melissa sews

This blog is moving…

2010-03-24T09:20:00.001-05:00

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. Over the past year or so, this space has done quite a bit of changing. I still LOVE to sew, but my interests have expanded tremendously, and the metamorphosis around here has been evidence to that effect. I will leave this site intact, as I know many beginning seamstresses are visiting daily, but I will no longer be posting here.

I will continue my adventures in blogging, sewing, cooking, gardening, soap making, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I would love it if you’d follow me over here:

http://sweethomesteadalabama.blogspot.com/

An Idyllic Spring Weekend

2010-03-20T22:05:00.001-05:00

When it finally stopped raining, we promptly headed to our local Farmer’s Coop. We came home with several varieties of onions to plant and… We are now the proud owners of 18 (EIGHTEEN!) baby chicks. Much fun was had this first day of spring.

Sammy didn’t know what to think of all the chirping. One thing’s for sure… We’re going to have to watch her around those chicks!

Just so you know, when the sun finally made an appearance late Thursday evening, after being cooped up in the house all week, we didn’t hesitate to get out there in our pajamas!

Eww… Worms! I don’t hate ‘em. I just don’t want to touch them.

Fish were caught.

Crocs were worn.

We laughed.

My littlest love picked me many flowers.

Chalk pictures were created.

Isn’t she adorable? My little climber bit the dust this week. Ended up with a strawberry across that sweet little cheek. Poor baby.

I started 100 seedlings. Whew! I’m glad this was something I could do sitting down.

A front porch swing was a welcome addition to our little farm.

Ground cherries, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and celery were all seeded.

I love to use Jiffy Peat Pellet Greenhouses. They make starting seeds easy and they are inexpensive. I always save mine to use the next year because you can buy refill pellets. You can get them anywhere that sells seeds or plants.

I use seed starting mix for the transplants I want to allow to get larger before transplant, like tomatoes. And I like to wet it before I add the seeds. Much easier that way.

I was glad to have a garden helper today. Thanks, Daniel!

When our work was done, we gave the swing a little test drive.

It’s a keeper!

After Sara Lynn fell, and hurt her cheek, I asked her what would make her feel better. I was thinking of the boo-boo bunny (a clever little ice pack) or maybe a kiss. Nope. She wanted pretty toes… That’s my girl!

This is what we should have been doing this week. Cleaning out all the odds and ends from the garage. I mean, really. We’ve been here 6 months!!!

All in all, I’d say this was a wonderful Spring Break. I hope your first day of Spring was as fabulous as ours.

Just a note, I may be a little scarce around here over the next week or two. I’m having surgery again Monday. I have another ruptured disc in my neck. Please say a little prayer for me that I will be healed of this pain very soon. I have so many things that I want to do! And many things that I need to do.

Um… lots and lots of local heirloom seeds!

2010-03-19T13:37:00.001-05:00

Well, first of all, this man of mine really does love me. I’ve spent the last year or so looking for local heirloom seeds. I haven’t had any luck. At all.

Imagine my surprise when he came home yesterday with three very large boxes packed full of local heirloom seeds!

He even found heirloom seed potatoes, but couldn’t remember the name of them. I’ll have to give them a call later to find out.

Oh, how happy those Christmas Limas make me!!! For those of you who live near Montgomery (I’m thinking of you, Mary Frances) head on over to Wetumpka, Seed Processors, Inc. You will be so glad you made the short trip. It’s only about 10 minutes outside of Montgomery. These are the medium size packets, and most of them cost $2.00 or less. Sigh. That sweet man of mine bought me one package of everything in the store. Not all of them are heirloom varieties, but they are all locally grown, which means they should grow well for us. Yay!

Here's my list of seeds: (the ones not marked local came from Seed Savers)

BEANS

Blue Lake (pole) green (local)

Blue Lake (bush) green (local)

Kentucky Wonder (pole) (local)

Kentucky Wonder (bush) (local)

Rattlesnake (pole) green (local)

Contender (bush) (local)

Dixie Butterpea (bush) (local)

Cangreen Lima (bush) (local)

Jackson Wonder Lima (Bush) (local)

Christmas Lima (pole) (local)

Fordhook Bush (local)

Florida Butter Bean (pole) (local)

Henderson Bush (local)

Willow Leaf Lima (pole) (local)

Roma II Italian (bush) (local)

Good Mother Stollard (pole)

Cherokee Trail of Tears Black (pole)

BEET

Detroit Dark Red (local)

BROCCOLI

Romamesco spiral

CABBAGE

Copenhagen Market

CANTELOPE

Hale's Best Jumbo (local)

Amish

Honey Dew (local)

Rocky Ford (local)

Planter's Jumbo (local)

CARROT

Chantenay (local)

Danvers

Imperator (local)

CAULIFLOWER

Snowball (local)

COLLARDS

Georgia Collards (local)

Morris Heading (local)

CORN

Hickory King Yellow (local)

Hickory King White (local)

Trucker's Favorite White (local)

Trucker's Favorite Yellow (local)

Golden Bantam

Country Gentleman

2 inch Strawberry Popcorn

CUCUMBER

Spacemaster Bush (local)

Marketer (local)

Pickling (local)

True Lemon

GROUND CHERRIES

Aunt Molly's

KALE

Siberian Improved (local)

Lacinato

MUSTARD

Southern Giant Curled (local)

Florida's Broadleaf (local)

OKRA

Dwarf Long Pod (local)

Clemson Spineless (local)

Hill Country Red

ONION

Yellow of Parma

PEAS

Pinkeye Purple Hull (local)

English Peas/Early Alaska (local)

English Peas/Sugar Snap (local)

English Peas/Little Marvel (local)

California Blackeye

Mississippi Purple Hull (local)

Black Crowder (local)

Knuckle Purple Hull/Brown Crowder (local)

Zipper Cream Peas (local)

Top Pick Cream Peas (local)

Mississippi Cream Peas (local)

Mississippi Silverskin (local)

PEPPERS (HEAT)

Nepalese Bell (4)

Tobago Seasoning (3)

Alma Paprika (1)

Buran (0)

RADISH

Scarlet Globe (local)

Sparkler White Tip (local)

RUTABAGA

Rutabaga (unknown) (local)

SOYBEAN

Fiskeby

SPINACH

Bloomsdale (local)

SQUASH

Acorn/Table Queen (local)

Cornfield Pumpkin

Dark Green Zucchini (local)

Yellow Crookneck (local)

Yellow Straightneck (local)

Butternut (unknown) (local)

TOMATO

Brandywine

Green Zebra

Gold Medal

Cherokee Purple

Rose

TURNIP

Shogoin (local)

Purple Top (local)

White Egg (local)

WATERMELON

Black Diamond (local)

Crimson Sweet (local)

Desert King Yellow Meat (local)

Congo (local)

Charleston Gray (local)

Jubilee (local)

Sugar Baby Icebox (local)

Moon and Stars (Van Doren)

Homemade Whole Grain Pizza Crust

2010-03-18T08:55:00.001-05:00

You may have noticed that I’ve been consumed with bread making this month. It was a big part of my commitment to the Real Food Challenge over at Not Dabbling in Normal. It’s also been nice to make all of our bread. I’ve even made noodles and tortillas, which I’ll share later. But for now, I wanted to share this wonderful whole wheat pizza crust recipe with you. It’s easy and delicious.

As usual, I used a 1/2 spelt, 1/2 wheat mix in my dough, but I’m sure it would be delicious with all whole wheat. And I topped it with pizza sauce, cooked and crumbled ground beef (seasoned heavily with minced onions, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper), thinly sliced zucchini and bell pepper, and lots of mozzarella cheese. I always use whatever fresh vegetables I have on hand to top our pizza, and this week we had zucchini in our Grow Alabama vegbox, and I scored some semi-local Florida bell pepper at the health foods store.

It’s raining, again, but if it ever stops, I’m planning to start seeds for tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and onions this week. I can hardly wait to sink my teeth into some fresh tomatoes!!!

It’s raining, it’s pouring…

2010-03-17T16:22:00.001-05:00

And the kids are NOT snoring. This Spring Break is quickly turning into a wash-out. I enjoy a good rainy day now and again, but this is a bit much. It was nice out yesterday, and we did get out and do a bit of garden shopping. Asparagus, blueberries, blackberries, grapes, kiwis, and raspberries were purchased. But, poor Sara Lynn just declared that this day was boring.

This is the second rainy day this week… and it’s just Wednesday!We had such high hopes of spending this week outside getting the garden beds planted, doing a bit of fishing, and jumping on the trampoline. Oh, well. It’ll all have to wait.

We’ve had fashion shows…

Played more video games than I usually allow…

Baked some Apple Oat Muffins…

Enjoyed a tea party or two…

These muffins are really good. And good for you, too.

Go make some already! They’re super easy.

I love the way rain looks coming down across the water.

And I’m ecstatic now that the pear trees are in bloom. Now, if only the sun would make an appearance, we could get outside and enjoy this delicious taste of spring. Meanwhile, I’m off to do some puzzles with these antsy kids of mine.

4:00pm… Spring Break 2010

2010-03-16T16:30:00.000-05:00

Well, no one seemed to mind that our first day of Spring Break was spent indoors. The weather was overcast, misting rain at times, so the day was perfect for this…

and this…

and even this…

While everyone else was busy catching a few zzz’s, Mama spent the afternoon in her kitchen happily trying new recipes. I have more delicious goodness to share with you soon.

Yep. It was a good day.

I’ve been itching to do a little sewing lately, but to be honest, it’s just too hard on my neck to stay at the machine very long. I’m having what I hope will be the last surgery on my neck Monday. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do all the things I want to do very soon.

My Favorite Whole Grain Sandwich Bread and Cinnamon Rolls (or Sticky Buns)

2010-03-15T16:10:00.001-05:00

The secret to really good whole wheat sandwich bread that is moist and soft is allowing it to rise properly. I allow this dough to rise four times. It’s also important to knead your dough long enough. This can take quite a while if you’re kneading by hand.

When I knead by hand, I knead for 15 minutes, allow my dough (and me!) to rest for 10 minutes, and then knead for 15 minutes more. These days, I prefer to use my KitchenAid’s dough hook attachment and allow it to knead for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough appears somewhat smooth and elastic.

For the 1st rise, place the dough into a bowl with a tablespoon or two of EV olive oil. Turn the dough to coat all sides, cover with a damp towel, and allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 – 1 1/2 hours.

For the 2nd rise, punch dough down gently, turn it over, cover, and allow it to rise again until doubled. This usually takes half the time of the first rise.

For the third rise, punch dough down gently once more, divide and shape as desired (above I used half the dough for a sandwich loaf and the other half for cinnamon rolls), and place in pans, again covered with a towel, to rise until almost doubled, about 20 minutes.

The forth rise happens during the first 5 minutes of baking.

You can see here what a difference it makes in the final product. Mmmm….

I try to keep my cinnamon rolls somewhat healthy by not using too much sugar, and the sugar I use is organic evaporated cane juice. I usually use 1/2 cup of sugar and a tablespoon of cinnamon for the filling, and 8 ozs. of cream cheese whipped with 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar for the topping. Sometimes we drizzle honey over the top instead.

Feel free to experiment with your own ideas. More ideas here.

Oh, my! These are sooooo delicious!

Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is!

Here’s the recipe I adapted from Sue Gregg’s Whole Grain Baking Cookbook:

Whole Grain Dough

1 cup hot water

3/4 cup plain yogurt, whey, kefir, buttermilk, ~ or 1/2 cup lemon juice (I prefer Stonyfield Creamtop Plain Yogurt)

4 cups whole wheat flour, spelt, or kamut (I substitute 1/2 cup of soy flour for extra protein, and use half spelt/half wheat mix)

Mix above ingredients, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and allow to stand overnight. (This is optional, and I sometimes forget to do this the night before. The bread is still delicious when prepared the same day. Soaked grains are easier to digest.)

