Category Archives: Food

Outside and In; Sunshine and Storm

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I took this picture two days ago as I was thinking about cultivating spring on the inside even if it’s not quite ready to make an appearance outside.  I’ve suddenly found myself sick of the paper snowflakes and window stars and ready to move on to other things.

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I’ve had less patients for winter this year.  I think it has something to do with all of the time we spend house hunting over the summer and fall.  I don’t think I managed to soak up my quota of vitamin D or the stock of sunny experiences that carries one through a long dark winter.

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Then yesterday Mother Nature countered with the double whammy of the largest snowstorm of the season and sickness in the house.  Well, ok then.  I concede.  Winter is not done with us yet.DSCN5464 copy2I spent the morning in the kitchen with the well ones, while the sick ones rested in bed and Steve reported in to work from a make-shift office in the living room.trying again

A double batch of nettle and red raspberry leaf chai and two kinds of almond flour scones (blueberry and orange vanilla, I modified this recipe), cheered up the scene a bit (the sheets needing to be changed twice in so many hours, did not).

DSCN5462 copy2I appreciate the efforts of my shamrock, with it’s blossoms managing to open just a little even though it is so cloudy.

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I spent much of the afternoon reading to the sickies.

We have one well one here who has little tolerance for the atmosphere of a house with sick people and one sick one who has no tolerance for the process of getting well!  We are hearing lots of “I’m bored!” from a child who is otherwise never bored.

Steve and I have been encouraging him to take this time to think and dream.  He’s not really one for introspection normally, and quiet and still do not come naturally to him.  That’s what this time is for; hibernating, hunkering down, digging in deep.  And maybe, just maybe, it’s just what he needs.  The seeds of inspiration and the clarity of dreams take root so.DSCN5546 copy

As for myself, much of the busy work of the day was spent lost in a day dream of my own.  I had an epiphany regarding Iain’s birthday sweater for next year.  And I’m pleased to know that now that I’ve found the one, I’ll have a nice long head start on it.  And somehow in the scattered bits of sleep last night, I found the inspiration for a new recipe as well.

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A little bit of doing and lots of dreaming, that’s what February is all about.DSCN5544 copy2

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Food, Housewifery, Kids, Life, Our Little Home
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And Yesterday…

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I think all weekends should be three day weekends, don’t you?  Really, two days aren’t enough.  By the time you are done finishing up everything from the last week and preparing for the next week, it’s Monday morning already.  That extra day is needed for actual down time or recreation.  Sadly, I think my chances of convincing corporate America at large of the virtues of a three day weekend are pretty slim.  Oh, but I will take them, whenever they come my way, in all of their extended glory.  This time it even got extended a bit further in a way because Steve worked from home today on account of the weather.

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So, what’s so great about long weekends??  TIME!  Time to be together.  All of us, some of us, doing something, doing nothing.  This one was extra fabulous because we actually managed to pull off a relatively kid free at home date night, complete with yummy dessert and a movie.  We pulled the futon mattress into the fireplace room (otherwise known as what will be the office, or my studio, if I can only convince people to humor me in referring to it as such, but what currently passes for the least set up room in the house).  There is nothing quite so blissful as quiet time by firelight with the one that you love.  You would think that after nearly 12 years now, I’d be sick of his company, but I’m not a bit.  He just keeps getting better and we keep getting better.  It’s ridiculous really, how giddy he still makes me.

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Monday, our bonus day (!), we took the kids ice skating.  It was really Galen’s first time on a real for real rink, not just an uneven puddle in the yard.

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I took Baby Roo for a joy ride around our CSA, in a borrowed wagon.

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We had a salad that I packed in the car.  I’m somewhat obsessive about salads at this time of year, I just find that I crave them, especially with arugula.  Now that there are winter greens coming in from local farms (thanks to green houses and hoop houses), there is no reason not to go serving huge salads all the time.

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We ate on the way to the garden center.  We get the kids little gifts for Valentine’s Day every year and this year we decided to let them each pick out their own little houseplant.  Something to cheer up the house a bit.  Our old house was a notorious killer of house plants.  They couldn’t take the extreme temperature changes and spotty watering.  We lost many of our favorites in the years that we were there and now seemed as good a time as any to replace them.

