So much to be thankful for...

I tend to spend a lot of time dreaming of what comes next.  Not because what I have isn't great, but because dreaming, working hard, and achieving goals is what drives me.  I like to work and change and grow.  It's who I am.

But on Thanksgiving, I like to take stock of what I have.  Stop dreaming.  Count my blessings.  Take a moment to step back from dreaming of what will be and soak in what is.

So without futher ado, here is what I'm thankful for this year.

1.  My babies.  They shriek, they wrestle, they get around faster than any little humans should.  And they keep me in an endless supply of dirty laundry, sleep deprivation, and smiles.  They make me crazy. But I love them.

2.  My backyard ladies - Charlotte the duck, Meryl Cheep, Elizabeak Taylor , and Olivia.  They cluck and scratch and lay the most delcious eggs.  Last week, when the temperatures fell, their egg production dropped.  I had to buy eggs for the first time in almost a year.  It was only then that I remembered just how much they spoil me with fresh eggs daily just a few steps outside my back door.

Just the duck eggs - Charlotte works overtime!

3.  My grandmother's piano. As I moved around over the years, it sat in storage and out of tune.  But finally it fills my house with music daily.  Whether I'm stealing a few minutes away from chores to practice or my toddler is testing out expressing various moods with notes (Today it was "spooky" music.  Tomorrow it will be "sad" music.  "Mad" is probably my favorite), it is a sound that fills my soul with happiness.

4. My retro hot tub and red wine.  Really that is two things, but it is the best combo. The house we bought at the end of last year came with an old hot tub.  Frankly, its presence didn't impress us when looking to buy and I grumbled quite a bit at the start, because it needed some pricey maintenance.  But now when I hop in after a day of wrangling the children and animals, a glass of red wine in hand, I can let the stress of the day slip away.

(Source)

5.  My husband.  He humors me when I take on project upon project (and bring home animal after animal).  I pitched him the idea of starting an essential oils business and he was onboard and super supportive.  He gives good backrubs and eats what I cook (no matter how unimpressive, because I work a lot and small children can wear a girl out). And he builds me things - the new, improved chicken coop, the bed frame exactly how I wanted it, the custom kennel enclosure for our dogs... and still I add more.  He's a keeper.

And I think he is a hunk...

So this thanksgiving, I'm thankful for what I have and am letting go of wanting the things I don't, even if just for a day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Classic Sausage Gravy

It's no secret that I love pork.  Me + bacon + pork chops + sausage + bbq ribs = eternal love.

Whenever I try out a new breakfast place, I automatically go straight to the biscuits and gravy (or hash browns and gravy.  Seriously.  Hash browns can be even better than biscuits).

In my opinion, a restaurant has no business serving breakfast if it can't do a great, from scratch breakfast gravy.  This includes vegetarian places, because cashew gravy is a thing and it can blow your mind.

But today, I'm focusing on good old sausage gravy.  Nothin' fancy.

The key to a good sausage gravy is (no surprise) the sausage.  I would recommend choosing high quality, well spiced sausage.  Bonus points for keeping it pastured, antibiotic free, and humanely raised.  Like most things, I just say do the best you can.  We all have our own priorities and limitations, so do what you gotta do.

Classic Sausage Gravy

You will need:
1 lb breakfast sausage
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups milk (whole or 2% at minimum)
Salt, pepper to taste.

Note:  this recipe will serve 4-6 people depending on their age and appetite. :)

Step 1: Brown sausage in a medium to large frying pan.  I use cast iron.  Oh yeah!!

Step 2: Once the sausage is browned, add flour and stir until it coats the sausage and starts to turn golden brown again.

My helper measured and dumped in the flour.

Step 3:  After the sausage and flour is golden (you can't see the flour), pour in milk.

You can hardly tell the flour is there, since it absorbs the fat.

Step 4: Heat milk, stirring continuously until the gravy is gently bubbling.  Continue to thicken and stir until gravy is desired thickness.  I like mine thick.

Step 5: Salt and pepper to taste.  Then take your biscuits and break them in half.

I'll post my favorite SUPER EASY biscuit recipe later.  It is so simple and it comes out fluffy with minimal effort:

Then pour over biscuits or hashbrowns and serve hot.

Simple.  Delicious. I need more.

