Friday, July 29, 2011

{this moment} Sister Laughter

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Amanda, aka Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.



~~~~



~~~~~



In gratitude this week for:



*A birthday girl - WOW 14 I can't believe it


*A family trip to the Drive-In


*More wild blueberries


*End of the heat wave



Wishing you all a glorious weekend!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Yarn Along

Joining Ginny in her weekly Yarn Along. In her words:



~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a single photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~



My first little project is this cute little rabbit finger puppet. The pattern is by the incredibly talented Linda over at Natural Suburbia. My little one just loves it. I am hoping to knit up an entire family of little rabbits. And I may even try my hand at a few other animals. Using these little puppets to tell stories during her circle time come fall will be a special treat. She is so excited to have her own "school" time. At four it really isn't going to be school, but more of a Waldorf early kindergarten year. (more on that later)




It's hard to believe the year is half over. And that means it is time to start thinking about Christmas gifts, especially the ones I plan on making. This scarf is one such gift. It is the Kudo Wave Scarf . The pattern is quick and simple. this is the second one I've knit and I still love the pattern.



This yarn just arrived in the mail this week. Hopefully it will become a purple version of Seamless Blue for Bekah for Christmas. My only concern is I have to increase the size on the pattern. Wish me luck. I'm still not really comfortable adjust patterns too much.


As for reading, most of it has been related to the soon approaching school year. I have most of my ducks in a row, just a little tweaking. We have a lot planned for this year. Lots of new! Lots of fun! I can't wait to get started even if the girls are trying to squeak every drop out of summer. Hopefully I have some school items to share soon.


So what are you knitting and reading? I'm always so inspired by the weekly yarn along. My project and reading list just keep growing. So I'm off to check out some of the other yarn along participants. I highly recommend you visit some of them too.

Friday, July 22, 2011

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Amanda, aka Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.


~~~~


~~~~~


In gratitude this week for:




  • wild berries


  • days at the river keeping cool


  • vacation days for hubby


  • lots of treats from the kitchen


  • a few new knitting projects

Wishing all of you a glorious weekend!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Wild Berries Galore!

While Maine is know for their wild blueberries, New Hampshire sure has their fair share. Last week my good friends and I headed up the mountain to check on how the wild blueberries were coming. Of course we brought bowls with us just in case there were some ready. You can imagine our delight when right as the trail ended at the top of the mountain all around us was a sea of blueberries. We got right to picking and before we knit it this is what we had. About 17 cups each! of the sweetest blueberries you ever did taste.


And to top off the evening of picking and chatting, we were greeted by a gorgeous full moon! It was magical! And if the bugs weren't beginning to feast on us we probably would have stayed and watched take its place in the sky. Good thing we didn't stay too long, the hike back down through the forest was a little dark.



Just a few days later the girls and I were out for a walk and came across a large patch of wild black raspberries. Of course we had to run home for a bowl and some long sleeves and pants. The prickers can be nasty.




It didn't take long to have about eight cups of the delicious little berries.





Lots of wild berries in the house has meant lots of baking and such. We of course had to make blueberry jam and pancakes. Then there is this divine double berry bread which was actually triple berry(wild blueberries, red raspberries and black raspberries) bread this time. The recipe makes two loaves, but one was gone before I could get my camera out. We also make this fabulous strawberry rhubarb cobbler! My husband declared that this was as good if not better than apple crisp. A huge compliment considering apple crisp is his all time favorite. I know we will be making it again. I may try to come up with a peach & blueberry version using the topping recipe.





