Simply Good Stuff

I am launching a new venture! I have been known to make many things from scratch; always looking for better, healthier, sometimes a cheaper handmade version of everyday household products! Over the years many people have thought I was kooky, or cheap! However, what it really boiled down to was a yearning for self subsistence, and a worry about all the chemicals added to everyday household products. These products are put on our bodies everyday; soaps, deodorants, laundry soaps, dishwasher detergents, carpet deodorizers, sachet's, lotions, creams. I could go on and on, and don't even let me get started on the food industry! In our home we try to do everything we can to use natural products. I am always checking the labels, yes I am one of those people. I decided I wanted to share my love of healthy, homespun products, so I started a new shop!

The new shop will have all the above mentioned products, handmade by me! I have been using all these products for years, and no I'm not smelly, and my house isn't stinky; it is actually very clean, and it smells wonderful!

I have launched the shop with the laundry soap powder! I have put the cart ahead of the horse (as usual for me) and started without my new window bags, but they will be here soon. I am getting ready to launch the carpet deodorizer, and the dishwasher detergent soon. I am waiting on containers for the deodorant, or I may just use jars (that is how I always use my deodorant) it is in a cream form, and you just dip into it with your fingers, and rub it on your armpits. This is an all natural deodorant, made with shea butter, aloe butter, vitamin e, baking soda, corn starch, and essential oils. It works amazingly well! Your body is supposed to perspire, it is a natural defense against impurities. When you use an anti-perspiration deodorant, you are stopping this natural cleansing method, and I don't know about you, but I don't want all those impurities trapped in my body!

I am very excited about this new shop! I hope you will come by, and check it out periodically, as I will be adding new things as I get going.

Here is a link to our new shop: http://www.zibbet.com/SimplyGoodStuff

P.S. Don't forget about Garden Gate Botanicals: http://www.zibbet.com/gardengatebotanicals

Camping Trip 2011

Summer is on the wane here in Montana. I am surely sad to see it going. We still have a few weeks of warm weather left. You can always tell it's winding down, when the tall grasses start turning golden and feathery. We had a lovely time at the lake this year, with the exception of the annoying flies. We seem to be overrun with them this year.
Here are a few pictures of our beautiful Lake Kookanusa.

Here is a picture of our old, vintage 1961 Shasta camper. She ain't too flashy, but it beats sleeping in a tent!

We camp every year during my grandson's birthday, July 26th, it is a tradition we started when he turned 1. He is now 5, gosh I can't believe he is 5 already! Anyway, we staged a treasure hunt for him, and what a hit it was! He wanted a Capt. Jack Sparrow birthday, so of course we had to find pirate treasure!

Here is the map he found in a bottle on the beach.


Reading the map!

Finding the treasure!

Inside the chest of treasure was another map!

That lead to another treasure!

Oh man, my little pirate had a great day!

Such a simple little game to set up, and he will remember it for a life time!

If there is ever any great wisdom for me to pass on to young families, it is this: Take time with your little one's, they grow up so fast, it's like the blink of an eye when you look back. There are so many great books, websites, etc. with inexpensive and fun activities you can do with your children.

Camping out in the backyard, scavenger hunts, nature gathering walks, baking a cake together. Yes, it is just that simple!

Some websites I use:

http://www.pbs.org/parents/fungames/
http://familyfun.go.com/magazine/
http://www.kaboose.com/
http://www.fun-activities-for-kids.com/
http://www.toddlertoddler.com/
http://fun.familyeducation.com/

There are so many more! Have fun finding your favorite sites!


On to my creative endeavors:

I got the bug to start some fall, seasonal goodies.

I just listed a darling pair of pumpkin earrings, I have to admit, I made myself a pair as soon as I got these listed, lol they were just too, cute!

I would love to do some acorn earrings, but I need antique bronze acorn style bead caps in 8 to 10mm. I haven't been able to find any. If you have some, or know who might, I would really appreciate it if you would share with me. Thanks!

The Homestead

I thought I would post a couple of pictures of the old homestead. She is really looking her best right now with her summer flowers and greenery. She could use a little paint here and there, but that would mean I would have to get busy, and I'm just not ready for that. Lol

The garden is coming along nicely. The strawberries are almost done now. The old horse trough we have them planted in provided 12 cups of fresh strawberries for the freezer. Those will be delicious this winter.

The peas and tomatoes are flowering,

so we should see some real fruits and vegetables soon. I just hope we get a long enough growing season for the corn to mature.

Fresh corn right off the stalk is divine!

Random Recipe

Italian Sausage & Pepper Sandwiches

Ingredients:

3 links sweet Italian sausage sliced into bite size rounds
3 links hot Italian sausage sliced into bite size rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
Small can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup white wine

Directions:

Place the sliced sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, and brown on all sides. Remove from skillet.
Add olive oil to the skillet. Stir in the yellow onion, and cook 2 to 3 minutes and garlic, saute 1 minute. Add in red bell pepper and green bell pepper. Add in small can tomato sauce. Season with basil, and oregano. Stir in white wine. Continue to cook and stir until peppers and onions are tender.
Return sausage slices to skillet with the vegetables. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, or until sausage is heated through.

Serve on poor boys, hoagies, or soft buns, whatever is your family favorite. Delish!

I will be on vacation until August! Yay! We are camping at Lake Kookanusa our beautiful Resevior in Montana. I will try to take some pretty pictures for you!

A Soft Rain!

I love a soft rainy day. I know I go on and on about summer and sunny days, but there is just something wonderful about a summer rainy day. Rain in the summer is a sensory explosion. If you don't mind getting a little wet, venture out and smell the air... Wow! it smells so fresh and clean. The greens look greener,

the flowers are all dripping with crystal droplets.

