~Hedgie Love~

This past spring, I got the idea to do a little "unit study" with my daughter.

I checked out books from the library:

The book in the upper right hand corner was very informative, but on my daughter's level (but I learned a lot from the book too!). The other books ranged from silly, fun make-believe, counting, telling time, and opposites. We read them over and over during the time we had them.


I knitted up Hedgie (Ravelry link):

and oh.my.goodness. we got to see and pet a live hedgehog:

(the quills aren't as prickly as I thought they would be).

We colored hedgehog coloring sheets.

I thought I was doing this all for my daughter. But it dawned on me recently...I was doing it for me. I am the one who is in love with hedgehogs! :D

I did a little search on Etsy and came up with some hedgehog items geared towards grown-up hedgie lovers. This ring in particular is something I'd love. I think I would be over-the-moon excited if I ever got these letterpress notecards.

What do you think? Do you like (or love ♥) hedgies too???

~Sweet Potatoes~

Rather than digging our sweet potatoes up all at once, we've been digging up a plant or two at a time. I blogged a picture of one clump of sweet potatoes, but the others that we've dug up were not quite so tangled up. I don't know why that one plant would have grown that way?

These sweet potatoes are the dreamiest, creamiest, sweetest, most delectable sweet potatoes I've ever had. There's something to be said for garden-fresh produce! I never really gave it a thought, but it's most likely that the sweet potatoes on sale at Thanksgiving have been in storage for several months by the time they hit the stores.

I've experimented with several cooking methods, and my favorite so far is baking them in my enameled dutch oven:

I baked them with the lid on, at 400 degrees for an hour. I probably could have baked them in a little less time, but they turned out beautifully. The skins are so soft you don't even pay attention to them!


The picture is a bit blurry...hard to snap food pictures in the evening! I was a little worried about the sticky baked on stuff in my dutch oven, but while it was still warm, I added a little water and it came right off without any scrubbing.

Sweet potatoes are definitely something that we'll be growing next year!

~Canning Fail~

I have a love/hate relationship with canning. I love the process - every bit of it - and I love the end result! But somewhere in there are Extra Dishes, Tired Feet, and a Three Year Old Who Needs Attention. But the hate part must not be too strong because I keep at it, dutifully loading my basement storage shelves with canned goods to last the winter.

 

And now, I give you: Canned Soup ---

 

 

What? That doesn't look like canned soup to you? Yeah, me neither.

Here's the scoop: I spent a good portion of a day last week, carefully making a lovely pot of soup to can. I was beyond excited. And when I pulled my six jars out of the canner, and they all sealed, I was so happy. And then. I had this feeling that I hadn't processed them long enough...and sure enough my recipe said 75 minutes for quarts and 60 minutes for pints. Somehow I got "65" stuck in my head so they were not processed long enough.

*tears*
*tears*
*tears*

For real. :P

I realized that the best plan of action was to freeze the soup. It's not what I had planned, but nothing went to waste!

In happy canning news, my jar count is up to 149. :D

~DIY Chocolate Oatmeal Mix~

Several weeks ago, I was in the cereal aisle and noticed some "natural" packets of oatmeal that were on sale. I purchased the chocolate oatmeal and it instantly became a breakfast hit!

List of ingredients:
whole grain rolled oats
sugar
chocolate chips
cocoa
flaxseed
salt
natural flavor
guar gum

I somehow missed the "natural flavor" on the list of ingredients. I haven't done a lot of research but "natural flavor" is sometimes code for "all sorts of odd ingredients that somehow can be labeled natural".

So I decided to make my own!

In a bowl, mix:
1 cup oatmeal
2 T. demerara sugar
2 T. cocoa
1 T. flaxseed
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Store in a container.

To make one serving:
Use 1/2 cup mix to 3/4 cup water, cook for about a minute and a half, or until oatmeal is cooked.

Chocolate goodness in a bowl:

Enjoy a little chocolate for breakfast!

~Sweet Potatoes~

One of the things we grew in our garden this year was a row of sweet potatoes. I wasn't quite sure how they grew, and I've been mightily curious all summer long! I've left them alone till now. One of them started peeking above the soil, so I gave a little yank and:

I discovered how they grow!

The vines are so pretty (especially earlier in the season: one of the signs that the sweet potatoes are ready is that the vines start to die back).

I seriously wouldn't mind having these in my flower beds around the house, they look so much like ivy. The pesky varmints continuously digging tunnels through my flower beds would no doubt love that...so I guess I'll be kept to growing them at the garden!

~Sunset at the Lake~

~Sunset from Fall 2011~

Last night we went to the lake. The weather was gorgeous. The water was still - the calmest we've ever seen it. The water temperature was warm. And - being the day after tourist season ends - very few people were there. *siiiiigh* So lovely.