Enjoy!

My post baby body

I have seen so many women showing and embracing their post pregnancy body.  Showing love for their new self.  And it is fantastic!  And I admire them so much.

These strong women fill my newsfeed with their positive messages and encouragement to redefine what post partum bodies look like in an environment so saturated by images of celebrities getting back to "normal" as quickly as possible.

All this positivity makes me feel a little... well... different than other women.  Maybe a little left out?

The truth is that I don't feel positive about my post baby body. I have a sense of humor about it, yes, but positive is not how I would describe my feelings on the whole *ahem* situation.

The truth is I don't like what pregnancy does to my body.  I do not feel physically great during or in the year following pregnancy.  (I won't digress and tell you about the during pregnancy fun stuff)  

Perhaps it is hormonal, but my body seems to lose an initial amount of weight and then it stops.  And it will continue to sit at that weight for about a year until breastfeeding slows.

Before you go suggesting it... tried dieting with both... it's a waste of time during that first year.  Exercise helps firm things up and that goes a long way, but really no overall weight loss.

After about a year, I am able to get back closer to normal, but realistically my body will never be the same...

You might be from the Northwest if your favorite breastfeeding cover is a plaid flannel shirt.

I have breastfed two children and may at some point breastfeed more.  Let's say things aren't quite as perky.

I have gained and lost a good amount of weight.  I don't gain and lose the "recommended" 25 pounds.  My body prefers 42 pounds and has stuck to that number both times, despite remaining active and eating well, especially the second time in an attempt to gain less weight.

Overdue with Charlie and feeling it.  I made my husband take
3 pictures in order to get one where I felt remotely presentable.

I can't be the only woman out there that feels this way, right?

I can't be the only women who wakes up after a few months post baby and thinks ugh, I really wish my favorite jeans fit and my fave black leather jacket zipped around my boobs.

I can't be the only one who looks longingly at their favorite pre-baby comfy bra and says someday you and I will be together again.

Fortunately my feet didn't grow, so my shoes and I can still be besties.  Thank God!!  My husband would have a basket case on his hands if I had to part with my favorite boots.

But here is what I can say about my post baby body - I GREW two humans dammit.  So even if my body felt miserable a good portion of the time during pregnancy and even if I feel crappy for a whole year following, I get seriously beautiful babies.

And that's the reason, I don't sweat the situation with my body.  That's why I can laugh and tell the truth about it. Loving or not loving my body is small potatoes compared to the enormity of creating life.  That part makes me feel like kind of like a badass superhero.

Selfie with Charlie!

And I wouldn't trade my little rascals for all the stretch marks and the extra 17 pounds that has decided to stick around for a year after I have them (seriously... 17 lbs on the nose both times.  So annoying).

Gilbert at just a few days old.  Where did the time go?

So, I'm not towing the party line on loving my post baby body.  I'm going to love what my body gave me (my beautiful, magical, delicious babies) and sit tight on all the body love.

Who knows?  Maybe in a year or two I will feel differently and post some sweet post partum photos on the blog.  (Unlikely though.  I'm not really a body picture type of gal)

Favorite jeans and beautiful custom leather jacket from Argentina... I have tucked you in the back of closet, but I'm not losing hope that we will meet again in about another 9 - 10 months.   Auf Wiedersehen.

Watermelon Keg!

As part of expanding our library of useful reading material, we added a book on modern pioneering

It is a great resource with lots of interesting and practical ideas.

Naturally, the first thing we chose to do was something that has nothing to do with self sufficiency and everything to do with just good old fun.

We made a watermelon keg.  It was so easy and when filled with a tasty watermelon cocktail, it was a hit!

How to make a Watermelon Keg

You will need:

Large watermelon
A large spoon / knife for carving
A spigot - I prefer a plastic, threaded one like you can buy here.

Slice a thin layer off the bottom to allow the watermelon to stand on end.  Keep your cut well within the rind, so that it doesn't leak.

Then take a large slice off the top to create the "lid".  I recommend scoring around the part where you want to cut the lid while the watermelon is standing.  This helps you make a level lid, so that it won't slide off.

Thin slice for the base and then it will stand on its own!

And now, get to scooping.

My homestud at work <3

Scoop and scoop and scoop out all those insides (and don't forget to munch on some watermelon slices while you are at it).

