Thrift at Home

Sunday Dinner and Dark Days10: Leg of Lamb

2012-01-30T07:02:00.001-05:00

The thing about buying a whole animal for meat is that you must figure out how to cook its various parts. I handled lamb chops and lamb stew easily, but leg of lamb intimidated me for over a year.

So I studied up.

I rubbed on herbs and poked in garlic slivers, mostly following Simply in Season.

When we came home from church, the house smelled wonderful. . . but the lamb was rather rare for my liking. It was, thankfully, tender and flavorful.

I served it with mint jelly made specifically for this purpose; I was not a fan of the flavors together, but my husband and kids really liked it. In fact, I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with the rest of that mint jelly. Can't face it on toast in the morning or with peanut butter. . .

Menu:
roast leg of lamb
mint jelly
baked potatoes with butter
steamed spinach with butter and lemon

Friday:put lamb in fridge to thaw
bring mint jelly up from basement - so pretty

Sunday morning:
rub lamb, set on timed bake
wash potatoes, place in oven as well

Sunday noon:
wash and steam spinach
set table
light candles because these are the dark days (I love that phrase, "dark days")

I divided the leftovers for the freezer in three ways: one bag of meat chunks, another bag of meat chunks plus a little bag of pan drippings (I'm thinking shepherd's pie), and the meaty bone for soup.

Specifically, dark days ingredients, all local and where noted, organic: organic leg of lamb, organic garlic, organic potatoes, homemade mint jelly, spinach, butter

Sorting the Canning Paraphernalia

2012-01-28T14:18:00.000-05:00

My husband has collected several sets of cast-off kitchen cupboards for to use as basement canning storage. This is great, but I just kept avoiding the organizing task because our basement is kind of a pit.

Today, finally, I sorted the marked, used lids from the new lids. Each kind got its own drawer after I wiped out the grime. I separated the canning rings and put them in their own box because there were too many for a drawer.

I put all the empty jars together (broke the obligatory jar, too). Discovered a forgotten flat of canned salsa after I told my family last week that we had eaten the last jar.

A very satisfying little sorting task to cross off my list.

The sheets are almost dry on the line - just need to make beds, finish the sticky buns for breakfast, and then after a church event tonight, I should have time to sew. Lovely

Mashed Potatoes in the Crockpot

2012-01-26T20:58:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to use my slow cooker more, especially since I started working part time. Last Sunday, I tried a new potato recipe. Essentially, I made mashed potatoes on Saturday, put them in the crock, stashed them in the fridge, and then heated them up in the crockpot on low while we were at church. They tasted just fine.

But golly, it made a lot of mashed potatoes.

I had a casserole idea tickling away at the back of my brain. I read recipes all the time for my job and although I can't pinpoint it, I'm sure that's where I got this idea. I've got lots of sauerkraut in my freezer, so I'm playing around with it and seeing what else I can do besides cook it with pork.

This time, I mixed white sauce with mushrooms with a jar of sauerkraut and spread the mashed potatoes on top to make a shepherd's-pie-like casserole.

We ate it with peas on the side for a recent supper. It was good, but not transcendent. Can I expect transcendent in January? This part of winter seems to go on forever - or maybe that's just my chest cold talking.

When I Shall Have a Room of My Own

2012-01-25T06:42:00.000-05:00

Renovations are underway in our house again. Our house is complicated because it's a big house with three apartments. We nip away at the second-floor apartment now and again, and add rooms to our own living space.

The last nip, two years ago, brought us a big room, a balcony, and a little galley kitchen. We finally figured out how to use the space.

Soon I will have a little workroom to myself! I'll make it a sewing room, but also my desk space where I deal with the day-to-day finances of our household.

I'm excited, but I'd be untruthful if I didn't tell you that I hate the process. I'm not very fond of changes to begin with, and when dirt and chaos are in the mix, I can be very cranky and yelly. An orderly, peaceful house gives me deep serenity.

But it's coming along nicely, thanks to my handy husband. At this point, my contribution is picking up his household responsibilities so he can put that time into the renovation. I'll keep you posted!

Dark Days 9: One-Pot

2012-01-24T07:48:00.001-05:00

The Dark Days' Challenge is giving some extra challenges by having theme weeks. This week was one-pot meals. Frankly, I like more variety and flavors on my plate, but we achieved that in this meal by having dessert and pickles with our pot.

This was our centerpiece, courtesy of 3-year-old Ben. He must collect something on a walk, and I think the little glass dish elevates the sweet-gum balls nicely.

My dad joined us for dinner. He liked the Bounty Rice so much, he called the next day to make sure he was getting the details right as he told Mom about it. I was tickled.

Menu:
Bounty Rice (referred to in this previous DD post)
Pickled Beets
Dill Pickles
Cherry Cobbler
Pouring Custard

Specifically dark days ingredients, all local and where noted, organic: organic cabbage, bell peppers, home-canned tomatoes, organic garlic, ground beef, homemade yogurt, organic raw milk cheese, organic beets, organic cucumber dills, sour cherries, organic ww pastry flour, milk, organic eggs

Non-local: a little onion, organic brown rice, sugar, salt, the dried herbs.
Comments on the non-locals: The last local onions disappeared from market around Christmas. The farmers grew storage onions, but customers bought them out. It could be seen as a good problem, but it's been happening for years. I bet the farmers think their local onions aren't important, so they just fill in with shipped onions when theirs run out. I told the farmers how much I wanted to depend on storage crops from them: onions, carrots, apples, potatoes.

Also, I have never dried my own herbs, but I think this will be the summer for taking on this new project.

Canned Cranberry Sauce Melts

2012-01-21T13:53:00.000-05:00

I forget where I learned this little deliciousness: slice canned cranberry sauce into a sandwich with brie and arugula.

Here, I made it into melts with wilted spinach and swiss. We ate the melts beside creamy pumpkin soup. I cook towards Thanksgiving flavors all through the winter because I love them so much.

Rebecca wanted me to tell you how I wilted the spinach - to take its bounce away and make it easier in sandwiches.

I simply washed the leaves, put them in a lidded casserole and popped them in the hot oven for 10 or so minutes. I was baking something else, which now escapes me, but all I needed for the spinach was some moist heat, so I created it in the already hot oven. A little thriftiness, but I like to think it adds up over time.

Mastering the Separating Zipper and Then (Finally) Refashioning My Sweater

2012-01-19T07:38:00.001-05:00

Ben's coat zipper died. Last year (I cringe) I threw away a coat with a broken zipper.

This year, I found a good tutorial online and went for it. This was after I kept eyeing that dang zipper and thinking, in my naive way, that it didn't look that hard. Guess what?! It's NOT HARD - in fact, I would say putting in a separating zipper is easier than a regular zipper! It's much more intuitive, for one thing. There's also much less chance of sewing on the zipper teeth accidentally and breaking a needle.

So I fixed Ben's coat. Then I took a deep breath and cut up my lambswool crewneck sweater. I've been all talk about this project for close to 2 years now (scaredy-cat).

The sweater is a lovely material and color, but I hate to commit to crewnecks because what if I get too hot? Then I have to wiggle out of it, and by this point in winter, I'm getting tired of putting on all those clothes and I want easy layers.

I cut off the sleeves and slit the sweater up the middle. I expect I'll use the cutoff sleeves as filler for hotpads. I finished the newly-raw edges with bias binding. I treated the sweater as if it was made of woven fabric; this was not successful with the armholes, which sagged out quite a bit.

So I made darts under the the armholes, to pinch in the excess.

Then I put in a bright green separating zipper. I am so pleased with how this turned out! Especially with my hefty Gap men's flannel shirt from the thrift store.

Genevieve and Her Sewing Machine

2012-01-18T07:41:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa, Genevieve got a sewing machine for Christmas. She's been itching to sew since it's my favorite hobby and I snatch time for it weekly. Here she's working on a watermelon skirt for her dolly Bella.

I'm amazed all over again at adult sewing machine knowledge, when I realize all the tiny steps I have to show her. She's a willing, patient pupil, though. I confess I'm slightly terrified she's going to get a needle in her finger (it's happened to me!)

Ben was in tears yesterday because he so desperately wanted to sew while Genevieve was at school. He was not placated when I offered to hold him on my lap while I sewed new hand towels for the shop. Genevieve can barely reach the foot pedal to sew, and he's still a good head shorter than her. He's beyond sewing cards and stringing beads. . . what to do, what to do?

Dark Days 8: Down by the (Vegetarian) Bay

2012-01-17T07:42:00.001-05:00

Menu:
Vegetarian "Crab" Cakes (zucchini fritters, essentially, with a good dose of Old Bay)
Cocktail Sauce
Baked Sweet Corn
Green & Purple Lettuces with Radishes, Carrots, and Vinaigrette

We like a lot of horseradish in our cocktail sauce! And a splash of hot sauce, too.

And then we invited our friend, who is also our plumber, to sit down and eat a bit with us before he fixed a leak in our laundry room.

So the photos ended, and the conversation got lively. I didn't think to ask my family for their rating of the meal, but they ate enthusiastically and there was a polite, but deadly, argument over the last crab cake.

Specifically, the Dark Days' ingredients, all local and where noted, organic:

organic zucchini from the freezer, egg, organic scallions, homemade breadcrumbs from organic flour, homemade ketchup from organic tomatoes, horseradish, corn, another egg, milk, organic lettuces, organic radishes, organic carrots, organic garlic clove in the vinaigrette

Non-local ingredients: oil, Old Bay, hot sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, salt, pepper

Thrift-Store Brightness in Mid-Winter

2012-01-16T07:07:00.006-05:00

The universe gave me brightness for a few bucks - how welcome in the middle of January! It tickles me that my three favorite purchases were multi-color brightness. . . and not on my list.

The afghan is wool and looks like it was accidentally felted. All those gorgeous color combinations make me giddy and deeply inspired. (For $3, I have to say)

The little ripple afghan ($2!) is too small for anything that I've figured out yet. I've got it tossed across my shoulders right now like a Tasha Tudor shawl, but it's really too skimpy. But those colors!

All I went to the thrift store for was to get a sheet to use as backing for Ben's quilt, and a tin for Christmas 2012's fruitcake. I've never made a proper fruitcake before, and I'm not going to miss my window of opportunity again, nor am I going to plop the grand thing in Tupperware.

Besides the chambray sheet, I got a stack of vintage tea towels. I'm sure they'll resurface sometime in my etsy shop as hanging hand towels.

Capturing Contentment

2012-01-12T06:22:00.001-05:00

The pleasure of using pretty, vintage ric rac to brighten an oven towel.

Happy is the girl who becomes a mommy again on Christmas morning with a new dolly.

A dolly with history, who belonged to my cousin Kassie long ago. A dolly who wears real baby clothes and came with a sweet 80s wardrobe, all aqua and pink and poly-blend.

Genevieve named her Bella, and chuckled contentedly for a full 20 minutes. When we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house in the sunshine, Bella rode flopped over the Christmas gifts. It was funny - and got several startled glances.

And the real part of this post is that I'm relying on old photos because I've been working so hard at being content. I'm struggling with acid reflux yet. It casts a long shadow on my days right now.

I fight my bad feelings by keeping the sink clean, hanging the laundry in the sun, and going to bed with a good book at a decent time. It's the tonic and strength of my quotidian work. And I got a lift from looking at these Christmas photos of Genevieve - she is such a capable little mama and very devoted to her dolly. Thank you, God, for the sweetness of life that catches me off guard.

