hens a-layin'

Happy, happy April everyone!!

Hope you had a beautiful weekend.

We spent ours gathered around the television, watching General Conference...something we look forward to every six months.

It was wonderful and I feel inspired to be a better person.

I can't believe spring is here!

After a long winter hiatus, our hens have decided to start laying eggs again.  Hooray!!

We love fresh eggs!  In fact, we just don't eat a lot of eggs when we can't get the fresh kind...the storebought variety pales in comparison to the fresh, bright-yellow-yoked, fetched-from-the-coop kind.  We're so thankful for our little feathered friends in the springtime, and for the excellent source of nutrition they give us.  And we're thankful that beautiful spring has arrived...like all of nature at this time of year, it is such a productive time for these backyard mama hens of ours! 

The girls are the self-designated egg collectors.

They love going out to the coop and hunting around for the colored eggs...

...kinda' like Easter every day!

(They also like showing off...notice Eliza's boot flying across the yard when she saw me pull out the camera...?!)

Then, the washing and sorting.

And counting, of course.

The boys want to know when we'll have enough eggs to start selling them for money.

I tell them: when we have more than we can eat.

So far, no surplus...

...just lots of omelets, poached eggs with toast, crepes, puffed dutch pancakes, muffins, and good 'ol scrambled eggs for any meal of the day.

And just in time...I'm finally getting over the long bout of morning sickness I've had all winter. Spring is looking more productive for this mama hen too!!  :)

points of interest...

I made these yummy blueberry muffins last week.  Mmmmm...delicious and nutritious!


And a few other points of interest around here:

Our hens are laying again after a winter sabbatical.  Best eggs ever.

We watched this documentary last night and I cried.  A lot.  Watch it for a close look at two Mormon brothers and how their lives were influenced by their beliefs.  Their perspective on what is truly important in life is astounding for such young people.  And you'll get a good taste of why I spent 1 1/2 years of my life preaching the Gospel as an LDS missionary in Argentina.  And a glimpse of why I love what my Church teaches about families and the purpose of life.  Such a great film.

Have you seen this?  I loved it.  Three cheers for homeschooling!

Amazing information on vitamin K2 and why most of us aren't getting enough of it.  In recent research, our western diet's lack of this vitamin is being linked to infertility, heart disease, and much more.  So interesting!

I want my boys to be like him.  Inspirational!!

The girls and I watched this Masterpiece Theater version of Sense and Sensibility last week.  So beautifully done.  I want to live in the Dashwoods' cottage by the sea...

Hannah just finished Anne of Green Gables and she loved it as much as I did!  Hooray!  After being lost in the fantasy fog of Sanderson, Mull, Riordan, Horowitz, etc. (through which my boys have overtaken and surpassed me), I'm thrilled to have a girl reader in the house, who can enjoy the books I love!!  Next on Hannah's list?  Sense and Sensibility, of course!

The girls and I will finish reading aloud Pollyanna tonight.  How I love that sweet story!

I love Susanne's style.  I could stare at photos of her clean, white house all day long.  Especially when mine needs cleaning :).  Like it does now.

We had rain/sleet yesterday.  But still not a lot of cold or snow this winter.  Our fire is roaring anyway...


And now...
time to go make some Valentines with the kids.  And switch the laundry.

Happy Monday to you, friends!

on homemade bread and soaked grains

When the chilly weather comes, our lighter summer fare is replaced by warm, nourishing comfort foods.  Soups, breads, and baked goods are staples at our house.

Did you know that traditionally, grains, nuts, seeds, and beans were prepared by soaking, sprouting, or souring them before consumption?  This makes them easier to digest and more nutritious.  These foods are full of phytic acids which grab onto imprtant minerals in our bodies, depleting us of those minerals as we digest them.  They also inhibit enzymes in our bodies, such as pepsin and amylase, which we need to digest our food.  Soaking, sprouting, and souring helps neutralize the phytic acids in grains, nuts, seeds, and beans. Most (if not all) of the processed foods we eat are full of phytates, which contribute to rampant nutrient deficiencies, digestive disorders, tooth decay, and so many other health problems in today's society.  Here's a great (very scientific) article describing this in depth, with great research and references.  And I think the best book about real, traditional foods on the market is Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.  My second favorite is Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck.  Both discuss traditional methods of soaking grains and other foods.  And so much more!!   