1 cup warm water

1 TBSP active dry yeast (or 1/4 oz packet)

1/2 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. baking soda (added after mixture bubbles)

Mix above ingredients and let stand for 5 – 10 minutes, until frothy.

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup honey

2 tsp. sea salt

Mix above ingredients and add it, flour mixture, and yeast mixture to a mixing bowl. Knead by hand (or machine) until well blended. Turn out onto floured surface (if hand kneading) and knead for 20-30 minutes, until smooth and elastic. If kneading by machine, knead for 10-15 minutes.

1-2 cups whole wheat, spelt, or kamut flour

You may add up to 2 additional cups of flour to dough as needed to prevent sticking while kneading. I usually add about 1 cup of flour, only adding enough to allow dough to pull away cleanly from sides of mixing bowl. If you add to much flour, your dough will be dry and tough!

***Follow the directions at the top of this post for rising.

This recipe makes 2 loaves, or 1 loaf and one pan of cinnamon rolls.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes (or until the loaf sounds hollow when you thump it) for loaves, and 20-25 minutes for cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!

TIPS: If you need instructions on assembling the cinnamon rolls, try here. Instead of cutting with a knife, I use a piece of string (fishing line or dental floss work best!) slid gently beneath the log of dough, and then pulled crosswise across the top. It makes the cleanest cut. And I cook all my bread in stoneware pans. It cooks more evenly without allowing the bottom to become too brown. Don’t forget to spray or grease the bottom of your pans!

How to knead

How to shape loaves

Understanding yeast

Decision made: Canon EOS Rebel XS

2010-03-11T20:10:00.001-06:00

It’s a done deal. I am now the owner of a Canon EOS Rebel XS. It came with two lenses, bonus Canon bag, and an in depth instruction manual (which I will rely heavily upon!) I’m excited about learning to use this DSLR camera, but must admit that it is a bit intimidating. So, if my shots around here over the next few weeks are less than perfect… you’ll know why!

Tonight, I’ve folded my favorite quilt, put away my flannel pajamas, and settled into my favorite chair wearing springtime pajamas. The windows and screened doors are open, and it feels so good to have a comfortably cool breeze blowing through the house. This amazingly beautiful, 75 degree day has motivated me to learn to use this camera in record time.

All of the trees show visible budding, and I can hardly wait to plant my spring garden! I’m ready, are you?

Camera-less

2010-03-10T08:38:00.001-06:00

I dropped my beloved Nikon last week, so I’m on the hunt for another camera today. I’m thinking about splurging on my first DSLR, but I’m undecided at this point. I’ve really enjoyed my P90… it was a great camera that served me well. My only complaint was the quality of low-light shots. They turned out quite grainy.

Decisions, decisions. What’s a girl to do?

On another note, I came across an older gentlemen selling this Yellow Root Tea. I don’t imagine I’ll drink it, but it was an interesting local find. What can I say… I’m a sucker for the unusual!

Refreshing Your Sourdough Starter

2010-03-09T08:15:00.001-06:00

Leftover starter can be stored in your refrigerator for a few weeks, or longer in your freezer. When you’re ready for more sourdough bread, you’ll need to refresh the starter. It’s easy.

You should have reserved 1 quart of starter from your last batch. Remove the lid from your jar of leftover starter, place your starter in a large bowl, and allow the starter to come to room temperature. Add one cup of rye flour plus enough water to make the mixture soupy each day, changing to a clean bowl, until 3 quarts are obtained. This takes about 3 days. Be sure that your starter goes through the bubbly, frothy stage again, and then it’s ready to use.

It’s important to remember to feed your starter at approximately the same time each day, and to store it in a warm, open area. That’s a little difficult to do if the weather isn’t warm, but on top of your refrigerator or beside a sunny window work well. I have a smooth, glass top stove which I allow my bowl to rest on after I’m done cooking and the glass is still warm. You don’t want to allow your starter to get too hot though. So, be careful if you do this.

There’s nothing quite like fresh sourdough bread. We enjoyed it last night sliced and topped with pizza sauce, cheese, hard salami, and mushrooms. Toasted in the oven for 10 minutes, it was an easy and delicious meal in minutes. We’ve also enjoyed it with apple butter or strawberry jam in the mornings. Divine! And it’s equally good with just a little butter alongside a bowl of chili or soup. Here are the links:

Sourdough Bread Starter

Easy Sourdough Bread

This is a very versatile bread, and it’s delightfully simple to make. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Almost Spring

2010-03-08T05:57:00.000-06:00

We’re in countdown to Spring mode around here lately.

The pear trees are on the verge of flowering.

The fig trees and their early buds survived our crazy, snowy weather last month.

An old pail stands ready after years of collecting figs. We’re incredibly happy to be here.

Even the plum and apple trees have sent out buds in anticipation of warmer days ahead.

My raised beds (look deep into the background) have been built and filled with composted garden soil. This hill of red clay dirt epitomizes Alabama. You can’t go very far around here without seeing some of this stuff. I love to look at it, but it doesn’t grow the best vegetables.

And here’s my sweet Sara Lynn, playing at dusk in her pajamas… just because it was a gorgeous day we didn’t want to end. I hope your weekend was as beautiful as ours! Even my husband’s tonsillectomy on Friday couldn’t keep us down. Thank God for liquid painkillers! : )

A Recipe: Easy Sourdough Bread

2010-03-03T16:47:00.002-06:00

This bread is amazing… and so easy to make. It just takes a bit of preparation beforehand. You’ll need to make sourdough bread starter first.

On day seven, feed your starter as usual. I’ve found that a 5 lb. bag of rye flour is enough to make two batches of starter. It takes a lot of flour to make the starter. Your starter should have gone through the bubbly, frothy stage. If not, try making it again from scratch, and be sure you feed it at the same time everyday and store it in a warm, open place.

Now, it’s a messy job when you’re dividing the starter. I used my one quart measuring bowl which has a pour spout to transfer it to jars.

Save one quart of the starter to start a new batch of starter, and use the remaining 2 quarts to make your bread. This recipe makes 3 large loaves that will keep for up to a week without refrigeration. If you don’t need that much bread at one time, or if you don’t have a HUMONGOUS dough bowl to mix it in, I would suggest using 1 quart of starter and halving this recipe (Half = 6 1/2 cups flour, 1 1/4 TBSP salt, 1/2 cup water, 1 quart starter).

I store my starter in the refrigerator in recycled glass jars. You could also freeze it, but be sure to leave plenty of head space in your jar. You also don’t want your starter to come in contact with metal.

Now, to make the bread, I use freshly milled spelt. You could also use whole wheat or kamut, but spelt gives the best loaf. It seems to rise better and make a slightly lighter loaf than whole wheat.

Add 1 cup of water and 2 1/2 TBSP salt to starter and stir until salt crystals dissolve. Slowly begin adding 13 cups of flour, stirring with a wooden spoon. Towards the end, it will be easier to mix with your hands. After all of the flour is incorporated, you may need to add an additional 1/2 cup of water if your dough is too thick. The dough should be soft, sticky, and pretty easy to knead.

Knead the flour right in your bowl, for about 15 minutes. This dough is stickier than most doughs I’ve kneaded, so don’t be alarmed. If you’re new to bread making and need a kneading tutorial, here's a good one with pictures. Just know that this dough will not be as smooth as the one pictured because they’re using white flour.

Do not punch the dough down. Gently pinch apart and shape into 3 loaves, or 5-6 smaller loaves. Cut slits in the top, cover with a dish towel, and let rise for 4-12 hours (it depends on how warm your house is.) You may bake in loaf pans or on a large sheet pan.

Man, oh man, was that a lot of dough!

I will probably do half as much next time.

I turned my oven on for 5 minutes, turned it off, and allowed my dough to rise (covered with a towel) inside my closed oven for 4 hours. When your dough has doubled in size, cook it at 350 degrees for 1 hour. If you like, rub butter over the top of the hot loaves after cooking.

I wish you were here to smell and taste this sourdough bread! Quite honestly, it is the very best bread I’ve ever tasted. And I’ve made many, many loaves of bread. It’s heavier than traditional sandwich bread, but has a wonderful heartiness and pleasantly sour taste. I’m serving it up tonight with a bowl of homemade chili. Yum!

Making Sourdough Bread Starter

2010-03-02T10:49:00.001-06:00

Making sourdough bread starter is really easy. All you need are two LARGE bowls, a wooden spoon, measuring cup, cheesecloth (or flour sack type kitchen towel), a bag of rye flour (milling your own rye would be even better!), and some water. It takes 7 days before your starter will be ready for baking bread.

On day one, mix 2 cups of rye flour (you could use whole wheat flour, but rye gives the most consistent results) with 2 cups of cold filtered water. Be sure not to use metallic bowls or utensils.

Cover bowl with cheesecloth or a towel, securing with a rubber band if necessary, and leave in a warm place (the top of your refrigerator or beside a sunny window both work well if your kitchen is cool) for 24 hours.

This is what my starter looked like before feeding it on day three.

Everyday, for the next 6 days, feed your starter (at approximately the same time of day) 1 cup of rye flour and enough water to make the mixture soupy again. Usually, 1 – 1 1/2 cups of water will do.

Stir with a wooden (or plastic) spoon and transfer mixture to a clean bowl.

This is what my starter looked like before feeding it on day six. See all those bubbles? That’s what you want. It’s fermenting and that’s what will make your bread rise and taste yummy. It should have a slightly sour, wine-like aroma.

On day seven, feed it as usual, and the starter is ready for making bread. Save 1 quart of starter for your next batch of starter. If you’re not going to use the next batch of starter right away, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

To start a new batch, place the starter in a bowl and add 1 cup of rye flour plus water each day, changing bowls, until 3 quarts are obtained.

This recipe was adapted from my Nourishing Traditions cookbook. I can’t tell you enough about how wonderful this book is!!! It is my go-to cookbook. Very different from your usual cookbooks. Sally Fallon explains the ‘why’ to her recipes and offers a new (which is actually the way of old traditions) way to eat healthy. She encourages making everything from scratch. Yes, everything! Even things like crackers, ketchup, mustard, and of coarse, sourdough bread. This way, you know exactly what you’re eating. No harmful preservatives or icky additives.

I’ll share my Nourishing Traditions recipe for sourdough bread with you tomorrow!

My Singer (K-series) Sewing Machine

2010-03-01T09:51:00.001-06:00

Unfortunately, I have discovered that there isn’t a lot of information out there on my old Singer sewing machine.

What I do know is that it is a Singer K-series: K619639. These machines were manufactured in Elizabethport, NJ from 1902-1903. I haven’t had any luck finding replacement parts or a manual, but I haven’t given up on that. You never know what you might come across on eBay.

Even if we are unable to restore this sewing machine to good working condition, it is such a wonderful piece of history to have in our home. The kids and I have very much enjoyed ‘playing’ with it, and seeing the old treadle foot pedal propel the machine.

I can’t imagine ever parting with it, and I am extremely grateful that my dear husband knows just how to make this girl happy.

Not Dabbling in Normal: Real Food Challenge

2010-02-26T09:58:00.000-06:00

Up until about an hour ago, I was still floundering on my decision to participate in this challenge. March will be a difficult month around my house. My hubs and I are both facing surgeries, we have a kitchen remodeling project underway, and it just didn’t seem doable. But… I am in, and will give it my best.

We already eat most things from scratch. No fast food or sodas for my family. For the last year, we have been steadily cutting out processed foods. We have been eating seasonally and locally (for the most part) this winter thanks to our local CSA: www.growalabama.com.

We occasionally eat store bought crackers, chips, and breakfast cereal. Those will be difficult to completely do without, but not impossible. I’m planning to stock my freezer with homemade bread, muffins, cookies, and a few pre-made casseroles so we will be less tempted to ‘cheat’ on difficult days.