This is the step where Gilbert excels....

Once it is cleaned out, it is time to cut the hole for the spigot on the lower portion of the keg.  Tip: start the hole small and gradually trim it to size.  If you cut it too large, you are out of luck.

My husband let me film him cutting the hole in our second keg.  (Okay I recorded it and told him I was filming after the fact so as not to make him nervous). As you can see in the video, it really is quick and simple.

Video not loading?  View it here instead

Screw in the spigot.  If it is not coming through the inside, scoop out more of the innards until it is exposed.

Then fill with the liquid of your choice.

Presto!  Watermelon keg!

I highly recommend tossing some watermelon (about half a blender's worth) and a handful off chocolate mint leaves in a blender.

Add vodka to taste and blend until smooth.

Now add a bit more vodka (because you pour over ice and it waters down a bit).  Personally I found it tastes about right when you start with a blender half full of watermelon and mint then fill 3/4 full with the vodka.

Then pour over ice and party!

Soooooo freshing!

The urgency of being 3

I started out to write a post about how to preserve cherry tomatoes, but then as I was typing my 3 year old walked up, rubbed my back, and asked if I was thirsty.  I said yes and he went and got me some water.

All the sudden I didn't want to post about tomatoes anymore.  I want to tell you all about my first born. My Gilbert.

In all the challenging moments of motherhood (for example my three month old spit up in my mouth last week), I latch on to the moments like the glass of water when I see a little kind person shining through all that toddler.

Gilbert is 3 years old and full of vibrant life.  He consumes knowledge voraciously.  Every piece of information is urgent for him to learn and then urgent for him to share (mostly with Charlie).

He catapults out of his room at night (after we think he's asleep) just to ask "what is this?  What does this say?  I can't read.  I need to know this!"  Finding out the piece of information CANNOT wait until the morning.  I have resigned myself to answering his questions and sending him back to bed.

He takes planting lima beans very seriously.

And sometimes he runs up to me and yells "I love you.  I just needed to tell you".

He needed to tell me.  NEED.  (Seriously... sometimes I wish adults were more like children.  How many times have you called somebody up or run up to a person just to tell them you loved them?  Because you NEEDED to tell them.  It was urgent.   It could not wait).

Gilbert has been enamored with Charlie since day 1. 

That's my favorite thing about him: he's expressive and kind.  He notices how others are feeling and his instinct is to help.  He is very gentle with animals.  Every day, at least twice, he asks me how I'm doing and then sits to wait for a real response.  When I reciprocate, he beams and launches into quite the stream of consciousness account of how he is doing.



Don't get me wrong, he's definitely 3.  He'll karate chop you and challenge you to a wizards' duel too.  He will sit down and tell you all about the dragons he has memorized.  Because you need to know about the "screaming death" or the "hideous zippleback."  It's essential knowledge in his (stubborn) opinion.

Tractors are the coolest machines in the world to him.

Just tonight, he ran out of his room and said he needed to talk to me.  Immediately.

The subject? Dinosaur Extinction. He needed a commitment that tomorrow we figure out how all the dinosaurs died.

So tomorrow's schedule in between snack time and lunch reads "find out how dinosaurs died."  Because for Gilbert this is of the utmost importance.  It cannot wait a week.  It's a miracle it waited until morning.

And that's my impatient, energetic, sweet Gilbert.

 

Potential

I like the word potential.  I like the idea of potential.

In everything I do, I look for potential: the potential for growth, the potential for change, the potential for improvement, the potential for fun, the potential for learning, the potential for joy.

\ (this slash was brought to you by Charlie's foot.  I couldn't bring myself to delete his first typed character.  It's a weird mommy thing.  Just roll with it)

Constantly embracing potential means my life is always in a bit of chaos.

I am always working on some kind of home improvement project.  Move in ready is just not my style.

There is always something cooking, freezing, or waiting to be preserved.

Here's yesterday's project.  Roasted peppers (put them in hummus, use them to spice up Butternut Squash soup, or add a few into a salsa recipe to add some heat).

My house is never completely clean (but it could potentially be clean someday!  HA.)

I love life that way.

We bought our house last November knowing it was full of POTENTIAL.  And every day we discover more potential and sometimes even realize some of that potential.

