food

Yam Fries With Spiced Aioli

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With winter now in full swing, I am trying to get seasonal ingredients on the table as much as I can.  This week I tried out a new experiment with fresh yams I found at the store.  This recipe made for a nice sweet and salty treat that the kids just gobbled right up.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3/4 cup canola oil, plus additional oil for frying

1 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, plus more for garnish

4 large yams

For the aioli:  Whisk the egg yolk with the Dijon mustard.  Very slowly, drop by drop, add the canola oil while whisking briskly.  The mixture should start to thicken.  Once all of the canola oil has been added, then very slowly, add the olive oil.  Continue to whisk while adding the olive oil.  The key is to add the oils very, very slowly while whisking continuously.  (This may take some time to master.  If the oil breaks, don’t get frustrated, it happens.  You could try again, or like I’ve done many a time, just eat it anyway 🙂  It still tastes pretty yummy, it’s just not the greatest consistency.)  Once both oils have been added, mix in the salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Pour into a bowl and garnish the aioli with a pinch of nutmeg.

For the yams:  Slice your yams into small strips.  Pour about one inch of canola oil in a pan and heat it.  (A trick is to sprinkle a drop of water in the oil once the oil has been heating for a while.  If the water sizzles when you add it, you know the oil is hot enough.)  Add a handful of the yams to the hot oil and allow to fry for 3-5 minutes.  Remove from the oil and allow to rest on a plate covered with a paper towel to drain off the excess oil.  Salt to taste.  Serve with the aioli.

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*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.

Brew and Moo

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The mercury had risen just a touch, but enough to make it bearable outside.  The snow fell lightly upon the ground, leaving a white dusting on the roofs of houses and the paved roadways.  This past weekend we took full advantage of this beauty.  I kept the kitchen warm with the stovetop all abustle, and the smell of warm milk in the air.  Meanwhile, my hubby could be found in the nearby garage, reading and mixing his brew with the aromas of hops pouring forth into the crisp air outside.  The girls frolicked in the snow, while the cat sat perched in a tree, taking in all the action.

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My oldest daughter and I used our favorite cheese kit and made two pounds of fresh mozzarella cheese.  (You can check out our previous cheesemaking experience here.)  For the first time, I allowed her to truly assist me by slowly stirring the curd and then stretching it, adding salt, and then forming it into small balls of deliciousness.  The best part of the entire experience was when this six year-old, who normally only likes “cooked cheese,”  took a ball of fresh mozzarella and bit in.  She said, “Well, I only like cheese that I make.  That’s the only kind I’ll eat.”  Love.

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The holidays left us empty handed in the home-brew department, so my husband brewed three fresh batches this weekend.  He tried out a new brewing kit, and then made two tried and true favorites…a caramel creme ale and a fabulous breakfast stout.

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The finished products of the day:  beer, cheese and a bit of hot chocolate of course.  Is there anything better?  Yum!

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Musings

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It has come to my attention as of late, that my blog sometimes leaves moms feeling inadequate in their role as parent.  Please know, this has never been my intention.

Two and a half years ago, when I made the enormous leap to leave my paying job and stay home with my little ones, I was met with reactions that I never expected.  People flooded me with questions like, “Why would you want to just stay home?” and “What on earth will you do all day when you are sitting at home?” and “Why would you want to leave a career you have worked so hard for, and invested so many educational hours and dollars.”  This reaction sent me reeling for a very long time.

Then, as I stated in my “About” page, once I took the step and was enjoying my time home with my daughters, I still felt a sense of isolation because I didn’t feel as if I fit in with many of the moms I came into contact with.  It was at this time that I leaned heavily upon the holistic-momma-type blogs that I regularly follow, for the support I needed to get through the day to day that we all know can seem so very long sometimes.

I then decided to create a space of my own, right here, where other moms like me could go for crafty ideas, recipes, or just plan ole mommy support.  My sincere intention was, and still is, to simply put forth musings that may be useful to others.  And please do remember, this space is offering just that, musings. This is not, by any means, a minute by minute account of my life.  You may see a sewing project I just completed, but you don’t see the enormous pile of laundry that has been sitting in front of my Christmas tree for over a week now, so that I could complete that sewing project.  (I have included a picture of this now for your enjoyment 🙂 )  You may see a yummy home-cooked meal I prepared on a Monday night, but you don’t see me serving up popcorn, apples and cheese for dinner on a Friday night as we rush out the door for a tumbling lesson.  My point being, we are all human, and no one is super woman.  At least I’ve never met her.  We are all just trying to do the best we can for the little people God blessed us with.

