Friday, June 29, 2012

This Moment

A single picture capturing a snippet in the week. No words, just this moment in time.







Join in the fun with a group of bloggers sharing their moments. The movement started with Soulemama, you can see more moments in the comments section.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Little Library

I had never heard of this until recently and can't get it off my mind. I really want one of my own to share. The concept is so brilliant and right down our family's alley, in other words, we have a lot of books.


The Little Library above is near us, a couple of miles away. The one below is also near us.


 Here's an excerpt from their website to help you catch the vision: “What’s in the library today?” people might ask as they stroll through their neighborhood.   Maybe one library has mystery stories, one has picture books for kids and another has memoirs.  Down the block, an English teacher shares her favorite novels and a historian puts out a new book every month about “the old country” and her Norwegian heritage.  Some fifth grade girls exchange American Girl stories about girls growing up at different times in history.  A wooden bench shows up next to the Little Library in front of Mrs. Argelander’s bungalow.  The nightly walkers, children and elders alike, sit and read to each other.   




I especially like this little red library. I would love to see one in my neighborhood. But, something more quaint would better be suited to my neighborhood.


I hope this inspires you to find a little library near you and share a note or book. 

I would like to give credit to Bookusbinders for the great photos that I found to share here.



Sunday, June 24, 2012

I Am Grateful


Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it.
Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it.
Hatred darkens life; love illumines it.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Grateful for the love and beauty that surrounds me.

Friday, June 22, 2012

This Moment

A single picture capturing a snippet in the week. No words, just this moment in time.




Join in the fun with a group of bloggers sharing their moments. The movement started with Soulemama, you can see more moments in the comments section.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Another Soap to Share


I have another soap to share today. It is call South Pacific. Why South Pacific? Well, it is a blend of tropical flowers with some orange blossom. It has a blue accord that brings a clean breezy note to the soap. It just smells like a warm tropical evening.



This soap is made with skin loving olive oil, coconut oil, and palm oil. It also has rice bran oil that is rich in many skin loving vitamins. To bring more lather to the soap I included castor oil and some silk to add a touch of luxury.


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Icebox Cheesecake, From My Mother's Recipe Box

My mom would make this pie when strawberries were in season. In California it seemed like a very long season most of late winter and all of early spring. Here in Pennsylvania strawberry season is short, you can blink and miss it.


So with a few jars of fresh homemade strawberry jam I decided to break out this recipe and treat my family. I will be honest, we don't often use cool whip. I prefer fresh whipped cream. But since I wanted to make it like my mom did, I caved in a bought a tub of it.

My son whooped with glee when he saw the ingredients. He knew there was a cream pie in his future. "When are we going to eat it?" was his first question. The day was a very long one, anticipating the evening when he would finally able to have a slice of pie.


I used strawberry jam that I made a couple of weeks ago for the topping. I also garnished it with a few fresh berries before I served it. I made an almond crust and used a tart pan. One piece of advice, place the jam on the pie just prior to serving. My mom made a glaze and placed big mounds of fresh berries on top. Do as you choose, either way is delicious.


Icebox Cheese Pie
fills one regular pie crust


2 (8 oz.) packages of cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 8 oz. tub of cool whip thawed
1 pie crust


1. Beat cream cheese till fluffy, add in sugar and combine till mixed well.
2. Add in cool whip and mix till well blended.
3. Spoon into crust and refrigerate for at least three hours or until firm.
4. Before serving add fresh berries of your choice.


Enjoy

Monday, June 18, 2012

A Weekend Full of Late Late Nights

The days full of outside activity and the evenings full of movies and Big Bang Theory. That kind of sums up our weekend.


I picked the last of the bok choi that was hiding near the swiss chard and a lot of kale from the garden. I really need a dehydrator to make kale chips. Most of the tomatoes are staked and have plenty of support.