Every few minutes the sky rumbles with gentle thunder. Just when you don't think it can get any better the sun shines through, and brings you a magical rainbow.

Beautiful!


Random Recipe

Summer Quiche

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cooked diced ham, or bacon (your choice)
3 eggs
1 cup half n half or milk (your choice)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
2 T. fresh snipped chives for garnish

Directions

In a medium bowl, toss 4 teaspoons flour with the grated cheese. Sprinkle mixture into the pie shell. On top of cheese, sprinkle 1/2 cup of diced ham or bacon.

In medium bowl, combine eggs, milk or cream, and then add salt and mustard powder. Beat until smooth and pour over cheese and ham.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.)
Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until filling is set and crust is golden brown.
Cover edge of crust with foil if it is getting too dark.

Garnish with fresh chives if desired

Serve this delicious quiche with a fresh green salad for a light and tasty summer meal!

Enjoy!

Summer Savoring!

Wow, summer has finally found us in Montana! I love the summer, the gardens, the pool, the barbecuing with the family. My favorite time is the twilight hour, when everyone is relaxing on the patio, and the sky has that rosy golden glow promising another beautiful day tomorrow...

We had a lovely fourth of July this year, the only thing missing was my oldest daughter, she is still living in NY, and we miss her terribly. We tried a new recipe this year that I found in Taste of Home, and it was so delicious I thought I would pass it along! This was an easy meal and so darn good!

Ranch Chicken Bacon Skewers

Ingredients:

1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 drops hot pepper sauce
1-1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 12 strips
12 bacon strips

Directions:

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the ranch dressing,
barbecue sauce, chili powder and hot pepper sauce; add chicken. Seal
bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until partially
cooked but not crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Drain and discard marinade. Place a chicken strip on each bacon
strip; thread each onto a metal or soaked wooden skewer.
Grill skewers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4-6 in. from the
heat for 10-14 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning
occasionally. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

I served this meal with rice, asparagus, watermelon, and lemonade pie for dessert. We finished it all up with a grand fireworks show! Sweet Bliss!

We received a custom order for our body butter and sugar scrubs this week. It is an exciting offer from a nail salon owner, and it could mean a future collaboration with mutual benefits. I am sending out the first order today, so cross your fingers for us!

I just received a supply order from Faye Goode of WoodcotDesigns on Zibbet.com. I will be presenting some new earrings soon, they will be something new for me; glass pearls of several different colors. We will see what I can come up with...

Until then follow my lead and step outside today, take a deep breath and savor the summer.

Christmas in July

Well it's time for Christmas shopping! Lol, I can't believe it is July already. I revamped my shop banners, and tagged all my items, and they are ready to go. Now I am patiently waiting for the shoppers. I was surprised when I searched CIJ at Zibbet and only had 175 or so items come up?? Why aren't shop owners taking advantage of this opportunity? I did a CIJ search at Etsy, and more than 6000 items came up! Now I know Etsy if way bigger than Zibbet, but it still seems like we could do better at Zibbet. Here are some of the things listed at my shop:

Drop in and check the shop out if you get the chance!

Our latest recipe:

Anisette Toast Slices

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup softened butter
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
4 teaspoons anise extract
Directions

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Grease 2 baking sheets.
Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in one egg until completely incorporated, then another. Beat in the last egg along with the anise extract. Mix in the flour until just incorporated. Divide the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Form each portion into a 12-inch long log, 1/2-inch thick.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden and firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool 5 minutes. Cut into 3/4-inch thick slices using a serrated knife, and place cut-side-down onto the baking sheets. Return to the oven, and bake 5 to 10 minutes until the bottoms turn golden brown. Turn the cookies over, and continue baking until golden brown on the other side, 5 to 10 minutes more. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
These are fabulous with a cup of coffee or tea! Sometimes I omit the anise and replace with lemon extract, delicious!

Staying productive!

Things are really moving along here in Montana. It is officially summer now. YAAAYYY! It sure took long enough! I hope someone remembered to tell old man winter to take a REST! I feel like I have waited forever for it to get here, and June is almost over...Ugh. So I decided I need to get productive, because before we know it fall will be settling in. I have made a goal to have at least 200 items posted in our zibbet shop before summer's end. It will mostly be jewelry, because you only have so many options with bath and body. Although, I do have a few ideas for some new b & b products. I will get to those at a later date.

I am thinking of adding an occaisonal recipe into this blog. I love to cook, and I love new recipes. So it stands to reason our follower's might like that as well. Leave me a comment with your opinion on adding a recipe, if you don't mind. The first recipe is a delicious ice cream pie, that my family loves, and we have it every summer.

Frozen Lemonade Pie
What you need:
• 1/3 cup country time lemonade mix (it comes in a canister)
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups vanilla ice cream (softened)
• 1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip
• 1 graham cracker pie crust (the larger 9 oz. size)

Four simple steps:
1. Stir the lemonade mix with the water until dissolved.
2. Add the ice cream and stir until smooth
3. Add the Cool Whip and stir until combined.
4. Pour into the pie shell and freeze at least 4 hours

This is absolutely scrumption! Enjoy! Let me know if you liked it.

I have been trying to design some new earrings with a 4th of July theme. What do you think?

You can find these and more at
http://www.zibbet.com/gardengatebotanicals




It is gorgeous in Montana in the summer, we will be going camping soon, and I cannot wait. We go to Lake Kookanusa... it is beautiful!

Husband and Grandson

Stormy Day