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we had a very busy weekend! planting fruits trees, hauling alpaca manure for the raised beds, going out to our favorite little spot to grab a drink, ballet pictures before the big recital, writing books, movie night with a buffet of our favorites, planting our first greens, and ending it all with smores before starting our very busy week.
what did you do?!
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thanks for all of your sweet comments on the barnaby bright giveaway! i'm so glad i could introduce you to two wonderful musicians! random.org chose #26 and #40!
Beautiful!
Its a win all around because I have been introduced to lovely new music!
Wow! My new favorite! You find the best music.
so sophia and shari...please send me an e-mail at erinlittlephoto(@)gmail(.)com and we'll get you all set up! congrats!
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boy, i've been absent. from everything. have you noticed? it's been a whirlwind of a week and weekend. so much stuff going on. but despite everything, we did manage to enjoy a little bit of relaxation.
we made some raised beds for the side yard. super easy and super quick. i can't wait to fill them and get planting. i've so missed gardening. i have plans for expanding the perennial beds, adding lots of fruit trees and berries, a stone patio with pergola and grape vines. the little one is remembering all the gardening we used to do and is just as excited!
we ended the weekend with our sunday roasted chicken and i made a 1-2-3-4 cake for them. now we start vacation week!
we are also gearing up to fly to California on thursday to shoot a wedding, but we'll be gone for about five days, so we're scrambling to tie up loose ends and get everything ready. so much to do!
how was your weekend? are you gardening yet?
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well, it certainly is interesting not having a yard. especially being the big gardener that i am. i think it's most likely been the biggest, and hardest, transition for me with settling into this new space.
but we're trying to make the best of it! i've been collecting pots here and there, and researching shady plants. the only space we really have is in the front which is north facing, so the sun doesn't last long.
i do have some potted basil, tomato plants, and chard in pots in the back which get lots of sun. but there is a family of groundhogs who love to munch on them. so we'll see how they do...
but for now, i'm pretty happy with my wee garden. the little one and i had so much fun putting it together. i'm in search of a little cafe table and chairs to have tea and breakfast outside in the morning.
and, of course, there's fun in the mud. she had mud pies for sale last week...so cute!
how's your garden coming? anyone else dealing with lack of a yard?!
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So, in the midst of all the crazy work, I've still managed to harvest and can or freeze lots from the garden. Our tomatoes got blight this year...a very quick and deadly experience. They were fine one day, and the next they were not!
But...we still had lots of tomatillos, which was my primary concern because I seem to have fallen in love with salsa verde. We managed to can 24 big jars, also using super hot jalepenos from our garden. I made half a batch of super-hot and half a batch of "tolerable" salsa.
Not only that, but when I went to harvest all the basil we've grown this year, I realized I had grown much more than I intended! The basil really did well...seemed to grow into big bushes before our eyes. I hardly recognized it and passersby commented on its giganticness. So we canned (I think total) close to 40 jars, which were stuck in the freezer (ours and various neighbors!) for later use.
I have to say, this season was the best. The little one was so involved, from seedlings to harvesting. I wasn't able to be as attentive to the garden as I normally am because of my busy season, but it all flowed nicely.
Now we have a crop of winter beets, carrots, and lettuce growing in the back. I also harvested all our pumpkins and winter squash. So nice to continue to make our meals from things we have grown.
What was your garden season like?!
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This afternoon you would have found us in the backyard swinging, picking pumpkins and squash, playing with tractors, being totally amused by the chickens watching themselves in their new mirror, and having a fabulous visit from the little one's schoolmates!
We're trying to soak up days like this as much as we can. The colder air has made its appearance and we know that warm days full of sun and short sleeves are quickly disappearing. This afternoon was just perfect.
Perfect is nice.
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It amazes me how fast this summer has flown by. The garden is winding down (we did just plant our fall crops of beets, carrots, and lettuce though), the beach days are coming to an end, the feeling of having forever is slowly disappearing and we're left thinking about school, wool sweaters, and the slowing down of a busy wedding season.
I find that most days, we are just content with enjoying it all in a very easy way. Staying home, curling up on the back porch in the sun with a pile of books, taking long walks to look for wildflowers, and finding creative ways to devour all the goodies from the garden.
Today was one of those days. We gardened, we practiced the violin, we went for walks, we read many of our favorite summer books, we had a visit from Belina (our chicken who loves the kitchen), and snuggled on the couch.
What are you doing to enjoy the last bits of summer?!
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tonight i made yet another torte (my own version).
i brought it to a family get together that is held every year. we sat around chatting, drinking cold beer, and wondering how all the kids grow so fast.
now we're home, settling in with some popcorn and a good movie. the crickets are chirping away outside and it's another perfect summer night. the cooler air is a reminder that there aren't many left. we are appreciating them while they last.
happy weekend!
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amy and friends asked me to write a guest post for tend...so wander on over and take a peek!
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out of a neighbor's backyard. it was delicious. and there were hundreds. yum!
amy...i now know why you take these shots. it's the only way to capture a half eaten piece of fruit with a camera in your hand in the middle of a garden!
more california pics to come! now i'm off to bed...
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two mamas. three girls. a rainy afternoon. a beautiful patch. a whole lot of berries.
what have you been picking lately? happy weekend!
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my usual monday link list will have to be saved for another monday.
i worked most of the day today, with a brief break to go to the farmer's market. it's now 8 p.m. and i still have hours to go.
we've been enjoying some beans from the garden lately. enough for us and friends too.
tomorrow will be a day at the beach, weather permitting.
have you noticed the new sponsors in the sidebar? so many talented artists!
i'm kind of sitting here hoping for a thunderstorm. so many days of hot temperatures. a break would be nice.
what are you doing this monday evening?
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Thank you all for your sweet words of comfort and support on sweet baby Silas. You must read further down in the comments to hear some of Kirsta's words and a poem her amazing mother wrote. Kirsta...you are an inspiration. xo.
And today? Today we enjoyed some milder temperatures and a day packed full of fun. It was a sweet little mix of out and about, and being home hanging out. Love that. Some days it's so hard to find that balance. Life seems to move so quickly 
I've been enjoying the way our upstairs is evolving from a dated, wallpapered and linoleumed cave, to an airy space that fits us perfectly. I love walking through this hallway every morning and night.
Do you see the lone chicken? That's Daisy. She lays us the blue eggs. She escapes everyday, all day long. Flying in and out of the fenced run. The other chickens look through the wire longingly as she enjoys foraging in the yard. I kind of like having one chicken out and about...eating up all the bugs but not destroying my gardens. Yea...Daisy rocks. And her blue eggs do too!
Speaking of eggs...the little one loves checking on their laying habits all day long. She excitedly announces "Oh! Belina is laying now!" or "Oh man...Violet just won't get off!" When she finally gets all the eggs in her little basket, she's so excited about them she wants to eat them all right away! So cute, she is.
And Mr. Pickles. Oh, what can I say about this cat? I love him so. I'm pretty sure I'm still not a cat person. Nope. I'm, in fact, a Mr. Pickles person. This cat is unlike any other animal I've ever known. He's kind of like some zen master here to teach us a lesson on how to "just be" while being really comical about it at the same time. Love him. This is his favorite spot of late...on the back porch under the bird feeders...