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It was so good to be surrounded by green and growing things!  We came home with primroses all around.  In the future I must remember the importance of having flowers in the house during the winter months.  It makes life seem ever so much more pleasant.  I used to grow paper whites every year (why ever did I stop??) and force forsythia of course because we had such huge clumps of it at our old house.  I think primroses are going to be the new February favorite from here on out.

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You know it’s a little thing, but lately I’ve found myself experiencing moments, flashes, of transcendent joy.  I guess that’s not such a little thing after all.  To be perfectly honest, there are moments of sadness too.  I think I kind of had to numb myself to make it through some of the last several months and I’m really glad to be coming out of that space (even when it means coming to terms with certain sorrows as well).  It feels good to realize that my heart is unfurling again, like a butterfly from a cocoon now that the necessity of hibernation is past.  It’s good too, to very clearly know and feel that all I really want or need out of life to be happy is being with these people that I love.  If I just get to do that; to be with them and have them stay healthy and well, I think that I may just be that happiest woman alive.  Really and truly.  Not just because I’ve been so blessed with their presence, but because I am further and profoundly blessed with knowing just how wonderful that truly is.

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celebrations and festivals, Festivals and Celebrations, Food, Gardens, Housewifery, Kids, Life
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Red Raspberry Leaf and Nettle Chai

As promised…

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Cut a piece of fresh ginger about the size of your finger.  Chop it up roughly, there is no need to peel it.

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Put it in a pot, cover with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

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add in:

20 cardamom pods

20 peppercorns

20 cloves

5 cinnamon sticks

6 star anise

simmer for 10-15 minutes more (depends on how strong you like it)

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add 1/2 cup each of dried nettles and red raspberry leaf, use the back of a spoon to submerge the herbs

cover, turn off heat, steep 5 minutes more

At this point you are going to add in your milk.  I use about 1 part milk to 2 parts tea for the sort of coconut milk that you would buy in the refrigerated section.  For coconut from a can you would need less.  The amount varies by type of milk and personal preference, so experiment to see what works for you.

Turn the burner back on to heat it through, strain and enjoy!  You want to strain it all at once and not leave it sitting because it will become both strong and bitter.  I use a 1/2 gallon mason jar.  This recipe makes a lot, you can always cut it in half or quarter it.  There are a lot of us and I like to drink it through out the day so the larger amount suits me just fine!

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Food, Herbs, recipes
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Last Week in Galey Time

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Last week, after the big kids left, Galen got a haircut (then he promptly rumpled his hair all up) and we sifted through some fabric because I had a different sort of project in mind.  I was thinking that it was about time that the Goosey Boy had an apron for all of his baking adventures.

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While he stuck together packing peanuts from a package that arrived earlier in the day (you guys know that if you moisten those biodegradable cornstarch ones, you can stick ‘um together to form all sorts of interesting creations, right?), I set to turning an old pajama shirt of mine into an apron for my little guy.

These were actually my very favorite pajamas.  They fit just right and had sweet white piping around the edges.   Steve got them for me our first Christmas together.  Last year the pants tore, this year it was the shirt and the time came for me to retire them for good.  Though in looking back, I’m realizing that I got 12 years of wear out of them.  That’s not too shabby!

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I used some brown linen to finish it off.  I’ve been loving the combination of brown and red lately, very warm and cozy.

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We tried this bread for the first time (pictured above).  I’ve been experimenting with almond flour lately and this one was well received.

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crafts, Food, Homeschooling, Housewifery, Kids, Mothering, sewing
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Celebrated

All sorts of delightful pampering took place here yesterday.

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~Special meals were prepared

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~cards and a mural by Iain and Elijah

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It’s all of us in the orchard that they claim I’m always talking about wanting.

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…and some close-ups…

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~Cinnamon rolls, like I’ve been craving for oh, 4 years or so (since going gluten-free).

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I have to say, 29 is off to a pretty good start!

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Oh, and I have to add a #30 to my list yesterday.  It’s one that I thought of right away while contemplating this list, but somehow missed in the typing.

