Happy Saturday and welcome to Saturday Meanderings. I love chatting with you on this weekend morning about all the good (mostly) things that are occurring this week. Tonight we are hosting a wine tasting here at our home, which we offered as a charitable item for the Scottsdale Artist School. I will try and take lots of pictures as we hope to have great wine, good food and charming company.

Tiger Eye Flowering Maple

Do you ever go to the nursery and buy something you know nothing about? I have never seen a Tiger Eye flowering maple. Apparently they grow very well here and we did buy two of these plants. I just love the flowers and I wonder if they will dry, like Chinese lanterns. Wouldn’t they be fun for autumn decorating?

The plumber arrived on Thursday and we, unfortunately, did need to take up part of the floor in my daughter’s bathroom. After moving the clawfoot tub, the plumber indicates that the original installation was “jury-rigged”. Groan. So a new drain pipe is installed and I am determining the extent of the damage to the floor and floor tiles. It may be time to replace the whole thing. Not sure a patch job will look good, even if it is under the tub. More to come on this. Cha-ching. If you missed the post about the leak, click here.

Battery Operated Candles

Just a reminder to take your battery operated candles inside during warm weather. We use these candles ALOT during the cooler months as they provide such a pretty ambiance in lanterns and on the table. However, one warm day and look what happens. The candle still works and maybe I can use it as a Halloween decoration?

Kimonos

I love the look of a pretty kimono. Not only is it fashionable, but they do a great job of hiding the backside. There is one at Chico’s that seems quite pretty, but I have a hard time spending over $100 on this.

Last year, I did buy this yellow one from Amazon for $23.99 and each time I wear it, I get many compliments. Simply draped over white jeans and a white t-shirt or tank, it’s a nice look. So I went back on Amazon and purchased two more designs. I will let you know if I like the new colors.

Going for a Garden Win

Gardening this year has been a bit of a challenge due to the pests who have invaded the garden. However, I am determined to get ahead of their destruction. This week I did cover the garden with tulle. A new blog post will be coming out about this endeavor but hopefully, this fabric will do a better job of keeping out the critters.

The Plight of the Strawberries

As you know, one of my garden goal’s this year is to have LOTS of strawberries. Well, the plants I ordered online all died and I’ve been trying to replenish them with local plants. Slowly, I am getting strawberries ripening one at a time. This gal may end up buying strawberries to make anything yummy! Why do homegrown strawberries taste differently than store bought?

Everything is Blooming

It is a beautiful time of year to take brisk walks around the neighborhood. All the flowering trees are blooming. Since I don’t have any allergies, I find it all so beautiful. And I love how the ground turns yellow with all the blossoms!

I don’t mean to complain

Typically I try and keep a positive attitude on most things, but I have to say who the heck designed the sign-up system for Medicare? What a painful process. I consider myself relatively bright and navigating through this bureaucratic system is indeed frustrating. Not to mention none of my doctors (not that I have many) take Medicare and I am paying more than my old private insurance plan. Ah, the fun of turning 65!

I just started reading Rhys Bowen’s The Venice Sketchbook. Since I love Venice and art, this is becoming such an enjoyable read. Two women, generations apart, escape to Venice to find answers to secrets. As one reader states, Rhy’s writing is “glorious and atmospheric”.

As you know I am very partial to Rhys Bowen’s books, as I am a character in one of them. To read that post, click here.

Well, this wraps up Saturday Meanderings. Thank you for all your positive comments about the new blog series, Room by Room! I am excited to share more of my home with you. If you missed that post, you can see it here.

Have a terrific weekend! Our son and his friends will be arriving back to Phoenix today after exploring Arizona and Utah. Can’t wait to hear about their adventures.

For many years I did cook for large groups of high school athletic boys, in addition to my family of 5. However, since we are now empty nesters, a meal may consist of cheese and crackers and a glass of wine. Funny how one adapts! But having a house full of guests this week, with healthy 25-26 year old young men, I am quickly reminded of how much they love to eat. Here are a few of my “go to” recipes for feeding a crowd.

Breakfast

Generally, I like to do a breakfast spread that can stay out for a few hours to allow our guests to come in and eat when they want. This egg casserole is delicious either hot or cold.

Depending on the size of the piece, it can feed a lot of people. Since it is an easy recipe, it is generally served at our July 4th brunch and holiday weekends. See blog post and recipe here.

We are also blessed with having a lot of oranges from the orchard. The trees need to be gleaned when the first orange blossoms occur. So there is a wheel barrow full of them and perfect for squeezing fresh orange juice~again something that can be made ahead of time. Or it’s fun to engage your guests into squeezing the fruit too.

