50 Shades of Fantastic…

Yes, that is right this is a book review.  It may not have anything to do with being green except for the fact, the television is off so I am reducing the use of electricity therefore reducing my carbon footprint.  There I brought it all back to being green….

Any who, I have not sat down with a good book in sometime.  Everything I have been reading has been associated with one of my college classes so reading for the enjoyment of reading has not taken place.  Until….50 Shades of Grey. 

It could not be avoided any longer it was and still is on every reading list out there and on every discussion board.   Therefore, June 22^nd, I brought the trilogy home.  I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, the way the media has portrayed it as “porn” I wasn’t sure it would be a good read since “porn” generally is not well written…..shocker.   Well in my personal opinion, the book is very well written, very addicting, and very difficult to put down.  I started book one, 50 Shades of Grey Friday the 22^nd at seven in the evening only to finish by four in the morning Saturday.  I then willed myself to sleep only to wake and read the second book 50 Shades of Darker after breakfast and some mommy duties, finishing it by ten that night.  Finally, the next morning I started 50 Shades of Freed and finished late Sunday, in fact I think it was nearly one in the morning Monday.  Three books in nearly four days…not too bad.

Honestly speaking, I do not think the allure of the book has anything to do with the descriptive sex scenes (more on that in a moment).  I think it has to do with the fact it is about a very sad young man who falls hopelessly in love with a young woman who is equally head over heels.  It is the connection and addiction between the two that has all of us wanting to read more and know more about Christian and Anastasia.  As far as the descriptive sex, it is a book does it not need to be descriptive…it is not a movie, there are no visuals therefore it needs to be descriptive.  To class it as porn, I do not see it.  Erotic? Yes, yes it is.

I also think many women really love the book because of Christian Grey.  He is a no nonsense, take charge, in control guy who needs fixing.  Yes, women love a man that appears to have it all but is fundamentally screwed up and we want to be that woman who fixes him.  Plus, we really want a man who takes control, is in charge, a man’s man so to speak, wants to take care of us, and can’t live a moment without us.  Many feminists have complained about the nature of the book where the woman is being submissive to a man.  Get your panties out of a knot and don’t lose your hair..geez!  Allowing a man to be a man and being a little submissive in a mutually exclusive relationship does not take away from being a feminist or in control of our own destiny.  In fact, it is the submissive that has all the power…remember.  Now, now, I am not advocating we all run out and get into a BDSM relationship.  I am saying women who are complaining about a man having control, get over yourself.  Concessions and compromise are essential to any relationship, besides I think us woman have emasculated men long enough in an effort to be equal.  We can take control in every aspect of our lives, why not allow a man to have a little control too, our inner goddess deserves it!  Personally, it would be nice to have someone make decisions for me occasionally; it sure would take a load off!

Yes, there I said it, this feminist liberal likes and wants a man's man who is not afraid to take control, invade my space, obsess over me, love me completely, and want to take care of me...for shame!  Do not mistake this declaration as a sign of weakness or the desire to be in an abusive relationship!  Just sayin'...it takes a stronger woman to allow such a man to in her life.

In conclusion, overall, it is a very good, easy read.  Again, I was more drawn to the sad lost little boy known as Christian than the descriptive nature of the book.  It really is a story of what will you do for love, how far will you go for love, and unconditional love!

~Deanne

P.S.

If you are looking for books to read…now that Oprah has left us with no book club to follow.  Check out the New York bestseller list or Good Reads, they are a great start.  I like Good Reads because after you submit what books you have read and what type of books you like to read it will generate a recommendation list for you.

*image credit E L James

yummy bread and muffins

Waste not want not....an old proverb meaning if we waste less we will want less.  Sounds good to me! Less I have to buy (hahahaha).

Any who, me and my son have been juicing on and off for a few months.  So we have been saving the pulp from the fruit and the vegetables we have juiced instead of composting the pulp.  Why you ask?  Let me tell you!  The pulp would be a great addition to the compost but I thought how great it would be inside recipes.   When we juice we would make sure to save the fruit pulp separate from the vegetable pulp because certain recipes would not taste that well with the mixture if they were combined.  I use the fruit pulp in baking recipes and the vegetable recipes in some bread recipes but mostly in savory recipes like soups.  I have been freezing the pulp in quart size bags because I ran out of my freezer safe mason jars.  They will keep in the freezer for several months to use in recipes later.

