From the Land

Last weekend we visited our CSA farm and picked asparagus. It was a sunny, warm (but not hot) morning.

It didn't take too long to finish our row, with a laundry basket nearly full of the long stalks.

Afterwards, we visited with some chickens, cows, a goat, and the cutest little piglets.

The piglets ate right out of my children's hands -- they were so gentle and playful. It was great fun!

When we got home with our 8 (or so) pounds of asparagus, determined not to let it go to waste, Elisabeth and I cleaned and trimmed all of it. We blanched it in batches -- 2 minutes each -- and then submerged it in ice water until it was cool.

Then we dried it and divided it (what you see above is not all of it, either!).

Elisabeth commented several times that this work reminded her of the olden days. I knew just what she meant: working to gather our food, and then spending time preparing it in large batches to be used over a long period of time. It's so important, I believe, for children to experience this. It can be so easy to assume that all food comes from the grocery store, and to become disconnected from the source. I'm so glad that we have these opportunities through our CSA.

So, now we have about 8 meals' worth of asparagus, which is wonderful, since we are an asparagus-loving family. {For many years, I declared that it was my least favorite food. I claimed that it looked appetizing, but tasted bad. Then one time, about 3 years ago or so, we were staying with some friends and were served a meal with asparagus in it. Not wanting to be the only person not eating it (all of the children were), I went ahead and tried it. And, to my surprise, I loved it.}

And in just a couple of weeks, it'll be time to pick (and preserve) strawberries!

Today's lunch -- and a question for YOU

A favorite lunch around here -- avocadoes with grape tomatoes, some olive oil and cider vinegar, with a touch of fleur de sel and freshly ground pepper.

My parents and in-laws always express a teensy bit of surprise and admiration about how "well" my children eat. I'm not all that surprised ... children always seem to like what's familiar to them, and we've always fed them lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. They are both little veggie eaters now. (Especially Elisabeth -- James likes meat, a thing she'd never had at his age. How the standards have eased with that second child. Hee hee.) Oh, my little gourmands.

I also have a request of you all. It's pretty important, so pay attention and do leave a comment!

I have been asked to speak/lead a session/whatever it's called on creative outlets for mothers at an upcoming parenting conference. I'm going to talk about carving out time for creating, blogging, and different forms of creative expression. Clearly my strengths (if you call them that ... I struggle a bit with being too modest sometimes practically all the time) lie in the "fiber arts" (sewing, knitting, dollmaking, etc.), but I'd really like to talk about other creative outlets, too. From writing to photography, from dance to gardening, from music making to cooking ... what are some of the ways all of you mothers express your creativity in your daily life? What I'm looking for are just examples of things to do (not specifically how you fit them in, though that would also be lovely!) that I can weave into my talk, and I know you all are the perfect people to ask. So fire away! Think about it, and let me know!

Afternoon

With the wee ones off to my mom's house, I'm home alone for an afternoon of doll-making. I often think I can't get anything done with my two babies running around. But it turns out, when I'm home alone, I'm lonely for the ruckus. Anyway, I needed a short break from the handsewing and the smelling of our dinner in the crockpot, so here I am.

This morning we made some peppermint bark. We all agreed that it was delicious but too much made for a sick tummy!

It was super simple -- we didn't use a recipe or anything. We just crushed 12 candy canes (using the towel & rolling pin method), melted about 16 oz of white chocolate in the double boiler (it was a 12 oz bag of white chocolate chips and most of one Green & Black's white chocolate bar -- not an allergy-friendly food of mine, I can say, but so yummy anyway), spread it out on some parchment paper, sprinkled and swirled the candy cane bits in, put it in the fridge (the freezer would be even better, but our side-by-side freezer is way too small), and 20 minutes later, voila! Easy, festive, fun, yummy!

Souperific

I am completely sick today. Sore throat, headache, sore ears, sore eyes, congested. I know I'm going to be in the mood for soup, and lots of it, over the next few days.

Here's the recipe for a favorite of ours. I adapted it from one that a friend shared with me a few years ago (originally from Cooking Light, I believe.) It's so yummy!

Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup

1 lb. hot Italian sausage (or mild, if your family prefers ... we like spicy)
2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with garlic and basil (I think some brands call this "Italian diced" -- check the can. Remember that tomatoes are a commonly contaminated crop and it's worth the effort to look for organic!)
6 cups broth or stock of your favorite variety
1 cup small whole-grain pasta (such as macaroni or shells)
1 large bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

In a soup pot, brown sausage, using a spoon to break up. Add tomatoes, broth, and pasta. Simmer until pasta is tender. Add kale and simmer until bright green and wilted, about 2 minutes. Serve with crusty bread, salad, and a garnish of shredded cheese and/or shredded fresh basil if you choose. (We always omit the garnishes.) Enjoy!

