beauty that moves

Montessori at Home: 8 Principles to Know

Today I'll be at Simple Homeschool, hope you can stop by for a visit!

(Seeing as I'm pointing you in another direction today, I should also mention Jonah Lisa wrote a great post about having a Home Spa Night at Unplugged Sunday. I won't always  mention new posts here, but I would be remiss if I did not to get the word out in these early weeks and let everyone know our door is wide open! :) )

summer days

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loving the easy pace of these summer days... thinking my blogging rhythm may begin reflecting the same.

Today I'll spending the afternoon doing a little work, but mostly I'm lost in the pages of Ava's Man. I love this book so much. Thank you Emily for suggesting it during my recent quest for new book titles. The comments of that post are a great place to visit for summer reading ideas!

Does anyone know what kind of flower is in the second to last photo? I can't find it in my Peterson's Guide and it is the prettiest thing. It's leaves are feathery and delicate, my friend thought it may be in the pea family. Here is a better look at the leaves. Thank you!

See you soon...

a new way (for me) to cook tofu

Doesn't it look so crispy, caramelized, and delicious? It was! Not at all overly spongey, as tofu can so often be. (Although I do like baked tofu as well.)

What to do:

Slice it really thin (about 1/4 inch), season with salt and pepper, then cook over medium heat (or so) in a little coconut oil. After both sides are browned, deglaze the pan with some whisked together tamari, toasted sesame oil, a bit of maple syrup, garlic, ginger... whatever you like.

This was inspired by Melissa's post about Porch Life, I loved how thin her tofu looked! I didn't do the pressing step, just sliced thin and went from there. Leaving the slices whole, rather than dicing before cooking, gave me options with the leftovers - like stacking a slice onto a big veggie sandwich, cutting long strips for fajitas, etc.

But on this day, wishing I was joining Melissa on that pretty porch of hers, I diced it up, tossed it into a salad, and it was really good! Like, I recommend it to all of you kind of good. 

Good Monday morning to you!

If you have a minute, Adam is ruminating on a recent day of family hiking...

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. - Amanda Soule

lavender lemonade

This post was originally published one year ago this week. My lavender is once again in full bloom and that means plenty of lavender lemonade in our home. I thought it was quite timely to share this again. Enjoy!

 

 

Oh my.

Really.

What did you have in mind with regards to establishing your own summer groove? If you don't mind, I'd like to make a tiny suggestion...

Make Lavender Lemonade. Everyday if possible.

You may feel as though you've traveled back in time, about 80 years or so. Consider wearing something made of calico, or better yet, feedsack, while sipping this lemonade for the first time (for the maximum experience). At the very least, lay down your favorite vintage quilt under the finest shade tree you can find. And no shoes, you must be barefoot. Please put a flower in your hair too.

Okay, now you're ready. 

Lavender lemonade will make you feel like such a lady.

This one little recipe, made often, will place the summer of 2010 firmly into the "remember that summer" compartment of your nostalgic mind. It's a sure thing.

If you don't have access to lavender from your garden, you may purchase organic lavender blossoms at any good health food store in the bulk spice section. You can also order online if you think you'll be needing a large quantity to get through the season. I think you just might.

Lavender Simple Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup evaporated cane juice (or regular white sugar)
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh lavender flower (I don't bother to remove the blossoms from the stem, just trim the stem as in the photo of my hand) Use 3 rounded Tablespoons dried lavender if you do not have fresh.

In a small saucepan combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring often. Turn the heat down to medium and continue boiling for a minute or two, stirring often. Add the lavender, stir, turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid. Steep the lavender in the simple syrup for 15 minutes then strain. Store in the refrigerator, it will thicken a bit as it cools. You do not need to wait until it cools to make the lemonade.

Lavender Lemonade

• 4 cups cold water
• 1 lemon juiced, strain out the seeds. I like to gather the pulp from the strainer and add it to the lemonade.
• 2/3 cup lavender simple syrup
• plenty of ice

Combine the water, lemon juice, and syrup in a glass pitcher and stir well. Serve over plenty of ice! Feel free to double the recipe depending on the size of your group.

 

There you go friends, the first lavender recipe. Don't worry, there will be more.

Happy summering!