The crackers and chips will be the hardest for us. I’ve been wanting to try making my own crackers ever since Suzy mentioned that she makes her own. This is my golden opportunity to give it a go. And I’ll experiment with making homemade tortillas, too. I’m getting really excited!!! No more excuses. I think I’ll spend the day in my kitchen.

In Progress: Kitchen Renovation

2010-02-26T06:28:00.000-06:00

We have had a little kitchen renovation project in the works around here this week. We knew when we bought this house that the bathrooms and kitchen would need some updating. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed this little kitchen. But there are some things we wanted to change to make it more functional for us.

Here is the before shot. It’s the day after we moved in. You can see we had a modified L-shape kitchen with a wrap around peninsula.

I have so loved the little bar area and bookshelf combo where the kids have eaten their breakfast and snacks. The problem was that it made the kitchen seem small and cramped, especially when we have guests.

So, the little bar is gone, and we’re trying to decide the best way to go from here.

We both love the look of natural granite, and it’s durability. We’re just struggling to justify the cost at this point. I won’t miss those old Formica laminate countertops in the least, but I’d like to make an environmentally sound and affordable choice. We’re undecided as to what we’ll end up doing. The cabinetry is in excellent shape, so we’ll refinish those. The countertops are proving to be our biggest expense, so we can afford to splurge a little here. I keep telling myself that granite will never need to be replaced.

We’ve also decided that a kitchen island is a must. I need the extra work and storage space. If possible, we’d like to rework the old peninsula to serve this purpose. It’s always better to use what you already have - it saves time, money, and waste. Although, I’m not sure how this particular repurposing will turn out. The peninsula is still rather large for the space. We’re going to try modifying it this weekend.

I’m really liking the way this kitchen has been opened up. It seems SO MUCH LARGER even though it hasn’t grown an inch. Traffic flow issues have been solved.

And I love this kitchen island. I have in mind to do something similar for our own. I’m blessed to have a wonderful husband who has many skills. We’ve never had to call a plumber or electrician. He’s an excellent carpenter, too. I look forward to seeing what he designs for our little kitchen.

Melissa’s (Made from Scratch) Pumpkin Pie

2010-02-24T19:46:00.001-06:00

This is my recipe for pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin (not canned – although you could use it). This is a great way to use up those last few pumpkins or other winter squash left from your fall harvest. I’ve adapted this recipe from my Fannie Farmer and Sue Gregg cookbooks to suit our needs and tastes. I use only natural ingredients (mostly organic). Yes, I use real butter. But honestly, you need some good quality animal fat in your diet. No chemical laden butter substitutes allowed in my kitchen. I trust cows over chemists.

The easiest way to prepare pumpkin flesh is to cut it in half, scoop out all the seeds and stringy stuff, and then cut it into wedges. My pumpkin was small, so quartering it worked for me. (Be sure to save those seeds for roasting alongside the pumpkin! You’ll just need to keep a close eye on those, as they burn easily and are often ready before the pumpkin is fully cooked. They’re delicious lightly salted.) I bake my pumpkin at 375 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. It depends on the size of your pumpkin.

While the pumpkin is cooking I gather all of my ingredients (recipe at bottom). Just look at those gorgeous fresh organic eggs! If you look closely, the one on the far left is blue-ish in color. It comes from an Araucana chicken, also known as an Easter Egger. My kids think those are the coolest!

When the pumpkin is tender, you’ll be able to scrape it from the skin using a spoon. I usually put my butter on the warm (not hot) baking sheet to soften.

It’s nice to have a helper in the kitchen. I always have help with the baking. Today, Daniel joined me. We had such fun! He is an expert pumpkin masher.

While he mashed the pumpkin, I measured my ingredients.

You can use honey in this recipe, but if you have sorghum, that’s the way to go. It’s rich and thick, similar to molasses. I bake with it often.

After I have my pumpkin pie filling mixed, I start on my crust. I cut in my butter using an old fashioned nut chopper, but you can also use a fork or two knives. I’ve never owned a pastry cutter.

If you end up with more filling than will fit in your pie crust (it’s hard to find the exact size pumpkin you need!), no worries. Pour into ramekins and serve as pumpkin pudding. Daniel actually prefers the pudding. The small dishes will bake up more quickly, so keep a check on those.

Melissa’s Pumpkin Pie

2 c. cooked and mashed pumpkin flesh

3/4 c. organic whole milk (if you use store- bought canned pumpkin, you will need 1/2 c. extra milk)

4 eggs

1/2 c. sorghum or honey

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. You can use a blender for this if you desire a perfectly smooth pumpkin pie. I mix mine by hand because I love the texture of fresh pumpkin. Pour pumpkin mixture into pie crust (and extra ramekins if necessary) and bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes or until set.

9 inch Pie Crust

1 1/2 c. unbleached naturally white all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter

6-7 Tbsp. cold water

Blend flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. I use an old fashioned nut chopper, but you could use a fork or two knives. I’ve never owned (or needed) an actual pastry cutter. Add just enough water to get the dough to form a ball. Begin mixing with a fork, and then incorporate all of the flour using your hands. Form dough into a ball and turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out dough until it will cover your pie plate. Gently roll crust onto rolling pin so that it will transfer easily to the pie plate (I prefer stoneware). Trim the edges and crimp if you like.

It’s equally good fresh from the oven as it is from the refrigerator. (Refrigerate any leftovers.) Enjoy!

Estate Sale Finds

2010-02-23T06:57:00.000-06:00

Well, I didn’t find any canning jars at the estate sale, but I’m still a happy camper. I found this fabulous old Crockpot which makes me giddy!

And I bought this box of old glassware without really knowing what was inside.

I could see these gorgeous bubble glasses at the top of the box.

But, I had no idea this was inside…

Or this butter dish…

Or this bud vase…

Or these small dishes…

Or these plates…

But, the pièce de résistance was these glasses. Did I mention that our last name begins with P? Yes, I am quite happy with my purchases! Daniel was thrilled to have the monogrammed glasses, too.

And I also purchased a 32 cup electric coffee percolator, but for some strange reason, I didn’t take a picture of it. Sorry! We will begin hosting our 'Life Group’ at church in our home in a couple of weeks, so I thought it would be nice to have a large capacity coffee brewer. (I’ll get a picture for you soon!) I think for $20 total, I did quite well at the sale.

Off to an estate sale…

2010-02-22T08:20:00.002-06:00

Just a quick note to tell you I hope your weekend was as wonderful as mine. Spring was in the air! The temperature was around 65 degrees, and the sun was shining. We spent our Saturday building raised garden beds, fishing, and doing a little tidying around the outside of the house. It was so refreshing to throw open the windows and air the house out. Hard to believe we had snow last weekend.

Now, I’m off to an estate sale to see what I can find. I collect old stoneware and vintage fabric. I’ve also been on the lookout for canning jars and a pressure canner. It’ll be harvest season before you know it!

Book Week in Blogland

2010-02-19T08:59:00.001-06:00

Did you know that it’s Book Week in blogland? I missed that memo, too. It’s not officially Book Week, but I can’t tell you how many book related posts I’ve read this week. I thought I’d play along.

We love books around here. Old, new, it doesn’t matter. My children inherited most of the books from my childhood, and we add to the collection almost every week.

I purchase the bulk of our books in thrift stores for $0.25 - $3.00.

I never mind spending money on books. I look at it as a sound investment in our mental health. Seriously. I encourage my children to ‘build good, strong brain muscles.’

For books I can’t find used, I usually purchase them online at amazon.com and utilize the super saver (free) shipping. I can usually buy books online for half of what they charge in the bookstores.

I found these new sewing books for under $5 each at www.createforless.com and had them shipped free of charge. They list for around $20 each elsewhere!

This organic gardening book is one of my favorite thrifty finds. It is full of good information that I’m sure I’ll reference for many years to come.

I like the layout here: lots of tables and plants are arranged alphabetically for easy referencing.

I also do quite a bit of ‘pleasure’ reading.

This one is next in line.

Daniel’s favorites are the Magic Tree House series (there’s a link in my sidebar if you’re interested) and the Hardy Boys. If you have an 8-year-old boy (or there abouts) I highly recommend them.

And for those of you who are interested in my research progress on the antique singer sewing machine, I'll have a post next week detailing my discoveries. I’m having a great time with this project!

A VERY Good Gift: Antique Singer Sewing Machine

2010-02-17T14:38:00.001-06:00

Oh, my! This machine makes my heart skip a beat every time I look at it. Seriously.

The woodwork on the cabinet alone is enough to make me swoon.

And I have no idea how to use it… yet.

Just look at this beauty!!!

It is powered by a foot-pedal. Sigh.

I don’t even know what model Singer this machine is…

But I intend to find out.

Just how did we survive before the internet? I *heart* Google. You can find out about pretty much anything by doing a little search online.

I am a happy woman. I am a blessed woman. That wonderful man of mine certainly knows how to give a good gift, doesn’t he?

And I got some gorgeous tulips to boot. He knows me well enough to know that I prefer practical gifts. Flowers I can plant in my garden, and not cut roses that will be thrown out in a week’s time. A sewing machine that doesn’t require electricity. That might come in handy some day. You never know when you might be without electricity. We believe in being prepared.

1 Toddler + 1 Sharpie = 1 Not-So-Happy Mama

2010-02-16T07:05:00.000-06:00

Hmmm… I know EXACTLY who would do a thing like this.

We’ve had major problems with Sara Lynn’s recent artistic exploits. There has been toothpaste art on the bathroom counters, green smiley face ink stamps on the carpet at the top of the stairs, numerous suspicious crayon markings all over the house, and now, a black permanent Sharpie swirly on my dining room wall. Mama is not happy about this.

Sara Lynn is a girl who has her own sense of style, and she’s not shy about it. She often rearranges items around the house, moving candles from one spot to another, and stealing my good silverware for her play kitchen. I recently caught her putting away my neatly folded laundry in her playroom cupboards. That’s my girl. I had to smile, even though I knew I’d end up re-folding all those clothes.

Motherhood is such a wonderful journey. I try to remind myself this when I’m in the midst of an incident like the one with the Sharpie. I try to make the most of every day because I know that they’ll be grown and gone all too soon. God is good. Life is good. Life is short. Let’s not sweat the small stuff people! (But I am getting rid of the Sharpies!!!)

A Good Day to Crochet (and Frosty’s Demise)

2010-02-15T06:17:00.000-06:00

This is what it looked like when we woke up on Saturday morning.

By the time I had brewed our coffee, this was happening.

I knew that our short lived snow holiday was coming to an abrupt end. This is ALABAMA, after all.

And by lunch time, Frosty had keeled over.

This was the scene as my sweet daughter awoke from her afternoon nap.

My children were less than happy about the loss of their beloved friend.

I made these brownies in an effort to cheer them. It was a sad day.

But, it was a good day for crochet.

I decided to dig out this UFO that had been long neglected.

I crocheted all afternoon and into the night. It felt good. And when I finish, I can move on to this. It’s good motivation for me!

Family Fun in the Snow

2010-02-12T18:43:00.001-06:00

I can’t even begin to express with words the fun that was had on our snow day. I think these pictures will speak for themselves…

There were snowball fights…

And smiling faces…

And more snowballs…

And bigger snowballs…

There were snow angels…

And funny faces…

And shocked grass that was just beginning to green…

More funny faces… Boy the white stuff was cold!

There was snowflake catching…

And family snowflake catching contests…

And a snowman (who happens to be wearing one of my favorite scarves!)…

And two little kiddos who so loved the snow…

There were confused pups who had no idea what snow was all about!!!

It was a happy day.

And now we’re all settled in for a long winter’s nap.

It’s snowing here today… in Alabama

2010-02-12T09:10:00.001-06:00

We don’t often get snow here in Alabama. The kids are so excited that we’ll be able to build snowmen and make snow angels by this afternoon. It seemed crazy when our weatherman said we were under a Winter Storm Advisory and that 2-4 inches were predicted for today.

