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Good morning! ☀️ It’s 7:30 am on a lovely Saturday morning here in Vermont. When I was little, I loved soft-boiled eggs with toast. As an adult, I’ve been making soft-boiled eggs for decades with mixed results.

I learned how to make them using my 1950s Betty Crocker cookbook. There are a lot of variables that can over or under-cook them using the method of placing eggs in cold water and boiling for two minutes.

With this method, you have to babysit the water and begin timing as soon as it comes to a boil. If you miss even one minute, your eggs won’t be perfectly soft-boiled. Does it really matter? To me, it does. Yeah, I am that person.

I stumbled upon a different method last week; the eggs were perfect! Yay! There was just the right amount of runny yolks with solid whites, no white gooey stuff, and no pale yellow yolks partially cooked.

This is the method I tried:

Over medium-high heat, bring a medium-sized pot of water to a boil. Use the number of eggs you like straight from the refrigerator. This is important. Turn the water to a gentle boil. This is also important.

Using a slotted spoon, lower the eggs into the water and set a timer for 6 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove the eggs immediately. Again, this is important.

Place the eggs straight away into a bowl of cold water with ice. Chill for 2 minutes. Finally, either peel, cut in half with the shell on, spoon out of the shell, or cut just the top off and place in an egg cup. I cut mine in half and scoop out the egg halves.

The 6 minutes when the eggs cook is enough time to make toast. I wasn’t stressed if the eggs would be over or undercooked. Again, I am that person. I know most people don’t give a shit if their eggs are cooked correctly.

Even though the cooking time is 6 minutes, I’ve also made 7-minute eggs with slightly firmer yolks that can be peeled and cut in half.

Unlike softer-boiled eggs, which are eaten in a bowl or egg cup, these can be placed on a platter and eaten with your hands. They are also delicious and perfect for brunch or on the go.

If you like soft-boiled eggs, I hope I posted this method early enough so you can make some this weekend.

*** Shortly after I published this post I got a text from my friend Maria Wulf of http://fullmoonfiberart

10 minutes later she sent this photo with this text “Perfect! Yoke juicy and whites hard!”

It really does work! 🤗

I saw this on my friend’s Facebook page on Monday morning, and it’s been on my mind ever since.

I realized I needed to check my own actions before getting upset at all the hate in our country and world.

I’d be a fucking hypocrite if I felt like that, but walk around in a snit because of the situation next door.

I received a comment on my Coming Clean blog post that I am so grateful for. The reader told me she sends love and light to her neighbor who is similar to mine. Thank you C.

Of course, dumbass, I thought! How can getting angry over a situation bring any kind of good to it?

I still have a lot to learn about myself and the lessons presented to me.

I’ve been calm and at peace with almost everything except for this situation.

I immediately started sending love and light to the house and its inhabitants. Maybe they need a little love and light, I wondered.

I don’t know if the love and light will help, but at least it has softened my heart, and I am no longer mad and angry.

Its hard to go on social media right now without getting sucked into negative posts so I may be taking a break from it for a while.

I decided today there is so much hate and anger in our country on both sides that I can avoid a lot of it by not partaking in it on social media.

I’ll still share my blog posts on Facebook and check our business accounts.

My Julzie Style Instagram is filled with gardening, food and other things I love. I only follow things I adore.

This is the right decision for me right now and I’ll save my sanity and have more time doing things that bring me joy.

Peace out social media. ✌️

Last night, we grilled a lean beef cut called Tres Major. There are only two per cow.

It used to be what the butcher saved for themself, but if you’re lucky, you may find some.

Tres major steak is as lean and tender as a filet mignon but has the flavor of a ribeye. It has a nice beefy taste and cuts with a butter knife.

The only difference between this meal and last summer is that I didn’t serve a baked potato.

We had a starchy vegetable, tender local corn, and a watermelon salad with basil and feta.

Neither of us missed or wanted a baked potato. I used butter and salt on my corn, which was a must.

Marty aims to eat as much corn as possible while it’s in season. The same is true for me about watermelon and tomatoes.

Learning to eat seasonal fruits and veggies every day has been a welcome addition to our diets.

We were not eating enough servings of fruits and vegetables by a mile, but now we are.

My goal is for me to have a healthy gut, which I now realize is something I’ve never had.

The bizarre thing about having a healthy gut is I can tolerate lactose. I’ve been lactose intolerant since I was 9 or 10.

When I considered it, I had never had a healthy gut before. There are many advantages that I didn’t know about.

https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/ss/slideshow-how-gut-health-affects-whole-body

My gut is still adjusting to clean eating. I am not using any supplements to improve my gut health I am relying on the right kinds of foods.