Last month, we finally removed the wreath the previous owners left to reveal:

Yep.  That's a hole where a porch light should be.  (Somebody's real estate agent earned their commission with how well this house was staged!)

But we fixed that now:

We started with an overgrown yard.  Full of debris.  This prompted the makeshift garden.  I was surprised how many beans, tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, and beyond can be grown in a few buckets from the Dollar Store:

But now a lot of the debris has been hauled away and the overgrown shrubs and bushes removed.

Everybody helps with clean up!

Which uncovered... you guessed it... MORE POTENTIAL.  Next summer we will be able to have a big, glorious in ground garden.

We will have built the new chicken coop.

And rehabed the man made pond for Charlotte the duck to enjoy.

And the kid's rooms will be painted, organized, and looking more homey.

And I will sprout all my seeds at the right time for optimal growth (a girl can dream).

And maybe my house will be clean (doubtful).

And maybe all the laundry will be folded (when pigs fly).

After typing this, I'm starting to think my love of potential is a disease... Somebody help me please.

Butternut Squash Soup with a side of denial

I'm over summer.  Mostly I'm over forest fires.  For those who follow the news, you have properly heard that large parts of Eastern Washington are on fire.

The air quality is horrible.  I know people whose homes have burned.  Livestock lost.  Several firefighters dead.  The only good thing that has come out of this is that I am reminded of just what an awesome community we live in.  So many people helping out and stepping up to help families replace what has been lost.  I'm thankful for that.

But that doesn't make the sun less relentless or the air more breathable.  So I am turning up my air conditioner and living in denial that it is still summer.  I want Fall!

I'm diffusing clove and cinnamon oil, creating the illusion of holiday baking (with none of the dishes or calories.  Booya!)

We are shucking corn.

And for dinner, I'm having Butternut Squash Soup.

Normally squash soups are a fall and winter sort of thing.  But like I said, I'm living in denial.

My sister passed this recipe to me and I am passing it to you.  This soup is so rich and creamy, I didn't even realize that there is no cream the first time it was made for me.

Butternut Squash Soup

Picture from Inspiring the Everyday.
My picture was abysmal.
Their soup has curry powder.
You should check it out!

You will need:
5 medium carrots
2 large ribs of celery
1 large butternut squash
1 sweet potato
1 russet potato
1 orange (juiced)
½ cup sauvignon blanc (or really any white wine, optional)
8 cups of chicken stock (homemade is my favorite!)
3 sprigs of thyme (or 1 tsp dry)
2 bay leaves

Sweat 5 diced carrots and 2 diced celery ribs in butter with salt/pepper, bay leaves, and thyme for 5-10 minutes.

Add peeled and diced butternut squash, sweet and russet potatoes.  Try for 1 inch cubes, but really the smaller you cut them, the faster they cook.   Cook for 5 minutes.

Squeeze in juice from orange and add wine (don't skip the wine!  It adds FANTASTIC flavor.  Also, pour yourself a glass).

Let reduce for several minutes and then add chicken stock.

Simmer for 30-40 minutes.  Remove bay leaves.

Puree with stick blender or, if you are into chunky soup, go crazy with the potato masher.

Personally, I like it smooth and creamy.  Best served with Bruschetta.

And wine.  Always wine.

Enjoy!

Organic Almond Milk

Most brands of store bought almond milk contain very little almond and plenty of thickeners.  Plus, it can be expensive.  Fortunately, with minimal prep and time you can make homemade almond milk.

This recipe will result in thick almond milk.  It is more the consistency of whole milk than non-fat milk.  It is also a larger recipe since we use almond milk regularly.  I have seen recipes that use less almonds, like this one and some that add vanilla and are thicker, like this one.

I like mine to start out unsweetened and plain.

Organic Almond Milk

You will need:

3 cups organic raw almonds

6 cups water (plus water for soaking)

Pinch of salt

Step 1: Soak the almonds in 6 cups of water at room temperature for 12 - 24 hours.  

I just soak them the night before and make the almond milk the next day.

Step 2: Drain and rinse soaked almonds.

Step 3: Blend nuts, 6 cups water, and a pinch of salt in blender or large food processor. 