So, we intend to enjoy this rare event. We have plenty of firewood, in the event the power goes out. And my pantry is fully stocked. I’m curled up by a nice warm fire as I write this. It’s going to be a good day around here!

Let’s make bread

2010-02-10T06:19:00.000-06:00

I want to send out a big THANK YOU to Kim over at The Inadvertent Farmer for recommending this grain mill to me. I love it! (She has a great bread making tutorial on her blog, so pay her a little visit if you’re interested.)

I purchased my grain mill on eBay from hhdynamics, who deals exclusively with WonderMills. They also service them, should you ever need some help with your mill. I chose a refurbished one with the full warranty and saved $50 compared to the cost of a new mill.

I also own the manual version of The Family Grain Mill, but I wanted a mill that would be quick and easy to use on a regular basis. My WonderMill certainly fits the bill!

It’s really fun to use. Sara Lynn loves to help. But beware, it’s pretty loud!

I draped a towel around the edges of the flour container to keep flour dusting to a minimum. It worked well.

We were so excited to mill our first batch of whole wheat flour!

It was impossible to keep Sara Lynn’s little fingers out of the fresh, warm flour.

She ended up making a few handprints while I milled up some spelt. (Don’t worry, I made her wash her hands before we started!)

I adore my Kitchen Aid mixer. I thought about buying the KA adapter for my Family Grain Mill, but I don’t want to overwork my beloved machine. It kneads my bread for me, so it works hard enough as it is.

My friends, it caused me a bit of panic when it was time to clean the kitchen up.

I really should have washed those dishes before I decided to make bread!

After pinching off dough for rolls, and setting them aside to rise, I decided brownies would be good, too. (And I wasn’t quite ready to tackle the kitchen clean-up just yet. I had to work up to it!)

So, I whipped up a quick batch of Sue Gregg's brownies. I hate to admit it, but these weren’t my favorite. This is the first of her recipes that I wasn’t crazy about. I like a nice chocolate-y, chewy brownie when I have one, which isn’t often. These were kind of dry and bland. Typical health food fare. What did I expect?

I’m going to try these next time.

Now, Sue Gregg’s whole grain bread dough is awesome! I use it for rolls, sandwich bread, and cinnamon raisin bread. It’s the best bread recipe I’ve ever tried.

I also realized at 7:00pm that it might be nice to actually eat something with our bread for dinner. I can get a little carried away sometimes! Making bread is so much fun.

And I didn’t even mind that it was 9:00pm before I had the kitchen back in order. But boy, was I tired!

Seeds have arrived!

2010-02-09T07:10:00.000-06:00

This means that Spring is just around the corner, right? Right.

Please, please say it is so!

I can’t bear much more of these dark, wintry days knowing that these seeds lie in wait.

Just look at these beauties…

Oh, and the prairie flowers that will light my summer afternoons!

I can almost taste these tomatoes.

And have you ever seen the likes of these?

I can hardly wait to give them a try!

There will be peppers, pumpkins, and ground cherries, too.

And flowers, in abundance. Because what is summer without flowers?

Now, all we have to do is install all those raised beds I have planned. I guess it’s a good thing that I have a few weeks left before the last estimated frost!

Favorite Places: Pine Level, AL

2010-02-08T08:22:00.001-06:00

If you live in central Alabama, or find yourself passing through, Sikes and Kohn’s Country Mall is worth the stop. Every February they have a sale, and we all get new shoes. It’s a tradition.

They have boots, tennis shoes, Crocs, flip-flops, dress shoes, and on and on. They also have jeans, shorts, coveralls, purses, belts, dresses, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. Their everyday prices are good, but their sale prices are irresistible.

Lucky for me, Sikes and Kohn’s is only a 15 minute drive from our home, and I get to take the scenic back roads.

I love the slow, lazy drive between my home and Pine Level, AL. There are very few houses along the way, but there are several old homesteads. I enjoy imagining what life would have been like for them.

So beautiful. There are a lucky few who inhabit this extremely rural area.

I had to laugh when I saw this sign!

And old barns make my heart swell.

This is Pine Level’s one and only traffic light. It’s a caution light. My husband grew up here, so it’s nice to visit once in a while.

And did I mention the shoes?

We’re good to go for the next year.

Trying something new: Embroidery

2010-02-05T05:58:00.000-06:00

Well, it’s not exactly new to me, but since I haven’t embroidered anything since childhood, I feel like it’s the first time.

It seems I have my crafty mojo back lately. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I’ve been off from work for the past month! And I’m finally to the point in my recovery that I feel like doing something. Anything. EVERYTHING!

These lamps are also new around here. When we bought this house, and spent our first night here, we realized that there were no overhead lights in any of the rooms. This doesn’t bother me because I am very fond of the soft glow that lamp light provides and overhead lighting is often harsh. But it meant that the lamps I already owned were relocated from their previous positions into spaces where light was need the most. Unfortunately for me, my sewing space did not make the cut.

I’ve spent the last few months perpetually on the look out for the perfect (and affordable) lamps I needed for my sewing table. I’ve been to thrift shops, and flea markets, and antique malls, but was unable to find a suitable used lamp at a reasonable price.

I often shop at Ross or TJ Maxx when I need (or want, to be more honest) something for my home and I cannot find it secondhand. They are both discount stores and have the most amazing kitchen gadgets, stoneware, and house wares in general, at unbelievably good prices. I found these lamps (which I adore) for $11.99 each, plus $1.99 for the shades. They were worth the wait. And I love getting a good deal!

I also picked up these nice kitchen towels for under $1 each. I have in mind exactly what I want to do with them. Back in the fall, I received Anna Maria Horner’s new book Seams to Me. (You can find the link in my sidebar. It’s my top recommendation for sewing books – an excellent choice for beginners, but it also has fun projects for any skill level.) I’ve been wanting to try her embroidered and appliquéd kitchen towels for some time. I’m crazy about those yo-yo flowers.

So, it seems I’m good to go. And because I do nothing half way, I bought enough embroidery thread to last the rest of my life! It was an economical purchase I made at our local Hobby Lobby. For the same price of 20 small individual skeins of embroidery thread, I was able to buy a bulk package of 150 skeins of thread. A real no-brainer.

And, FYI, Hobby Lobby has a weekly online coupon which you can print out and save on in-store purchases. Usually it’s 40% off of any one item. How’s that for a good deal? It leaves me with no excuse not to try new projects.

In the kitchen: Frugal Beef, Barley & Vegetable Soup

2010-02-04T06:51:00.000-06:00

This is soup the way my grandmother always made it. It truly doesn’t get any more frugal than this. Nanny kept a bowl in her freezer into which she would put all of her leftover vegetables.

When the bowl was full of peas, carrots, beans, potatoes, or whatever else she had handy, it was time to make soup. I often save leftover bits of pot roast for my soup, too. This household would revolt if I served a meal without meat! But this dish is very filling, and doesn’t require much, if any, meat at all. I also had some leftover kale, which I shredded and tossed into the pot. There are no rules here.

Now, because I love barley and lentils, I add about a cup of each to thicken the soup. That’s my twist on an old family favorite. You could add corn, rice, or whatever else you fancy. I sometimes add pasta, but you’ll want to do this in the final 10 minutes of cooking. Otherwise, it will be a soggy, mushy mess.

I buy my grains online in 25 lb. bags and store them in inexpensive 2.5 gallon buckets available at the hardware store. (Wash them well and choose ones that are opaque! Also check the number on the bottom. It’s important to make sure it’s a good quality container. Read this for more info. ) There are many sites that sell grains online, and because I cannot find a local source, I choose to order them from Bob's Red Mill. I’ve been very pleased with my purchases:

hard red wheat berries

pearl barley

whole oat groats

soy beans

spelt

corn flour

apple cinnamon & grains hot cereal (which is a family favorite!)

flax seeds

hulled millet

They also have many different kinds of beans, flours, cereals, and the like. Check them out!

I fill the pot up with water and throw in some herbs and spices. Most of the time I use thyme, garlic, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and some onions to season the soup. But it truly depends on my mood. A little white wine is good if you have it. I don’t always. And a tablespoon or two of butter or extra virgin olive oil is also nice. Then, cover the pot and let it simmer for 2-3 hours.

Easy as pie. (This saying has always irked me – pie is not the easiest thing to whip up. Getting the crust right takes some effort!)

And it’s tasty, too. Cornbread makes a fabulous accompaniment.

Homemade Cinnamon Raisin Bread, and Butter

2010-02-03T06:34:00.002-06:00

I made cinnamon raisin bread, and butter, from scratch today. It was super easy. My Kitchen Aid did all the work for me, and all I had to do was keep an eye on it. I love to knead dough by hand, but I’ve been unable to do it since my surgery. I’m just glad to have homemade bread (hot from the oven – yum!) on my table again.

I was inspired here and here. I used my own bread recipe (which I’ll share soon), but followed the instructions for making a cinnamon raisin version. And I made my butter a little differently, too. Seemed like more than my neck could take to shake a mason jar for that long! The cream whipped right into butter using my Kitchen Aid’s whisk attachment. It took about 30 minutes, though. So be prepared to wait! But it is oh-so worth it.

Entertaining Sara Lynn, while I sew!

2010-02-02T06:39:00.001-06:00

Sewing with a toddler (or in my case, a 3-year-old) around can be quite a challenge. As much as I enjoy sewing in peace, quiet, and solitude, it’s important for me to realize that I am raising up the next generation of seamstresses.

I want Sara Lynn (and Daniel, too – he just wasn’t around this time) to be interested in what I’m sewing, especially if it is for her. It makes for a much more meaningful gift when they feel as if they have contributed to the process. This little one loves choosing her own fabric, and deciding what she would like for it to become. I want to nurture in her a desire to continue the art of sewing.

That said, I always have plenty to keep her little hands busy while I am at the machine. Never underestimate the power of a simple deck of cards. I have all kinds of cards: number and letter flash cards, bible character cards. You name it, and I probably have a card for it.

However, Sara Lynn prefers a more grown-up version of cards. I think it makes her feel a little more grown-up to play with our cards, and they are pretty. All those diamonds, clubs, hearts, and spades in all those bright primary colors. She loves to find the face cards and make matches. It usually entertains her for a good 30 minutes.

When she grows bored with the cards, she’s usually ready to pull out her crayons. I make sure that everything is handy.

I like having my sewing studio in a corner of my bedroom. It allows my children to wander in and climb up cozily in my bed to watch my progress. I’m blessed to have a large space for this, but it doesn’t take much room. A few old suitcases (or cardboard boxes) for fabric and supplies tucks neatly beneath an old desk or table.

At some point, Sara Lynn will decide that she wants to ‘sew’. I have an empty box, which turned upside-down, serves as her table. And I have small scissors, just her size. I let her choose fabric from my scrap basket, and she is content to snip it into teeny-tiny pieces.

I watch her out of the corner of my eye, and remind her to watch out for her fingers. She’s never had an accident with the scissors, and hers are pretty dull anyway. It’s important to foster a sense of independence and confidence in young children. They are capable of far more than we usually give them credit.

And hands down, her very favorite thing to do while I sew, is play with my pins. Again I keep an eye on her, and remind her not to lay them in the floor or poke her finger.

It seems my sweet Sara Lynn has an artistic streak herself. Check out those patterns and lines she made with the pins!

I love my little ones.

Sewing the Essentials

2010-02-01T06:12:00.001-06:00

It was a cold, dreary day on Saturday. Perfect weather for sewing! I grabbed my coffee and headed upstairs to sew.

I was shocked to realize that this is the last size of Jackie Clark’s Britches and Bloomers that Sara Lynn will be able to wear. This pattern has been a staple in her wardrobe since she was a wee little thing. I’m saddened by this, but happy to know that I can convert other pants patterns to have a ruffle. Tutorial here.