I am still wanting to put up a bunch of blueberries and some black raspberry jam, and of course the girls are begging for blueberry muffins and more double berry bread, so you can bet we will be heading back up the mountain soon and peeking at the black raspberry patch each time we walk by.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Yarn Along - Slippers and Fermenting

Joining Ginny in her weekly Yarn Along. In her words:



~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a single photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~




Well I finished the knitting and sewing up of my Duffers. All that is left is to felt them. Unfortunately, I have a front loader and felting just really doesn't go well in it. So I am waiting until I visit a friend you kindly offered to let me use her top loading washer. My fingers are crossed that they will fit after felting. If so I will be making a bunch of these. All the girls thought they were really great. I can see Christmas gifts on the horizon. And in case you were wondering about the two different colors, I didn't have enough of the original teal to make the second slipper. (I was trying to use up stashed yarn, in case this project was a total disaster I didn't want a lot of money tied up in it). Anyway, I think the teal and green go well, and I am planning on embellishing each with the opposite color to make more of a pair. And of course they are slippers that no one will really see except my family. And they already know that mama's a little off. The mis-matched actually fits me quite well I think.


As for reading, the above mentioned friend lent me her copy of Wild Fermentation. I just finished my last read and am now ready to dive into this one. Hoping to learn lots and give some of the recipes a try. I would love some fermented dill pickles and sauerkraut. Putting up summer food to have through the winter months is always a lot of work. However, there is nothing like a pantry full of summer goodness when the temps fall way below freezing.


So what are knitting and reading? I love visiting the other participants of Ginny's Yarn Along. I'm always so inspired. And of course my reading list is WAY to long. If you are visiting from the Yarn Along thanks for stopping by. And for those of you who cam another route, if you are knitters or readers you really should stop by the Yarn Along. You wont be sorry.

Friday, July 15, 2011

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Amanda, aka Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.


~~~~



~~~~~


In gratitude this week for:


~Days at the river with friends


~Cook outs and camp fires


~Decluttering, organizing, and cleaning a bit


~Happy girls in their "new" bedrooms. Amazing what a little furniture reorganization can do


Wishing all of you a glorious weekend!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Yarn Along~ Simplicity & Slippers

Joining Ginny in her weekly Yarn Along. In her words:


~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a single photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~




I'm a slipper kind of gal. I rarely go barefoot and I hate wearing out socks. So slippers are just the thing for a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom. I have been wanting to knit and felt some slippers for myself for a while now, but most of the patterns I came across were just a little beyond my understanding or cost a little more than I wanted to spend. so when I came across this post over at Mousy Brown's House I knew I had to give these a try. I mean 19 rows per slipper. I knew I could do that. And if your on Ravelry you really need to check out all the Duffers out there. Some of them are just too cute for words. At this point I'm just hoping mine fit after the felting. If they do, I may end up with slippers in all the colors of the rainbow. Or lots of people on my Christmas list may be getting Duffers of their own.



As for reading I'm back to Simplicity Parenting by Kim John Payne. I started it a while ago, but it was a little to heavy and the library due date came before I finished. Well, over the last few months the idea of simplifying my children's lives has been nagging at me, especially as I began to prepare for the new school year. Then I was lucky enough to hear Donna Ashton's introduction to her Simplicity Parenting seminar. My interest in the book was peaked again. So with a great deal at Borders I now own a copy. And it must be karma because one our local library's is offering two free seminars on the book in the up coming weeks. I guess I should listen, read the book and simplify. I'll let you know how it goes.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Peach Perfect

We were blessed to receive a box of peaches yesterday. They were ripe and really needed to be used up fast. so off to the kitchen the girls and I went.

First up was a fruit salad. One of my favorite summer treats. I just can't get enough. It was yummy for breakfast this morning.

Next was the perfect (in my daughter's eyes) peach pie.




Jette Peach Pie

5 cups of peaches
1 1/4 cups sugar (I use evaporate cane juice)
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp butter

double crust pie dough

milk or cream
cinnamon sugar

Mix all filling ingredient except for the butter. Fill pie crust. Top with second crust, crimp and cut vent slits. Brush with milk or cream and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake in a 425 degree preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and continue to bake for about 30 minutes.



With the few that remained Bekah and I made these peach pie popsicles. We added a dash of nutmeg. We'll have to let you know how they turn out. They are still in the freezer. Hopefully Bekah will forget and stop asking if they are ready every five minute.

Oh how I love peaches. They must be one of my favorite fruits. I really hope to gt the chance to go peach picking this year. My pantry could really use some canned peaches, peach jam and oh I I would love to find a good recipe for canned peach pie filling. Anyone have one they would like to share?

