Category Archives: Food

In the Month of July

A little bit of where we are at, right now…

~I’m finally, finally, finally updating my Ravelry projects page.  I remember someone asking me to a year?  Maybe two??  ago and I’m just now getting around to it.  Good god I knit a lot.  I mean a lot.  Did you know?  Lot of projects have been added, but there are still many more to come.  (p.s. if you’re on Ravelry too, feel free to friend me)

bread 2~I’m working on perfecting my gluten-free zucchini bread recipe.  I used to make the *best* zucchini bread, and then along came food allergies….  in it’s current incarnation, the flavor is great, but the texture is kind of meh….at least there are plenty more zucchinis to experiment on.

yarn~I’ve actually been putting aside my knitting needles in favor of a crochet hook lately.  Who knows?  This just might lead to something…like, you know, actually learning how to crochet.

~I want to be able to take pictures like this.

picking~I’m reading Anne of Green Gables again, for the umpteenth time, just because it makes me happy.  In fact, I’m inclined to read them all again, but alas the the boxed set of my girlhood is no more; the old mold house deprived us of many favorites.  And our local library doesn’t have them (what is up with that?!?).  I think about replacing them from time to time, but then I feel guilty about spending the money on books that I’ve read many time already.  It would just be such a comfort to have them somehow.

lav one~Galen and I have some herbal massage oil steeping on the window sill.  It’s to be a Christmas present for Màiri Rose.  We harvested some of his calendula flowers that he grew from seeds and some of my lavender.  She does enjoy her lavender massage oil and he’s going to decorate the jar real pretty like.

jar~ I’m 2/3 or so through Iain’s birthday sweater, but it’s been stalled for several weeks now since I ran out of yarn and haven’t yet made it to the yarn store.

~ I’m already planning his sweater for next year.  Technically, I guess that would be two years from now since his birthday isn’t until next year. I know that even attempting this would be totally insane, but oh, it would be so perfect for him!

pool one~It finally occurred to me that a kiddie pool was in order.  We spent that last eight summers within easy walking distance of a creek, three ponds and a lake and the thought never even crossed my mind.  It wasn’t until I was sitting, watching all four of them trying to get into the 24″ galvanized tub at the same time that occurred to me that there might just be an easier option.  We had to order it on-line, since we couldn’t find one locally and it arrived just in time for the heat to break.  Which left them filling the pool while wearing jackets and sweatshirts (because of course they had to fill it) and me pondering the likelihood of developing hypothermia in July.

pool two~loving the wise mama words here

~I’m still in shock at finding goldenrod in bloom.  Are we really that far along already??  At the same time, I’m strongly craving some yarn in just the same color, to knit something; I have no idea what.  I’m resisting that temptation though (for now) and finishing up the projects I have supplies for right here.

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Books, Food, Herbs, Kids, Life, Yarn Crafts
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farm fresh

dinner

When I served myself dinner last night I thought everything looked so fresh and appealing that I just had to go and get my camera and take a picture.  Oh, and it was so very good!  I love this time of year when we are getting lots of produce from our CSA.

This is Curried Chicken Salad on lettuce leaf wrappers (from the farm) with cucumbers on top (also from the farm) and roasted veggies: carrots, fennel, summer squash, patty-pan squash and “Hakurei” white Spring turnips (we love these fresh on our salads and just for snacking too) all from the farm, along with sweet potatoes, onions and garlic.  Yum.

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Food
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In Which Steve Makes Jam…

pink two

Last weekend we went berry picking; strawberries and (really) early raspberries.  Earlier in the week, Galen and I made raspberry jam, and last night and today I am making strawberry freezer jam.  But late yesterday afternoon, when Steve came home from work, I was bemoaning the fact that the strawberries needed processing (I was terribly sick earlier in the week when I had planned on doing it) and I had so, so many other things to do in that moment.  So Steve offered to help me with the jam…which turned into Steve making the jam, with me talking him through it.

jammin“mmmm, jam”

I told him we’d have to send some to his Mommy.  Strawberry is her favorite.  She’ll be so proud.

steve with jam twoSelf Portrait: Steve with Jam

He says it’s only appropriate to gloat as much as he did the very first time that you make jam, so I guess I missed my chance.  He thought about getting his own blog, but what with having only the one thing to post about, decided against it.

It is very good jam.  We had some on almond bread with breakfast this morning.

And it wouldn’t be a jam making session if he didn’t walk around singing “Jammin‘” (though he does it in the voice of Simpsons’ police chief Clancy Wiggum, and sometimes changes the lyrics a bit to include words like “strawberry”).