I thought I’d share how I trace my patterns with you. I know there may be a few beginner seamstresses out there who may benefit from this. First of all, I never, ever cut the original pattern. It lasts longer if it is kept intact, and you will not have to worry about losing any pieces. I like to use a king size Sharpie marker to trace the pattern onto craft paper (which I buy by the roll at my local craft store – it’s very inexpensive). It’s a little more difficult to see the pattern through the craft paper, but it’s worth the extra effort because the paper will withstand repeated use. And the wide tip marker gives me a little more control while tracing.

Just be careful with the Sharpie, lest you mar the surface of your faithful sewing machine like I did. Ughh! I used some fingernail polish remover, but it didn’t come completely clean. They are permanent markers after all.

After I’ve traced my pattern, I copy all the information from the pattern onto the paper. I use bold handwriting, and I circle the size.

Next, I pin the corners and start cutting. I can’t stress enough how important it is to use good scissors that are dedicated to fabric cutting. I like the ones with titanium blades.

And I love my Rowenta professional iron. It presses through stiff creases in fabric like a hot knife through butter.

While we’re talking tools, I have to say that my rotary cutter, mat, and rulers have all become indispensable. I don’t know how I ever lived without them.

Moving on, I must confess that I have this love/hate thing going on with my serger. I love serging seams, but I hate threading it. I have yet to successfully thread it without pulling out my manual, which really irritates me. And it’s one of the easiest threading sergers available.

While sewing, I find it helps to have a good sense of humor. Mistakes are inevitable. I do some of the craziest things! Just look at that ruffle beautifully sewn to the wrong side of that stripey fabric. Uh-oh!

Time to break out the handy-dandy seam ripper. I keep meaning to pick up one of those ergonomically designed ones, seeing as to how I use mine so often. ; )

I find it’s all worth it to be able to sit back and admire the finished project. Love those serged seams!

And I’m really digging this fabric. The top is the Holly Jumper by Bonnie Blue Designs. It can be worn with a long-sleeved shirt underneath until it warms up.

The essential spring outfit.

Yes, it seems my little seamstress would like a few more pairs of those ruffley pants. Can you blame her? So cute.

Sewing up a storm

2010-01-29T06:18:00.002-06:00

My quilt making progress was interrupted this week. But I didn’t mind one bit. These super-sweet rustic bears were a cinch to sew. It truly doesn’t get any easier than these.

I’m so tempted to sew on button eyes and embroider a curvy bear-ish smile and cutesy nose! But they’ll have to stay naked for a little while longer.

This Sunday at church, our children will be painting faces on theses bears and they will be distributed to a local children’s home. The Adullam House reaches out to children in our area whose parent(s) have been incarcerated, and they have many children living there at any given time. The needs are always great, but several local churches sponsor this amazing ministry.

Its important for us to realize that there is mission work to be done right here at home, as well as abroad. It’s also important for our children to be involved as we reach out to those less fortunate than ourselves. They are growing, and learning, and being shaped by their experiences each and everyday.

Okay, it’s time to get off my soap box and get on to the sewing…

I love seeing a big pile of fabric scraps!

And having the not-so-fun part of cutting behind me. (I must confess that I never enjoy the cutting.)

My favorite mug was filled many times. Sometimes coffee, sometimes tea.

Now this is fun!

Lots of little bears took shape this week.

And because I’d been a really good girl, a piece of Farmer Kim’s Apple Cake was my reward. Yum!

I’m so glad that the sweet lady who put this project together chose an easy pattern. I feel another beginner’s sewing tutorial coming on. Details are in the works and will be posted soon. This is an excellent pattern for a child’s first sewing project.

The winner is…

2010-01-29T06:02:00.002-06:00

I am pleased to announce that both Ann and Stacey will be receiving this fun pattern. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Ann, I already have your address and will pop it in the mail today.

Stacey, please email me your address: melissasews(at)gmail(dot)com

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

You are what you eat

2010-01-28T04:09:00.000-06:00

My mother always told me, “You are what you eat!” But it wasn’t until the past few years that it began to hit home with me. What we eat fuels our bodies, and if we do not consume good fuel, our bodies will not perform properly. Our immune system will begin to suffer. Energy levels will plummet. What we eat really does make a difference in how we feel.

I love to see this weekly box of fruits and vegetables arrive!

Cooking good, wholesome meals for my family is rarely an elaborate affair.

I usually roast the veggies, or sauté them up with some butter, sea salt, and a little white wine.

And if I’m in need of a really easy and quick meal in minutes, there are usually organic brown eggs involved.

And bacon. The really good stuff without icky preservatives or artificial additives. We try to consume only natural, wholesome foods. It may cost a little more, but we reap the benefits 100-fold.

Even the kiddos agree that this is a meal sure to please the taste buds and the tummy.

In the Kitchen: Frugal Tips

2010-01-27T05:06:00.000-06:00

My grandmother was one of the most precious, influential people in my life. Like so many, she was touched by the Great Depression and it influenced how she lived her life.

She was a seamstress, sewing most of the clothes her daughters wore. She was a gardener, growing most of the food they ate. And she was always frugal. She had no choice. She often had to make do, or do without.

My grandmother, Nanny as we called her, passed that tradition down to my mother, and my mother passed it to me. I am grateful for the things I’ve learned from her.

Because of her wisdom and frugality, I know to buy cheese by the block. It keeps longer, and is much cheaper. If it grows a little mold on the edges, I know it doesn’t have to be thrown out. The outside edges can be cut off and discarded. The cheese in the middle is still good.

I’ve also learned that leaving the core on a head of lettuce greatly improves it’s ability to keep. My lettuce lasts for at least a couple of weeks in the crisper. The wilt-y outside leaves may need to be discarded, but the middle leaves are often kept crisp and fresh if the core is left intact.

I have so many things to be thankful for. And I know, from Nanny’s wisdom, that if you waste not, you’ll want not.

Quilting supplies are here!

2010-01-26T07:26:00.000-06:00

I was so excited when my package arrived from Create For Less.

It was packed to perfection. I’ve never seen a package so meticulously organized and carefully secured with air bubbles.

And the contents were enough to make any crafter’s heart skip a beat! Amazingly detailed quilting books for under $5 each, and patterns starting at .99 cents. Check out their clearance section people! Orders over $100 ship for free.

I spent more than a little while perusing the goods. And I guess I’m all out of excuses, I’ll have to finish that quilt now!

I ended up with everything I need to complete my first quilt:

505 Spray and Fix (easier than using safety pins to baste)

Warm and Natural Batting (full size – I bought 2!)

Laundry Basket quilt templates (for use later – they were cheap!)

2.5” Binding Buddy template

Coats and Clark machine quilting thread (must be purchased in increments of 3, but excellent pricing)

Several patterns and quilting books

I spent my morning soaking up sunshine and got a little head start on my spring cleaning. All of the bed linens, winter quilts, blankets, and rugs are washed and clean. Clothes that no longer fit the children are being sorted into piles for Goodwill and friends who can use them. For me, this is a good time of year to do a bit of purging. Time to simplify. It feels great.

If you would like to receive a copy of this oh-so-fun pattern, Animal Friends by Valori Wells Designs, just leave a comment on this post. I’ll choose a winner on Friday, January 29, 2009. International comments are welcome here. (I’m thinking of you, Ann!)

Signs of Spring

2010-01-25T05:31:00.000-06:00

This is one of the biggest reasons why I love living in Alabama.

Early figs make an appearance in January.

The sky is blue and the weather is often mild.

The apple trees are beginning to bud.

Little peeks of green are tucked all around.

Time to break out the garden boots once again.

This weather is just right for fishing.

A horseshoe left by the previous owner has grown into this tree.

It’s a good day to be outside.

Collecting sticks.

Resting.

Taking turns in the hammock.

Watching the birds migrate home.

Saddened that the previous inhabitant of our home grew too weak to harvest her fruit. We will reap the fruits of her labor this year, and try to honor the work that she’s done.

Happy that most of my herbs overwintered nicely.

Grateful for this still, peaceful moment in my day.

Thinking we won’t be needing kindling anymore.

And how it won’t be easy to explain that to my sweet babe.

Favorite Places: Montgomery, Alabama

2010-01-22T04:03:00.000-06:00

If you ever find yourself in Montgomery, Alabama, do yourself a favor and head on over to Eastbrook Flea Market and Antique Mall. It’s one of my absolute favorite places to treasure hunt.

But, before you decide to hit the three vast floors that make up Eastbrook, you’ll need a little sustenance.

Just a few doors down lies the best authentic Thai restaurant on the planet. The Green Papaya.

Yummy!

Fabulous spring rolls with sweet peanut sauce.

The most amazing Tofu Pad Thai you’ll ever put in your mouth. It’s a local legend.

When you’ve had you’ll fill, you’ll be ready to walk it off on the best antiquing adventure our city has to offer. Eastbrook is comprised of hundreds of “booths” where locals offer their goods for sale.

My favorite booth is #67, pictured above. It is stuffed to the brim with books. Hardbacks are $3, and paperbacks are $1. Heaven!

You never know what you’re going to find. Check out this unique tea cup and saucer.

Take a closer look. A geisha is revealed when it is held up to light!

A crate of old vinyl records.

Beautiful vintage silver buttons.

I loved this old stoneware windmill.

And I longed to bring this French Country china home with me. I’m usually just admiring the goods. Window shopping. Such fun!

An old tapestry pillow. And a rooster lamp that would have looked right at home on my sewing table. Don’t you think?

More gorgeous china and old books. Sigh.

It was unbearably hard to resist this sweet birdfeeder.

Old baby carriages, dolls and a doll quilt, and toy oven.

Have you ever seen one of these? It’s a mourning ring. So sad.

More lovely china. I really like the square plates and the colors.

It’s rare that I leave without a few books, but this day I exercised incredible restraint. I’m waiting in line with my single treasure.

Two dollars for a beautiful framed and embroidered landscape? Sold!

Loving Montessori

2010-01-21T04:10:00.000-06:00

Before Christmas, Montessori had their annual Musical Review to showcase the talents of these precious little musicians. Sara Lynn loves music, and Mrs. Sabrina (who does an outstanding job with the music program) has fast become one of her favorite people.

I can’t imagine a better place for Sara Lynn to spend her day. We’ve been richly blessed by the Montessori teaching philosophy and the gifted teachers at Sara Lynn’s school. Often, out of the blue, Sara Lynn will proclaim to me, “I love my school, mommy!” That makes it easier on a momma’s heart who works everyday.

And I absolutely love that these little guys were able to perform in our laps. That’s Montessori for you. A natural way to learn. And, wise. They’d have probably ended up in our laps before the show’s end anyway!

Confessions of a frugal, eco-minded, health-conscious, working mama…

2010-01-20T04:02:00.000-06:00

Being a mother isn’t easy. Being a working mother… as in, works outside the home 5 days a week without maid service… is not easy. There are so many things I want to do right here at home, but sometimes, I just can’t.

I spent too long beating myself up about all the things I wasn’t doing, instead of focusing on what I could do. No more. I know I’m not superwoman (no big surprise there!), and I know my limits these days. I simply can’t grow all of my own food, but I can grow some of it. I can’t bake all of my own bread, but I can bake some of it. For me, that’s okay.

Dinner on a work night has to be something simple. It has to be healthy, but it also has to be something that cooks up quickly and something we all like to eat. I use my slow cooker for dishes that take longer so they will be ready when I come home from work. I usually save my baking and more elaborate meals for the weekends.

I am by nature, a frugal person. I buy in bulk when possible. Some of what we consume comes from Costco, as in the taco seasoning above. I have found that organic milk, butter, coffee, and ground beef is much cheaper there. Costco has a great selection of organic and eco-friendly products at reasonable prices. For most of the things I can’t find locally, I usually buy them from Costco. I’ll plant a garden this spring, but for now, our organic produce comes from a local CSA, Grow Alabama. Occasionally, I splurge on handmade organic lotions and soaps made by a friend.

