Sweeten the Sleep Space in Your Camper with Thermal Blackout Curtains (How to Pimp Your Pop-Up #2)

Too much light when trying to sleep. That's a conundrum. And it applies in my current situation of living full-time (albeit temporarily) in a RV. I cannot complain about our lot in the park. When the sun goes down, it's pretty difficult to see your hand in front of your face. But! My work schedule requires me to sleep some during the daylight hours. And the number of those hours increases with the coming of long summer days.

Just today, I took a nap from 2 - 3:30 p.m. in full 80° sun. No worries, though. I was in comfortably cool semi-darkness. (We were having highs in the fifties just a couple of days ago. Is this not the weirdest transition into spring ever?)

My solution? Thermal blackout curtains. To be more specific, a set of these solid thermal insulated blackout curtains in navy. Each panel is 84 inches long and 52 inches wide -- a perfect fit for each side of the queen-size bunk end of the camper.

Here's a before pic of one side:

And here are a couple with the thermal blackout curtains up. (Taken before the back was covered to compare and show how no light is getting through the curtain.)

Please forgive the mismatched pillows and such in this one! I won't be winning any prizes for interior decorating anytime soon.

The best thing about this idea is it's not permanent. We tucked one end of each panel behind the bunk end braces, and the other ends were simply clipped in place with 2 in. spring clamps like these, described as having "strong gripping, spring-action jaws".

I got the curtains at more than 50% off retail, and the clips I already had. Minimal expense for a sweeter sleep space!

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small commission if you click the link and buy something. This helps support my mountain homestead dream as well as my blogging activities, and the price you pay will be no different than if you arrived at the same destination through any other link. My opinions are my own, to be sure. If I link to a product and say I like it -- I truly like it! :-) Thanks for reading and following Stephlin's Mountain.

Shared at The {Not Just} Homemaking Party, the Making a Home - Homemaking Linky, Teach Me Tuesday, Tuesdays with a Twist, and some of these fine hops.

We Got Blinds! (How to Pimp Your Pop-Up #1)

When we first got Destiny, I started scouring the 'net for ideas on little cheap improvements I could make to spiff her up a bit. But the first idea was all my own (though I'm certainly not the first to have it): I wanted to treat the "windows" with blinds.

I chose to leave the curtains up just for added insulation, though it's obviously quite minimal. They also provide a nice pop of color behind (or beside) the blinds. I could have opted for colored blinds, but, well, they cost more so I didn't.

I think the blinds made a nice, inexpensive upgrade. It's a cleaner look inside and out. I also have more control over the light coming in, as well as how much someone (from the outside) can see. The black screens are neat in that you cannot see in from the outside at an angle. With the blinds, we are controlling what can be seen straight on. (I hope that makes sense.)

B simply attached the blinds to the same rail that holds the curtains.  (And I helped!)

Cool, huh? Do you have any camper hacks to share?

Shared at Homemade Mondays, Monday Funday, and some of these fine hops.

No-Bake Cheesecake Bites with a Raspberry Drizzle, Part II

Yesterday I shared how to make some scrumptious no bake cheesecake bites. Now it's time for the sauce (and the redemption of some raspberries).

It is unbelievably simple. And it totally did the trick! My raspberries went from being too tart to tolerate, to tasting like a raspberry should: sweet with a hint of sour. This raspberry sauce elevates the plain cheesecake bite to a whole new level.

And while I'm working with raspberries, feel free to use whatever fruit you have on hand (or just want to try). The possibilities are endless!

All you'll need is --
· 1/2 cup sugar
· 1/4 cup water
· 12 oz. raspberries

Place sugar and water in a small saucepan over high heat. Stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. (Basically you are making a simple syrup, but instead of equal parts sugar and water, you are doubling the sugar. Perfect for "too-sour" raspberries!)

Once the syrup is cooled completely, place it and the raspberries in a blender and puree until smooth.

To separate the seeds from the sauce, you would ideally use a chinois or conical strainer. Any fine sieve should work, though. I even made do with an old flour sifter, as you can see here:

You'll notice there are still a few seeds floating around in the final product, but that little "imperfection" did not diminish the deliciousness one bit!

Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this raspberry sauce should keep up to five days. Now go drizzle some over your cheesecake bites! (Or dip your cheesecake bites in some sauce, whichever you prefer.)

Recipe Credit.

Shared at Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Simple Life Sunday, and some of these fine hops.