Since I started eating clean I have either a bowl of vanilla yogurt and fresh fruit or a bowl of cottage with a dab of preserves.

It turns out that cottage cheese and yogurt play a big role in gut health, and I didn’t know it!

I’ve been following my gut (yes, a pun) about clean eating and have just started researching it.

I have to admit while it’s easy to eat clean and light in the summer, I have no idea yet what I’ll make for fall and winter meals.

There is so much information out there that I have plenty of time to find recipes and do more research.

I’ll be sure to share what I find with you. I’m sure there are plenty of ways to convert my traditional comfort food fallback recipes to autumn and winter clean eating.

Have a great Wednesday!

Yesterday morning, I wrote about my gardens which I am very proud of and excited to share since this is all new to me.

I realize now that I posted too many photos that may have seemed like I wanted to show off all my hard work for an atta-boy.

That was not my intention. When I sat down last year and thought about things that would bring me joy I was in a very deep state of depression.

I never in my wildest dreams thought I would succeed at gardening or lose 34 pounds.

It’s as if I’m in a dream, feeling so happy, young, and healthy again without any symptoms of lung disease. It’s like I’m 40 again.

Like our property, I’ve been through a huge transformation both mentally and physically.

Being able to forgive my mother after a lifetime of abuse is the most freeing thing in the world!

This is where the transformation began.

Since then, I have been a happier, healthier, kinder, and more joyful person. I always have a smile on my face.

That being said, I am disappointed with myself for writing about my frustrations next door.

Everyone is different and doesn’t share the same visions, values, or virtues. This is something I have to remind myself about.

I have to dig deep and find peace regarding this situation.

This is not just about a messy yard. After eight turbulent years, it goes much deeper than that.

Anyway, I apologize for the negativity. I let it creep into my joy, showing me how easily I can slide backward into playing a victim.

I’ve thought about this since I published that blog piece and wanted to come clean about it after discussing it with a friend.

This blog means so much to me because it’s a place where I can work through things honestly and authentically.

Thank you to my dear friend for your wisdom and to all of you for sharing this journey with me and all the ups and downs of my life. 💜

Every morning, I head outside to greet each of my gardens and give them a good watering if they need it.

I start with the front porch, then make my way to the veggie garden, and lastly, the morning glories.

I am so happy with how the perennials I planted in the spring are doing. They are beautiful and are blooming.

The edging work I spent almost three days on was 100% worth the effort. Weeding is minimal, a five-minute job.

I am so proud of my veggie garden! I love how it’s like a jungle. I work in the beds every few days.

You can’t have beautiful garden beds without upkeep.

I didn’t have time for that when the kids were young, but now I do, and I enjoy keeping the beds clean.

After I water, I harvest whatever is ready. This morning, I cut green beans, beet greens, and a small amount of lettuce.

I can’t tell you how peaceful it is tending my garden. Then I water the morning glories, and I instantly feel angry, sad and deflated.

It doesn’t matter how much I tend to my flower beds; looking at the place next door makes me depressed. It’s awful.

It makes me sad that an old historic home in the village of Arlington is so neglected and uncared for.

I thought the morning glories would help, but they don’t. Watering them makes me even sadder. What a shame.

I a found windscreen privacy fencing online, but we cannot afford it at this time.

I’ll save money over the winter and hopefully be able to purchase at the end of winter.

After I finish watering the morning glories, I visit the wildflowers and look for new flowers that seem to have bloomed overnight.

This usually improves my mood, and I shake it off and move on with my day.

I enjoy gardening too much to let the negative stuff ruin my joy or rain on my parade but it does get old.

After all the hours of hard work, determination, studying, imagination, and with Marty’s help, I really have the garden of my dreams.

Even though it’s mid-July, I am already thinking about next year’s garden. ☺️

I’m still on a cherry kick, eating as many as possible before their season ends.

I had some friends over for an afternoon visit and made cherry clafoutis, a classic French dessert.

This is a French dessert that is not made with any butter! Wow!

It’s a simple custard baked in a pan with any fruit you’d like to use, but cherry is the OG.

I have made a Julia Child version, but I didn’t want to use heavy cream. I read through a dozen and came across one by David Lebovitz.

I’ve used many of Lebovitz’s recipes and have always liked how they turned out, and the clafoutis was no different.

It was perfect on a hot afternoon, and when I considered it, it was really not bad for you.

I used pan spray instead of butter for the pan, but I followed his recipe.

Cherries, milk, eggs, a little flour and sugar, vanilla and almond extract; that’s it. Simple.