At this point, I don’t make my own cleaning supplies, but I would like to one day. Rhonda Jean has some great information on how to make your own green cleaning supplies. But for now, I buy environmentally friendly cleaning supplies at Costco. They cost no more than their chemical counterparts there. And I feel good about washing our clothes and dishes, and cleaning my home, with eco-friendly detergents that don’t break the bank. Right now, that’s enough for me. I’ve finally learned the art of compromising with myself.

I’ve learned to prioritize. Otherwise, there would be no time to garden, sew, or bake my own bread. Is it really a big deal if my bed doesn’t get made everyday? Not to me. Won’t that pile of laundry still be there tomorrow? It sure will. Sometimes you just have to seize the day. I love to sew. I love to bake my own bread from freshly ground grains. I love to be outside getting my hands dirty in the garden. We have apples, pears, cherries, figs, blackberries, blueberries, and muscadines on our property. I’m learning to can and preserve what we grow. One day, I want to raise livestock.

I realize that I can’t do everything right now, but I can do something. It’s a start. And I feel good about that.

Making Farmer Kim’s Apple Cake

2010-01-19T03:54:00.000-06:00

This is one of those recipes that you taste and know immediately that it will become a staple on your breakfast table.

Kim, you’re a genius in the kitchen. This stuff is seriously good.

Recipe here: Farmer Kim's Apple Cake

Delicious apples and organic brown eggs.

Just look as those sunshine-y yolks.

The only substitutions I made – 1 cup demerara cane sugar instead of white sugar (we avoid white sugar, this is healthier), and pecans instead of walnuts. This cake is made with whole wheat flour and very little oil (which you could substitute for butter) so it’s really quite good for you.

Ready for the oven.

Now, if only those dishes would do themselves…

Oh, but it was so worth it! And really, this is an easy recipe. An apple corer/slicer makes light work of the apples.

Go for it! You won’t be sorry.

Scheming… 2010 Garden Plans

2010-01-18T04:53:00.000-06:00

We planted our first garden last spring, and had so much fun with it. I have high hopes for this year’s garden. Hopefully, now that I have a bit of experience under my belt and learned a few lessons (the hard way), we’ll have a plentiful harvest that will sustain us for many months.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to save any seeds from my garden last year. We moved before the end of the growing season and I had to leave the garden behind. But I do have some seeds left.

After reading this post over at Chiot's Run, I’ve decided that any seeds I need in the future will be purchased from Seed Savers Exchange or another independent seed house. In the past, I’ve purchased any brand of seeds, as long as it was as an open-pollinated, non-GMO, or heirloom seed, preferably organic. In all honesty, I’ve waited too long to purchase seeds online and had to purchase what I could get fast, usually from my local garden store.

This year, I’m placing my order now to ensure I have what I need. A few heirloom tomato and pepper transplants…

Definitely some funny looking cucumbers…

I love the way these habanero mustard peppers look…

And flowers…

Lots and lots of flowers…

Maybe a new book or two as well… Can one ever have too many gardening books? I think not.

The variety of heirloom vegetables offered is amazing. I shudder to think of a day when there are few choices. A day when you can only grow what’s available at the supermarket.

Seeds are easy to save. Some people save them in mason jars. Any airtight container will do. You want to keep them cool and dry, in a dark place. I save mine in large ziploc bags in the freezer. I live in Alabama where it’s usually hot and humid and I don’t want to take any chances. I’ve read that they keep for several years in this way.

Craft Hope for Haiti

2010-01-17T20:34:00.002-06:00

All proceeds of the Craft Hope Etsy shop will benefit Doctors Without Borders in Haiti. All items have been generously donated by the crafting community. If you'd like to donate an item please visit the Craft Hope website (www.crafthope.com).

This is an excellent way to help support the recovery effort in Haiti. You can make a handmade donation, or buy something handmade. I made a purchase and the seller matched the selling price of the item, doubling the amount of support that goes to Doctors without Borders. Not all listings are the same, so read each one before making your purchase.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/crafthope

Sewing: My first quilt

2010-01-15T04:19:00.001-06:00

I’ve had this fabric in my stash for almost a year now. It’s high time I put it to good use! I purchased it knowing it would become my first quilt. I love this fabric.

I especially love the fact that I purchased it on sale for 40% off at www.fabric.com and had it shipped, free of charge, to my door.

And I found a great site for sewing, quilting, knitting, etc. supplies: www.createforless.com It was the only place I could find to order Warm and Natural batting and 505 Spray and Fix at a reasonable price. Most sites I found have one or the other, but not both, or the prices were outrageous. Orders over $100 ship free from Create for Less. I went ahead and ordered enough batting and supplies for 2 quilts (aren’t I ambitious?) and some patterns and books they had on clearance to take advantage of the free shipping offer.

Definitely check out their clearance section. I’ll be having a giveaway soon of some patterns I got on sale. One is a quilt pattern, and the other is for the cutest stuffed animals.

This will be my first time sewing in my new space. The natural light is wonderful in this room.

It feels good to be getting back in the swing of things. In case you’re wondering, I’ve been at home the past few weeks recovering from surgery (nasty little ruptured disc in my neck). It’s allowed me to pop in here more than usual. I have a few weeks left must before I return to the corporate world, so I’ll be trying to make the most of my free time.

Oh yes, the view from here is spectacular.

My thread seems to be happy with it’s new home, too.

I’m still debating 12” squares versus 6” squares, and stippling versus straight-line quilting. Decisions, decisions! I’m leaning toward something like this.

I guess I better get to it. I made a few practice mini-quilts (to use as potholders) so I could hone my stippling skills. They need a lot of honing at this point!

The Thaw

2010-01-14T15:14:00.002-06:00

Just as I suspected, the pond has begun to thaw already. It’s really lovely, even if the kiddos are seriously disappointed. Daniel had his ice skates all picked out and couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t buy them. Poor fellow.

On the bright side, the weather is wonderful and I’ve even had my bedroom window open for a little while. I love the fresh, brisk air. It’s a good day for sewing and dreaming up my 2010 garden.

Things of days past, treasured once again

2010-01-14T08:13:00.000-06:00

Sara Lynn’s Montessori school is located in the historic district of our city. Gorgeous, antebellum homes and restored shops, parks, and a cobblestone street dot the landscape. Just the place where you wouldn’t dream of passing up an estate sale.

My dear Aunt gave me this China cabinet, which I love, but I did not have any China at the time. It sat empty for a while, but no more. I found the perfect china at said estate sale (paid only a fraction of what it’s worth) and I am so happy to have it in my home!

I also found this beautiful old spinning wheel destined to become my own. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It’s small, with intricate woodwork even my husband appreciates. And it’s in good working condition, so if the need or opportunity arises, I can make my own thread. My MIL gave me this old meat grinder that has been in the family for generations. And yes, it works, too.

I’m a practical kind of girl. I like to surround myself with useful things. You never know what you might need one day. And I almost always buy secondhand. Saving money and getting the best possible deal make me feel good about my purchases.

I had a lot of help getting the china cleaned up and displayed. I have to watch out for her now… she often sneaks a cup and saucer to her bedroom to play tea party when I’m not looking!

It’s a good thing she got her own tea set for her birthday.

I also fell in love with this modified Hoosier cabinet/pie safe, blue mason jars, and old cheese box.

Whoever owned it before lovingly lined it with fabric. I like to imagine the homemaker to whom these items once belonged. How she would have baked her pies in a wood burning stove, and placed them in the top of the cabinet. How she would have stored her eggs and cheese here in the days before refrigeration. I can almost see her now, with an apron around her waist and a smile upon her face.

I find that most of my peers desire things that are new and shiny and modern. Me, I prefer things from days gone by that have character. Especially pieces that are given to me by loved ones. Pieces with heritage. Pieces made in times that were slower paced, when craftsmen really took time and pride in their work, and made furnishings that would last generations.

Dickies Goodness

2010-01-13T04:19:00.000-06:00

It took Daniel only 4 weeks of school to ruin 4 pairs of pants. In the fall, I bought good quality khaki and navy dress pants for him to wear to school everyday. I actually turned my nose up at the stiff, double-knee uniform pants that were selling side-by-side with the dress pants. I was beyond disappointed when I had to iron on patches to the knees of every single pair of pants Daniel wore.

This is our first year to wear uniforms, so I just didn’t know how hard boys can be on dress pants. Sure, dress pants are great for church, but not for school. The past two years Daniel has been able to wear denim jeans everyday, and they are ideal for boys to play in. But this year, I’ve learned a valuable lesson:

Skip the dress pants, and go for the Dickies!

It was actually my husband’s suggestion that we try the Dickies. He remembered having some of his own when he was young.

These Dickies are built to last from sturdy twill with a double knee for extra protection. I purchased them online in a 2-pack for $12.50 per pair and wasn’t sure if I would be happy with them, but I was desperate to find pants that would hold up for the rest of the school year. As soon as I took them out of the box, I knew these were just the pants I’d been looking for…

No more ripped knees!

And so far, no staining or fading. I pretreated this stain with Shout, and washed in warm water as usual. They came out looking good as new and I couldn’t even tell where the stain had been.

Now, Daniel can play until his heart’s content, and I can rest easy knowing that these pants are up to the challenge.

A Recipe: Easy Oven-Roasted Winter Root Vegetables with Thyme

2010-01-12T04:07:00.000-06:00

We’ve been enjoying our CSA subscription to Grow Alabama this winter. We not only get the benefit of fresh, delicious, and organic fruits and vegetables delivered weekly, but we also get to feel good about supporting local farmers and cutting down on food miles. The subscriptions are surprisingly affordable. I spend less on organic produce through Grow Alabama than I would spend for the same quantities at the big-box grocery stores.

Recently in my vegbox there were onions, parsnips, turnips, carrots, potatoes…

And cabbage, too.

Let’s not forget the green beans and oranges!

One of my favorite ways to eat root vegetables is roasted in the oven. Here is my no-fail, super easy recipe:

Easy Oven-Roasted Winter Root Vegetables with Thyme

4 parsnips

4 carrots (I only used 2 because my kiddos ate the other 2 raw!)

4 turnips

2 onions

8 new potatoes

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

2 tsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash, peel, and dice all veggies (I do not peel my red potatoes because I like the color it adds to the dish, and it provides added nutrients) and place them in a 3 qt. casserole dish. Drizzle olive oil, thyme, and sea salt (I don’t bother to measure, just eye-ball it - a little more or less isn’t going to make a big difference) over the top and stir until veggies are evenly coated. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour, or until veggies are tender and golden. I usually stir the vegetables once, about halfway through – but that’s not mandatory. Cooking time may vary slightly according to the size of your diced vegetables.

This is one of my absolute favorite winter dishes. Not only is it delicious, but it’s easy and frugal, too. You could use whatever root vegetables you have on hand, this is just what I happened to have. The goal is to fill the baking dish.

And if you’ve never tried a turnip or parsnip before, there’s no time like the present! They are pleasantly sweet with an earthy taste.

Mmm… Citrus and cloves. A heavenly aroma.

Not quite skate-able…

2010-01-11T18:10:00.002-06:00

We awoke this morning to find our pond frozen over.

It was quite a thrill to the little ones (and big ones, too), even if we can’t break out the ice skates just yet. Chances are it will not have the opportunity to firm up enough for skating… this is Alabama after all. And this is the coldest air we’ve experienced in over a decade.

I suppose we’ll have to settle for skipping rocks and hearing that funny little sound they make as they bounce across the ice.

And seeing just how heavy a rock the ice can support.

Oh, yes. Much fun for the big kids and the little ones.

As for me, I’m content to hibernate until this arctic chill decides to pass.

Ahhh… That feels better.

You can find me snuggled up right over here for the next little bit.

Happy Birthday, Sara Lynn!