Sadly I did not work on my scarf. But I did start and finish two books this past week. Night Road.and Sarah's Key, both page turners and quick reads. I'm not sure if I can say if one or another was a favorite. I enjoyed them both. Now on to this book. I have a goal of reading two books a month, pretty achievable as long as I stay on track.


Tonight I am making an ice box tart from my mom's recipe box. I love taking my time with these types of recipes, memories flooding back of my mom, sister, and I in the kitchen learning from her and and just being close to those I love. I hope to share this recipe with you tomorrow.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

On Being a Father

Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope.
Bill Cosby


I'm not the father in the family, but Tony is. We've been parenting together, a team in sync with one another so long now that without him I'm a bit lost.

Sure, I've done a lot of nurturing and I'm in charge of the whole homeschooling bit. But he has done so much and has added so much to Nathan's life that it's hard to put into words. He has been a selfless father. Giving up sleep so that he can take his son fishing in the wee hours. He's been a baseball coach, rushing home from work to be a leader, mentor, and playmate.


But mostly he has been here for all of the moments. With his gentle guidance helping our son become the man that he will one day grow up to be.

In Tony I see my own father who did the same. Thank you Dad for being an anchor in my life and thank you Tony for being a great father. I love you both.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

A Well Planned Day


Today I want to spend some time in the garden, tending the flowers and veggies.


I need to come up with a way to outsmart the birds so that we can harvest our blueberries that are starting to ripen.

I need to spend some time staking our tomato plants. I know all of the supplies are in the basement, I just have to dig them out.


When all of the chores outside are done, I want to sit down with this project and finish it off. After all, I will need it one day. It has been on my needles for over a year and it's time to finish her off.

Sure there will be cooking and some other projects to work on, but these things are on my to do list right now at the start of the weekend.

I hope that your weekend is a good one filled with what you love most.

Friday, June 15, 2012

This Moment

A single picture capturing a snippet in the week. No words, just this moment in time.



Join in the fun with a group of bloggers sharing their moments. The movement started with Soulemama, you can see more moments in the comments section.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

On Homeschooling

We are a homeschooling family. We have been homeschooling our son since he has been on this earth. We have had our ups and our down. I've struggled with my own self doubt. Early on I chose not to listen to my own voice, but listened to others. I should have been listening to my mothering inner voice. I might have had more courage in the beginning.


We are about to finish our first year of high school. I'm proud of our accomplishments. It's been a busier year, a tougher schedule, more to do, longer days filled with tasks to check off. But I wouldn't have it any other way.

When we started this journey, there were fewer homeschooling families. But now in 2012 our numbers continue to grow. Most of us know a homeschooling family. We come in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes.
 


I think that if you ask my son, he would agree. It has been a great year. As we say hello to summer, we look forward to different learning experiences outside of the traditional curriculum. One never stops learning just because they are not in a classroom.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

My Sorbet Recipe

Yesterday I shared with you pictures of my strawberry sorbet and a memory from long ago. I was thinking about memories for a while yesterday and how smell is one of the biggest triggers, bringing back scenes both good and bad. Sometimes my son will get a whiff of something and say, "This smells like Sherry's house!" Sherry babysat Nathan for years. We all have fond memories of her and the love and care that she showered down on Nathan from such a young age.


So on to the recipe that I promised yesterday for the sorbet. A word about this sorbet recipe. I use it to make many different kinds of sorbets, mostly fruity one. You will need to make a simple syrup of equal parts sugar and water that is heated till the sugar crystals are dissolved. Make sure that your simple syrup is cold before you begin.


Strawberry Sorbet or Granita
The night before you make the sorbet make the simple syrup and freeze your ice cream maker insert.


2 quarts of strawberries hulled and rinsed
1 cup simple syrup

1. To a food processor or blender add the berries and blend till you have a fruit puree with no chunky bits.


2. Strain into a container that you can chill the mixture in. Strain until you only have seeds left in the strainer, yo may need to use a spatula to push that last bits of strawberry through.The container will need to be big enough for the fruit puree and the simple syrup  addition.