Did I mention we finally found a second car? One that was in our budget? Sasa found this 1980 diesel Mercedes a while ago. We debated, and debated some more. Took it for a test drive and kind of fell in love with it. It came home with us last night. I'm pretty sure the little one loves it more than we do. I told her if we took really good care of it, it would be hers when she is old enough. (What I didn't tell her is she would have to pry it out of my hands first!) Now my car goes into the shop for a couple of weeks to get some major work done. It feels good to know we have a second set of wheels...just in case.
So...what's bringing you joy this Wednesday?
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This morning was spent in the kitchen and the garden. It's funny how with all our dietary restrictions going on we have three separate breakfasts most mornings. Sasa sticks with quinoa and greens, the little one loves her eggs and toast, and I'm on a goat yogurt kick. After the dishes were cleaned and the laundry was hung, we headed out into the garden before the sun got too hot to do some weeding. I'm enjoying checking on the strawberries daily, and the bee balm (my favorite) bloomed late last week.
Mid-day found us walking to the library to return some books. I grabbed my outting essentials (back pack and sunglasses) and we set off for new books and to pick up Sasa for lunch. On the way back, we stopped in the garden to pick some chard for lunch and basil for pesto. During the lunch prep, the little one kept running outside to feed the chickens some veggie scraps.
The evening approached quickly after an afternoon full of reading and games in front of the fans. We kept checking on the popscicles we made earlier, drank almost all the cold beverages in the house and used up all the ice. As I was prepping dinner, I grabbed the only cold beverage left. The little one helped wash the potatoes while I picked squash from the garden. I made a summer squash and potato torte roughly based on this recipe (except I use rosemary, ommitted the flour, and added minced garlic instead of green onions). It was delicious. We ate outside on the porch, watching the sun slowly going down, and ended the evening with a final game.
And that, my friends, makes a day. It's fun to look back on it all. How the ordinary things can go by without notice, but when you really stop to make notice of them, you realize exactly how marvelous they all are!
So...what was your "morning, noon, and night" like?!
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Yesterday, we braved the heat and headed out for an adventure to some organic strawberry fields. The little one has been begging me to make her a strawberry pie for weeks now. And part of our summer routine each year is to pick and store as many berries as we can to last us all winter long. It's fun to watch as the older she gets, the more involved she wants to be. Last year I remember carrying her through the blueberry fields, keeping her in the Ergo on my back as I picked. This year? She was picking for almost two hours right along with us. She was incredibly excited about the whole process and beamed with pride with each bucket she poured into the larger box.
We got home and settled into the numerous hours' work facing us. The 20+ pounds of berries needed to be washed, the tops cut off, most frozen for later use, two pies needed to be baked (one galette for her and one semi-Paleo almond flour crust for Sasa and I), and a batch of freezer jam needed to be made. We opted for freezer jam because we wanted to make a small batch of strawberry jam, since we don't use jam too often.
We sat on the back porch on our new patio furniture (thanks to Sasa for my early birthday present!) all afternoon and got covered in red juice. Lots went in our mouths, but most went in the freezer. The little one was so excited by the idea of eating strawberries in winter!
We ended the night with our strawberry pies and reading books on the porch. It was the perfect ending to an even more perfect day!
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Our days have been filled with so much yummy food (this Paleo thing is a piece of cake! ha! just a note, the last photo is the little one's lunch, not mine),
a "pretend plant sale" where the little one's imagination had me in awe,
more gardening and eating fresh strawberries and peas,
and hanging with the chickens who were are so excited to finally have back!
What have your days been like this week?!
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(Photo taken by Elisabeth with her camera!)
Well, I never did tell you that our chickens had to go on a little vacation mid-winter. We had some issues with our barn and needed to find a better space for them for awhile. Now the barn is under construction and we decided we needed a better coop to bring our gals back! Luckily, we were so fortunate to have neighbors who gladly "chickensat" for us. They have a few birds of their own, and soon the two flocks were making friends!
But with summer upon us, we needed to get a coop together. So I found a beautiful one on Craigslist. I've been checking daily for months and never really found one that suited us, but last weekend I came across this one. A couple is making them and even delivered it to our doorstep this morning.
Yesterday I spent 10 hours digging 12 holes for the fence, actually went to a lumber yard and bought fencing and lumber, made a gate, used a power saw, and by the end of the day was sweaty, dirty, and had a chicken run finished and a space for the coop! And I didn't even know I could do any of it!
So now the chickens are home and settled into their new digs for the first night. It's so great having them back. I've missed them so! And I love their new little yard and I hope they do too!!
Do you have chickens? I'd love to see your set up!
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On Wednesday...
she twirled in her new mama made skirt! (This one was her favorite, with pockets big enough for all the crystals she's been finding everywhere!)
we made a delicious lunch.
we found a real horse saddle at the thrift shop. It, of course, came home with us and entertained a certain someone for the rest of the day. Now we need to make a horse! No problem...
I made sun tea. I can't wait for my morning iced tea tomorrow!
we found a bird's egg on the sidewalk on our walk. We both spotted it at the same time and squealed with delight!
we enjoyed the blooming clematis on the porch.
I checked on the garden, did a little weeding, wondered just how late the spring peas were going to be.
I did the third load of dishes under my summer window. I love how it shifts so organically with the seasons.
We are enjoying some relaxed days lately. I am loving just being home, gardening, sitting in the sun with my girl and a good book. It's oh so needed right now. Pretty soon I'll be in full swing with the wedding season, so I'm soaking all this relaxing in while I can!
What did you do this Wednesday?
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This weekend was so full of everything! Playdates with wee friends, gardening, three more raised beds (!!) and three more to go, practicing for a violin concert tomorrow night, stories, ice cream trips, Sunday morning pancakes, bike ride after bike ride, long walks with the dogs, fishing, watching sunsets, barbecues, first smores of the season (we found yummy organic marshmallows! ha!), reading on the porch, sitting in the sun, adoring my new Lisa Leonard magnets, pizza parties with family, and late night viewings of this (which had Sasa and I feeling so nostalgic for the 80's and all it's fashion no-no's!).
What did you do this weekend?! Happy start of the week to you!
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We're putting in more raised beds for winter crops and watermelons (!!).
Peace and sunshine be with you this lovely weekend!
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I feel like I've been absent from much of my life right now, because every single spare second I have, I am outside in the garden. The little one is either helping, or close by. It's so wonderful to see her interaction with the garden change each year. As I spent a full five hours weeding over the weekend, I realized that just last year I never would have been able to accomplish that with a three year old. In fact, the back perennial bed sat full of weeds all summer long. Now she is starting seedlings, helping weed, watering the garden, and has so much excitement at everything growing!
Last year, our first year with a true garden in this space, and my seventh year gardening (not counting my childhood! my parents had a fabulous garden.), I realized that I really couldn't be happier than when I'm out there working in the dirt. Watching our own food grow, playing a role in every part of it, shaping our land to our imagination, and being outside in the sunshine with dirt on my hands and green at my feet just makes me so darn happy. And I'm so fortunate to be able to share that with my two loves who enjoy it just as much as I do!