2010-01-11T10:59:00.002-06:00

My sweet babe…

We give you three candles for the three wonderful years you’ve been in our lives.

For you, a birthday dress, a birthday cake, and presents galore.

You waited so patiently for guests to arrive.

A little taste, well deserved, before the cake was served.

A helping hand from your adoring brother…

Hey, is that me in there?

Pots and pans for your kitchen, oh boy!

Your very own tea set… How we love the watering can tea pot!

And so you can remember the fun we had, a wooden cake with candles and sprinkles for you to decorate.

My sweet babe, I do love you so.

Remembering Christmas 2009

2010-01-07T14:11:00.003-06:00

Can it be possible that 2 months have passed since my last post? My how time flies when you’re having fun!

This is what we’ve been up to…

We celebrated Christmas so many places!

Above is the annual “Auburn Tree” decorated by my Aunt and Uncle…

Daniel and Sara Lynn on the hearth at Gran and Pa Pa’s house…

That’s me, reading the story of Jesus’ birth from Luke…

Daniel with the Disney version of Monopoly – so much fun!

Sara Lynn eagerly passing out presents…

Oh boy! It’s the Hardy Boys…

And a scooter!

Daniel taking a turn passing out presents…

It’s my girl… wearing a Dora helmet… with her new blender…

Scrabble, too? Family fun night here we come!

Daniel with his cousin, Anna…

An iron and ironing board… Sara Lynn, the domestic little princess…

Sara Lynn, Caroline, and Uncle John… who she adores… can you feel the love? He gives her candy - what more could a girl ask for?

A tackle box for Daniel…

All this opening presents is hard work!

Taking a little rest under the tree…

Santa’s loot!

For Daniel…

For Sara Lynn…

Daniel and his Nintendo DS…

Sara Lynn enjoying Gran’s pound cake on Christmas morning… Yum!

Daniel beating the pants off his mom and dad at Disney-opoly on Christmas night…

Daniel, Sara Lynn, and I wish you a Happy New Year!

May God bless you with peace and joy in abundance throughout 2010.

Thank you for letting me indulge in a little Christmas nostalgia.

H1N1 is among us...

2009-11-08T14:19:00.003-06:00

Need I say more? It's been a long, achy weekend for all of us. Daniel is the only one who seems to be unaffected. I guess young boys are virtually unstoppable, or at least this one is. We were all advised to remain quarantined in our home and on Tamiflu for 5 days. This is day 3...

Only 2 days to go. I'm beginning to suffer from cabin fever. The good news is that the weather is wonderful and all of the windows are open. Warm sunshine and a cool breeze is the best medicine for me. Throw in a good book to take my mind off my pain and I'm good to go.

A piece of advice, if you even suspect you may have the flu, go get tested. Tamiflu has done wonders to ease the severity of our symptoms and the duration of the illness.

Sue Gregg's Apple Oat Muffins

2009-11-05T19:44:00.003-06:00

My wonderful husband got me the entire set of Sue Gregg Cookbooks for my birthday last month. These are the most amazing cookbooks I've ever owned. Sue believes in using fresh, organic ingredients when possible, and soaking your grains before making bread. It's a very healthy way to eat, and every recipe I've tried so far has been fabulous.

Click on the link above to visit her website and learn more about her cooking philosophy.

Although they did not photograph well, the Apple Oat Muffins are delicious. They remind me of a giant oatmeal cookie. If I had not made them myself, I would never have guessed them to be healthy. They are extremely moist and full of flavor.

Apple Oat Muffins

Amount: 12 medium muffins

Bake: 375 degrees F (190 C) - 20 minutes

1. Preheat oven. Grease/spray muffin pan.

2. Stir together in large mixig bowl and let stand 5 min.:

1 c. buttermilk

1 c. rolled oats (uncooked)

1/2 c. raisins

3. Blend together dry ingredients in seperate bowl:

1 c. whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I used 2 tsp.)

1/2 tsp. salt

4. Blend vigorously into oats and buttermilk:

1 egg

1/3 c. honey

5. Cut into wedges, core, and grate coarsely:

1 medium apple, unpeeled

6. Blend dry ingredients into liquid ingredients just until mixed. Fold in grated apple.

7. Fill muffin cups almost full and bake.

8. Cool 5 min. before removing from pan. Turn muffins upside down until ready to serve.

***Sue's notes: These muffis will be moist and heavier than other muffins because of the oats and they do not rise as high. You may think they are not quite baked, but they will be golden brown on the bottom. Best served warm.

These are my new favorite muffins!

All the way from Nottingham!!!

2009-11-03T18:44:00.006-06:00

Yesterday, I received my very first international package.

I was so excited to open it and discover the goodies inside.

My sweet blogging friend, Ann, made these amazing items. A cute Christmas chicken (which Sara Lynn has laid claim to), a needle case, and a beautiful bag.

The stitches are perfectly sewn and the yellow floral fabric is amazing.

I can hardly wait to tuck my needles and thread into those cozy little pockets.

I am absolutely in love with the items.

Thank you so very much, Ann!

I will treasure them always...

Halloween - A family affair

2009-10-31T20:00:00.003-05:00

When my grandfather called last week and wanted to get the family together for a hayride and hotdog roast on Halloween, I told him we wouldn't dream of missing it.

We had a blast even though it rained and the hayride didn't happen.

I'm sure you can imagine how difficult it was to get the above photo. Our little ones range in age from 6 months to eight years. Daniel is the oldest of the great-grandchildren.

We had a Minnie Mouse (Sara Lynn), a scarecrow, a princess, a cowboy (Daniel - who tells me he is indeed a sheriff), and two firemen. Preciousness!

Afterwards, we went Trick-or-Treating at Gran and Papa's house. Sara Lynn needed to be the one who knocked on the door...

A humongous bag of treats awaited them.

They wasted no time with the taste testing. I'm pretty sure we'll have difficulty tucking them into bed tonight after the immense sugar high they enjoyed this evening. Sigh...

Did I mention that we moved to within walking distance of my parents? It's been so nice having them close by.

Breakfast of Champions

2009-10-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

Especially this time of year, Apple, Cinnamon, and Whole Grains Hot Cereal is a family favorite. It simply can't be beat with a little raw organic honey drizzled over the top and a cup of hot organic medium roast coffee on the side (with more honey added, of coarse! That is raw honeycomb wax you see floating on the top of my coffee. It has enzymes which are beneficial to your good health.)

Sara Lynn wants you to know that this breakfast is kid approved.

She enjoyed 2 helpings in the photo above.

And because breakfast is my favorite meal of the day...

I had a poached egg served over whole grain cheese toast for lunch.

Just in case you are wondering:

Yes, I still ejoy washing dishes here. Life is good!

Veggie envy, anyone?

2009-10-27T19:28:00.008-05:00

My first CSA vegbox arrived this afternoon...
I could not be more pleased!

First of all, the box weighed at least 25lbs. I know. I had to pick it up and carry it to my car myself.

And second, the vegetables and fruit were in pristine condition. They couldn't have been fresher or more beautiful if I'd picked them myself. There were Chinese eggplants (three of which we've already eaten), ripe tomatoes, green tomatoes, summer squash, okra, and cabbage...

There were also lettuces (one of which is MIA because we enjoyed a salad this evening), mustard greens, green beans, a pumpkin, and Staymen apples. One of the apples is the largest apple I've ever seen! Seriously, look at it in comparison to the pumpkin. It's humongous!

I'm extremely satisfied with my Grow Alabama CSA subscription. They also have organic meat, eggs, cheese, olive oil, sea salt, coffee, and soy candles. I highly recommend this program to you if you're lucky enough to live in Alabama. :) Otherwise, Google for CSAs in your area. It is an excellent way to support your local farmers and gain the fresh, quality, organic produce you desire.

Grow Alabama... Organic CSA

2009-10-25T19:32:00.005-05:00

If you live in Alabama, you seriously need to check out this site:

Grow Alabama

I was referred to Grow Alabama by a friend who knew that eating local organic food was important to me. These people are amazing... be sure to check out the farmer's stories.

Above is a butternut squash which we grew ourselves. It is the last of the fresh produce we enjoyed from our garden before we moved. My favorite way to eat it is roasted in the oven with a little olive oil and sea salt drizzled over the top. Just cut it in half and scoop the seeds out first. Then bake it uncovered @ 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. Easy and delicious!

I believe this CSA if just what we need to tide us over until we are able to plant our own garden in the spring.

***If you decide to become a member, please let them know on your application that you were referred by me - I'll receive bonus veggies for each referral. :)

First cold snap of the season

2009-10-20T20:58:00.008-05:00

Around here recently, there has been much sunset watching...

And farmer's market visiting...

Pumpkin loving...

More spiced apple drying...

A lot of peanut boiling... It's a southern thing!

Some definite fish catching...

And chicken coop building...

Perrinial herb and flower planting...

Lots and lots of serious playing...

And one captured crescent moon rising over still waters at twilight.

Spiced Oven-Dried Apples - make them!

2009-10-12T10:21:00.007-05:00

Oh my, these are delicious! I recently purchased a large basket of apples at the local farmer's market, and found myself googling for different ways to use them up. In my search, I stumbled across a great blog, Home Steeped Hope, and this wonderful, easy recipe. We've already made and devoured them twice!

I must say, my home was delightfully filled with the wonderful smell of baked apples and spice. I can't imagine anything that more perfectly captures the essence of this season.

I live for Autumn!

The cool, crispness that welcomes each new day.

The intense, penetrating blue of an October sky.

The glorious sunsets that wash the horizon with hues of fire.

I choose to spend my days soaking up the goodness of God's creation as I seek to serve Him.

It feels like home

2009-10-10T09:36:00.008-05:00

We are finally getting settled into our new home, and it truly feels right for us to be here. We can't help but praise God each morning when we wake up and see what He has blessed us with.

Most of the boxes are unpacked - and I'm a working mom, you know! Recently, we decided that it's just not best for our family for me to work outside the home.

It's been very difficult for me to juggle the needs of my family with the needs of my job. We'll be transitioning to one income in the next few months, and we are confident that we have made the right decision. We trust God with our needs, and feel that He is prompting us to make a lifestyle change.

It's extremely important to us to become more self-sufficient and self-sustaining, especially where our food is concerned. We eat organic foods as much as possible, and try to stay away from highly processed foods.

I have learned the hard way that chemical preservatives, commercial fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides are poison to our bodies. I have Crohn's disease which is a digestive/autoimmune disorder that I believe could have been avoided. I highly recommend the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon if you are interested in this subject. It is full of information and recipes for making a return to traditional foods which nourished the generations before us.

I am dreaming of the day when we will plant our new garden. I have plotted out where the barn will go. And, I am debating what livestock additions to make to our little farm.

This is a day of great possibilities and opportunities. I hope you'll stick around to see what adventures lie ahead!

Moving Day

2009-09-18T13:03:00.004-05:00

This is what we've been up to for the past few weeks.
Painting and cleaning and making things ready.

All in anticipation of this day.
(If you look closely, you can see our house across the pond.)

We're ready to have this move behind us.
I'm tired just thinking of all the packing and unpacking to be done.
But it'll be worth it.

This is where you can find me as soon as I have finished feathering my new nest.

Blossoming Indepedence

2009-08-29T09:20:00.006-05:00

My sweet babe is growing up...

"I do it myself!" has become her motto...

She can pack her bag, put her shoes on, use the potty...

But she's still my babe.

And thankfully, she's not too big for the occasional piggy back ride.

But don't you dare think she needs help getting into her carseat.

She will take great offense!

Quilty dreams

2009-08-25T18:43:00.004-05:00

I purchased this fabulous Heather Bailey Pop Garden fabric last Spring from http://www.fabric.com/ knowing it was destined to become my first quilt. The gorgeous (and my favorite) aqua and red paisley fabric will be the backing, and the brown semi-floral fabric will be the border.