This weekend for Earth Day we decided to use some of that fruit pulp for bread and muffins, since our budget was a little binding we did not make it to some Earth Day events. 

*This recipe is vegan, if you prefer a traditional recipe I put substitutions below the directions.

muffin or bread recipe

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1/4 cup cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp cinnamon (optional if using veggie pulp)
• 2 tsp nutmeg (optional if using veggie pulp)
• 2 2/3 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 cups pulp of fruit or veggie

this recipe makes one loaf of bread or 24 regular size muffins

bake at 350 degrees 25 to 45 minutes or until knife pulls clean from center.  If making muffins it will cook faster so check center earlier whereas bread takes a bit longer hence the range in cooking time.

do not over mix ingredients

mix the cornstarch in a separate bowl with the water to ensure the cornstarch has no lumps and is well mixed then put in with wet ingredients.

I mixed the dry ingredients in a bowl first while my food processor/blender mixed all the wet ingredients.  I use the blender because I really wanted the pulp to be mashed and blended. 

Substitutions: if you are into non-vegan stuff that is...

• 2 eggs in place of the cornstarch
• honey instead of agave nectar
• dairy instead of soy milk or almond milk

 oops there was once 24....hmmm

I use parchment paper to line the pan to make it easier to remove the bread.

This is the pulp I used from my juicing.  Defrost, put in blender/food processor to break it down and mash it up. Oh so good....

Next bread and/or muffins, something savory with pulp from the veggies I used from juicing.  I have a mixture of celery, kale, licorice root, broccoli, spinach....hmmm what to make?

What suggestions do you have for a recipe with veggie pulp?  Send me some ideas I would love to try them.

~Deanne

if I could make it...I would...dang it I will!

I bought a home 2 1/2 years ago just as the housing market was dropping so I obtained a home on a pretty good bargain.  My goal has been to decorate, paint and fill it with upcycled or homemade items as money allowed, typically with tax return money.  I didn't want to go into further debt just to fill my home with all the things I want.

I have been inspired to make my own goods by things I love on Etsy and also on Pinterest.  They have allowed me to save all the projects or items I want to recreate for my own home without having to fill a file cabinet full of torn magazine pages.

You will see by the following pictures I have a pretty eclectic colorful earthy style.

I love all things Mason Jar!

I am currently playing with or attempting to create all of the above wonderful creations I found on Etsy.  I am pretty handy and fairly creative so I have been collecting jars to make lights.  I love the rustic look of Mason Jars.  When painted or etched they take on amazing hues and cast great light in any room.  If you like any of these particular items look to the left of my blog and click on the etsy link.

Goodwill and Craigslist

Then comes my love of Goodwill and Craigslist items...upcycling at its best.  I love the vintage look of these couches and chairs.  I would upholster them either in red, purple, or orange to add color to my room.  I would love to have any one of these couches and chairs reupholstered to replace the not so unique everyday big box store couch I currently have in my living room.

Settee's

I just love the simplicity of a settee.  These really caught my eye, even the gray but the purple...Oh how I love purple.  I would love to see any of these settee's in orange or red or purple!

Can't possibly forget to get a great settee for your amazing animals. I would upholster this in a chocolate brown 1 for each of my dogs. Oh how they would sleep all day!

Color...a must in my home!

I never been a fan of blue until my son chose blue for his room, plus this desk makes me want to sit and hand write letters to friends and family.

I grew up in a home that every wall was white, except I had one purple wall in my bedroom.  Not that white walls are bad, I am just a fan of color.  Color makes me happy especially sage, purple, red and orange, even some yellow.

I have a long wall in my living room that is sage and considering painting the ceiling sage too.

The look of these red cabinets make me want to refinish mine in red!  Red is just so so...I don't know sexy, classy...just yum!

Orange...what to say about orange.  I recently have fallen for this color, more of an orange-red hue really.  I could see chairs or kitchen table or accent tables in the living room this color.

Purple! Yes please! I am painting two walls in my bedroom purple.  I am trying to find the right shade and tone of purple, however when I saw this I almost said forget the red cabinets we are going this color.

I love the sage in the tiles and I just like the shape of them.  I could see them in the bathroom or even kitchen.  Now with that new adhesive backing out on the market putting up your own tiles is easier than ever!

Well, that is how I could see my home, lots of color, upcycled items from Craigslist or Goodwill and some rustic mason jar lights.

