Susannah Seton is the author of Simple Pleasures of the Home, Simple Pleasures of the Garden, Simple Pleasures for the Holidays, and coauthor of Simple Pleasures: Soothing Suggestions and Small Comforts for Living Well YearRound. She lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband and daughter.

CHAPTER 1

Nesting

Home. I love being at home. In fact, it's hard to blast me outof the house. Looking back at my life as a whole nowthat I'm in my forties, I realized I was bitten young by the domesticbug.

My instincts for creating a comfortable nest and sitting in itcontentedly have never left me. No matter what my circumstanceshave been—I've settled in with dozens of houseplants, tacked upa few pieces of artwork, and proceeded to needlepoint pillows,burn incense, and cook dinners from scratch every night. Evennow, often I don't leave the house for days on end.

It's been through homemaking that I have experienced someof the greatest pleasures in my life. And so, once again, I askedpeople to share their stories, recipes, crafts, and other homespuncreature comforts. Simple Pleasures of Nesting will help you toconnect with the heart of your home, to what truly matters toyou in your daily life.

MEMORY PLATES

A craft from Victorian times that seems to have gone outof favor is the making of memory plates. These are collagesthat are made from photos and other paper memorabiliaand then attached to the back of a clear glass plate and displayedin the living room or study. They can be very beautiful, becausethe colors in whatever artwork you've chosen are seen through theglass, making it look as if the artwork is under water.

My Brother, Ant 1 translucent glass plate
photos and images of your choice cut from magazines
or catalogs
decoupage fixative (available at craft stores)
tissue paper
spray glue
polyurethane

Create the design you want on a similar-sized plate and then transferthe images one at a time to the glass plate. Apply the decoupageglue to the front of the image and then press the image onto theback of the plate, carefully pressing out any bubbles or wrinkles.When your design is complete, cut out a piece of tissue paper thesame size as the plate and glue it to the back of the images, so thatfrom behind you will see only a white surface. Seal the back and therim of the plate with 3 coats of polyurethane, allowing it to dry completelybetween coats.

HANDMADE PRETZELS

Pretzels are great nonfat snacks that can easily be made at home.The longer you knead the dough, the softer the pretzel will be. Ifyou've got kids, enlist them—to make the process more fun, thedough can easily be formed in the shapes of letters and numbers.

1 #189; cups warm water
1 package yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for tops
1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 425°. Put the warm water into a large bowl, sprinklein yeast, and stir until it dissolves. Add sugar, flour, and salt. Mixwell, then knead dough until it is smooth and soft. Roll and twistdough into desired shapes—letters, numbers, twists, and so on. Greasetwo cookie sheets. Lay the pretzel dough shapes onto cookie sheets.Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake for 12 to 15minutes, or until golden. Makes 1 to 2 dozen, depending on size.

BASKET OF LOVE

Do you want to surpriseyour paramoursome evening? Make a love basket. Simply find aheart-shaped basket, spray-paint it red (sandit slightly first so the paint will stick better),add a pretty ribbon to the handle, and fillit with your beloved's favorite things:chocolate-covered cherries, sexy underwear—whateverhe or she fancies. Then place it on yourlove's pillow to be discovered

A FRUGAL FEAST

In her reminiscence with recipes, We Called It Macaroni(Alfred A. Knopf, 1996), Nancy Verde Barr recalls that"pasta fazool" didn't seem like much of a treat when she wasgrowing up. But when she was pregnant with her first child, shebegan to crave this comforting soup, and made many a mad dashto Italian restaurants in Providence, Rhode Island, for a containerof hot, soothing soup to go. Here's one version, although as withmost comfort food, there are dozens of equally tasty variations.

PASTA E FAGIOLI

1 cup dried white or cranberry beans, or 2#189; cups
canned beans, drained and rinsed
¼ pound bacon, chopped or 2 ounces pancetta, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil (if using pancetta)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2–4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
salt and fresh ground pepper
¼ pound small, tubular macaroni or noodles
Parmesan or pecorino cheese

If using dried beans, soak overnight in water, drain, cover again withwater and simmer for about 2 hours, or until beans are tender. Setaside.

In a large saucepan, fry bacon until barely crisp or saute pancettain olive oil about 4 minutes, until fat is rendered. Drain off most offat.

Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, and saute gently about10 minutes, until vegetables are soft.

If using canned beans, heat in 4 cups water or meat broth. If usingdried beans, reheat in a large pot. Add bacon vegetable mixture andtomatoes to beans, return to a simmer, add macaroni or noodles andcook until pasta is tender. Serve warm with freshly ground pepperand grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese. Serves 6.

RESTORE A PIECE OF FURNITURE

Because so manyof us workprimarily with our heads,doing something withour hands can betremendously satisfying.I have an old pineblanket chest that Ibought about twentyyears ago. Over the yearsit has endured dogscratches, children'sscribbles, and scrapesfrom candle holders. Oneday I decided it neededsome help. So I sanded it down a bit and appliedcoat after coat of Briwax and then cream furniturepolish. Now it glows again, and I smile every timeI walk into the room. Find something withintrinsic quality and value. If someone once caredabout the piece, no matter how many layers ofpaint and neglect it has endured, you can restoreit. Enjoy your creativity and a sense of preservingthe past. Or do what my co-worker Brenda does.Find a junky wooden or metal chair that is beingthrown away and save it from the landfill. Useyour imagination and paint it to have a one-of-a-kindcreation. Each leg a different color? The skyon the seat? Let your imagination soar.

NOSTALGIC BROWNIES

2 ounces unsweetened
chocolate
¼ cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
½ cup walnuts, broken into
pieces or chopped 16

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan, and line it withbaking parchment or waxed paper. Butter and flour the waxed paper.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat,stir well, then lightly stir in the sugar, egg, vanilla, flour, salt, and nuts.

Spread into the pan and bake for about 30 minutes, until center is set. Donot overbake, or brownies will lose their chewy texture and become dry.

Remove pan from the oven and cool on a rack about 5 minutes.Turn out onto the rack and peel off the paper. While still warm, cutinto squares with a greased knife. Makes 16 brownies.

PRESSED FLOWERS

Making pressed flowersis incredibly easy. Itrequires no special equipmentand costs absolutely nothing.Here's how: When your new telephonebook comes, save the oldone and put it somewhere whereyou won't lose it. Find a meadowand collect small bouquets ofwildflowers. Lay them flat in differentparts of...