Handmade by Little Hands

We talked a lot about celebrating handmade/homemade holidays during December and many of us showed gifts we made for others. Today I’d like to share some handmade gifts I received from my nieces & nephews (ages 3-10).


Each of the oldest nieces & nephew decorated a terracotta pot for me. Most likely my sister found these pots at a garage sale and kids painted them for me. They will certainly look fabulous this summer on my back porch filled with a few succulents.  I might seal them with some sealer to make sure the paint doesn’t come off or wear away.


They also made me a batch of paint swirl ornaments. My sister said even the three year old picked out which colors of paint she wanted in the ornaments my sister helped her make.

One of my nieces is very crafty and creative (a lot like I was as a girl). She made me this scarf from fuzzy yarn at one of her homeschool co-op classes, it was a gift made just by her for me (modeled by Dexter). It’s nice to see that we’re passing on the love of spending time rather than money on gifts for the holidays. No doubt they had a blast making these gifts!

Did you receive any homemade/handmade gifts this year from friends & family?

I can also be found at Chiot’s Run where I blog daily about gardening, cooking, local eating, maple sugaring, and all kinds of stuff. You can also find me at Your Day Magazine, and you can follow me on Twitter and on Facebook.

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Children and Nature

Now that the heat is going away, we are spending even more time outdoors. I find it extremely important to teach my daughter about the environment around her, and how to take care of it. This morning we went for a hike on the nearby Natchez Trace. This is the second official “hike” she’s gone on with me and I was afraid we’d already taught her poor lessons about nature. Thanks goodness my sister came to the rescue. She’s been going to school for, well, years – I call her the tenured student. She’s studied geology, teaching, and biology; she’s worked as a tutor, homeschool teacher, nanny, camp counselor, nature guide; and she’s more patient than I have been as of late. If it wasn’t for my sweet sister, I’m not sure I’d have the desire to take my daughter back on a hike anytime soon.

So what could be so hard about taking a six year old hiking on a nature trail? She got upset when I told her she could not take home some leaves and sticks to save in her nature box. The girl talked and talked and talked, then talked some more, as we were hiking – interrupting all the conversations we older gals would have. She wanted to stop at every water crossing for snacks and drinks. It was a special treat for her, but it was frustrating to stop every 15 minutes for a break. We quickly learned that we’d have to work around the Kid’s desires. I don’t feel the need to leave her at home for these shorter hikes, but we quickly found some tools to keep her interested in the world around her instead of the “plans” she’d made. Ahh, it’s tough having a perfectionist as a child, but even more difficult when you’re a perfectionist and idealist yourself!

My little sister, she who is seven years younger than myself, she without her own children, she who’s been going to school for just this thing for, well, forever… she showed me how to manage my own daughter on a hike and I love her for all of it! In my excitement to spend time out in nature, exercising my tired bones and spending time with my sister, I’d forgotten that part of the reason of taking my daughter with was to teach her something.

• Get them thinking about the world around them by engaging their brains.

 Ask children about what they see.

Why would a plant grow in one place instead of another?

Why should we cross streams on rocks instead of tromping through the water, overturning every rock we come across?

Why is it important to stay on the trail?

What can your children see that is significant of the season?

• Count the different sounds you hear.

birds, bugs, water, wind through trees, raindrops, sticks breaking, nuts falling.

Have the children guess what could be making those sounds. What type of bird do you think is singing? Do you think that squirrel is angry with us? And so on

Can you imagine why it would be so important for an animal to have good senses?

• Why is it important to take only photographs and memories with you?

Imagine someone coming into your house and moving all of your food and furniture around. How would that make you feel?

Even items that aren’t food for animals can be food for other things like mushrooms, trees, and so on. The circle of life affects all organisms.

 

Having my sister with us on our hike today gave me insight of how to teach my own child about the world around us. What techniques and tricks do you use with children when out in the wild?

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Soda Pop

In spirit of those of you that have not the taste for alcoholic beverages (hic!) I’m here to share some basic recipes for making soda pop at home! What could be better than a frosty ginger ale to help cool off during these hot summer days? If ginger’s not your thing, how about a lemon-lime soda or an orange-ade? The combination is unlimited so long as your imagination is put to good use. The best part is it’s all homemade so you’re avoiding massive doses of sugar, artificial flavorings, and caffeine.

