In Gratitude

July 8, 2013July 7, 2013 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

This Monday morning I am grateful for…

~a wonderful vacation to the Northwoods of Wisconsin. (Lots more to come in tomorrow’s post.)

~those family members and close friends who pitched in to help keep the Fagan suburban homestead running in our absence 🙂

~Downton Abbey. Oh my. I have recently discovered this show, and have been devouring the DVDs ever since. It’s like a great British novel brought to life. What could be better?

~the leader of our book club for choosing The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society for our next read. I am thoroughly enjoying being transported to the isle of Guernsey in the 1940’s each and every time I unfurl the pages of this novel.

~peas and beans just bursting in our home garden.

~a first hand learning experience for my girls. We plan to head to the local food pantry this week with our first donation from our school garden.

~the Mason jars strewn across my countertop, just waiting to be filled with all kinds of canned deliciousness.

~the fermentation frenzy that is about to begin this week…woohoo! Kombucha, yogurt and kraut oh my!

~all of you gathered here today! Wishing you all much happiness and health this week!

School Garden Update: First Week of July

July 3, 2013June 30, 2013 / makingofahome / 3 Comments

It dawned on me the other day that I haven’t given you a proper update on the school garden at my daughters’ school, The Cathedral of St. Peter School, since May. What a travesty I tell you! So, slip into your spiffiest garden shoes, and come along with us on a tour through the school garden…

Cowboy Cookies

July 2, 2013September 1, 2015 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

The constant rain of this past week brought water into our basement, as well as water leaking into our family room from the ceiling. With water coming from the top and bottom, I felt the need to indulge in some chocolate. I mean really, is there any better way to reduce stress? Nope…I don’t believe there is.

So, today I bring you last week’s chocolate fix: Cowboy Cookies. These cookies are filled with all kinds of sweet goodness, sure to lift anyone out of whatever summer slump you may be in. Enjoy!

Cowboy Cookies

In an electric stand mixer, add 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Mix until smooth.

Add 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar. Mix until sugars and butters are well creamed.

Next add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the blended mixture.

Then add 2 cups rolled oats, 2 cups coconut, 1/2 chocolate chips, and 1/2 cup health bits. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.

Roll the dough into golf ball-sized balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

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.

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!

Late June Garden Update

June 18, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

Sorry for the late post this morning folks, but it is just the most beautiful day here in good ole’ Rockford, Illinois and we have been making the most of this greatness. But for the moment my four year old is busy playing with some paper dolls here on the deck (my oldest is at nature camp this week), so I have a spare minute to share a bit of our garden progress for this week.

Now, you may notice that all of the garden pictures for this week are close ups. Well, that is because it is not just the fruits and veggies growing fabulously this week, but also the weeds. Oh boy. Words can’t quite describe the weed-growing action we’ve got here. So, only pretty close ups of the veg, and we will just avoid those unsightly photos of the weeds. Sound good? We will just pretend for the moment those weeds just don’t exist 🙂

I hope you are all enjoying this day, no matter where you are. Happy Tuesday everyone!

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!

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.

An Unscheduled Monday

June 3, 2013June 3, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

It is not often that I find myself rising to a completely unscheduled day, let alone an unschedule Monday. To be perfectly honest, there is something magical about it. The most astonishing aspect of it all is that I was able to awake earlier than I have in nearly a month, feeling rested and refreshed. (Isn’t that just so strange really…on those mornings when you don’t have to wake up, you seem ready to take on the day more than ever? Like Thursday, my daughters’ first day of summer break, when they woke up at 5:30 am. Oh boy.)

So, as I sit here with my mug filled with wonderful coffee goodness, looking out upon the garden sprinkled with the first rays of morning sunlight, I am thinking of all of you out there, about to begin your Mondays as well. May your day, and the rest of this week, be filled with many blessings.