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The Good Stuff

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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My Pause

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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!

Good ‘Ole Fashioned Fun

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My oldest is now seven.  How in the world did that happen?  Am I old enough to be the mother of a seven year old?  Well, regardless of how time slipped so quickly between my fingers, here we are, wrapping up what seemed like a week long celebration of all things seven year old.

This year my daughter wanted to spend her birthday outdoors, playing some old fashioned carnival-type games.  So we came up with some fall and Halloween-themed games, and had a wonderful day of celebrating my sweet girl.

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Dash to the Finish

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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.

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Grandma’s Three Bean Salad

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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 🙂

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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!

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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.

The Real Deal

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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.

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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 🙂