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Menu Plan ~ Week of July 10th



Sunday

Breakfast: Blueberry Bagels

Lunch: Left Overs

Dinner: Spaghetti, Garden Salad, Garlic Bread


Monday

Breakfast: Poached Eggs on Toast with Cherries

Lunch: Tomato and Cheddar Crackers with Blueberries

Dinner: Grilled Chicken, Brown Rice, Salad and Buttermilk Biscuits


Tuesday

Breakfast: Scramble Eggs and Fruit Salad

Lunch: Spinach Salad

Dinner: Patty Melts, Ranch Fries and Watermelon


Wednesday

Breakfast: Homemade Yogurt and Maple Almond Granola

Lunch: Hummus, Pita Bread, and Veggie Sticks

Dinner:


Thursday

Breakfast: Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Lunch: Tuna Melts and Nectarines

Dinner: Tacos


Friday

Breakfast: Dutch Babies

Lunch: Peanut butter Sandwiches and Apple Slices

Dinner: Cook Out with Friends


Saturday

Breakfast: Blueberry Scones

Lunch: Left Overs

Dinner: Homemade Pizza and Salad


I'm missing a dinner for this week. I'd love to have some frugal summer dinner suggestions. What's your family's favorite?

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Making Soap

About a year ago I went to a friends to make soap. It was fun! It was easy! And I knew I'd be making soap again. Well, the time finally arrived. I was almost out and another friend wanted to learn to make soap. I'll admit I was a little nervous to make soap. If you google soap making some of the warnings about working with lye are a little scary. This was the reason I went to make it with my experienced friend first. Well my friend who joined me this time had those same first time nerves. But trust me. Soap making is fun and easy! Being prepared and knowing what to expect make working with lye doable.

First off is an simple recipe. I like the Homesteader's Soap found in The Complete Soapmaker by Norma Coney. This is a simple, I'd say fool proof, recipe that uses only three ingredients: tallow, lye and water.

Second,you need to gather your ingredients and tools. You really should have some items dedicated to making soap. And you should have a scale as it is important to weigh rather than measure your ingredients.

Now that you've gathered your supplies make sure you have some time when you wont be interrupted or have too many kids or animals passing through your work area.



Soap making isn't hard, but getting the right proportion of ingredients is essential. Weighing the ingredients is the way to go.




Making your lye mixture is the dangerous part, but with a few precautions such a gloves and goggles, it really isn't hard. there are a few fumes so don't put your face over the container. The chemical reaction that occurs is really cool. The mixture quickly heats up to about 200 degrees! Don't touch it and don't spill it! chemical burns are no fun.


Add your lye mixture to your tallow. Once again be careful not to splash.





Mixing with a stick blending makes the process move along quite quickly. Yard sales, freecyle, and Craig's list are great places to pick up stick blenders and containers for soap making.






Once your mixture reaches the trace stage it is time to pour it into your molds. Lucky for me my friend has beautiful soap molds, but you can use just about any container.




Now we have to wait. First the soap sits in the mold wrapped in a towel for 48 hours.






After the 48 hours is up, pop your soap out of the molds. The soap needs to sure and it is best that air can circulate around it. If not you will have to turn it. This takes a few more weeks and then your soap is ready to go.




Making soap is a lot of fun. It really isn't hard. It's frugal! And homemade soap is sooo good and doesn't have any junk that you don't want. There is tons of information on line and many great soap making books. I urge you to give it a try.




Next up for us, we will be taking some of our Homesteader Soap and milling it to add herbs and essential oils. Yep! We're going to try our hands at making some fancy soap. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Elsa Beskow Book Giveway!

If you are lucky enough to be familiar with Elsa Beskow's children's books than you already know how incredible it would be to win 19 of her books! If you aren't familiar with Ms. Beskow's books you need to be, so this giveaway is for you as well.
We are lucky enough to own a few, have friends that have a few and a library that has a few more. We have never found one we didn't like. And the two we have, Peter in Blueberry Land and The Sun Egg, are Rebekah's favorite books.