Linking up with Leila and Rosie's collection of pretty, happy, funny, real.

Dark Days 7: More Greens (but dessert too!)

2012-01-10T06:43:00.000-05:00

If I wasn't documenting a Dark Days meal, I would never post these photos. They're terrible, taken at suppertime in the dead of winter. The meal was good, though, and it was all local food, so I'm posting it.

Menu: organic black eyed peas, cornbread with local cornmeal, eggs, milk, and butter, and collard greens with local organic bacon; dessert was Peach Kuchen (local peaches from the freezer, local organic whole wheat pastry flour, butter, egg, and homemade yogurt from local milk).

The black eyed peas were cooked long and slow, salted, and then thickened at the very end with a little milk and flour batter. They were plain and creamy. Then the collards were spicy, meaty, and touched with vinegar. A lovely counterpoint.

Family's opinions:
Husband: Great supper.
Ben, age 3: I liked the cornbread.
Genevieve, age 6: I liked the beans.

True Grit: the Book, the Movie, the Hotpads

2012-01-09T07:10:00.001-05:00

I played a fun little game by myself recently: I tried to capture the mood of a book/movie in patchwork.

I had read True Grit a few years ago and loved it. But I hadn't seen the movie yet - I was just guessing. I finally remembered to check it out of the library (I am always years behind in good movies - always).

Then I had a favorite treat: sewing while my husband and I watched the movie. Actually, he hates when I sew next to him because he's afraid I will accidentally stab him with the needle. His fear is not entirely ridiculous - I can be very clumsy.

Anyway, I finished the binding on the set of hotpads while we watched the movie (which I liked a lot). The movie was much darker than my hotpads, but I had so much fun imagining pioneer calico and frontier homespun.

And the hotpads are in the shop, for your delectation.

It feels right and good to me to brighten up midwinter with a little game like this. A little sewing therapy, really.

Breakfast Pizza Like You've Never Seen It Before

2012-01-06T11:08:00.000-05:00

Pam Anderson has exploded my idea of pizza. The concept comes from her new book, Cook Without a Book. Her breakfast pizza is a regular yeasted pizza dough, spread with cream cheese, and topped with fruit and nuts. Then it's baked at high heat like a pizza.

First I followed Pam's directions and made a blackberry pizza with lemon zest and almonds. So pretty! But it needed a little more cheesy goo, in my opinion.

I made another pizza with a little more cream cheese, apples, hazelnuts, and a light sprinkling of sharp cheddar cheese. Cinnamon sugar on top. It was really good!

I am very excited to try this out in summer when fresh fruits abound. Just think of beautiful tomatoes on this pizza, with some feta, and some flecks of basil. Or peaches with almonds and cheddar. . .I wonder if bananas would get a little caramelized in the 450 degree oven?

New Life for the Houndstooth Shirt

2012-01-05T11:24:00.000-05:00

Remember the collar that I turned on my husband's houndstooth shirt? Well, he loved that shirt and wore it clean out. The turned collar was fraying again, the cuffs were frayed, and one day, he put his finger right through the old-fragile fabric. I pounced on that shirt for its fabric - soft cotton, black and white houndstooth.

And along came an etsy customer who requested a black, white, and hot pink pencil roll for her little girl.

I couldn't resist buying and adding the cupcake fabric - it's so grown-up cute. A little girl will see delicious cupcakes, an adult will see the clever circus colors and mod design.

I'm keeping the cupcakes secret from my own girl while I ponder what to make her with the delectable remnant I have left.

A School Blouse with Hidden Doggies

2012-01-03T20:42:00.000-05:00

The doggies were a happy accident: I had taken the blouse to Rebecca's house to work on it (we like to sew and gossip together), but I had neglected to cut out a second blue Peter-Pan collar. So we dug in Rebecca's scraps and produced the little scotty dogs. Aren't they sweet?

And then there are teddy-bear buttons, although I only had enough for the shirt front, not the cuffs.

Dark Days 6 Brought To You By Cast Iron

2012-01-02T20:41:00.000-05:00

No dishes to speak of! I used a Dutch oven for the collard greens and my skillet and lid for the acorn squash.

I've made cornbread dressing so often that I just winged it here. I baked the halved acorn squash, covered, for about 45 minutes. Then I filled the cavities with cornbread dressing, sprinkled a little raw bacon on top, and baked them about 20 minutes longer. The extra dressing went in a casserole alongside.

The kids treated the squash like bowls and ate mostly dressing. I think they were a little perplexed. (Aunt Shana, are you reading? Ben's wearing a trendy necklace that his sister made him from your Christmas gift! They played with the beads in such utter absorption that I kept checking on them because usually that quiet means naughty or sleeping.)

But my husband ate the squash right down to the skin.

(Specifically, dark days' ingredients, all local and organic noted: acorn squash, cornmeal, organic eggs, milk, butter, organic celery, onion, organic bacon, collards, organic garlic)

The Klara Annabella is Done

2011-12-31T08:22:00.000-05:00

Finally, finally, I have finished the handquilting on the Klara Annabella.

She's pieced on both sides because she's going to be tossed around as a living room throw.

The other side.

This quilt is meant to tie together the twin red sofas and chartreuse drapes. The final stop in the living room style is a new wall color.

I marked no quilting lines - I just quilted in circles guided by the quilting hoop. The hoop, borrowed from my friend Jeanne, allowed me to quilt on the go.

I dragged this quilt everywhere since summer 2010. It's not even a twin size quilt and it took me so long to finish - at this point, I'm not eager to handquilt a whole quilt again.

Now it's home on the sofa for good, a satisfying finish to 2011.

Next year I will start a quilt for Ben.

Pity-Party Avocado Sandwich

2011-12-30T15:03:00.000-05:00

I have gotten acid reflux and I can't stop obsessing over all the food I might not eat again without pain. I started taking omeprazole this week - only $9 over the counter, far cheaper than a doctor apppointment and still reasonable this early in the game. My faint hope is that I will be back to normal after 14 days. My fear is that I will struggle with this, in spite of drugs and a limited diet, which is a reality for my mother and my best friend.

I snapped a photo of my avocado, salt, and sourdough bread lunch at my job this week - it's tasty and supposedly safe for someone with acid reflux.

Sometimes I face the acid with stoicism, with all my past adversities backing me up. Most of the time I mourn the food I love and complain that the universe is so unfair (this is ridiculous - my faith in God does not support this, but that's my honest gut reaction).

But one thing I am firm about: continuing projects and work. It's therapy to me, a kind of refusal to sink into the depths and cower on the sofa. I finished a quilt last night - pictures coming soon!

Cleaning Oven Hood Filters

2011-12-29T07:05:00.001-05:00

My zone (deep) cleaning sort of went missing this year. I'm trying to regain that routine - it always feels more germane in the dead of winter!

I borrowed a trick from teaching days by putting my sheet of zone cleaning jobs in a page protector. Then I use an erasable marker to cross off the jobs. I can wipe it clean now, instead of needing to print off (and in the process, edit and fiddle and get distracted) a new sheet.

A recent job I did was cleaning the oven hood filters. They were caked with grease and fuzzy with dust. It's true! I gently popped them out with their little pull tabs. I laid them in a sinkfull of hot, soapy water. After a while I gently scrubbed them a bit - not too much because that would destroy the grease-catching web. I left them to dry for a while, and popped them back in. Much better!

I haven't done any zone cleaning this week - maybe because I'm not hosting any New Year's festivities?

Dark Days 5: Transforming the Ugly Beets

2011-12-27T07:41:00.001-05:00

Don't they look awful? They were some odd cross between golden and regular beets, but they were also woody inside. I had a plan, however!

1. Scrub. Bake, covered, for 1 hour or until tender when poked.
2. Allow to sit for up to 10 minutes.
3. Dump beets in cold water. Slide skins off - they will come right off with your hands! Run a little more cold water over them if needed.
4. Now you have cooked, skinned beets.
5. Puree according to Mollie Katzen's directions in Moosewood. Flavored with salt, homemade applesauce, apple cider vinegar, and local honey (and non-local lemon).

I only used a few beets for the sauce. The rest I pickled with a siriacha brine.

Beet sauce served with Cottage Potatoes (local cheese, butter, potatoes, sweet onions; not local rosemary and homemade bread - but made with organic flour). Roasted brussel sprouts. Local, and sadly, according to my market farmer, the last ones until next fall.

Family's opinions: The kids weren't very enthused about the brussel sprouts, but I paid no attention because sometimes they adore them. Logically, I think they'd want some nice vegetables after all the Christmas sweets, but their tastes aren't logical.

My husband and I enjoyed the flavors in this meal. The beet sauce is definitely more than the sum of its parts.

Genevieve and I ate together after some shopping, leaving a Christmas gift from Aunt Mel spread out on the table. Genevieve didn't eat much before she wanted to work on her mosaic again.

(Dark Days Challenge explanation here, in case you haven't read any back posts)

"We Wish You Were Merry, Christmas"

2011-12-24T15:00:00.000-05:00

Title quote by 3-year-old Ben, with my comma inserted to make the joke.

We are having a lovely, quiet Christmas Eve. We're looking forward to clam chowder, candlelit carols, and stockings before bed. The children will open the 24 on the Advent calendar - the homey Advent calendar my parents got in Germany before I was born.

And tomorrow, Christmas service and then curry and presents with family. Hopefully a walk in the crisp winter air.

May your Christmas be merry, too

Dark Days 4: Apple & Potato Latkes

2011-12-23T07:41:00.001-05:00

I saw the latke recipe on the New York Times website, and saw how easily I could make local latkes.

Menu:

apple & potato latkes with thick yogurt

French endive, arugula, red lettuce, and escarole salad with poppyseed dressing

pumpkin pie

I have clear memories of my mother's potato pancakes in my childhood. We usually ate them with ketchup. As an adult, I would prefer applesauce, except that I haven't made latkes/potato pancakes as an adult.

The New York Times recommended Greek yogurt with cinnamon and maple syrup. I skipped the flavorings, and strained my homemade yogurt to make it thick. I saved the whey in the fridge to make oatmeal pancakes some day - does anyone know how long whey keeps?

I forgot to add the onions to the latkes - I was so disappointed! However, the meal was delicious and my family gobbled it up.

Also, you should know that squeezing the liquid out of the potatoes and apples resulted in a stained dishtowel. When it was clear the stain would not come out, I folded it up and put it on the bottom of my dishtowel stack. I will be making these latkes again (and adding the onion this time!), so I'll just re-stain the dishtowel.

Dark days ingredients, all local and where noted, organic:

organic potatoes, apples, milk (homemade yogurt), organic greens, organic pumpkin, cream, organic eggs, organic WW pastry flour

Cultivating My Image As Someone Who Loves Free Stuff

2011-12-21T06:48:00.001-05:00

In my circles, I am known as somebody who is happy to take unwanted stuff. This isn't a culturally popular image, right? But I'm finally middle-aged enough not to mind. I am reducing trash, saving money, and staying home where I want to be instead of shopping.

How I cultivate my image:

1. Take what's offered, even if I don't think I personally will use it.

2. Check to see if the giver wants it back if I can't use it. If the giver doesn't want it back and I decide not to keep it, then I donate it to a thrift store or check with other people I know who love freebies. (We've got a hotline and a password - shhhh, don't tell)

3. Make sure the giver knows how grateful I am for the stuff.

The benefits:
1. Useful stuff! That I don't have to track down in some shopping edifice! I think most of my fabric stash is pass-ons from other people. If you are one of those people and you are reading this post, thank you, again! You rock.

