A Charmed~li~cious Home

Hi!

I Hope you had a good week.

Here on the coast there’s  been pitter~patter~ings of rain, some foggy mornings, and other natural everyday occurrences we all experience in life. (grin)

Today’s post is sort of a continuation of an earlier story I wrote about.

It was called Living A Charmed Life. Living a Charmed Life

And, it’s a little strange that it was only a few months ago when I began the Charm Trail adventure

I honestly thought it was just about acquiring a few cute charms

 celebrating the Coos Art Museum’s 50 year celebration.

It turns out that this fun charming adventure became much more.

This past month I am super proud to say that I officially completed the bracelet.

Yippee! It’s adorable, and whenever I wear it people compliment me about how cute it is.

It actually makes me feel happy, &  really good to wear it.

 However, what I realized is that now having visited all these fabulous merchants along the Oregon coast

I have also become more connected to understanding, & appreciating  the area which I now call home.

Merchants ranging from art galleries, speciality food, theatres, bookstores, marine life centers, railway , logging, & history museums, along with many other unique shops.

Attached with each charm I collected was a deeper understanding of the people, places, & now things which symbolize this area of the southern Oregon coast where I live.

For instance one of the most unusual stops was at a Smoke Shop.

I’ve got to tell you that in all my  decades of shopping, I’d never been in this kind of shop. And, trust me I’ve been in lots of shops. After all I’m a former shopping Queen.

So, at first I didn’t understand how this could be part of an “Arts & Cultural” trail. Well, who would have guessed that since Oregon being one of the first states  legalizing cannabis falls into the category of a sort of cultural thing. I was told that one of the charm trail participants would not go into the Smoke Shop. Not me! I wanted the cute charm. (wink)  Anyway, I’m  glad that I decided to explore all these areas, and didn’t get discouraged by anything. And by staying persistent in my goal I discovered an enormous amount of  diversity, beauty, creative talent, and wonderful people along the way. And, because of this experience I feel more at home with my surroundings, which of course is the most charming part of all.

ps…

Once you complete the bracelet you return back to the museum and redeem your prize for completing the charm trail.

This is what I chose. (grin)

Here’s a recipe for a sweet harvest snack:

CRANBERRY PISTACHIO WHITE CHOCOLATE BARK WITH SEA SALT

Hands~on~time 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Microwaving the chocolate helps keep the temperature below 91°, ideal for tempering. Use the best quality white chocolate you can find (not those labeled “baking chips”)

8 ounces premium white chocolate, finely chopped

1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped and divided

1/3 cup roasted and salted pistachios, chopped and divided

1/4 teaspoon flaked sea salt

1. Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave at 20% power for 15 seconds; remove bowl from microwave & stir. Repeat process until most of the chocolate has melted & is smooth. Let stand, stirring occasionally until all of the chocolate melts and is smooth.
2. Set aside 1 tablespoon each cranberries and pistachios.
3. Stir remaining cranberries & remaining pistachios into chocolate. Spread mixture onto parchment paper in an even (1/4~inch~thick) layer. Top evenly with reserved cranberries and pistachios, & sprinkle evenly with salt, pressing gently to adhere. Refrigerate 1 hour or until set. Break into bite~size pieces. Makes 8 servings.