Do note that some of these recipes contain yeast, and as yeast feeds on sugars it releases alcohol and carbon dioxide as by-products. Because these recipes aren’t aged but a few days, the amount of alcohol is extremely minor. I personally feel comfortable allowing my own daughter to drink beverages made from these recipes without any worry. It should not be enough to cause intoxication for even our small samplers. If, however, you avoid alcohol for personal or medicinal purposes I recommend sticking with the recipes that don’t include yeast.

Ginger Ale

Mildly sweet and spicy with a hint of lemon

(prepare 3 days prior to drinking)

• 2 Tbsp + 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 3 inch portion of ginger club, grated
• 1 lemon, juiced and grated for zest
• 1 small piece sassafras root (approximately 1/4 tsp) *optional*
• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 1 gallon water

1. Boil water. Add all ingredients except yeast and let steep for 2 hours.
2. Once water is between room temperature and 100F, add yeast and stir.
3. Cover liquid and let rest for one day.
4. On the next day, strain liquid with cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer.
5. Pour liquid into clean, sterile bottles and close tightly.
6. Store in cool, dark place for two days.
7. Chill to stop fermentation and enjoy over ice!

**sassafras contains safrole which has been shown to cause cancer in lab rats when consumed in high doses. You can purchase safrole-free sassafras extract or use the leaves which do not contain safrole if you have concerns.

Lemon Lime Soda 

Like a liquid SweeTart

(prepare 3 days before drinking)

• 1 lemon, juiced and grated for zest 
• 2 limes, juiced and grated for zest 
• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 1 gallon + 2 cups water

1. Boil water and add all ingredients.
2. Simmer over low for one hour.
3. Add yeast after water has cooled.
4. Let rest overnight.
5. Strain, bottle and cap tightly after one day.
6. Allow to rest two days before drinking
7. Chill to stop fermentation, then serve

Summer Refresher

Perfect for a hot day in the garden

• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced
• 1 lime, bruised and sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh mint or lemon balm
• 2 liters of carbonated soda water
• *add fresh aloe or 1 cup aloe water for additional health benefits

1. Mix all ingredients in a pitcher and cover. Allow fruits to remain in pitcher.
2. Store in refrigerator and serve when chilled.

Orange-Ade

Fun for the kids, best prepared over a sink or outdoors

• 3/4  cup sugar
• 2 quarts water
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 3-4 oranges, juiced (substitute limes or lemons if desired)

1. Boil sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Chill syrup until very cold.
3. Stir in baking soda.
4. Prepare room for overflow!
5. Add sugar syrup to iced glasses.
6. Just before serving, add orange juice to each glass. The citric acid will activate the baking soda. The kids will adore this one!

Fruit Pop

Make with seasonal fruit

• 2 cups fresh fruit such as strawberries (rasp-, black-, blue-, huckle-, goose-…), peaches, pineapple, or grapes
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 quarts water
• 2 liters carbonated soda water

1. Boil water, sugar, and fruit to make a syrup.
2. Strain skins and seeds through cheesecloth or a mesh strainer.
3. Allow to cool in refrigerator.
4. Pour syrup over ice, then top with soda.
5. For a fun twist, add 2 Tbsp half & half and top with whipped cream.

Vanilla Cream

For those that like it smooth

• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 tsp almond extract
• 3 tsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp cream
• 8 oz carbonated soda water

1. In a tall glass, mix extracts, sugar, and cream until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add ice and stir in soda water.

 

As you can see, the recipes are limitless. Combine different fruits to make a beverage that you enjoy. Don’t forget to top of your soda with a nice garnish made from fresh fruit, basil, mint, or watercress.

Jennifer can be found blarging at Unearthing This Life where she rambles about her daily doings, her crazy chickens, and her quirky family.

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kinderGARDENS bugs, gourds, and Faith!!

We are now well into week 14 of our kinderGARDENS series and we now have a whopping 40 participants!

For those of you that are just hearing about this it is a gardening series I am doing this over on my blog to encourage people to get there kids off their little butts and out into nature and the garden specifically!

Everyone continues to impress the socks right off of me…except that I’m wearing flip-flops but you all know what I mean!

First is Faith who’s children have not only grocery shopped in their very own garden but now have spread the love of ginormous cucumbers to a little friend.  Spreadin’ the garden love…and her photos are to die for!

We have Kristen and her adorable baby gourd! She  is also growing peanuts which I just find so fun..another amazing photographer!

