Sunday Meditation

“While it is true that many people simply can't afford to pay more for food, either in money or time or both, many more of us can. After all, just in the last decade or two we've somehow found the time in the day to spend several hours on the internet and the money in the budget not only to pay for broadband service, but to cover a second phone bill and a new monthly bill for television, formerly free. For the majority of Americans, spending more for better food is less a matter of ability than priority.”
― Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto

Pinterest Project: Lasagna Soup

I've been pretty good lately about making things that I find on Pinterest, especially the recipes. Today, I could not for the life of me figure out what I wanted to make for dinner. Off I went to my board entitled "Recipes to Try" and there it was. A lasagna soup by the Deen Brothers. It's a lighter version of one that their mom, Paula Deen, makes. It was delicious! The only change I made was using mini-penne instead of broken up lasagna noodles since I didn't have any.

As you can see, Henry enjoyed it thoroughly!

To give it a try for yourself, just go visit the Deen Brothers. It was simple and you'll probably have a lot of the ingredients on hand. Or at least things you could substitute easily. Enjoy!

Sunday Meditation

“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”   

~Friedrich Nietzsche

Silent Saturday: Hubbard Glacier, Alaska

Plans

I've been advocating "real" food for some time now. I've been trying to buy more whole organic foods, more natural, humanely raised meat, and less processed "food".  I have to admit, that I haven't always been as diligent as I should. Time for that to change! It's not always easy to find what you need in a grocery store. Even so-called organic groceries (please don't get me started on Whole Foods...) don't always carry real food.

What does this all mean, you wonder. You were wondering, weren't you? Well, it means that I'm going to start shopping in the European way. We've all seen the footage of the crowded market with its stands of locally produced goods. It's in that kind of place that you learn about your food, your culture and your neighbors. You shop for the week based on what is in season and abundant, not what's on sale or what sounded good to you while you were sitting at home. You buy the ingredients and then figure out the meals to use them. It's the reverse of every organizational/frugal living/meal planning site on the web. They all tell you to plan your meals months in advance and shop only when armed with the strictest list. Well, I'm not going to do it anymore! I'm going to embrace the seasonal market model of shopping. Once or twice a week, I'm going to venture to the market, pick out the products that look best that day and then take them home and cook with them. It will be difficult at first, but I love to cook and it's time to put my money where my mouth is. If I'm truly going to be a "real" foodie. This is the only way to do it.

I'm really excited for this new plan. I'll be sure to share my favorite producers and markets with you. Not to mention the recipes I use and create and the meals that come out of this grand plan. Stay tuned! The traditional markets will be opening soon and I will be the first one there. Until the seasonal markets open, I'll be using up the contents of my freezer and pantry to get them ready for all the good stuff that will be coming their way!

Spring?

Here in my neck of the woods we seem to have skipped spring and headed straight for mid-summer. I don't take these strange weather patterns lightly, but I'll save that for another day. For today, let's simply celebrate the awakening earth and blooming flowers.

"If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall."

  ~Nadine Stair



Updates: A Reality Check

When I started this blog about a year ago, I had a vision. Eventually, my family would have a little self-sufficient piece of land, not too far from a lovely city full of culture and awesome food, where I raised veggies and animals and baked everything from scratch while churning the butter and sewing the clothes. Yeah, I know...It's Laura Ingalls Wilder's fault. From the time I was a little girl, I loved her books and totally identified with that era and way of life. Then began this journey. Now, let's be clear, I have been killing houseplants since I can remember. My family has always teased be me about having a "brown thumb". But, I was sure I could conquer this whole gardening thing. Here's the thing, I don't enjoy it that much. Labor intensive crops are a waste of time for me. Gardening is not relaxing to me, as it is for so many. In addition, we love traveling and my garden suffers while we're gone. What is a girl to do...



Our kind of garden.

 This girl has simply readjusted her vision. Instead of labor intensive crops that are available at any farmer's market, I've switched over to low maintenance herbs, rhubarb and native strawberries. I've planted native blueberry and cherry bushes and I transplanted some wild raspberry bushes to a location better suited for growing and picking. I'm looking forward to trying out a technique I've seen all over the web for growing potatoes in a large container. I'll still be producing some of my own food and I'll be doing it on my own terms.

