July First in the Garden

July 1, 2013June 30, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

I don’t know about all of you, but I am having a difficult time swallowing the fact that today is July 1st. Where did June go? Perhaps it was washed away by all of that crazy rain we have been having here in northern Illinois. But as I sit here, looking out my kitchen window on this first Monday of July, I am shocked by how different this view looks from that of last year. Peering at me from the other side of my window is a sea of green: green grass, green vegetables, and lots of green weeds. This landscape stands in sharp contrast to the garden of last year where everything had a tinge of brown to it. What a truly striking difference a year makes.

Last July:

This July:

Just plain crazy isn’t it? Well, I have all kinds of garden goodness coming your way this week, and this is just the beginning. Join me for a walk through the very lush, very green garden…

And just one last little treat for you…Here is what the garden looked like before I took all of the above pictures…and spent six lovely hours weeding. Ah. Gotta love gardening and all of the hills and valleys it brings to our daily lives.

Happy Monday all!

“Oh, Jam? I Love Jam!”

June 20, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

I think I love jam just as much as I love Friends…and what could be better than an entire Friends episode dedicated to jam? Love it! That’s why all afternoon, as my four year old and I worked in our strawberry-coated kitchen, I couldn’t help but hear Joey’s voice in my head repeating, “Oh, jam? I love jam?”

Yesterday, while my oldest was away at camp, my tiny sous chef and I worked with Pomona’s Universal Pectin, a wonderful low-sugar pectin (as we did in this post as well), and ended up with some absolutely fabulous results. When making jam last year, we used the low-sugar recipe options included with the Pomona’s Pectin. This year, we tried out two no-sugar options, taste tested them this morning, and yummy…delicious!

The first recipe we tried was simply the cooked strawberry jam recipe included inside the Pomona’s box. We used the honey sweetening option and it is delicious. The second recipe we tried is from the latest issue of Taproot. And oh boy, let me tell you, this recipe is amazing! It is a strawberry-maple with vanilla jam recipe, specifically designed for Pomona’s Pectin. And the best part about this fabulous recipe is the only sweetener is maple syrup.

Happy jam-making season all!

Late June Garden Update

June 18, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

Sorry for the late post this morning folks, but it is just the most beautiful day here in good ole’ Rockford, Illinois and we have been making the most of this greatness. But for the moment my four year old is busy playing with some paper dolls here on the deck (my oldest is at nature camp this week), so I have a spare minute to share a bit of our garden progress for this week.

Now, you may notice that all of the garden pictures for this week are close ups. Well, that is because it is not just the fruits and veggies growing fabulously this week, but also the weeds. Oh boy. Words can’t quite describe the weed-growing action we’ve got here. So, only pretty close ups of the veg, and we will just avoid those unsightly photos of the weeds. Sound good? We will just pretend for the moment those weeds just don’t exist 🙂

I hope you are all enjoying this day, no matter where you are. Happy Tuesday everyone!

Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Crisp

June 12, 2013June 11, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

‘Tis the season of strawberry and rhubarb, and our kitchen is quickly becoming laden with these early summer lovelies. This past weekend I played around a bit to come up with a variation to a traditional fruit crisp. After some experimentation, I came up with this recipe that goes together very quickly, making it the perfect dish to bring to a summer picnic or backyard barbecue.

This crisp is not overly sweet, so it allows the flavors of the sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb to shine through. Coupled with the rich, earthly flavors of the pecans and oats, this is a treat sure to please the masses.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Crisp

For the crumble:

1. In a food processor, pulse 1/4 cup raw pecans.

2. Add 2 cups rolled oats, 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg to the food processor. Pulse 2-3 times.

3. Add 1 stick of cold butter (cut into bits) and 2 tablespoons raw honey to the food processor. Pulse until a crumble forms.

4. Set aside.

For the filling:

1. Combine 2 cups strawberries (diced), 3 cups rhubarb (diced), 1/3 cup honey, 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, 2 eggs (beaten), and 1 teaspoon almond extract in a large bowl.

2. Add 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon to the fruit mixture.

Assembling the crisp:

1. Pour the fruit mixture into a 9X9 inch pan.

2. Spread the crumble mixture over the top of the fruit.

3. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the top of the crumble is golden brown.

Enjoy!

*A note about all my recipes: I use all organic ingredients, local when available. I use non-homogenized milk, and all of the dairy we use is from animals raised on pasture. I also use oils that are non-GMO verified. All our meat is raised locally on organic feed, and our beef is grass-fed, grass-finished. All our spices and cane sugar are fair-trade certified and purchased through a cooperative.