As I mentioned, you can use any seasonal fruit during any season.

Right now, any kind of berries would be perfect especially if you don’t have the patience to stem and pit a bunch of cherries.

I had cherries on hand and don’t mind putting them. Nothing beats fresh cherries baked in anything.

Here is the recipe I used, it’s a keeper.

https://www.davidlebovitz.com/cherry-clafoutis-recipe/

M€ta keeps updating and changing Facebook, which has affected my blog to the point that I am just short of having a hissy fit. Okay, I had one.

My blog will no longer automatically post on my Julzie Style FB page and has removed those readers from my total readers count.

Its not a big deal to anyone but me, but I am happy I have 419 readers and not just 155. I

t’s hard to even acquire new reader so please share if you know someone who likes reading blogs like mine.

I work hard to keep my readers interested even after losing about 100 when I wrote about my psychic gifts.

Some people just couldn’t hack the authentic me and my life, which really is fine with me.

I just wanted to say thank you to my readers for sticking with me and to those of you who support my blog.

Every penny helps maintain the blog since it isn’t free for me, in fact it’s quite pricey paying for the host site and other things needed.

All things aside, I love writing each blog post and sharing my life with my readers.

I never knew how many people love my blog until they tell me when I see them in person. I am always humbled and overcome with joy whenever I hear this.

End of rant. Thank you, my friends! I appreciate each and every one of you. 💜

I hinted a few weeks ago that we were starting another backyard project—the last one, for now, anyway. Here are the before photos.

We got a lot of bang for our buck with mulch we ended up getting for free using our old Chase credit card’s bonus points.

Marty and I realized by early summer that I overplanted my Vegtrub raised garden beds and would need to expand.

I have to give credit where credit is due; Marty is one lucky son of a bitch when it comes to finding sales, deals, and markdowns.

I always joke that we don’t pay full price for anything. He found leftover small Vegtrub beds for a ridiculous price.

He also found these gorgeous metal beds, where we will grow a year’s worth of garlic and a big root vegetable patch next spring.

This is the time to look for end-of-season garden items. It’s also a great time to rescue some poor veggie plants and flowers.

Long story short, I thought I got 2 San Marzano Roma tomato plants. It turns out one is an heirloom variety; I was really upset😫

How in fucks name was I supposed to make sauce now, especially since my one San Marzano plant was growing miniature tomatoes! Ugh!

Even though it’s late in the planting season, I decided to search for some or any Roma tomato plants, even if they were not true San Marzanos.

I picked up a 6-pack of Roma tomatoes called Health Kick for $1. I also got a 6-pack of cabbage which was also $1 just for the pure hell of it. I’m learning to garden after all.

I also saved two sad-looking superbena plants that were on sale which I picked off the dead leaves.

I finished off my purchase with a six-pack of parsley since mine had already gone to seed.

I love how our lower garden came out complete with an outdoor shower!

We had one when the boys were young and have really missed it.

The outdoor shower is perfect after outdoor projects or swimming since I always shower anyway to get the chlorine out of my hair.

Oh, how we love the outdoor shower! I just have to remember to look up at the sky while showering.

I’ve always wanted a rain showerhead, and this one is amazing! They sell outdoor shower plumbing kits, and many are on sale.

I am very lucky Marty is so handy and that we are both hard workers. We completed this project in less than three afternoons.

Marty used every piece of leftover wood and decking he had tucked away, dug up pieces of slate to create stairs, and picked up some simple cement slate-looking pavers to complete the paths.

I laugh and call him a packrat, but the things he keeps are always used for some kind of a project.

He did an amazing job making my vision a reality. Thank you, Hunny. 🩷

The rest of the beautiful blue and tiny natural cedar beds will be used for end-of-summer fall crops. I’m so excited to plant more things!

I’m heading outside to water my garden this morning. I love the tranquility early in the morning listening to the birds chirp away.

Have a great day guys! ☀️

One of the greatest joys of growing peas was watching Sam, as a young boy, pluck pea pods off the vine and eat them right in the garden.

I’ve experienced that same joy last week when I harvested peas from my garden. I planted two types sugar snap and English shelling peas.

I made a stir fry with the snap peas and a simple dish of pasta and peas as a side for garlic shrimp.

Yes, we are noodle makers, but most of the time, we don’t have any Spätzle on hand for us to eat. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s true.

After I had harvested the peas and separated them, I began shelling the English peas. I sat on the front porch while shelling, Nelly was very interested.

I wonder if other gardeners feel the same way I did while shelling. I marveled at how beautiful the peas were grown in their perfect package.

