After having seen so many bloggers post about their cacti I was keen to buy some of my own to brighten up my bedroom. I bought the first one from Homebase, the second from Ikea and the third was given to me by my aunty from her own collection.
USA Photo Diary: Part 2
The second part of my photo diary instalment features photos from Colorado, Chicago, Nashville and Virginia. We had such a fun time in all four places and such different experiences.
Colorado
In Colorado we spent more time with my boyfriend’s family and yet again they were kind enough to show us around some brilliant places in the state. First of all we went to Estes Park which is nestled high in the Rocky Mountains, we then visited several breweries including Budweiser and New Belgium.
Chicago
Our main reason for visiting Chicago was to attend Pitchfork music festival but we did have one day to be tourists around the city. We mainly chilled in Milennium Park because it was too hot to do anything else but it was lovely having a picnic in such a picturesque park.
Nashville
Nashville was a brilliant place to visit. I had no idea what to expect but was not disappointed when we arrived. It is a fantastic city to absorb county music since it is “music city” but it is also so interesting just to walk about (despite the insane heat!).
Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia, was the last place we were hosted by family and we had such an amazing time there. The weather was perfect, sunny but not upsettingly hot, the countryside was beautiful and the food amazing (we ate the best pulled pork I’ve ever tasted). We got to see the Blue Ridge Mountains, the University of Virginia as well as the homes of Jefferson and Mason (which I have already talked about at length in other posts).
Gardens of Montpelier and Monticello
I thought I would do a separate post on the gardens of Montpelier and Monticello as I had taken so many photos which I thought deserving of their own space. Both gardens were beautifully maintained but also had a sort of wildness about them which was gorgeous. Monticello also had this fantastic mile-long vegetable garden which, in Jefferson’s time, would have provided food for the entire estate.
Monticello
Montpelier
USA Photo Diary: Part 1
I really wanted to share some of the photos I took whilst away in America so I have divided them into three posts as there were so many and it seemed a shame just to have them on my computer. The first post includes pictures from Oregon, San Francisco and Santa Cruz.
Oregon
We stayed with family whilst in Oregon so got to see quite a bit of this gorgeous green state as they were really excited to show us around where they live. They lived really near Mount Hood and, despite the wet weather, it was so fun driving around seeing local landmarks such as Multnomah Falls and Hood River.
San Francisco
We were also very lucky to have family in San Francisco too and they were kind enough to show us round the city for a few days and take us to see things we wouldn’t have been able to get to very easily ourselves. First, we went to China Town for Dim Sum, then to the Golden Gate Bridge and finally to see the Giant Redwoods in Muir Woods.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is the perfect American beach town complete with sea otters, surfers and a boardwalk themepark so for this part of the trip we were very content just to wander about and soak up the Californian sun.
Bon Appetit
Whilst staying with my boyfriend’s family in Virginia I came across the magazine Bon Appetit. It is a magazine dedicated to all things food; fresh new recipes, restaurant reviews and recommendations, practical tips as well as interviews with chefs and restaurant owners. As a bit of a foody myself I was absolutely taken with Bon Appetit and devoured every copy to hand, making notes of recipes I liked and restaurants which looked appealing. We actually got to try out a couple of recipes from a recent issue as the family we were staying with also enjoyed cooking (they had an amazing selection of cookery books which I desperately wanted to flick though). In the end we made a tomato salad (as there hundreds growing outside!) with a roasted lemon dressing and pan-fried scallops in tomato water (the sauce was literally just the juice of the fresh tomatoes). The meal was delicious; so fresh which is something I really enjoy when eating home cooked meals especially in the summer.
I would really recommend checking out their website as there are hundreds of recipes all searchable by ingredient. It is also worth following the magazine on twitter (@bonappetit) as they tweet recipe ideas throughout the day.
Clean and Lean Diet by James Duigan
I knew before going to America for 3 months that I would not be as healthy when I came back as I was before I left. I saw quite a few blog posts on this “diet” book and decided to try it out in order to get healthy again post-America. This “diet” is not a faddy-cabbage-soup-counting-calories sort of diet but rather a lifestyle which appealed to me because I hate being restricted in what I can eat. The basic philosophy is just to eat lots of fresh vegetables, fruit, meat, grains and non-processed foods and eating like this has been very enjoyable. Duigan, a nutritionist, suggests you begin with a 14 day kickstarter and he provides a day-by-day eating plan including breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks as well as recipes for the above. This was really helpful as it showed me the incredible range of foods and meals you can eat. I found it a little challenging at the beginning of the first week but easy once I got into the mentality of being “clean and lean”. After just one week I felt a lot healthier, had more energy and just better in myself and, most importantly, I didn’t feel hungry!