So, I thought I was due to share some gardening pictures from this year. It's been a rough start...it's been cold and rainy. Really rainy. Two weeks ago last year, we were picking all kinds of wildflowers and lilacs, but we are at least a week or two away from that this year. The seedlings are struggling to keep up with the rain and lack of sun. But there's green out there despite the weather and it's so lovely to see!
Let's start with the front yard. We put raised beds here because it's drier (our back yard is very swampy) and the chickens couldn't get into things. Last fall we added a few more for winter greens and beets. We have a total of twelve raised beds. This year we are growing basil, tomatillos, tomatoes, kale (2 varieties), chard (2 varieties), lettuce (6 varieties), strawberries (alpine and ever-bearing), blueberries (the traditional Maine kind), elderberries, peas, pole beans, carrots (4 varieties), beets (3 varieties), zucchini, slicing cucumbers, pickling cucumbers and a variety of herbs. We are adding more raised beds in the backyard for potatoes, winter squashes, pumpkins, onions, and garlic.
So, without further ado, let me take you on a little garden tour...
In the front we have the raised beds. I'm also doing some container planting this year for salad greens and peas, just because we ran out of room in the beds. We also have a cherry and plum tree here. This sight makes me smile every time I walk out the door! This picture from last year makes me so happy...
Chard growing in the cold and wet weather.
Lettuce!
The little one's bed full of strawberries is doing well. She also has her own blueberry bed and a place to plant carrots.
I have a perennial bed in the front along the sidewalk full of medicinal herbs and ground covers. I just put some chamomile and lemon balm in this spring, in addition to the lavender, echinacea, yarrow already there.
In the very front of the house that faces north, we put some shade loving greens. Lots of ferns, hosta, and lily's.
I used the window boxes for culinary herbs! Oregano, sage, parsley, and cilantro. We can just open the window, reach out, and pick some for our meals!
We started cosmos and zinnias in tin cans and old olive oil cans. The little one was in charge of all the flowers!
The backyard needs a lot of work, so that's my goal for this year. We have a huge property for being right in town...about 3/4 of an acre. But it's all wet and swampy, which makes it hard to grow anything. There's a lot of weeding to do, plants to add, a chicken coop to build (anyone interested in helping or donating materials?! we will FEED YOU!), more raised beds to go in, and a tree fort to finish. This is the perennial bed I just weeded over the weekend. I love how the bee balm has spread like crazy from last year. I've got flocks coming up too, tulips, mint (oh...whoever planted mint in there?!), lupines, a pear tree, violets, and others that were there when we moved in.
Rhubarb and a peach tree are close by too.
And I've been inspired by her to use some re-purposed planters. One was a stump with the perfect rotted hole that was down by the tiny brook at the end of our property. It is perfect for some succulents! And the other was a tire I also found down there. I am having so much fun finding native plants (you'll be surprised by all the great stuff around you once you start looking!) around our yard and the field behind it. I found some ferns, forget me nots, and some ground covers that I love. So everything from the planter to the plants were completely free!
And lastly, the little one's garden where she can plant anything she wants. Chives, chocolate mint (she wanted it right in the ground, so we have lots now! she chews on it all summer long), thyme, some flowers, forget me nots, and violets are what she chose. She is in charge of this little patch of yard too. She's doing a fine job so far!
So that's our garden! I hope you enjoyed your visit. I'd love to see yours, if you have one! Leave me a link...
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It was a dreary, rainy day today. We spent the better half of it doing indoor things like violin lessons and a trip to the library for more books. But this afternoon the rain let up and we found ourselves outside on a mission: to find rocks for our garden. The raised beds are looking a little bleak right now and I wanted to add some color. Our wooden plant markers never make it through the season, so I wanted something that would last. So we went around the yard collecting the best rocks we could find.
We scrubbed them, dried them, and set them on the back porch. Then we collected the acrylics and paint brushes and set to work. The little one had such fun painting the rocks that we had to go back out three more times for more! We have enough to mark all the veggies in the raised beds and I love the fun and color they will add.
I'm so excited to get back outside and dig in the dirt. It's amazing to watch our yard transform every year. I never realized how much of my soul was connected to gardening. I have grand plans of sunflower huts, herb window boxes, potted plants all over the yard, succulents in the backyard, beds of flowers, creeping vines up and around her tree fort, a handmade stick fence, and more. So much more. I want to spend every second outside. Every single second with my hands in the dirt.
I'm loving finding garden inspiration out there in blogland. I love wild, crazy gardens that just look like magic. Would you care to share some with me?!
Here's some gardening music for you :)
Happy Tuesday everyone!!
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What a perfect day for Earth Day! We spent the morning at nature-based program the little one attends on Fridays where we felted eggs, made houses in the woods, cleaned up the grounds a bit, and enjoyed the sun for a full four hours. Then we came home and gardened! It felt so amazing to have my hands in the dirt again. We had added compost last fall, so the beds were pretty much all ready to go.
We direct-seeded beets, carrots (4 fun varieties!), lettuce, kale, chard, beans, and peas and some annuals. The little one is my handy waterer, so she gave all the seeds "a nice drink so they will grow big and strong." She kept taking videos with her camera while we were planting the carrots. I loved the narration..."And here we have the carrots we will soon pick and eat for our dinners." Super sweet, she is. I love that she is getting more and more involved in the gardening process as she gets older. You can definitely tell she remembers doing a lot of this last year.
Then we came in and dyed eggs! Sasa made some natural dyes while we were gone this morning. He used turmeric (yellow), beets (pink), purple cabbage (robin's egg blue), yellow onion skins (orange), and then we mixed them all to make one fun color! We're leaving them in overnight so they get pretty dark. With 24 eggs in all, I think we're going to have a pretty crazy egg hunt on our hands this Sunday!
Happy Earth Day and Happy Easter! I'll be back at the beginning of the week to share some of our Easter fun!
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I think that may possibly be the most random title in all of blogland. But there you have it...water kefir and hanging clothes! Yay!
Oh my, this water kefir thing. I love it. Adore it. It's yummy and amazing and so very easy. Not at all like kombucha. Oh no. I let it ferment for 72 hours and we're good to go. The little one is smitten with it. She drinks more than I do, so it's hard to keep up. Once our grains multiply (thankfully, this lovely lady gave me some!), we'll be able to brew more at once. I'm really looking forward to that because 16 ounces a day doesn't seem to be enough for me! I used this recipe, by the way.
And the clothes, oh the clothes. The little one and her cuteness and the clothes. Too much goodness right there. She makes me put up a mini clothesline just for her. And she washes her doll's clothes by hand with the big enamel tub and her washboard. Then she squeezes the water out and hangs them up to dry. I loved peeking through the window to see her doing her real work on the back porch. What a sweet little scene.
And I am leaving you with an awesome group I just found. Love this video. Happy weekend everyone!!!
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Lettuce. Kale. Chard. Beets. Carrots. Peas. Beans. Tomatillos. Tomatoes. Leeks. Winter squash. Pie pumpkins. Basil. Basil. Basil. Nasturtiums. Zinnias. Sunflowers...