About a year ago, a good friend taught me how to make soaked whole wheat bread.  Her recipe is here.  To neutralize the phytic acid in freshly ground whole wheat flour, you can soak it overnight in buttermilk, yogurt, or kefir.  I do this in my Bosch mixer at night.  And then in the morning, I add a couple of other ingredients to the mixer bowl, mix for a few minutes, and then roll it into bagels, donuts, buscuits, cinnamon rolls, or tortillas.  This dough is rather heavy, and we prefer to use it for pastries rather than sandwich bread.  We use the sourdough recipe for baking loaves, or sometimes purchase Ezequiel sprouted grain bread at the grocery store to keep in the freezer for toast and sandwiches.  Our favorite way to use the soaked dough is to fry it in coconut oil for homemade donuts.  While they are hot, we dip them in organic powdered sugar or sucanat and cinnamon.  With raw milk, they make the best breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Another friend recently taught me how to make authentic sourdough bread.  It's absolutely delicious!!  I've only tried it with unbleached flour, but I plan on adding whole grains and doing some experimenting to make it more nourishing.  It's such a simple method for no-knead breadmaking...I'm smitten!!  And the starter cultures the flour, which neutralizes the phytates in the bread.

I have never made sourdough starter from scratch, because my friend generously shared some of hers.  In the Nourishing Traditions book, there is a detailed recipe for sourdough starter, which calls for whole rye flour.  But my friend made hers with unbleached flour with excellent results as well.  

Below is a great video tutorial from the New York Times.  I have been using this exact recipe for my sourdough bread, but substituting 1/4 cup sourdough starter for the yeast.  This guy makes it look so easy.  And it really is!! 

We are loving our bread and pastries this winter.  And knowing that they are nourishing and easy to digest is an added bonus to the yummy taste and smell of freshly baked homemade bread!

grateful

It was so great to gather together as a family this past weekend,

to celebrate the many bounteous blessings the Lord has poured out upon us.

We feel truly grateful.

How was your holiday weekend?

apple season

We are loving apple season this year!  We try to purchase apples once in a while throughout the summer, when we're really missing them, but they just never taste good to us.  So, we highly anticipate the harvest of juicy, fresh fall apples from our local trees.

Unfortunately, our sad, old apple tree has only produced a total of three apples since we moved in.  So we rely on apples from neighbors' trees, and from our local apple orchard.  A generous neighbor had a surplus of apples this year, so we went and picked several buckets of them.

With this year's apples, we have:

• bottled yummy applesauce with some of our best friends.  The boys and little girls waited in line most of the day for their turn to crank the strainer, and Hannah and her friend Claire chopped almost all of the apples for steaming.  They were great helpers and we had such a fun canning day!

• made caramel apples.  Well, we haven't dipped apples as a family yet...it's on the November agenda.  But I went to a friend's kitchen to learn how to make the fancy, chocolate covered variety with some ladies in the neighborhood.  mmmmmm.  So, so yummy and pretty.

• sliced and baked them into yummy apple pies.  Best pies ever.  Fresh apples make all the difference.  (sorry...no photo of the finished pies...they were gone before they had even cooled!

• and of course, eaten lots of them raw, alongside our favorite Irish cheese.  The perfect fall snack.

Today we're going to roast some apples.  And perhaps make a few more pies.  I love the spicy, sweet fragrance that fills my home on apple-baking days.  

And this weekend, our local apple orchard is pressing again...can't wait to stock my fridge and freezer with their fresh raw cider.  We drink it hot and cold all season long.

Now it's time for a snack.  Apples and cheese on a pretty plate at the coffee table.  While the kids kneel around the table in front of the fire and eat, I'll read aloud to them, and then we'll get going on our math, science, and grammar lessons.

Have a fine fall day!  And go eat an apple!

homemade ice cream

We love to make homemade ice cream when it's sunny and hot outside!

We still have the old ice cream maker we got for our wedding 15 years ago...and it works great.  The best thing about it is that it makes 6 quarts of ice cream in one batch!  And in only 40 minutes churning time...easy peasy!

Here's the recipe I used for my 6-quart machine (a variation of one I found on Kelly the Kitchen Kop):

Real Food Strawberry Ice Cream:

4 cups mashed strawberries

Juice from 3 lemons

2 1/4 cups real maple syrup

9 egg yolks from healthy, pasture-fed chickens

3 t. vanilla

3 T. arrowroot powder

3 cups raw whole milk

7 1/2 cups heavy cream

Mix all ingredients well, and pour into ice cream maker.  Process according to manufacturer instructions.

If you have a smaller machine, just cut the quantities by 1/2 or 1/3 accordingly.

There's nothing as delicious as some good, homemade ice cream!

Enjoy!

homemade yogurt recipe and good fats

Hello friends!

I just finished my early spin class and my morning yogurt.  It's going to be a good day.

I've had some requests for my yogurt recipe, so today I'm going to share with you how I make it.  There are lots of recipes out there...this is what works for me.  It's super easy and absolutely delicious!

