household meanderings

In the garden: we've been picking lettuce, onions, chard, strawberries, garlic, cilantro, parsley,  potatoes, peas, radishes, spinach, carrots, even a few cherry tomatoes that have actually survived in our hot house.  Even the littles have been a huge help in hauling in all of the goodies found there.  I've begun planting our fall garden of parsnips, turnips, more lettuce, spinach, carrots and maybe some cauliflower. . . only because last year we harvested our brocolli well into December.  I've tried something new this year for preserving my herbs - freezing them into small individual rolls as well as dehydrating them.  This works so much better than hanging them to air dry - plus it helps retain color and smell of the herb.

In the kitchen:  I've been experimenting with many new recipes, such as Carrot Zucchini Soup and the latest pinterest pick we tried was Watermelon Slushies - WOW - so  yummy!  How many pinterest picks have you tried lately?  I made my first batch of soap - shampoo bars. .  and I'm patiently waiting until next month when I can test it out.

From the homestead:  Our two nubian goats, Milkdud and Skittles are thriving, coming up on 2 months old.  Anne and I still take turns bottle feeding them.  I love the way that they give goat kisses everytime they are excited to see one of us.

On the fun side:  we went camping last month.  Even though we were only about 2 hours away from home, the weather was warm, sunny and so beautiful.  The kids swam all day in the lake and enjoyed the house boat and paddle boat.  Smores and roasting marshmellows later in the evening were also a must for our happy campers.

What is happening at your homestead?

Blessings,
Michelle

Creamy Carrot Zucchini Soup

Here it's already July and I am still anxiously awaiting our squash to grow this season.   Our coastal area has not seen much sun during the month of July.  It seems the hotter it is inland, the more marine layer we get like a thick soupy fog over us.  Even through this layer of fog, the garden is producing an abundance of lettuce, chard, kale, radishes, spinach and carrots.  I have even harvested a few onions.  The snap peas are close to harvest and I still have high hopes for our pole beans which haven't flowered yet.. . .  But NO squash.

So, when the general manager brought home freshly harvested zucchini and green peppers from  one of his customers in warmer country than us, I knew just which recipe to try.  It has been sitting on my pinterest board just awaitin' to be fixed up for one of our Northwest foggy days.

Creamy Carrot Zucchini Soup, found on Natures Nurture blog was so easy to fix and even more yummy than I expected.  I might have even got the kids to try the soup, but they all watched the zucchini go in the pot.  That was the end of the soup for them!  Maybe one day their taste buds will change and they'll realize how yummy zucchini really can be, but for now, I'll continue to find ways to hide it in their foods. . .preferably when they are not looking.

Have you tried any new recipes lately?

Blessings,

Michelle



I think they like their new home

Life at One Blessed Acre just got a little busier.  We've become proud owners of two adorable Nubian goats; one buck and one doe.  Originally, we were to get two does, but life threw us a glitch.  The doe birthed twins and so we were asked to take the buck for the time being so that the two would be comforted together.  Nubians are notorious for whining and supposedly they whine/cry less when with another goat.  I can't say we've noticed that yet as they both whine and wimper the minute we leave their sides.

Anne's first challenge was to name these sweet babies.  After two days, and lots of suggestions, she came up with Clarissa and Shorty (since he's short term here because we'll be swapping him for another doe at some point).   Next she had to learn how to bottle feed, not one, but two babies at the same time.  They let her know quickly that goat patience is far less than a normal toddler's patience - they both wanted to be fed at the same time RIGHT NOW!  So, Anne elicited the help of her sisters, but only Abby has hung in there for the long haul of feeding them every 4 hours.

The General Manager spent last weekend putting up a beautiful temporary goat pen for them to spend some of the nicer days outside.  We are still in the process of determining a long term fencing solution for them.  We welcome any suggestions and advice from those who have traveled this road before us.  They are so cute - they have stolen each of our hearts.