Those are just some of the things we are planting this year. We're expanding the garden this year to accomodate more winter storage veggies to last us further through the winter season. And our chicken fence will be the support for tons of pole beans. And then there are the sunflower forts we hope to plant. And the climbing vines and flowers all over her tree house. And the potted herb garden for the front steps. And the flowers for the window boxes. And the extra pear tree so our lonely one will start to bear fruit. And hopefully a couple of apple trees. And the extra medicinal herbs for the herb garden.
Boy, do we have plans. We have plans and plans and more plans. And I'm started to wonder with all the traveling and work I'm doing this summer if I can make it all fit in! But there's nothing that I love more than being out in the sunshine with my hands in the dirt, growing our own food. I'm hoping we can freeze more, can more, and store more to last us longer this next winter.
The little one and I started some seedlings. I won't lie...our budget is extremely tight right now. Trying to stay home with a little one with a mostly seasonal job means winter is tight. Even purchasing seedling containers seemed a little extravagant. We had a stack of egg cartons and it gave me an idea. We always plant a bunch of seedlings in egg shell halves that we save that the little one is in charge of, but why not use some of our millions of egg cartons for the rest?! So we did. And it is working! I only planted things like lettuce, kale, chard, and basil in them because they are so shallow and I know don't need to grow that big before we can transplant outdoors. For the the tomatillos, I purchased deeper containers. (I think I started about 30 plants...we do love our salsa verde!).
The little one is in charge of the flowers and her basil on the windowsill. She checks them daily and waters them. It's the cutest! It's exciting to watch them grow. We spent a day earlier in the week turning the soil in our raised beds and talking about planting the beets and carrots and beans and sunflowers. The little one ended up rolling for hours in the dirt...she clearly missed that feeling after this long winter! I know I did.
So yea...we are super excited about gardening season here. Super excited. I think I may just spend every spare second outside digging in the dirt. It's a nice thing having this little urban homestead. We can do so much on our land, yet still walk to everything we need. What a sweet little life!
What are you planting this year??! I would love to see pictures of your gardens!! Leave some in the comments...
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Well, I started the little one's cowl yesterday and finished it at the breakfast table this morning. I used leftovers from her sweaters. It came off the needles and she exclaimed, "Mama! It only took you two days to knit me this!" And she put it right on. She was very excited about the idea of having warm cheeks on our walks. So we headed right out to put it to good use.
Perhaps this wasn't the best day for cowl wearing because it warmed up to a marvelous 48 degrees! I was outside in my t-shirt shoveling snow for the chickens (who went on vacation and hopefully will be back really soon!) and cleaning up the back porch. It was amazing. Regardless of this warming trend, I'm still starting my cowl tomorrow...
We found a bird's next on our walk home. A teensy tiny one that I placed on our window sill looking out into the backyard. I like to think of it as a reminder that spring is on its way. Our seed order has been placed, our garden will expand slightly to accomodate more winter storage veggies, I'm looking into my bees (!!!!!! So excited and just wanted to thank you all again for the marvelous links you sent me last summer after my bee lust post. I really hope it happens this year!), and we're about ready to tap the trees. I can't wait to taste the cool, clear sap again. Spring tonic. This full moon (Friday!) will start the Sap Moon, which means spring is definitely on its way! (Check out this book...I adore it.)
I hung my first line of laundry in about four months. I'm pretty sure this is one of the first day in months above 30 degrees. And 30 degrees was a rarity this winter. We were mostly dealing with subzero temps. Killer. I can take the snow, but the cold I would rather leave behind.
The little one played outside all day. We went on bike rides, stomped in puddles, let Mr. Pickles (who decided today was much too nice to sleep away) explore the barn a little, and tried to teach Pepper to fetch. Then it was more walks, a little acupuncture, more soaking in the sunshine, and a lovely dinner full of greens.
And it looks like tomorrow might be a repeat which makes me very, very happy indeed.
What are you loving about late February??
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More from the roll in November. Those chickens...so sweet.
I just bought a pound of dried elderberries. I'm DONE being sick. Take that cold and flu season! Ha!
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Well, Sasa is recovering from a stomach flu, I got it yesterday (ew!), and thankfully the little one seems fine. So I'm beat after getting only 2 hours of sleep all night.
I have more to say, but it will just have to wait. Instead, enjoy some photos from early December that I meant to share but never got around to it!
I've been shooting with film a LOT lately. I have two boxes of color and slide and black and white expired film that I can use up. The color only cost me $4.99 to have put on a disc, which I was pysched about. Still looking for a place to send in my B&W...any ideas?!
We harvested all the chard and kale (this is only half of it) from the garden before the snow. I blanched it all and froze about 10 big bags for winter use. Yay!
Raw goat's milk and our first blue egg! Yay!
She was so happy. Thank you Daisy for our blue egg!
xoxo.
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We are still recovering from the 4th birthday bash. It was one of the best nights ever. But Sasa and I are still catching up on sleep. So in an attempt to keep this short and sweet, but to let you all know I'm still here, I would like to share some sweet moments from the last few days..
Applesaucing! We love this tradition. We sat on the porch washing, peeling, chopping, and ended up with a huge pot full of applesauce that we devoured in a single day. Yum! The little one is so helpful. I can't get over it.
Speaking of helpful, she cleaned half of the chicken barn all by herself. We spent one morning last week getting it ready for the winter. She was beyond thrilled to be helping out. She kept setting aside hay for the "goats" (we'll hopefully be getting some soon!). We've come to the conclusion that we need some barn cats. We have mice eating up our chicken feed and we're not too thrilled with that. So we're on the hunt for a couple of barn cats and think we found a source. Yay!
Not only has my girl been washing apples and cleaning barns, but she loves to mop. Loves, loves, loves it. She was so excited when I got the mop out. I may make this a weekly activity instead of monthly, because she just loves it so.
She was so lucky to receive so many thoughtful and handmade gifts. She was playing with this little basket of garlic, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg, along with a miniature grater. It kept her busy for so long. Another favorite was the gluten-free play clay. Hours of entertainment with that (thanks Maria!).
And she got a sweet little tree fort just in time for her birthday! Sasa's sister and her husband have been working on it and it was almost finished over the weekend. The little one and I primed it today to get it ready for our funky colors. I can't wait to show more!
What have you all been up to?! I hope to have a link list tomorrow.
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It was another weekend of apple picking, sweater weather, applesauce making and apple pie baking. We took a stroll through a favorite orchard and picked up bags and bags of "drops." We get them for free and bring them home to make applesauce....jars and jars of sauce to be canned. The little one had her wee basket of apples she picked from the trees :: the "very special" ones.
We had company over on Saturday night and spent the evening in the brisk air, wrapped in sweaters, eating apple pie and staring up into the clear sky where the bright stars seemed to dance. It was a cozy evening.
The little one got out her winter jammies and we cuddled in bed together to stay warm. I woke up to a puppet show this morning. While drinking my tea I looked at her and thought, "she'll be four in four days." It's insane how quickly these little guys grow. They are amazing at it too.