When asked if he had anything to say about the experience, he replied, “I’ll never make jam again.”

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Food, Life
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weekend in review

peony close up

purple

columbine

peony

DSCN0175

We saw a snapping turtle, a humming bird, a vireo.  We went for a little hike.  Some of us went fishing and some of us had a little rest.  I did some sewing and started a new knitting project.  There was baseball practice and a baseball game (they won!).  And fresh bouquets brought in (I find the week is always more pleasant when there are fresh flowers in the house, don’t you?).  There was some work in the garden and a trip to town, topped off with a garden tour there.  I made the best broccoli salad and a rhubarb-apple tart.  There is another jar of chive flower vinegar steeping on my window sill, along side 2 dandelion and garlic.  I finished a  novel and started a new tv series (we don’t have a tv, but I sometimes watch shows through nextflix or on-line after the kids go to bed.  I’m currently a couple of episodes into the first season of this which let’s face it, I’m only watching because I have a crush on Patrick Dempsey.  Shhh!  Just don’t tell Steve.  Good thing he usually just looks at the pictures here, huh?  Only, I think sometimes he scans for his name…kind of screwed myself there, didn’t I?  Hey honey, why don’t you just look at the interesting picture of a turtle…..)

turtle

See??  Turtle.  Just keep your mind on the turtle.

And there was cleaning and cooking and errand running and all of the usual, busy family life stuff as well.  And now on to a new week…

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Books, Food, Gardens, Herbs, Housewifery, Kids, Life
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Gluten free pie crust recipe in progress (and other birthday things)

Today was the second of Mr. Elijah Rain’s three 8th birthday celebrations.  The first was a garden party with his grandparents and aunt, while we were in Pennsylvania (there was a dress code and everything.  any excuse for a bit of bow tie wearing you know).

His actual birthday (next Saturday) will be a quiet family affair; favorite foods, gifts from us and if the weather cooperates, some family baseball at the park.

Today was his official birthday party.  Shared birthday party actually.  He turns 8 a mere 10 days after his good friend.  Just our two families; eight kids playing, in and out of the house, two mamas cooking together, and no one really fussing or stressing about anything, made for one very low-key satisfying day.  The simple shared “party” was a Good Idea.  One that we might just have to repeat next year.

My boys made this set of gnomes for the other birthday boy (inspired by this post).  I think the one below is my favorite.

And I made pie, at my own birthday boy’s request; one cherry and one strawberry-rhubarb.  I came up with this off-the-cuff pie crust recipe.  I’m considering it a work in progress, because I still might want to tweak it a bit.  But all things considered, I think it was pretty darn good.  Of all the gluten free pie crusts I’ve made in the past,  I think this one was closest to a gluten crust in texture.

Gluten free pie crust

1 1/2 C white rice flour

1/2 C almond flour

1/2 C arrowroot

1/2 C potato flour

2 T sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  With a fork or pastry cutter, blend in:

1 C palm oil “shortening”

until dough forms little crumbs.  Add in:

1/2 C cold water mixed with 2 T. apple cider vinegar

Let dough chill in the refrigerated for around an hour.

When I took it back out, it was a little dry.  I re-hydrated it a bit by kneading in some additional water.

Gluten free pie crust can be difficult to work with at times, as it has a tendency to crumble.  I like to roll mine out on a floured Silpat Baking Sheet (parchment paper works too), with some flour sprinkled on top.  You need to roll the dough slowly and carefully, flouring more if needed to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin.  Always roll from the middle out, to keep it even (otherwise you end up with a thick middle and thin edges!).  I like to keep a bowl of water nearby, and every time a creak starts to develop, I seal it up with a bit of water (sprinkle a little flour on top to keep the wet spot from sticking to the rolling pin).

This recipe makes enough for a top and bottom crust for one pie.  After you assemble your pie, you can brush the top with oil, melted butter or lemon juice and sprinkle it with sugar if you like.  Whenever I have extra pie crust leftover, I let the kids roll it out and cut it into pieces, then we either sprinkle it with a bit of sugar or add a dollop of jam for a little pre-pie treat.