2. One person's trash is another person's treasure, right? I am so pleased when something marked for the trash turns out to be useful to someone.

3. The warm community feeling. Makes me feel like sharing my stuff too.

4. Creatively, life is more interesting. I sometimes confine myself to the things people give me because it's an exercise in thinking outside the box and finding solutions.

And yes, these curtains. My mother-in-law did not need these curtains which came with their house 2 years ago. She offered them to me. Perfectly serendipitous, as I was wanting plain curtains in our bedroom.

But I like to have light sometimes, so the curtains needed tiebacks.

I pulled a delightful assortment of fabrics out of my scrap bag - some from this pillowcase, the cuffs from my bathing chemise, and some leftover stripes from the brick wall comforter (which is on the bed). Bias-tape loops. $21 for three curtain rods. High-up hooks so the light can still get in when the curtains are pulled back.

I'm very, very pleased with the functionality and the way the curtains fit right in.

Creme Anglaise Instead of Ice Cream

2011-12-19T06:56:00.001-05:00

Because it's delicious, slightly unusual for guests, and made with cheap pantry staples. Plus, you get to use a pretty pitcher on your table (not shown, as I forgot to take a picture).

I served creme anglaise (pouring custard) not long ago to guests on top of apple crisp. And the next day, we finished it up with gingerbread.

Christmas Sweets to Please Me and the Children

2011-12-16T10:12:00.000-05:00

Idea: Make Christmas cookies and memories with the kids.

Strategy: KISSS: Keep it small, simple, short. . . or risk the mama and kids escalating into tantrums of exhaustion and holiday disenchantment.

Implementation:

1. Make 1 batch of gingerbread cut-outs with Genevieve and her friend, plus Ben. Ben and I mixed them up before the girls came home from school. No need to have so many cooks in the kitchen! And no time for the camera, either, as I sped between kids to keep the dough pliable and the cut-outs on the cookie sheet.

2. Another day: ice the cookies with Italian meringue. Let Ben do the sprinkles and the licking. (Bonus: TWO beaters when your sister is in school!)

3. Make the fiddly kind myself in a small batch: chocolate-dipped peanut-butter Ritz sandwiches. I melted 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips with 2 teaspoons of vegetable shortening in my "double boiler" (bowl on top of pan). I was warned by a veteran candy maker to avoid getting moisture in the chocolate and to avoid burning it.

And that's the end of our Christmas cookies this year. Frankly, I'd rather just eat chips. I think we succeeded in avoiding an overwhelmed-mother-tantrum while making memories, so I'm pleased.

I didn't give Genevieve the idea that she was missing something because Ben and I did some of the fun work while she was in school. She gets to do fun things in school without us!

Most of the cookies were eaten when our families gathered after Genevieve's school Christmas program. We had eggnog, cookies, and candy and (thank goodness) pretzels.

A New Cover for the Ugly Bible

2011-12-15T07:41:00.000-05:00

I finally snagged a New Revised Standard Version! For $3, at the used book store downtown while I was killing time before picking up Genevieve.

But it was so ugly. My first idea was to decoupage the cover. Three problems: 1. decoupage is expensive, even with a coupon. 2. Decoupage can, apparently, get sticky in humid weather. Not cool. 3. And then, I couldn't really imagine what kind of images I would plaster my Bible with. The obvious Christian symbols? Neutral landscapes? Yawn.

So I covered that baby with fabric, a la eighth-grade-paper-bag-on-the-social-studies-book.

I love it. I take my Bible along to church now. The right translation, plus a vintage patch for quirky sweet.

Dark Days 3: Simple plus Dessert (updated with pickle recipe)

2011-12-14T06:56:00.003-05:00

Roasted sweet potatoes with lots of salt and pepper.

Collard greens cooked long and slow with sweet onion, salt, hot sauce, and finished with a splash of vinegar. Satisfyingly strong dill pickles.

And then, dessert because I was using up dabs out of the freezer and keeping my family off a new batch of Christmas cookies made for later this week. I love gingerbread with peaches!

Specifically, the Dark Days aspects: sweet potatoes, onions, and collards from local farmers. Gingergread made with local organic eggs, local organice whole wheat pastry flour, homemade yogurt from local milk, and locally produced molasses (but I don't know where their raw ingredients come from - that warrants a phone call, don't you think?).

Homemade, home canned dill pickles with dill from our backyard and cukes from somewhere local - I had several different suppliers this past summer. Homemade ice cream with local cream, milk, and eggs. Home canned local peaches.

Updated with dill pickle recipe:

Phyllis Rhoades Kosher Dills

Have ready 6 clean quart canning jars, heated. Wide-mouth is easier to work with. Have lids and rings hot and ready.

Prepare brine and bring to boil:
1 c. pickling salt
3 quarts water
1 quart cider vinegar

Working with one hot jar at a time, put in:

1-2 cloves garlic
2 heads of dill (or 1 Tbsp. dill seeds)
hot pepper to taste (I use a slice of jalapeno)
pickling cucumbers, cubed or sliced, fill to top

Pour over boiling hot brine, leaving 1" headspace:

Immediately wipe jar rim, lay on hot lid and screw down with hot ring. Set aside for 24 hours. Check for seal. If a jar did not seal, store in fridge for several weeks.

For long term storage, remove canning ring. For best flavor, allow to sit in dark cupboard or basement for a month or so before eating.

My Pizza IS a Vegetable

2011-12-13T06:48:00.002-05:00

Did you hear about the new law in Congress, allowing 1/8 cup (2 Tbsp.) tomato paste to count as a serving of vegetables in school lunches, instead of the half cup required of other vegetables? It inflates pizza's nutritional profile.

I was musing on this as I made pizza for supper the other night. School pizza is made of white flour crust, tomato paste and corn syrup, and cheese. No flavor, no whole grains, just some high-sodium tomato paste and cheese product mozzarella.

Homemade pizzas are different.

Exhibit A: 100% whole wheat crust, homemade pizza sauce thickened by hours of simmering, not tomato paste, mozzarella, Parmesan, green olives, mushrooms, and onions

Exhibit B: same healthy crust, sauce and cheese, just with lots of spinach, blue cheese, and garlic

the frailest leaves - An Anniversary

2011-12-12T07:11:00.001-05:00

Here the frailest leaves of me and yet my strongest lasting,
Here I shade and hide my thoughts,
I myself do not expose them,
And yet they expose me more than all
my other poems.

Walt Whitman

Doesn't blogging expose us? No matter if you blog like me, just a slice of your life and the good slice at that. . .Odd to think that I have never physically met or talked to many of you. I feel like I know you! I dearly love my online community. Thank you all so very much for the conversations, suggestions, thoughts, and prayers. This blog is 2 years old today . . . because of you.

Mixing Up More Hot Cereal

2011-12-09T14:20:00.000-05:00

Now it's getting cold around here. Hot cereal tastes good in the morning! I've been eating mine savory, with cheese, spinach, and walnuts. The rest eat theirs with raisins, brown sugar, milk, and tahini.

To keep the cost down, I excluded amaranth from the mix here. Before mixing, I snapped a photo of the striated layers. From the bottom, it's rye, buckwheat groats, millet, and spelt. Sometimes I grind up some oats or wheat, or add some cornmeal for a change of flavor.

Picking and Choosing Our Christmas - the List

2011-12-08T07:13:00.002-05:00

Finally, I am starting to enjoy hearing Christmas music and make plans - and it's only December 8. Christmas, as done by the internet and retailers, can be so overwhelming. It's so easy to feel like I'm missing something, or that there's still another great sale or great craft just waiting for me to search it out. Won't my children be deprived without a plethora of cookies, crafts, and activities? Well, they would be very deprived if their mother exploded.

So I made a little list of the Christmas essentials we want in our family. Anything else that happens is a bonus. I depend on the list to keep me focused.

Christmas 2011
1. hang & (lightly!) fill stockings
2. set up manger scene
3. get and decorate Christmas tree - hot chocolate and candy canes
4. Christmas breakfast - same as last year
5. Christmas caroling
6. make gingerbread cookies with kids
7. make chocolate dipped cracker sandwiches
8. Advent calendar
9. gifts for families, teachers, friends
Still thinking about whether to send out Christmas cards or photos.

This post is illustrated with a lovely Christmas bonus: Rachel invited Ben and me to come over and handprint Christmas balls.

Rachel's John, who is 4, dearly wanted to try my camera. So I helped him support it, but he pressed the shutter button. Funny. And very happy.

And a real part of Christmas for us this year.

(photos by John with the exception of the white hand photo I took of John.)

Linking up with Leila and Rosie's sanity collection of pretty, happy, funny real.

My Favorite Dish at Thanksgiving This Year

2011-12-06T21:20:00.001-05:00

Does a green salad belong on the Thanksgiving table? In my opinion, no.

But this year, my cousin Brad blew that opinion right out of the water with this salad. I do not have a jaded palate - I adore food - I've had some amazing salads, but Brad's was the absolute best . . . I think. Because I tried to recreate it at home and it was very good, but it wasn't moaning-good, third-helping good like it was at Thanksgiving.

So I have to ask: did I love it at Thanksgiving because it was such an anomaly? Was I over-impressed because I didn't know my little cousin could handle food like that? Have you ever had a tastebud-blowing experience with food, and then the next time with that food was underwhelming? Food is far more psychological than I give it credit for.

But still, try this salad. It's definitely in my top 10 food experiences.
(Recipe notes: Don't skimp on the cayenne! I used proscuitto, and did not brown it. I ignored the tarragon and chives. I tossed the cut apples in some vinegar so they wouldn't brown.)

P.S. See my sidebar for a link to a giveaway - you could win a pencil/pen roll from my etsy shop!

Sunday Dinner: Stroganoff in the Slow Cooker and Dark Days 2

2011-12-05T07:12:00.001-05:00

I achieved a number of goals with this meal: dark days meal, Sunday dinner, and a slow cooker experiment. I wondered if I could put raw-ish ground beef and raw vegetables in the slow cooker and get something good. I get annoyed with recipes where I cook on the stovetop before assembling and baking or cooking again. Too many steps to keep track of, too many dirty dishes.

Menu:Slow Cooker Stroganoff
egg noodles
home-canned pickled beets
steamed broccoli

Saturday:
set ground beef in fridge to thaw
bring up a jar of pickled beets from the basement

Sunday morning:sear beef
mix up the slow cooker
cut up broccoli, put in pot

Sunday noon:
steam broccoli
cook noodles
thicken stroganoff
set table

Slow Cooker Stroganoff - adapted from Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly - the original recipe had 2 lbs. ground beef and only 4 oz. mushrooms, which is way too much ground beef in my opinion.

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 medium onions, chopped
1 lb. baby bella mushrooms, sliced (I also used some dried shiitakes, rehydrating them in the stock)
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 cup beef stock
3 Tbsp. ketchup

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup flour

1. Sear the ground beef - this means that you don't stir and fry it until it's uniformly greyish-brown, but rather allow it to sit in the pan over the heat until dark crusty bits form. Mine had lots of pink-red parts left, but several seared patches. Perfect. (If you're not using lean, grass fed beef, better fry it and drain off the grease.)
2. Put the beef in the slow cooker along with everything else except the yogurt and flour. Mix.
3. Cook on low, covered, for 2 1/2-3 hours. Break up any clumps of beef now.
4. Whisk together flour and yogurt. Stir, stir, stir it into the beef mixture. Clap the lid back on, turn the cooker to high, and allow it to cook until thickened, 20-30 minutes.