We swam. We sat. Played in sand. Watched the sunset. Drove home in the darkness, content from a restful evening.

~Matryoshka Dolls Go Visiting~

I have a small set of Matryoshka dolls which my daughter enjoys playing with, and today I stepped into her room and noticed that they were visiting the Little People house, albiet bottomless,  LOL. It put a smile on my face!

~Garden Bounty~

Yesterday I was busy in the kitchen, utilizing food from our garden.

I cut chives, and poured melted butter over them. Frozen little cubes of chive butter! I did the same with basil, just with olive oil. I'm looking forward to using these herbs in the fall and winter months.

I'm done canning pickles, but I had a bowl full of cucumbers that would have otherwise gone to waste. I made 4 quarts of refrigerator pickles.

This year we grew watermelon in our garden. First and last time. ;-) Watermelons take a lot of space! They sure are good though! I cut and seeded a watermelon so it is more convenient to eat.

I also washed enough basil for pesto but I didn't get to making it yet. I'll do that today, along with some canning that I plan to do.

~Canning~

Green Beans in the Canner 

This summer has been very hot and dry, but we've still gotten quite a bit of yield from our garden. I just went to our garden this afternoon, and picked almost four pounds of green beans! Our plants don't look like they should be producing anything, but they keep churning out the beans. :)

When I came home from the garden, I looked and looked online to try to figure out what the little yellow Monster's Inc-esque bugs were on our beans. From what I can tell they are squash lady beetles. Apparently, as they eat aphids, they also eat up the leaves too. Hopefully they quickly mature so that they can fly away and leave my beans alone!

So far, I've gotten 21 pints of green beans, 18 quarts and 5 pints of tomatoes, and various amounts of pickles, pickled peppers, salsas, and relish. My jar count is at 129 jars. Whew...and I still have quite a number of things I'd like to can this summer.

I love canning, and when I'm in the immediate process of putting everything in jars, I'm thinking to myself how relaxing it is. And then after I get the piles of dishes done and sit down I realize how exhausting canning really is. ;-) Nonetheless, I do enjoy canning, and it is so nice to have food saved aside for over the winter!

~Honey Cloud Pancake~

I am most decidedly not a Pancake Mom. You know, the mom who whips out pancakes in any size, shape and color? The one who writes names and draws animals? Sooooo not me.

When we have pancakes, the house fills with smoke. Or, if I keep the heat lower so the pan doesn't smoke, the pancakes are raw in the middle. Or burnt on one side. And horribly misshapen. I can't flip a pancake to save my life!

I am not a Pancake Mom.

So yesterday when I asked my daughter a simple question, "What would you like for lunch?" and the answer was "Pancakes!" my heart filled with dread. Until I remembered my favorite oven pancake recipe. I asked my daughter if she'd like an oven pancake and was relieved when the answer was "yes!"

Phew! Dodged that bullet.

Honey Cloud Pancake

Honey Cloud Pancakes are, in a word: awesome. I don't normally like oven pancakes because they are too eggy. This one is still eggy but the fluffiness is wonderful! With the salty, buttery bottom and a drizzle of honey on top the egginess fades to the background. I believe the recipe has been altered by the blog author since I printed it, because I noticed that the recipe calls for 1 egg white and 1 whole egg, whereas I use two eggs. I'll keep my recipe the same, it works for me!

I do have to bake the pancake a few minutes longer than the recipe calls for (maybe it's that extra egg yolk?)  I've made this recipe at least a half-dozen times. It's definitely a keeper!

There you have it! A pancake even a non-pancake mom can make. ;-)

~A Little Bit of Knitting~

I have always liked hand knit dishcloths. Until I start using them. And then they are so thick and hard to use that I don't like them...but I always seem to be drawn to knitting them.

Awhile back I thought I should make a dishcloth with thinner yarn. So I am. I like the way it is knitting up. I'm using 100% cotton yarn from my stash, size 3 needles. I knit a bit at a time, while I sit and watch my daughter play in sand, while something Not too Riveting is on TV. Little by little and then it will be done, and I can decide if I like knitted dishcloths or if it is just the idea of knitted dishcloths which appeals to me.

The pattern is based on the popular dishcloth pattern, many sources online. I am knitting three stitches instead of two before the yarn over.

~The Start of Canning Season~

Ah, canning season! I ♥ canning. It is, admittedly, labor-intensive. But it is so rewarding to step back and see all those gleaming jars full of  delicious food. Last summer, I canned many, many jars of tomatoes, salsas, green beans, jams, and applesauce. By the last apple I was ready to be done. But now I'm ready to start! It's funny how that works!

