Today, we briefly set aside our divisions, our trials and our controversies to come together and celebrate the American Spirit in it’s purest form, that of the pioneer, of opportunity and of freedom.
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Finding Nature in the City
The Nature Walk Project, Entry No. 001, Vol. 2
In some areas nature is so prevalent and that it’s practically spoon-fed to you. In other areas you have to seek it out…bend down, look up, look past, and generally ignore foot after foot of concrete. But once you start looking for it, you’ll find that it’s always there, sometimes in the smallest of ways, but it is there.
Hat Trick: Staying Safe in the Summer Sun
Summer is officially underway! It’s time to get outside for picnics, beach trips or just sitting in the park, sipping on sun tea and reading this summer’s best-seller.
When you’re making your way out the door this summer, don’t forget your hat. It’s one of the easiest (and in my opinion, most fashionable) ways to stay safe in the sun. But how does it actually help, you may wonder?
How to Make: Old-Fashioned Sun Tea
Old-fashioned sun tea is a treat that I look forward to every year. I love the way that the slow brewing process makes the tea taste crisper. As I drink it, I can just picture the generations of people before me that sat in rocking chairs out on their porches, sipping on sweet iced sun tea.
Below the Tree – Texture, Pattern, Color Palette v.1
I’ve always loved the idea of looking at everyday objects and finding inspiration in them. I often find myself looking for interesting textures, patterns and colors that evoke an emotion or response from me. This is a palette that I recently put together using photos from a few things that I found beneath a sycamore tree.
Simple Summer Recipe: Mango Salsa
Now that you’ve learned how to dice a mango, what to do with it? You can throw the pieces of one mango into about two cups of your favorite pre-made salsa for tasty semi-homemade recipe. I like to pair mango with a medium or hot salsa because the sweet, cool fruit cuts the heat a little.
If you’re in the mood to make salsa from scratch, give this easy recipe a try.
Gratitude Picture Journal, Entry No. 001
Today I’m grateful for…
Check out more of my Gratitude Picture Journal.
Cutting Mangos Can Get Dicey
Mango season is almost over, so be sure to scoop up a couple of these yummy fruits the next time you’re in the store. When selecting a mango, pick one that is firm with just a small amount of give. You want a firmness between an apple and a ripe peach.
If you haven’t sliced a mango before, then you may not realize that there is a large seed in the center. You need to be careful to avoid cutting the seed because it’s very hard and your knife could slip and…well…bad things man…bad things. Also, don’t cut too close to the seed because the fruit around it is fibrous and not very tasty. Check out the pictorial below for some tips on how to dice a mango!
Now that you have this wonderful bounty, what shall you do with it? It’s tasty as-is, or you can toss it together with some raspberries and blueberries for a fancy fruit salad. There’s mango martinis, mango smoothies or one of my favorites…mango salsa.
No matter what you pick, it’s bound to be delicous because these little guys are at the peak of freshness and flavor through the end of the month.
Enjoy!
The Nature Walk Project, Calendar: November 2012
Please feel free to download this month’s calendar page for your personal use as a printed wall calendar or electronically as the desktop background on your computer.
very time I head out on one of my nature walks, I can’t help but be enamored with the beauty that nature has to offer. All too often that beauty is fleeting, as lovely plants and habitats change with the seasons and never look exactly the same twice. I find myself so hypnotized by this fleeting beauty that I will take photo after photo trying to capture just the right angle so I can look back and remember where I was standing, what it felt like and the colors of that moment. While this is a lovely way to remember the places I’ve been, it often results in an abundance of photos. So I’ve decided to turn at least one of my nature walk photos into a calendar page each month. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading and virtually joining me on all of my nature walks.
This month’s calendar page features brilliantly colored, pink seed pods on a Maple tree that grows near my home. I hope you have a wonderful November!
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Click here to learn more about The Nature Walk Project.