From Dawn to Dusk

February 8, 2017February 7, 2017 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

One of my favorite times of the year arrived this week! In the wee hours of Monday morning, we began pouring over our 2017 seed catalog (We order our seeds and transplants from The Seed Savers Exchange, based in Iowa.) and envisioning what it is we want our garden to look like this year. Now that the girls are older, they too have taken on an added interest in this task and our day was filled with talk of which herbs would grow best inside their cinder block garden boarder, and whether or not we want to skip growing cucumbers again this summer. (My girls no longer eat pickles. Say what?!?)

We normally peruse the seed catalogs in February because this seems to be an especially difficult month to get through for us. So dark. So very cold. This year, however, proved to be a bit strange in that this particular February day was unseasonably balmy. So, we packed up our seed-browsing-paraphenalia and headed to the backyard. There we started a nice fire and continued our quest for garden goodness outdoors, well into the evening. Such an incredibly nice treat.

Craft and Science

September 13, 2016September 12, 2016 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

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.

Joy in the Present

August 10, 2016August 9, 2016 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

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

Kale Cubes

July 26, 2016July 23, 2016 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

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 🙂

Our Undervalued Friends

April 26, 2016April 23, 2016 / makingofahome / 6 Comments

Oh, the dandelion. She is so often picked, sprayed and just plain despised by so many. What did this little lady ever do to deserve such harsh treatment? For in fact, it is her ability to pop up everywhere and withstand the harshest of treatment that makes her so wonderful!

Our little dandelion friends act as a detoxifier for our liver; are high in calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin A and vitamin C; help tone the kidneys; and restore a general vitality to our bodies. It is for all of these reasons, that we try our best to harvest these beauties when we can and take advantage of all their undervalued greatness.

Last week the girls and I needed to clear our strawberry and asparagus bed of weeds, and there were lots of dandelions. So we picked and picked, trying our best to keep that lovely taproot intact. Then we rinsed those little gals a lot. (I think we ended up doing about 10-12 rinses to get all of the dirt off.) We then chopped up the roots, stems, crowns and some leaves and placed them in 1/2 gallon mason jars. Next we boiled apple cider vinegar and poured the boiling vinegar over the dandelions inside the mason jars. We placed the capped jars in a cabinet where they will stay for 3 weeks. After that time, we will strain the vinegar through a fine mesh strainer and refrigerate the vinegar for use over the next several months. This vinegar is great in salad dressings, but we also take shots of it when we feel a bit under the weather, or when we feel we need a pick-me-up.

***Important note: Because so many people spray dandelions with poisons chemicals, it is of the greatest importance that when picking dandelions to consume, you only do so in an area where you are assured they have not been spayed! I don’t even pick the dandelions around the perimeter of our property just in case a neighbor has sprayed their yard and some of those nasty chemicals may have leeched over the property line.

Elderberry Gelatin Parfait

January 13, 2016January 12, 2016 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

With winter now fully upon us, my family and I have found ourselves battling some stuffy noses and sore throats. We try to open up our mornings with a smoothie, and drink tea throughout the day, but I just began to feel that I needed to mix it up a bit and try something new in order to add an extra layer of immune support to our diet. Enter elderberries.

Elderberries act as a wonderful boost to the immune system, while also imparting a unique currant-like flavor to a dish. I have drunk tea infused with elderberries in the past, but again, I craved a change up of some sort. I got just that while at co-op a few weeks ago when a dear friend shared a fabulous lunch idea she often prepared for her children: elderberry gelatin. I just loved her idea because not only would this snack offer the immune support of elderberries, but also the unique health benefits of quality gelatin.

Well, this week I took my friend’s idea, ran with it, and crafted an elderberry gelatin parfait. I served it as “dessert” for dinner this week and my family gobbled it up. (Even my eldest daughter, who has a strange fear of gelatin (“I just don’t trust something that moves around like that on your spoon,” is her famous saying. :), gave the dish a whirl. I hope you and your family enjoy!

Elderberry Gelatin Parfait

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Once the water reaches a boil, turn off the heat, add 1/4 cup dried elderberries to the water, cover the pot and allow to steep for 15-25 (depending on how strong you would like the elderberry flavor).

While the berries are steeping, mix 4 tablespoons gelatin in 1 cup of cold water.

After the berries have steeped, strain out the berries using a fine mesh strainer. Then add 1/3 cup honey to the elderberry-infused water.

Slowly add the hot water-elderberry-honey mixture to the cold water-gelatin mixture, whisking continuously while doing so. Pour into a shallow dish and place in the refrigerator until set.

When it is time to serve, pour 1 cup heavy whipping cream in a bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Then cut the gelatin into small squares and alternate layers of gelatin and whipped cream in a small dish. 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.

Early September in the Garden

September 14, 2015September 9, 2015 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

As fall quickly approaches, the end of the gardening season is just around the corner. But with everything going on in our garden, one would never know it. So, for now, we are just so very grateful for all that our garden provides for us.

As I mentioned last Tuesday, our tomatoes are in full swing right now. That means lots of canning is taking place around our house. This year I am attempting something new after reading my favorite blog. I am roasting my tomatoes and basil with a bit of garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a 450 degree oven until the tomatoes begin to brown. I then let it cool to room temperature, scoop the mixture into quart jars, and freeze them.