30. Appreciate the good in people and try not to dwell on the flaws (this goes for me too!)

Thirty before thirty kind of makes sense anyway, doesn’t it?  So there we have it, a complete manifesto for the coming year, which I have every intention of thoroughly enjoying.

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Festivals and Celebrations, Food, Kids, Life
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This and That

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Just to keep the ball rolling with my Christmas posting (it’s kind of been dragging on for a while now, no?), above are the pajama pants that I made the boys.  Kwik Sew pattern 3604.  The fabric for Galen’s pants came off the remnant rack sometime over the summer.  Iain and Elijah’s are made from Moda “Cuddle Cloth” that I got through a co-op.  I never did get around to making the shirts.

And onto the bits about today…

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We’ve been enjoying the sort of sun-shiny day that makes you feel like winter will indeed melt away at some point.  The foodie in me is feeling shocked and appalled at the distinct lack of food posting lately, so here’s a bit about brunch today.

I’ve been doing a “brunch” sort of deal a lot lately.  It’s been inadvertent and yet consistent; I suspect some combination of getting up later and wearier then usual, paired with the cooking kick I’ve been on more or less explains the prevalence of a large late morning meal around here.

Today was onions, carrots, cabbage and fresh ginger, sauteed in bacon fat, all cooked up with some toasted buckwheat and topped with eggs (for those who aren’t allergic) and kimchi (for those who like it) or sauerkraut (for those who like a little less spice).

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I made a great big batch of red raspberry leaf and nettle chai with coconut milk to go with it, also with fresh ginger.  I was in a gingery sort of mood today.

Then I transferred and edited some pictures and they were just so sweet, I had to share.  This is my new solution to some little person bathing issues we’ve been having…DSCN3569-1

We don’t have a bathtub here, but these two littles love to play in the water.  We had been using a galvanized tub, like we used to in the Little House.  But they don’t both fit and the last couple of bath times have been…unpleasant.

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Because I always have then both with me when I’m bathing either one of them, things get tricky.

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The child out of the water of course wants to play in the water, then they get wet and cold. Then whoever is in the water gets pulled out sooner then they would like to accommodate the child out of the water (but trying to climb in).  Messy, frustrating business that.

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But this idea worked out pretty well.  It’s going to be quite a tight fit for Galen all too soon, but for now, it feels just right.

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Festivals and Celebrations, Food, Kids, Life, Mothering, Our Little Home, recipes, sewing
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A His and Hers Birthday Celebration

We’re in “morning after” mode here at the moment, meaning a slow moving, tired mama, lots of playing with new presents and cake for breakfast (with plans for leftovers for lunch!).
I think that the party went well for the most part. There were, of course, the usual assortment of mishaps…there was the neighbor who decided to come over and introduce herself an hour before guests were due to arrive (“so nice to meet you, but we’re rather busy at the moment…”, “oh, I’ll just stay and chat for a bit…”), the full blender that I managed to accidentally turn on, sans lid…the frosting that outright refused to thicken, and a certain variety of cupcake; moist and lovely the night before, but glued to the liners by morning (one child actually returned his to me declaring that it “didn’t work”), a pinata that refused to die, in a too small room with a too long stick, and a whole, whole lot of noise (quite a bit more then several of the adults could stomach to be honest). But there was also a lot of sledding and a lot of laughing, and a lot of friends that we haven’t seen in a long time, all together at last. The kids had tons of fun and amazingly few things broke, so I’d say it was a success. One eight year old approached me at the end of the day, looking very earnest indeed, and said in a confiding sort of tone, “I just wanted you to know that this was probably one of the top three parties I’ve ever been to.” So there you have it!

His:


Brownies and double chocolate cake in a woodland night theme.


I looked more into those India Tree natural food colorings and in my irritation at the price ($30 for food coloring? Seriously??), decided to get creative and come up with my own: blueberries, strawberries, bee pollen, and (don’t tell the kids!) spinach.

Hers:


A bunny carrot cake with lots of fruit and cupcakes topped with “rosebuds” (raspberries and mint leaves).


