Dairy Free Apple Crisp

September 11, 2013September 1, 2015 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

Despite the fact the mercury is reading 85 degrees tonight as I write this, I am thinking Fall. To help force my most-loved season along, the girls and I decided to pick our first-ever crop of apples from two of our apple trees and enjoy them for dinner in our favorite baked apple form: a crisp.

Because my youngest is still on a non-dairy diet, I continue striving to find new ways of tweaking our favorite recipes to make them dairy-free. This recipe is one of those such experiments. I wanted to substitute the butter in a traditional crisp, without losing the earthy, creamy flavor I think butter brings to the table. I ended up using a combination of coconut oil, for the fat content, and whole wheat flour for the earthiness factor. The crisp turned out quite nicely, without any hint of a coconut flavor that sometimes makes its way into recipes where I substitute butter with coconut oil.

I hope you enjoy this yummy fall treat!

Dairy Free Apple Crisp

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Heat the above ingredients in a small saucepan until the honey becomes runny. Pour this mixture over 6 cups of sliced, fresh apples.

Pour the apple honey mixture into a 9X9 baking pan.

In a separate bowl, mix together:

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cut in 5 tablespoons of coconut oil. Crumble the oat mixture over the apple mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, or until the top is crunchy and golden brown. 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.

At This Moment

September 9, 2013September 1, 2015 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

At this moment, I am…

~thankful for a most relaxing weekend spent with dear friends and family, while celebrating a wedding in the most beautiful of settings.

~gearing up for yet another hot, hot day. Trying to get all animals cared for, and plants watered before the sweltering heat is upon us.

~glancing around my house this morning, realizing my day needs to be spent in the throws of cleaning. Being gone all weekend did not bode well for the cleanliness of this place.

~listening to the tomatoes calling out to me. There are not many, but those that are hanging out in the garden are ripe and ready to be processed. (I think today I’ll make some tomato sauce. Nothing like a little sauce simmering on the stove for multiple hours on a ninety degree day, right?).

~enjoying this book in the wee hours of the morning and late at night after the little ones are tucked in.

~staring at the growing pile of laundry in my family room. Apparently, I should be tackling that instead of reading the above mentioned book 🙂

~wishing you all a wonderful Monday, friends!

Home

September 4, 2013September 13, 2013 / makingofahome / 4 Comments

Good morning, friends! Where has the week gone? I have been deep in thought and reflection of late, and have found it difficult to come to this space and attempt to articulate just what it is I have been mulling over in my mind. So, I must warn you…This post may take on a very stream-of-consciousness-type nature 🙂

The past two years, when this time of year rolls around, thoughts of home seep into every thought in my mind. Summer for our family represents such a time of connection. Connection to each other, our home, our land. And it just seems that each year when we reach that late-August-back-to-school-crazy-schedule-never-leaving-a-second-to-breathe time, those familiar connections are somewhat strained.

Now don’t get me wrong, there is also a wonderful sense of renewal and excitement that accompanies this time of year, but it’s the common societal belief that this fun and excitement needs to take place outside our homes that has me thinking. We are all a bustle with activities beyond the scope of our homes because there is this notion that our homes are confining. But what about the idea of our homes as embracing? Instead of looking beyond the walls of our home for fulfillment and excitement, shouldn’t we be welcoming each other into our homes, to share the love, laughter and learning found within?

Historically, the home was where all activity centered, and it seems that each day we as a culture are moving further and further beyond the home in search of the next big thing. But I just can’t help to wonder, what if all of that greatness we are in search of is right under our noses, in the very homes that we are trying to escape from? For often “a man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” ~George Augustus Moore

August Action

August 29, 2013August 27, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

There has been a lot of action of late in our gardens. It is truly at its peak, and despite the near 100-degree temperatures this week, we find ourselves entwined in vines of all sorts, harvesting all this fabulous veg.

Tomatoes make an appearance at our dinner table each night, for I am not sure there is a better fresh vegetable on earth than a homegrown tomato. Herbs are being dried each day in order to preserve them for the winter months. Onions and beans are being diced and then destined for the freezer. And who could forget our school garden, from which we just reached the 100 pounds donated mark! Yup, the students of Cathedral of St. Peter School have donated 100 pounds of fresh produce to the Plant a Row for the Hungry program at our local food pantry.

So much wonderful August action in the garden right now. I hope all of you are finding yourselves in the midst of such garden greatness as well!

The Boy

August 28, 2013August 27, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

The Fagan house had been pet-free since its creation. You could often hear us saying, “No pets for us. Pets just aren’t our thing. Who really wants an animal living with them? I mean, it’s an animal. Yuck.” Well. Huh. Let’s just say, that has changed. Significantly.