And then two became one

We just returned from a wonderful vacation down to Palmdale for our oldest daughter's wedding.  It was a weekend of many firsts. .  meeting of our new son-in-law, meeting his family, meeting our newest grandson, and meeting our second daughter's new boyfriend. 


What a whirlwind adventure we undertook when we left last Tuesday for a two day, 12 hour plus drive to Palmdale, California for the glorious event.  The excitement could be heard all throughout the car, but it definitely rang loudly from the rear.  Our first stop was Stockton, where the General Manager had to purchase a suit to wear at the wedding.  Nothing like last minute shopping, but we were glad we waited because he got a great deal and he looked amazing.

Once we arrived in Palmdale the next afternoon, we finally got to meet our new son-in-law, Andrew and his family.  What a blessing they are to Danielle and Andrew.  They are so sweet, we couldn't have asked for better in-laws.  We also got introduced to Sarah's new boyfriend, Grant.   They make a very sweet couple and we are looking forward to spending more time with them when they travel out our way in July.


The next morning the bride-maids and I went to a local salon to get manicures and pedicures.  I was tickled pink when both my toes and nails were done at the same time.  Now, if I just could have got a nap while all of it took place. . . . . awwwh that would have been heaven.





Before we knew it, the night of the wedding arrived.  Danielle looked beautiful. . . the bridal party was stunning.


The flowers were gorgeous. . . .




The cake was spectacular.  I really loved the D, A and B cake toppers.

The General Manager and Danielle for the Father-Daughter dance.  Watching them dance around the floor, smiling at one another, brought tears to my eyes and many thoughts of going through this 5 more times. . . .


Andrew and his mom, Linda dancing. . .



A few more of our precious peas. . .






We arrived safely home this evening, sorry that our vacation was over, but glad that we went and now really looking forward to seeing Danielle, Andrew, Emma and Ben at the end of the month when they come to visit.

Congratulations Anne: 8th Grade Graduation

I thought I'd share our evening with all of you.  Tonight we enjoyed the home school 8th grade graduation, where Anne was one of the seven graduates.

Of course Grandpa and Grandma came to enjoy the presentation, but I think the funny farm was right in front of them. . . many giggles were coming from their side of the row.

Our Graduate!

Anne's wall of fame turned out beautiful, everyone especially loved the 14 random facts about Anne.  I told her in four more years it would need to be upgraded to 18 random facts.

It has been such a priviledge and a joy to be able to home school her all these years.  She is such a blessing to our family and we look forward to seeing what God has planned for her to accomplish the last four years of our school.  Keep up the good work sweetheart!

Happy Mother's Day. . .and another great recipe

Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Herbs and Lemon Marinated Chicken and Cherry Tomatoes

Happy Mother's Day. .  I pray your day was extra special.

Mother's Day is a great day to try a new recipe on the family.  We had a rather large lunch after church today so we didn't want anything too heavy for dinner . . our bellies were still overly full.

This was a recipe I happen to stumble across on pinterest one evening.  We are big Italian food fans - have I mentioned that before?  I think spaghetti is a basic weekly occurrence in our home;  need I mention the olive garden salad dressing.

I didn't use the lemon-marinated chicken in the recipe this time.  I wanted something meatless since we had over indulged at the Chinese restaurant during lunch.  All I can say is that the spaghetti with garlic gravy was so heavenly; little George had three platefuls.  Even my  picky eaters didn't pick out the tomatoes for once.  The recipe really didn't need the chicken, but I will try it another day with the chicken because the marinade sounds absolutely wonderful.  I will anxiously look forward to trying some more of  Jeannie Maristela's great recipes.

How was your Mother's Day and what special things did you do with your family?

