homemade

At This Moment

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At this moment I am…

~preparing for a birthday celebration with twenty-five kindergarteners.  Oh my.

~drying herbs from our herb garden.

~pulling out tomato plants in preparation for winter.

~watching our fall garden flourish.  I can’t wait to start harvesting!

~wrapping some great new books for a little soon-to-be-six year old.  We went with this book series.  Can’t wait to start reading them!

~researching some new ideas for green tomatoes.  We have a LOT of them.  If any of you have suggestions, please share them in the comment section.

~completing my weekly routine of laundry, laundry and more laundry.

~sipping some warm coffee.  A much needed comfort after a long, emotional weekend.

~wishing you all a wonderful week filled with fabulous moments!

Forget About It

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It seems as if it has been a very long time since I posted a recipe in this space, so here goes nothing.  As I’ve said a lot over the past few months, finding my grandfather’s recipe box has been a fun adventure filled with cooking experiments and taste tastes.

This particular card has been one I have played around with quite a bit over the past few weeks. And this weekend, after a lot of testing and even more tasting, I think I’ve come up with a great pumpkin bread recipe that allows you to forget about adding in all of that refined sugar and unhealthy oil.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread

1 1/2 cups honey

1 cup coconut oil (melted)

4 eggs

2/3 cup water

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

15 ounces pumpkin puree

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl, beat the honey and melted coconut oil with an electric mixer.  Next add the eggs and beat until smooth.  Then add the water and beat mixture again.  Set aside.

In another large bowl, mix both flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture slowly, beating with an electric mixer.  Finally, beat in the pumpkin puree.  (I add dark chocolate chips at this point sometimes too 🙂 )  Pour into two greased loaf pans.  Bake for 55-65 minutes.

National Alpaca Weekend

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For those of you who may not have known, this past weekend was National Alpaca Weekend.  And for those of you who may not know my girls, they cannot miss out on any type of festival that involves seeing, touching and playing with animals.  So, while Daddy was off setting up his tree stand for the upcoming deer season, the three of us girls headed out for a day of fun, and lots and lots of fiber.

Our first stop was Willow Glen Farm.  This absolutely gorgeous property was nearly five miles from the main highway.  We followed a winding gravel road until we saw a beautifully crafted barn situated amongst the most exquisite backdrop of rolling hills and arching trees.  It was a most serene dwelling for these beautiful animals that my eldest daughter called “the mini camels” (which we later found out to be kind of a true statement because alpaca are related to the lama and the camel).  While at Willow Glen we had the opportunity to feed some of the male alpaca, see some baby alpaca and also purchase some lovely felted crafts.

We later made our way over to True Colors Alpaca Farm.  We found this farm to be a bustling place, filled with all kinds of people wanting to see these interesting creatures. The highlight of this particular visit was the girls got to pet a tiny baby alpaca.  They were in seventh heaven.  Of course, once the girls pet the baby, they were ready to go. So, off we went, but not without buying some fiber to take home with us for a soon-to-come felting project.

Warmth

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Some of you may remember that I purchased a great deal of yarn from my favorite Northwoods shop when we were visiting my husband’s grandparents last spring.  Well, the silky alpaca yarn has been sitting by patiently awaiting fall, and now its time has come.  I had been saving these eight skeins of yarn for something special for my little girls.

And now…ta da

…new hats and cowls!  Sure to keep them cozy {and stylish 🙂 } on the playground.  I love the idea of the cowl instead of a scarf because with the way these girls run around, a scarf wouldn’t last a day of tag-playing or swinging at recess.

Cleaning Day

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We all know the routine:  Pick up the dishes, and the clothes, and the books, and the toys.  Ok.  Now you can see the dirt and dust.  Now, find something to occupy the kiddos so that you can actually move around the house without hearing, “Mommy” yelled five thousand times, each time rising to a higher decibel because how could you hear them when the vacuum is on.  Next, lug out the rags, buckets, and the other miscellaneous cleaning supplies.  Whew.  I know, I’m tired already too.  And now…it is time to begin.  Ah.  Gotta love cleaning day.

One thing that is very important around our house when it comes to cleaning is to use little to no chemicals in our cleaning products.  The idea of having my little girls take baths in a tub that has been cleaned with bleach and other harsh chemicals makes me cringe.  And not only that, cleaning products can put quite the large dent in the pocket book.

Over the years I have tested a wide variety of all-natural cleaning products.  Some I have purchased and others I have made at home.  And I have to say that after nearly six years of being a mama, I have settled on a few homemade concoctions that I use on a daily and/or weekly basis.

I hope you find these as useful, safe, and affordable for your family as I have found them to be for mine.

All-Purpose Cleaner (I use this for everything from kitchen counters and table, to bathroom surfaces.)

In a plastic spray bottle, fill it with half water and half white vinegar (known for its strong antibacterial properties).  Then add 20 drops of grapefruit essential oil (known for its anti-viral and anti-microbial properties).  I also like to add about 10 drops of orange essential oil to add a bit more of a citrus kick to the cleaner.  Shake the bottle before each use.  Spray on surfaces and wipe with a clean cloth.

Wood Cleaner (Use this very sparingly.  I spray a very small amount of this on a rag when cleaning wood furniture.  I also use this to clean my hardwood floor.  Be sure to wipe the surface completely dry after each application.)

In a plastic spray bottle, fill it with half water and half white vinegar (known for its strong antibacterial properties).  Then add 20 drops of peppermint essential oil (known for its antibacterial properties).  Shake the bottle before each use.

Ceramic Tile Cleaner (I use this to wash the floors in my kitchen, foyer and bathrooms.)

In a large bucket, fill it with half very warm water and half white vinegar (known for its strong antibacterial properties).  Then  add EITHER 30 drops of peppermint essential oil (known for its antibacterial properties) OR 30 drops of lavender/tea tree oil (known for their antibacterial properties).  It just depends on the mood you are in.  Peppermint oil in more invigorating while the lavender/tea tree mix is more soothing.

Toilet Cleaner 

Pour about 1 cup white vinegar into the toilet bowl.  Then add about 1/8 cup baking soda (You will get a nice little science experiment in your toilet bowl.), and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil.  Then scrub by hand or with a toilet brush.  Flush when complete.

~~~

A great resource I have found that contains a lot more DIY cleaning products and much, much more is Make Your Place:  Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills by Raleigh Briggs

Bringing the Outdoors In

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As the mercury begins its descent, we are spending a bit more time indoors these days.  So with that, we are making every effort to bring a bit of the outdoors in.  I truly believe a great deal can be said for the tactile experiences of interacting with nature, and when the late fall and winter months do not allow for such easy access to these experiences, I think it is important for people (children especially) to not lose that intimate contact with nature.

For that reason, we have been gathering outdoor artifacts and putting them on display in just about every room of our home.  The girls love this activity, because they get to have a direct hand in “decorating” the house.  They have been filling up Mason jars with water to display mums and lavender, collecting rocks to sprinkle on tabletops, and picking gourds in the garden to create their own fall adornments.

I hope all of you are enjoying these first beautiful days of fall!  Have a wonderful week!