This incredible giveaway of 19 Elsa Beskow books is being hosted by Valerie over at Jump into a Book and you have until July 31st to enter.


Here's a list of the books to be given away:


The Sun Egg
The Land of Long Ago
Princess Sylvie
Children of the Forest
The Curious Fish
Peter in Blueberry Land
Emily and Daisy
Pelle's New Suit
Around the Year
Woody, Hazel, and Little Pip
The Flowers' Festival
Aunt Green, Brown, and Lavender
Christopher's Harvest Time
Peter's Old House
Ollie's Ski Trip
Peter and Lotta's Adventure
Uncle Blue's New Boat
Peter and Lottas Christmas
The Tale of the Little, Little, Old Woman


I promise you wont want to miss out on this giveaway, and Valarie has given you so many ways to enter. So do stop by, but realize I'm hoping to win too.

{this moment} First of the Season

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Amanda, aka Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.



~~~~


~~~~~


In gratitude this week for:


~the first black raspberries


~a day at the river with friends


~drains that actually drain quickly and in the right place


~the gift of a new bed for one of the girls.


Wishing you all a blessed weekend.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Yarn Along - Simple Shawl

Joining Ginny in her weekly Yarn Along. In her words:


~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a single photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~



How good it has to get the knitting needles back out! I cast on this simple shawl last week and it has been such a joy to work on. A simple pattern that truly requites no thought, it has been the perfect summer project. It has accompanied us to the fireworks, the playground, picnics and BBQs, and quiet evenings on the front porch watching the girls play. I can see myself knitting a few more of these for gifts in the future.


As for reading, I just received a copy of Shannon Honeybloom's Making a Family Home. It is a quick read with lovely photos. She walks the reading through each room/area of your home discussing purpose and function. How to make space meet all the family members needs.


So what are you knitting and reading? It is so inspiring to see what others are working on.

Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy Birthday America

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend, celebrated in style.




It started off right with Fireworks on Friday night shared with friends and not too many bugs! Thanks to Sarah for the wonderful photos! I wish we had taken some pictures of the little girls' faces. Their expressions were priceless and in this mama's opinion much more interesting than the fireworks.



Then there was lots of BBQs and cook outs, watermelon and salads. S'mores over the campfire out back.




The annual parade in our little town. It's always lots of fun to see everyone. Thanks to the Kelleys for joining us! And Even Doug was able to come before he had to head off to work!



What a great way to celebrate the birthday of this fabulous nation I am proud to live in. I'm so blessed to live in freedom, especially when so many are not as fortunate. Thank you to all those past and present to dedicated their lives to preserve the freedom of the United States.




Sunday, July 3, 2011

Weekly Menu Plan - July 1st

Sunday
Breakfast: Cold cereal
Lunch: Burgers and Salads with Friends
Dinner: Chili and Corn bread

Monday
Breakfast: Fried Egg and Cheese Sandwiches
Lunch: Ham Salad and Apples
Dinner: Stuffed Baked Potatoes and Garden Salad

Tuesday
Breakfast: Homemade Yogurt and Maple Almond Granola
Lunch: Bean Dip and Tortilla Chips
Dinner: Frittata, Watermelon and English Muffins

Wednesday
Breakfast: Blueberry Scones
Lunch: Mac & Cheese
Dinner: Chicken Enchiladas and Mexi Rice

Thursday
Breakfast: Poached Eggs on Toast
Lunch: Tuna Melts and Veggie Sticks
Dinner: Sausage Subs and Pasta Salad

Friday
Breakfast: Cinnamon Toast and Mellon
Lunch: Hot Dogs and Orange Smiles
Dinner: Pizza

Saturday
Breakfast: Pancakes and Sausage
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Grilled Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Garden Salad and 90 Minute Rolls

Friday, July 1, 2011

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Amanda, aka Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.



~~~~


~~~~~


In gratitude this week for:




  • Fresh picked Strawberries and all the treats made with them


  • Rhubarb unexpectedly dropped off by a friend


  • Finding time to knit


  • A day with a friend spent making soap and jam


  • Lots of fun family time

Wishing you all a glourious weekend!