Autumn Aromatherapy

New products are here for the fall season....who doesn't love the aromas of pumpkin, clove, cinnamon? Mmmmm.......I also made batches of Mandarin Coconut and Key Lime Pie soaps.....Autumn in Florida delights! (from left to right: Pumpkin Spice, Mandarin Coconut, and Key Lime Pie). For more information on their ingredients and benefits, visit my website at www.driftingbythesea.com

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies

Who says you can't have cookies for breakfast? These delicious treats beat a donut, muffin, or greasy hash browns any day.

Peanut Butter ~ Oatmeal ~ Chocolate Chip
Breakfast Cookies 

Ingredients:

2 Ripe Bananas, Mashed
3/4 C. Crunchy Peanut Butter
1/2 C. Applesauce (unsweetened)
1/4 C. Maple Syrup
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
Dash of Ground Cloves
Dash of Ground Nutmeg
Pinch of Salt
1 1/2 C. Quick or Old Fashioned Oats
3/4 C. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 C. Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpart or parchment paper and set aside. Mix together the bananas, peanut butter, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla, and spices. Add in the oats, chocolate chips, and coconut; stir until well combined.
Scoop 2" rounds of the cookie mixture onto the baking sheet, placing a few more chocolate chips on top of each cookie. Bake for 20 minutes and allow to cool slightly on cooling rack. Enjoy!

Note: You can substitute by using almond butter instead of peanut butter.

Other ingredients that would be fun to add include: raisins, walnut, or even shredded zucchini. Ooohhhh, maybe I'll try the zucchini next time now that sounds delish!

Share my link with your friends if you want! :-)

Enjoy!

Weekend projects

When not working I love to tackle fun little projects like this from my fabulous yard sale finds. It helps me unwind after a week of working on the business so I can come back to my Monday refreshed and inspired :-)

 

I found this cute little old desk at a yard sale about a year ago. It FINALLY got the attention it deserved. I painted it light pink, and the top with chalkboard paint. I had this little wicker chair already, so that's what it got. But the chair will probably be replaced. 

 

My original intent with these little signs was to make some wine coasters using burlap as the backdrop. What I didn't think of was that the little burlap squares might not be create a stable enough surface for a delicate wine glass. So, I just added a little burlap strands cut from my big stash burlap cloth, and ta da! Flaired with parchment paper cut out quotes I got from a hobby store. Little inspirations wall hangings.

What are some of your fun ways to relax and unwind on the weekend?

Summertime Brews

This week I have been making my own iced tea. I love water and don't really drink anything else besides water usually except Kombucha, green juice, and smoothies. But with all the herbs growing in my garden I'm always trying to find uses for them and who doesn't love a beautiful looking iced tea in the summer to cool off? This week I have been making my two favorites: Hibiscus Mint and Ginger Lemongrass. This is a picture of Hibiscus Mint. I used dried hibiscus flowers and fresh spearmint leaves. Check out the beautiful red color the hibiscus gives this tea! All you need to do is put your favorite herb combination in purified water, and let it sit out in the sun all day. Around dinnertime, I strain out the herbs with a spaghetti strainer and place the tea in the fridge after pouring everyone a glass with ice :-) What's your favorite summertime herbal brew combination?

Summer Traditions

How is your summer starting out so far?
Yesterday, I took my daughters almost an hour to a cute little blueberry farm, braving the heat but enjoying each bead of sweat as we laughed and walked picking, picking, and more picking. Once you start it's really hard to stop!

 

I'm such a sucker for a big red tractor! 

 

Mmmmm these have been delicious! I can't wait to come up with some yummy recipes to use them, but lately they have been like candy popping them in my mouth. I hear Blueberry Crumble, Blueberry pancakes, and Blueberry Jam calling my name. I wonder how Blueberry Soap would turn out? :-)

 

Lately back home in the garden, everything is flourishing includes tons of Passionflower Vine. It pops up randomly in all kinds of places but I have such a hard time pulling it up, because it attracts the Giant Black Swallowtail butterfly and others such as the one above. Monarch? I don't know I'm not good with butterfly identification like I really should be!

 

Coral Honeysuckle is hanging all over my garden arbor, I love looking for hummingbirds on these blooms as I walk into the garden.

This morning I spotted a yellow water lily in bloom in my pond. It closes up at night but during the day it really lights up the pond especially today which was mostly overcast it was such a lovely addition to the water. 

I hope your summer is off to a great start! How has your garden been inspiring you lately?

A Walk through my Spring Garden

It's Spring here in Florida and soooo much is in bloom, so I wanted to show you all the wonders of living in Florida. Most people when they first move here or even those who have lived here for awhile but don't know much about native plants have a hard time knowing the seasons change, but I always know because things are always in bloom with my native plant landscape.

 Senna (Cassia)

 Coontie

 

Beach Verbena 

 

Black Eyed Susans and Gaillardia (Blanket Flower) 

 

Red Sage

 

My front yard is a field of Sunshine Mimosa instead of grass. It requires no water, no fertilizer, and has these beautiful pink flowers that attracts butterflies and my favorite, grasshoppers.

 

French Lavender, I harvested this morning. It's so hard to harvest because it looks so pretty but I know if I keep the blooms on there too long, they will turn brown and I won't have a nice dried bouquet or extra lavender to use in products.

 

Scorpion Tail

 

False Indigo

Well as you can see, lots in bloom right now and this wasn't even everything! Do you have any native plants in your yard, wherever you may life? Do you love them? I sure do! Have a happy spring day!

Autumn in Florida

 I'm loving the Bald Cypress pine cones forming right now and the leaf litter under the tree.

 Nature's mulch, spread naturally under the trees provides nutrients and minerals, plus it looks beautiful and helps to feed the earth.

 

One of our sweetgum trees getting ready to change colors. 

 

Who doesn't love those little delicate Rosemary flowers? Almost always in bloom here in Florida. We have Rosemary shrubs in abundance around our home.

 Goldenrod makes a brilliant fall appearance with it's golden "rods" of color. I love the old red rusty wheelbarrow in the background.

 

My new Aster plant given to me by my friend Sharon at Maple Street Natives.

 

Scorpion Tail. I love this plant, up close it's really like a scorpion's tail. From far away, the delicate white flowers looks dainty and cute. White flowers are essential in the landscape because they help light up the landscape naturally in the evening.

 

Lavender in bloom again. I enjoyed another harvest again this weekend. Who says Lavender can't grow in Florida? They were wrong.

 

I love this happy, little meadow of our Mimosa lawn. No grass, no water, no fertilizer. And still green.

 

And, lastly, a handful of acorns. Walking around in the yard I love the crunching beneath my feet and I know the trees are being fed. 

I hope you have a happy day today and enjoy some sights and sounds of native plants in your area!