So far, from our garden produce, I have canned one pint of pickled peppers (a mix of three types of peppers) and three pints of garlic dill pickles:

We have seven cucumber plants this year, and they are really taking off. If they all continue producing well, I will be up to my ears in cucumbers!
The last time I made pickles, it was the summer of 2005. I used one recipe, and made them all in one day (I purchased my cucumbers). And then, much to my complete disappointment, they didn't turn out very tasty. Neither of us really cared for them, and only a few of the many jars were even opened. Eventually I just emptied the jars. I don't want that to happen again! So I'm going to be trying out a lot of recipes this year! I'm going to copy or print the recipes and keep them in a binder, marking the jars to correspond with the recipes. Then when we open a new pickle we can decide if the recipe is a keeper or not. It seems like a lot of extra hassle, but I think it will pay off in the end! And at least if there is a recipe or two that we don't really like, it won't be too many jars!

On Monday I went blueberry picking, and yesterday I made blueberry spread with no/low-sugar pectin. I ended up sweetening the batch with one cup of sugar, as the jam without it was on the tart side. I would have had five half-pint jars, but I bumped one of my jars as I was cleaning the top, and it spilled across the counter. That was disappointing!



We have a few tomatoes that are starting to ripen. And we've gotten a few green beans here and there. I'm going to be slammed with tomatoes and green beans later in the month and through August, so to that end I've been reading my canning book like a novel, picking out recipes to try with my (hopefully!) bumper crop!

July!

Happy July! Wow, this summer is just passing by so quickly!

The highlight of June was my twelfth wedding anniversary. It seems so long ago, and yet not that long ago, that I stood at the altar and said, "I do." Twelve seems so...almost...grown up. Hehe.

Last spring, I started having trouble with my back. Other than a few visits to a chiropractor, I didn't do much to "fix" the problem. Finally, after nearly a year, I decided to address the problem properly. I got x-rays, found a new chiropractor, and after several months now - I can function without pain! I don't know why I let the pain linger so long, but my back had gotten to the point where housework and normal living would give me shooting pain in my back. I'm glad to be almost back to normal! I went strawberry picking with my daughter and was so happy that I didn't come home in agony!

I've hit another sewing streak - I'll have to post pictures. :) I'm sewing a lot now because in another month I'm going to be in the kitchen canning away!

What will I be canning? Tomatoes, green beans, pickles, to name a few things! We have a larger garden area this year, and thanks mostly to Kevin's hard work we have the following growing in our garden: tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, four varieties of peppers, onions, watermelon, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, corn, sunflowers, peanuts, and popcorn! I also have some herbs growing in our small plot at home.

It's been a great year for gardening because the weather here has been so hot! We water our plants and the long, hot summer days have made awesome growing weather!

Well, that's just a little snapshot of my summer so far! I'm hoping to get better at this blogging thing. ;-) My mom told me she checks my blog every day...if I were her I would have quit checking a long time ago. =P

~Sweet {Sugarless} Treats~

Sugar and my daughter just do not mix well. We have been avoiding anything sweetened with sugar, as well as anything with lots of natural sweeteners, and our household has been happier for it. :) However, just because I've nixed the sugar does not mean I've eliminated treats!


Chocolate-Banana Pop

Chocolate-Banana Pops
(makes 4 freezer pops)
2 bananas
2 T. cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk

Put all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze. Enjoy!

This is a great chocolaty treat and you won't even miss the sugar! I love to see my daughter's happy face smeared with chocolate and know that I won't be dealing with a sugar crash within the next half hour!

Juice Pops
Pour juice into freezer molds and freeze.

On a hot day these melt fast!



Purple Cow Pop

Purple Cow Pops
Mix equal amounts of yogurt and grape juice, pour into molds and freeze. I used unsweetened yogurt, so these were slightly tangy and but still sweet. I liked them, and my dd did eat them, but she wasn't enthralled with them. If I make them again I'll probably add a little honey to the yogurt, or use less yogurt. Her favorites are the chocolate-banana pops!

Banana-on-a-Stick
Slice bananas in half, and stick a wooden popsicle stick about halfway up the middle. Freeze...and enjoy!

Banana "Ice Cream"
This one-ingredient "ice cream" is all over Pinterest. My parents have been making this since I was 6 years old! I have a Champion Juicer so I just run frozen bananas through the juicer. But if you don't have a Champion, look up the directions for other options. It tastes delicious and even my husband likes it as a treat! You can also add cocoa powder for a chocolate version.

Smoothies
For smoothies I just eyeball the amounts. I use a variety of fruits and usually do yogurt, a banana, a frozen fruit, and another fresh fruit if I have it on hand. Tip: to make a smoothie for one person, use a narrow-mouth pint jar and fill half-way with the smoothie ingredients. The blender blades will fit on the jar so you can use the jar to blend and drink from.

Most of these involve bananas...I'd say we're getting our potassium this summer! :)

What are your favorite no-sugar sweet treats? Do share! I'd love to add more variety to our front-porch summer treats! :)

~Sewing: Pillowcase Nightie~

I made my daughter another little nightie. Cut out and started yesterday, finished today. I love quick projects!