We have a very beginning gardener that is struggling with gophers and breaking new ground…but she is rockin’ our series with the most amazing drawings of her ‘garden to be’!  Visit the Saga of a Hindered but Hopeful Gardener…

And if you are up to it you must go see Erin’s bug…he’s right after the photo of the pizza they topped with garden produce!

Lastly there is Julie who wrote a post that had me giggling (plumber’s crack and mosquito issues) and brought a tear to my eye with her keen observations about children and their innocent faith in nature

Each week I am amazed by the enthusiasm that this group of parents and kiddos brings to the series with their great posts and wonderful photos…thanks guys!

I feel like I’ve just made 40 new friends…funny how gardening can do that!

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Homemade Hummus with Almonds and Curry Recipe

My baby loves hummus…really LOVES it!

Ask the kids what they want for a snack and Sweet Girl will ask for a sticky bun…not the little guy, nope

He wants carrots and hummus!

Now there are so many hummus recipes out there  but I am always on the look out for something new.  When my friend, who’s husband is on an anti-inflammatory diet due to arthritis, gave me this recipe I jumped all over it…thanks Brenda!

3 cups cooked garbanzo beans (chick peas) or 2 cans

1/4 Cup of the cooking liquid from the beans

1/2 Cup Tahini (sesame seed paste)

3 cloves garlic peeled (I often use more but I’m a garlicky girl!)

1/4 Cup + 1 TBSP lemon juice

3 TBSP Water

3/4 tsp sea salt (adjust to your taste)

1/2 Cup Almond butter (I make mine out of raw almonds in the Vita-Mix)

2 tsp Curry powder
Put it all in a blender and blend till smooth!

(If you leave out the almond butter and curry you can have plain hummus, but what fun is that?)

Serve to your kids with carrots, peppers, broccoli or celery to dip…what a perfectly healthy and easy snack!

And just for fun try different flavors, like hummus with spinach, or feta cheese, or my all time favorite…roasted red and yellow peppers.  Oh my!

So go and make yourself some homemade hummus…you will be glad you did!

Kim can also be found at the inadvertent farmer where she is raising organic fruits, veggies, critters, kids, and…a camel!

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Children in the Kitchen

Some of my fondest memories are of cooking with family members. In our family everybody cooked, even the fellows. Grandparents took their time, allowing me to be part of the process. I remember how slowly and perfectly Grandma Dorothy sliced onions and potatoes, and how we peeled tomatoes for canning. Grandmama was the queen of braided bread, chicken and noodles, and all things sweet. She taught me to savor food. Poppy was the ultimate breakfast cook, preparing eggs, bacon, and pancakes or toast every morning. The younger generations like to experiment a bit more: Mom introduced me to crepes; my stepdad is the reigning champion of baking desserts; my uncle, in his own disturbing way, got me to sample deer and rabbit; and my brother, well, let’s say he was one prime reason I was a vegetarian for some time.

It’s amazing the memories that food invokes. If a smell can trigger a memory, then the impact of food has to be tenfold. These are some of the reasons that I love to cook with my daughter – so that when she leaves this nest that she’ll have the knowledge and good memories of family and food.

There are some keys to cooking with children. Allow plenty of time for play and mistakes, let your child experiment, and never tell your child that something’s gross unless it’s unhealthy for them. My daughter’s favorite foods include eel, oxtail, squid, and spinach because we’ve tried not to negatively influence her relationships with food.

Let your child play with the tools except for those that can be dangerous. One way to allow your child to explore kitchen tools is to make “Bathtub Soup.” We like to gather sieves, strainers, ladles, slotted spoons, measuring cups, bowls, pans, and so on and dump them all in the bathtub with her. It’s like a science kit for the bathtub. She gets to see firsthand how many bubbles fit in ½ cup versus 1 cup or how the turkey baster sucks up water into its bulb.

To reinforce the importance of the family dinner, I involve my daughter in every meal. She has the responsibility of setting out the silverware and napkins. As she gets older she’ll have more responsibilities. On weeknights I’ll allow her to help stir or pour things into a pot, but our biggest experimentation comes on the weekends when we have more time. I allow her to help make decisions, like deciding on a side dish. On Friday nights we make pizza and she’s allowed to help with the dough and decorate her own dinner. She is also a big part of our garden. She helps to harvest our fruits, vegetables, and herbs, giving her ownership of what we’re preparing. She was 5 years old the first time I allowed her to use my chef knife – and I taught her the first time how to use it properly and without fear. Cleaning up is included in her responsibilities to dinner, and as she gets older those responsibilities will all increase.