I do this in two rounds since it puffs up a bit when blended and I would rather not be concerned about overflow.  Also, I don't own a blender and food processors have a low fill line.  Someday sweet Vitamix, you will be mine.

You may notice I play a little fast and loose with the max fill liquid line...

Step 4: Place a flour sack dishtowel, cheese cloth, or nut bag (no really... there is such a thing as a nut bag) over the top of your pitcher and pour the blended mixture in  (Personally, I just buy the reusable paper towels from the dollar store... I'm classy).

Step 5: Twist the top of your cloth and squeeze out the liquid.  

Set the pulp aside for use with other recipes.  Did you know you can use the left over nuts in muffins, smoothies, or this Lemon Bar Nut Crust?   Just make the honey sweetened lemon bars with the nut crust.  You will not regret it.

Repeat this process until you have milked all the nuts.  (And now I'm giggling).

And now, Enjoy!  Put this in your coffee, use as a substitute for whole milk in recipes, add some of my Homemade Chocolate Syrup and a shot of coffee for a seriously delicious non-dairy mocha.

Washing your face with oil

As I'm writing, I can hear Gilbert down the hall talking to himself as he tries to nap.  He has been fighting the naps lately, but *I'm* not ready to give them up just yet.  He is pretty sure he is 3 going on "forty seventy teen" as he likes to tell me.  He feels like too big of a boy to be taking naps (he tells me through teary eyes, when I try to put him down).

Does he look "forty seventy teen" to you?  I think not.

Charlie is laying on his play mat, wiggling around, alternating between trying to snack on his toes and talking to his toy duck.  He still mostly stays where I put him, but we all know that won't last much longer.

Whatever he is saying to the duck is serious.

It is very easy with all the commotion of two small children and the new routine of working in the morning to forget the basics.  I have to actually ask myself... have you brushed your teeth?  hair?  Put on deodorant? Clean clothes? Showered recently?

The good news is the answer to those questions is mostly yes.  But feeling good during the first 6 months post pregnancy is hard for me.    Aside from not being one of those mothers who is able to slim down quickly after pregnancy, I am also not the mother who has super elastic, clear, well hydrated skin post-pregnancy.

I gotta say here that I have nothing but love for those quick-slimming, flawless skinned mamas out there...  Rock on!  Maybe if I go for a third, I will join your ranks ;)

My skin goes on a roller coaster of blemishes and dryness.  So today, I want to share with you all one thing that makes me feel AMAZING.  I love it because it's quick and it doesn't involve anything horribly expensive (and I have tried some pricey face cleansers and moisturizers that don't work nearly as well).  It doesn't make my skin perfect, but it does make it feel softer and minimizes blemishes.

How to Oil Cleanse

You will need: a clean wash cloth and your preferred cleansing oil.  Personally, I prefer straight sweet almond oil (you can order it here), but I know some people prefer coconut oil, olive oil, castor oil, or even a blend.

1. In the shower or at the sink, place a quarter size worth of your oil into your hand.

2. Massage over entire face with your hand, making small circles.

3. Wet wash cloth with very hot water, wring out excess, open the washcloth, and place over your face.

4.  Leave the cloth on for at least a minute Seriously.  Enjoy.  It feels wonderful.  If your kiddos aren't yelling for you or trying to pick the lock on the bathroom door, feel free to leave it on until it cools.

5.  Use the corners of the washcloth to gently wipe any excess oil off your face.  No need to really scrub.  It's okay for there to be a little left on.

And that's it.  You can try this for little to no money especially if you use oils you already have on hand like coconut or olive oil.

Happy Cleansing!

How to freeze eggs

I survived my first week back at work part time!!  

Then I took a really long nap.  It was glorious.  Magical.  I should take this whole "sleep when the baby sleeps" advice people have been suggesting to me for years.

Since I work from a home office and my husband was able to adapt his schedule to be home in the morning to watch the kiddos, it was painless. Literally painless... work from home=no need to pump.  I hate pumping.  

Plus, I get baby snuggles when I step out of the office to top up my coffee.  

And who wouldn't want a quick snuggle from this little angel?

I just want to eat him.  That's normal, right?

Also this week, I bought a brand spanking new 11 cup Cuisinart food processor.  Do you know how fast you can shred a zucchini in one of those?  Really fast.

