At Considerable Cost

Today, I'm linking up with Hallie at Moxie Wife for Five Favorites since I have a few odds and ends that don't really need their own individual posts: 1.  Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner  Picture from http://www.amazon.com/Trader-Joes-Conditioner-Peppermint-Eucalyptus/dp/B002LMNJDA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389756745&sr=8-1&keywords=trader+joe%27s+conditioner My youngest daughter has beautiful blonde curls.   If you've ever tried to comb--even finger comb--through gorgeous curls, you'll know why I spend more on hair products for her than I do for myself and I'm always on the lookout for good detangling and styling products.   Recently, I read a few reviews for this conditioner from Trader Joe.   It is FABULOUS!   It leaves Clare's hair soft and loosens the curls a bit so it is easier to finger-comb or brush her hair.   She even wakes up with soft, non-frizzy hair!   All the fema...

I've been working on several posts lately, but I've not published any of them here, so I'll join Hallie Lord's fun link-up at Moxie Wife . 1. Buckskin Bill Black I grew up watching Buckskin Bill's television show every weekday morning on WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.   He told stories, talked to his puppet named "What'sYourName?" (if you wrote a letter and asked, he would say his name was yours for the day), showed cartoons, and taught children to turn Monday into a Fun Day by doing the Monday Morning March.   Mama loved to tell people how cute I was, marching around our living room as I did the March along with Buckskin Bill.   Before my time, he decided Baton Rouge needed a zoo and worked to make it happen.   Then, he led a penny drive so the children of the area could contribute enough pennies to purchase two elephants for the zoo.   I love this man and I'm so happy he was a part of my childhood.   It's worth ...

This week's link-up with Hallie Lord at Moxie Wife: British, kitchen, and flowers 1. Call the Midwife It's BACK on PBS Masterpiece for Season 2.   I've avoided spoilers from the UK as much as I can since the episodes have already aired there.   I love the characters, every last one of them, especially Jenny Lee, Chummy, and Sister Monica Joan.    It's just a simple, but beautiful story of life--and the search for real love in all its forms-- in the East End of London in the 1950s.   It's is based on the memoirs of Jennifer Worth and it is narrated by the older Nurse Jenny Lee.   She recounts leaving her sheltered life to live in a convent clinic where she works as a newly certified midwife.   The show is not what we might expect in the US, where such a title might denote an anti-doctor, anti-hospital message.   It shows the NHS (National Health Service) bringing trained midwives (also certified nurses), under...

  Another link-up this week with Moxie Wife's fun FIVE FAVORITES: 1. Purple Fences I WILL paint my backyard fence purple!  How lovely are these fences?! http://pinterest.com/pin/219832025533633779/ http://pinterest.com/pin/219832025533633729/ 2. R. Riveter Military Bags I'm loving these R. Riveter (as in Rosie the Riveter) bags from BourbonandBoots.com .   They are made from army surplus materials and each style is named after a famous military wife.   Each bag is created by a military wife. 3.  Big Chill Appliances I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the retro-look line of appliances from Big Chill .   It's just hard to decide if turquoise, seafoam green, or red is the best color! 4. Oven-Roasted Shrimp Forget boiling shrimp.   Oven-roasted shrimp are delicious!   This weekend, we marinated ours w/one of McCormick's dry packages and then roasted them at 450 for about 12 minutes. ...

Today, I'm linking up with Moxie Wife with my Five Favorites : Tipsy Cupcakes, sumptuous and clever British dramas, and fine cowgirl boots. 1. Tipsy Irish Coffee Cupcakes Beautiful photography by my dear friend, Lauren . Is it acceptable that one of my favorites is my own creation?   Because I really love these.   My editor at Bourbon and Boots asked me to come up with a dessert recipe that featured Irish Whiskey in time for St. Patrick's Day.   My kitchen became a test kitchen and friends became willing taste-testers.   I kept trying to achieve enough coffee and whiskey flavor by adding Irish cream liqueur to the recipe.   Hello, the icing already tastes like cream, so I just needed to add straight whiskey to get the flavor I desired.   Adding instant coffee granules to whipping cream for a layer of chocolate ganache gave me the right touch of coffee balanced with the chocolate in the homemade cake. ...