For now we're shifting gears a bit, getting used to this colder weather. It's nice to slow down and feel the peace that fall brings after a busy summer. All I want to do is curl up on the couch with some knitting and tea. I just love that.
Happy almost fall! I hope your weekend was a fine one!
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There has been lots of making going on here lately. Knitting, sewing, canning, cooking...it's all about creating. I love it. I got to thinking today how my personality seems to shift quite dramatically throughout the year. I am greatly affected by the moon's patterns, the seasons, and life around me. The seasonal change gets me every time. When I settle into fall (which is typically a good 3-4 weeks before fall is actually here...), I become more of a home body. I love being domestic. I love hanging laundry, cleaning up the dishes after lunch, and tending to the garden. It makes me feel so connected to myself. I also love to spend more time in the woods. The summer is all about the beach, but come fall I have a craving to get out into the woods and hike and explore. The little one seems to do this naturally too.
In addition to all these autumnal cravings, I also start creating more with my hands. I'm working on a secret present for the little one's birthday coming up next week (she'll be four...oh my!) and have settled into a nice rhythm of knitting after breakfast on the back porch, during quiet time after lunch, and after dinner with a glass of wine. I love it. I'm hooked on knitting and can't believe I only learned last winter. I was missing so much!
I've also gotten some sewing in lately. Two more pants for the little one and matching pants for Alex. I love, love, love this pattern I made up a couple of years ago. They are 3/4 length pants now, but will fit for a full three years and turn into shorts as she gets bigger. And Alex is pretty thrilled with his "new threads", as the little one likes to say.
And the skirts. Well, there's no denying that my girl loves layers. She definitely gets it from her mama. As it's getting cooler, she's adding more and more layers to her outfits. Undershirts, long-sleeved shirts, then a short-sleeved shirt over that. When she put on a pair of wide-legged jeans the other day, I thought she was all ready to go. But she quickly corrected me and said, "Mama...I haven't put my layer over my pants yet!" I tried to explain to her that teensy tiny skirts with shorts attached underneath were going to be very hard to put over wide leg jeans, but she managed somehow. We decided that morning to make a trip to my favorite little fabric shop to see Rhea-Rhea, and the little one got to pick out her own fabric for some skirts. So she did, then we came home and made them. They are long enough to fit for a few years. And they are much easier to put over jeans! Purple Violet got a skirt too, because I couldn't leave her out.
We've also been making pickles (14 jars of dill and confetti pickles) and pasta sauce for the winter. Yum! Between our jam, frozen berries, pickles, frozen zucchini, and pasta sauce, we are gearing up for a long winter ahead. I feel good about all the work we've done, both in the garden and in the kitchen. Next on the list is freezing some of the delicata squash we've been getting. Our kale and rainbow chard are still going strong and we're enjoying those daily. I can't wait until our winter lettuce comes up!
So...what are you making these days? Do you find that your intentions and attitude shift seasonally as well? I'd love to hear more about what you all think!
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My, oh my. We're due for a super storm tomorrow (hurricane Earl) and I decided to go out to the gardens to see what needed picking. Well, I found tons. And tons and tons. It was so much fun. The little one and I carried our big wooden bowl around and our basket to fill with tomatoes, delicata squash, cucumbers, and zucchini. It was like a treasure hunt!
Since the start of our garden, we've put in four more beds. They are growing beets, Asian greens, chard, kale, carrots, and some winter lettuce. Our garden is literally overflowing and it's so wonderful to see! Tomorrow we'll spend the day pickling and canning tomato sauce for the winter!
And we followed up our morning of gardening with wash day. So fun!
What did you do today?!
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The little one and I have been doing lots of picking, cooking, and eating. Remember Bri and her gorgeous family? Well, she let us come back up for some blueberry and blackberry picking. And boy...we got loads. I spent the better part of yesterday (and Sasa the night before) picking through the berries to freeze for the winter. The little one and I love this book. We read it almost daily in the summer time. When we were picking blueberries she said, "Mama...you're going to take these home and can them for next winter!" Yes indeed. Perhaps not can all of them, but freeze them for sure!
We've made blueberry muffins, jam, a tart, and "smoothie popsicles" out of them already. (We discovered that adding Greek yogurt to our homemade popsicles is deeeelicious!) The little one is such a good helper with all this too.
We've also been enjoying loads of tomatoes and cucumbers, so a simple salad of the two mixed with olive oil and feta is a great lunch.
And the jam...oh my. This is just some of it. We are going to be all set with jam through the winter. A lot of you have asked what recipe I use. It's just the "low sugar" recipe on the back of the Pamona's Pectin. I typically use 1/2 cup honey per batch.
We have been enjoying so many picnics and dinners on our back porch. The little one has been so interested in setting the table all by herself. See those folded napkins? She did that! We found a vintage children's cook book at a used bookstore and it illustrates everything, right down to setting the table. She adores it. So sweet. And Sasa and his Pop worked so hard on this porch... it's just beautiful. We have been enjoying it every second!
And up for today...zucchini bread, homemade hummus, millet sqaures, and quinoa salad. Yum!
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Wow...our gardens are completely out of control! Zucchinis, cucumbers, tomatoes, kale, chard...oh my! It's great and feels so good to be eating our own veggies. The basil was starting to get attacked by beetles, so we rescued it over the weekend and set to work making pesto to freeze for the winter. We ended up with ten jars...each the perfect size for a meal! It's so nice to have fresh pesto again. And yes, it's still one of my favorite foods!
The little one and I celebrated our friend's birthday today! We surprised her with a cake and presents, a homemade banner, heart rocks, and a little note on the sidewalk (she walks by our house on her way to work). The cake was deeelicious! We used the "Maple Cake" recipe from "A Waldorf Kindergarten Snack Book" and substituted a gluten-free mix for the flour. We picked fresh blackberries across the street and added them to the top. Yum! Happy Birthday Maria!!!!!
And sorry I didn't get a link list for y'all this week! I am bogged down with a lot of work (yay!) and haven't had much time for anything else these nights...so why don't you share a link that you are loving with me? Oh yes, that would be fun!
Happy Monday!!
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It all starts with some good friends, a gorgeous farm, two sweet little ones, lots of red ripe raspberries, straw hats and picnic blankets, fields of buckwheat, and ends with...
... jars of raspberry jam. Mmmmm....yummy!
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Well, I ran my first 5k (since my pre-little one days) race this morning. I placed first in my age group and was the fourth woman to finish. I was so excited! I credit it all to bacon. Bacon is my speedy run breakfast. It makes me run like the wind! Oh, and I owe a major thanks to my friend Maria for urging me to run even though I've been complaining of the worst ever past two weeks of running. I was anemic and started taking iron which is helping tons. But to be the fourth woman to finish the race and to be running alongside all these super fit guys who look like they do nothing but run? That was pretty thrilling. I had no expectations. So I was pretty proud of myself.
And guess who else ran in her first race? That's right! She ran the 1/4 mile race for the wee ones. She got a number and a t-shirt just like mama too! She did terrific! We finished (and I say "we" because she requested I run with her...) and she immediately turned to me and said, "Mama...I want to keep running! Let's run MORE!" As I passed out on the grass, she was still begging me. So we went home to run more and Sasa took some action shots!