There are some bits of the philosophy and a couple of chapters of the book I skipped as I didn’t really need to be told why certain foods are bad for you. But there were other sections which were incredibly helpful such a huge list of alternatives to typically unhealthy food and substitutes that would satisfy your cravings. Duigan also provided an exercise plan and a range of exercises to do along side the clean and lean eating to assist with the results of clean eating. The whole book is aimed at improving your general well-being not just losing weight which was refreshing from a “diet” manual. I would definitely recommend this book for those who want to eat healthier but don’t know where to start.
I have included a few pictures of some of the things I cooked up; grilled chicken, mozzarella, avocado and tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper; hot water with lemon, fresh smoothie (kale, spinach, blueberries, banana, rice milk and water), scrambled eggs on rye bread toast; hot water and lemon, fresh smoothie (spinach, almond milk, mango, banana, water), rye bread toast with my aunty’s home made apple butter and blueberries; griddled courgettes, sweet potato chips and roast chicken marinated in a mustard dressing; hot and spicy chicken roasted chicken wings, avocado and oven-cooked kale (spread kale evenly on a baking tray, spray lightly with oil, cook for 20 minutes at 110C, season with salt and pepper); stir-fried chicken with mangetout, green beans, cashew nuts and soy sauce; hot water and lemon, fresh smoothie (as before) and 2-ingredient pancakes (blitz 2 eggs and 1 banana in blender with cinnamon and baking powder, cook for two mins in preheated frying pan lightly coated in spray oil).
Souvenirs!
The chance to buy amazing American souvenirs and products was pretty much overwhelming for me and I had to restrain myself A LOT from buying everything I loved. I still ended up with quite a lot of amazing presents for myself and my family so I thought I would share some of my favourite pieces I picked up.
1. Clothes – Up first is a jacket I bought in the last place we went to, Boston. We were originally looking for a Good Will (think UK charity shop but HUGE and a lot cheaper) but it was closed for refurbishment. Luckily across the road there was a shop called ‘Boomerangs’ which is a thrift store. Almost instantly I found this jacket which I think is entirely hand made and decorated with a cross stitch pattern (and it’s also reversible!). It was $9 (roughly £5.50) so who could say no! I also bought a black leather cowboy style belt with silver metalwork, and some pink leather moccasins with beadwork on the front.
2. Candles – I bought several candles whilst I was away, probably more than a person should buy in a 3 month period but they were so lovely and different to what you find in the UK. I ended up buying four very individual candles. The first was a Mexican candle but actually bought in Seattle which was very strange especially because the owner of the shop claimed it was a traditional Mexican candle but we hadn’t seen any in Mexico City. This candle is wrapped in paper and you burn it in the paper which is something I have never come across in a candle. The next candle I bought was from Bath and Bodyworks and is part of their seasonal autumn mini candles in Rum Banoffee Pie. It smells SO gorgeous and very much like a delicious autumnal dessert, I can wait to burn this candle in the winter months too. Whilst in New York I bought a candle by the company P.F. Candle Co. in the scent Teakwood and Tobacco which smells quite heavy and musky. I also bought a religious candle for about £1.20 which is for the Virgin of Guadalupe. Urban outfitters sell similar candles but for around £15 so when I saw a cheaper version I snapped it up.
3. Stationery – another of my biggest loves, apart from candles, is stationery and that was high on my list of things of stuff to buy. In then end I was quite restrained and ended up buying an Anna Rifle Paper Co. notepad, some Pendleton journals, a couple of pens and pencils, and postcards from nearly every place we visited.
4. Cape Cod Pennant – we found this vintage pennant at the Brooklyn Flea Market. It was a bit pricey but we thought it would look great hung up on a wall.
5. Dr Bronner’s Magic Soap – I have read so much about this cult soap on so many beauty blogs that it had been on my list of things to buy for a while. I know you can buy it in the UK but I had never been able to find it plus it was about half the price in America.
6. Jewellery – I actually thought I would end in with more jewellery than I did, in particular I was looking for big silver rings but couldn’t find any that fitted. I found a lovely necklace with a blue semi-precious stone pendant in Estes Park in Colorado, some brass rings at a craft fair in Chicago and two more rings at the Sackler Gallery in Washington DC.
7. Wooden Cake Mould – this is used to make moon cakes, a traditional Chinese baked cakey pie which is filled with either black or red beans (but not the kind of beans you would imagine). The result is very dense and sweet, a bit like a fig roll. When we were in San Francisco we visited Chinatown and found this mould in a cooking utensils shop. I thought I could drill a hole through the handle, tie a cord through it and hang it up in the kitchen.
8. And finally a toy horse! My boyfriend bought this for me when were at the Budweiser brewery in Colorado. Traditionally Budweiser was transported around the country by horse-drawn wagons. Despite having been replaced in modern times by lorries and trucks the horses are still bred and trained and travel all over the United States performing at various events.
