The change in season is upon us and with it comes the new routine and activities. The kids are back in school and signed up for soccer this fall. I have begun the cleaning process in the garden and around the yard while Bill tackled some of the miscellaneous repairs and unfinished projects in and around the house. The days are full and the list of things to do is unending. Finding some quiet time to yourself to unwind… with a hot cup of coffee and a good book to read is always an excellent idea.
After the last photo of this Plum Cake was taken and some of the precut pieces were shared with the family, the temptation to sample another little piece was definitely on my mind. And of course, I gave in repeatedly throughout the day until only some crumbs and a piece or two were left. This is a sweet-light cake with a slight tartness from the addition of plums. A simple and versatile cake to pair with coffee or tea for breakfast, slice a piece for an afternoon snack, or serve it as an after dinner dessert. Before serving the plum cake, sprinkle it with confectioners’ sugar or top it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream. Simply delicious!
I hope you are enjoying the warm weather and soaking in the long summer days. It has been awhile since my last post, and I hope to get back into the swing of things after the summer break. I’ve been posting on Instagram @whitegunpowderliftstyle, of our daily happenings and thoughts if you want to check it out and follow us there. If you were to ask me about my summer, “busy” would describe it. But, if you were to glance at my bare calendar with a few penciled in reminders it would contradict what I just said. The daily life has been filled with mostly little things that come in waves depending on the weather or who one of my kids is in contact with. There was one big travel plan for Bill and our daughter, Grace, to explore the country of Turkey and Greece in July. After much thought, we decided to cancel it with so much uncertainty and unrest happening in that part of the world. Staying close to home felt like the right thing to do this summer.
This blog post is a follow up to my last year’s blog post, Summer (teen) packing list…destination Cape Cod. My intention was to put it together and share the photos my daughter, Hannah took on her trip to the east coast. Soon after she came back, life had a way of changing things and it was put off and shoved on a shelf {in a computer file} to collect dust for over a year until I came upon it recently. I hope you enjoy this follow up post of the beautiful beaches of Plum Island and a visit to a favorite lighthouse in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
Gazpacho is an ideal summertime soup to make and enjoy on a hot day. With a little bit of prep time, this classic tomato-base Spanish soup comes together quickly. There are many wonderful variations of the recipe to try. My personal favorite uses fresh vegetables chopped into small pieces combined with other ingredients to bring out the right balance of chunky-crunchy texture and tangy-spicy flavor in every spoonful. This recipe is versatile, feel free to adjust the ingredients to suit your taste. A simple and delicious soup to serve as an appetizer, as a part of the main course, or as a healthy snack.
I’m sharing my current go-to favorites to use for eyes, lips, and all-over face coverage. When it comes to makeup I like to keep it simple for my everyday look. For most days, it takes me about 10 to 15 minutes to apply my makeup and I’m done. They are basic pieces from well known brands that I’ve come to rely on for other products such as blush and lipstick to complete the look. To have good quality beauty products to build on will help to make adding other specific pieces to your collection a little easier.
