crafts at my dining room table and using this table to let them sit and dry so the main table isn't taken up.  Right now it's holding a few "to do" items, as well as a picture my friend made of the two of us at her bridal shower in 2006.  I'm the blonde one on the left...although my hair is dark brown now...my bleaching days are done! :)

One thing I really love about this room is the pretty light fixture!  I'm glad whomever put it up picked something so pretty...it's one of my favorite things in this house!

Well, there you have it.  I've got it all upstairs...now to create some things to make the room look a little more creative! Linking up today with:

The Pink To-Do List

I'm SOOO busy!!!!!!!!!  Whew, that feels better...  Seriously, though, this has been such a crazy busy summer.  I'm totally looking forward to fall and the start of our homeschool so we can get in a routine and SLOW DOWN!!

As I was roaming around, figuring out what to put up for Pink Saturday, I discovered several PINKS in my To Do lists/piles.  I'm hoping to have all outside obligations and pressing "to-do"s done by Sunday night...here are a few things on my list...

Elisha lost a tooth early today (Well, actually, he went through 4 different family members before someone could get a good enough hold on it to yank it out) so I've got to go find him a little something tonight to put out for a prize!

I've been blessed with so many nice gifts since I've had Kynthia...I want to spend some time this weekend writing out thank you cards!

My mom has planned a special baby shower for Kynthia and I on Sunday.  I'm going to make our cake sometime Saturday.

We want to start school on Monday so I've got to get our lesson plans done up for a couple of weeks.  Here's 7-year-old Cainan's math books for the year.  This is his first "formal" year and he's SO excited!!

Oh yes, and then there's laundry to be folded and put away...

This is as much as I can show you of my next "to do". My friend, Audra, is renewing her vows with her husband of 17 years next Friday.  My task is to bustle her gown...something I've never done before!  The picture above is actually the garment bag that her dress is hanging in.  You know it's bad luck to see the dress before the big day...and you never know if her husband, Bob, might just be lurking here on Pink Saturday!!

Everything's going great here in the Coller household with our new sweetie, Kynthia Joy.  Big brother, Liam, is learning how to play nice (he truly does adore her!) and baby Kynthia is learning how to be tough!

Thank you to everyone who sent happy birthday wishes Selah's way last week. She was thrilled to receive this awesome PINK scooter for her 5th birthday on Monday!

So, now that I've shared my to do list with you all...

Does anyone have any suggestions for the rest of this yummy PINK buttercream frosting?

Today I'm linking up with Beverly's Pink Saturday!  There's a whole lotta PINK going on there today so stop by and say HI if you've got a minute or two!

Celebrating Special Girls

This month has been one of celebration for our family as we brought our new baby, Kynthia Joy, into daylight on August 2nd, celebrated her birth with a dinner put on by my church friends last Friday, and are getting excited for daughter, Selah Elizabeth's, 5th birthday on Monday!

My sweet friends from church held a dinner and diaper shower for me and Kynthia.  It was so fun to get together and show her off!

My friend, Darlene, always makes the most gorgeous flower arrangements!  Big sister #2, Selah, had a matching rose in her hair!

Here's my gorgeous mother, Christy, holding Kynthia Joy.  She was asked again at the shower if she was my sister...sure hope I inherited those genes!

Kynthia received several nice gifts, including a pink ladybug outfit!  I'll be sure to post her on Pink Saturday here in 9 months or so when she can wear it!  Big sister #3, Avalon, took each gift over to Grandma to show it off!

Here's Kynthia posing with the pretty flowers Julie bought for her.

Me and Kynthia right before bed time...sleepy!!

This weekend I'll be busy wrapping up gifts and making a special PINK princess cake for sweet Selah's special day on Monday.  It's so hard to believe she was as little as Kynthia just five short years ago.  What a special blessing she has been to us.  "Selah Elizabeth" means, "Pause and Reflect (on the) God of Plenty".  Such a great reminder of God's blessing and provision in our lives.  I'm so thankful for this beautiful life!

I'm linking up with Beverly's Pink Saturday today.  Take some time to go visit if you can---there's lots of great pinks on display!

Preparing for Baby

Only 14 days left until our sweet new baby is due to make her appearance in the world!  I've spent the week getting ready for her to come!

Her little bed is all ready...

Her clothes are all hung up...

Her pacifier...for the benefit of us all!!

A little mobile hanging above her cradle for entertainment...

A few days' worth of diapers!  Guess I better go stock up...

MY bags are packed and ready to go...all we're waiting on is you, Baby!

Meanwhile, big brother is exploring the nooks and crannies of the living room... This is what happens when Mommy leaves a 14-month-old to his own devices for awhile...

Sweet Baby Liam has no idea what's coming...  He will be a great big brother!

I'm linking up with Beverly's Pink Saturday today!