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crafts, Festivals and Celebrations, Food, Kids, recipes, toy making
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treats

three

A new basket treat this year, I discovered these Oskri Organics bars at a local co-op a couple of months back and made a mental note of them.  They are dried coconut, brown rice syrup and a bit of cherry juice, in a pretty vibrant pink that looks so festive.  Màiri’s wee basket, lined with raffia, contained one of these, an orange (her favorite!) and her book and it felt just right.  I went kind of over board with the bigger kids, but hers was perfect simplicity.

one

Also new this year, I made up these little nests!  I sliced up a bunch of almonds and mixed them with shredded coconut and sesame seeds in about equal amounts.  Then I poured some of my melt-y home-made chocolate over top and mixed it together, adding more until it felt like I could mold it.  I pressed some into this round bottomed muffin tin I have and some into muffin cups.  I picked out a bunch of whites from the sack of organic jelly beans and pressed in my “eggs” into the nests before chilling them.  They were really good!

two

And (surprise!) there were some baskets for Steve and I, complements of two tricky little boys (who aren’t so very tricky as they give themselves credit for, but don’t tell them that I said so!)…

four

This basket was mine.  It was harvested from the playroom and lined with a doll blanket that my Great Grandmother crocheted for my mother when she was little.  And festooned with some finger knitting by Elijah (I was told that it was going to be an Easter garland).  Inside where homemade chocolates, just a bit on the squishy side (I was told they were making them for Steve, which was true, as he got some too) and this little pouch…

five

knitted by Iain (I was told it was part of a “spring banner” he was making).  Thankfully I know better then to ask too many questions and spoil the surprise!

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celebrations and festivals, crafts, Food, recipes, Yarn Crafts
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Around my kitchen table…

On a random Tuesday morning.  Last Tuesday, to be precise.iain one

Iain with a fraction tree in progress.

elijah one

Elijah working on a diorama.

mg one

And the little folks playing at being “bubble factory workers” (an idea blatantly stolen from Kyrie of “Are So Happy“).

Not pictured: me baking Cinnamon Bun Muffins, because I’m still on my giddy cinnamon buns are a part of my life again kick but needed something at least a bit more healthy and a lot less high maintenance.  It’s not the same, but a reasonable substitute in a pinch.

Anywho.

One of the things that I get asked a lot is how I balance caring for and teaching 4 children of different ages and stages.  Which I always find kind of funny, because it’s usually asked in a what-a-ridiculous-thing-to-even-attempt sort of tone, that makes me want to respond by asking the student to teacher ratio of their local school district.  That said, it is true that it can be a challenge.  The structure of home is  very different from that of a school where everything is set up with teaching many children at once in mind (case in point, I don’t tend to make the kids line up to go places).  But I think that there are plenty of ways to make it work and I actually relish the challenge.

Our days go smoother when I’m well prepared, well rested and in a peaceful and reasonable state of mind.  I suppose all that is pretty obvious in theory, but there is a big difference between knowing these things to be true and actively cultivating a life that allows for those things.  I’ve learned time and time again that my state of mind can make or break a day.

From a practical point of view, it helps to have a little metal list, or even an actual list of things for each child to accomplish in a day, with thoughts towards what one child can be doing when I’m otherwise occupied.  So if Iain finishes with his math practice and is ready for his Main Lesson work, but I’m still involved in work with Elijah, I can suggest he go do a certain chore to get it out of the way or get a head start on some other independent work.  Handwork fits in well here.  Other times I’ll request that one of the older ones read to or otherwise entertain one of the younger ones.  We all work together here to make our home, our family and our education work.

Which brings me to perhaps the most important part of fostering an atmosphere for multi-age learning; respect.  I talk about it a lot, with even the littlest of the kids.  They know that when I’m working with one child that they need to be patient and not cause disruptions and in turn their siblings will do the same for them (clearly there is a bit a leeway here for very young people, but they really do start to learn this surprisingly early).

So that’s a very general overview of how we try to find balance and make things work for us all.  Tomorrow I’ll be sharing some of the things that we’ve been working on this year.

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crafts, Food, Homeschooling, Kids, Life, Mothering, Our Little Home, Waldorf
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Spring is Coming to New England

It’s that time of year again.  Still snow on the ground in a lot of places, but lots of melting too and the sap is flowing, which means that surely spring must be just around the corner.

this one

We had sugar on snow last week as a treat.

one option fingers

And we’ve been enjoying a selection of maple related books from the library yet again this year.

Amoung the ones that found their way home with us…

“Sugarbush Spring” by Marsha Wilson Chall

“Sugar on Snow” by Nan Parson Rossiter

“Sugaring” by Jessie Haas

The other sign of the season?

one

MUD!

I’m going to be doing a little series of posts here starting (probably!) tomorrow and lasting for around a week, as something of a peek into our lives as homeschoolers.  My apologies in advance for those of you who could care less!  I’ve had many requests over the years to show more of how we “do school” and I’m looking forward to dedicating a bit of time to sharing with those who are interested.

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Books, celebrations and festivals, Food, Our Little Home
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