The bunny cake was not my best work. I’ve made much nicer, but it was thrown together at the last minute (see “mishaps” above) and I didn’t have enough frosting to do it right (and the frosting that I did have wasn’t really the right consistency, again, see above.) and I never did find those toothpicks that I was going to use for whiskers…


I’ll be back with another home made Christmas post tomorrow!
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celebrations and festivals, Food, Kids, Our Little Home
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Thanksgivings Past


This Thanksgiving, I found myself thinking a lot about my second ever post; our first Thanksgiving in the Little House. Three years and 604 posts later and we have a different baby at our table this year. While packing over the weekend, I came across the sweater that Iain was wearing in the photo from that post. I pulled it out to try on Galen. It was small on Iain in that picture, that was probably the last time he wore it, and it’s big on Galen now, but a close enough fit that it’s worth keeping out.


So, so much has changed in that time. Too much really.

~photo by Elijah~

Thanksgiving was the first holiday that we shared together in this house and if all goes as planned, it will be the last.


I guess that kind of brings us full circle and I’m not really sure what more to say about that. I don’t think that there will ever be another Thanksgiving that feels so profound as that first one here. I hope and pray that I’ll always appreciate what I have. That I will always be grateful.


As I sit here typing and thinking of all of this, I have a quiet hope, for a quiet and contented life. One where I never forget the joy of wellness, of life and of health, of family and togetherness, but my hope for our future is one of kindly whispered reminders; not the stark, cold reality of nearly loosing everything to really learn it’s worth. A few years of calm and peace. Let us never forget. Let us always know our blessings. Oh, but gently please, gently.

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building, celebrations and festivals, Food, Kids, Life, Our Little Home
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Burning the midnight oil…

Another in a string of late nights, surrounded by boxes just beginning to be packed, trying to track down Christmas presents (and still debating where to have them sent), setting some time aside each night to knit away on Iain’s sweater, and then fill in the blank with whatever else needs to be done to get us through the following day/week/month. I have a feeling that there will be many more nights like this before all is said and done.


Tonight I’ll be working on the sewing project that I started last night and need finished for tomorrow. But today, today, is Fair Day. Every one’s looking forward to it. I’ve just set the crock pot with a stew since we’ll be gone all day….late veggies from the farm, some local grass fed beef, kombu, some beef broth I made earlier in the week, a bit of red wine. The house will smell so good when we get back and it will be such a relief not to have to worry about dinner. Now I’m working on filling up a bag with food to eat out….green crispies, toasted almonds, frozen blueberries, leftover chicken, a bit of squash, bananas with carob dip, and whatever else I can think of between now and the time we leave. It was really a lot easier to go places back when we could eat out!


I think this season is going to be a practice in moderation for me. I’m going to have a lot of letting go to do to ensure that Crazy Mommy doesn’t rear her ugly head. As it is, Steve’s had to talk me down a couple of times already (and I haven’t even mentioned that notion floating around in the back of my mind of making an entire quilt for Iain before his birthday).
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I got called away from this post this morning, and now I’m coming back to it at the end of the day (or, well, technically, very early the next morning). The Fair was nice. It’s seemed somehow smaller and less impressive this year. I did a bit of holiday shopping, somewhat at Steve’s urging, as he’s all but convinced me that I really can’t make all of the children’s gifts this year (I’ll admit defeat in not making them all, but I’m still holding out on at least making some).

I got Galen a beautiful little wooden cutting board. I’m so excited to think about how much easier it will be for him to help me in the kitchen once we move into the next house! I got some lovely plant dyed wool for his birthday crown as well. And a duck! Oh, I couldn’t resist the life-sized stuffed duck. He’s still all about the domesticated fowl. Funny, funny boy. Sadly, I smuggled it home, only to discover that the repurposed sweater that it’s made out of still smells like perfume! Bah humbug. It’s on the porch at the moment. I left Steve (who is a very early riser), a note asking him to bring it in and hide it in the morning. Maybe if we keep up with the nightly airings it will be ok in time for Christmas??

Darn. And I thought I was doing so well.

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Food, Housewifery, Life, MCS, Mothering
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