beauty that moves

These Days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cleaned up the screen porch after too many weeks of it being taken over by seedlings and gardening tools. Now we can enjoy the twinkly lights and rain soaked evenings - which there has been no shortage of. 

My neighbor has the prettiest flower gardens and she gifted us a bouquet of peonies and iris as a thank you for watching her pup one day. That was no trouble at all because her pup happens to be Scout's best friend 'til the end (aside from Adam - his hero), so they played and played and played together all day long. 

I've never thought of myself as a collector of things but over the last year or so I've realized that I do indeed collect a few things. No knick-knacks though, I can't do those. Pottery, yarn, fabric, well made baskets... it's hard to resist any of those things. Some new pottery came my way last week and I'm smitten with it. Taking a class would be such fun! There hasn't been a pottery wheel in front of me since high school but I think it's time. 

Speaking of baskets (sort of), you know the bolga baskets we all love? And how sometimes when you find the perfect one at the co-op (that's where we get ours), they're perfect in every way style-wise but sometimes bent way out of shape? The tag says to soak them in water then reshape. I finally did that and it works beautifully! I didn't soak them in a tub but I threw them all out on the back deck to absorb the deluge of rainfall we've had recently. Once they were soaked they actually got super hard and moldable, so I molded them to nice round shapes and let them dry. After they dried they became soft and basket-like again but retained their nice and round shape. It was pretty cool how well it worked. I've never made a basket in my life but I'd love to. My mom had a friend years ago that was a talented basket maker and they would trade crocheted crafts for baskets... I now have that entire basket collection, probably twenty of them, and they are the most well-made baskets I own. I should take a picture of them in one big pile someday. You'd love the collection too.

Let's see... Emily had her Spring formal dance and it was lovely again this year. Holy cow those homeschoolers love to dance. What a party! And I continue to be grateful to David's Bridal for being the only place on earth we can find a formal dress that Emily likes (and that fits, and that is appropriately styled). Chiffon really is the best fabric for a dancing dress, so flowy and soft. Who would have thought David's Bridal would come through? But... I'd love to go redesign their stores. No bride should have to shop for a wedding dress under harsh fluorescent lighting. Blech. 

With all the rain we've had I've been trying to keep up with all things green and leafy out in the garden. So far I've managed to pick the large and lovely lettuce leaves before each storm so nothing has turned to mush on the ground. As for the strawberries, thank goodness I remembered to put straw down because those beauties wouldn't stand a chance if they were touching mud for this long.

Well, that was a whole bunch of random - but a brief snapshot of the week around here, no less. I hope June is treating you well too, with all the good kind of busyness she brings! xo 

{this moment}

 ~ Joining Amanda this week. ~

The garden is beginning to overflow. Happiness abounds!

Oh, June. You do this every time.

 

 

 

 

It seems no matter how I approach it, June always wins.

Or better yet, June stops me in my tracks and reminds me to slow down, look around, and notice. This is the good stuff, June says. Busy and full in the best of ways, I can't believe it's only a few days into the month. So much seems to be happening around here. 

Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, Father's Day. June!

We're on week two of company, I'm on week three of my workshop (what an incredible group has gathered), Adam is on week one of returning to work full time, and we are hopefully just days away from officially wrapping up our school year. 

There is a quick little jaunt to Vermont in the near future. Emily is bringing a girlfriend so this should be great fun. 

Summer is almost here and I have blogging plans... oh, do I ever. Because I miss it so, this fun hobby of mine. Sometimes I feel tired of hearing myself talk (blog), and so I come here less and less. But other times I just want to capture all the beauty I see and share it here. I'm choosing to trust this feeling and hope to go with it this summer. I even made my photos as big as I could manage, to set the tone. (Blog housekeeping, summer style.)

So let's allow this to be the summer of simple, beautiful moments then, shall we? Even better if they're sparkly. 

(But first I'll wait for June to release me... soon. xo)

Coming Along

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I started drinking coffee again after so many months without. It was actually the longest stretch of 'no coffee' in my adult life, I believe. Something interesting came to mind though as I pondered why I was yet again drawn to this stimulating elixir, after contentedly living without it for months.

For me, it's a nostalgia thing.