And my daughter is in love with her nightie. ♥

Isn't the kitters so cute?

Details:
Vintage pillowcase - thrifted for $.99
Pattern - Bodice from Simplicity 2377
Additional Notions - Elastic, thread (from stash)

I thrifted this adorable pillowcase quite a while back. I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but it was too cute to leave behind!

I made the whole nightie out of the one pillowcase; for larger sizes you would need additional fabric or two pillowcases. I'm fascinated with this pillowcase, in that it doesn't have side seams. The fabric was woven together to form a tube. You can see the join if you're looking for it, but it is smooth.

~Sewing: Shirred Sundress~

This little dress took me 15 minutes, at most. I'm glad it only took 15 minutes, because I don't think I could have been patient with the "is it done now"s I was getting for too much longer. ;-)

I used pre-shirred fabric, and wide grosgrain ribbon for the ties.

My daughter thinks any dress is a princess dress, but this dress is doubly a princess dress with the Disney princesses along the bottom.

I have made shirred sundresses before (see here and here) but pre-shirred is definitely the way to go! So much less time-consuming!

~Sewing: Shorts~

I made two pairs of these little shorts last year, and really liked them.

Pattern: Simplicity 7189, view D (minus the lace), Size 3

So far this spring I have made two more pairs. One in denim (same as last year), and one in a denim-weight khaki.

I had to buy the pattern again, since I cut it out in size 2. But I got it when it was on sale (99 cents, I believe), and the fabric and thread came from my stash.

These have been washed and worn several times. I keep setting them aside to take a picture, and my daughter keeps wearing them before I have a chance to get a picture! LOL Just picture the above shorts in dark denim. ;-)

I'd like to make at least one more pair. They're nice for play, and super quick and easy to make.

~Christmas Napkins~

Something I rarely do is seasonal crafting or sewing. The reason is that I think of seasonal crafts, and come up with awesome ideas, but then I forget about the project until two days before the holiday. At that point, I have more pressing matters, so I say, "next year".

I recently acquired a piece of fabric which had six panels on it. Perfect for napkins! I cut them out on Sunday afternoon, and sewed them after church. It was a nice little project and I'm glad to have them done now and in a stack next to my linens. Waiting for Christmas. That's better than saying, "next year!"

Turning up the hem was so easy - the panels were edged with green fabric, so it created a line for turning.

Once when I was a teenager I sewed on Sunday afternoon, and then told one of the older ladies at church about my sewing project. She told me that for every stitch I sewed on Sunday I'd have to pick out with my nose in Heaven. Somehow I don't believe her. ;-) These napkins made for a relaxing project on Sunday, so I'm not going to worry about picking stitches out in Heaven. :D

~Sewing Up a Storm~

I've been busy sewing. It seems I've turned a corner and my time spent in making is usually at the sewing machine, not with knitting needles.

I made these three things in March. It was still cold, but I didn't want to sew something that would only get used for a month or two. So I turned to summer sewing.

A nighty made from a thrifted pillowcase:

A peasant dress:

And a twirly skirt:

The best part of all three of these projects is that I used fabric and supplies I already had on hand. I'm trying to sew through my fabric, but there are two problems: 1) I then have scraps and my scrap bin is full and 2) I just acquired a hefty stack of fabric so I now have way more projects in sight!

All three of these are for my daughter. She especially loves the skirt!

I have some more projects to share - stay tuned. :)

~Lemon Garlic Linguine~

Yesterday I purchased linguine on an impulse, and then when I got home I decided that we should have it for dinner. So I went on Pinterest and searched under "linguine" and settled on this recipe.

Only I changed it all up, so it is my recipe now. ;-) I added garlic, added more cream, and cooked my sauce. While I can pull up a chair and eat my fair share of cookie dough, I can't stomach the thought of adding raw egg to a dish on purpose (though the hot pasta probably heats it sufficiently). Cooking the sauce also thickens it slightly.

half pound of linguine
2 T. butter
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 egg yolk
zest of one lemon
juice of one half lemon
3 small garlic cloves, minced
salt
pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook your pasta according to directions on the box.

While the pasta is cooking, make your sauce in a small sauce pan over very low heat. Melt your butter, add the half-and-half and then whisk in the egg yolk before the cream gets hot. Add lemon zest, juice, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue whisking until it has heated through and has thickened slightly.

Add to cooked, drained pasta, coating thoroughly. Stir in Parmesan (you can certainly use fresh, but I just used the pre-grated Parmesan.)

And then: enjoy. Kevin liked it, a lot. But he said that he did not get quite the spiritual experience that I had. All through dinner last night, I was thinking about making it for lunch today. And I did. Yuuuuum.