I wanted to have the peas in the most simple way. There wasn’t enough to have as a side since Sam was here, so I decided to pair them with pasta.

Our meal came out exactly as I imagined it would. Although I’ve reduced my carb intake, I still enjoy a bowl of pasta or simple, luscious, buttered potatoes once a week.

I checked a couple of days ago, more peas are ready to harvest! 💚

“Surround yourself with strong women, women more beautiful than you, smarter than you, and don’t envy them, admire them.

Surround yourself with good women who know how to listen, who know how to care, from whom you learn to relate to the world, women who teach you their power.

Surround yourself with women to weave an invisible web, a web for other women, so you don’t let them fall, so they feel the collective hug, so they don’t feel alone or crazy.

Surround yourself with women who embrace their shadow, who don’t apologize for being light, who are aware of their beauty and that they are alive.

Surround yourself with irreverent and brave women, women fighters who open the way and tear down walls, women of reference, women who do not ask for permission, who build their homes with the same hands, with which they cradle and caress.

Surround yourself with women who help you live as you are, who give you confidence and affection, who remind you that they are all one.”

Written by Roy Galán artist unknown.

Last night, we had our annual Sisters dinner, the women performing in our troupe. They are the core of the organization.

These women have been coming to dance class virtually every Wednesday for years. They are dedicated and are the ones who keep the organization afloat.

We have been having these “Sister of the Shawl” annual dinners since the mid-2000s.

It’s a special night for me because I get the night off from teaching and get to know what’s going on in their lives, what they’ve been up to, and what they want to share.

I talk at them for two hours every Wednesday night, so it’s nice to sit back and listen for a change.

Teaching every week can be draining sometimes, so this special night with my dance sisters recharges my batteries.

One thing in our small dance sister circle is we all love cooking and eating food. We do a potluck dinner and this year I hosted it last night.

It’s a chance to wear real-life dresses, gab, and eat. We chew with our mouths full, telling each other about recipes and other food-related things.

It was a hot day so I planned to eat indoors in our dining room. I had an amuse-bouche waiting for everyone.

What is an amuse-bouche you may wonder? The direct translation is mouth amused.

“Amuse-bouche, otherwise known as amuse-gueule, is the French term for ‘mouth amuser’. They are a type of small, bite-sized hors d’oeuvre. Chefs serve amuse-bouche to diners to enjoy while waiting for their food orders to arrive. It is a way of saying ‘welcome’ to guests and pampering them with something special. At the same time, amuse-bouche whets the appetite, satisfies initial hunger, and prepares guests for the courses ahead. Amuse-bouche are different to appetisers in that they are served complimentary and chosen by chefs to demonstrate their cooking style.” Chef in.com

I have wanted to try making tomato water and serve it in a mini flight glassware set I’ve had for years.

The photos and video below show the slow process, but it is worth the wait.

I also made some cute marinated mozzarella stuffed grape tomato tulips that I saw on Instagram a few months ago. I was giddy about making and serving them.

Kat made this incredible Middle Eastern layered salad, which was not only stunning but also different and tasty!

Trish made a unique green potato salad with cubed zucchini, pesto, chives, and a few other ingredients. Yum!

Callie was right on the money with this watermelon and feta salad, which was super refreshing on such a hot day.

Kathleen made the highly requested secret childhood cornbread that she makes every year. It’s unlike any cornbread anyone has ever tasted. It’s incredible!

Maria made a scrumptious cold cucumber soup! Let me tell you how refreshing this was on a hot day! I will be making this often as soon as I have cucumbers in my garden.

I made a couple of small platters of hand-held Caesar salads and eggplant rollatini stuffed with spinach and cheese. I was happy how it came out.

Everyone’s dishes were made with love you could taste and were all well seasoned and delicious.

After a quick tour of my garden and our production kitchen it cooled off enough to sit outside on the lower deck.

We relaxed and chatted. It was so nice. We finished off our dinner with some black raspberry ice cream that Kathleen brought for dessert.

We were missing Emily, who was unable to come, which was really too bad. We all missed her at the annual dinner.

I am so lucky to be surrounded by strong, supportive women like them.

When the passage at the beginning of the post popped up on my newsfeed this morning I knew immediately that was how I was going to begin writing about our amazing evening.

Three of us have been together for 21 years, others for more than 15 years, and the newest sisters joined our group 7 years ago. Has it been that long?

We are a unique bunch of women brought together by dance and have been through a lot together.

During good and bad times, through losses, illnesses, and plenty of successes, we have each other’s backs, lift each other up, and support the hell out of each other.

We are a rare breed and continue to blossom even in such a toxic, turbulent world that we block out every Wednesday night. 💜