3. Start by mixing in 1/2 cup of the simple syrup and taste. Most of my sorbets require 3/4 cup. Give the mixture a good stir. Place in refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours.


4. Follow manufacture instructions for your ice cream maker for sorbet. I use a KitchenAid ice cream attachment and it takes about 20 minutes for my mixture to become firm enough to scoop. You can now freeze the sorbet to firm up even more.


5. To make granita place the cold mixture into a freezer safe container and freeze for one hour. Starting at this time pull out the container and using a fork give it a stir, making sure to get the bottom and edges. Repeat the stirring every 30 minutes until you have small uniform ice crystals. Place lid on the granita and sever that evening. It will take about 5 repeats to get to the granita stage if you start with a cold mixture.

I hope you get a chance to make your own frozen concoction this summer.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Strawberry Sorbet, Summer In A Bowl

When I was a teen, I would go to summer camp up in the the Angeles National Forest. One of the highlights of the week was a hike along Strawberry Creek. We would take a packed lunch and make our trek up the path, following the creek till we came to a clearing  where we would stop and eat our lunch and then head back to camp. All along the creek were wild strawberry plants and when we stopped for lunch we would feast on these ripe fragrant gems.

The scent of pine underbrush and ripe fresh strawberries still take me back there to my youth when everything was so simple.

While at farmer's market I spied the first of the ripe fragile delights of my youth. These berries are not the supermarket variety. They more intense, more fragile, more fleeting in their loveliness. So I took a few quart home, cleaned them and put them away to think about what to do with them.

With the first two quarts I made a sorbet. The process was simple and the end result made me look like a superhero. We all stood around the ice cream maker as it turned and worked it's magic. With a dollop of whipped cream, heavenly.

Tomorrow I will share with you the process that I use to make this summer delight. It is the same process that I use to make sorbet and granita.

I hope that your day is a wonderful one.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Today I Am Grateful


There is always, always, always something to be thankful for.
Author Unknown

Things don't always go my way. I have bad days from time to time. But all in all I live a blessed life. This boy is just one of the many reasons why I am grateful. 

Friday, June 8, 2012

This Moment

A single picture capturing a snippet in the week. No words, just this moment in time.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Peanut Butter Cookies, Gluten Free


I stumbled upon this cookie recipe and had to read it through a couple of times. What, not flour? I've made flourless cakes, but never cookies. Next I had to read through the comments, people love this recipe, hmmmm. So I hurried to the kitchen to try these out.

My son, "What are you making now?"

Me, "Peanut butter cookies!"

My son, "OHHH, are they to eat?"

I ignored him.


Here they are in all of their peanut buttery goodness. Peanut butter cookies are a thing of beauty. I know that Tony will approve of this post.

Here's the recipe.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies.
makes about 2 dozen.


1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla.

Directions


1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use silicone baking liners.

2. In a bowl mix dry ingredients together. Add the peanut butter and mix till combined. I used a stand mixer.

3. Add the egg and vanilla and combine until it sticks together and is a dough like consistency.

4. Pour a small amount of sugar into a bowl. Roll tablespoons of dough till they are balls and dip and roll in sugar, place on cookie sheet

5. Using a fork, lightly indent cookies with a crisscross pattern, but do not overly flatten cookies.

6. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

Thank you Carol from Simply....Gluten Free for a great and simple recipe. She has some great recipes, check out her site.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Fried Rice At Home


Have you ever been to a Chinese restaurant and had a box of leftover rice? Or, perhaps you made a pot of rice for dinner and had some left in the pot. For me and my family, I make rice and then store the remains in the refrigerator. But to be honest, very rarely does it have a second go at the table.