And through this space, conversations have been opened up and valuable discussion has flourish in the waiting room of my daughters’ dance school, and in the parking lot of their preschool.  This blog has helped me to realize I am not alone in many of the decisions I make, and there are many people, right here in my very own community, who are trying to live a more conscious lifestyle in which they try to dig deeper and live more closely to the earth.  And I am so very grateful for each and every one of you who visit my blog daily, and for those that just stop by every once in awhile.   All of you have sincerely helped me to feel better in my own skin, and for that I am eternally thankful.

Late Fall Planting

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The week of Thanksgiving, we abandoned the warmth of our kitchen to do a bit of gardening.  We recently acquired asparagus and rhubarb crowns, and wanted to get them into the ground before the first major freeze of the season.  So, we took advantage of a seasonably warm afternoon, stepped into our gardening shoes, and dug our fingers into the cool, damp soil.

First on the docket was to sort through our worms from our compost.  The girls and Tyler picked out each individual wormy (as the girls like to call them), and placed them into a fresh compost bin that would be moved inside for the winter.  Then the amazing, black gold was used in the trenches that would house the asparagus roots.

The girls then helped me to separate the asparagus roots, which we concluded look just like how we imagine aliens to look, and placed them deep beneath the surface of the soil.  We did the same with the rhubarb crowns, burying them underneath the black earth in hopes they will produce delicious spring vegetation in a few months.

Thanksgiving 2012

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For about six years now, my hubby and I have been the proud hosts of our family’s annual Thanksgiving celebration.  We prepare for this day all year long, with our next year’s theme in mind before the current year’s festivities have concluded.  We gather the necessary ingredients from farmer’s markets, local farmers and our own garden throughout the year, and take the necessary steps to preserve that food until the big day.

The week of Thanksgiving, the whole family assembled in the kitchen to fashion the meal.  This year we faced a few road blocks, like a daddy who was sick the entire week prior to the feast, and I can’t leave out the fact that my oven broke on Wednesday.  Yes, the oven.  It is a wonderful blessing that I live so close to my parents.  I just strapped on my running shoes and ran pies back and forth the whole day.  So really, it worked out quite nice.  I got in a bit of a work out, so that I could eat more of the pie 🙂

The theme of this year’s event was “An Ancestral Celebration,” so we spent the day honoring those members of our family who are no longer with us.  We feasted upon recipes from their recipe boxes, and relished in the grateful bliss of food, family and fun.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and are enjoying this beautiful Christmas season that is now upon us. 

Outside Versus In

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On this sixth day of November, the day greeted us with the first signs of yet another change of season.  The first flurries of the year fell from the gray sky, melting into ice old pools of water in the garden, school parking lot and curbsides.

Although it is quite nasty outside, when we peered under our temporary greenhouse we found it teeming with life and vibrancy.  We do plan to eventually put in an actual hoop house, but for the time being our little makeshift project seems to be doing just fine and is supplying our family with fresh verdigris for our dinner this evening. I do believe I see a fresh arugula salad with dandelion vinaigrette dressing in our very near future 🙂

Unplugged

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This past Saturday, we made a family pledge to unplug and reconnect with one another.  That meant no email, no texting, no movies, no computer.  We are definitely not the crazy techie-types who constantly surround themselves with a barrage of technology, but we had been finding ourselves in front of the computer more, and spending less time with each other and the tactile activities we so dearly love.

Saturday found us surrounded by puzzles and pencils, leaves and s’mores.  And most importantly, we happened upon a day filled with the enjoyment of each other’s company, free of all the noise that seems to consume our lives so often these days.

Giving Thanks

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Two days ago, I hopped in the car on an absolutely beautiful fall day to make the short drive to Lake Geneva to pick up our side of beef.  This is an annual trek we have been making for four years now and once again I find myself sitting here on this first day of November, grateful beyond words for what we now have in our home.

With each piece of meat, wrapped neatly in crisp white butcher paper, I placed into our deep freezer, I was reminded of the farmers who went out each and every day to bring cool water to this animal.  Who raised it with the utmost care and dignity.  Who allowed it to roam free upon the fields of grasses that it was created to consume.

And I too am so very thankful for the animal itself, who gave of its life so that my family may have sustenance.  I cannot think of any other way I would rather consume meat.

My entire family is very well aware of where this food came from.  We have walked upon the green pasture where this steer roamed.  We shook hands, chatted and laughed with the farmer who raised it.  We know our food.  We know our farmer.  And for that, I am ever so grateful.