Blessings,

Michelle

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fourteen years

fourteen years::

one::  sweet baby who never wanted to sleep . . .Dad and I took turns driving around at night to keep her sleeping. . .maybe momma should have stopped having those chocolate shakes from Wendys???

two::  she survived this year on goldfishes and pepperoni. . and maybe an occassional smidge of homemade salsa

three::  her favorite saying, "Yippee, I'm FREE."

four::  her first bus trip all the way from Florida to Louisiana . she ended up staying with her Dad and Sarah while Momma finished up school.

five::  her best friend was April, who lived across the street from us.  They were inseparable.  Her sister Hannah was born this year and her big sister Sarah came back to live with us permanently.

six::  She was a Daisy Girl, she played T-ball (especially for her Dad) and she got to attend her first official baseball game for the Dayton Dragons.

seven::  We traveled to Chicago for the weekend and she got to pick out her first American Girl doll from the American Girl Place.  The doll looked just like her; she named her Elizabeth.  Anne broke her arm while playing on the monkey bars and got a super cool lime green cast, but was very disappointed because it was summer time and that meant no swimming in the pool.  Her sister Lindsay was born this year.

eight::  Anne was our superstar swimmer in Colorado. .  they had a wonderful year round swim program where she could just swim like a fish all the time.









nine::  Our little girl finally had to get glasses.  The prescription was barely needed, but she was so thrilled to wear glasses we got them anyway knowing that with her family's history of wearing glasses, she too would eventually have to wear them.  All I remember about them is that they were PURPLE!

ten::  Dad took the girls to their first ever Monster Truck Jam - "what? did you say something?" was all momma heard for a day or so after the event.  Her sister Abby was born this year.

eleven::  met her best friend Kelsey online through each other's blogs.  They are like two peas in a pod.

twelve:: being a "tween" was a busy year.  Her Dad retired from the Air Force, we moved back to Northern California and we left a wonderful church family behind in Georgia.

thirteen::  her biggest milestone yet- becoming a teenager. . getting a facebook. . . .and a cell  phone now that she was officially babysitting.

I cannot wait to see what "fourteen" has instore for her. . . .  

We love you sweetheart!

Happy Birthday!

something rather addicting

Our family absolutely loves Italian food and some of them thought me crazy when I canned up 28 quarts of fresh tomatoes last year.  They thought me even crazier when I said that it probably wouldn't last until next year's harvest.  I hate to admit I was right, but we are down to our last 8 or 9 jars which will not last until this August when we get tomatoes from a local grower.  I dream of growing tomatoes, but unless I build a hoop house, like our dear friends, I will not see tomatoes here on the coast - we are just too damp and cold through the summer months.

Since moving to the far northern reaches of California, which is entirely void of most metropolitan restaurant chains some of the family has been going through severe withdrawals.  One of our favorite restaurants to visit on special occasions was Olive Garden.  It never seemed to fail that everyone ordered the soup and salad.  I have a recipe that nearly replicates the Sausage Toscano soup which everyone has enjoyed, but it's the salad dressing that I have yet to figure out.

Until. . . .
the other day when I was perusing around pinterest and I came across this recipe called "Olive Garden Salad Dressing the Traditional Foods Way."

Since, I am working on cooking foods in a more traditional manner my interest was piqued!


Olive Garden Salad the Traditional Foods Way:

• 1/2 c. mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
• 1/3 c. white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tb. honey
• 2 tb. each of grated Parmesan cheese and Romano cheese
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. parsley
• 1 Tb. lemon juice
• dash of salt and pepper

Pulse all ingredients in a blender until thoroughly combined and cheeses are finely minced. Drizzle over a green salad to taste and voila! No preservatives or corn syrup here!

I wanted to be the first guinea pig to try this, since we have pretty observant food critics in our home.  At first, it had a very strong lemon/vinegar taste, but over the last few days while it has settled into it's flavors in the refrigerator, it's turned into something that is quite delicious.  While it still does not match the Olive Garden dressing I remember so fondly, I highly recommend making this dressing.  It's flavors sneak up on you and it has a very nice creamy consistency.

Just so that you can compare recipes, here's another Olive Garden Salad Dressing recipe from a blog called Everyone's Gotta Eat.  Her ingredients will make any traditional foodie just cringe.  Even through my own inexperience I could see that most of the ingredients were not healthy.