I forgot to ask my family specifically what they thought of this meal, but they all ate enthusiastically and wrangled for the leftovers later. And look, it soothed them to sleep, too. Ah, Sunday afternoon, how I love you.
(Specifically, the Dark Days elements: local organic beef, stock made from aforesaid beef, local onions and mushrooms, homemade yogurt from local milk, local broccoli, home-canned local beets, locally made noodles (were the ingredients local? I don't know). The flour, thyme, and pickling brine were not local.)

The Pretty Banana-Shaped Squash

2011-12-03T14:34:00.000-05:00

Suddenly, I realized I should use the autumn decorations - what am I saving them for? In my roasting pan is a squash that was enormous - probably almost 18" long, 6" wide. The shell was coral colored, and the flesh bright orange. Pretty, right there in the midst of kitchen work.

But I want to change my tune into Advent because I am still lounging in autumn. Seriously, some of that squash went into a pumpkin pie! And I still have to tell you about my favorite dish at Thanksgiving.

Today I realized that I have not gotten our Advent calendar out yet, nor am I enthused about Christmas cookies or trees. Ben wondered if we were getting a Christmas tree today - um, no, it's easier to just do Saturday work around the house.

My Newest Baby Step

2011-12-02T07:22:00.001-05:00

As I explained before, my family's goal to live lightly on the earth is in process. My newest baby step is no more packaged black tea, herbs and spices. I take my little tea tin or odd containers to market and have them filled up. No more one-use little plastic baggies to throw away.

The herb shop proprieter is so gracious about weighing and filling my containers. I felt like my request was odd, so I told him why I'm doing it.

Why I'm doing it:
1. packaging is unnecessary trash
2. plastic makes us dependent on petroleum, which brings political, ethical, and environmental problems
3. plastic is costly to recycle

Getting Older, Not Fatter

2011-12-01T07:38:00.001-05:00

I like my clothes! I don't want to buy new clothes. But alas, my metabolism is slowing down and my clothes were getting tighter, so here is what I do:

1. walk everywhere I can. We have gear for snow, rain, and cold too: we don't just walk in sunshine. I was also inspired by my friend Daryl who asked why it is considered odd to walk a half hour to get somewhere but not odd to drive a half hour?

2. exercise DVDs at home. Gyms make me anxious (an I wearing the right clothes? is it going to be full? it's so boring!) and take too much time for me to get out of the house. Much easier to slip on some yoga pants and do a DVD quickly. I try out exercise DVDs from the library; when I find one I like, I search for it online. I can usually buy them for a few dollars - I'm patient. I like routines that are less than 30 minutes and do not use any special equipment. I adore pilates.

3. eat 20% less. I was inspired and fascinated by Mindless Eating by Brian Wansink. I like his no- diet philosophy. It fits with mine, which is "all things in moderation."

4. bike home from my job occasionally.

5. use a broom and a rake. No blowers!

6. run the kids in the park. They're like puppies, see, and they need daily fresh air and exercise. If it's an especially nice day or they are wild after supper, we go over to the park. Even when it's dark and cold - that's what streetlamps and coats are for.

7. love my body. Our bodies are really wonderfully made - and modeled after God, at that! I gained perspective by going to a Russian "banyo" (bathhouse), where naked women of all ages and shapes showered, swam, and sat in saunas together. Also, I've seen the destruction of eating obsessions and disorders. I want to keep my body and my eating in their proper places.

What do you do to stay trim?

Dark Days: Macaroni & Romanesco

2011-11-29T07:02:00.002-05:00

I'm joining the Dark Days Challenge again this year. This is a weekly meal using local, organic food. I use quite a few local, organic ingredients, but once a week, I will use only those things. It's a disciplined creativity - maybe it's a game like my patchwork?

This year I'm going to focus less on recipes (but you can always ask if you want me to post one!), and more on the menu itself and my family's reaction to it.

My first dark days meal was actually unintentional. I was almost ready to set dinner on the table when I realized it was local. . . except for the dratted macaroni. Had I been paying attention, I would have made the pasta or searched out local pasta. I paid enough attention to photograph it then.

Macaroni and cheese with romanesco - local organic eggs, milk, cheese, romanesco.

Plus, a version of stewed tomatoes to eat on top of the macaroni. I take a quart of home canned local tomatoes, throw them in on top of sauteed local onions, and simmer them down for almost an hour. A pinch of some marjoram and basil, but not much - it's not spaghetti sauce.

And a green salad with purple cabbage, all local and organic. It was dressed with a vinaigrette with local garlic.

My family's opinions:

Ben, age 3: I love the macaroni and cheese and sauce, but not the salad.

Genevieve, age 6: I liked the macaroni and cheese, but I did not like the broccoli [romanesco].

Husband: Very comforting meal. And knowing I'm getting fresh vegetables is intellectually comforting. Rating 4.9 out of 5 [5 = perfect] because the sauce was too juicy.

An Eighth of Beef

2011-11-28T08:06:00.002-05:00

For several years now, we buy beef when our friend, a retired veterinarian, has his steers butchered. Steaks, roasts, cubes, and ground. And bones.

I'm not sure of the exact cost per pound. The bottom line here is not money, but it is thrift nonetheless: buying local organic meat is better for the economy, the environment, and our health.

I filled my mom's slow cooker and mine with bones. Plus water, carrot tops, onions, peppercorns, salt, and - most importantly - a splash of vinegar. The vinegar draws the calcium out of the bones into the stock. Amen for calcium! It's not just in milk!

I simmered the whole business for 4 days and nights. Truthfully, it doesn't smell all that great.

Then I let it cool down, strained off the fat (tallow), and canned the stock with Rebecca's pressure canner because my freezer was chock full of beef. Oh my. I had never had a bomb (pressure canner) in my kitchen before, but Rebecca and the owner's manual were both clear and reassuring.

I think I'm going to try to make soap with my little bit of tallow - why not? It's a lovely pale green from the carrot tops.

Letting the Patchwork Out

2011-11-26T14:30:00.000-05:00

I make little guidelines for my sewing projects because, I guess, it makes a little game to me.

Hotpads:
1. use only things from my scrap bag - the stuff in my scrap bag is small pieces left from other projects
2. trim off as little as possible - very little waste
3. use upcycled things for filler - not going out to purchase special heat resistant batting

And I feel like a sculptor who says that she just chips out the figure that was already in the block of marble, that she didn't impose her will on the raw block. I like that new angle to my game: just releasing the patchwork pattern that was already there!

Off to work on buttercream yellow hotpads that my mother commissioned.

Breakfast After Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T10:01:00.000-05:00

I was just too full after Thanksgiving dinner yesterday to eat pie. What a shame!

So I made a savory breakfast for myself (hot cereal with walnuts, tomato-basil feta, and spinach) to eat my pie then.

Cranberry apple pie with maple syrup and walnuts.

And no one else was up yet - bliss.

Ben's Market Job

2011-11-22T07:24:00.001-05:00

Somebody has to sort out the onions and potatoes because I eschew the plastic bags at market.

It's a perfect task for a 3 year old who is always asking for "a kitchen job, Mommy."

A Ruffle Scarf for a Little Girl

2011-11-21T07:36:00.001-05:00

Because I thought the neck of her sweater seemed too open in the sharpening wind.

And she loves pretty things.

And by happy accident, Aunt Mel got her a little purple beanie and now it all goes together.

Even the flannel argyle seems to go with her backpack. I chose the argyle with future sweaters and coats in mind - although it was such a fun little sewing project that I'm sure I wouldn't mind making more to match.

Genevieve wore her ruffle scarf to school, excited to tell her teacher about it. . . but what she actually said was "my mom has an etsy shop!" I love that glimpse into a child's perspective.

Piles of Fabric

2011-11-18T07:08:00.000-05:00

I'm busily replacing a raft of hanging hand towels that sold out of my etsy shop. What I am dying to sew is a carrying bag for my new yoga mat - oh the non-matching possibilities!

Then I want to make myself a copper-brown wool skirt, another school shirt for Genevieve, and start to possibly think about maybe making a Christmas crafting list.

There's one new hand towel in the shop - more waiting to be photographed!

Dill, Differently

2011-11-17T07:41:00.001-05:00

Dill in okra pickles. My husband made them and they were a hit - Genevieve requested them in her school lunch.

And, more oddly, dill in apple crisp! I got the recipe here.

I would call this more of a cobbler - I think of crisps as having a crunchy top. I had made ice cream just in case the apple cobbler was a bomb, but it turned out to be delicious, although no one could guess the mystery flavor.

I don't think we ate these 2 dilly things in the same meal, but I don't exactly recall.

Scrapbooking the Old-Fashioned Way

2011-11-15T06:57:00.002-05:00

My children love to go through the recycling bin, find store circulars and cut out pictures. Or they cut out comics from the newspaper. So far, these things have just gotten returned to the recycling bin. . .

until Rebecca reminded me of the old way of scrapbooking, before die-cuts, parties, and Creative Memories.
People used to cut out poems, pretty pictures, and the like, and paste them in brown-paper scrapbooks. I suddenly remembered sitting on a little stool at my great-grandmother's feet while she rocked and cut out pictures from seed catalogs. I have a scrapbook she made in this manner.

I also remembered my mother making scrapbook pages to give to retiring principals and golden-anniversary parents. She kept a box where she laid away pretty cards and clippings, much the same way I build my fabric stash now.

In a flash, I dug out some blank books, scissors, and gluesticks for my kids. They were immediately, deeply, absorbed. Now my children have scrapbooks. Now they have a way to process all the delightful images they see. I am so pleased to have given them supplies at the crucial point in their fad.

I hope this is also a way to handle their budding consumerism. I don't want to encourage my children to pore over circulars, but if they do, they can at least paste their infatuation in their scrapbooks. And maybe that will lay the covetousness to rest (or not - time will tell).

Victorian-Orphan Soup

2011-11-14T07:05:00.001-05:00

I tell you it's tasty soup (Cabbage and Barley Soup from More with Less), but I made the mistake of using purple cabbage. At first the soup was a light lavender, but then it turned an odd shade of grey.

The former cabbage, barley, and carrots became unidentifiable things floating in sludge. Isn't that what storybook orphans were fed?

No one pounced on these leftovers, and they died in the compost pile.

Lesson learned: we eat with our eyes.

Second lesson learned: use purple cabbage in raw preparations only.

A New Dress for the Clothespins

2011-11-11T07:43:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, my clothespin bag finally, truly, broke. Seeing as the children were with my parents visiting alpacas, I indulged myself and immediately made a new one.

It's a bit wonky. And I meant to use all lounge-suit polyester for durability, but in my excitement, I grabbed yellow cotton knit. Oh well.

When it wears out from its heavy load, I'll get another thrill from whipping up a new one. It's pure fun to make household items that don't have to match my sweaters or a school dress code.

The Comfort of Leeks Vinaigrette (updated with recipe)

2011-11-10T07:07:00.003-05:00

After a complicated day involving no less than three family babysitters for the children and a husband gone til who-knows-when, I was tearing home from my job to heat up leftover soup.

When I realized that lights were on and my husband was in the kitchen.

Thanks be to God: real food to go with the leftover soup.

Leeks Vinaigrette.

We fought over them a little, they were so good. They were soft leeks, dressed in vinaigrette and anchovies, with parsley and sliced boiled eggs on top.