Successful first week back at work and a brand new appliance?  All in all, I would say this week has been a good one.  

Now that you know more about my week than you wanted to, I'll give you what you came for.  Onward to the farmy stuff...

My backyard flock is laying crazy amounts of eggs.  Around here, we eat eggs like it's our job.  

Afternoon snack? Hard boiled egg.  

Mid-morning snack? Scrambled eggs.  

Need lunch?  Egg salad or egg and onion sandwich.

Dinner? Quiche.  

Stressed out or just want to eat something? Soft boiled egg smushed with a bit of kerrygold butter.  

It's a good thing I LOVE eggs.  And yet we still have extras during this time of year.

I know full well the first cold snap of the year will hit and the egg count will drop.  (I'm well aware this could be avoided by lighting the ladies, but there is no power source out by our coop).

The good news is that there are a few ways to freeze eggs for later use.

Mixing eggs together with a pinch of salt and freezing them in 6 or 8 egg blocks (or 3 or 4 duck egg blocks) is a great way to just have what you need all set to pour over your quiche fillings during slow laying weeks. 

Baking often requires just one or two chicken eggs, so the "egg block" isn't really practical for that application.  This is where ice tray freezing is brilliant!  

16 egg cubes = 8 large chicken eggs

If you have a tray with big spaces, you can just crack a single egg into each compartment and you can freeze whole eggs with ease.    Just don't try to freeze whole eggs for more than 6 months. I've heard the yokes can get an odd texture, although I have never experienced that myself.

Our ice tray has smaller compartments.  A medium egg takes up 1 1/2 compartments.  It's super awkward.

Not very convenient to have a main cube and an egg white "chip," so beating the eggs first is a better option for us.

Once they are frozen, I pop them into a gallon size ziploc and label with the date.  For recipes calling for one large egg, 2 "egg cubes" can be used. 

If you don't have an ice tray, partially filled muffin tins will do just fine:

With our pekin duck eggs, we can use the ice tray to partition them like chicken eggs.  I like that because then it takes away the trouble of converting between duck/chicken egg quantities for baking.  Two "egg cubes" is 1 large egg for most recipes.

Why does Charlotte the duck lay so many eggs?

Duck eggs are a challenge for me to use up, because they are huge and I don't have many recipes that use them under my belt.  I am working on expanding my repertoire in that regard, so stay tuned and perhaps I will share.  

Alternatively, anybody want a few duck eggs?

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Fact: I love chocolate milk as much as my 3 year old does.  (Although sometimes I combine it with my other love... coffee.)

Fact: Hershey's Chocolate Syrup's number one ingredient is high fructose corn syrup.

Oh hello there familiar but unhealthy syrup...

Now why would I take my lovely, pastured, organic milk and fill it with corn syrup?  I shouldn't.

Fact: During the shopping fever of Amazon's Prime Day, I bought one thing: cocoa powder.

This syrup recipe is really quick (unless you are juggling two children and trying to make it, take pictures, and blog at the same time.  I've inserted my additional steps below just for fun).

I have tried some variations over the years, but this one from Wholesome Mommy made with coconut palm sugar is my favorite.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

You will need

1 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch of salt

Step 1: In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients and stir with whisk.

Mommy step - take picture of how pretty coconut palm sugar is.  Take a break to nurse a baby.  

Coconut palm sugar.  I love the deep color.  It's beautiful.

Step 2: Bring ingredients up to boil (on medium high, not high) heat.  Stir occasionally.

Mommy step - change two successive diapers, forget how long it has been since it was stirred, almost burn the syrup.

Step 3: Once it is boiling, let boil for one minute.

Mommy step - go to figure out why your 3 year old is telling your 3 month old "here - take this.  I think this toy is good for you..."

Step 4: Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Step 5: Mix with milk to taste for a delicious glass of chocolate milk.

Mommy step - forget to take a picture of the full glass of milk that you so carefully mixed in one of your husband's pretty whiskey tumblers.  Sit down to watch "So you think you can dance", drink the milk, and blog while the toddler naps and the baby plays happily.  A rare moment of peace!  Realize mistake and snap quick picture of half finished glass with cell phone.  

Try it... it should take 10 minutes max for normal people.  I swear you won't miss that old Hershey's nonsense.