And the rest of the day? Dirt. Sasa built more raised beds because our gardens are overflowing and we are planning on trying to make it through the winter on our very own greens and squash, so he had a dump truck load of composted loam delivered. If you ever want to know how to keep a little one busy for hours, just make sure 3 yards of dirt is available, two flower pots, and a kiddie swimming pool. Nothing beats it!
What do you have planned for this weekend?!
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I love to garden. I'm pretty sure that "must-be-in-the-garden-as-soon-as-spring-approaches" urge just keeps getting worse as I get older. I would be content with weeding, mowing the lawn, and planting veggies all day long. Our backyard is incredibly swampy, filled with clay soil, and chickens. You put those three things together and you have a disaster. If you are actually able to grow anything in swampy, clay-like soil, the chickens will surely dig it up during one of their dirt baths or eat it.
So enter some raised beds. Our friend was so kind to give these to us and we immediately put them to good use. They sit in the front yard, where the chickens won't find them and it's dry enough that they won't actually sink anytime soon! We filled them with organic loam, peat moss, and (the little one's favorite thing) alpaca poo. We spent all day yesterday planting, shoveling, and taking breaks for popsicles. We planted rainbow chard, kale, spinach, lettuce, basil, tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini, delicata, cucumbers, blueberries, elderberry, alpine strawberries, and snap peas. We also made some signs for all the seeds we planted (the little one had a lot of fun with this!). We all fell asleep talking about being able to get dinner from our very own yard soon. It doesn't get any better than that!
And, oh...how talented the little one is. She came running in while Sasa and I were making lunch yesterday to show us these pictures. The one on the left is "Mama as a bird wearing fairy wings." The two people on the right are "Sasa, who is my little brother in this picture (because I really want a little brother) and I am on the right. I am bigger than Sasa because he is my little brother. We both have very styled hair." Sasa got a kick out of that! Oh, and they are wearing fairy wings too. I love the little toes on each of us and the faces are so amazing!
And lastly, I love BBQs. Sasa grilled these marinated shish kabobs and they were delicious! We're settling in for a relaxing evening after some more gardening work.
I had an engagement shoot today at a super fun location! I will have previews up on my photo blog soon, so stay tuned! Hope you are enjoying your weekend.
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Well, our demand of Happy Eggs completely out numbered our actual supply, so we decided to adopt some more chicks. Ten to be exact. We got some from our friend's farm last week that were a couple of weeks old already, then we picked up some more day old chicks today. Oh my, they are so cute! We've named half of them (Happy, Cara, Molly, Delila, and Daisy) and the latest batch of five have yet to be named.
They are currently residing in a cozy corner of our basement until they are old enough to join the big ladies. Even then they will need to be separated until they are full grown. Apparently chickens aren't quite so welcoming when it comes to making new friends...
The little one has had so much fun with them. She loves to check on them, sing them songs, and say good morning and goodnight. Those little chickies sure are loved!
And the big chickens? Well, they don't have a clue what's going on. We did find out they LOVE potato chips (and wooly thyme in my garden!)
I am still super duper busy, and June is going to be an even busier month. I may be a little quite on here while I get caught up on work. Happy Thursday!!!
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Favorite moment :: the little one coloring while waiting for friends.
Favorite guy :: Sasa :)
Favorite activity :: gardening
Favorite picture :: See Belina? The one in the middle with her head turned? She's saying "cheeeeese!"
Favorite part of the day :: dinner at the kitchen table.
Other favorites ::
Favorite surprise :: a postcard in the mail from Sasa and the little one asking me out on a date tomorrow. So sweet!
Favorite phrase :: "Mama, I'm gonna play polka-dot on your freckles. Okay?!"
Favorite food :: cucumbers with hummus...mmmm!
Favorite song :: A Well Respected Man
What are your favorites today?? Happy Weekend!
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Oh, I've got that spring urge...that urge to plant, and garden, and craft, and sew. I have oodles of sewing projects in my head :: quilts, summer dresses, shirts, headbands for little heads, and skirts. And oh, the garden...raised beds are a dream of mine and until that happens I will settle for container gardening. The little one is a great helper. She loves to plant the tiny seeds, but after a while she loses interest. So what is a mama to do? Why, take out some acrylics and let her decorate the plant pots!
So we did just that. She painted while I planted peas, lettuce, kale, spinach, and sunflowers. By the end of that I had five plant pots completely planted and painted! We also rode our wagon down to the garden center to get some pansies to plant in our window boxes. Our house is looking mighty springy!
And we haven't just been planting outside. Spring is the time to re-pot all our indoor plants. It's so nice to see these plants grow bigger and stronger month after month. And there's nothing like having lots of green in the house.
And just something cute...Sasa likes to send me mail. I particularly liked this clever postcard.
What are you planting lately?! I'd love to see some of your gardens for inspiration. Leave me a link!
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The root children were underground bustling about fixing their evening meal of dandelion soup, grass salad, and mushroom cookies. One root child was late and he came running down the tunnel with some exciting news. "Everyone, everyone! Listen to this! The little girl and her mama planted seeds today! Flowers and herbs and peas and lettuce. We must help them grow!"
All the root children clapped and shouted "hooray!" for they loved spring, and they adored helping the seeds grow. They made a plan to water the seeds first thing in the morning. They also give the seeds a hug, which the seeds love so much that it makes them grow faster. And when the seeds start to sprout, the root children dip into their magic seed dust to sprinkle on the seeds. The magic seed dust makes the plants strong and healthy.
So the very next morning they did just that. All the root children went to work watering and hugging the seeds. Some even told the seeds stories about the sun and blue skies, which made the seeds so anxious to sprout that they started growing faster and faster.
When the flowers and vegetables came up extra early, the little girl and her mama were quite surprised! The little girl didn't know how seeds could grow so fast, but her mama knew that the root children had helped. The little girl wanted to thank the root children for all their hard work, so she asked her mama what they could do for them. Her mama told her what the root children love, so they set to work collecting yummy things to leave the root children :: dandelions for dandelion soup, apple tree blossoms for their tea, a lily pad to use for their bath tub, and even a strawberry from the little girl's lunch. They set all these lovely things on a beautiful plate in the flower garden for the root children to find the very next morning.
The root children absolutely loved their surprises! They were so overjoyed that the littlest root child ran back to her bunk to find a special treasure; it was the teeniest, tiniest heart shaped rock that a beetle had given her on her first birthday. She ran back to the garden and placed the tiny rock on the plate. The little girl came out the next morning and found the tiny heart rock. She was so excited she ran inside to show her mama. She knew the root children had left it for her. She placed it on a windowsill by her bed where she keeps all her special treasures. Every night she would go to sleep looking at her heart rock and thinking about all the help the root children had given her. She already couldn't wait for next spring!!
This was a story I made up tonight for the little one before she fell asleep. Her eyes were closed by the very end and she fell alseep with a smile on her face. I'm pretty sure the root children will be helping out tonight after we planted her special garden with lots of yummy flowers. The peas were planted to grow up the chicken coop fence and we started some other seedlings as well. What a day! I love spring!
