All Around The Globe...

I like old globes. I like old books. I like old, wooden orphan drawers. Link them all together and one has a lovely vignette.

I found three orphan wooden desk drawers on a free pile at a yard sale. I took them home with me because I loved the hardware on them. They sat in in our utility shed for several years collecting more dust, waiting for me to be inspired. Some weeks ago I carried them into the house and the transformation began.

- The Before -

In all their ugly but lots of potential condition.

And the hardware? Oh my...caked with years of neglect and dirt!

Even a soak in water didn't budge the dirt.

Struck gold after a hard scrubbing...amazing!

 The drawers were falling apart and one had lost its bottom...

 and very dirty with spider nest in the crevices and key holes.

I took them completely apart, sanded the wood and the rusty track. Mr D made a new bottom for the bottom-less drawer. I sprayed the insides of the drawers with semi-gloss clear wood finish and what an amazing difference! By now, I was really loving this project, even though I had no idea what I was going to do with them.

Isn't this rustic glamour amazing?

I watered down the paint and without using any primer, I gave the outside of the drawers a quick slap-it-on coat because I wanted a weathered look. Doing that made these dates appear on the sides of each one...love the extra bonus!

- The Beautiful After! -

All the while, I had NO idea what I was going to do with them! As I was finishing them, inspiration came. My Christmas putz houses were still up (yes, from Christmas; I liked them so much!) and it was beyond time to store them again. The books were already there which led me to my small globe collection because reading takes one anywhere in the world one wants to go!

I am so pleased with the results! After scrubbing the hardware with a scrubby (the only to take off the grime) and giving them a shine with steel wool, it turned out it looked like this. I loved that surprise - I had no idea this loveliness was under the dirt! I sanded the paint lightly and put the scubby to use again around the cup handles that would naturally show wear. The globes were picked up over the years thrift-ing; the small one is a glass light shade.

Can I say I'm in love? Because I am!

I want to find more dirty, broken treasures like this!

Homemade Pita Bread

Nope...fleurcottage is not turning into a food blog! Because of my husband's health I have more time to try out recipes that intrigue me and homemade pit bread is one of them. I also made homemade flour tortillas which are so simple and so fun to make, I think I'll go in the business of making them to sell. Ho-ho...THAT is a great big 'just kidding!' because I don't even like to spend time in the kitchen!

You'll find plain and easy instructions at  Stella B's Kitchen and though this is not a direct link to the pita bread, it can be found there by scrolling through her many food recipes.

The dough is very soft and needs lots of flour to work with when dividing
and forming the pita bread - it's a divide and conquer process.

Rolling them out is easy and again, use lots of flour.

My rolling pin is new. We were given one as a wedding gift and it resided in my kitchen drawers for forty-three years until several months ago when I decided I'll never make a pie again. I was glad to get rid of it - it was big and clumsy and didn't fit into my old kitchen drawers. Hence, the need for a new rolling pin that is smaller and lighter...so yay for small and light traded for old and clumsy!

They puff up while baking!
 Now is a good time to do some window peeking while baking.

Finished results.

Like Stella says...odd shapes add character and isn't that heart-shaped one cute!

Proudly showing off my flour tortillas and pita bread.

Just don't do what I did by cutting slits in the side of the pita.

It wasn't until I did that to five pitas it dawned on me to simply cut them in half!

No, I don't have a beautifully staged sandwich to end this with. I'll let that up to the pros.
This post is merely to show you what common, ordinary people-who-don't-like-to-spend-time-in-the-kitchen can do.
Even four year old Bub can do this!

PS #1
You'll notice the cooling rack placed on the oven rack to bake the pita.
Stella explains all about that and I bought mine for five bucks
and it makes cool-looking marks on the bottom.
Not that anyone notices the bottom!
PS #2
I like to know when I eat either of these I'm not eating a long list
of unpronounceable words.
PS #3
Next time I'm using whole wheat flour.

Give both of these a try - they really are simple, easy and quick to make!

Winter/Spring 2013

The snows of 2012/2013 came and went - the snows disappeared the day they came, just how I like it. The 'Big One' was a total washout aside of the predicted four...yep, FOUR inches but it rained instead, dashing many hopes of winter fun. We did, however, have really pretty snow scenes, sunrises and sunsets.

 This was our typical snow this winter.

Lovely sunrises and sunsets.

Warmer weather is very reluctant in coming but my paint-splattered crocs and I took a walk around the garden in the few warmer hours of this week. The evidence of spring growth is all around - one just has to go look for it!

 - tree peony -

 - blooming hellebore -

 - crocus -

 - daffodil -

- peony -

I like this. A lone single stalk pushing up through the cold. A reminder that circumstances may be harsh but LIFE is there!