I have talked about some of our pets in this space, and others have gone unmentioned. But what is important for you to understand is this: 1. We now have a lot of pets, all of whom have been adopted in the last year. 2. Up until Saturday morning around nine o’clock, my husband had been surrounded by three human females, and a multitude of gal pals in creature form.

Enter Pickles. The first boy to grace our residence, and join Daddy in the ranks of male Fagans.

Now, Pickles may not look particularly manly, but this little guy has stolen my girls’ hearts for sure. Welcome.

The Making of a Home Shop

August 26, 2013August 25, 2013 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

I am so incredibly excited to announce the official opening of the Making of a Home Shop! It has been nearly two years since I began writing this blog, and after a great deal of thought and consideration, I have decided to branch off and sell a few of the items I often discuss with you in this space. I am so thankful for each and every one of you who join me here each day, and I hope you enjoy the new and exciting things I have in the works for Making of a Home.

Come on in, and welcome to the Making of a Home Shop!

At This Moment

August 19, 2013August 18, 2013 / makingofahome / Leave a comment

At this moment, I am…

~labeling all kinds of school supplies. I still cannot believe school starts this week. Where has this summer gone? My stomach is churning as I think about it.

~harvesting rhubarb from our garden. I’m hoping to whip up some rhubarb squares later this afternoon. Yum.

~transforming a portion of our playroom into a library for my little book-lovers. More on this revamped space later this week.

~re-reading Catching Fire. Oh my. I forgot how much I love this book.

~loading up the van with needed supplies for the school garden. We are setting up an outdoor classroom space today, just in time for the start of the new school year.

~wishing we could add some more days (or weeks really) to this fleeting summer.

~hoping each of you has a wonderful start to your week.

Kids with Cob

August 6, 2013August 5, 2013 / makingofahome / 2 Comments

This weekend, for my husband’s birthday present, we journeyed up north a bit to the Angelic Organics Learning Center for a “Kids with Cob” class. We had been wanting to attend a class at Angelic for a long time now, and I am so very happy we finally had a chance to attend. We had the most wonderful afternoon, learning about building with cob, getting messy, and playing with the animals.

It’s so amazing to watch the little ones soak in so much information and knowledge, while immersed in creative activity. And best of all…the kids (and adults too) got to play in mud all day. What could be better on a beautiful Friday afternoon?

I encourage anyone living in the Rockford area to take advantage of the Angelic Organics Learning Center and all of the wonderful classes they offer in regards to holistic and sustainable living. You are sure to leave with lots of great information, and even more amazing memories.

Cherry Pomegranate Frozen Yogurt

August 5, 2013July 31, 2013 / makingofahome / 1 Comment

It seems that it has been some time since I have shared one of my recipes in this space, so today is the day my friends. Today I bring you yet another of our family’s experiments with a cow’s milk dairy free recipe. My girls just love this frozen yogurt recipe I concocted, and I hope you and your family enjoy it as well. It is incredibly simple, so you can whip it up on no time for a fun, summer snack.

Cherry Pomegranate Frozen Yogurt

10 oz dark sweet cherries (these can be fresh or frozen and thawed)

1/2 cup honey

1 cup 100% juice pomegranate juice

1 cup yogurt (We use goat’s milk yogurt, but any yogurt would work great.)

Add the cherries and honey to a blender. Blend until smooth. Next add the juice and the yogurt. Pulse a few times in the blender until combined. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Enjoy!

Eczema-Friendly Soap

August 1, 2013September 1, 2015 / makingofahome / 16 Comments

A member of our family has been struggling with eczema for a very long time, so I began researching natural remedies for this ailment. In my research, I found that coconut-based products help to moisturize the dry skin of eczema, and many essential oils are found to relief many of eczema’s symptoms. Now please remember, I am by no means a medical professional, but this soap (which has only been in use a few days now), seems to be helping to give some relief.

Eczema-Friendly Soap

2 pounds Melt and Pour Soap Base (I use this Goat’s Milk Soap Base.)

1/4 cup organic coconut oil

2 teaspoons fresh chopped lavender

2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary

5 drops cedarwood essential oil

10 drops patchouli essential oil

5 drops clary sage essential oil

5 drops tea tree essential oil

10 drops lavender essential oil

5 drops rosemary essential oil

a shallow pot or saucepan

a glass bowl

wooden spoon

soap molds (You can purchase these at your local craft store or here.)

Fill the pot or saucepan half full with water. Bring to a simmer. Place the glass bowl in the pot of water to create a double boiler of sorts. Place the melt and pour soap base in the glass bowl, along with the coconut oil. Stir the base and coconut oil with a wooden spoon until it melts. Remove the bowl from the heat and mix in the fresh herbs. Then add the essential oils and stir. Allow the mixture to cool just slightly (enough to thicken the mixture just a bit). Pour into your molds. Allow to rest until completely cool. Remove the soap from the molds. Enjoy!