Salad Dressing like Olive Garden's
1/2 Cup white vinegar
1/3 Cup water
1/3 Cup vegetable oil
1/4 Cup corn syrup
2 1/2 TBSP grated parmesan/romano cheese
2 TBSP pectin
1 egg- beaten
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1 pinch dried oregano
1 pinch red pepper flakes

--Combine all ingredients in blender on medium speed for 30 seconds to a minute. Blending well is key to a smooth, thick dressing. Under-blending will result in a runnier dressing. Chill 2-4 hours shaking occasionally. Keeps for 2 weeks, approx.

Happy Salad Eating!

Mexican Bean Soup

Along our journey of eating more whole foods, my precious peas are trying many new recipes.  One of the more recent ones was from the West Ladies, Homestead Blessings Cookbook; Mexican Bean Soup.  This is an amazing cookbook.  I got the cookbook for our daughter, Anne, for Christmas and since then we've tried several recipes; Better Than Carrot Cake Muffins and Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookies.

I quickly realized the other day that if all I do is "pin" recipes and ideas onto my pinterest page, trying nothing, then what really have I gained?   The least I can do is to share my trials, errors and/or successes.   So be ready, I plan on reporting the "testing out"  of my pinterest pins and new recipes that we are experimenting with.  But, back to the Mexican Bean Soup. . . . .

Mexican Bean Soup

2/3 cup dried pinto beans (soaked over night) 
2/3 cup dried red kidney beans (soaked over night)
2 TBSP dried parsley
1 TBSP chilli powder
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
6 cubes chicken bouillon (No MSG)
1 cup wagon wheel pasta, uncooked
1/2 cup brown or wild rice


Rinse beans after soaking over night.  Place in a large stockpot with 4 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat.  Let sit for 1 hour.  Drain beans and return to pot.  Add 8 cups of water and contents of flavor packet.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are tender.  Stir in rice and bring to a simmer.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Uncover and stir in pasta and 1/2 c water.  Simmer 10 minutes.     Makes 8 - 10 servings


Quick Note:  I did not use pinto beans as we did not have any, so I used black beans instead.  I also used homemade chicken stock instead of the chicken bouillon.  I also used regular whole wheat pasta.


I wish that I could paint a rose colored picture of this recipe, but even with these small substitutions, the verdict rang in that it was just okay- not a keeper recipe to cook each week.  Dear hubby said that it needed some kind of acid base, like crushed tomatoes and some type of meat (he's a tried and true meat and potatoes man with EVERY meal - I'd love to change that about him, but changing a man should be left for another post).  The girls turned their noses up to the soup and pushed all the beans off to the side.

I think we'll try the recipe again with some of the suggestions that dear hubby offered up and see what results we get.  As I said before, this is a journey and sometimes along the way we stumble, but what a blessing that we can try again tomorrow with another recipe.

whole foods journey

Have you ever spent every possible free moment indulging your desire to learn something new?  It seems like our librarian knows exactly what books to have ready for me when we visit the library each week.  If my eyes are not glued to one of Steve Solomon's gardening books, then I'm constantly absorbing as much information from a couple of new blogs.


Back in February I began telling about my burden to feed our family better; with whole foods, the way that God intended for our bodies to be fed.  While on this journey, I have been learning the reasoning behind many topics I've been exposed to over the years, but never really understood their importance, such as eating organic foods, sprouting wheat, and soaking grains and nuts.


So, I thought I would share the two websites that have been instrumental in my learning.


The first ~ the Weston A. Price Foundation


This is a good place to start.  It has several articles, by Sally Fallon, author of Nourishing Traditions.


The second ~ the Healthy Home Economist

My favorite part about her site is her extensive library of "how to" videos."  I have always loved learning via visual images and each of her videos are very informative.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think of the sites.  Do you have something that you are passionate about learning?