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Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link, which means I may receive a very small commission if you click the link and buy something. This helps support my mountain homestead dream as well as my blogging activities, and the price you pay will be no different than if you arrived at the same destination through any other link. My opinions are my own, to be sure. If I link to a product and say I like it -- I truly like it! :-) Thanks for reading and following Stephlin's Mountain.

Tonight's dinner is corn and poblano lasagna. Zucchini is a required ingredient, so before B got in the kitchen to tackle the prep for our evening meal, I snuck in and used what he didn't need to make some bread!

Before I share the recipe for this yumminess, may I ask you a question? Is the term "batter bread" redundant in the instance of the title of this post?

Maybe it's because I bake for a living, or maybe it's because I'm weird (I'll cop to either), but I always differentiate between a batter bread -- or quick bread, if you prefer -- and a traditional dough bread (with yeast).

B comes in the kitchen to ask what I'm making. My reply is, "Zucchini batter bread." He proceeds to tell me saying batter bread is unnecessary. Everyone knows zucchini bread is made with a batter. "Like banana nut bread," he says. I'm quite sure I responded with a you-have-no-idea-what-you're-talking-about look. But I simply stated, "Well, OK. But don't expect me to change how I say it based on this conversation." -- Thoughts?

The base recipe I used comes from Paula Deen. I did add one ingredient. (I just adore vanilla!) And since I make my own extract, I have the pure stuff right at my fingertips. It smells divine, and I love to see the brown vanilla bean flecks in the mixture.

Doesn't that look delicious? The loaf isn't overly sweet, in my opinion. A slice of this zucchini (batter!) bread would make a nice breakfast, snack, or dessert.  Just don't forget: everything's better with a pat of butter!

Vanilla Spiced Zucchini Batter Bread

Based on Paula Deen's recipe here, scaled down to make a single loaf.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 + 1/8 cups all-purpose flour (or, 1 5/8 cups)
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (make your own!)
• 1 cup grated zucchini
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon, and sugar.
3. In a separate bowl, combine vanilla, vegetable oil, eggs, water, zucchini, and lemon juice.
4. Mix wet ingredients into dry. Fold in pecans. Pour batter into a greased standard loaf pan (I used an 8" x 3" pan).
5. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour, using the toothpick test to check for doneness. (Mine was done in 54 minutes.)

Yield: 1 standard loaf

Shared at All Things Thursday, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, The HomeAcre Hop, Simple Lives Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, Thriving Thursday, and some of these fine hops.

The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate: a Book Review

I just finished an inspirational read I was able to get for Free (love that!) on my Kindle Fire.  A 2014 Christy Award nominee entitled The Prayer Box.

Tandi Reese is running from a drug-filled, abusive relationship. She chooses the Outer Banks of North Carolina as a haven for her and her two children. Though she finds herself in a place she once spent time as a child, not all the memories are good ones.

Yet here she is, renting a cottage from Iola Poole, owner of the historical house and property on which the cottage sits. One day, after Iola unexpectedly passes away, Tandi finds herself cleaning out the old rickety home in exchange for rent. After a bit of snooping, Tandi finds a closet filled to the brim with boxes. Each box is filled with letters written by Iola -- letters to God.

All throughout the book, we see Tandi struggle with many emotions that are holding her back from a better life for her and her children. Feelings of abandonment, unworthiness, and the inability to trust are a few at the top of the list.

Through Iola's letters, we first learn about her past. They also provide inspiration and encouragement to Tandi while she works to build a meaningful, fulfilling life with positive relationships. Of course, along the way, Tandi realizes she is not really alone -- God's grace is all around her.

I rarely highlight passages in books, but found myself doing so in this one. Here are a few I wanted to remember and share.

Nothing that had happened since I'd been on this island had happened at random. I'd been given shelter for my family, food to eat, work to do.

Given.

Gifts. I'd wanted to earn my own way, to do this myself, to form a new life on my own, but instead, this had been given to me. This life. This place. These letters.

This revelation.

Prayers are answered in ways we don't choose. The river of grace bubbles up in unexpected places.

(Another!)

Thank you. I wanted to write it on paper and fold it up in a box to remind myself, the next time I couldn't see anything but mountains ahead, that where there's a mountain, there's always a river flowing nearby.

Ultimately the river is the more powerful of the two.

(One more!)

All my life, I'd let the ties of blood control me, limit me, define me, yet I'd ignored the ties of love. I'd shielded myself from the people who tried to slip inside the armor, who told me that I was worthy.

The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate -- highly recommended!

Shared at Simple Life Sunday, Simple Saturdays Blog Hop, Simply Natural Saturdays, and some of these other fine hops.

