Beet & Green Bean Salad with Goat Cheese

There's nothing like an early fall salad of beets and green beans. 

I am really going to miss green beans once they disappear from the markets. Thankfully we'll probably have another few weeks (right? right?) before they disappear until next summer. This was also a lovely use for all the tiny little basil leaves left on my sad looking basil plant. 

Steel Cut Oats

This little bowl is a window into our daily life and routine.
Almost everyday my alarm clock goes off and I sleepily begin preparing these oats for my husbands breakfast. Why doesn't he make his own darn oats, you ask? Well most days the poor boy has to wake up at 5:45am, and I think it's a fair trade that if I get to sleep in then perhaps I could be generous enough to make him breakfast and bring it to his work. It's the least I can do, right?
As the months roll by his oatmeal gets topped with whatever fresh fruit is available. Strawberries, blueberries raspberries, blackberries, peaches, pears, or apples. It's yet another way we really notice (and appreciate) the season changes.

This morning I'm really noticing the season change. For the last few months I've been enjoying my morning coffee sitting in my favourite arm chair with our deck doors wide open, letting the sun pour in and warm me up.
Today the doors will not be opening. In fact there's only one window out of four that is left open (I just can't say goodbye to the fresh air just yet!). The sun still pours in but doesn't warm me up the same way. I'll rely on wool socks and sweaters to do that this morning, and will every morning from now until next spring (sounds kind of sad doesn't it?).

Decoupaged Serving Tray

We love to entertain outdoors whenever the weather co-operates and this tray is going to be just perfect for toting all of our edible (and drinkable) creations out to our guests. When my mother found this beautiful old serving tray in an antique store she knew that my husband and I could put it to good use and gave it to us as a birthday gift. However it needed a major facelift, but again she knew that would be right up my alley. Thanks Mum!

Linguine with Blue Cheese, Beet Greens, and Hazelnuts

I love when I go searching for new recipes to use up a particular ingredient and I find one that features other things I already have on hand, and it turns out to be my new favourite dish. The flavours are simple  but bold in their own ways and the hazelnuts really pull it all together. Yum!

Blue Cheese Caesar Salad

So...I'm kind of on a blue cheese kick lately. Mostly because I have way too much of it in my fridge so I can't help but find ways to sneak it into everyday life. This has to be one of my favourite examples of such sneaking. If you don't (think you) like blue cheese but want to learn to love it, I really suggest making this salad. You can easily put less blue cheese in if you're really freaked out, but I say just go for it!

Log Cabin Duvet Cover

It's about time our bedroom got a pick-me-up. As much as I love the last duvet cover I made, I've been itching to have something a little bolder on our bed. I know that this collection of fabrics might not look "bold" to some, but compared to the very beige palette of the last one I made this feels quite refreshing and perky.

The other side is made up of oversized simple stripes of navy and two shades of beige. I'm planning on making lots of pillow cases to go with this new cover but I think I'm going to try to make them less "matchy matchy" than the old set of bedding. Maybe throw in a few other fabrics that aren't in the duvet but are complimentary. 

Corn Stock

So have you been freezing any delicious local corn lately? If not, you still have time to head to the market this weekend and get some, and then you can use the leftover cobs to create the tastiest corn soup stock ever. I really can't wait for that snowy winter night when I can take this out of our freezer along with some frozen corn and make a sweet corn chowder that will make my kitchen smell just like summer.

I read about corn stock on Local Kitchen the other day and was totally inspired. Why on earth haven't I been using those corn cobs to make myself some super flavourful soup stock?? It feels like I'm getting that much more bang for my buck to be able to make something out of (what feels like) nothing. But I guess that's the beauty of making stocks in general. Using up vegetable scraps, and or poultry or fish carcasses that would otherwise be throw out to create something so useful, and of course delicious.

Quinoa Muffins

Could I be any more obsessed with my current favourite cookbook "Super Natural Everyday"? I didn't think so, but I feel like my infatuation is reaching new heights. 

I had been searching for around for some quinoa muffins and these are just what I was looking for. Healthy, tasty, filling, with a great texture. Add they were quite quick to throw together. Bonus!

Peaches in White Wine Syrup

Before the peaches disappear for another year do yourself a favour and make a batch of these delectable preserved peaches. You'll thank me in February as you pile them on your morning oatmeal and breath a sigh of relief that winter will be over soon.

Corpse Reviver #2

This blog has really been overdue for a trip down cocktail lane. I would like to say that I've been so busy drinking them that I haven't have time to tell you about them all, but that would make me sound like an alcoholic which I'm gladly not.

I almost feel like the Corpse Reviver #2 is slightly old news in this neck of the woods. I think my husband started cranking them out in the spring and if you knew how obsessed with cocktails and mixology he is than you'd know that this drink must be pretty special to remain on our radar for so long.

Ground Cherry Hot Sauce

One day while drooling over beautiful photos on the Food in Jars flickr pool I stumbled upon a recipe for Ground Cherry Hot Sauce.

I don't know why it's never occurred to me before to make my own hot sauce. This feels like a revelation!

Seed Saving

These are the first dry seeds I've found in my garden so far this year. Up next should be arugula, then dill and cilantro. Not only is it exciting to save seeds and store them for next spring, but how cute is it to  package them up as gifts for friends?

Pickled Cherries

Talk about an interesting pickle! Sweet, sour and lightly spiced, this pickle has made a welcome home in our preserve pantry. They're definitely unusual but delicious nonetheless. I used allspice in all the jars to flavour them, but also made a few jars with clove and black pepper, and a few with whole vanilla beans as well. So far we've only tried the clove, black pepper and allspice but the next jar we open will definitely be the vanilla.