Common sense comes from experience. I have had to remind my daughter every time we cook together the three most important rules before anything begins: 1. Fingers away from the cutting board while cutting utensils are in use. 2. Never assume that the stove is ‘off’ 3. No cooking without a grownup (one day I’ll share the story of a certain 5-year old that tried to make oatmeal all by her big self in Mommy’s new pan). I occasionally add a few extras like keeping hands clean or enforce the no double-dipping rule. Now that we’ve cooked together on many occasions, my daughter knows these rules exist and that there are no exceptions.

Above everything else, remember to have fun and don’t let mistakes discourage anyone. Involving your children in cooking will teach them a skill, build creativity, and create bonds and special memories – each of which will last a lifetime.

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Bread Challenge Part 2

As promised part two to my personal bread challenge (if you are looking for part 1 it can be found here.)

Now down to the nitty gritty…or they yummy part!

First of all here is my make twice a week whole wheat bread recipe that is almost identical to the one that my folks made for so many years…my go to recipe…everyday bread for sandwiches, toast, and just because I feel like bread!

Mix…2/3 Cup Oil (I use organic canola), 2/3 to 3/4 Cup Sweetener (honey, molasses or a combo), 5 1/2 Cup very warm water.

Add…3 Tablespoons yeast and let proof (stand until the yeast is all puffy!)

Mix…4 heaping Tablespoons Vital Wheat Gluten, 2 Tablespoons Salt, your ‘extra’ flours up to 4 cups (I usually use 1 Cup rye, 1 Cup oat, and 2 Cups White Whole Wheat flours)…you do not have to add these flours but it is fun!

Mix into liquid/yeast mixture.

Then add your Whole Wheat Flour

In total you use about 14 Cups of flour (this includes the ‘extra’ flours)…this is approximate as it is slightly different each time.

All of this I do in my Bosch Bread Mixer…you can do it by hand.

Knead 10 minutes. Turn into very large oil coated bowl.  Cover and let rise until doubled.  Punch down, form into loaves and let rise till it is about an inch above the rim of the bread pans.

Bake at 350 until a deep golden brown (or 195 on a bread thermometer)(or until it sounds hollow when tapped)

This makes 6 loaves or 1 large pan of sticky buns and four medium loaves.

My sticky buns are made from this recipe.  I pre-cookk raisins with brown sugar and cinnamon and then roll out my dough into a rectangle and add the raisins on top.  Roll into a long log. Slice into rounds and put in a pan that has a little oil, brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts at the bottom.  Flip the whole thing over when done so the sticky bottom is on the top and the plain top is on the bottom.  I am trying hard to resist the urge to be humorous here about sticky bottoms and sticky buns…but I will refrain!

Next is one of my all time favorite recipes it is directly from the back of my bag of King Arthur Flour’s organic cracked wheat.  I don’t make it for us anymore since going vegan but I still make it for my friends and they always appreciate it….it is heavenly!

Pour 1 1/4 Cups boiling water over 1/2 Cup Cracked Wheat in a large bowl, cover and let rest for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Stir in 2 Tablespoons butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 Cup Honey or Molasses let cool to lukewarm.  Add 2 teaspoons yeast and let proof for about 10 minutes (skip this step if using instant yeast)

Stir in 1/4 Cup organic dry milk, 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour, and 2 Cups White Whole Wheat or All Purpose Flour ( I used White Whole Wheat)

Knead by hand, mixer or bread machine to make a soft slightly sticky dough (8 minutes by hand is what I did).  Let rise covered till doubled (1 1/2 hours or so).  Shape into loaves and put into 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.  Cover and let rise till 1 to 2 inches above rim.  Cut a vertical slash down the middle of the loaf place in preheated 350 F oven.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until brown and hollow sounding when tapped or 195 degrees F on instant-read thermometer.

Makes 1 loaf.

Finally there is a whole book that Alan asked me about that I use often.  It is called Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It truly is a time saver and an incredibly easy way to make bread.  My go to recipe is the olive oil dough that I use with white whole wheat flour for pizza and focaccia bread.  There are recipes galore in there although most are not whole grain.  It takes a little playing with the recipes to adapt them for whole grain flours but it is well worth it.

