Friday Featured Etsy Seller: Birdhouse Accents

I recently came across Fred and Lynn's Etsy shop - Birdhouse Accents. They do fantastic work. I want this primitive house for bluebirds to live in and the red feeder for cardinals - they like to feed on the ground. These are so lovely, and the prices are not bad at all.

Thursday Text: Walden

I had to speak in church on Sunday, and one of the things that I touched on was simplicity. I am always thinking about simplifying my life. Thoreau actually did when he lived in a little cabin at Walden Pond. (Here's a picture that I took when we were there a few years ago.)

As he recorded his thoughts about his time there, he said:

I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.

Butterfly Flower

My new favorite fragrance at Bath & Body Works is Butterfly Flower. To me, it smells like the Missouri Botanical Garden in February. You might think that nothing is growing in February, but it's when they have their annual orchid show and jasmine and fragrant olive are blooming in the Linnean House. Lovely.

Library Thing

Have you heard about Library Thing? I just found out about it and haven't joined yet, but I think I will. It's a place to keep track of all of your books and notes. I just finished Harry Potter 7 (again), so I think it's time for another classic.

Mormon Muffins

Mormon Muffins are a unique Utah thing that originated, I believe, at the Greenery Restaurant at the mouth of Ogden Canyon. They top them with honey butter and serve them for dessert. I've really been craving some lately, but I haven't had the time - or the All Bran - to make them.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
	2 5 1 2 4 1 5 1 4 2 1	cups teaspoons cup cups each quart cups teaspoon cups cups cup	boiling water baking soda shortening sugar eggs buttermilk flour salt All Bran Cereal 40% Bran Flakes walnuts (chopped)
Directions: Add soda to boiling water and set aside. Whip shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs slowly. Mix well. Add the buttermilk, flour, salt and mix again. Add the soda water very slowly. Gently fold the cereals and the walnuts into the mix. Spoon 1/8 cup into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes. Muffin mix must sit in the refrigerator over night before baking. Muffin mix will last one week, covered and refrigerated. Yields 3 dozen muffins.

Friday Featured Etsy Seller: Art Goodies

I've seen the lovely work of Lisa Price before but was reminded of it again the other day (I can't remember where I saw it again!). Her Etsy shop, Art Goodies, offers a wonderful variety of block print animals - on dish towels, aprons, stuffies, etc. I think I like the squirrel and the bunny the best.

Thursday Two Things: Ellis Library/Sycamore Library

I wish that I could say that I would really miss the Columbia Public Library, but the fact of the matter is that I have not used it that much. It is a great facility, though. We have also enjoyed the immense libraries on campus at the University of Missouri. Anyway, here is a modified version of something that I'll miss and something that I'm looking forward to.

1. Missouri - the smell of the Ellis Library. (I didn't read a lot of books, but I liked how it smelled when I was waiting for Tony.)

2. Illinois - the Sycamore Public Library. I'm hoping to use it often. It's not far from where we're moving, and I love the building. Isn't that dome fantastic?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Have you seen it yet? We went to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on Monday evening. It was very long and quite good. I re-read 5 and 6 before we went and am re-reading 7 now and really enjoying it. What did you think of the latest movie?

St. Louis Gooey Butter Cake

Gooey butter cake is one of the wonders of St. Louis. Its name describes it pretty well - it is gooey and buttery and chewy and like nothing else. If you want to stay true to the original, you have to make it with a crust that calls for yeast. And using a yellow cake mix totally defeats the purpose. I found a pretty good recipe at BigOven here. I think I need to go make one now...

Bear Clock

Last weekend when I was shopping around Rocheport, I got this cute pop-out bear clock at Richard Saunders. It says, You say you saw a floating bear? However can that be? A dog in a barrel and an elephant too? What a wonderful sight to see! It was just too fun to pass up.