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You are what you eat, right? So if you eat an egg from a sad chicken, you will be sad too. But if you eat an egg from a happy chicken, well...ya know. Maybe that's why we're all so happy?! The little one is learning a bit about running a business. An egg business, that is. Let me introduce "Happy Eggs." A little side business the little one and I are diving into to help make extra money for our chicken feed. Plus, our fridge is just loaded with eggs. We can't keep up!
First thing we did was make a sign. A big one. Then we made a money jar. And then we decided our egg cartons needed a little sprucing up, so handmade labels were designed. Oh yes, these little eggs go out in style!
We talked about setting up a roadside stand in our front yard, but remembering my failed lemonade stands as a kid, we opted to go to the people instead of waiting for the people to come to us. So we loaded up the wagon, hitched on our sign, got a basket for our eggs, and went to town. Nothing beats bringing food to people, especially when a cute little dinoasaur is delivering it. We were quite a sight...me, the wagon, a little dinosaur, Doggy Fly trailing behind us, and along the way we picked up three more friends who followed us into town.
And guess what? We were sold out in the first FIVE minutes. Our money jar is full and we have standing orders. Oh my. It's a good thing we have happy chickens who lay happy eggs daily!
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A couple of weeks ago we set to work making ornaments for our tree, friends and family. We used a simple recipe that I remembered doing when I was in preschool (I still have those ornaments and they still smell great!). I was reminded of the project when I saw my friend Heather had done them with her boys. The recipe is on her blog. We only used cinnamon in ours, as I had done as a child. The little one is beyond thrilled with the result. She takes her "horse" off the tree to play with it quite a bit, although she's still asking me when she can eat them!
And today we enjoyed an afternoon outside, all bundled up in the cold, windy weather. We found a great sledding hill behind our house (mama had great fun!) and then we said hello to our chickens. They don't know what to think of the snow and often stay inside the barn all day. The little one checked for an egg, but we didn't have any luck today. Maybe tomorrow!
Hope your day was just as sweet!
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What a week! It's flown by and this poor space has been a bit neglected more than I'd like. We've been enjoying sunshine, lots of picnics, a trip to the river or ocean at least once a day (where we found jellyfish and horseshoe crabs), making ice cream, having barbeque's, visiting with friends, riding bikes through town, playing music, and last but not least, gardening! As the little one would say, "holy moly!" that was quite a week.
We have been getting our little urban homestead up and running. Seedlings were started weeks ago, gardens were tilled recently, rock borders were put up, lettuce and basil were planted, fruit trees were picked out and finally put in the ground, and the little one is having such fun with it all.
She loves to water everything. This big watering can has provided endless amounts of entertainment. She is great at keeping her seedlings happy and well cared for. The fruit trees (pears, plums, blueberries, cherries, apple, elderberry, raspberries, blackberries) are a bit small this year, but hopefully next year we'll see some fruit. The little one is quite excited that the leaves are finally starting to bud on them all.
I helped Sasa till a special garden just for her. We took a trip to the greenhouse where she picked out her own flowers, and then a trip to the co-op for some bigger seedlings. She loves the tomatoes and lettuce. She's done a great job keeping it all watered, and even helped put them all in! She has quite the green thumb already.
And last but not least...I would like to introduce the newest members of our little family. The above would be "Penelope." She's a bit shy and the runt of the group, but her bigger sister Roxanne and big brother Bernard (pictured second) are very good to her. Our neighbor felt bad for the last three chicks left at the hardware store, so he brought them home. A month later, we ended up with them in our garden so they could "till" the rest of it for us and add some manure. They're meat birds, but have no plans to serve them for dinner. We hope to add some more to the flock soon.
Gosh, it's good to have our little "farm" up and running finally. Now if we could only get those goats...!
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Shannon, over at Nourishing Days, is hosting a little discussion on where your food comes from. She asked me to join in by talking a little bit more about what we eat and how we live, and being a lover of all things green, I happily agreed.
I am a huge believer in supporting local businesses. The smaller, the better in my book. I had been shopping at our little natural foods co-op since I moved to this area, and was delighted to start working there last summer. All of the food we eat comes from this store. Winter in Maine can be pretty long, and prior to spring the only local produce available seems to be root vegetables and garlic, but come spring and summer, the local produce available is overwhelming (and so yummy!).
It's neat working in a store like this. I've gotten to know all the farmers who deliver the vegetables, the goat man who delivers the goat cheese (and always brings the cutest goat with him...oh yes, that's where the $10 goat came from), the bread guy who drives an insane distance to deliver their freshly baked bread, the wee-bit farmer who brings in his yummy sausages, and the mushroom man who grows wild mushrooms in his yard. Meeting all these people has really allowed me to connect with my food. I know where it comes from, I know who made it or grew it. I love knowing who I'm supporting when I buy a head of lettuce or a tub of goat cheese. And it just makes everything taste better.
At home, we try to limit packaging as much as possible. We're off all grains, starches, and sugars since finding out I'm hypoglycemic, so we tend to stick to nuts, veggies, fruit, local meats, and raw dairy. We use glass containers that we bring with us to get large quantities of bulk items (nuts, brown rice, quinoa, millet, etc.) and cloth bags for produce.
As for what we do at home, well...we keep things simple. Meals are usually quick and tasty. Nothing too complicated unless we find we have loads of time to devote to a meal. We have found interesting ways to work around the limited produce available in the winter months by experimenting with new recipes. We try to make any snacks the little one likes to eat (graham crackers, Popsicles, nut butters, raw crackers, sunflower seed butter balls, etc.) to limit the amount of plastic or cardboard coming into the house. We wash plastic baggies out and reuse them again and again. We store all food in glass containers (our local kitchen store has a great selection) and reuse any containers we've had to purchase.
We also make our own yogurt from raw milk, cheese, jams, kimchi, and kombucha. None of these are challenging at all, and in the future we hope to share how to get started doing this on your own. Then there's the garden in the works (the lasagna method), the chickens and ducks that need to be moved over to our in-town lot, and the goats that will eventually arrive after we've installed fences. Homesteading has always been a dream of mine and I never quite pictured doing it on a half-acre lot in town, but the more I think about it, the more practical it is!
In every area of our life, whether it be food or traveling, we live consciously. We hardly ever use the car, we avoid buying things new, we recycle as much as possible, we buy locally, we produce as much of our own food as we can, and mainly we just really think about every decision we make about how we live, and how it affects our planet. And the best part? It feels really good to live this way.
Here's an easy, fast, delicious, mostly local recipe we love. We call these "zucchini sticks" and I love how quick they are to whip up! The little one thinks they are French fries they are so good!
:: Zucchini Sticks ::
-however many zucchinis you would like, sliced length-wise and then cut into thinner pieces
-olive oil (enough to coat zucchini)
-Parmesan cheese (as much as you'd like)
-salt and pepper
Mix olive oil, cheese, salt and pepper together in the bottom of a big bowl. Toss zucchini until well coated. Place on a baking sheet and broil for 10 minutes, or until brown and crispy. Enjoy!
Some of the books I'd recommend for others wanting to learn more are: (Please check your local bookstore to see if you can order them!)