I am already planning to eat them, alone, with good bread and wine, just as soon as I buy more leeks at market. The recipe was from Alice Waters, the Art of Simple Food. I think this recipe is the epitome of the title.

And Mr. Thrift saved the leek boiling water. And Mrs. Thrift threw the leek tops into it and made vegetable broth. And the house smelled delicious - amen.

Updated with recipe:

Trim and clean 6 medium leeks.
Cook for 7-12 minutes in abundant, boiling salted water until soft when pierced.
Drain and set aside to cool.

Whisk together vinaigrette:
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. dijon mustard
salt, fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 c. olive oil

Squeeze cooled leeks gently to get out excess water. Cut in half lengthwise. Arrange on shallow serving dish, spoon vinaigrette over, and turn gently to coat. Sprinkle with parsley, chopped anchovy fillets, and 1-2 hard cooked eggs. (Alice Water recommends 4 salt-packed anchovy fillets, but my husband used half a small can of oil packed).

I Need a Sauerkraut Crock

2011-11-08T07:22:00.001-05:00

I was a bit dubious when I started this kitchen project: I don't know much about fermenting, and it seemed weird that something good would happen simply from brine over cabbage 2 weeks in the basement.

The main problem I had was finding containers heavy enough to tamp down the cabbage and yet slender enough to fit in the mouths of my jars (the water-filled bags did not work for me). A can of tomato paste and a jar of olives.

So, I would like a crock. Because at $1.25 for a huge cabbage, I will be making sauerkraut again.

The flavor is wonderful. I froze some sauerkraut in pint jars, thinking happily of reubens.

My Face After 10 Miles

2011-11-07T07:41:00.001-05:00

In the dusk, just home from a day at my job, after biking the 10 miles home. I am so proud of myself!

I am fortunate enough to take the bus out to my job in the morning, with my bike on the bus rack. Then in the evening, I bike the 10 miles home. It's a beautiful ride, a perfect antidote to a desk job (even a desk job I love).

I aim to bike home once a week, but between a rainy summer and wintry dark and cold, I don't get out there so often anymore.

I bike because
1. my husband thinks it's cool
2. it's exercise
3. it feels a little like flying
4. I'm proud of myself (10 miles was a really big deal to me when I started)
5. I get to pass buggies sometimes

The equipment I use/acquired to make this bike ride possible:
1. my old Schwinn bike
2. helmet
3. sunglasses with mirror attached
4. padded biking shorts
5. running tights to wear under the shorts for warmth
6. blinking taillight and headlight
7. bike rack with saddlebags for change of clothes, lunch, and book to read on the bus

Riding my bike home from work is not directly thrifty (the equipment, even carefully researched and bought, cost money), but the way it soothes my mind and exercises my body is a wonderful bargain for me.

The Twirliest Twirly Skirt

2011-11-05T13:49:00.000-04:00

Genevieve says she wants to wear dresses (not skirts), but it took me a while to realize that what she was after was the twirl factor.

Inspired by Jennifer Jo's daughter, I made her the fattest twirly skirt I could for her birthday.

The last ruffle was 9 yards in length. Nine YARDS. It was rather chaotic under my needle. The finished skirt looks like there's a crinoline under there, there's so much fabric.
I didn't use a pattern, and all the plaids were passed on from Mrs. R. The shorts were made from an orphan pillowcase from my friend Kim. All free to me.

I also made Genevieve little red shorts with blue topstitching, but in these photos she opted for purple pants and white Easter shoes.

She is a 6 year old with her own style!

Six. Holy cow.

A Meal for a New Baby

2011-11-04T07:41:00.001-04:00

I loved receiving meals when we had our babies, so I am quick to volunteer for this now. I enjoy tailoring the meals to the family, so I don't have a standard menu. However, I do mark the meals I make in my supper notebook. This way, I have some fallback menus and I can note which food was easy to transport. (In college, I made a homemade pizza for dear friends in my 2.5 foot diameter pizza pan. Then I was stumped when it came time to transport the big, hot pizza. Duh.)

What I aim to do:

1. Make a generous meal, but light on dessert.

2. Make a double batch and then my family eats the same supper. Efficient.

3. Take the food in containers and bags that do not need to be returned (I recall the headache it was to to keep containers straight and then transport them back to church, all while juggling a new baby).

4. Make some burpcloths for the baby. Pretty and practical, plus easy for me to pull off.

Yesterday's menu was for a family that doesn't eat red meat:

San Francisco Fish Stew (from More with Less)
brown rice
green salad with poppyseed dressing
Wacky Cake

Thursday

2011-11-03T06:30:00.003-04:00

Pretty: the cabin. The light reflected from the snow makes rumpled beds look good - or is that just the yummy vintage rose blanket?

Happy: a boy and his granny doing puzzles at the cabin. It was a little vintage manger scene puzzle my mom got for dime at a garage sale a few miles away.

Funny: that I choose stamps so assiduously, with an eye to color and theme. This is a letter off to friends - I'm keeping up with my letter pledge!

Real: the life of a craft-seller.
Deb, from the cool local shop, is sending my scarves back to me. They sold well last winter, but not a one this fall. Gah.

My self esteem is not built on these scarves, the etsy shop or even this blog, but still it's a downer. The silver lining must be that I will have more time to sew family projects that are percolating in my head.

Linking up with Rosie's collection of everyday contentment. A lovely discipline.

We Now Return to our Regularly Scheduled Season

2011-10-31T19:08:00.000-04:00

A weekend in October at the cabin. . . in snow!

We had a fun photo shoot for my etsy shop - my beautiful mother, sister, and sister in law as models.

I'll be listing new things this week and next.

I'm studying my camera manual and a dSLR book from the library - trying to move beyond point and shoot with my nice big Canon 10D. In my fumblings, I accidentally shot about 200 photos in ISO 800 instead of 400. sighhhhhh

I didn't document the cozy familiar cabin routines of food, games, bonfire, and long walks. I read a lot and lazed around.

In lieu of kick the can in the wet snow, we played sardines (hide and seek in the dark) inside with the children. They were ecstatic. It was a lovely vacation.

A New Snack

2011-10-28T07:41:00.001-04:00

The answer to most food dilemmas: roast it. I used to think that only root vegetables and meat were roasted. No, friends, you can do leafy things like kale and cabbage. And now, I have discovered, you can roast garbanzo beans.

Nothing will stop me from roasting other beans, except that I haven't gotten around to it yet.

And do you know the roasted green peas with a little wasabi coating? Yes, I'm going to (eventually) try to make those as well.

Anyway, the whole family loves these roasted garbanzos.

I sent some in Genevieve's lunch with a bell pepper and cheese sandwich and Middle Eastern spiced yogurt, something A introduced me to this summer. I would like to report that Genevieve's palate was educated, but what actually happened was that she sniffed the yogurt in the school cafeteria and reported to me later that "it smelled like something was wrong."

Today, she told me she only took one bite of her broccoli and threw the rest away. Hoo boy. We had a sharp little talk about not wasting food.

I should marshall my thoughts and brief experiences and do a post on packed lunches, I suppose. I'll work on it.

I'm Trendy

2011-10-27T06:56:00.001-04:00

I opened the latest Land's End catalog and nearly fell off my chair: a ruffle scarf! People, I made that scarf up out of my head because there were so many ruffles appearing last fall and they were so pretty. Well.

(my sister modeling a ruffle scarf made from a fabulous vintage pillowcase)

Then I turned the page and did fall off my chair: little fabric flowers!

I made those up out of my head too! I'm sure there are tutorials and kits for people to make flowers, but all along I have simply been playing with my fabric scraps and twisting my needle and thread in different directions to get the flower breeziness I wanted.

I have secretly pretended to be a milliner. I threw some of my flowers away because I couldn't get them right, and they're such a little bit of fabric. Then my cousin commissioned me to make organza flowers for all the ladies of her wedding party including (gasp) her, the bride. I was honored.

(my sister modeling a flower)

My conscious mind does not remember seeing prototypes anywhere for my ruffle scarves and flowers. . . I'm so trendy that Land's End is copying me, right? No, I'm joking. But I am amused at the funny ways of the universe.

I'm having a big photo shoot this weekend - more flowers and scarves in the shop next week!

Local Organic Chicken Stock

2011-10-25T06:48:00.002-04:00

First batch of stock for the season.

3 chicken backs for $1.50 a pound
3 bunches of carrot tops from the freezer
some onions
a head of garlic
peppercorns
salt
biggest stockpot full of water

Roasted. Simmered for 24 hours. Jarred. Frozen. Local organic chicken stock! Tasty and chock full of stuff to make smart students, energetic play time, creative thinkers, healthy immunities, and deep sleepers. I love nurturing my family in this way.

Sunday Dinner on a Very Busy Weekend

2011-10-24T07:11:00.000-04:00

Suffice to say we had three big events this weekend, with two vacations and three birthdays breathing hotly down our necks. There have been tears - of joy, and of weariness.

Dahlias from a friend - they look like lush summer to me, not autumn. I can't get over their beauty. And there are wedding flowers, too, that didn't get photographed.

A wedding bow discovery: tie a regular bow as if tying a shoe, but with very long tails. Then do it again right on top of the first one, and do it until you run out of tails. This photo shows three bows. The ribbon was lightly wired, so I was able to puff the loops into an even prettier bow.

I was not fond of this ribbon, a freebie, on its own, but with the deep discount gold foil paper, it turns out to be a very nice autumnal package.

So in the midst of all this, we had a quiet little family Sunday dinner. I wasn't even going to mention it here, but Genevieve made a sign. Of her own volition (she did ask how to spell "kale" and "millet").

We ate a vegetarian millet casserole that I put together Saturday in about 10 minutes.

- - -Mix together 4 cups cooked millet or another grain,
1-2 cups salsa,
then finely minced (food processor) 1 bell pepper, hot pepper, 4 tomatoes, and 1-3 cloves garlic.
Black beans optional.
Cheese on top.
350 for 45 minutes- - -

Then Sunday morning, I chopped up the collards (not kale, as Genevieve thought), and put them in the Dutch oven with sugar, salt, and garlic. I turned them on when we got home from church and let them go for 10-15 minutes.

A simple healthy dinner in the midst of all the candy and rich meals. The essence of home.

Reading Recently

2011-10-21T08:10:00.001-04:00

Hotel Paradise, Cold Flat Junction, Belle Ruin - by Martha Grimes; a new one just came out. The pace is very slow, but the writing is good.

Tiny tablescape by Ben. . .

next to Downstairs the Queen is Knitting by Dorcas Smucker. These are either blog posts or newspaper columns that she wrote about family life and being a mother. Well-written, funny, and tender. A breath of fresh air right now.

I also just finished Mindless Eating by Brian Wansick, recommended by Anna at Pleasant View. That will get its own post soon.

I'm always open to reading recommendations. . .

Cast Iron Pans are Great! (and easy to care for)

2011-10-18T10:01:00.000-04:00

I have tried to take illustrative photos for this post several times over the past year - the problem is my black pans against the black stove. So I'll entertain you with my crisp prose, ok?

Why Cast Iron is Great
1. HEAVY - things cook better, more evenly than in thin pans.
2. VERSATILE - Use cast iron pans anywhere there's heat: stove top, oven, grill, campfire.
3. HEALTHY - Adds iron to your food every time! Don't we all love fortified food?

How to Clean Your Cast Iron Skillet or Dutch Oven

4. Get any saucy stuff out by swishing briefly with water. If food was cooked on, gently use a wire brush, scrub brush, or steel wool. The pan should be free of food.