I was featured!

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small commission if you click the link and buy something. This helps support my mountain homestead dream as well as my blogging activities, and the price you pay will be no different than if you arrived at the same destination through any other link. My opinions are my own, to be sure. If I link to a product and say I like it -- I truly like it! :-) Thanks for reading and following Stephlin's Mountain.

Cinnamon Bread. Quick and Simple.

I love quick breads. Mix the batter, pour it in a pan, pop it in the oven to bake. That's it. No long, drawn out process required.

A while back I had a craving for cinnamon bread. I was thinking of a traditional loaf with yeast and all, but was too lazy to go through the motions necessary for my desired result. Ever been there? Yep. Me, too. Quick bread to the rescue!

I found a recipe to try at Allrecipes.com, gave it a go, and was happy I did. It's not the prettiest loaf I've ever seen, but it sure is yummy. There's a nice sweet crust on top, and the cinnamon flavor can be tasted throughout. Since the "swirl" technique is used, I wasn't sure that would be achieved -- glad I was wrong. Craving fulfilled.

Want another peek?

Go ahead.  Get your drool on.  I won't tell.

OK.  You've been (fairly) patient.  Recipe after one more.

Simple Cinnamon Quick Bread

Submitted to Allrecipes.com by bettina.

Original recipe advises to wrap finished (and cooled) loaf in foil and let sit overnight before slicing. I totally did not do this. (Who could wait? I had a craving, remember?) But I'm quite sure the slices would have looked prettier had I followed this direction. :-)

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup + 1 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a 9"x5" loaf pan.
2. Mix together 1/3 cup sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1 cup sugar. In another bowl, combine egg, milk, and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry. Stir until moistened.
4. Pour half the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cinnamon and sugar mixture. Repeat with remaining batter and cinnamon / sugar. Run a knife through the batter to swirl all together.
5. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes. Use the toothpick test to ensure doneness. Let cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: (1) 9"x5" loaf

Shared at Simple Saturdays, Simply Natural Saturdays, and some of these other fine hops.

How to Make and Store Your Own Dried Orange Zest

Have I ever told you about my love for my dehydrator? (Heh, Heh, of course I have.) Well here's yet another task it can handle for you!

How to Make and Store Dried Orange Zest

The zest of an orange is the outermost, colorful part of the peel. It contains concentrated, highly flavorful oils great for baking delicious sweets and breads. You can most certainly use it in savory cooking, as well.

All you need to do to make zest is remove this colorful part from the orange. You can do this by using a knife to cut strips, a simple grater, or a utensil more specifically designed for zesting. (I have a Microplane and wouldn't trade it for the world.) The important thing to remember is not to go into the pith, or white part of the peel. This has an unappealing flavor. Also, don't forget to wash your fruit before zesting.

If you're lucky and find yourself with a lot of oranges, making a large quantity of dried zest is made easier by using a food dehydrator. (I have a dwarf orange tree right outside on the patio. It's producing intoxicatingly fragrant blooms and fruit -- I'm impatiently waiting for those babies to ripen.)

Additional note: I also watch for oranges (or lemons or limes -- you can zest them too, ya know) in the reduced section of my produce department. I can sometimes find 3 lb. bags of oranges for 99¢!

To dry your zest, simply spread it out on a shelf of the dehydrator and set your temperature to 135°. Walk away and let it do its thing until the zest is completely dry. Alternately, you can use your oven if the temperature can be controlled to that low degree, and you have the time. You can also simply let the zest air dry on your counter top (I have no idea how long that would take, though).

BTW, if you end up with too many oranges to eat, run them through a juicer (this is mine). That's what I do. I then freeze the juice in these little stackable Ball freezer containers and pull one out to place in the refrigerator each night before I go to bed. Freshly squeezed juice is ready to drink in the morning.

Your fresh-dried orange zest can simply be stored in a jar with a tight lid in your pantry. I can't say exactly how long it will last. I can say I've had some in my pantry for a few months, and it still has flavor.

How much does it make / save? I got about an ounce out of three large oranges. I've seen this amount go for $3 - $4 in stores...made mine for pennies!

Shared at All Things Thursday, Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, and some of these other fine hops.




I was featured!

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Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small commission if you click the link and buy something. This helps support my mountain homestead dream as well as my blogging activities, and the price you pay will be no different than if you arrived at the same destination through any other link. My opinions are my own, to be sure. If I link to a product and say I like it -- I truly like it! :-) Thanks for reading and following Stephlin's Mountain.