Tasty Tuesday: The Smells of Home

What makes a house feel like a home? For me it is the aroma. I have heard of people comment on how they love the smell of Pine Sol or bleach, denoting a freshly cleaned home. Other people enjoy the fragrance of fresh cut flowers or floral candles or room fresheners. My favorite aroma for a home are the fall smells. Apples baking in pies, nutmeg and cinnamon simmering in a pot of cider on the stove, a pumpkin pie and banana bread cooling on the counter, wood burning in the fireplace. When I experience these aromas I am transported...suddenly the house feels cozy, inviting, homey. 

During the fall the baker in me comes out to play. It cools off enough to use the oven again, and the spices of fall beckon. One thing I do enjoy about showing my home in the fall is the ability to add to that homey feeling for the potential buyer by putting out breads and having a big pot of spiced cider on the stove top. It is so welcoming. 

Here is a recipe to get you started on that fall baking, a yummy apple crisp from Betty Crocker! Bon appetit! ~Marla

French Apple Dessert

Streusel Topping

1

cup Original Bisquick® mix

1/2

cup chopped nuts

1/3

cup packed brown sugar

3

tablespoons firm butter or margarine

Filling

6

cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (4 to 6 medium)

1

cup granulated sugar

3/4

cup Original Bisquick® mix

3/4

cup milk

2

tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

1 1/4

teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4

teaspoon ground nutmeg

2

eggs

Topping

Ice cream or whipped cream, if desired

• 1Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with shortening or cooking spray. In small bowl, mix 1 cup Bisquick mix, the nuts and brown sugar. Cut in 3 tablespoons firm butter with fork or pastry blender until mixture is crumbly; set aside.
• 2Spread apples in baking dish. In medium bowl, stir remaining filling ingredients until blended. Pour over apples. Sprinkle with topping.
• 3Bake about 55 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean; cool slightly, about 30 minutes. Serve warm if desired with ice cream.
• 
  

Home is a Stage?

There are women out there who actually enjoy cleaning. I know this because I have met them. In fact, I have actually become friends with some of them, despite our philosophical differences. I do clean, but purely on an as needed basis. The toilet gets cleaned when it starts to look dirty. My bathroom counter gets cleaned when my hand starts to become inadvertently stuck to it due to hairspray build up. My floor is swept when the dog fur becomes an eyesore. The kitchen is the only area I attack on a daily basis, and even then you may see some clean dishes stacked awaiting placement in an upper cabinet.

This week all that changes. Putting your house on the market is like having guests over 24/7. Hiding toothbrushes and other personal items in drawers, wiping down every surface you can find, cleaning toilets and sinks daily, and following the dogs around the house with a vacuum in hand. Heaven forbid that your home looks like someone is actually living in it!

If you have not sold a home recently, and you are not a frequent viewer of HGTV, TLC, and other cable networks, then you may be unaware of the term “staging” in reference to a home. Having a clean home to show is no longer enough, now it must be “staged.” This means moving half of your furniture into storage, clearing all surfaces, and removing most wall hangings. It is basically a mini moving experience before you have even sold your home. One item per surface is ideal…so the alarm clock and the Kleenex box vie for position on my bedside table. The alarm clock wins…after all, we wouldn’t someone to think we actually blow our noses in our house!

Now I do understand where this is coming from, really I do. In my last post I made some jabs at dirty kitchens and walls that hold collections of crosses. Those types of things are distracting; they draw the eye away from the more important features of the home. They also are the main thing you remember about the home. When someone has looked at ten homes and they are trying to recall details of each, I would prefer they recall the vaulted ceiling in the family room instead of being remembered as the house with the weird statue in the hallway.

On the other hand, I have no problem looking at homes that have nice decorative touches throughout. These things speak of how the people that live there have made it more than just a house; they have made it a home. It makes me think I could make it feel like home as well. I hope I have achieved that balance. After all, as my husband keeps saying…we still have to live here; for now.

~Marla

This Old House

After months of sprucing up, it is ready. Our house goes on the market next week. When we first moved here 11 years ago, it was out of necessity, not desire. We were content in the quad level we called home. We had lived there for 8 years, our children's elementary years were spent in the house with the beautiful sunroom, nice deck, and a yard big enough to play soccer in. The soaring vaulted ceiling in the sunroom had held huge hand chopped Christmas trees, and multiple party's had been held there. It was hard to leave that house with so many good memories inside.

Our move was short, less than one mile away. The house was large and rambling compared to our compact quad. A ranch style home with a finished basement sitting on a quiet cul-de-sac. Our belongings could not begin to fill the home...but we were not moving alone. My mother was coming to live with us, and that was the reason for the move. We needed a larger home, and a ranch style instead of a quad with multiple levels. We were looking for a house with two living areas on the main level, and it was the only house for sale in our town that fit that criteria.