As for everything else, I bake bread on a regular basis, but I'll leave the butter churning to the folks at the small organic creamery that I've recently discovered. I'm still interested in, someday, having some chickens and maybe a beehive or two, but, for now, I'll content myself to support the local farmers and producers that are becoming easier to find every year. I still think about taking up sewing, but then I remember the "shirt" that I once made for Girl Scouts. It actually wasn't bad, but I'm not sure I want to do it on a regular basis.

As it was always meant to be, Living From Scratch is as much about expanding horizons and developing relationships as it is about anything else. We've grown closer and healthier over the last year and we will continue to do so. Even if I'm not churning the butter.

Sunday Meditation

“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”
― Mae West

Silent Saturday: A Beautiful Day in 18th Century Williamsburg, VA

Pi Day Mini-Pies

Earlier this week geeks everywhere celebrated Pi Day. Pi Day is March 14 (3/14). Get it? Huh, do ya? Anyway, for all but the very geekiest, Pi day is mostly an excuse to eat pie. Some local pie places were even giving out free pie. Sadly, I was not able to get in on the free pie, so I had to make my own. I actually made tarts, but I prefer to call them mini-pies. After all, tart day seems like it would be something else all together...but I digress.

 There's not really a recipe here. I picked a pie crust recipe (which I'm not going to bother sharing, I didn't think it was that tasty, but recipes abound on the interwebs) and some fillings. I pressed the dough into greased muffin tins because I wanted my pies to look rustic, but you can roll out your dough and cut nice circles for a more refined look. Then I filled them with cherry and peach filling that I had left over from another project; use whatever you have on hand. I topped each pie with a heart I cut from the dough scraps and baked according to my dough's directions. Just watch the baking time since most recipes are for a whole pie.

Mini-pies are so simple to make that it would be a great Pi Day project for older children to do on their own. Smaller Pi fans can certainly help as well. Short on time? Go ahead and use prepared crust and fillings. I got seven mini-pies from a single crust recipe. You're number is going to vary depending on how thin you roll the crust, how big you make your shells and whether you choose to top them with crust or just go with a single crust. You could also use mini-muffin tins to make mini-mini-pies.

Don't worry about waiting a year to make these, either. They're a great little treat any time. Enjoy!

Leprechaun Hat

Looking for a simple project for the kids this St. Patrick's Day? This one is easy-peasy and will get you some wonderful time with your kids (or 15 minutes of break time, whichever you need more at the moment!)

1) Cover an oatmeal or tall baby formula can with green paper.
2) Add strap and buckle, if desired.
3) Decorate any way you want. I did a quick search for free printables and we cut those out and glued them on. Crayons, stickers, plastic doodads...they'll all work.

Last year, my son and I left ours out for the leprechauns to find. They made a bit of a mess as they left!

I'm Back!

I last posted on December 1st. I needed a blogging break. I was treating this blog like a job rather than the fun project it was supposed be and it was becoming a tiresome chore. So, I stopped. A funny thing happened, though. I missed it. I would do a project and think, "I wish I was blogging, so I could post about this". So here I am. I'm armed with a new attitude about writing and a whole bunch of new things to tell you about. I hope a few of you will come back and and start reading again. Maybe I'll even pick up a few new folks along the way.

Why I Might Say "Happy Holidays"

Every year the debate rages. Is Christmas under attack? I don't believe so. However, I do want to explain my reasoning for why I might tell you "Happy Holidays", because I suspect there are others who do it for the very same reason.

Doing some quick and dirty calculations, I would say about 60% of my friends celebrate Christmas, with greatly varying combinations of religious and secular rituals. The rest of my friends celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice or a combination of several. I may have friends that celebrate another winter holiday altogether. If I say "Happy Holidays" to you, it's because I am not sure which winter holiday you celebrate and I respect you too much to assume that you celebrate one over another. Please, feel free to tell me which, if any, you celebrate so that I may offer you the "proper" greeting.

