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!

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.

Breaking Ground

April 30, 2013April 29, 2013 / makingofahome / 3 Comments

After much anticipation, last week we began work on our school garden! Today I am thrilled to take you on a quick tour of our progress thus far. So strap on your garden boots, here we go…

We have a bit of structural work to complete this week because we are hosting a “School Garden Kick-Off Festival” on Sunday, where there will be garden tours, local farmers and a chef…oh my! We then hope to get the kids planting next week. I cannot wait!

Corn Sausage Chowder

April 16, 2013April 13, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

It seems that this is going to be a recipe-type week here at Making of a Home. As we inch closer to the growing season, we have been eating lots of food from our larder, to make space for this year’s bounty. Last night I grabbed bell peppers, sweet corn and chicken stock from our deep freeze and came up with this recipe from those ingredients. This is a hearty soup that will put some meat on your bones during these damp, April-shower-filled days.

In a stock pot, heat 1/2 stick butter and 2 tablespoons flour over medium heat to make a roux. Stirring constantly, heat this mixture until it turns a rich caramel color.

Add 1 diced red pepper, 1 diced green pepper, and 1 diced yellow onion to the roux mixture. Cook the vegetables until the onions become translucent. Be sure to stir often, scraping all of the roux-goodness from the bottom of the pan while you stir.

While the veggies are cooking, cook 2 pounds ground sausage in a skillet. Once cooked, set aside.

Add 1 quart chicken stock, 2 cups whole milk, 1/2 cup cream, 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 pepper to the vegetable mixture. Simmer, with the lid on, for 20 minutes.

Add the kernels from 4 ears of sweet corn, the cooked sausage from earlier, and 8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes to one hour.

Garnish the chowder with a dollop of sour cream if you desire. Enjoy!

Join Me

April 10, 2013April 8, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

If you are looking for something to do this evening, join me at the Rockford Holistic Moms Network Meeting tonight at Just Goods in Rockford at 7 PM. I will be presenting at tonight’s meeting, and I would love to see some of you there! At tonight’s meeting, I will be discussing the ways in which my family has tried to create a “Suburban Homestead” of sorts, and how we try to create a means of food security for our family. It is sure to be a wonderful night. For more detailed information, visit our chapter Facebook page.

Holistic Moms Network is “a non-profit organization connecting parents who are interested in holistic health and green living. We encourage moms to trust their instincts, parent from the heart, use their innate sense of what is best for their children, live in balance with the Earth, and learn about the pros and cons of all healthcare and parenting options.

No matter where you are on your parenting or holistic living journey, you are welcome at HMN! We are a diverse and open-minded community, a place where your choices are respected and where you can learn and become informed! “

I hope to see you there!

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.

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.