For beverages, everyone gets a quick tutorial on how to use the Nespresso machine so they can help themselves to coffee, espresso or lattes in the morning. The coffee station has everything you need from German rock sugar to Torani flavored syrups. Coffee cups are handy and available.

Other Breakfast Ideas

Homemade granola (see recipe here).

Quiche (use store bought pie crusts for extra ease).

Breakfast pizza with store bought pizza dough (add bacon/sausage, eggs, cheese, herbs).

Lunch

Lunch has been relatively easy with this group of friends because they love Arizona tacos~something difficult to find in Washington, DC. Taco crawls to different places are a way to taste the authentic Mexican food which is abundant here.

But if I need to prepare something, I would suggest a sandwich bar with deli cuts of meat, lettuce, tomatoes, spreads (mustard, mayo, pickled onions) and a great bread or bun (or homemade sourdough bread)! A few bags of different chips and you are good to go.

Another easy solution is the heating up the pizzas I recently found from Naples, Italy. They come directly from the source, packaged beautifully in quantities of 8 and a wonderful item to keep on hand in your freezer. Add some more toppings and 10-12 minutes in the oven and you have an authentic Italian 10″ wood-fired pizza. I am getting ready to order another batch from Talia di Napoli. See resource here.

Dinner

You can’t go wrong with steaks on the grill and a big salad. I also just tried Rachel Ray’s lemon smashed potatoes, which can be made ahead of time. Everyone said they were delicious as I could not indulge being on my Fast Metabolism diet. Here’s the recipe and sorry, I failed to take any pictures of them.

One recipe that is simple to make and does feed a crowd is lasagna. Using store bought tomato sauce and oven-ready lasagna noodles (see here) helps with the quick preparation of this dish. The tomato sauce I always use is Rao’s, if I don’t have any homemade sauce available. You can find it at most grocery stores, Costco and on Amazon here. It does not contain any sugar (check the label as most pasta sauces have lots of sugar).

What makes this recipe flexible is that you can make it with zucchini instead of pasta. Also, you can add beef, turkey or sausage if you like or not. I find it helpful to make a smaller casserole of vegetarian lasagna at the same time. Both freeze well too.

Lasagna, a big salad, garlic bread and a nice bottle of red wine and dinner is served.

Desserts

Whipping up a batch of chocolate chip cookies takes me approximately 17 minutes from start to finish. How do I know this?

While in high school, my son would ALWAYS ask me to make cookies. One night, I was very tired and getting ready to head to bed and he made another cookie inquiry. I suppose I could have said no, but I knew he had more studying to do. With his help, we made them together very quickly….about 17 minutes.

Having the ingredients on hand makes a difference! I sprinkle the top with Maldon smoked sea salt flakes for an extra flavor. You can source it here.

Another easy dessert is a Fruit Crisp. Apples, pears, peaches, cherries…really any fruit works. With a crispy, oatmeal/brown sugar/butter topping, all you will need is a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Here is the recipe to my favorite peach crisp. Just substitute another fruit and double the recipe if you are serving many.

Hopefully with the world opening up you will be entertaining with lots of people soon. Fresh food sources are the key to making great food! Do you have any tried and true recipes for feeding a crowd? If so, please do share.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

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P.S. Just a reminder that any words that are italicized bring you to the source. If it is a product on Amazon, please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you purchase something through my website, I receive a small (very small!) stipend, which doesn’t affect the price you pay at all. My goal is to make sourcing the items easy for you. Thank you for your continued support.

With daily life here at Bella Terra, I tend to just take some things for granted. After having house guests the last few days, it is fun to see our home through other peoples’ eyes. Since we are immersed in our homes daily, we tend to overlook the details. I thought I would start a new series, Room by Room, where I can share each room of my home in detail with you.

Someone once told me that the photos of our house don’t do it justice. I agree. It is difficult to capture the essence of a room in a one dimensional picture. But I hope to do a better job of explaining why each room in our home is special to us.

I would like to start with our living room, because this past weekend we experienced a flood. One of our guests was showering in the room above the living room. While I was heading to the front door to welcome more guests, I heard what sounded like rain…..inside the house. Loud, torrential rain. Yep~the water was pouring down from the living room ceiling onto my linen sofa, end tables with my cherished books and the Oriental rug. A lot of water.

Here is how the living room currently looks. With towels and fans, the rug is finally dry. The sofa is stained and the plumber will arrive on Wednesday. My fear is the leak is from a broken pipe in the ceiling (or under the bathroom floor).