5. Set the wet pan on the burner and heat until the water evaporates from the inside - stick around and watch it (I have forgotten and come back to scary smoke!).

6. Dip a rag or paper towel in grease (oil, shortening, lard, etc.) and rub it all over the inside of the pan. It is now seasoned.

Tips
7. Using soap or soaking your pan in water will remove the layers of grease that are known as seasoning. Just use plain water, heat, and grease to clean your pan. Some things, like eggs, are not messy and you can just put your pan away again when it's cool - hooray for less cleaning!

8. These pans are basically indestructible and only get better and more nonstick with age. However, if you are starting with a newly manufactured pan, use metal spoons when you cook and be sure to scrape around a lot. The newer cast iron is bumpier, and your metal utensils kind of buff out the surface and give it better seasoning. I know this from experience - I have 4 old pieces, and one new one.

9. I keep my cast iron in my oven drawer on a sheet of newspaper. It leaves black smudges sometimes, so I keep it separate from my other pans in their pretty white drawer.

Talk to me about your cast iron - are you a fan? Do you care for yours differently? Questions?

Breakfast, Genevieve in a New Pink Nightie

2011-10-17T07:02:00.001-04:00

I made it with a pattern and pink striped flannel from Mrs. R. But I really Grandma Weavered the size: it was a size 2-3-4 pattern and Genevieve is almost 6. I just cut it out bigger - not recommended, I know, but as this was a loose nightie, I thought it was worth the experiment. Turns out, the nightie might be big enough for next year too.

It's pink. It's not pants. It has a kitty button. Genevieve is very pleased.

My Kitchen Color is "Bright"

2011-10-14T07:07:00.001-04:00

I was making fajitas for supper the other day - I turned, turned, turned and snapped these photos.

The main parts of my kitchen - floor, walls, cabinets, appliances - are rather neutral.

But everything else is little blobs of color. I call these bright kitchen colors - is that how you think of kitchens?

When I sew kitchen things like oven towels and hotpads, I gravitate towards bright kitchen colors. I have to remember to sew some other colors for everybody else. I made four new oven towels for the shop: the same eye-popping combo on my new ironing board cover, another night kitchen series with retro flowers, a simple bright calico, and - for everybody else - an earth toned oven towel.

Service for 12

2011-10-13T06:42:00.002-04:00

We're getting ready to be the host family on Sunday. Due to broken plates, we no longer had service for 12.

As an engaged couple, we were dumb-lucky enough to pick a pattern that is readily available online. My comparison shopping has consistently shown that Dansk is the best price around.

We only have one set of china on purpose, but what will happen when the children start really washing dishes? And then, what will happen when the elders start passing on their beautiful old china?

And here's a new plate (no different from the old ones!) in my shiny new drying rack.

The former drying rack was, like the china, from the beginning of my married life - but it was rusted through and deeply mildewed.

I kept putting off buying a replacement because I hated the thought of something that could only be junked, not rehabilitated. Well, the deed is done and not cheaply, either. I chose a drying rack that will not mildew or rust (right? right?), with the tray made locally by an Amishman. I hope this is my last dishdrainer, making it, in the end, a thrifty purchase.

Applesauce, Apple Chutney, Apple Crisp

2011-10-11T06:56:00.002-04:00

Half bushel of apples: $12.95 this year (it was $5 last year). I again bought squash for the front porch, and cheap cheap cheap broccoli.

First I made a batch of apple chutney with extra jalapeno from Simply in Season - 6 pints.

Then I made 10 quarts of applesauce, and kept out a few apples for apple crisp. I have it mastered for my family's taste - and we had some homemade butter pecan ice cream to put on it. Yum.

And then my husband took apart the garden, and I had a counter crowded with green tomatoes and little green peppers. I had been relaxed and luxurious about the apples, but the dang fruit flies took over the tomatoes, so I made a half batch of Country Style Sweet Relish, also from Simply in Season. And I put about 1/3 cup of "optional" horseradish in it, can I get an amen? 8 half pints, 2 pints.

Now my canning cupboard is quite full. Amen!

Sunday Dinner: Cottage Potatoes

2011-10-10T07:02:00.002-04:00

I had leftover baked potatoes in the fridge - usually I shred them and freeze them for hashbrowns. This time, I used a recipe for Cottage Potatoes. I've seen this recipe around a few times and at the end of the post is my take on it. First, though, here is how I put together Sunday dinner:

Thursday:thaw ground beef in fridge

Friday:
mix up Poor Man's Steak and spread in pan

Saturday:fry Steak
make mushroom sauce - pour over steak, back in fridge
put together Cottage Potatoes

Sunday morning:set potatoes and steak on timed bake

Sunday noon:
make green salad
set table

Cottage Potatoes, Thrift at Home Style

Mix together gently in large baking dish:

6 medium cooked potatoes, cubed (I don't peel them)
1 onion, diced
1/2-1 cup tasty cheese, but not too sharp, cubed
1 1/3 cup hearty bread cubes
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary (or 3/4 Tbsp. dried)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Pour over:
3 Tbsp. melted butter

Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes. Yesterday, I baked it at 300 for 1 1/2 hours alongside the Poor Man's Steak - and I forgot to cover it! And it was fine.

Traditional recipes leave out the rosemary and add green bell pepper. You can see how easy it is to tweak the flavors here. It's a rustic, comforting potato dish and your house will smell fabulous.

Cleaning Windows, Trading Time

2011-10-08T11:31:00.000-04:00

A friend and I are trading time and skills - I sewed some things for her, she is helping me with fall cleaning projects.

I really really wanted sparkling windows before winter. So nice to do them with a partner.

Happiness is. . .

2011-10-06T06:52:00.001-04:00

a fat new bar of French lavendar soap. . .

pretty is the burpcloths I made for an old friend's new little baby sweetie girl. . .

funny is Ben leading singing, but the really funny part is the songs he cobbles together and words he supplies. . . . Philadelphia Chickens meets "Jesus has forgiven me, the blood He shed on Calvary. . ."

real is our old car and how we counted down the miles to 200,000. It turned over when Ben and I went 2 miles down the street to drop off a trunkload of styrofoam for recycling.

Linking up with Leila's collection of everyday contentment.

Definition: a Grandma Weaver Project

2011-10-04T06:59:00.000-04:00

Grandma Weaver: adj. 1. to make something quickly without stopping to measure much or plan too far ahead 2. sloppy, with shortcuts (but done!) 3. an item made with whatever is on hand, regardless of suitability

I used to make all Grandma Weaver sewing projects. Unfortunately, they were mostly clothes and it showed.

I've learned to be more discriminating in my sewing approaches. There is the Rebecca Way, where I use pins and an iron at every step, marking all pattern pieces before I start construction. It produces fine, fine garments (for example).

Then there is the Grandma Weaver Way for things that don't show so much. . . little sewing projects for the kids that soon are forgotten or run to pieces in the back yard. . . diaper soakers. . .cloth bags for quilt storage. . . you get the picture.

Today's exhibit is a Grandma Weaver project. I added a layer of not-quite-long-enough fabric to my ironing board cover. I flopped the cover right on top of the fabric and cut around it (no tracing, oh no). I pieced the fabric to make it long enough (the iced tea glasses go two different ways now) and added a strip of red picnic tablecloth for fun. I pinned nothing - I pulled at it and eyeballed it instead and stitched it right on top. Underneath, I jerked bunches of fabric tighter with those ironing board elastics.

I'm a little astonished at how respectable it looks. . . .and very pleased that I used fabric on hand (not too beloved! not light - must look good with turquoise walls) to gain some more time with an old ironing board cover that had a hole worn in it.

p.s. And thanks to Sarah's post for the definition inspiration!

Peach Butter

2011-10-03T07:04:00.000-04:00

A few last peaches from market, but they were an odd mushy texture. And there 6 big ones. Rebecca and I were talking about food, as usual, and she was recalling something on Smitten Kitchen. Thus I found a peach butter recipe.

I have grown up around apple butter, which I like but don't seek out. We like this peach butter too. So relieved the peaches are transformed, not just composted!

The silliness is from the camera, not the peach butter. I promise.

End of Sunday Dinner, Saveur Style

2011-10-01T07:08:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite food magazines is Saveur - they're like the National Geographic of food: real people in interesting places, photographed so engagingly. I was an adult before I realized there were articles in National Geographic too, not just photos.

This photo, a September Sunday dinner, is in that style - unposed, compelling, telling a story.

And here is the pickle tray up close. My husband pickled some beet stems with siriacha and spices. The flavor was fantastic, they looked pretty in the jar, but the stems themselves were tough.

I loved the pickling brine so much that I boiled beets and put them in it for round two. Ben requested some of the pickle brine in his cup at supper last night and we laughed and said, sure.

A Nightdress Case

2011-09-30T07:02:00.001-04:00

Does anybody really use dresser scarves anymore? I remember my mother teaching me how to dust, and how annoyed I was that I had to take everything off that thing, take it outside and shake it, dust off all my little girl sundries, and set it all back up again. I have dispensed with the dresser scarves in my home. . . .but! they are so pretty!

I have made some into nightdress cases, a lovely idea I found in Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. (I should start calling what I wear to bed "my nightdress" to add more elegance to my life).

The latest one is in the shop.

A Ruffled Blue Blouse for Genevieve

2011-09-28T07:42:00.000-04:00

She needed one more short-sleeved shirt for school. I had the requisite blue fabric from Kim's parents' moving clean out. I got a $.99 pattern at JoAnn's - I wanted a simple blouse with several variations.

Most of the modern girl patterns were for costumes, pajamas, and fancy dresses. Very telling about what people are willing to sew for little girls!

And it turns out, I made a princess-seamed blouse with a ruffled placket, neckband and set-in sleeves.

In my naivete, I thought I had a simple pattern! I doggedly followed the directions and the tailoring came out just fine.

I think I'll make her a long sleeved one while it's still fresh in my mind.

Genevieve's Favorite Breakfast

2011-09-26T07:38:00.002-04:00

Raisin cinnamon scones and lemon curd.

I realized as I made them twice last week that scones are basically biscuits with extras. Huh. I've been making scones for several years without making that connection.

Biscuits are the fastest quick bread I know. I like to have a little race by turning on the oven first and seeing if I can get the biscuits ready to pop in before the oven reaches 425.

But my point is that biscuits/scones are not out of reach for breakfast, if you're awake enough and the children aren't up yet. How lovely to wake to baking breakfast wafting up the steps. . .

My neighbor Kim gave me a somewhat cheater version of lemon curd. Classic lemon curd is just lemon, sugar, and butter. This has eggs and cornstarch in it too - less expensive and maybe easier to make? I don't know - we like it so much I never made the classic stuff.

Kim's Lemon Curd

Beat in a small heatproof bowl and set aside:

2 eggs

In a medium saucepan, combine:

1/8 tsp. salt

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. fine lemon zest

1/4 c. lemon juice

Cut into chunks:

1/4 cup butter

Add the butter to the saucepan and stir over low heat until thickened and bubbly.

Stir some of the hot lemon mixture into the beat eggs, stirring the eggs continuously. This tempers the eggs. Now pour the egg/lemon mixture very slowly into the hot lemon stuff in the saucepan, stirring continuously.

Cook and stir for 2 minutes - no longer or the egg could curdle.

Pour into a glass bowl or jar and refrigerate for several hours before using. It thickens as it cools. Will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge if there are no double dippers adding germs to it!

