It is the quiet season. Let’s chase away the winter blues with an easy Stonewall Kitchen soup lunch and some antiquing!

The Winter Blues

Hey friends! How are you holding up?? January sure can be a tough one. I loved the snow we had, but it poured rain nonstop the other night. POURED! Of course it was back below freezing the next day. But most of the snow is gone now, sadly. I am sure we will get more — in April!

Let’s chase away the winter blues and finish the month strong! Join me for an easy lunch with Stonewall Kitchen, and then we can head out to do some antiquing. I’ll drive, and you can ride shotgun!

Stonewall Kitchen Lunch

I have really enjoyed partnering with local Maine company Stonewall Kitchen. This month I thought it would be fun to prepare a meal using all Stonewall Kitchen products! They have such a wide range of tasty choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was tempted by their breakfast mixes (hello, blueberry pancakes or cinnamon streusel coffee cake!) , but settled on a classic winter lunch menu — soup, salad, and savory scones, with cookies for dessert.

You can read more about Stonewall Kitchen in my blog post From Maine To Your Home With Stonewall Kitchen!

Soup and Salad

I love soup in the winter! It feeds both the body and the soul. And a fresh green salad is perfect on the side.

I usually make soup from scratch. Sometimes, though, it is nice to have a quick and easy mix on hand. I made Stonewall’s Farmers Market Vegetable Soup. It did call for added sugar snap peas. I used fresh, but you could also keep a package of frozen ones at the ready in the freezer. Fresh garlic, lemons and veggie broth are staples I usually have on hand. Otherwise, everything was included in the mix!

I also usually make my own salad dressing, but sometimes I prefer the convenience of a bottle I can just pull out of the fridge! The product I selected is new at Stonewall Kitchen — Toasted Onion and Garlic Dressing. It was perfect on a simple salad of mixed baby lettuce with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds on top!

Scones and Cookies

Instead of bread on the side, I thought it would be fun to make a savory scone! Our family has an old recipe from the Washington Post for cheese scones that is a favorite! The Everything Scone Mix is another new Stonewall product. In addition to the mix, you need an egg, a stick of butter, and some milk. I generally drink plant-based “milk” these days. Since I wasn’t sure how that would work for the scones, I purchased some dairy milk.

Stonewall Kitchen sells a mini scone baking pan, which I also tried. As I was spooning the sticky batter into the individual sections of the pan, I was thinking it wasn’t worth the effort. But when I removed the perfectly shaped baked scones with their beautifully crisped sides and bottoms, I changed my mind! The pan is a little fussy (you have to oil and flour the sections), but I thought the outcome was worth the extra work!

In last week’s blog post A Cozy Snow Day on the Coast of Maine I shared the Stonewall mix for Triple Chocolate Chewy Cookies. I am still enjoying them! Instead of oiling the baking sheet or using parchment paper, I used Stonewall’s silicone baking mats. They made cleanup so easy!

Let’s Do Some Antiquing!

Do you like to decorate with antique and vintage items in your home? I think they add such character and history to a space! And you can often snag them for a much lower price than buying something new. We are lucky here in Maine to have many spots for antiquing, including antiques stores, malls, and shows, and my favorite, auctions!

Today I am taking you along to an antiques show and an auction. Another time I will share some of my favorite local stores with you!

An Antiques Show

A couple weeks ago, I went with a friend to the Bath Antique Sale. This show is held on the second Sunday of the month from October to April, excluding February. It has a good mix of dealers, mostly from Maine and New Hampshire. Prices are generally mid to upper mid range. I have gotten some good items at these sales through the years.

Sometimes I go to a sale with something specific in mind. At this point, though, I am not looking for any big furniture pieces for our home, just small decorative items to add an another layer of interest to a space. Most of the time I go with an open mind, ready for something to catch my fancy or delight my eye. As my collections have expanded and the home has filled, I have definitely cut back on my purchases. I saw two blue and white spongeware pitchers at the Bath sale, and I was definitely tempted. But the corner hutch where I display my collection is full, so I passed on them.

My Finds

I did not, however, come home empty handed!

I am a sucker for pretty much anything with a faux woodgrain finish! So when I saw this tall flour bin, I didn’t hesitate. I knew it would be perfect for storing dog food. I sealed the deal when the seller came down $20 on the price! Always ask if that is the “best price”!

I bought this nautical flag from a woman who had a large collection of them. The blue and white cross design really jumped out at me. I wasn’t sure what I would do with it, but knew that it would be fun somewhere in the house. Right now I am thinking of hanging it on the angled ceiling in the “Captain’s” guest room. I hung it with a few tacks to see how it would look. What do you think? It could use a cleaning and I need to figure out how to hang it permanently. Do you have any ideas?!

An Auction

I love a good auction! Not only are they great entertainment, but I have gotten my best deals there. Sadly, our local auction house closed and my favorite place, Foster Auctions in Newcastle, has not had any auctions recently. So last weekend I jumped at the chance to attend an auction at a place that was new to me.

I was excited by the online pictures — a beautifully curated collection of country and primitive antiques. There were multiple sets of shaker boxes in wonderful colors, wooden bowls, baskets, painted furniture pieces, and artwork. I particularly had my eye on a beautiful light blue painted wood bowl.

Alas, this auction was open to “people from away” with both online and phone bidding. I have never seen items go for such high prices! A set of three shaker boxes went for $1,800. A large basket for $400. A worn wooden broom sold for $1,000. And the most expensive sale of the day — a painted side table for $10,000. The bowl I had my eye on went for $650. I just couldn’t justify paying that much. I left with nothing.

Two Favorite Items From Previous Auctions

Last Saturday was not my day, but I have had my share of auction wins. Pictured here are two of my favorites!

The painted chest of drawers was my very first win at Foster’s. As I said, I have a thing for pretty much anything with a faux wood grain finish. Add the sweet bucolic scenes on each of the drawers and the curvy skirt, and I was completely smitten. I was ready to fight for this beauty! It turned out I was the only one who felt this way. I was the lone bidder and paid just $35 for it. Yes, I danced out of the auction building that day! The slightly mismatched knob I found to replace one that was missing only adds to the charm in my eyes!

This dark blue painted wood bowl was not a bargain (though still much cheaper than the one I eyed at the recent auction), but it was worth every penny I paid for it. I love everything about it — the large size, beautiful shape, and, most of all, the worn blue finish. You can see that I stacked some smaller wood bowls in it for interest and impact. I swap the bowls out for something completely different a few times a year, but I am always glad when this stack returns. And usually I just switch things up seasonally by changing what I put in the bowls — narcissus in the spring, shells in the summer, pumpkins in the fall, and, this holiday season, oranges. I call it simple decorating. Or is it just lazy? All I know is that it makes me happy to see it there.

The Real Antidote to the Winter Blues

I hope this blog post has helped a bit to chase away your winter blues! I know “spending time” with all of you always makes me feel better!

This year, though, the best antidote to the winter blues for me is the anticipation as I await the birth of my first grandbaby! By the time I next chat with all of you, there is a good chance I will be a grandmother! My grandson is due on January 31! Please hold my daughter and her soon-to-be new little one in your thoughts! Life certainly is filled with amazing moments!

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Thank you, as always, for joining me here!

Shop the Post

Shop below for the Stonewall Kitchen products I shared in this post! If you purchase through these links, it won’t change your price, but I will receive a small compensation.

Molly

Highlighting coastal decor and lifestyle, Maddie and Cisco, and the way life should be...

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