Hello, Y'all!

This post is to announce the launch of my new website and blog! I have been working to consolidate my website and blog! I have completely moved everything under the name "A Visual Anthology". It's been a long, slow process, but I've finally made the leap!

Here is my new address!

www.AVisualAnthology.com

And if you want to link directly to my blog, the address is:

www.AVisualAnthology.com/blog

Thank you so much for following my blog! I hope you continue to follow my work at my new address! :)

Cheers!

-Andie

dandelion redemption. 10:21am

i have always strongly disliked dandelions. the feeling would become especially acute every time i found myself in our yard, yanking up bucket-fulls of cheery, hardy looking dandelions. what made it worse was the thought that these new dandelions were simply results of failed previous uprootings. 

i set out this spring with a new goal. i would redeem the dandelion.

so, i did just that this year. i researched the medicinal and dietary benefits of these ground leeches and was quite surprised to find that they are in fact, a well respected healing herb. it is actually quite beloved.

in my research, i found that the leaves are diuretic, high in potassium and extremely high in vitamin A. i found that the roots are liver-strengthening, blood-cleansing, blood building and are high in iron! redemption complete. i spent the day yesterday washing, chopping and drying a 5-gallon bucket full of this crazy plant. 

now, i have expanded my herb shelves by adding new jars full of dandelion tinctures and dried leaves for tea! 

The dandelion has been redeemed!

Mitts & Zook Family | multigeneration

Jordan & Joy Cools | Wedded!

christmas eve stroll | oregon city

rise & shine. 9:24am

one of the things that i've always wanted to learn to do is make breads. i adore the scent of bread baking. i love the texture of dough. but most of all, i love eating freshly baked bread. that's literally the best part of baking bread at home. 

now that i have my own kitchen, bread has been part of my experimentation. pretzels were one of the first fruits. they smelled as good as they looked and tasted as good as they smelled.

if you're like me and find the idea of baking bread items to be rather daunting, try this recipe as one of your firsts. it's a rewarding winner.

if you're interested in the recipe, here it is... 

a story of a squash. 2:46pm

there are so many new things that i am experiencing now that i am married. i am learning to make home. i am learning to host. i am learning that husbands eat a lot of food—this is something that is especially true about my husband. needless to say, i am learning a lot in the kitchen.

my mother-in-law gave me a lovely, hour-glass shaped vegetable to which i could not put a name. i was especially grateful when she went on to explain that it was a butternut squash. excitedly, i took said squash home and set it on my counter and proceeded to have an awkward starring contest with it until i decided to consult pinterest for a plan of execution. that was the ticket. i found a lovely recipe for butternut squash, pear and vanilla soup. i embarked on the journey of crossing territory i had not yet seen before.

here is a simple anthology of my experience.

if it looks like something you'd like to try, here's the recipe...