In spite of the current state of disarray, here is what I love about this 15′ x 28′ room. The photos in this post are collected over time.

The Light

Facing east, this room gets the morning sun. Gently bathed in sunlight, the shadows are long and soft. Each morning when I walk down the stairs, I pause to peek into the living room, grateful for another day.

The Coffered Ceiling

Original to the house, the ceiling is coffered. A coffer in architecture is a series of sunken panels in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault. With our 9 feet tall ceilings there are 9 coffers.

The Fireplace

Due to its grandeur, the fireplace is the focal point of the room. Spanning nearly 10 feet long, the mantel is nice and deep (17″) which is perfect for decorating for the holidays. To see more about this beautiful mantel, click here.

When we first bought the house, the tiles around the fireplace were painted black. After stripping them, we discovered they are Batchelder tiles, which are highly desirable tiles from the early 1900s Arts and Crafts movement.

On either side of the fireplace opening are two brass hooks known as jamb hooks. Originally I thought the hooks were to secure a screen, but after some research, they are just a place to hang your fireplace tools.

The Windows and Doors

Eight panes over one make up the double-hung windows located in the south-east corner of the room. French doors to the library and family room are in the photo above. What results is a room with air flow, light and a terrific traffic pattern.

Multi-Uses

The living room’s function is divided into four areas: Main gathering, music (piano), board games and desk. The game table also makes a lovely setting for a romantic dinner. In the opposite corner, sits a black baby Grand Yamaha piano.

The inlaid Hepplewhite secretary is from Philadelphia between 1790 and 1800. The doors have 13 glass panels for the original 13 colonies.

Between the game table and the secretary sits my husband’s grandfather’s clock, from his days working at Talley Industries (who owned General Time Corporation at the time). The gentle ticking with the swinging pendulum and the Westminster chimes are soothing sounds.

The Paintings

When the children were approximately 2 1/2 to 3 years old, we commissioned Virginia Cook, a local artist, to paint them. She is such a talented person and truly captured their nature…and their favorite things.

The three paintings hang over the fireplace and are cherished items.

The Flooring

This room has the original Canadian beechwood floors. Solid wood, 3/4″ thick with planks spanning nearly 12 feet~such materials and workmanship just doesn’t exist today. But these floors have lasted for the last 110 years and will continue to do so. They are so well built that we have no floor squeaks.

Many happy holiday memories are in the walls of this room. Choosing soft blues and cream adds to its serenity.

I hope you enjoy Room by Room. Please let me know if you do and I’ll share another room soon. And also keep your fingers crossed that my plumbing problem is a minor one!

Happy Tuesday!

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday #646

Happy Saturday! Every time I type this I feel like each and every week is just flying by so quickly. It’s been another busy week and currently we have a house filled with guests. Pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee or tea and let’s chat about the week.

Some of my favorites

Even though I am always looking for ways to get off the computer and mobile phone, I am always inspired by these blog sites.

Cheap Old Houses

If you love renovation or want to move somewhere more affordable, Cheap Old Houses is a fun site. Called Instagram’s most addictive rabbit hole this website shows affordable homes all around the country and world.

I do sometime fantasize about purchasing a historical villa in Italy and restoring it. Cheap Old Houses is free to view. To get Cheap Old Houses Abroad is a $6.00 per month, but worthy entertainment!

The Glam Pad

Just the opposite of Cheap Old Houses is The Glam Pad. Andrea is a firm believer in timeless classic style with a generous dose of English sensibility, Southern charm, Old Hollywood glamour, and Palm Beach whimsy! According to Andrea’s website, “I am passionate about historic preservation, antiques, and old-fashioned traditions such as needlepoint, tea, and handwritten letters.” A person after my own heart. If you are looking for beautiful photos and design inspiration, check out The Glam Pad.

Getting Ready for Guests

As I mentioned earlier this week, my son is home with 6 of his friends. They plan to explore Arizona and Utah next week in camping vehicles. We get to have them for the weekend before and after~which, of course, is just delightful.

Lots of beds = lots of clean linens. There is nothing better than freshly washed sheets drying outside on the clothes line. I wish I could bottle that smell. This is also a good time for me to check the condition of towels and pillows and replace if necessary. In a later post, I will share what I do to prepare for house guests.

New Things Coming

I am excited to join a group of other like minded bloggers who love gardening. Starting in May we will have a monthly blog hop talking about our gardens.

What will make it interesting is that we are all located in different parts of the country and growing zones, so where I may be harvesting, others are just sowing seeds.

