Saturday Meanderings - Life at Bella Terra

Saturday Meanderings
Can this truly be the last Saturday of January 2022? Well, I
certainly did not get ahead of my organizing projects this
month as I had hoped, however, it’s okay to give yourself
permission to just let some responsibilities go. Welcome to
Saturday Meanderings, where we chat about good things this
week.

Downsizing

StoneGable’s front door
Occasionally, I read Yvonne’s blog from StoneGable. Recently
she writes about all the challenges in downsizing from her

larger home to a golf course condo. In addition, she has
suffered some debilitating physical challenges, which adds to
the stress of moving. However, I do find her posts thought-
provoking, especially as I slowly deep clean all parts of our
home. Paperwork, photos and some of the childrens’ items I
find hard to discard, but I am being a bit ruthless
nonetheless. To see Yvonne’s post, click here.

What’s Happening in the Garden

Yellow Cauliflower
Our weather has been very cool at night and warmer during the
day. You can feel a bit of spring in the air, however, it’s
still early enough for it to get to freezing temperatures
again. Some of my tomato plants are producing. Granted, they
are not as tasty as summer tomatoes, but they are superior to
store-bought ones.

Home grown tomatoes
The nasturtiums are taking over the flower garden beds
already. I just love the color of these edible flowers and
look forward to adding them to my salads.

Nasturtiums in the garden
Lots of new planting will occur in February and will devote an
entire blog post on Spring Gardening. Even my peach and apple
trees have sweet, soft buds on them. And, the hyacinth bulbs
are just peeking out of the ground!

Comfort Foods

Römertopf clay cooking
With our chilly nights, it is easy to only want comfort food.
The other day I was craving a chicken roasting in the oven and
remembered I have a clay cooking pot, a Römertopf. When the

children were small, I used this all the time, however, it has
been collecting dust in my basement.

Add all ingredients for a chicken dinner
What is nice about cooking in this clay casserole, is that it
allows for fat-free and low-calorie cooking. All you need to
do is soak the lid in water for 15 minutes before you bake the

casserole in a cold oven. Throw all your ingredients into the
pot and your entire meal is ready in 90 minutes. Using a whole
chicken, carrots, celery, onions and potatoes, I season the
dish and add a few pats of butter. You can skip the butter if
you want something with less fat.

Römertopf in the oven

The Römertopf fits nicely in the oven, and it is microwave and
dishwasher safe. Everything cooks in the same pot so you don’t
have a lot of pans to clean.

Whole chicken dinner
There are several recipes you can make in a Romertopf from
bread to desserts. You can find a Römertopf here on Amazon.

Lemon Recipes

AmbriLemon blueberry grain-free bread from Ambitious Kitchen
This week I made both the lemon ricotta pancakes and lemon
blueberry bread. Both are delicious. I hope to whip up some
Meyer Lemon curd this week too. If you missed my recent blog

post on my favorite lemon recipes, you can see it here.

Advice on Selling Art

Purple flowers
This week I am attempting to clean up my art studio and
adjacent office. It’s such a mess and unfortunately in one of

those parts of the house that is “out of sight, out of mind”.
It’s probably the messiest area in our entire home.

I need some advice on what to do with the numerous paintings I
have done. Some of them are from the early days and not worth
keeping. However, I am on the fence regarding the others. If
anyone has expertise or advice on selling art, please let me
know. I wouldn’t know the first thing about pricing them, nor
do I know if anyone is even interested. Would love any
feedback or suggestions you can make!

Charming Neighborhoods

Cotswold Cottage
Since Phoenix is a relatively “new” city vs. those on the east
coast or in Europe, I am always delighted to find charming,
historic neighborhoods in our Valley.

F.Q. Story Historic district-Phoenix
Isn’t this the cutest home ever? It looks like it is straight
from a fairy tale. And with it’s pink paint color, just
perfect for Valentine’s Day. The F.Q. Story neighborhood is
where I restored this 1922 home. It’s a lovely neighborhood
with such unique architecture and beautiful sidewalks.

My last restoration project
To see that restoration story, click here.

Finally Found Rose Cocoa

Rose Cocoa from Wooden Spoon Herbs
A few weeks ago, I mentioned loving Rose Cocoa from Wooden
Spoon Herbs. However, they no longer produce it, but were kind
enough to share their partners who sell it. You can order from
either CAP Beauty or Covet and Lou. I really love it on a cold
afternoon made with a combination of hot water and steamed oat

milk, with a little blue agave syrup to sweeten. Since it is a
limited edition, I did order 2 containers of it. Hopefully,
Wooden Spoon Herbs will make it again in the future.

Well, that wraps it up for another Saturday Meanderings! I
hope you have a wonderful weekend.