While I ponder how fast the seasons come and go, I'll also take a moment to be thankful for each one, regardless of how short they may seem. Right?
I've been thinking about our fast-paced society and how those feelings prompt me to slow down and even do things the old-fashioned way sometimes.
The shop is getting a summer re-style. I've already begun digging into the change of scenery, and I'm inching my way to the room in the back of our shop. No matter how many times I change things—and it happens frequently at Bittersweet—I never get weary or tired of seeing change. It's always a refreshing experience!
My raised beds are starting to show progress. I shot a reel sharing some of the veggies that are popping. This entire project has been and continues to be a learning experience, and I'm enjoying each and every day. I love walking down the brick steps to the beds and witnessing the daily growth. My neighbors if they're watching probably think I'm a bit obsessed, but hey, when was the last time I cared about what my neighbors think? You get a certain age and you realize this. Politely speaking of course, but what you do in your yard is your business. Ha!
When I think of summer I can't help but think of strawberry shortcake with a huge dollop of fresh cream! Summer in the kitchen means less time cooking and more time planning. The slow cooker becomes a helpful tool and I can avoid heating up the oven on hot and humid days. This morning I made Broccoli Beef. I added a few ingredients like fresh ginger and a bit more broth because I love the broth soaking over rice. I used a recipe similar to this one. You can adjust the recipe to your liking. I used stir-fried beef over chuck roast or skirt steak. I prefer the smaller pieces of meat in the dish. I'd kind of like to write another cookbook detailing slow-cooker meals. A Slow Summer Cooker! I wonder if that cookbook name is already in use. When I was working on my books I was curious about same name titles. I learned that titles on books are not required to be copywritten. However, choose your title carefully, because if someone else has the same or similar one it could make or break you. Things I've enjoyed learning.
I ordered in Mood Rings! We had so much fun on Saturday with the rings. The photo depicts two hands, two sisters, and two mood rings. We were amazed at how many times the ring color changed before capturing the image. I'm fond of this ring because it's stainless. The rings will be available at our shop soon. The two sisters were the first to see them on Saturday as I hadn't even got them out of the shipping box. I've also ordered more because I can't help but think that since they're back around again I get a second chance to admire them all these years later. Little things.
I've ordered a few outsourcing pieces for our shop. If you're familiar with Bittersweet you know we're quite fastidious about our outsourcing. The things we make are made with the best quality ingredients. We expect other brands to deliver just as we do.
I had a customer come in a few weeks ago, and we got to chatting about outsourcing. She made a comment suggesting I must think that I'm perfect. Whoa! Not by any stretch! However, the products and items we make are crafted with the intent of offering the best ingredients and craftsmanship.
When one person makes everything, they are aware of every step that goes into the process. This attention to detail ensures that every product meets our high standards. Having a single person oversee the creation process also means they have a keen vision of what should and shouldn't be included, resulting in superior quality and consistency. This is what I explained to her. Sometimes folks don't even realize or contemplate that concept. I'll leave it at that.
One of the outsourcing items that recently arrived at our shop is the dried flower bouquets. After a thorough inspection, and what I refer to as a Bittersweet inspection I'm pleased as a pudding with the everlasting arrangements! We have several other outsourcing items that I'd like to share in another post and time.
We shared a post about the large baking bowls on our social media platforms. Many years ago before our original hardware store was closing the owner invited me to the basement where in amazement my eyes witnessed a treasure grove of days gone by essentials. I purchased a couple of those baking bowls only to wish that I'd picked up a few more all these years later. Boggess Hardware is and was a destination in its day. I'm old enough to remember the old wooden drawers that were filled with varieties of nuts and bolts of all shapes and sizes. I remember being fascinated by that spool drawer. I must have been in my early thirties when Boggess closed their doors. What a sad day that was! Recalling these moments helps to keep history alive. Good things.
Our summer collection of soaps is starting to arrive! If you've kept up with our summer blog posts then you know that I made Tallow Soap a few weeks ago. The Tallow Soap recipe was designed around frothy lather and lots of moisturizing suds! That means the soap also contains coconut. Coconut oil is the lathering buster in all soap! I'll start wrapping the Tallow Soap soon. The bars will be a bit more than our olive soaps simply because Tallow is trending at the moment and the suppliers are taking advantage of raising the price. I've discovered a few of our already suppliers carry tallow, but it's not grass-fed and finished. This is an important component in making the soap.
Happy Summer!
Jill