I'm not exactly sure what pattern I will use, but I do want to keep it simple. I think 10x10 in. squares will show off the large print fabrics nicely. I like this pattern by Thimble Blossoms called A Piece of Cake.

I've also considered this ragged squares quilt by Crazy Mom Quilts. She's got tons of great tutorials out there just begging to be tried.

And here is a great machine quilting tutorial by Anyone Can Quilt.

Why don't we give quilting a try together?

You know I had to have it:

2009-08-22T10:10:00.006-05:00

My family has a total love affair with muffins. I've blogged about it here, here, here, and here. They are so easy to make and have on hand for breakfast and snacking. So, when I saw this cookbook, there was no question as to whether it was coming home with me.

I am also a sucker for cookbooks. As far as cookbooks go, this one is a winner. A full color photo accompanies each and every recipe. (sigh)

It truly was love at first sight.

The recipes are laid out clearly and and steps are numbered.

And there are many creative variations of muffins. Each one is delicious-sounding in it's own right.

My mouth is absolutely watering! I can hardly wait to give this pumpkin muffin a try. I'll share the goodness of these recipes with you as I try them. After all, good things were meant to be shared.

I saw a rainbow today...

2009-08-20T19:27:00.004-05:00

I had to stop at Target on my way home from work today. Honestly, I was tired, cranky, and ready to be at home in my pajamas. It had been one of those days, you know?

I couldn't help but smile when I saw this rainbow overhead.

A simple reminder of God's goodness.

Genesis 9 (New International Version)

12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

Meet the Girls

2009-08-19T19:22:00.003-05:00

We're finally getting fresh, organic eggs everyday from the girls! We have 6 hens, and each hen lays an egg approximately every other day. So, we get about 3 eggs per day. Raising chickens has been one of the most fulfilling and fun experiences we have shared as a family.

They are much easier to keep than I imagined. Really, they require very little care. We change their bedding (pine shavings) a couple times a month and feed them leftovers and garden rejects in addition to their feed. They love tomatoes, grapes, and watermelon! We did invest in an automatic waterer/feeder to simplify our daily routine. But that's about it.

We raised these beautiful girls from day-old chicks we purchased at our local farmer's cooperative. All you really need is a large cardboard box, a heat lamp, pine shavings, and chick starter feed. We were able to purchase all of the supplies at the coop as well. If your interested, go to www.backyardchickens.com

The result: beautiful, delicious, organic eggs.

Afternoon Harvest

2009-08-14T18:24:00.003-05:00

I'm already planning my weekend menus after bringing in these goodies from my garden. I gathered a few Mountain Pride heirloom tomatoes, some cherry tomatoes, as well as some okra, an eggplant, and a cucumber. My green beans have been producing furiously over the last couple of weeks. And they are sooo delicious!

I had to show you Sara Lynn's plate - it's a favorite. I found it at Thanksgiving a couple years ago, but we use it all the time. The compartments are great and the farm scene is irresistable. I believe she eats a little better when she uses this plate because she's trying to see the turkeys, pumpkins, and that cute red barn.

I have an amazing recipe for Eggplant casserole that I'll share soon. It's one my grandmother would make when I was young, and we all ate it up not knowing it had eggplant in it. Kid's can be so funny about trying new vegetables!

Kentucky Wonder Goodness

2009-08-12T18:57:00.001-05:00

Green beans are a staple at our kitchen table. It's a vegetable that we all love to eat, which I'm sad to say, isn't a common occurrence in our household. My husband and daughter are somewhat (okay, very!) picky eaters. But we can all agree on green beans.

It's bean a difficult year for growing vegetables around here. We had torrential downpours throughout the spring. I wasn't able to plant my summer veggies until the first week in June. And then, June was hot and dry. But fortunately, we had a cool snap (which was the first I can ever remember in my whole life of living in Alabama) in July, and my garden was rejuvenated. The Kentucky Wonder pole beans are thriving.

I planted butternut and Hubbard squashes, as well as pumpkins. They require a long growing season and should be ready to harvest in October. And I also planted yellow squash and zucchini. I've only harvested one yellow squash out of the 8 (that's right, e-i-g-h-t) plants I'm growing. My watermelons, cantaloupe, and cucumbers aren't doing so hot either. I'm not sure what's going on, but several of my neighbors are struggling as well. Strangely enough, my okra and eggplants are doing great.

I am thankful for what we are able to harvest, knowing that it is good and wholesome food for my family. Some how, vegetables that we have planted, watered, nurtured and picked just taste better to us. And I find that my children are much more willing to try new vegetables when they have been a part of that process.

Open House

2009-08-09T09:06:00.004-05:00

It hit me this morning that I've never given you a tour of my home. How rude of me! Let's get to it...

This is my kitchen, which I'm really going to miss. We had granite installed this summer, and I love the durability and aesthetic it provides.

Stained glass cabinetry... it doesn't get much better in my humble opinion.

The dining room and foyer have awesome natural light. There's a skylight at the top of the stairs.

The living room, which is never this neat. (There are toys strewn about at this very moment!)

The master bedroom...

...and master bath. I'm seriously going to miss that tub.

And the shower, which has dual shower heads. Have I mentioned how handy my honey is around the house?

This is the upstairs bathroom which belongs to the kiddos.

Daniel's room.

And Sara Lynn's room. We have a forth bedroom, which we use as a playroom, but I didn't take a picture of it because the little ones utilized every single toy that day! I hope you enjoyed the tour.

I could wash dishes here...

2009-08-04T19:18:00.005-05:00

Every time we visit the new house, we fall more in love with it. I thought I'd share it with you today.

This is the living room. You can see the water from almost every window in the house.

And the kitchen, which is open to the dining room and living room.

The stairs seperate the living room from the dining room, which is pictured above.

The master suite is upstairs, and also has amazing views. I'm planning to park my sewing machine right in front of that picture window.

I had to snap this precious shot of Sara Lynn standing on the stairs. She's wearing this dress I made for her last spring.

And it has a fireplace, which I seriously do not believe I could do without. The house needs a little TLC, but I know we are just the family to give it some love.

Finally, a mini-farm!

2009-07-30T19:20:00.008-05:00

I've been a bad blogger lately. I really have missed you all this summer. It's been crazy busy in our household the past few months. There have been birthday parties, potty training, gardening (the tomatoes have been fabulous), insane work schedules, plus having to prep our house to sell. Would you please forgive me for my absence?

It seems we'll be enjoying the farm-life really soon. We close on our new home on August 14th. Woo-hoo! I am seriously happy.

This amazing house sits on a beautiful pond and comes with 9.3 acres. Yes, I can imagine it will be my own personal piece of heaven on Earth. I'm already scheming about how we can afford for me to quit my corporate job and spend my days tending the homestead.

I keep pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.

If I am, I'll cry when I wake up!

Links to Love

2009-04-02T21:22:00.001-05:00

I've stumbled across some great links lately that I thought you might enjoy, too.

A cooperative blog with valuable gardening tips, recipes, and ideas for living a sustainable life:

Simple, Green, Frugal Coop

AMAZING food blog which includes a section for budget meals (I'm planning to make the soft pretzels soon):

Smitten Kitchen

Tutorial on making a toddler's dress out of a men's button down shirt:

button shirt to toddler dress recon *NEW MINTY FRESH TUTORIAL*

A very detailed tutorial with LOTS of pictures on how to machine quilt:

Anyone Can Quilt: Machine Quilting 101

A fabric outlet on etsy (Anna Maria Horner, Amy Butler, Heather Ross, Alexander Henry - I'm loving the roosters):

A Fabric Outlet

I hope you enjoy these links as much as I did!

We'll be going on vacation tomorrow, so please excuse my absence over the next week. I'll do my best to post some beach pics next week... sorry to make you jealous. :) I'm so excited! It's been over 2 years since I've last seen the ocean. Too long indeed...

Uh-oh, Cocoa

2009-04-01T19:06:00.000-05:00

Our dear, sweet Cocoa had to have eye surgery this week. He was born with a condition that often affects Labrador and Golden Retrievers, where the eye lashes on the bottom eye lids fold into the eye. Painful, I'm sure. We had to wait until he was a little older to have the surgery, and since he's now 3-months-old, our vet said that we should go ahead with the procedure.

Poor, Cocoa! He's miserable with that lampshade on his cute little head. Every time he comes near one of us, he almost knocks us down trying to rub his eyes on our legs. We really have to watch Sara Lynn around him. He doesn't mean to do it, he just can't help himself!

We are scheduled to take him for a check-up next Tuesday. I hope they give us the okay to take that thing off of him. I'm unclear on how long he needs to wear it (my husband was the one who took him for the procedure.)

Mystery Garden Thief

2009-03-30T19:37:00.001-05:00

I am pleased to announce that my garden is off to a great start. It won't be long before we're enjoying an abundance of fresh produce just steps from my back door.

We have our garden area seperated from the rest of the backyard so that our puppy dogs don't wreck our hard work. However, Cocoa manages to sneak out of the gate once in a while and he heads straight for the garden - little tyrant! That would be his puppy paws trailing by my strawberries in the photo above.

I can blame Cocoa for alot of things... like chewing up my favorite pair of Crocs and the handle to my grill brush, and for gnawing on my firewood and picnic table, and for utterly destroying his cozy pet bed we bought for him. (Good grief! This dog is really bad about chewing things up.)

But, I can't blame him for this. Some little garden thief has been nibbling on my strawberries. Evidence above.

I noticed it this morning. I picked the violated strawberries and disposed of them, hoping that would be the end of it. But, whoever/whatever it was came back for more this afternoon. This means war! I promptly dug up my strawberry plants and placed them in hanging baskets.

They are now hanging happily on my fence, and I do hope that whatever it was can't climb fences!

I'll be keeping an eye out for it... Wish me luck.

We love strawberries around here.

And the winner is...

2009-03-21T06:00:00.001-05:00

Drum roll, please...

Congratulations, Rhetta!

I will pop your prize in the mail on Monday...

Please send your mailing address to melissasews@gmail.com

A big heart-felt thank you goes out to everyone who entered. God's peace to you all.

My first harvest: radishes!

2009-03-20T20:08:00.002-05:00

I enjoyed my first garden harvest this week. The radishes were ruby red, perfectly rounded, and absolutely gorgeous. No, I'm not biased at all. :) It took me all of 5 minutes to get them washed, sliced, and tossed in a salad.

These radishes were extremely tender and mildly spicy. Just the kick my salad needed. If you haven't tried Marie's Balsamic Vinaigrette salad dressing yet, you're missing out. I must say it was an excellent meal.

I have another muffin recipe to share with you... These Morning Glory Muffins from my latest issue of Southern Living Magazine are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. They are a cross between carrot cake and spice cake - two of my favorites. When I saw this recipe, I knew they would be wonderful.

I substituted regular raisins for the golden ones, and used half whole wheat flour and half plain white flour. The next time I make these, I'll use only whole wheat flour. Be sure to either add more liquid or use a bit less whole wheat flour than the recipe calls for to keep the muffins light. Generally, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of plain white flour, I'll substitute 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour.

Vintage Goodness

2009-03-19T20:13:00.000-05:00

I'm crazy about this vintage, hand-tied quilt!

And I'm not too sure about this one.

One of the drawbacks of purchasing goods online, is the inability to view, inspect, touch, and feel the item in person. I'm not terribly disappointed with my purchase, because I got a really good deal on both of these. The one I looove, was only $16 and some change. Not too shabby... Thank you, Ebay! The other, only $20.

The bottom quilt is made from old Saris, and is intended for use as a rug. It's heavy, but not terribly durable. I will not be able to use it as a rug. The quilt top is fragile, and even frayed in a few places when I washed it. I'll probably make the necessary repairs and hang it on a wall. I'm undecided at the moment.

The quilt that won my adoration is in pristine condition. It's been washed, hung out to dry in the sunshine, and is now snuggling my precious little ones.

They seem to like it, too.