The Good Stuff

November 27, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

You know those moments in your life, that as you are experiencing them, you know you will never forget? This week is shaping up to be one of those weeks, that come around every once in a while, and is sure to be locked away in my memory bank for many years to come.

My husband decided to take vacation this week. Not to go on a tropic vacation, but to stay close to home, and participate in the Thanksgiving preparations that are all abustle in our house right now. Monday, while our girls were at school, we traveled up to Madison, Wisconsin to go to Whole Foods and grab those cuts of organic meat we were unable get locally. We then found ourselves in a little pub, on a beautiful snowy afternoon, sipping some local brews and enjoying some quality one on one time.

Yesterday, after the girls arrived home from school, we spent some time hand-dipping our own candles for the Thanksgiving table (more on this crafting adventure in next week’s posts), sharing stories of our day, and just relishing in the fact that the next five days would be filled with many quality hours with family and dear friends. This is truly the good stuff of life.

So now down to my “To Do List” for today and tomorrow. It’s sure to be a little crazy, but a whole lot of fun.

At This Moment

November 25, 2013November 24, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

At this moment, I am…

~recalling a fabulous weekend of crafting and fun.

~returning from a very early trip to the grocery store for our first round of Thanksgiving dinner shopping. A five o’clock (in the AM my friends) arrival time is a sure fire way to beat the crowds at the ole’ grocery store 🙂

~glancing at my stack of Christmas cards, and thinking I may be able to get them in the mail on Friday. Fingers crossed.

~looking forward to a short two days that my girls are in school this week. I cannot wait to spend five full days with my babies!

~preparing for my favorite holiday of the year. A day filled with family and food. What could possibly be better?

~hoping to get some sewing projects wrapped up this week.

~wishing each of you a wonderful start to your week. Have a great Monday!

Reclaimed Love

November 21, 2013November 20, 2013 / makingofahome / 4 Comments

We are blessed. We are blessed with family who understand my craziness and are willing to help us out when that craziness gets a bit…carried away. Last winter, I drew the line with the nasty carpet in our dining room. It was the only room in our house with carpet and it needed to go. The smell of smoke, animal, dust, and all other sorts of loveliness was just too much for me. So, on a random snowy winter afternoon, I tore out all the carpet.

Since then, we have had lovely plywood subfloor acting as a perfect complement to our dining room decor. (Ahem.)

As I said earlier, thank goodness for my wonderful family. My father-in-law, a fabulous wood worker, had been collecting a variety of reclaimed lumber for some time now. Some of the lumber even came from the world’s largest wooden grain elevator in Deluth, Minnesota, circa 1887. He was generous enough to share some of this wood with us, have it milled, and then install it for us. So, with all hands on deck, this beautiful flooring was installed.

It then came to finishing the floor so that its true beauty could be revealed. My dad and mom, both of whom are completely aware of my craziness, knew I would not be able to handle breathing in dust and fumes, so they also very generously helped us to have a green certified wood refinishing company come in and finish up the floor. The girls and I were able to stay in the house while the floor was sanded and finished, never breathing in a single particle of dust or any nasty fumes.

I am not sure what I was expecting, but let me tell you, this floor exceeded every expectation I ever could imagine. This floor, coupled with a fabulous antique light fixture from this wonderful shop, has quickly become my favorite space in the house. We are truly blessed for all the generosity of our family.

My Pause

November 20, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

Good morning, friends. This space has been quiet for a few weeks, and I do apologize for that. I felt a pull in my life to take pause and just focus on the two precious little girls within my care, and kind of let all else go for a few weeks.

Around the time that my oldest turned seven, I realized my time home with both of them is nearing it’s end, and I needed to just take a step back and absorb all that my little girls bring into my life. Isn’t it strange how we go through each day, so consumed with menial tasks, and then lay down to sleep in the evening wondering where the time has gone? On one such evening, I placed my head upon my pillow and thought to myself, “Soon both of the girls will be in school all day, and I will not have the ability to snuggle in bed in the middle of the day and read stories for hours with them, or go for a walk with them when the sun is at its highest. I want to create wonderful memories of my girls. I want to remember the way their voices sound as they waft up the stairs while they play dress up. I want to commit to memory the way their little hands hold a crayon as they create their very own works of art. I want to pause and truly remember the stories they weave together so brilliantly.”

So, I’ve got to say, my house is an absolute mess, the laundry is piled a mile high in the basement, and the counters are strewn with all sorts of paperwork. But, the moments I have encapsulated in my mind can never be erased.

And now I am so excited to be back in this space with all of you, sharing what we have been up to, as we move into our most loved of all seasons.

Happy Wednesday!

Dash to the Finish

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

Every year it happens. The mad dash to get anything and everything in the garden harvested and indoors before temperatures dip below freezing for the first time of the year.

That day came on Monday, when the evening’s forecasted low was 27 degrees. So, I spent my day entangled amongst the tomato and cucumber vines, and bending over the multiple herbs remaining in the herb garden. Each year I say I will do this all sooner, so I’m not rushed come late fall when cold temperatures are eminent. But each year I find myself in this position, racing against time.

But I must say, I’m growing to enjoy this dash to the finish line. Because at this time of year, when I’m weary of harvesting, canning, freezing and drying, I see ahead of me a time of rest. A time spent nestled inside, surrounded by projects and crafts. It is at this time of year I am grateful to live in an area where we experience all four seasons. When there is a natural break, and a chance to rest and recharge for the next growing season. This time of rest is so close now. I feel the subtle pull inward, and I cannot wait to embrace all that it has to offer me in the days, weeks and months to come.