Stay tuned maybe I will have some tax return money this year to actually make some of these ideas come to life....cross your fingers!!!????

How do you see your home?

What colors make you happy in your home?

I would love to hear from you and any ideas you have in making your dream home come true.

leave me comments below!!

~Deanne

*credit for the pics via

mason jars are from a variety of shops in my favorites on Etsy as well as the blue desk

couches, chairs, settees, tiles and color references can be found on Pinterest.

handy dandy items...

It is tax time and there some goodies I have been wanting to get for my home to make cleaning, cooking or a more healthy lifestyle more fun!!

I would love nothing better than to apply my entire tax return to these lovelies but I am sure I will be pragmatic and pay bills....boo!

This single mom can wish can't she!



Any home on a budget or wanting to extend the life of their food or freezing/canning their garden goodies really needs a Foodsaver.  I am not sure I will use the bags because that is one more plastic thing to try to figure out how to recycle.   So I chose this model because it is small, has the adapter hose so you can use it on Mason Jars and their BPA free containers as well as giving you the option to use their bags if you choose.

Some friends I know have this great kettle.  I currently use a french press for my coffee and my tea because I love how it really gets the oils from the tea leaves or coffee beans really infusing the richness into your drink.  I have heard great reviews from this kettle to make really fantastic tea that challenges steeping or a french press.

This I really really really would love to have!  All of these single serve coffee makers that are on the market drive me crazy because they are using and creating even more plastic waste with the single serve cups.  This beautiful Hamilton Beach Single serve uses your own fresh ground coffee, which honestly makes a far better coffee than what has been sitting in a plastic container waiting to be used...just sayin'.

Yes I want a "As Seen On T.V." item.  Here is why: I like the lift away canister, the cost and the attachments.  There are very fantastic reviews on the product and besides who can afford the Dyson.

Who doesn't love to make yummy soups or want to blend all in one container?  I realize there are a ton of blender items on the market that you can blend your food into soups.  However, there is something to be said about all that yummy food simmering in a Crockpot all day then you blend to the consistency you want without messing up another blender/product.

Yes that is right it is another "As Seen on T.V." item but who cares it is awesome just awesome and I want it dang it.  I love the adapters and different size containers, the blades are incredibly sharp so be careful and besides I love to make juice with all the fiber goodness instead of some juicers where you see all that good stuff sitting in a pulp reservoir.

Oh My Gosh I saw this on Amazon and said why don't I have this!!! I cannot stand the idea of plastic bags or one use products that just go straight into the garbage adding to the landfills.  It has a few other colors but I am partial to purple (in all shades).

Cast iron cookware, simply awesome.  I love cast iron and stainless steal cookware because I don't like the level of toxic chemicals release from non-stick cookware that we inhale and is absorbed into our food.  Besides something about good ol' cast iron that makes food just taste yummy!!! 

  Yes I want them both!!! I love to dance even though I look like Elaine from Seinfeld....you remember the episode of her dancing I know you do.

Last but certainly not least this very cool scanner.  There are lots of options with this hand held scanner, the one I chose comes with bluetooth so you can immediately upload an item you scanned directly to where ever you want to send it.  This wand is amazing, my mother just purchased it and she has been scanning family photos, you can scan even material at a store that you may like or think a friend may like send it too them or save it for color ideas.  It really is fantastic!

I had some difficulty finding these same items I listed above that are American made, which made me a bit sad.  I was hoping to find items equal to or similar to my wish list Made in USA but did not. 

 Maybe if you have you can leave me a comment and I will check them out to post and/or buy them instead!!!

~Deanne

Just some notes:

Cuisinart is an American company but their products are made in China.

VuPoint's headquarters is in California but I could not find where it is manufactured and at the time of this post I did not response back as to where it is manufactured.

Shark Navigator listed this on their website about their products: "Euro-Pro's roots in home appliances date back more than a century, originating in Europe, then moving to Canada before finally settling in Newton, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston."

Ninja comes from the same company as The Shark navigator.

Foodsaver states they are a world wide company with thousands of employees. Jarden Corporation is their parent company and I was having difficulty nail down where their manufacture their products.

Crock-Pot is also made by Jarden Corporation.  Rival Crock-Pots are Made in USA however!!

Lodge cast iron is made in USA their enamel products are made in China.