If you aren’t familiar with my sweet blogging friends, I recommend you check them out. Kim from Shiplap and Shells, Stacy from Bricks ‘n Blooms and Chas from Chas Crazy Creations. More to come!

Barbecue Tile

Last Spring, we added tile to the back of the grill area (see post here). Prior to tile, we had plaster and I shudder to think how skanky and dirty it became over the years. Last night we grilled steaks and here is what the tile looks like after one meal. The photo doesn’t represent how dirty the tile is, but trust me, it looks filthy.

Krud Kutter did such a good job cleaning the kitchen cooking area (see post here) so I decide to try it on the very greasy and dirty tile. Again, the minute I spray this concentrated cleaner/degreaser on the tile, you can smell it working.

The grease melts away easily. The most difficult part is getting my butt up there to do this!

And here is how the tile looks after using Krud Kutter. I cannot recommend this product enough. Here is a link to this non-toxic, biodegradable product.

Do You Knit?

When my girls were younger, we took a knitting lesson. Well, I haven’t really stuck with it, but my daughter, Julianna, knits……beautifully. Now after seeing her latest project, I am inspired to start knitting again. Unfortunately, I just know how to knit and purl….nothing fancy and often with dropped stitches.

Check out this amazing blanket she is currently making with a garter, stockinette, and diagonal basketweave stitch.

Even the back side is attractive.

She is approximately half way through making this blanket. Perfect for her to do while you are using a head set and working virtually.

Please let me know if you knit or crochet. I’ve never done crochet before but I am thinking about taking up something to do at night while watching television.

That wraps up another Saturday Meanderings. Enjoy your weekend and hopefully there won’t be any more snow back east! So crazy as we are in the 70s-80s here.

If you missed any posts this week, check out my birthday trip to Castle Hot Springs here and all about Raising Chickens here.

Also, if you like this post, please pin on Pinterest.

It is not very often in life when you get to go somewhere so magical, so unique that it leaves a lasting impression. Fortunately, for my birthday celebration, my sweet spouse arranged a visit to Castle Hot Springs. The kudos actually goes to my son who made us aware of this amazing destination (even though he lives in Washington, DC) based on this Wall Street Journal article.

History

Only 50 miles north of Phoenix, nestled in the Bradshaw Mountains, Castle Hot Springs opened in 1896 and was a wintertime retreat for Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, Pews, Astors and Carnegies. The WSJ states, “It’s like a tornado picked up a five-star resort and dropped it in the middle of a desert valley”. Tycoons and captains of industry would take a Pullman car and then a long stagecoach ride to stay for the season.

Rich in history, Castle Hot Springs gets its name from the mineral-rich thermal waters running beneath the property. The healing properties of these waters, which flow at a rate of 200,000 gallons per day would take “frail boys and girls and develop them into robust manhood and womanhood”. John F. Kennedy recovered here for several months after his combat injuries, as this also served as a military rehabilitation center after World War II.

In 1976, a devastating fire destroyed the main lodge at the resort and the resort lay dormant for the next 40 years.

Fortunately, a local businessman and his wife purchased the property in 2014 and spent millions of dollars bringing it back to life. Their 5 year “passion project” on this 210-acre parcel is now my birthday experience! Dubbed the cousin to Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, this all inclusive resort has 32 rooms. Expansion plans are anticipated.

What makes this idyllic retreat so appealing, is that it is so hard to get to. The hotel sits at the end of an unpaved 7 mile road, which is subject to flash floods. But when you arrive, the scene is breathtaking.

Farm to Table

I love to garden and the gardens at Castle Hot Springs provide a large percentage of the food for the guests. Taking the farm tour from Ian, the head agronomist, is a lesson in new varieties and experimentation. Ian plants different types of fruits, vegetables and herbs producing fresh results at every meal. Striving to grow the most unique and diverse ingredients, the garden is more like his laboratory.

At the end of the tour, we sample the vegetables~some completely new hybrids grown only here at Castle Hot Springs.

Even the bartenders go out and pick fresh herbs to garnish their beverages, while creating a beautiful, fragrant display at the bar.

Unique touches, like using the stalk of a fava bean plant as a straw, is what makes this place so special.

Activities and Adventure

Naturally, there is a plethora of hiking trails. The rocks rise like a cathedral in the Bradshaw Mountains. The air is so clean and clear.

With a long and illustrious past, we visit the Wells Fargo cave~where the money was kept and guarded from bandits.