On a fun tomato note, last year I grew Mexican Midget tomatoes and Green Zebra tomatoes in our school garden. At the end of the growing season, my students and I tried a little experiment. We picked about 3 tomatoes from each plant, sliced them very, very thin and left them to dry out on a coffee filter. Once the tomatoes were dry, I stuck them in my file cabinet until this past March. Then, using our class pet’s castings (Yes, we had worms as a class pet!) as a base, we placed the coffee filters (with the dried tomato slices on them) on top of the compost. We then coated the dried tomatoes with a thin layer of compost. Once mid-May hit, we transplanted the small tomato plants into our school garden and I also took some home. Above is the result of our experiment: some Green Zebras (left), some Mexican Midgets (right), and a nice cross pollinated version (middle). And the result of this cross is just delicious because it is sweet like a Mexican Midget, but also has a tang to it similar to the Green Zebra. Science is so fun!

Our milkweed has begun to go to seed, and with my daughters’ current obsession with Little House on the Prairie, we are drying the seed pods and then plan to use the wispy, silky fibers to stuff a small doll.

For the first time ever, we are growing pumpkins. And they are actually growing! I cannot express my excitement when I went out to weed the other day and found this guy nestled in among the gourds we are also growing in that same space.

The cucumbers are currently out of control. And truth be told, I have no desire to can pickles this year. At all. I am hoping my sentiment changes because I am not quite sure what do to with all of these guys that are currently sitting in the middle of my kitchen table.

We are so incredibly fortunate to still be in the midst of our second round of berries. This has been a truly prolific year for us and berries. Yum.

A New Look

September 10, 2015September 9, 2015 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

With all of the change in my family lately, I have tried to take a step back and really look at my life a bit more carefully. Time goes by in a simple blink doesn’t it? And when I really stopped to think about it, I have been writing this blog for almost four years now. And when I looked at the format of this space, and the picture that was its backdrop, I realized the little girl peering into the water has grown up. And my other daughter, who was too tiny to even be found on the dock in the picture, is now just as tall as my oldest, and she cannot be found anywhere else but beside her sister.

So, in keeping with my mantra to try new things, I hope you like the new format of Making of a Home. And I thank each of you for visiting this space, which I have come to hold so dear to my heart.

What I’m In To

September 8, 2015September 7, 2015 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

It is been a very, very long time since I have written a What I’m In To post, so I thought today would be as good a time as any to just dive right in. So, on this Tuesday following Labor Day, I’m in to…

…tomatoes. I am literally surrounded by these ruby orbs of goodness. They are currently covering every horizontal surface of my kitchen, and this is after I spent all of Sunday (and Sunday evening) roasting and canning over 10 quarts worth. I always get a bit overwhelmed by our tomatoes at this time of year, but I just keep trying to keep perspective. And I know I do love the taste of summer during those snowy February days. So for now, I am trying my best to keep my head above the proverbial tomato-filled water.

…ordering a great deal of this coconut oil. About 5 months back I experimented with creating a vegan cold-pressed soap recipe, and it actually turned out amazing. In about a week we plan to whip up some more of this soap in preparation for the Christmas gift-giving season. I cannot wait to share this recipe with you!

…All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Do you know how there are those rare books that hold you in their grasp from the moment your eyes hit the first page? This is that kind of book. Unbelievable.

…lemon verbena and lemon balm. These two herbs are new to our garden this year and they have completely taken off. They are fragrant and delicious, but also very beneficial for our health. After listening to Rosemary Gladstar speak two years ago at The Mother Earth News Fair, I wanted to grow these two herbs. So this past winter I bought her book Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, found so many wonderful recipes for these two herbs within its contents, and now have the scent of lemon wafting in our nostrils every time we set foot in our herb garden.

…my husband’s new Vitamix. Actually, this statement is false. I am not only into my husband’s new Vitamix, but I am in love with it. In. Love. My girls and I have created a new smoothie that we make every morning, using this new kitchen gadget. We call it the “Hulk Smoothie” because it is bright (I mean bright) green. For this smoothie we use a splash of pineapple juice, 2 oranges, a large handful of kale, one avocado, a few spoonfuls of hempseed hearts, a large handful of cilantro, lime juice, stevia and ice. Amazing. (Oh, and I also love, love, love my stainless steel straws that go perfectly with our Hulk Smoothie, or all smoothies for that matter.)

…being back in this blogging space each week. Thank you so much to each of you for reading today, and everyday.

Late August In the Garden

August 26, 2015August 25, 2015 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

As summer wanes, and the expansive days of summer fade before our eyes, I am beginning to feel that same briefness in the garden. While we still have a great deal coming out of our garden, and the tomatoes are finally beginning to come along, I feel a pull towards the space inside our home. At this time of year, my body grows weary from all the hours spent out in the garden. And while I still adore being in this space, I look forward to the days of nestling in with a cup of coffee, good book and some crocheting. I often think this is why God gifted us with the seasons. They allow us time to recharge our minds and bodies before venturing out again.

This past week in the garden has been quite bountiful. Our second round of strawberries are still coming in the door, along with our long-awaited raspberry crop. The tomatoes are starting to ripen and we have been eating them fresh off the vine, most of them never even making it over the threshold. The lemon verbena liqueur that I mentioned a couple weeks back, is now completed and I look forward to the cocktails and baked goods we can make with this citrusy elixir. More herbs are being dried, and beans frozen. But perhaps our greatest delight of the week has been our apples. As I shared before, the Japanese beetles have devoured the leaves of our apple trees. We reached a point this week that there were more dead leaves than living and I feared if we didn’t pick our apples now we may lose them. So pick we did. And pie we made. It was a great week in the garden.

Making of a Home

a family of doers, makers & dreamers

food preservation