And a couple more dinnertime photos from me, since this seems to be my favorite subject of late, and I just can't resist:

  

Have a wonderful weekend, friends! Be well -- not sick like me! ;)

Pleasing the Crowd

I try to serve healthful, satisfying breakfasts around here. This can be a tall order, for sure, especially with one child with food allergies (dairy, eggs, and soy), and another who doesn't really like oatmeal or porridge. What? I know.

Sometimes I like to whip up a fruit crisp. I should remember this a little more often, because it's a crowd-pleaser.

Today, it was a pear crisp. So easy. I didn't even peel the pears first. It ended up being like stewed pears with streusel topping. Yum. I found some photos from late August, when I made a peach-apple crisp, with equally delicious results.

So, without further ado, here's the recipe.

Grace's Crowd-Pleasing Breakfast Fruit Crisp

serves about 4

3-4 cups fruit, sliced and peeled, if necessary (whatever you have on hand: apples, pears, peaches, berries, or any combination)

4-6 Tbsp coconut oil (or butter), melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp blackstrap molasses
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2-3/4 tsp cinnamon or a spice blend (like this)

Heat oven to 350F. Put sliced fruit in a pie plate or other shallow baking dish. If you're using mostly apples, add a bit of water or fruit juice (1/4 cup or so). Combine the melted coconut oil, sugar, molasses, oats, flour, and cinnamon until it forms crumbs. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Let me know if you try it! Edited: This makes a crumb topping that is not very sweet. I hate really, really sweet crumb toppings. Add more sugar & molasses if desired.

Have a great weekend! I hope you all have something fun planned -- I do! I'm off tonight for an evening with friends.

Eat Better, Eat Together

October is Eat Better, Eat Together month, and with that in mind, as well as Stefani's Season of Soups, I thought maybe I'd share some food that our family enjoys together this month. (Not every day, but you know, sometimes.)

Along with chillier nights, I have definitely noticed that October has brought a shift in what we want to eat for dinner: cozier meals definitely have newfound appeal. Last night we made this easy, quick, and earthy Orecchiette with Sausage and Roasted Peppers followed with this deliciously simple Rustic Apple Tart.

A lot of my "go-to" recipes come from Everyday Food ... I subscribed beginning with the first issue, and though I let it lapse in the last year, I have tons of them on hand to look through. Although I really love the idea of slow food, and consider myself to be a proponent of the slow movement, sometimes these quick (and pretty nutritious) recipes are just what we need around here. I try to stick to recipes that are from the month (or at least the season) that we're currently in, hoping to use a lot of in-season and seasonal ingredients.

We also made some yummy, nutritious autumn cookies yesterday. The pureed raisins are great for my girl who is not so into raisins normally. We had these as an afternoon snack yesterday and for breakfast today ... yum! The recipe is from Martha Stewart Baby, Fall 2001. I couldn't find it on the website, so here it is:

1 thirty-ounce can pumpkin puree
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (despite our dairy allergy, James and I seem to tolerate butter pretty well on occasion, which is good since I try not to overdo it with soy)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses (I always use blackstrap for added nutrition)
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (freshly ground is best)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose (or whole wheat pastry, in my world) flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
2 1/2 cups rolled oats

1. Line a strainer with a double layer of cheesecloth; set it over a bowl. Place the pumpkin puree in the strainer; wrap the cheesecloth around the puree. Weigh down the puree with a small can of soup or something with a similar weight; let puree drain for about 30 minutes. (I skipped this step. Does anyone know if it's really necessary?)

2. Preheat the oven to 350F. In a food processor, puree the raisins with the boiling water until no large pieces remain, about 1 minute. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 2 minutes. Add the molasses, and mix to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs; beat for 1 minute. Add the pureed raisin mixture and the drained pumpkin puree, and mix to combine.

3. In a medium bowl, combine the salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, flour, baking soda, wheat germ, and oats; stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the batter int he mixer bowl, and mix to combine.

4. Spoon the batter onto untreated baking sheets, making the cookies about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Use the back of a spoon dipped in water to press the cookies down slightly. Bake cookies until set and browning, 12 to 14 minutes (more like 15-16 in my oven). Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Store the baked cookies in an airtight container; they will stay soft for up to 1 week.