Gardening, Harvesting and Preserving Food at Montpelier
As proved by previous posts on the subject I was absolutely taken with Monticello and Montpelier and it was at Montpelier that the secrets to running such a huge house and estate were revealed. I really want to grow and preserve my own food so I jotted down a few notes on traditional ways to do this. I have missed out notes I took on hunting game and fishing because it wasn’t really something I would be able/want to take part in.
1. Gathering Food at Montpelier
In the summer grapes, blackberries, strawberries, gooseberries, currants, mulberries, raspberries, plums, elderberries and cherries would be harvested. During spring honey and beeswax would be collected. Sassafras root, spice bush bark and sweet birch, for teas, spring tonics, candy and jelly, would be were gathered. Vegetation such as wild greens including dandelion, sorrel, asparagus, pigweed, purslane, mustard and lambs quarter were picked from the kitchen gardens. In the autumn months pawpaws, persimmons, spice bush berries, apples and pears would then be harvested. Chestnuts, pecans, walnuts, hickory nuts would also be collected.
2. Maintaining the Gardens at Montpelier
Throughout the summer months the gardens would be maintained through weeding and pest control as well as being prepared for planting during the autumn. When autumn then did arrive late crops, such as cabbage, lettuce, turnips, winter squash, greens, peas and parsnips, would be planted. During the winter plants would be pruned and trimmed, the garden would be fertilised and plowed and early spring crops, onions, spinach, radishes, lettuce, kale, parsnips, turnips, salsify and peas, were planted. Coming into spring the garden was prepared for spring planting and plants such as corn, beans, tomatoes, cabbage, herbs, cucumbers, squashes, watermelons, beets, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflowers, carrots, squashes, eggplant, okra, asparagus, broccoli and peppers were then planted.
3. Harvesting and Preserving at Montpelier
In spring pears, onions, spinach, radishes, lettuce, kale, parsnips, turnips and salsify were harvested. Dairy products such as butter and cheese were also made and stored sure spring. Summer was a time for drying (herbs, vegetables and fruits), pickling (cucumbers, nasturtiums, peppers and radish pods), preserving (tomato marmalade, currants, peaches, quince, cherries, pears, plums and berries), making wines, cordials and brandy and most importantly harvesting. Varieties of squash, corn, cauliflower, brand, okra, early potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, eggplant, beets, broccoli, carrots and watermelons were all harvested during he summer months. In autumn apples were made into several products including cider, vinegar and butter. Root crops, fruits and vegetables were stored and apples, pears, herbs and vegetables were dried. During the autumn months it was the turn of Jerusalem artichokes, pumpkins, winter squashes, potatoes, greens, turnips, parsnips, sweet potatoes and cabbages to be harvested.
A House Fit for a President
During my trip to America one of the places I visited, and enjoyed immensely, was Charlottesville in Virginia. Where we stayed was absolutely gorgeous; the view from out window a mountainside, the was fresh greenery everywhere to be seen and the weather was that lovely summer sun that wasn’t so hot that you think you are going to melt but warm enough so you didn’t need to wear trousers or a jacket. I wasn’t aware before going there that Virginia was actually home to two former presidents of the United States; Thomas Jefferson and James Mason. So, as tourists, our lovely hosts kindly agreed to take us to each of their homes to have a wander about.
We went to Montpelier first, the home of fourth president James Mason. It was absolutely gorgeous especially the kitchens, gardens and surrounding grounds of the house. The house itself was undergoing a huge multi-million dollar transformation to what it would have been like when James Mason lived there. It was really interesting to see how the archaeologists and historians pieced together slithers of information, such as different brickwork, to work out how the house functioned in the nineteenth century. A lot of the original furniture was missing, having been sold off by various owners, so a lot of the pieces in the house were replicas, informed guesses or non-existent. Our guide told us it that it is an ongoing and painstaking process to remodel the house so exactly and to the desired standard.
At Thomas Jefferson’s house, Monticello, it felt as though you had gone back in time. In fact it was eery how perfectly it had been preserved. Jefferson had many interests and on display all over the house were a lot of gadgets, pieces of furniture designed by Jefferson himself, such as a swivel chair, maps, artefacts, books, and musical instruments. You really got insight into what kind of man Jefferson was instead of just a politician. Our guide actually told us that Jefferson hated to leave Monticello and would rather have been there cultivating his mile long kitchen garden than at the White House. The gardens and grounds were spectacular and I could have wandered about them for hours.
Finished Project: Welcome Banner
I am so excited that I finally get to do a “finished project” post on my welcome banner. Here it is in all its framed glory hanging in the hallway of my parent’s house. Hope you like it as much as I do!
crossstitchandkeepsakes 