-The Backyard Homestead
-Fresh Food From Small Places
-Country Wisdom and Know-How (personal fav!)
-In Defense of Food
-Full Moon Feast
-Edible Schoolyard
-Slow Food Nation's Come to the Table
-Coop
-Nourishing Traditions (a book all households should own!)
So go check Food Roots out and think about joining in one of these Thursdays! Oh, and stay tuned for a cool little DIY project I have for tomorrow. Now go eat your (local) greens...!
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As we start getting ready to dive into urban homesteading, it's always inspirational to visit a small farm for ideas. We spent this overcast, chilly morning at one of the many homesteads surrounding our little town. We were told there was just about every animal you could imagine there, and it was true!
There were the biggest turkeys you ever did see. I have never seen a turkey quite so big. This lovely gal followed us around the entire time we were there. So cute. I really wanted to bring her home.
There were rare baby goats from New Zealand who lived inside the house, but came out for a visit and a walk through the woods.
There was a "ginormous" (as the little one likes to say) tractor, complete with two buckets, all accessible for a small child to sit on and pretend to drive.
There were geese,
and bigger goats,
and pot-bellied pigs in the greatest little pig pen ever.
We got some gardening ideas, some chicken tractor ideas, some fencing ideas, and a whole lot of urges to just dive in right this second and get a little half-acre farm going in town. Should I mention I almost (almost...) bought a goat yesterday for ten dollars?! With the amount of goat milk the little one drinks, a goat in the backyard would sure be handy! It was ever so tempting...
And I came up with a chicken Waldorf salad recipe today. It's one of my favorite lunches, and after spending a fortune on them at the local co-op, I finally decided to make my own. I never measure ingredients, so you'll have to use your own judgment because I'm totally guessing here...
-chicken (I buy organic chicken breast strips and cook them in a shallow pan with water and olive oil. Put the lid on and in about 5 minutes they are nice and tender.)
-1/2 red onion diced
-1/2 apple chopped with skin on
-2 celery sticks chopped
-1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper (I love this stuff)
-1 teaspoon thyme
-1/2 to 3/4 cup of mayonnaise (I use too much of this stuff on everything. I think it's a food from the Gods...)
-2 cloves raw garlic chopped (or 6 cloves if you're garlic nuts like us)
Mix all together and serve over lettuce. It's really the perfect lunch (or dinner, or even breakfast!). Enjoy!
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My friend (and coworker) is building a house and invited the little one and I over to see the progress. Her parents live on a big farm with beautiful gardens, apple trees, four pigs, two horses, and chickens just down the road. So we spent some time at the farm exploring. I was sent home with a stalk of brussel sprouts, kale, and beets. Not to mention our weekly trade of duck eggs for garlic and potatoes. I think I'll have a happy belly all winter long!
The little one especially loved discovering the toys inside that were tucked away in a corner. I've noticed a huge difference in her play since she started preschool in September. She is more engaged and happily plays away for long stretches of time. I've also noticed that the less toys there are, the more she plays. I'm thinking about going through a lot of ours and dwindling them down to a few. Most just sit in the baskets or on the shelves unused. Blocks, her new ukulele, her wooden farm family, and her cars are the most played with. Everything else just seems to go unnoticed! Has anyone else found that having less toys encourages more play?
And we have been regularly putting on performances for anyone who will listen of this song. This is the very song I sang the other month with the guitarist at a local barn gig. The little one insists I play the ukulele while she bangs away on her mini piano. So far she's received some very enthusiastic clapping for her talents. Maybe she'll join me on stage next time!
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I'm still waiting to hear from Pam, Kate, and Lee-Ann about the Priscilla Ahn c.d.'s. And Michele, Mary-Sue, Torie, and Tara...your c.d.'s are going out today!
*And if you've sent me an e-mail and haven't heard back, please try again. My inbox has been inundated with some sweet and lovely e-mails from you all and I find that I don't have time to reply right away, which means they quickly get buried and I lose track! But do know that I read every one of them, so if you're waiting for a reply, send me another e-mail and I will do my best to keep up!
Indulge me in a few more egg pictures. I am just so pleased that we can get our breakfast from our own yard! The little one and I have been enjoying French toast every morning. We use Deland's millet special bread, 1-2 eggs, a bit of goat milk, cinnamon, and vanilla to taste. I never measure ingredients (I think this drives Stephen nuts!) so I don't know exactly how much of what. But it's so good!
Have a great weekend everybody! Until next time...
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We found our first two duck eggs in the coop yesterday morning. I was so proud of our ducks! I found another one this morning. Just in time to make the little one's new favorite breakfast: French toast.
I hope you're all enjoying your week!
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So much has been going on the last week that I haven't had a moment to sit down to post. First of all, I know a lot of you have asked how the little one is doing with preschool. Well, she's not too enthusiastic about it when I drop her off. The first day I got a call 3 hours later asking to come pick her up. Although I was at work, so she had to stick it out the whole day. The teachers tell me she's getting better and better, although why my normally social, outgoing, fearless little girl is the only one who puts on quite a show when mama leaves, is beyond me. She's going through a new phase (which started the week prior to preschool) where she is very clingy, needy, and whiny. So add that to being away from mama for 7 hours, two days a week, and you have a recipe for some hard moments. I'm sure with time it will get easier.
The food sensitivities have proved to be challenging. She's been exposed to gluten twice. We're still trying to figure out how to deal with that. Any suggestions?
I'm really enjoying my job at the natural food co-op. It's such a break for me and I adore the people working there. I also end up buying lots of yummy food and I'm pretty sure I've (unfortunately) now doubled our already high grocery bill. Oops. I have a weakness for their gluten-free turkey sandwiches that are (gulp) $7.
We supposedly had our first frost last night. The weather is so cool and crisp. It's definitely fall now. I cleared out the raised beds and picked all the basil, carrots, summer squash, and herbs. All that's left are the beets and onions. Apple picking is coming up and there will be applesauce and cider. Tomorrow I'm making a huge batch of pesto. Does anyone know if it's possible to can pesto? Those small canning jars are the perfect size for one meal and I love the thought of not dealing with frozen pesto.
I made this fall jacket for the little one last week. It's my own pattern. I lined it with soft flannel. I wanted to wait and get action shots, but it seems we are always in a rush when she has it on. I'll try again this week. It went together quite quickly, although I always have a hard time with the arms, especially when it is lined. The holes are too small to fit around the arm of the machine, so I don't get as neat of seam as I'd like. But thankfully the messy part is always the part you can't visibly see! I'm pleased with the end result though and the little one seems to enjoy it.
Tomorrow will be more birthday celebrating and Sunday starts another work week for me. I hope you all enjoy your weekend!
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I spent the afternoon in the garden, picking peas and beans and radishes and lettuce. I always feel overwhelmed when everything seems to need picking at once. But it's fun. Then I came inside to shell the peas, blanched them, and now they're in the freezer to be used this fall and winter. The little one helped by picking up the shells to bring to the ducks. We've also been enjoying raw peas on our salads. I love being able to serve a dinner that was grown in our own yard. There's nothing better than that!
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