The concept of this book is to mix without kneading, let rise and then put the dough in the frig for use every day.  Just grab some, shape, sometimes let it rise or sometimes not (depending on what you are using it for) and voila…bread in just minutes of prep time…awesome!  It keeps from 5 days to almost 2 weeks depending on the recipe…if you love sourdough leave it in he fridge a week and use, yummy!

Now for the technical stuff.  I use a very old Bosch Mixer, Grain Master Whisper Mill for grinding grain, I order most of my grains from Azure food co-op with some speciality flours from King Arthur.  King Arthur also has a great book called Whole Grain Baking…wonderful recipes!

Lastly as far as baking with kids here are a few hints to make it easier and more fun.  I bake with two little ones ages 6 and 2, they both have their own stools to bring to the counter (although the baby ends up on the counter most often) They each get an itty bitty bread pan or two to make their own loaves…trust me this can take a loooong time.  We use measurements and reading recipes for reading and math for homeschool.  We often give bread as gifts which the kids love…they make a card and tie the loaf up with ribbon.  Sweet Girl likes to experiment with different spices in her bread…some have been hits (pumpkin pie spice) some not so much (white pepper).  Remember this is a learning experience for them…this is how we bring up the next generation of bakers and lovers of real food.

Most of all have fun…take the time…it is seriously worth the effort!

Kim raises organic fruits, veggies, critter, kids, and a camel over at the inadvertent farmer

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Note to Self…

I don’t know about you but at the end of the main growing season I always have all these notes in my head about what I loved and what I would do differently next spring.

So instead of taking the time to go try to find some paper that isn’t wrinkled and scribbled on and a pen that actually has ink…and then try to keep track of the list for 9 months…

I am going to make my ‘notes to self’ right here on the blog…hope nobody minds.

NOTES TO SELF

• Tomato cages are wayyyyy better than this…it worked well for the cool spring but tomatoes need cages to grow up in…those tunnels did not control them nearly enough.

• Remember to build more tomato cages before next year.
• Yarn does NOT work as well as twine for green beans, it stretches in the rain and all the beans fall down…so don’t be lazy and go find the twine next time!
• Put a self-closing hing on the garden gate…the dog likes cucumbers.
• While we are on it…cucumbers do well with water.  Bitter is not the best flavor.Plant more flowers…

• Make more compost.
• Growing peppers and eggplant in tunnels is an EXCELLENT idea, please remember do this again.

• Pumpkins are great fun to grow…more are needed next year.  Try some new colors.

• Squash takes up a LOT of room, remember this so the compost bin doesn’t get covered with vines.
• Barrels are great for potatoes but you would need many, many more to have a large harvest.
• Plant out gourds sooner…

• Plant out cantaloupe later.

• Yum, yum peppers are simply the cutest and sweetest peppers ever…grow lots more!
• 6 foot wire fencing is perfect for growing peas.

• Chickens fly…chickens escape…chickens invade!
• Chickens love young pumpkins, which will grow up to be ugly hen pecked pumpkins.

• Remember to enjoy the process…
• Always, always  involve the kids…even when they annoy you.

• And don’t hate the camel for doing what a camels does…

Which is anything he can do to try to reach your precious garden.

• Reinforce the garden fence!

Finally…

Remember why you do this every year…

For the health of your family and the health of the planet.

Besides…

Its fun!

So fellow gardeners…what notes have you made to yourself for next year?

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Farm Life one Photograph at a Time…

I know you all come here for great information on a wide range of topics from gardening to canning to animal husbandry.  Sorry I have nothing profound or even useful for you this morning.  What I do have is what I love…

What I obsess about…

What I drive my family crazy over.

You see I have two hands, two eyes…and a camera.

I am rarely without any of them…

Since this  is a holiday weekend and we are all either gone or just chilling out. I am going to share some of my very favorite pictures from my farm.

Nothing too heavy, just…

Kids, critters, and a camel

That is my life…

In a snap shot!

First is our beautiful llama Sophie…

Then there is the beast Gizmo!

There are muddy faces…

And clean feet…

Things growing…

And baking…

There’s picking…

And playing…always lots of playing.

But mostly we are just living out loud…

Living with all our hearts…

Right here where God has planted us.

On our little slice of heaven on earth…

Our  little funny farm!

Enjoy your weekend…

And remember to join me right here next Saturday for something educational and informative…

Maybe!

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