The Wonders a Week Can Do

June 11, 2013 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

Good morning, friends. Although it has been less than a week since we took a walk through the gardens together, so much has changed. I hesitate to say it because I fear I may jinx it…But we have been getting some fabulous rain, and beautiful temperatures of late. In fact, much of the rain has fallen in the late afternoon and evenings, blessing us with partial or full sun during the daylight hours. Our garden seems to be loving this, because I must say I don’t think I have ever seen it this healthy looking in the five years we have lived in this house.

And so today, I ask that you join me once again for a tour of the gardens…

Early June Happenings

June 5, 2013September 1, 2015 / makingofahome / 5 Comments

The Fagan home is abustle now that school is complete, and the long-awaited summer is underway. We are taking full advantage of the crisp mornings by getting chores done and out of the way well before eight o’clock, and then we spend our time basking in the balminess of the afternoon warmth, sipping citrus-infused water and reading in the warm sunlight. Sneak in there time for summer homeschooling sessions, baking some ambrosial honey-infused dishes, and testing out new homemade personal-care items, we have truly been filling those hours of extra daylight the summer so graciously offers us.

Here are the happenings around here during this first week of June…

~The peonies are in full bloom, painting our landscaping with breathtaking pink vibrancy.

~Learning doesn’t stop over the summer months. The girls and I spend the first hour or two of each day completing a few homeschooling lessons. My heart melts when my little ones say, “I love summertime when you can be our teacher Mommy.” Love.

~I came up with a lovely vegetarian spin to a lip balm recipe I found in Long Way on a Little by Shannon Hayes.

~A. MAZE. ING. “Everyday Oat Bread.” Better watch out Tyler, because I think I have a new love. The recipe can be found in Amanda Blake Soule’s The Rhythm of Family.

~Our first attempt at growing hot peppers seems to be working out so far. Fingers crossed.

~I’m not quite sure if there is a better combination: sun, wine and good reads.

~My girls actually came up with the idea of drinking “fancy water” (as they call it 🙂 ) while we catch some rays outside.

~A fairy garden in full bloom. Such a beautiful birthday gift for a four year old little girl.

~Salad for dinner with greens from our garden, topped with a dandelion vinaigrette. The vinaigrette recipe can be found in Taproot Magazine Issue 1 :: Soil.

~It’s strawberry time! Woohoo!

~Oh the garden…Always work to be done, but always a place of peace and beauty.

~And for a snack after all of that energy is expended in the garden: “Holiday Rounds” from Keeping Bees by Ashley English. Another great dessert that uses no refined sugar. Yummy.

What have you been up to lately? Share a link to your early June happenings in the comment section.

Garden Tour

May 29, 2013May 26, 2013 / makingofahome / 4 Comments

Although at a snail’s pace, we are getting our garden planted and the space is looking a bit less like a field of dandelions and a smidge more garden-like these days. Join me today on a tour through the gardens…

Spring Goodness

May 16, 2013May 15, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

It seems that after a very long winter…Spring has finally arrived! The flowers and trees burst with color, asparagus spears peak out from the surface of the soil, and dandelions and wild violets paint the yard with vibrant color. At this moment, I find it hard to think of a better time of the year.

This week finds us in the midst of school and home garden planting, retirement celebrations, dance recital rehearsals, and birthday party preparations…All enjoyed with a magnificent spring melody playing in the background.

I hope all of you find yourself in the splender of this season as well!

Better Late Than Never

May 14, 2013May 13, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

Now, I know I am a bit late…but…Happy Mother’s Day to all of you fabulous mamas out there!

Here is a photo journey through our Sunday…

Kicking Things Off

May 6, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

It’s official. The school garden at The Cathedral of St. Peter School is fully under way! Sunday afternoon, we hosted a School Garden Kick-Off Festival where students and their families were able to peruse the garden space, take a look at our fabulous garden sign (hand-crafted by my father-in-law and decorated by the students of St. Peters), and visit with some very special guests.

We were so very fortunate to be joined on Sunday by Father Beekman, who blessed the garden space; Andrea Hazzard of Hazzard Free Farm spoke with families about growing and cooking with grains; Dick Zander of Zander Nursery met with students and their parents to discuss how to grow the best tomatoes in town; and Chef Paul Sletten of Abreo and Social visited with guests to discuss cooking with fresh produce. It was truly a wonderful afternoon. The weather could not have been more beautiful, and we were so thankful for all of the families who came out to help ring in this exciting new program for our school.

The entire day left me feeling a great sense of gratitude for all the Earth provides, and how her beauty and bounty can truly bring people together for the greater good. I cannot wait to see what wonderful adventures await the students of St. Peters as we venture forth with this new endeavor.