Living in a climate with four distinct seasons offers many moments throughout the year where changing sites, sounds, and scents will trigger so many memories and traditions.

Traditions like drinking freshly brewed coffee outside on cool Spring mornings. 

So, coffee in the morning again, and I'm okay with it. I'm sure it will always come and go.

Adam's brother is visiting this week and we are having the best time. He's such a fun uncle, I wish our visit could be longer. Tonight we'll head down to Mystic and have dinner on the water... hoping for a pretty, breezy evening before the heat comes tomorrow. 

... oops, I just checked the weather. Severe storms coming our way with a possible tornado warning. Yikes! Perhaps we'll just go out for Thai in the next town?

The gardens are coming along, chicken housing is coming along, and the slow but sure finish of our formal school year is coming along too. I'm switching into summer mode rather quickly at this point which feels so good because the sooner summertime is here, the longer it will last. 

Week's End

I had a dessert last night that was topped with stewed dried fruit. It was amazing! Simple, affordable, easy to source ingredients... now I'm thinking of about twelve desserts that I'd like to top with stewed dried fruit. 

Fresh fruit is often turned into a quick warm sauce for desserts around here (or they simply are the dessert), but oh my how sweet and plump sundried cherries and apricots become when a little liquid, heat, and time is applied. All I want to do now is place my dehydrator front and center on the kitchen counter and dry every piece of fruit that comes into the house so I can always be ready to make my new favorite topping. I feel like I'm already stalking my blueberry bushes enough, comparing their progress to this chart like a mother over her newborn babe (we are between petal fall and early green fruit, I'm obsessed). 

I want to plant more berries and grapes this weekend, and rhubarb too... why don't I have any rhubarb yet? Rhubarb Ginger Jam has been on my mind and it's been ages since I've made any. I hope the plant nursery still has a good supply. Kind of kicking myself for not stocking up when we were last there. Oh, but I did get plenty of strawberries! Adding to what we put in last year, things are looking pretty good out there. So many fruits do quite well in our region, we should plan accordingly. 

Getting the new to us home ready for the young ladies. 

Adam created a huge berry patch that with just a little more work this weekend will be completely enclosed which should be a great deterrent for the critters. I'll take a picture soon. So far we've got strawberries, blueberries and raspberries on the property and they are all looking quite good right now. Our raspberries (brought down from Adam's grandmother's homestead in Vermont) are not in the big berry patch yet, they are still close to the house, but we'll start moving those up this year and let them establish in the more protected area. Though being so close to the house they don't seem to be too bothered by critters, other than Scout, he plucks them right off the bush for snacking!

This week Emily decided to become a redhead! Henna gets easier to work with the more you do it. Just like using henna on skin, the first couple of times can be a little cumbersome but then it becomes more manageable with practice. Emily has used Mountain Rose Herbs henna before (a soft, light brown color), this time she ordered from Henna Color Lab. Both worked really well, but her color choice this time was certainly more vibrant!

We've had rain for days here. Everything is finally as green as can be, and as damp as can be too. A little drying out now would be welcomed... after tomorrow it looks like that will happen. Adam's younger brother is coming up this weekend and staying for the week so we'll be looking for reasons to hang out on the deck or by the campfire, and grill all sorts of things. Maybe I'll use the campfire to make a pot of stewed dried fruit. Who needs s'mores when you have stewed dried fruit?

Today

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today I am...

...settling into the first day of leading 30 Day Vegan. I love getting to know the new names appearing from around the globe and feeling grateful for so many familiar names returning too. (Registration is only open through this Wednesday.)

...thinking about asking my guy if we can take that new truck of his and go fill it with a yard of mulch. Our gardens would be so thankful. 

...trying to understand why I've experienced such a high level of technical issues lately. The latest...why would voice-over just stop working in iMovie? 

...okay with putting down one book that I just couldn't get into (I really did want to love that book), and picking up another that I was totally into just by reading the forward. Now I don't want to put this one down at all. 

...feeling an ache in my hands and wrists that I know is not good, wondering if an extended break is on the horizon. Do bloggers take sabbatical...?

...loving yoga frogs as a reason to step away from my desk and move some blood around.

...sensing yet another shift with the internet and wondering what my place as a user will be. 