What you need:

• 1 gallon whole milk (We use raw milk, but you can use pasteurized if that's what you have.  Make sure it's not ultra-pasteurized...ultra-pasteurized dairy products have a hard time culturing.)
• 2 cups very good quality whole milk plain yogurt, with live cultures (we use Stonyfield brand).  You may also use yogurt from your last batch.  I leave the yogurt out at room temperature for a few hours before using it to make more yogurt.
• candy thermometer
• clean glass jars

Heat the milk over medium/low heat until it reaches 110 degrees (so as not to kill the live cultures).  If you use pasteurized milk, heat to 180 degrees.  Stir often while heating.

(If using pasteurized milk, wait until milk cools to 110 degrees before next steps.)

Temper the yogurt by adding a few tablespoons of warmed milk and stirring.  Then stir the 2 cups yogurt into the milk.  Stir gently with a whisk until smooth and mixed well.

Quickly pour mixture into jars.  You want to maintain the 110 degree temperature, so work quickly.  Put lids on, sealing tightly.  (Large jars photographed above are from IKEA.  Quart mason jars work great too...remember, the yogurt will yield a little more than a gallon, as you are adding 2 cups of yogurt to the milk.  So you'll need 5 quart-sized jars, or the equivilent in larger jars.  Be sure to have clean jars and lids ready.)

Place in preheated oven set to 110 degrees, and culture for at least 8 hours or overnight.  If your oven doesn't go that low, you can use a cooler.  I've used both methods, and both work fine.  Fill cooler with 110 degree water, to just below the lids of your jars.  Close cooler and cover with towels.  Leave yogurt in cooler for 8 hours or overnight.

Refrigerate, and enjoy!  (Not sure how long this keeps in the fridge...ours always gets eaten within a few days!!)

And, for those of you who wonder...we use raw, whole dairy products, lots of unrefined coconut oil, and cultured, pasture-fed butter in our diet.  Very high in the good, nourishing fats.

For a great article on good fats, go here, here, or here.  These articles debunk the popular myths about fats and nutrition in the Western Diet.
For info. on raw milk go here or here.
Or read anything by Nina Planck, or Michael Pollan.  And I highly recommend Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig.
And if you haven't seen Food, Inc...hop to it!  It will change the way you think about food.  A good start for researching real foods.

homemade creme fraiche and recipes

A staple in french cuisine, and widely used throughout Europe, creme fraiche is similar to sour cream with a superior full, rich flavor.  It can be reduced and thickened without curdling, and can also be whipped like double cream.  It is an excellent addition to all sorts of soups and sauces.  And any kind of cultured milk product has beneficial bacteria that heals the gut and helps with digestion and nutrient absorption, so eat up!  It's good for you!!

(Read more about the benefits of cultured dairy as a traditional food here.)

To make homemade creme fraiche:

• 1 pint good-quality cream (raw cream is best, but pasteurized works.  Do not use ultrapasteurized.)
• 1 tablespoon whole-milk buttermilk (not ultrapasteurized, and without additives)

Stir buttermilk into cream in a clean glass jar.  Cover tightly and leave at room temperature to culture for 24-48 hours, until thick, slightly sour, and creamy.

We love creme fraiche in so many tasty dishes.   Here are a couple of our favorites:

Augratin potatoes:
Peel and thinly slice 8-10 potatoes.  (We like yukon gold.)
Stir fry potato slices in pastured butter or olive oil until soft, but still slightly firm.  Do not overcook, or they will be mushy!
In a buttered casserole dish, spread half the potatoes, and sprinkle with salt and fresh pepper.  Cover with a layer of creme fraiche, then a generous amount of shredded gruyere cheese (or any cheese you like).  Repeat the three layers once more, ending with the cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, and then reduce to 350, and bake until potatoes are tender, and top is golden.  YUMMMMM!!!


Comfort Macaroni and Cheese:
Start with a good-quality whole-grain pasta.  We like Tinkyada Rice Pasta:
Or Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta:
Boil pasta al dente according to package instructions.  Drain pasta, then stir in creme fraiche and your favorite shredded cheese to taste, while pasta is still warm.  Serve with real salt and freshly ground pepper.  This is so delicious and much better than processed boxed Mac-n-cheese.


Our most popular creme fraiche menu item is Creamy Garlic Herb Dip:

Scoop some creme fraiche into a bowl.  

Stir in generous pinches of the following seasonings, to taste:

• garlic powder
• onion powder
• salt 
• freshly ground pepper
• dill, or other dried herbs  

Enjoy with fresh veggies.  This is much, much, MUCH better for you than commercial Ranch Dressing (which we completely avoid, because it is full of preservatives and other non-food additives).  Serve also on salads and baked potatoes.

 The kids love it, and so will you!

dishwashers, snow, and happy things

Santa Claus here was supposed to be washing dishes.

Our dishwasher is busted.  Again.  Might be time to replace it...

In the mean time, I have 6 little dishwashers who are happy to wash by hand.  

And face...  

Other things making me happy during an April weekend full of slushy, dreary, muddy snow:

1) Hot chocolate and a fire in the woodstove.

