Things I Love: Lemon Soap

 

Whatever mess you've gotten into and made your hands smell like, that little bottle of lemon soap by the kitchen sink will make you smell awesome again!

Spring!

I newly love spring. I didn't appreciate it before last year in Sweden, where it was absolutely amazing. There, when everything comes back after the cold, dark, snowy months you actually get the feeling of "rebirth" people always use to describe spring. And it feels like spring all summer, because it stays cool and things bloom for months. That was the first year I really appreciated spring and I spent hours wandering through the town and nature areas taking pictures and enjoying being outside.

It's been years since I was around for a Georgia spring, and I'd forgotten how beautiful it is here too. I think Georgia springs weren't my favorite because here, as soon as it starts to feel like spring, it gets hot! But between a cool Swedish summer last year and the fact that I'll be living in a cold northern place for the next several years (more on that another time), I don't mind at least some Georgia heat! So for now, I have spent my second spring in a row walking around taking pictures and having a great time.

Some kind of cherry

Bradford Pear

Wisteria (a vine that eats everything in its path but is beautiful right now!)

Azaleas, oh my

More azalea, so southern

The only problem I have with spring is this. It looks like we finally got some snow, right? And if you leave footprints in it when you walk, it's snow, right? Nope, that's pollen. At counts of up to 8000+ on a scale where 1500 is considered the 99th percentile. Awesome. The allergies are strong with this one. Probably another reason I didn't appreciate spring before...

Peanut Butter Pie

I have tons of stuff to do and post about, so here's a peanut butter pie recipe instead. This is from Kim K. It's an awesome summer pie since it's served cool and an awesome anytime pie since it's peanut butter-based.

Ingredients:
- Graham cracker crust (premade 'cuz I'm lazy, but easy to make at home if not available)
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup peanut butter (I use creamy, but crunchy could be interesting)
- 1/3 cup milk
- 8 oz whipped cream (Cool Whip, Americans)

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and peanut butter in largeish bowl

Mix in milk

Mix in whipped cream

Put in pie crust and chill in freezer. Thaw a bit before serving if you like your teeth whole at the end of meals.