Summer Goals for the Children

 I want my children to be equipped with a good work ethic and the skills to live a pleasant, responsible life when they leave home (which seems imminent some days! how quickly they grow!). 

I've noticed, too, that when they have free play time all day, they can get a little crazy and naughty.  So I want to deliberately teach them some more chores this summer, thinking that the school year will be too scheduled to allow for much instruction.  I like this balance of work and play for them.  And I've noticed that friends with older children reap the reward of real help around the house, too.

I might make a new chore chart for these things, or maybe just post the lists where the adults can refer to them. 

What the 6-year-old can do with minimal assistance:
1.  make her bed
2.  sort, fold and put away laundry
3.  iron hankies and napkins
4.  dry dishes
5.  set the table, pour water
6.  wash the bathroom floor
7.  shake rugs
8.  put away toys
9.  dust/wipe the steps

Goals for the 6-year old to learn:
1. clean sinks
2. spray and clean mirrors/windows
3. use sewing machine [I need to find an owner's manual for her machine first]
4. vacuum a room
5. dust a room
6. sweep a sidewalk
7. wipe a counter or table - wringing a cloth
8. organize an area such as a drawer or desk of art supplies

What the 4-year-old can do with minimal assistance:
1.  make his bed
2.  set the table
3.  put away toys
4.  dust baseboards
5.  put away the trashcans
6.  sort laundry

Goals for the 4-year-old
1.  dust/wipe the steps
2.  fold laundry
3.  sweep a sidewalk

So these chores will be put in the day whenever it seems reasonable.  The other structure we have is a one-hour quiet time some time after lunch.  The children are required to be on a bed or sofa with books, no toys.  They may sleep or read or daydream, but they must indubitably be quiet.

I hope this makes a good summer for us!

My Vision of Red-Eye Gravy

Do you know what red-eye gravy is?  It's one of those iconic Southern dishes that I thought sounded great. . . until I read that it's hot coffee dumped into ham drippings.  Maybe it's good, but I'm not tempted to try it anymore. 

However, I wanted to make something delicious that lived up to the catchy name in my mind. 
My Incorrect, But Delicious, Version of Red-Eye Gravy

Fry together in skillet:
1-2 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped

Add and stir until browned:
2 Tbsp. flour

Pour in, while stirring, over low heat:
1 1/4 cups tomato juice

Stir continuously, except for when you add:
1 Tbsp. blackstrap molasses
a little hot sauce

Stir and stir until thickened, several minutes (if you warm up the tomato juice first, this makes it faster).  Taste.  When I was done, I couldn't identify "molasses" and "spicy" per se, but the gravy was rich and bright.  It's possible you may need to add salt (although be careful as some tomato juice and some bacon would be salty enough).

Serve over hot, split biscuits or crispy fried potatoes for an excellent breakfast on a cool morning.  Eat a biscuit and honey for dessert.

The Eccentric Lime Room

The children's room is not "done", but I have pictures. 

To do yet:  move the freezer (long story) to the basement, create a desk space for each child, and get a nicer box for the dress-up clothes.  We had a delay with the electrician getting the proper outlet in the basement, but finally the freezer can go down and join the big freezer this week.

G's dresser top

I averted my camera from the messy desk pile and the freezer in the photos - let's dwell on pleasanter things. 

Below is a little clock made from a vintage children's book - the children are supposed to learn to tell time and stay in their room until 7 am at least.  The Bambi growth chart is from my little yellow room when I was a girl.

There are five windows in this room, all on the east wall, so it's a very bright, airy room. 

The bulletin board, hung at their height.

I've kept the mini-blinds on the windows for now because it's expensive to cover five windows and the light doesn't seem to be affecting the children's sleep.

Ben made his bed, the bottom, by himself.

Genevieve and Ben love their room.  They play in it a lot, so I briskly moved a bunch of toys up to the room.

The green room sees a lot of action. 

I'm working on taking pictures of my room to show you next.

The Garden at Twilight

I'm home.  Jet-lagged and fatigued, but home and unpacked.  The trees are sighing outside my window and the sky is deep grey - I think a storm is coming.  See the raised beds from my window?

The white disc on the tree is one of my washlines.

My husband pulled the last of the lettuce tonight to make space for a few more tomato plants.  A conoisseur would say the lettuce was bitter and bolting, but we are jubilant:  $2 for a packet of seeds that provided microgreens in March and abundant salads for April, May and a little bit of June. 

The green beans, nasturtiums, and raspberries are up, the dill heads are forming.  There are two pepper plants.  We now have a total of 15 tomato plants.  May they all grow as well as the lettuce!

Packed

By the time you read this, I will be in the air, heading to a convention for work. 

I've left my family a full batch of yogurt, several loaves of bread in the freezer, and a gallon jar of granola.  Inasmuch as housekeeping is never really done, I folded all the laundry, caught up on the ironing, and vacuumed one more time.  I like to think of this as one way I love them, smoothing their way through the days a bit.  Sure, my husband can run the house and wrangle the kids and find dinner. . .but. . .

I'll be back at homelife soon.  I'm ready to show you our new rooms.

Sleep Pants with Roses

My French sleep pants wore right out from love and hard use, so I used this pattern again to make another pair.  My husband told me the sheet fabric looked like pajamas to him - which made me a little shy about wearing the dress (I'm over it), but pleased to make pajama pants from the remnants.

I was careful with the details.  Instead of an elastic waistband, I added a section of elastic to the blue drawstring.  I tacked it down in the back with a tag of my favorite ribbon.  I love sleeping pretty!

Rosemary Raisin Scones

I cannot get enough of these scones. The combination of buttery scone, piney rosemary, and a kick of sweet from the raisins is irresistable to me. I eat them straight from the oven with black coffee.

I got the idea from a library cookbook, but adapted the recipe to use my favorite scone recipe from Recipes from the Old Mill.

Rosemary Raisin Scones
Mix in mixing bowl:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried rosemary
Cut in with pastry cutter:
1/4 cup cold butter
Add:
1/2 cup raisins

Separately, mix together until frothy:
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
Add milk mixture to dry ingredient mixture.  Mix briefly until the mass comes into a soft dough.  Press together with hands as needed to make a uniform dough. 

Divide into 2 portions. Place each portion on a well-greased baking sheet.  Use your hands to press each portion into a rough disc, approximately 7" in diameter.  Use a knife to make an X, making each disc into 4 wedges.  It will seem as if the dough isn't really cut, but you will be able to break the scones off after they're baked.

Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes.  Break into wedges. Eat hot or warm.  Scones, like biscuits, freeze well.

Good morning, Ben.  I love your sober face in the sunlight.