...grateful for the three lilac shrubs I was gifted last year for Mother's Day. To have blossoms this Spring has made me so happy! I wish everyone could have a lilac shrub in their yard. 

...anticipating the end of a truly fantastic knitting project. So close!

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Today I am very happy for this life of mine... it's a good one. Achy hands, creepy internet, technical woes, and all. ;)

Last Call (30 Day Vegan is starting soon!)

Fruit Pizza ~ Recipe provided in the upcoming session of 30 Day Vegan.

Good morning!

One of my favorite things about whole food cooking and eating is that dessert and breakfast often becomes interchangeable. Last night's leftover Fruit Pizza becomes this mornings perfect breakfast. So delicious!

I am in the final stages of preparing to open our private website for 30 Day Vegan which officially begins on Monday, May 20th, although participants will be invited to settle in on Friday afternoon, May 17th. Going through my photos for some of the recipes this morning I thought I should make a 'last call' announcement for those of you who haven't had a chance to sign up yet but would like to. 

~ 30 Days ~

Begins May 20, 2013

~ Register Today ~

$49.00

This workshop is such a gentle experience, a brief pause from the endless nutritional input we all take in these days. If you've been thinking about joining, now is the time. See you in the workshop! 

A Happy Discovery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I uploaded the camera card and found a mix of my shots and hers. It seems she is picking up the camera again, a happy discovery this morning. 

A week in the life, for both of us. 

Lunch Box Noodles

The other night Adam and I worked in the garden until after dark. Emily, just outside the garden gate, played basketball until she could no longer see the hoop. Earlier in the day I was talking to a friend who mentioned an evening ahead that was filled with baseball practice and other activities... I think for many of us, our spring evenings are looking quite a bit different than the cold winter months we've just left behind. 

Scheduled in just the right way that works for each family, these bustling evening activities can feel wonderful as the sun hangs in the sky well past dinnertime. A hallmark of youth and springtime. 

But wait! What about dinner? 

Although we may linger around the dinner table a little less during this time of year, surely our children still need something to eat! And the gathering of a shared meal each day is a treasured hour that many of us strive for (even if said meal is packed up and shared on the tailgate of a car at the town ball field). 

The recipe I'd like to share with you today is perfect for such evenings. This is the kind of "one pot" meal that can be prepared earlier in the day, then brought to the table (or tailgate) within five minutes of mealtime.

As I slowly retire many of my workshop recipes (making way for new ones) it is fun to share some of those with you here. 

The biggest make ahead tip I can offer about a dish like this is to keep the dressing in a separate container until serving, a lidded jar is perfect for this. The liquid (especially the acidic element) in any dressing will begin to soften and break down fresh vegetables if added too soon. While it is perfectly fine to add the dressing a few hours in advance without any real detriment (it's just a salad after all), if you can keep the dressing on the side and toss it in at serving your dish will be even better for it. 

This recipe was originally developed as a tasty lunch box idea, but there is no need to reserve this dish for one particular meal.  

 

Lunch Box Noodles 

A retired Whole Food Kitchen recipe.

serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces soba or udon noodles (or any noodle of your choice, even raw zucchini!)
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 scallions, chopped (or 1/4 cup fresh chopped chives)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons tamari
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
• 2 teaspoons chili paste (I use mild)  

Directions: 

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.
2. Place cooled noodles and chopped veggies in a large bowl. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over noodles and gently toss to combine. Season with sea salt and pepper to taste. 

Notes:

• You could keep the dressing separate and mix in right at serving time. 
•  Think of other veggies you could add - grape tomato, shredded red cabbage, green peppers, chopped kale, etc.
• Great picnic or potluck recipe!

 

Print Recipe - Lunch Box Noodles

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If you find yourself enjoying the garden during these relatively bug-free evenings, or on the sideline cheering for your favorite ball players... a yummy bowl of noodles and veggies with a tasty dressing just may be the perfect springtime supper for your family.

A Return to Unplugged Sunday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These kind of days could heal the world... well, my world at least. 

Yesterday was exactly what I needed after a very long a full week. Time slipped away, the outdoors was enjoyed all day long, lots of knitting happened, and our strawberry patch was started and completed.

Unplugged Sunday, I've missed you... it's so good to have you back in my life. 

(I don't think we're resurrecting the blog, just the practice.) :)