Pseudo Healthy Cookies

I've been making these cookies for a few years now but I feel like they've just recently earned their new title of "Pseudo Healthy".
As I mentioned the other day my husband and I are trying to eat a little healthier, drink a little less and exercise a lot more. This goal seems even more important as I just counted that we only have 10 weeks until we'll be lying on a beach in Cuba celebrating the union of some great friends. 10 weeks might sound like a long time, but I think its a realistic time frame to shape up the right way (no fasting or fad diets for us!).

However that being said I am not the kind of woman who can cut out sweets completely. I need balance!  I believe that gently giving in to cravings is better than trying to hold back from something too fiercely and then bingeing later. And by adding healthier ingredients I feel a little bit less guilty when I do give in to those sweet cravings.

Simple Baby Cap

I've really been enjoying knitting these adorable little hats. They are so quick to make and quite adaptable. I think I'll do some more with stripes, stockinette stitch or maybe moss stitch.

Babies can never have too many hats right?

 The pattern came from "Vintage Knits for Modern Babies" by Hadley Fierlinger which has lots of cute patterns.

Happy 1st Birthday Little Blog!

Well it's been one fun year here at Domestic Bliss! Thanks to all my readers for following me throughout my domestic adventures and thanks even more for sharing with me when you've been inspired by something here on the blog.

Out of the 208 posts on this blog the following are the top 10 most popular posts from the last year:

1.Green Onion Cakes  (way to go E-town!)
2. Chocolate Crack
3. Old Fashioned Cocktail
4. Recycled Skirt and Dress
5. Pink Floral Dress
6. Shift Dress
7. Rumtopf
8. Quinoa Patties (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack time? so versatile and filling, glad that you all love these too)
9. Cherry Tomato Pizza Margherita (one of my favs as well)
10. Knitted Pillow Covers

And in honour of this special day I've rounded up my personal top 10 favourite posts (in no particular order) from the last year. Enjoy!

Thai Cucumber Salad - This is one of my go-to salads to make for my husband for lunch. It's light and refreshing and takes mere minutes to throw together.

Goat Cheese Spinach Quiche - Although this dish takes a bit more time (due to making the dough) it's completely worth it. This is one of our favourite rich hearty meals that makes great leftovers too.

Striped Full Skirt - This has been one of my favourite skirts this summer and soon to be fall. It's seen better days (it got a good dose of bike grease within the first week of wearing it) but I still cherish it.

Flour Tortillas - Flour, lard, salt, water, and baking powder = one the tastiest damn things to come out of my kitchen in the last year. My favourite part about making tortillas is that one batch will usually last a week or two in my fridge, so I can have hot fresh soft tortillas anytime of day with very little effort.

Tomato Foccacia - an impressive bread that somehow doesn't feel like it takes as long as some other yeasted breads. Try it soon before the cherry tomatoes disappear!

Macaroni and Cheese - Now that the slightly cooler weather is upon us all I can think about is making some Mac n Cheese! Maybe paired with some yummy roasted broccoli? Don't mind if I do...

Kimono Robe - This was one of my first handmade garments and I still love it so much. I wear it pretty much every morning when I wake up, although maybe this year I'll make a slightly warmer winter version.

Long and Narrow Patchwork Quilt - Both my husband and I would be lost without our beloved quilts. They're usually folded and stacked in our living room, never too far from our reach on the couch where they keep us bundled and cozy.

Log Cabin Rug - I just can't get enough log cabin! This rug is looking a little worn these days...or perhaps I should say it's looking well loved. I think I'm going to make a variation of this in different colors for a bathmat soon.

Pizza Dough - Last but certainly not least is my all time favourite pizza dough. If there's one thing I hope someone out there has taken from this blog it's this great recipe.

Lemon Plum Iced Tea

September in Nova Scotia is a bit of a magical time of year. The days are still warm while the morning and nights are perfectly cool, and the farmers markets are bursting with everything you could ever want.
Labour Day felt like the perfect representation of September. It was cool enough in the morning to put on jeans, but the sun has came out and called me to the lake. I made rich and hearty blue cheese scones for breakfast, a cold soba noodle salad for lunch, a spicy corn chowder for dinner and this delicious and refreshing iced tea for every moment in between.

Peanut Soba Noodle Salad

For about the last two weeks I've been eating and drinking with dear friends to my heart's content and have loved every minute of it. But as we all know that lifestyle can only last for so long. A few nights ago while indulging at one of our favourite bars with a friend visiting from away, my husband and I quietly made a pact that as soon as our visiting friends leave we're going to get back into our usual rhythm of eating healthy mostly home cooked food and exercising. 

This cold soba noodle salad is the perfect first healthy meal to kickstart our little detox. Fresh raw veggies, a light and zingy peanut dressing and of course buckwheat soba noodles. Yum!

Baby Button Up Hoody

I finally finished my first baby sweater for a friend. It's just so darn cute because it's so tiny! Even my husband couldn't help but smile and giggle looking at the teensy tiny sleeves as I knit them up. 

I'm still rather new to knitting in pieces that are sewn together, and truthfully I think my next sweater will be knit in the round. It just feels so much easier. Also I totally didn't clue in that knitting a sweater like this in stripes might not make sense once it has to be sewn together with one colour of yarn. Oh well, on to the next one!

Plum Vanilla Jam

I wish I had an good excuse as to why I've been withholding this gem of recipe from you. I guess I could say that it's because I've been swamped with keeping up with my preserving mayhem while hosting multiple house guests AND working a few shifts at the family biz.
But who cares what I've been up to, all you need to know is that this jam is so flavourful and perfectly tart that it's easily won the title of "My Favourite Jam Ever".