Grandma’s Three Bean Salad

October 22, 2013October 18, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

Isn’t it just fascinating how food memories work? One morsel of food touches your tongue and you are whisked away to times gone by, to the exact moment when you consumed that particular piece of goodness. That’s why each time I task three bean salad, I am brought back to Zanocco family 4th of July celebrations. With this annual celebration always came laughing children singing (and yelling) the words to “Miss Mary Mack”, throw-and-pop firecrackers and sparklers, olive dip, and of course, three bean salad.

I dug through my recipe box last week and found Grandma Zanocco’s three bean salad recipe. Looking over the hand-written recipe card, I wondered if I could perhaps make it a bit healthier, while maintaining the integrity of the dish. With a bit of tasting here, and help from my sous-chef there, I think I’ve done it. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we did, and I hope it helps to create some wonderful new food memories for all of you 🙂

Grandma’s Three Bean Salad

(You can use canned beans, or dried beans. Just be sure that if you use dried beans, they have already been soaked and are fork tender.)

4 cups kidney beans

4 cups pinto beans

4 cups black beans

Pour all of your beans in a large bowl and set aside.

In a food processor, pulse 1 cup diced yellow onions. Then add 1 cup olive oil, 1 cup Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and 3/4 cup raw agave syrup. Pulse the mixture a few times in your food processor until you have a reasonably smooth dressing.

Pour your dressing over your bean mixture, and allow to sit at room temperature for about an hour before serving. You can garnish your salad with a little oregano or parsley if you wish. 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 Real Deal

October 21, 2013September 1, 2015 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

While at “the fair” last weekend, I was lucky enough to watch a hands-on soap making demonstration conducted by Mary Jane Toth, author of Goats Produce Too. Ms. Toth was a wonder to watch, for she made soapmaking so approachable. For the first time, I felt that I could make real soap, and venture beyond my melt-and-pour roots. (Some of my favorite melt-and-pour soap recipes are: eczema-friendly soap, shave soap, anti-bacterial soap, and lavender rosemary soap.)

So, late one evening last week, I poured myself a glass of red wine (one must always be prepared for this type of new adventure I dare say), set out my lard, coconut oil and lye, and started this new journey towards homemade soap. This was the real deal, and once those lye crystals hit the water, there was no turning back.

Now I’m just praying the soap saponifies properly and cures as it should. The waiting process on this type of soap is much different than that of melt-and-pour, so we shall see. Fingers crossed 🙂

Anew

October 15, 2013October 14, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

There are those times when each of us needs a breathe of new life. When the grind of our day to day tasks feel a bit too heavy to bear, and we need an opportunity for fresh air to fill the fibers deep within our being, giving us a renewed direction and energy to guide us further on our personal journey through life.

This greatly-needed internal recharge took place this past weekend, which I must say was perfect timing for this mama who was trying her best to stay afloat in her desire to maintain a holistic household, while feeling pulled down by the current of a fast-paced, industry-driven society. Our family made the trek to Lawrence, Kansas and attended the Mother Earth News Fair where we were allowed the wonderful opportunity to interact with over 10,000 like-minded individuals, seeking that same recharge we were so desperately needing.

Our time was spent learning about everything from primitive drilling skills, to chicken keeping, to fermenting, to non-traditional building methods, and everything in between.

But the most wonderful moment of the weekend came in those last 60 minutes of the fair, when we were privileged enough to listen to Joel Salatin speak. Back home when my husband or I bring up this name, people look at us with raised eye brows while muttering, “Who?” beneath their breaths. But at the fair in Kansas, all of these people…

not only know him, but crowded in amongst one another to listen to him articulate just what it means to be a true steward of the Earth.

Chills formed on my arms before the presentation even began because the energy in this space was palpable. The words Mr. Salatin greeted us with were, “It’s lonely out there isn’t it? But look around you today. It feels a lot less lonely right now doesn’t it?” Tears brimmed in my eyes at hearing these words because yes, I had recently been feeling so very lonely. Lonely in my thoughts, beliefs and ways of life. But looking around this space made me feel so whole again because I am not alone. Not by a long shot. There is an entire community of people out there trying their best to live more deeply, trying to raise families in a way in which they tread a bit more lightly on the Earth. I left Kansas inspired. I left recharged. I left anew.

May each of you feel a sense of rejuvenation and renewal as you move through your week. Today I leave you with Joel Salatin’s final words of his presentation. I hope they move you as they did me…

May all your carrots grow long and straight,

and your radishes be large and never pithy.

May the coyotes be struck blind by your pasture chickens.

May all your culinary experiments be delectably palatable.

May the rain fall gently on your fields,

the wind be always at your back,

your children rise up and call you blessed,

and may we all leave the world better than we found it.

Weekending

September 30, 2013September 29, 2013 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

This weekend was one of those that will be looked back upon with fondness. While we normally spend our weekends close to home, this one brought us on many adventures. One where the hustle and bustle was completely embraced, and fun was truly had by all. Our hours were filled with alpacas (it was National Alpaca Weekend after all), pumpkins and retro amusement park rides. Yes, quite the eclectic combo.

Here is a glimpse into our two days of fun…

I hope you all enjoyed a lovely weekend as well. Have a wonderful week my friends!

A Walk in the Woods

September 23, 2013 / makingofahome / 3 Comments

There has been a sickness streak in our house over the course of the last week, so when Sunday greeted us with beams of sunlight peaking through the curtains, crisp air squeezing through the window panes, and a home bursting with people finally feeling well again, we decided to get out there and embrace the day.

We ventured to Atwood, one of my absolute favorite parks in our area. My oldest daughter has also discovered the magic of Atwood over the course of the last year, having attended a multitude of day camps at this fabulous preserve. So, when she shouted, “Ok, I’m in charge today. I’m your tour guide. Follow me. Let’s go!” We all followed close behind, eager for the places she was about to take us.

Without further ado, here is our walk through the woods, courtesy of our six-year old tour guide…