Now, I'm not speaking for anyone but myself, but the next time someone offers you a hearty "Happy Holidays", keep in mind that they may simply be demonstrating the respect that they have for you and your traditions-even if they don't know what those tradtions are.

Building a Stronger Community: Being Thankful

This originally appeared on my blog, The World We Wish For, enjoy!

Being thankful is sort of a theme this week, right? At least in the United States, that is. But I bet many of us forget to be thankful the other 51 weeks of the year. It's very easy to get caught up in all of the things that we don't have or that have gone wrong in our lives, but everyone always has something they can be thankful for. I'm not naive, I know times are tough for a lot of people in the world. Even in the toughest of times, though, there is something for you to be thankful for. Take a moment and consider your life. Are you healthy? Do you have a roof over your head? Do you have a great family? Do you have at least one wonderful friend? Do you have a job you love? Do you have a hobby you love? If you answered yes to just one of those questions, then you have something to be thankful for every day of the year.

If we make an effort to be thankful for something every day, it will become second nature to look on the bright side and remember that we are all lucky for what we have, as meager as it may seem some days. Once we are able to be thankful, we are able to share more of ourselves with those who have less than we do. As we share ourselves, we pass along the gift of thankfulness and build a stronger, happier community.

I want to thank each and every one of you for reading. I am thankful for your support!



Sunday Meditation

Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and enjoying. The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things. 
-Elise Boulding

Fun Fall Decor

A few weeks ago, my son had some homework. He was to go on a nature walk around town and collect objects for the class to work with at their science table. While we were out, I also collected some items. Here's the first project I did, yarn acorns. They're going to look adorable scattered on my table!

They're really easy. Just make a small ball of yarn and attach it to the acorn cap with a dot of good adhesive.

Sunday Meditation

Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.
-James Thurber

New Online Store

Some of you probably remember that I had an online store to sell my ceramics and polymer clay. Sadly, I no longer have access to the kiln where I was firing my ceramic work. Until I have a place to put one of my own, I'm switching things up a bit. My new store is called Mark Your Words and centers around all things wordy. There will be bookmarks, yarn-wrapped letters, beautiful dry erase boards, ornaments, jewelry, etc. My ceramics and polymer will show up from time to time, as well. I hope you all stop by and take a look. I'm pushing to build stock for the holidays, so come find a stocking stuffer for a loved one or a little treasure for yourself!

Fan my Facebook page and get in on some great coupons and giveaways that are happening through the end of the year!

Building a Stronger Community: Make Extra and Share

This was originally posted on my blog, The World We Wish For, enjoy!

We are coming into a period of time where multiple religious and secular holidays converge, along with all of the things that go with holidays and celebrations. Many of these celebrations include food. Some include the giving of gifts. In both cases, some of us go overboard (I'm looking at you cookie bakers everywhere!).  Instead of lamenting how much of what you baked, cooked, canned, pickled, etc is going to go to waste (or to "waist" if you, like me, try to eat it all yourself) why not share it. You could make your neighbor's day with a box of your special cookies. You could deliver some goodies to a school, office or shelter. No matter where you decide to share the fruits of your labor, they will be appreciated!

Now, I hear some of you telling me that you don't bake, cook, can, pickle...I get it, no problem. Do you knit, crochet or sew? Check with local shelters and schools. They are often looking for scarves, mittens and hats this time of year for folks that need them. Do you do other crafts? Donate some to a school's or church's craft fair. They'll be happy for the extras to use as raffle prizes or gifts for their workers. Do you love scrapbooking? Use some of your scraps to make bookmarks and donate them to your local library for their patrons. The possibilities are really endless.

The holidays are often thought of as a time of excess, but with a little creativity and a bit of community-building spirit, the holidays can be a time when EVERYONE has just exactly as much as they need.

Sunday Meditation

May the ancestors deliver blessings on you and yours... May the new year bear great fruits for you...
May your granted wishes be as many as the seeds in a pomegranate...
May the slide into darkness bring you light...
May the memories of what has been keep you strong for what is to be...
May this Samhain cleanse your heart, your soul, and your mind!
--- traditional Samhain blessing