Ben's Owls

2011-09-23T10:48:00.000-04:00

I just thought the utilitarian denim knee patches needed a little whimsy, so I appliqued the flannel scraps of owls on top. Ben says they're playing peek-a-boo. I'm so glad I got a picture when he put his shoes on by himself, bless him.

That Cozy Feeling

2011-09-21T07:41:00.002-04:00

the delicious weight of blankets at night. . .good warm breakfast smells from a hot oven in the morning. . .jackets and sweaters and lovely leather boots. . .cold noses and red cheeks. . .smoky air. . .warm home, chilly air and the desire to be at home with a mug of hot tea and the umbrella dripping in the corner, drawing the curtains against the winter that's coming on. Home is such a cozy place in autumn.

I love how the sudden brisk air prioritizes our house projects. Suddenly there's a flurry of outdoor painting, quick, or we'll have to look at that helplessly until next summer. . .

Iced Tea for My Mother

2011-09-20T07:05:00.003-04:00

Because my parents and sister came over for Sunday night "supper" (read: popcorn and whatever else we find in the fridge). I had just straightened my tea cupboard and realized I hadn't made black tea all summer, just backyard mint.

And then I liked the little cap of teabag papers on top of the jar.

Mr. Thrift and the Seam Ripper

2011-09-19T07:21:00.001-04:00

Genevieve's school uniforms aren't supposed to have any logos on them. And my friend Maria told me her clever method of buying incorrectly monogrammed backpacks for cheap, and then picking out the monogram. I got this little polo for a few bucks at the thrift store.

My husband nicely offered to take a go at the seam ripper. Well. Polo has no intention of removing its branding claws from that shirt. We got so far, and then I appliqued a white heart over the mess and the hole.

A little puckery, but at least we can still use the shirt.

Forgotten Cookies

2011-09-15T10:02:00.000-04:00

Otherwise known as meringues. Popped into the hot oven just after it's turned off and then "forgotten" while the oven cools.

I always have a few egg whites in my freezer from pasta making or pouring custard. I used to use them solely for cheater Italian meringue, but I don't make cakes often so I built up a little store of odd egg whites. Now I have options!

What I Found at the Hardware Store (updated with recipe)

2011-09-13T10:55:00.001-04:00

I adore the housewares sections of hardware stores. A really good hardware store, preferably one in the country, has the most practical, heavy-duty tools for housekeepers. I normally do not "shop," by which I mean I don't browse through a store to see if there's something I want to buy (because there always is because those marketing people know what they're doing - this is a terrible way to keep spending down!).

However, I do like a quick run through the housewares section of an old-fashioned hardware store. And that's how I found these great little glass dessert dishes for $1.59 each.

I have had small dessert dishes on my list for a month or two, so I was thrilled to finally cross it off and bring these cuties home. Mr. Thrift likes them, too, which is no small feat when I'm trying to combine my thrift and his taste (and my taste! I have taste too!).

Here they hold nice little servings of Graham Cracker Pudding. This winter, it will be home-canned peaches with a crisp cookie on the side for a company dessert.

Updated with recipe for Rebecca:

Graham Cracker Pudding - recipe from my mother with a few tweaks by me

In a medium saucepan, bring to boil, stirring constantly (get a book!):
1 quart milk
1 cup crushed graham crackers (I used cinnamon graham crackers this time - that was nice)
2 beaten eggs
1/2 -2/3 cup brown sugar
pinch salt

When the glop comes to a definite boil, remove from heat. Refrigerate overnight - it will solidify. The next day, beat the heck out of it with an electric mixer. Fold in 3/4-1 cup whipped cream - too much whipped cream will dilute the graham taste. If you plan to use a sweetened commercial whipped cream, then use the lesser amount of sugar in the pudding. Gently transfer to a glass serving dish. My mom always made a little fluffy disc of whipped cream on top and sprinkled on some graham cracker crumbs for pretty.

A Morning in My Kitchen

2011-09-12T07:06:00.002-04:00

The weather is cooler, and I find myself in the kitchen more. Last week, one morning, I snapped photos of what I was doing.
I roasted tomatoes, per Jennifer Jo's instructions and inspiration.

Mine were not paste tomatoes, so I think I should have roasted them longer. . . but the house did smell like a Tuscan granny's, so I was happy.

The first butternuts are in market! We make a big deal out of making Genevieve her first pumpkin pie. I baked the butternut with the tomatoes.

Carrot tops waiting for a run down to the freezer - I'll save them to make stock.

I made the pudding I was raised with: Graham Cracker Pudding. Probably the final pudding of the summer.

And chopped cheap bell peppers to freeze. Three for $1 at market (but they HAD been four for a dollar a few weeks ago!) First they freeze on a cookie sheet, then I scoop them into bags. They are loose, so I can just take out the amount I want instead of defrosting a whole bag.

Sometimes I wonder what to blog about because I've got most of my activities On the Record. Look at all those links above - I've written about this stuff already. My default blog posts are the new things, the improved stuff. . . but that is not representative of my quotidian work! Really, as I think here, I see that this blog does add another layer of purpose to the work I love. I reflect more because I'm writing about how I keep house and care for my family. And you are part of the richness too - thank you for your comments and conversation.

The Sobbing is Over

2011-09-09T13:35:00.000-04:00

The first day of kindergarten was the lovely stereotype of crisp sweater-weather and cheer.

Over the next few days, Genevieve began to sob and beg not to go to school ("I weeped," she told me). This was not our independent girl.

We talked about adjusting, making friends, focusing on the good things, learning to read, etc. etc. We prayed with her (and very hard for her). Finally, I talked to the harried teacher who assured me that the crying disappearing 10 minutes into the day.

But the crying was starting the night before at our house and continuing in the morning, on the walk to school, and at goodbye. This is our first kindergartner - my husband and I began to question ourselves.

Then, out of the blue, Genevieve said, "I've adjusted to school, Mom. I wish I was there now." And there has not been a bad word about school since then. Thank you, God. I don't think I've adjusted to her school yet, but I'm working on it - avoiding the cruddy cafeteria food, stocking up on uniforms, dealing with the deluge of paper, getting ready to think about homework. . .

Ben's Job

2011-09-07T07:21:00.001-04:00

This was Ben's idea - I think it started because the trash cans have wheels. He is entranced by wheels. I would not have thought of this job for a 3 1/2 year old.

He pulls the empty trashcans in from the curb

the whole way back to their hiding place.

Our house is three apartments - we live in one - so he gets to pull two or three trashcans every week, plus heft a few recycling bins.

He loves it. I love seeing his eager face and his satisfaction at doing a real, helpful job.

Before Ben, my husband and I would put off bringing in the trashcans, just pulling them into the passageway in front of the gate; sometimes they would stay there until the next trash day, blocking any stray idea to wheel out our bikes. It's amazing the energy a household gets from doing jobs in a timely manner!

A Patch to Make Me Happy

2011-09-06T10:19:00.000-04:00

I caught my sleeping shorts on a cabinet pull and punched a hole in them. Drat.

Then I patched them, with a flower from the vintage sherbet pillowcase. Happiness.

I just realized there is a sea change in my life: I get a bigger thrill from fixing my clothes than I do from buying new ones. Wow.

On another note, school is off to a rocky start for Genevieve. I'll be back to report, with pictures from her cheery first day which rapidly went downhill. Sighhhh.

Semolina Gnocchi

2011-09-03T08:10:00.001-04:00

I thought there were only potato gnocchi in the nice restaurants. Then I stumbled across gnocchi alla Romana - easy, easy discs of cheesy, buttery goodness.

Really good pasta is made from semolina flour (these gnocchi use semolina flour, which isn't cheap), but these are pasta's country cousins. You cook the semolina flour in milk as if making oatmeal or polenta, then add some eggs and dump the whole goo out on a countertop or (playing it safe) cookie sheet.

When it's stiff, cut or pat it into little circles. Genevieve likened it to play dough.

Shingle in a baking dish, add some dabs of butter and Parmesan and bake. . . oh delicious.

This time I served them with a beet and dill sauce from Moosewood on the side (pictured in the blue and white striped bowl), and brown-butter green beans from the backyard garden. And to put it right over the top, there were perfect summer tomatoes too.

(Gnocchi recipe here. I've read a number of similar recipes, so here are my tweaks to this one: I do not add cheese to the batter; I don't fuss with the buttered parchment paper or refrigeration. I don't drizzle cream on the top.)

Early Sunday Morning

2011-09-01T14:36:00.002-04:00

I was finishing my Junior Youth Sunday school lesson, with a cup of tea, and the burpcloths close by so I would remember to take them to the new parents that morning. We're having a little baby boom at church - so fun.

But I never actually used that lesson because one of Doris Janzen Longacre's daughter came and spoke to an adult Sunday school class, and I just hitched my junior youth onto that class because I wanted to hear her speak.

Doris Janzen Longacre wrote the More with Less cookbook, and large parts of Living More with Less. . . but she couldn't finish it because she died of cancer in her 30s, leaving behind her girls and husband. We've been reading and discussing the new edition of Living More with Less this summer.

Doris Janzen Longacre had a fair amount of adversity in her life (I learned from her daughter) - she was homeschooled because of her severe asthma, and in fact, her family moved to Arizona and she finally got strong there. Her asthma came back with a vengeance when she and her husband served the church in Indonesia - she almost died then.

But a few years later, just as she was about to start a master's degree in nutrition, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and given two years to live. Her daughter quoted from her journals, how Doris did not want "to leave the party early. . . " how she forced herself to cook on her low days because "the act of creating restores and brightens our spirits - how was God changed when he created our world?"

Doris was in her late 30s when she died. . . my age. It hurts me to imagine that.

Dear Doris, you always inspire me. I will not allow pain, worry, or sadness to be in charge of my life. I can cook, I can sew, I can pray to be led into new life, new hope.

(photos of that Sunday morning, then of my creative uplifting: potholder, sewing pattern, and plum and peach tart.)

Linking up with Leila's collection of capturing everyday contentment.

Best Salad for Potlucks

2011-08-30T08:11:00.002-04:00

Summer potluck season is winding down, but you never know when you want an easy, tasty salad that can handle no refrigeration. I got this recipe from my Aunt Elena, after walking around a reunion carrying the empty bowl, looking for the person who made the delicious salad. She did. And now I do too.

Curried Couscous Salad

Stir together in heat-proof bowl:
1 3/4 cups couscous
2 1/4 cups boiling water
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
juice and zest of half an orange
3/4 cup sweetened, dried cranberries.

Stir occasionally until water is absorbed (10ish minutes).

Add:
3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 scallions, chopped
handful chopped parsley
juice and zest of half a lemon
3/4 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Serve at room temperature.

I almost finished the leftover salad until I remembered to take a photo - and then I was running around the house doing something related to laundry or canning.

The Rise and Fall of the Potholder Loom

2011-08-29T07:34:00.002-04:00

Genevieve has completed 2 potholders of the random bright variety. She has a serious stash of the fabric loops, thanks to A's creative reuse shop. Most of the time, Genevieve plays with the loops as bracelets, toe sandals, toy food, and any manner of odd placements.

One evening, after too much socializing, I came home jangled and snatched that loom and made a potholder, playing with the colors with a bit of intention. It was marvelously soothing. I still get a little soothe when I handle the potholder in the kitchen.

And when Genevieve realized I had co-opted her loom, she started another potholder. . . only to lose interest at the first frustration. I helped her untangle and restart, but she still put it aside.