2) Sewing in my new room.  Love!
Oh, and knowing you love it too!  Thanks for all the sweet comments and emails, everyone.
That cute and talented Liz at say yes! to hoboken included my studio in her weekend roundup...thanks, Liz!  (I've had a secret crush on her striped skirt ever since I laid eyes on it.  I want to make one.  Isn't it perfect?)  A warm hello! to all her readers.  So glad you stopped by!

3) These.

4) Hearing my three-year-old brush off and spout out the rusty old phrase: Mom, you're amazin'!--long shelved and likely forgotten by its previous owners, who have entered the realm of teenager.

5) Watching this excellent film again for history.  (On sale here.)  So well done...a must see.  And this too.  Both brought me to tears...multiple times.  I love America, and the people who have fought to make it great!  (we need a James Madison today...)

6) Watching this with my girls.  Twice.  Love the music.  And the scenery.  And the wardrobes.  And the story.  And the message.

7) This Russian novel.  Spent the entire morning Saturday with my nose in it, while waiting for piles of laundry to fold themselves...which, of course, never happened.  But the dear Mr. came to the rescue and folded a few loads.  Like Vronsky, he knows how to get the girl.  Love that man.  (My man, that is--not Vronsky.  Dashing fellow, but he should've stuck with Kitty.  She wasn't his first choice, but at least she wasn't already married!)

8) Re-reading two of my favorite speeches, and the way they inspired me while working on my presentation for BYU Women's Conference.  Which is coming along.  (biting fingernails...)  I've been digging through these three books as well.  Great information about real food.  And studying this, of course.

10) My two oldest rocking another Speech and Debate Tournament.  Romney placed second in Student Congress, and Taylor placed third in Spar.  After having watched two tournaments, I am in awe.  I would wet my pants having to speak impromptu and debate and opponent in front of judges.  And they seem to thrive under the pressure.  Seriously amazing.  Makes a mama proud.  (sniff, sniff)

11) Cafe Rio with great friends.  (Note: despite my numbering, this list is not in any particular order, friends.  I love you just as much as Anna Karenina.  And that handsome devil, Vronsky.  Promise.)

12) Going to a wedding reception.  Is it just me, or do you sometimes envy a new bride?  So young and fresh and in love...full of dreams and hope?  I get nostalgic for that phase of life, and almost want to go back in time (perhaps these romantic novels and movies are getting to me...), and then I think of birthing six kids all over again, and I snap right back into the present.  And feel so satisfied and content.  I am truly blessed.  And I didn't even know back then how great he'd be at folding laundry...


 How was your weekend?

house tour: part II

Welcome to my new kitchen!

New french Tolix chairs and stools from Sundance Catalog and Design Within Reach.

New light fixtures from Restoration Hardware, one bought at a local Downeast Home outlet at a discounted price...score!

LOVE!

I LOVE the painted table.  The new antique distressed white brightened up the eating area for a nice clean feel.

I took off the old curtains, and will eventually sew some new ones, but I like the bare windows for winter, letting in lots of light.

I had painted the accent cabinets black when we moved in, but I wanted to brighten everything up, so I painted over the black for all white cabinets. 

New polished nickel hardware was bought on ebay for $1 each.  I drilled in the drawer pulls extra tight, as many of our drawer fronts were loose or falling off altogether.  Much more sturdy for the many little hands that pull and hang on them.

I organized my herbs and spices, using IKEA shelving and containers.  I previously had them stuffed into a small cabinet, and every time I reached for a jar, everything fell out!  So, now I have the ones I use most filled and in view.  Perfecto!

I removed the black drawers and replaced them with our tea cup collection.  They were just too pretty to hide any longer.  Tea anyone?

That's all for today...more of the home tour to come?

Well, there is more in the works, but alas...December is upon us, 

so I must turn my creative energy toward gift-making!

thankful

We had a great time last weekend with our visitors from Connecticut.  Lots of visiting, eating, and playing in the snow.

A blizzard blew through on Tuesday night...frigid temps made for a nice, cozy Thanksgiving week at home.

We celebrated yesterday with two fresh, young turkeys (farm-raised by a friend...yum!),
homemade cranberry sauce,
mashed potatoes,
sweet potato casserole,
whole-grain stuffing,
garlic green beans with pine nuts,
sparkling cider,
and wheat rolls.
And for dessert, homemade pumpkin and apple pie (with apples from a neighbor's tree),
and fresh whipped cream.

Lovely, quiet feast...just our little family
at home
together.
At dinner, Dad asked everyone to name what they were thankful for, and then we gathered by the fire to read about the first Thanksgiving.

I'm feeling so thankful for a warm home and delicious, plentiful food to enjoy...and especially for so many wonderful people who have touched my life for good.  Thank you, dear friends and family, for being so wonderful!

Happy holiday weekend to you and yours!