From horseback riding to helicopter tours, there are many activities to choose. We did archery, Wild West shooting of replica guns from the 1800 and 1900s. But the star of the show is the hot springs. Three pools with varying temperatures are nestled in the rocks above the resort. And without the typical rotten-egg smell most often associated with hot springs.

Even though we only stayed two nights, this adventure is filled with rest and relaxation. There is something sacred about this secret location. A 90 minute massage is also responsible for starting this birthday celebration off correctly!

I cannot say enough about the staff. You can tell from their demeanor that everyone loves working in this environment. We did feel both welcomed and pampered~just perfect.

What made this location so unique is all the history, the trailblazing spirit of the owners over time and now the Watts family has revitalized an important part of Arizona history. Experiencing it is indeed the best of birthday gifts.

Happy Tuesday! I have a very busy week in store as we are expecting our son to visit with six of his friends. Nothing better than a household full!

Special thanks to the staff that made our stay at the Castle Hot Springs memorable:

Bevin~you need to write the Bodacious Beverages by Bevin book

Ryan and Josh~thanks for being patient with my ambidextrous shooting

Eric, Robert, Amber, Shane and Sarah-thanks for making each meal memorable

Marcin~thanks for the lemon slice tutorial

Bradley~for the archery and transportation

Christy~such powerful and therapeutic hands

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Welcome to Saturday Meanderings where we just chat about anything and everything! Grab a cup of Joe or tea and I am so happy you are joining me today!

Today is my birthday. I am 65 years old. How the heck did that happen? Quite honestly, I feel 25 on the inside, yet the outside is definitely showing some wear and tear. So here is what 65 years old looks like. Granted, this is after a hair cut and some make-up, but I still feel quite young and vibrant.

Needless to say, we are off celebrating this weekend and I’m very excited! Our destination is Castle Hot Springs, a 1,100 acre ranch secluded in an Arizona canyon with natural hot springs.

We may not celebrate my birthday in style every year, but my husband gets kudos for planning this. Click here to see the surprise trip to Blackberry Farm for my 60th birthday.

An Unexpected Trip

Earlier this week, we drove to see my cousins in Victorville, CA. Unfortunately, my sweet cousin, John recently received a challenging diagnosis and we hope our visit provided some fun and laughter. Since we grew up in opposite ends of the country, it is wonderful to hear family stories from their perspective.

I have never been to Victorville or Apple Valley and it is a delightful place in the high desert of the state. Listed as one of the top 100 places to live, I can certainly see why. Warm during the day, the temperature drops at night for the perfect sleeping weather. They live in a wonderful, patriotic community with a view out to the snow covered San Bernadino mountains.

Books on Tape

I guess the books really aren’t on “tape” but during the roundtrip 11 hour car drive to California, we listen to Audible books. In my opinion, the success of an audible book is the narrator. Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon and beautifully narrated by Alex Tregear, is 8 hours and 7 minutes long and is considered a cozy historical mystery. We did enjoy it and it seems to make the drive go by faster.

What’s Blooming

April is the month where I believe our property is at its all-time best. Here is a snapshot of what’s blooming now.

The iris are in the middle of showing their delicate petals.

After whacking back the rose bushes in January, they always make a gorgeous comeback.

The photo at the top of the post is a bouquet of the heirloom roses (Quatre Saisons) that have been on the property for decades. I tried propagating them last spring (to no avail), but if you want to try rose propagation, I have a great tutorial on it here.

Every time I see a snapdragon I remember showing the children how to make them open and close like a mouth. Even the petals look like they have teeth, right? For some reason, the snapdragons are huge and abundant this spring.

And those hollyhocks are taking over the property. They are EVERYWHERE! I still have many seeds that I am happy to share (just email me at marycrz@cox.net).

San Miguel de Allende

This destination is on my bucket list. Has anyone ever been there? San Miguel de Allende, a colonial-era city in Mexico’s central highlands, is known for its baroque Spanish architecture, thriving arts scene and cultural festivals.

Getting there isn’t fast or inexpensive. However, I do dream about going there someday. In my saved files, I am keeping this Belmont hotel, Casa de Sierra Nevada, as a possible future accommodation.

Doesn’t this look just amazing?

Belmond also does the Venice Simplon-Orient Express train~another bucket list destination. Maybe when I become a famous blogger, they will treat me to a trip!

Well, that’s it for Saturday Meanderings. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. I cannot wait to share our adventures at Castle Hot Springs!

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Photographs of me done by Cozy Clicks

Hair done by Roscoe Nichols at Pucci Salon

Makeup done by Kayla Spencer