The perfect solution for all of that rice is to make fried rice. I will go on rampages making fried rice for days. Everyone consumes it enthusiastically, like it is the best food ever. But as my crusade to save all unused rice marches on the enthusiasm  diminishes. Then I give it up and go back to my usual way of storing the little bits of leftovers and disposing of it at the end of the week.

For now I am in a fried rice kick and my family is in love with it once again. It is a perfect summer breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It comes together quickly and does not require the oven.

It is really flexible and so many veggies and proteins can be added to it. The only one requirement is that you have about four cups of leftover brown or white rice that is to the is cold.

For this batch I used sliced snow peas, diced bell pepper, green onion, and two eggs.

You will also need 1 tablespoon grated ginger and 1 clove of garlic minced, 2 tablespoons of oil, 1 teaspoon  sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.


Start by measuring and prepping all of your ingredients.

To a large pan add one tablespoon of oil, when hot add the garlic and ginger and give them a quick stir. Cook for no more than 30 seconds and quickly add your veggies. Cook the veggies til they are just warmed through. I cook them for about one minute. Now it is time to add the rice, keep moving everything around till rice is once again hot.

Make a well in the center and add a bit more oil and then the eggs. Cook the eggs till they are scrambled and mix them into the rice mixture. Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil. Garnish with more green onion and serve. This version is much lighter than one you will find at a restaurant and more like what is served at home.



Tuesday, June 5, 2012

In The Garden, June

In the garden today. Doing the mundane, weeding, weeding, weeding. Not there isn't anything going on out there. Everyone looks so happy, growing and soaking up the sun.

The last of the peonies are getting ready to bloom. Have I told you how much I love these flowers with their beautiful color and intoxicating fragrance.

I still don't have any beans in the ground. I will have to remedy that this week.

I really do love this time of year.








Monday, June 4, 2012

Scottish Oat Cakes

Since going gluten free, I've struggled with breads and baking. At times baking gluten free has taken the sails out of my enthusiasm for being in the kitchen. What has helped me is focusing on what we can eat and there is so much that we can eat that doesn't have gluten. These little cakes are an example of that. They have never been made with any wheat and instead rely on oat flour. You can make your own oat flour by using a food processor until the oats are a fine grind.


We make these often. They are very versatile in that they are great with your morning coffee, as a light snack in the afternoon, or with evening tea. These little biscuits are somewhere between a cracker and a biscuit. The recipe says that they will last in an airtight container for two weeks, but they never last that long in our house to test.


Personally, I love them with a bit of jam or honey in the afternoon with a bit of tea. But they are just as good with a small bit of cheese and a slice of apple.


When scooping with a 4 ounce cookie scoop, bake 15-20 minutes. Two ounce scoops will need less bake time, 12-15 minutes.

Scottish Oat Cakes 
from Vegetarian Times

  • 2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • ¼ cup light brown sugar
  • ¾ tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1 cup oat flour, plus more for dusting work surface
  • ¼ cup nonhydrogenated shortening or vegan margarine, cut into small pieces 
  • ¾ cup nonfat buttermilk
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or coat with cooking spray.
2. Stir together oats, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.
3. Place oat flour in separate bowl. Rub shortening into oat flour with fingers until mixture is crumbly. Stir in oat mixture, then buttermilk
4. Use a cookie scoop and pack lightly, place on cookie sheet and press to make a biscuit, not to thin.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack.


Sunday, June 3, 2012

Today I am Grateful


In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.
Brother David Steindl-Rast 
Austrian-American Author and Benedictine Monk 


Tomorrow I promise to share a recipe for these beauties. They are delicious in every way.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

A Good Evening


The other evening we were going to head to the gym and instead we decided to go for a walk. 

Sometimes it's just much nicer outside.


 We watched trout jump.


Spied the warm sun peeking through the trees.

Best of all we saw a bald eagle's nest. Luck was on our side because we just happened to have a pair or binoculars to watch the nest with. We watched in amazement as daddy came flying with dinner, and everyone made room for him in the nest. 


It was a good evening spent together.