Making of a Home

A Subtle Shift

Posted on September 15, 2016 by makingofahome

It seems that at each turn of the season I feel the need to start anew. I think this has become even more of a necessity now that I stay home and homeschool my girls. Because our home is where we work, play and educate, there is a more constant need to refresh, even if it is just a subtle shift.

As a means of bridging our transition between summer and fall, the girls and I have been trying to bring in fresh flowers each day from our garden. It is a true blessing to have this beautiful, natural color in our sights as the mercury begins to dip.

A quick family room face lift has also helped usher in this new season. It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do to change the entire mood of a room.

As I mentioned a few weeks back, we have an abundance of home-grown pumpkins, so those gorgeous orbs are finding their way into many indoor and outdoor arrangements, as well as into many new recipes.

Our reading material has also been refreshed. With a little help from Ms. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has whisked our whole family away to a magical land each evening.

And after the girls are asleep, Glennon Doyle Melton’s Love Warrior fills my heart in a way no other book has. As I wrote about here, when my mom was ill, her book Carry On, Warrior shone a light on my experience that helped me through those most difficult, excruciating months of my life. But I believe her new novel, although raw and often emotionally difficult to get through, is giving me the tools I need to make it through the next fifty years of my life by imparting me with a whole new outlook on life, love, truth-telling and grace.

I hope each of you feels refreshed as you enter this new season, ready to embark upon many new fall adventures.

Craft and Science

Posted on September 13, 2016 by makingofahome

Last Sunday, we gathered with friends in our late summer garden for some fermentation fun. My husband (and his trusty brewmaster side kick) concocted a nice autumnal nut brown ale, while I worked with some of the other littles on cabbage sauerkraut.

I just love the craft and science behind fermentation. I love the look of amazement that crosses their faces when I tell kids they are working with millions of living organisms when they ferment. I also adore the slow and deliberate pace of fermenting. The fact that the process cannot be rushed is what pulls me in the most to this craft. We are all so rushed in our daily lives, that at times it is just so therapeutic to slow down, gather with friends, and enjoy that slow gait together.

Posted in Putting Food By | Tagged backyard, beer, brew, cabbage, cabbage sauerkraut, DIY, eco friendly, fermentation, ferments, food, food preservation, fresh, garden, gardening, gardens, growing, harvest, holistic, holistic living, home, home brewing, homemade, homemaker, homemaking, make, making, mama, mindfulness, mom, mother, nut brown ale, sauerkraut, sustainable, sustainable living | 1 Comment

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

Posted on August 25, 2016 by makingofahome

Last fall I did some reading about how to grow pumpkins. I was astonished to find that many people said to simply discard of your old pumpkins in an area in which you want to grow pumpkins again. Those pumpkins will decompose, the seeds will deposit into the soil, and then regrow the following year. So, last fall, as our decorative pumpkins began to go soft, I simply placed them in a side bed in our yard. Then as I processed some pie pumpkins, I scrapped out the seeds and placed those in this bed as well. In the very early spring (early March), I covered the entire bed with a very thin layer of compost.

And voila…

…we now have pumpkins taking over our yard.

Some of the pumpkins are ready for picking this week, so I played around in the kitchen a bit and came up with this recipe. I hope you enjoy it!

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread (makes one loaf)

Mix the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon baking soda

In a separate bowl, mix together the following:

1 cup shredded zucchini

2 eggs

1/2 cup non-GMO canola oil

1 cup pureed pumpkin

splash of lemon juice

Next mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Fold in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Pour into a bread pan and bake in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Enjoy!

Posted in Gardening, Recipe | Tagged bread, growing pumpkins, homegrown, homemade bread, homemade quick bread, organic, organic baking, organic bread, organic pumpkin zucchini bread, organic quick bread, pumpkin, pumpkin bread, pumpkin zucchini bread, pumpkins, zucchini, zucchini bread | 2 Comments

Joy in the Present

Posted on August 10, 2016 by makingofahome

Each of us has a handful of life experiences that truly changes us. Those experiences that get deep into our veins and alter the core of our inner self and the lens through which we view the world. I can confidently say my family and I just experienced such an event.