I hope that she learns the rewards of following a creative burn through to the finish. . .but I think she's too young for me to push it.

However, those little Colonial girls were stitching samplers by Ben's age. . . .

What I Got From a Bushel of Tomatoes

2011-08-27T07:36:00.010-04:00

This is a bushel of tomatoes, folks. In my urban shopping cart. Two boxes, $7 each this year (it varies from $4-8, depending on the growing year).

I fetched the tomatoes from market early one morning, came home and fed my family breakfast, then went back to do the regular market shopping with Ben in tow, his eye on treats from the standholders. I did not can tomatoes that day, in case you wondered.

First, pizza sauce from the Simply in Season recipe. I do not bother to peel the tomatoes - just whiz them in the food processor.

Now, after a few hours of simmering, the sauce is richer and darker. A friend stopped by in the evening to work on our ailing laptop, and sniffed the air so appreciatively.

Then, I set aside the good part of Thursday to deal with the rest of the tomatoes. First I made salsa, again using a Simply in Season recipe. I think that for the fourth year in a row, I still did not add enough hot peppers. Hot peppers are just so darn unpredictable!

Then the remaining tomatoes were peeled and canned as whole tomatoes - just cored, peeled, and smushed down in jars. Ben, age 3, washed and fetched all the tomatoes for me. Genevieve, almost 6 years old, peeled many of the tomatoes! I dunked them in the boiling water, then in the cool dishpan water. She fished them out and peeled them with her fingers. Wonderful children.

From a bushel of tomatoes, I got:

12 pints pizza sauce
11 pints salsa
16 quarts whole tomatoes

And now, the final things on my 2011 canning list are apple chutney (also from Simply in Season) and applesauce. Welcome, autumn!

Lemon Zucchini Cornmeal Cookies

2011-08-25T07:02:00.001-04:00

The recent favorite at our house - a Martha Stewart recipe that was just odd enough I had to try it. No leavening, no eggs. Cornmeal in cookies? Bake at 325 for 25 minutes? My interest was piqued.

They are lovely, buttery cookies with that refreshing lemon and a nice crunch from the cornmeal.

See how excited Genevieve is? She was demonstrating her love for "the best cookies ever!" I have some secreted in the freezer - think I'll put them in her first-day-of-school lunch as a love note. And that whole business of packing lunches for my school girl deserves a post in itself. Hoo boy.

Ok, back to the kitchen full of tomatoes and jars.

Our Very Own Ice Cream

2011-08-24T07:24:00.003-04:00

My friend Crystal told me about her Donvier ice cream maker - not electric, but not dependent on ice and salt and constant cranking either. I've drooled over ice cream recipes on the internet long enough. When I trolled ebay and found one for $17, I snapped it up.

I used the uncooked basic vanilla recipe in the little booklet.

We ate it with fresh peaches. I am so pleased that the ice cream was made with local cream, eggs, and milk, and that it only makes a quart at a time.

So, what flavor should we try next?

Making a Modest Hemline

2011-08-23T07:02:00.001-04:00

Suddenly I realized that I was avoiding a favorite dress because it felt too short.

I took a cue from Eva and added a colored band to the hem. However, I made the band extra-long, pinned it around evenly, and then just ruffled it as I went along.

My husband opined that I should use a bit of that solid poppy red elsewhere in the dress, so I used the last scrap as a belt. I was going to sew it to a buckle, but I like the spontaneous nature of the little square knot.

I did not paint my toes to match my dress, but I was amused by the view from my Sunday afternoon nap.

Squirreling It Away

2011-08-22T07:41:00.001-04:00

I know my list of what I want to preserve this summer (crossed out the ones I did):

1. approx. 20 quarts tomatoes
2. 1/2 bushel apples into sauce
~~3. 6 dozen corn~~
~~4. pesto~~
5. 1 batch Simply in Season salsa
~~6. half-batch pimentos~~
~~7. sour cherries~~
~~8. blueberries~~
~~9. approx. 18 boxes strawberry freezer jam~~
10. approx. 8 quarts dill pickles
11. 1 batch apple chutney (Simply in Season)
12. 1 batch pizza sauce (Simply in Season)
~~13. mint jelly~~

Compared to last summer, this is light. But added to my job this summer, it's a lot.

Got my 6 dozen corn last week.

The children husked it with me, and Ben stayed around and asked to help more. Yes, please!

On to tomatoes and peaches this week. I only got a peck of peaches, so I think I might just freeze them instead of hauling out the canner.

Tag!

2011-08-20T09:59:00.000-04:00

Emily tagged me - I was happy to play along and pick out posts from my blog to fit the categories.

Most popular post:
Thanks to a canning-jar-cloche mention on facebook, this is the most popular post on my blog.
Farm Tour (Our Back Yard) with a Few Flowers

Most controversial post:
Oil is always controversial, no?
Doing Something About the BP Oil Crisis

Most helpful post:
A good reminder to ask our grandmothers how they handled things without disposables.
Old Fashioned Diapers and Wipes

A post whose success surprised you:
Just camping, I thought. I guess camping is more about nostalgia than anything else (comfort, for example).
Camping Lists

A post that deserves more attention:
Because this salad is truly revelatory and beets are often maligned.
Raw Beets

The post that you are most proud of:
I think I flew my freak flag very prettily in this one.
Fried Dandelion Blossoms

And now I tag several other bloggers (I do read more blogs than the ones on my sidebar):

Sarah at spoonful

My French Corner

Tracy at Back to Basics

Queenie Would Be Proud

2011-08-19T07:26:00.000-04:00

She taught me to make collards the Southern way, except I use bacon instead of fatback. When I saw huge bunches of collards in market this week for $2, I snatched them up.

To make the greens, I fry a little or a lot of bacon (depends how much meat we've had recently). Throw the washed, chopped greens in on top. Stir. Add some salt - but be careful, the greens cook down a lot and I have oversalted many pots of greens. Add a bit of sugar, something spicy like red pepper flakes or hot sauce, and some vinegar. Cook, covered, for 10-60 minutes. Queenie had something she called "pepper oil," which was a gallon jug of white vinegar and tiny hot peppers. She would lace the greens with that pepper oil.

We have been feasting.

fried Louisiana Boston blue fish (catfish was not at hand)
collard greens
cheese grits
grilled okra

(sigh of satisfaction)

Then, at Genevieve's special request,

black eyed peas (cooked simply and until very soft with salt, butter, and milk)
more collards
cornbread

And there are still collards in my fridge. I miss Queenie.

My Girl

2011-08-18T07:06:00.001-04:00

is starting kindergarten in about a week.

Look at her - she's so sweet. My heart.

And I haven't even gotten a letter from school yet, to tell me what supplies to buy, what teacher to meet, which classroom is hers. This is not an auspicious start for any school year, especially for a thrifty mother who needs time to shop carefully for the crazy supplies I imagine are required.

At least I have laid in uniform supplies all summer long, snatching up uniforms on sales and in thrift stores.

It's time to prepare my heart (is it possible?) for my oldest to start school.

The Job Effect on my Family

2011-08-16T06:55:00.003-04:00

It's been a month now that I've had a parttime job. On those two days, I get home at 6. Normally my family eats at 5:30. Lord help me, I am learning to go with the flow.

Usually I cook one of those job suppers and my husband does the other, and then I do the rest of the week because in our kitchen, it works better if there is a primary shopper, planner, and cook (that would be me - happily so - I love it). My husband and I are learning to communicate better because I need to buy groceries that he wants to cook with, and he needs to know my menus so he and the kids don't eat it for lunch or something.

My husband does really enjoy cooking - we shared it pretty equally before the children were born. When he was working fulltime and I was staying at home with the children full time, it made sense for me to do all the housework. Now we are slowly divvying up some chores because we are fairminded people who like proportional play and work -

Our version of a reasonable house:
1. dishes done before bed
2. vacuumed at least once a week
3. meals at home, local food in generous supply
4. children helping around house
5. cleanish bathroom
6. trash out
7. bills paid weekly, inbox sorted

So those things we pitch in equally and take no offense when the other person issues a reminder. Notice that the list does not include laundry, clean sheets, dusting, or the myriad other small tasks of housekeeping. I am content with these things in my domain. I haven't done zone cleaning for months (filthy windows and corners), can't keep track of the children's clothes, and wonder how much preserving I'll actually get done. . . but overall, I am happy. I love the partnership and I haven't lost my home haven.

(photos here by my husband - he usually is the park parent!)

Easiest Grilled Corn on the Cob EVER

2011-08-12T22:27:00.000-04:00

Remember when I told you how I grill corn? Complicated and lengthy, relative to what I'm about to reveal to you.

First I thought I had discovered the easiest way:

Husk the corn down to the very last pale green slip, so the kernels are still covered, but only with one layer of husk. Tug off what silk is sticking out the end, but no need to actually silk the ear or get all precise.

Lay the ears on a hot grill - probably medium (my grill is so old that its setting is reduced to on or off). Turn occasionally for 20-30 minutes, keeping the grill lid closed as much as possible to help the ears steam. But the fire will also caramelize some of the kernels through the blackened husk. It will also singe and spark in the silks, but don't worry, nothing will come of it.

Pull back the remaining blackened husk at the table - a very messy job, clearly a family meal - and butter and salt.

But WAIT:
My friend Crystal discovered that you can grill naked corn! Just husk the ears completely, rub or brush lightly with olive oil, and grill to your caramelization preference. Unbelievably easy! This is now how I do it. Boiled corn, forsooth.

It can't get easier than that unless we just eat it raw and actually, my husband made a fantastic corn salad the other week with raw sweet corn. Ben keeps asking when we're having corn salad again. So much good summer food, so little photography and posting about it. Life before blog!

Bonus: refrigerator cheesecake and blueberries for dessert.

Coffee Does Not Froth

2011-08-11T08:15:00.000-04:00

As I discovered when I used the nifty little Ikea frother at the beach cottage. Milk froths. Right.

I was there with my beach girls. . .

reading, walking, swimming at the beach proper.

A beach girl modeling a cover-up I whipped up: a very oversized, men's cotton shirt with white ball-fringe around cuffs and tails. Whimsically excellent for protecting skin. In my mind I call it a bathing chemise because that sounds whimsically retro to me - but it doesn't really describe the garment all that well.

And inspired by my Pearl Party fascinator, we all made fascinators for pennies from a creative reuse store. I love those places! Look at the dangling black leaves on this one. My favorite.

We are 18 years into this summer tradition ("makes you sound old," says my husband), and this year we started nibbling at ideas for our fortieth birthday beach year. My goodness. Forty.

Oxblood and Mint

2011-08-10T06:55:00.000-04:00

One night I was reading in bed when I looked up: there was the burgundy rose pinned to my mirror as usual, behind the mint-colored pump on my lotion bottle. The colors electrified me. Epiphany! I immediately began planning some kind of mint-green and burgundy ensemble.

The first thing I managed to get my hands on were a pair of sandals. I can tell you there's no cordovan trend right now because I looked hard and long for my cordovan sandals (and found them under my nose at a local shoe shop for - deep breath - $21!!).

Now I must have burgundy/oxblood/cordovan with all my clothes right now. I've never before liked this color, and consequently have only sandals and a ribbon right now in my wardrobe.

I have the mint fabric and the pattern ready to go to Make My First Dress For Myself. Then my nighttime burgundy and mint vision will be fulfilled and I will also have reached a goal this year, which was to sew a dress for myself. Just need the time!