The house needed some TLC, but was certainly large enough. My mother had her own areas, and that was important. She had her own living room, the master bedroom and bath, and even a guest room. Because the home was so large we still had our own living area, bedroom and bath upstairs, as well as a full bath, bedroom, and family room in the basement. There was also a very large game room downstairs that became our sons bedroom. 

Mom did not stay with us long in the house before her health deteriorated further and she needed 24/7 assistance. The assisted living was only 3 blocks away, so visits were frequent and included visits from our dog. Mom loved to show her off to the other residents, putting her through her repertoire of tricks, the favorite being the command "Bang", to which she would promptly fall to her back.

Somehow over the years, we managed to keep the house full, even as our children grew up and moved out. My most precious memories are in this house. Memories of my children decked out for prom. My son celebrating his high school football career at a surprise party in his honor. My daughter and her new husband opening wedding gifts with both families gathered round. My mother making soup at the stove.

 This old house has been very special to us, and as we prepare to let it go...I say...thanks for the memories old friend.


~Marla

Home Improvement

I am finding myself in an unfortunate quandary. Now that I am at home full time I am bothered more by all the home improvement projects that need to be done. On the other hand, the money to do something about them is limited. Add to that fact that my husband would rather have a root canal than work on a DIY project, and it really becomes an issue! 

Yesterday we did finish up one small project. I had started painting the dining room. Painting is something I can do in small spurts and I can change position frequently. It takes me a little longer with my many breaks, but I can get it done. As we have a tray style ceiling in our dining room we painted it the same color as the wall. Or I should say my husband did. I sat on a chair pointing out all the places he missed ;) We had to remove the ceiling fan to paint and had decided to replace the 30 year old fan with a new one. Oh boy.

Now, let me point out that we have been together longer than the life of that old fan. But projects like this are not the reason why. The first thing I noticed was my son fleeing the house with his fiancé in tow. Chicken! The second was the constant low grumblings of my husband. Upon listening quite carefully I could make out, “You know I hate doing these types of things”, being repeated like a mantra under his breath. My job was to read the directions and keep him informed of the next step. No problem!

I will say I rather enjoy putting things together. Following the directions is just like following a recipe!.....My husband does not like to cook. Now, lest you think I am slamming his ability, I am not. I am simply saying he does not enjoy these things. It can make for a stressful time, especially when you are on a ladder, juggling a fan motor, in low light conditions. My husband is a godly man who doesn’t swear. Otherwise I’m sure a stream of curse words would have been swirling about the room!

The end result is a beautiful new fan and lights and a freshly painted room! Our son and his fiancé returned with impeccable timing! Just as my husband was moving the dining room table back into place. As I talked later with my future daughter-in-law, she stated that my son has the same aversion to DIY projects as my husband. Apparently it is a genetic condition. Lucky girl!

Have a great one! ~Marla

Feeding the Birds

There are times I definitely feel older. I don’t mean the aches and pains; it is more a state of mind. And not in a bad way either. Various ads, magazine articles and books extol the virtues of staying young. As the boomers start to leave middle age the encouraging mantra is, "You're only as old as you feel", "Sixty is the new forty." Really? Well, maybe in some aspects. Health care is such that we live longer, healthier lives. And staying physically active longer is a good thing. But growing older isn't such a bad thing is it? I love quotes, so I took a look at what I could find on growing older. This is just a tiny sampling of what I found.


Age is an issue of mind over matter.  If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.  ~Mark Twain
The years teach much which the days never knew.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Do not regret growing older.  It is a privilege denied to many.  ~Author Unknown
Grow old with me!  The best is yet to be.  ~Robert Browning
Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty - they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.  ~Martin Buxbaum
It's important to have a twinkle in your wrinkle.  ~Author Unknown
Old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.  ~Quoted by Francis Bacon, Apothegm


I spent a couple of hours at my daughter's house yesterday. She had yard work to do, and I sat in a lawn chair providing moral support. When I compare our yards this is what I see.....less attention to detail, less to draw the eye, less to listen to, less to tend to. Now I know I am generalizing somewhat here, but for myself, I saw it as a difference in where we are in our lives. She is at a point of busyness. No time to slow down, nor really any desire to do so. Home is where your closet and laptop are, where you throw parties and have friends over to hang out. And as a twenty something with no kids, I would say that is typical.


Home for me is my nest. A place I can be myself, wear what I want, do what I want. A place to slow down and enjoy peace. Flowers in bloom in beds and in pots on the porch. A pond to reflect upon. Wind chimes to bring notes on the breeze. Bird feeders filling the area outside my window, bringing beauty and song to my back porch. I love feeding the birds, slowing down, watching them. It wasn't always this way. When I was in my daughters shoes, I had none of this. But now, I feel older. Older, but more content. Older, but more observant. Older, but less rushed. Not really such a bad trade off in my opinion.
~Marla