Over the course of the last eight days our family ventured East. We made many, many stops and saw numerous amazing sights, but the reason for our trip was to participate in a family stay at the Knapp family’s local living school, Koviashuvik. While on this absolutely gorgeous homestead we learned, laughed, created, and soaked up all we could from this astounding family of four who live in harmony with the earth in a way I have never before witnessed.

As I sit before this screen, I realize there is no way I can adequately express, in words, our time spent with the Knapps. Instead, I have decided to let the photographs tell our story. The word Koviashuvik means, “a time and place of joy in the present moment” and I invite you come along with us on our adventure to a time and place where I can say I was fully present and filled with the most wonderful sense of peace and joy.

Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040284 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040289 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040303 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040312 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040390 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040354 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040364

Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040424 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040435 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040444 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040463

Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040562 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040571 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040572 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040381 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040384 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040609 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040635 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040639 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040643 P1040490 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040521

Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040370 Photo Credit: Ashirah Knapp P1040498

Posted in Holistic Living, Sustainable Living | Tagged backyard, canning, cooking, DIY, eco friendly, food, food preservation, fresh, garden, gardening, gardens, growing, harvest, holistic, holistic living, home, homemade, homemaker, homemaking, kairos, kids, Koviashuvik, Koviashuvik Local Living School, Maine, make, making, mama, mindfulness, mother, organic, preservation, sustainable, sustainable living, Temple Maine | 1 Comment

Kale Cubes

Posted on July 26, 2016 by makingofahome

Every November, we find ourselves with an overabundance of kale that gets hit with a hard frost and dies. It always makes me feel just sick to know all of that healthy vegetation has gone to waste and ends up in the compost bin. This year my husband came up with a great idea: kale cubes.

When my oldest daughter was a baby, we made her baby food. We threw a bunch of fruit and veggies in a blender with a bit of water, pureed it, and then froze it in ice cube trays. Once the cubes froze, we popped the cubes out into a gallon-size freezer bag. That way, at mealtime, we would just take out the cubes we wanted, heat them up, and viola…ready-to-eat baby food. So, last week my husband came up with the brilliant idea to do this same thing with our kale! Then that way, once winter settles in and we are longing for some healthy greens, we can pop a couple of our kale cubes into our blender to add some nutrients to our morning smoothies.

All I did was harvest and wash some of our kale, threw it in our Vitamix with about one cup of water, pureed it until the mixture was nearly smooth, poured the puree into ice cube trays and popped them in the freezer. The next day, I popped out the cubes and put them in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Now they are all set for those February morning breakfast smoothies🙂

Posted in Gardening, Putting Food By | Tagged baby food, backyard, DIY, eco friendly, farmer, farmer's market, food, food preservation, freezing, fresh, garden, gardening, gardens, green, greens, growing, harvest, holistic, holistic living, home, homemade, homemade baby food, homemaker, homemaking, kale, kids, making, mama, mindfulness, mom, mother, organic, preserving greens, preserving kale, recipe, sustainable, sustainable living | 1 Comment

In Gratitude

Posted on July 25, 2016 by makingofahome

On this Monday morning, I just wanted to pass along my utmost gratitude to those of you who read my post on Soule Mama last Friday. The incredible outpouring of support I received was most overwhelming. I am forever grateful to each and every one of you.

Wishing you a wonderful week, friends.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

The Most Amazing News

Posted on July 21, 2016 by makingofahome

Oh friends, I just received the most amazing news. My favorite blogger/author, Amanda Blake Soule, will be featuring my garden photos and writing on her blog tomorrow. I invite you to check out the post tomorrow (Friday, July 22) at www.soulemama.com.

I am completely overcome with excitement and gratitude at being given this wonderful opportunity to share with those around the world, what wonderful things are going on right here in Rockford, Illinois. A true blessing indeed.

And, this news does not come on any random day either. Today we celebrate my mom’s birthday. If this is not a true sign of a guardian angel mama always looking out for her babies, I don’t know what is. You always told me to keep writing, Mom. And I have been. Just for you.

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Posted in Gardening | Tagged Amanda Blake Soule, backyard, eco friendly, farmer, food, garden, gardening, gardens, growing, harvest, holistic, holistic living, home, homemade, homemaker, homemaking, homestead, Illinois, kids, making, mama, mindfull, mom, mother, organic, Rockford, Soule Mama, sustainable, sustainable living, urban homestead | 4 Comments