You'll have to excuse this next blurry shot -- we were in such a hurry to gobble these up that this is the only one I got. And now they're all gone!

I promise to share some soup recipes and one for our favorite chili, too!

Good Morning, Good Night

I love: exquisitely scrumptious banana bread with chocolate and cinnamon sugar and watermelon for breakfast. I especially love it when said exquisitely scrumptious breakfast was prepared the night before while watching a movie with my husband. I love a cozy porridge-y breakfast, and I really, really love poached eggs and grits. But not having to get up and make breakfast on a summer morning? Mmmm, priceless.

I love: when someone suggests tea before bed on a stormy summer evening (I love summer thunderstorms, by the way), and my wee ones and I snuggle down in our cool sheets with our warm tea for some favorite stories (this book was mine when I was wee, and I just love the illustrations beyond explanation). What a lovely way to finish off a summer day.

Welcome, busy April

It seems that April is one of the busiest months of the year for our family. Of course, Elisabeth's birthday on the 10th is huge. But Easter also falls in this month (most years), and there are a slew of other birthdays -- from my brother, to nieces & nephews, to two of our family's closest little friends -- to prepare for and celebrate.

So, I'm spending a lot of time looking over my "lists" (don't laugh -- I go completely crazy without them), planning & making gifts, cards, Easter goodies, and birthday party fun. There has been much knitting going on over the last week (the vest will be completed in time!), and there are still some sewing projects to complete before Elisabeth's birthday. And we'll dye eggs, of course, and probably do some other Easter crafties ...

Of course, during all of this busyness (yes, I know that is not the correct spelling of that word), spring is sneaking up on us, and my wee ones are getting off to bed before dark. After their bath the other night, this fact really seemed to feel "real" to all of us, and there was some impromptu frolicking on the grass in summery pajamas before going in and settling down to some poems.

And then it's back to work for Mama. But not without a treat.

{Edited: I so rudely neglected to share what this treat actually was. It was strawberry sorbet topped with vegan chocolate chips and some coconut that I toasted in my toaster oven. I don't know how many times I've mentioned our allergies on this blog already ~ maybe 70? ~ but, James and I are both allergic to milk. So, no real ice cream for me, and no milk chocolate, either. Although, honestly, I don't really mind about the chocolate bit, at least. Chocolate is neither here nor there for me. ;)}

Eating in style

This morning, I thought I'd opt for something a bit less "profound".

I'd had the fabric for these cushions waiting around for weeks, but finally just got to them last weekend. Poor James has been bumping his head against the back of the high chair long enough!

Basically, I just traced the seat and back of the chair, sewed them together with the piping (which is made using the blue, yellow and orange stripes on the bias) sandwiched between (I have to credit my friend Rebecca with a lot of this part because we were crafting together at her house and I kept "breaking" her sewing machine. Thanks, Rebecca!) Then I stuffed them with 5 layers of cotton batting (which is just cushy enough, I think. It is not like a real "cushion", but fine for eating. Enough to keep him from hurting his head!), and then couldn't decide how to "quilt" it all together. Machine quilting was out of the question -- it was way too thick for my machine -- so, I was thinking of just tying it with yarn, but I wasn't totally sure if that's what I wanted, either. I finally opted for the buttons. I think they look OK, but not perfect. Oh, well. I'm quite happy with these anyway. Who wouldn't be happy to get to look at this beautiful fabric everytime they went into their dining room?!

I don't really know what I was thinking when I was taking this picture, so I apologize for the blurriness, but you can see how I did the bottom cushion. I actually haven't added the buttons on it yet, but hopefully today...

Apple pie

I took the wee ones to pick apples the first weekend in October. It was a perfect, sunny, beautiful afternoon (and all the photos are still in my film camera -- bad, bad mama!).

Then time escaped us for two weeks, as it seems to do, until we finally set to work making the apple pie. The baby took a nice long nap, and Elisabeth and I had a free afternoon to just work on the pie. I am always amazed by the way children absorb things without needing to have them laboriously explained. It was as though she already knew how to make the pie, even though this was really her first time to be involved in the process. (Pie, is, um, my second favorite thing -- after wool! -- and so I have to strictly limit how often they are made here.)

I thought this was really the perfect pie. It was so beautiful, and tasted so good, and Elisabeth did do so much of the work. I cannot really take too much of the credit for the beauty of the finished product: