This Time Last Year

March 18, 2013 / makingofahome / 4 Comments

Well, my stint as a junior high math and science teacher ended mid-week last week, and our household has slowly moved back to its normal rhythm. I had a fun post in mind for today featuring a new soap recipe, and homemade deodorant and lotion. But then I woke up…to snow.

It doesn’t show up wonderfully in this photo, but there is quite a bit of snow falling in the picture. This winter landscape outside my front door led me to think about the strangely warm spring we had last year, and the stark contrast to this morning’s weather.

March 18, 2013 (Today)

March 18, 2012 :: This picture is from my blog post on this day last year.

Huh. Now that is what I call a doozy of a weather shift.

I hope all of you are enjoying this Monday morning, no matter the weather. And you can bet that new soap recipe will be the feature of tomorrow’s post 🙂

Arrival

February 28, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

Just as we were nestling in for the night yesterday evening, there was a knock on our front door. There stood our mailman with a small box tucked under his arm…Our 2013 seeds had arrived.

So, our dinner table found itself scattered with those many seed packages, and tiny hands eager to sort them by vegetable, color and shape. We had such fun, we completely forgot about the steady snow falling silently outside our window. Spring is on the horizon.

What do you eat in February?

February 26, 2013September 2, 2015 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

Local watermelon. As strange as that may sound, yes, for dinner last night we feasted on local watermelon we put by way back in early September, and let me tell you…It was delicious!

After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle several years ago, I longed for the days of “looking at all [those] jars in the pantry [giving] me a happy, connected feeling, as if I had roots growing right through the soles of my shoes into the dirt” that Barbara Kingsolver so eloquently describes in her amazing piece of writing. And today, many years later, I truly believe I can confidently make that statement with my head held high. We have established food security for our family.

Our dinner last night was a reminder of this. With a lovely beef roast from a local grass-fed cow that was processed in October; green beans hand-picked by two adorable Fagan gals, bread and butter pickles made with cucumbers from one of my favorite farmers, pickled beets featuring the dazzling brilliancy of the Chioggia beets pulled from our very own dirt in the backyard, and who could forget that locally grown watermelon frozen in a bit of water and local honey. Every element on our plate last night came from a place I know and from people whom I trust.

All of those hours spent hovering over the hot stove, in the sweltering heat of this past summer, seemed worth it when all I had to do was head to my basement last night, grab some meat and veggies from our freezer and a few jars off the pantry shelf. Since beginning our journey toward sustainability, I am filled with an extreme sense of gratitude that I never thought possible. It seeps into every one of my pores and I can feel it in every fiber of my being. The Earth has provided us with so much, and by harnessing these gifts in a conscientious manner, we have been able to provide food for our family, even in the dead of winter. God is good.

Winter Adventure

February 19, 2013February 18, 2013 / makingofahome / 3 Comments

This weekend our family headed for the Northwoods of Wisconsin for a winter adventure. (Take a look at our most recent trips to the Northwoods here and here.) My husband had not graced the winter Northwoods with his presence in twenty-five years, and it was a first for the girls of our family. Although there were absolutely frigid temperatures (let’s just say we woke up to a few mornings where the temperature was -15 degrees), we didn’t let that stop us from getting out there for some outdoor winter fun.

A Year In Review

February 15, 2013 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

It is hard to believe that this blustery day in February marks the one year anniversary of Making of a Home. Thank you so much to all of you who have been following my musings over the course of the last year! I am deeply grateful for each of you.

Today I would like to share with you some of my favorite (and your favorite) posts from this past year. Thank you again, and be on the look out for some new and exciting changes and additions to Making of a Home over the course of the next year.

Chocolate Anyone?

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Pastaless Lasagna

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Fuasa—Italian Easter Bread

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Generational Wealth

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Farm Fresh

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Ode to the Strawberry

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Retreat

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Grandma Dit’s Carrot Cake

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Canning Day

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New Chapter

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Suburban Homestead

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Walk with Us

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Thanksgiving 2012

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Musings

Homemade Granola Bars

February 14, 2013September 2, 2015 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

As I mentioned on Monday, we are prepping for a winter hiking trip, so I’ve been trying to come up with some homemade snacks to bring along. I wouldn’t want the troops to get hungry on our fun, little adventure.

While the girls busied themselves in the playroom yesterday, crafting all kinds of Valentine goodness, I messed up the kitchen a bit and came up with this granola bar recipe. We all sampled the granola bars last night for dinner and agreed the test was a success. Enjoy!

In a large bowl, mix together the following ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons seeds of your choice (I used Garden of Life’s Super Seed, but you could use flax seed, chia seed, etc.)

1/3 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened dried bing cherries

3/4 cup unsweetened dried cranberries

Then, in a saucepan over medium heat, mix together:

2/3 cup honey

1/3 apple sauce

Once the honey and applesauce mixture is combined, remove from the burner and mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Pour the honey/applesauce/vanilla mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Line a 13X9 baking dish with parchment paper. Pour the mixture into the pan and pat down firmly. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before removing from the pan. Cut into bars. 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.

Winter Pastime

January 24, 2013September 2, 2015 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

Well, if you can believe it, my family has found itself in the midst of yet another run with the flu. My youngest, who never got the brunt of the flu the first go-round, got slammed with it full go this week. Poor baby.

So, yet again, we have stayed close to home, passing the time near the fire, with those activities that make home-time so much fun.

I did get in a bit of sewing while my little one napped this past week. I made this jumper for each of my gals. I’ve been referring to it as my first “real” outfit I’ve ever sewn 🙂 It is Butterick 3772. I would highly recommend it if you are a novice sewer like myself. It went together very nicely and fit the girls really well.

I hope all of you find yourselves enjoying your time indoors this winter as well!

For the Love of Pie

January 23, 2013January 22, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

I am in love. I am in love with a book…all about pie. From as far back as I can remember, pies have donned the table of every family gathering. Whether it was Thanksgiving or Christmas, Easter or Mother’s Day, or even The Fourth of July, pie seemed to take the lead as the star of the dessert show.

My husband has long known of my self-admitted pie obsession, and gave me a fabulous birthday present this year: A Year of Pies: A Seasonal Tour of Home Baked Pies by one of my fav do-it-yourselfers Ashley English. After just one flip of the page I knew I was in love. Oh my. Each pie looks better than the last, and my girls and I found ourselves nestled on our couch, thumbing through the crisp pages, vowing to make each and every pie in the book by the end of 2013.

Inspired by the contents of this book, we decided to host an afternoon of pie tasting. Yes, you heard that correctly. We spent Monday afternoon, crowded in our warm kitchen with family and friends, eating nothing but pie and drinking mead and coffee. (I mean, you can’t very well eat a honey pie without honey mead to go with it now can you?) I think it was the tastiest afternoon I have enjoyed in some time. Yum.

Homemade Shave Oil and Shave Soap

January 22, 2013September 2, 2015 / makingofahome / 15 Comments

When you peek at the back of a shaving cream can, you may notice a longer list of ingredients than the processed food in the grocery store. Almost all of the ingredients are unpronounceable, and really a bit scary when you think of what impact those ingredients have on our bodies once they are absorbed into our skin.

My husband has been searching for a good shave soap for years now and he continued to come up empty handed. He has very sensitive skin and couldn’t seem to locate anything that worked, didn’t contain a ton of chemicals, and didn’t irritate his skin.

So, like many other things in our life, we decided to try our hand at making our own. My hubby has been extremely happy with how these products turned out, and he uses them on a daily basis, confident in the fact that toxins are not leaching into his system, and he does’t have to worry about skin irritation issues.

Sandalwood, Cedarwood & Bay Shave Oil

(Apply a small amount of this Shave Oil prior to shaving. Follow with Shave Soap.)

1/2 cup organic extra virgin olive oil

1 cup castor oil

10 drops sandalwood essential oil

10 drop cedarwood essential oil

5 drops bay essential oil

4 oz. amber bottles with lids (I bought mine here.)

medium-sized bowl

metal spoon

funnel

Mix the olive oil and caster oil in a medium bowl. Then, slowly mix in the three essential oils. Using a funnel, pour the shave oil into the amber bottles. Cap. Enjoy.

Sandalwood, Cedarwood & Bay Shave Soap

(Place a bar of this soap in the bottom of a large mug. Thoroughly wet a shave brush and then vigorously rub it over the bar of shave soap. Lather the soap on your face and you are ready to begin shaving.)

1 pound Melt and Pour Soap Base (I use this Goat’s Milk Soap Base.)

2 teaspoons bentonite clay (I purchase mine from this local natural food store, but you can get it here.)

10 drops sandalwood essential oil

10 drops cedarwood essential oil

5 drops bay essential oil

a shallow pot or saucepan

a glass bowl

wooden spoon

soap molds (You can purchase these at your local craft store or here.)

Fill the pot or saucepan half full with water. Bring to a simmer. Place the glass bowl in the pot of water to create a double boiler of sorts. Place the melt and pour soap base in the glass bowl. Stir the base with a wooden spoon until it melts. Remove the bowl from the heat and quickly mix in the clay. Then add the three essential oils and stir. Allow the mixture to cool just slightly (enough to thicken the mixture just a bit). Pour into your molds. Allow to rest until completely cool. Remove the soap from the molds. Enjoy.

Her First Project

January 17, 2013January 10, 2013 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

As I mentioned on Tuesday, my three year-old received a sewing machine for Christmas this year. Now, many of you may be wondering, “Why on earth did this crazy mom buy her three year old a real sewing machine?” Well, when researching the kids-type sewing machines and speaking with the lovely gals at my local sewing shop, they informed me that many of the machines geared towards kids will fall apart over just a short period of time. They told me that by spending just about $40 more, I could get a nice, quality machine that can grow with her.

Obviously, this real sewing machine (as my daughter refers to it), involves a lot of assistance from mama at this time, but I have no doubt that in a few years this little lady will be sewing away all by herself. But for now, I run the pedal, and she feeds the fabric through the machine, with mommy’s hand gently atop hers to insure it doesn’t get too close to the needle.

The week my daughter returned to pre-school after the holiday break, they were suppose to bring in a toy they received for Christmas for show-and-tell. So, my tiny seamstress wanted to make a quilt, and bring that quilt in to show her class because “Mommy, my real sewing machine is too heavy to bring into my classroom and I don’t think it will fit in my school bag.”

So we worked and worked on a cold afternoon, while Big Sissy was at school, and we created this tiny little quilt. She is so very proud of this crafted bit. She has been taking it everywhere, and showing it to anyone who will look.

I just had to add this picture here at the end. My daughter told me she had to iron her seams with her iron to make sure they were flat. Quite the professional little seamstress she is. I’m such a proud mama.

Making of a Home

workshops :: blog :: shop

eco friendly

This Time Last Year

Arrival

What do you eat in February?

Winter Adventure

Homemade Granola Bars

Winter Pastime

For the Love of Pie

Homemade Shave Oil and Shave Soap

Her First Project