Tuesday Spotlight: Rose

Today, our spotlight shines upon Rose soap and moisturizer. The scent of freshly cut roses epitomizes classic floral scents. This classic nostalgic scent has been the key signature scent for women for centuries. The rose soap and moisturizer we have created not only smells like a fresh-cut rose, but it is also nourishing for your skin. As always, we begin with almost five pounds of fresh, raw goat's milk from our herd of lovely ladies. We add coconut oil, olive, canola, castor oils, and rose oil.

The lovely pink swirl, pretty pink hearts, and white glitter make this soap as lovely to look at as it smells. This week, save 25% on bars and jars of rose-scented soap and moisturizer. It's a great time to try something new, stock up on a favorite, or purchase an affordable gift. On this overcast summer day, stay safe, be smart, enjoy the savings, and keep washing your hands.

Rose Soap and Moisturizer

Small Gestures

Image courtesy of Indie Knit and Spin

Saturday was spent at our summer home away from home, Ligonier Country Market. We spend twenty Saturdays a year with our friends at Ligonier. With so much time spent with the same people, it isn't any wonder we have come to think of them as our market family. On Saturday, we celebrated the birthday of one of our favorite market family members. Our friend, Carlene, also known as PrAiry Girl, turned seventy-five years young.

To say that Carlene is a force of nature is an understatement. Carlene independently runs and manages her farm and business. She has fiber animals that she cares for, sheers, dyes their wool, and turns it into usable fiber. Carlene's fiber products are beautiful, of the highest quality, and, like her, one of a kind. I love to go to her tent and pour over her socks, fleeces, roving, and hand-dyed yarns. I have no skills in knitting or crocheting, but Carlene's fibers make me long for the ability to create blankets and sweaters.

It is fascinating to talk with Carlene and learn about her life. Her life experience spans the entirety of the United States; she has done everything from teaching at an Ivy League college to working with inmates and farming. At seventy-five years of age, she is more active and motivated than most twenty-year-olds. I admire her love of life, positive attitude, and fresh perspective. When I talk with Carlene, I always feel like I am going on an adventure. She has a heart of gold, a generous soul, and the most lovely spirit. I am proud to call her my friend.

One of my favorite memories of my friend will always be her, Jordan, and Jenna trying to catch my big white rooster after our Spring festival. Carlene asked me if she could have one of my roosters. Knowing that this handsome fellow would go to the equivalent of chicken paradise made agreeing a no-brainer. Carlene, my fifteen-year-old daughter, and my twenty-four-year-old friend chased the rooster all over the farm. Carlene was the one to catch him eventually. The laughter during and after this experience was priceless.

One rarely feels as if they have done something to make another genuinely happy. If the look on Carlene's face during our birthday luncheon indicated how she felt, we made her birthday special. She sat smiling at all of us while she enthralled us with her stories. She was actually glowing during our luncheon. We gave her a small gift of her favorite candy and a beautiful bouquet. One would have thought we gave her the moon. I love that about my friend. There is no pretense about her whatsoever. Carlene is a genuine soul.

Saturday's celebration of the fantastic life my friend has led so far did my heart good. It was merely burgers with friends, but gathering with those I love, seeing the appreciation on her face, and knowing we did something to brighten someone's day was worthwhile. It reminded me that the little things in life have the most meaning. I will hold that luncheon in my memory for years to come, and it will continue to make me smile.

On this hot and dry summer's day, stay safe, be smart, celebrate the ones you love, understand that the smallest gestures often have the most meaning, and keep washing your hands.

Foodie Friday: The Bibbed Wonder's Cheeseburger Extravaganza

Happy Weekend, dear reader. Today's recipe is brought to you by my bib overall wearing wonder buns. Eric is an excellent cook. Actually, he's a better cook than I am. However, some of his concoctions are somewhat questionable. He creates a "hash" that The Bean and I call skillet slop. He dumps everything in a skillet, cooks everything in bacon grease, smears eggs around, and calls it good. The taste is okay if you like everything to taste like bacon, but the appearance is a bit off-putting. He also creates this disgusting ramon noodle mess that includes eggs, a Chinese five-spice blend, meat of some sort, garlic, and hot chili paste. I can't get past the smell to taste it.

Other than those two questionable creations, his cooking skills are superior. He makes the best sausage gravy and biscuits, creamed beef, and smoked brisket. You may notice that everything is meat-based. He is not a fan of vegetables. He prefers red meat, and he calls chicken the vegetable of the meat world. He's a lot. However, I give him credit for stepping up and cooking when I don't feel well, have had a long day, or don't feel like cooking. He's a wonderful husband and father, and I appreciate his culinary skills.

This week, he wanted to try a recipe idea he had been concocting for a few weeks. He took one of the focaccia breads from Star Crossed Naturals and used it as a burger bun. He then cooked ground beef from Red Arrow Farm with a sweet onion from Yarnick's Farm, added pizza cheese from Van Grouw Farm and spices from Broken Locust, topped it with ketchup and mustard, and served it in large slices. It was delicious and very simple. We sat in the living room, watched The Bean's newest obsession, Outer Banks, and enjoyed our delicious meal.

There is no recipe to share. It involves browning a pound of ground beef with an onion and spices to taste, using delicious focaccia bread as a bun, adding the condiments of your choice, and enjoying a giant cheeseburger. All the ingredients were purchased from our friends and vendors at The Ligonier Country Market. If you don't have plans for Saturday morning, I gently encourage you to check out this local gem. The market directors put on a good show, and the quality vendors never disappoint. We only have nine more markets to go until our live show season ends. That, dear reader, is hard to believe.

On this lovely summer Friday, stay safe, be smart, enjoy eating local, support your local farmers, have a wonderful weekend, and keep washing your hands.