“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!

The River

June 17, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

“I stood like one bewitched. I drank it in, in a speechless rapture.”

Mark Twain

My girls and I had a bit of time before a class at our city’s wonderful children’s museum last week, so we decided to pack some goodies and enjoy our morning breakfast by the river. It was a perfectly beautiful, still day and with the sun rising over the river, we could not have asked for a better way to spend those first few minutes of our day.

Although the area of the river on which we stood is very much urban, we couldn’t help but be filled with a sense of the power this river, this natural entity before us. Despite all of human being’s efforts to control the area surrounding this river, it continues rushing through, commanding control. It left us with a feeling of such awe deep within the pits of our stomachs as we stood there watching the currents run beneath our feet. Mother Nature and her wonders are truly at play here. And so we stood, anchored to our spot, looking out over God’s great wonder: the river.

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.

Happy Monday all!

Honey-Sweetened Oatmeal Cookies

May 30, 2013May 26, 2013 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

Again, in an attempt to lighten our refined sugar load, I have been playing around in the kitchen a bit to find some alternatives to our favorite dessert recipes. Replacing the granulated and brown sugars in traditional oatmeal cookies with local honey, created a wonderful cake-like cookie. The floral taste of the honey, paired with the nuttiness of these local oats, makes this cookie one you just must try!

Honey-Sweetened Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup butter (softened)

1 cup local honey

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

2 cups rolled oats

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and honey. Then add the ingredients to the mixer in the order listed, being sure each ingredients is fully incorporated before adding the next.

Scoop out the dough by the tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven 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.

Garden Tour

May 29, 2013May 26, 2013 / makingofahome / 4 Comments

Although at a snail’s pace, we are getting our garden planted and the space is looking a bit less like a field of dandelions and a smidge more garden-like these days. Join me today on a tour through the gardens…

Spring Goodness

May 16, 2013May 15, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

It seems that after a very long winter…Spring has finally arrived! The flowers and trees burst with color, asparagus spears peak out from the surface of the soil, and dandelions and wild violets paint the yard with vibrant color. At this moment, I find it hard to think of a better time of the year.

This week finds us in the midst of school and home garden planting, retirement celebrations, dance recital rehearsals, and birthday party preparations…All enjoyed with a magnificent spring melody playing in the background.

I hope all of you find yourself in the splender of this season as well!