...butter bread...

I love taking care of my family. I love it even more when I feel like I'm feeding them something healthful, and saving money at the same time. With the building of this new home almost underway, I've been feeling the need to be a bit more discerning when it comes to purchases. Dollar signs are a harsh reality, and I am now, more than ever, trying to conserve what I can.

One way I have found to save money is to make things from scratch. This can be a daunting undertaking if what you are used to is cereal bars and potato chips. We have belonged to a CSA for almost 8 years, and I'm well-versed in the preparation of "from-scratch" dinners. Lately, however, I have been looking at the condiments that we keep around the house. Particularly peanut butter.

Why peanut butter? Probably because of the price tag associated with it. When I buy food, I am one of those who look carefully at the ingredients. I try to keep to a minimum the sugars, colorings, and other garbage that seem to make up many of our grocery choices these days. In doing so, my peanut butter options come at a much inflated price. So I dove into the idea of making my own.

The first time I tried making it, the results were less than perfect. It was a bit stiff, and not as smooth as the store bought. I decided to make peanut butter cookies out of it, since it seemed like the wisest way to use it up.

My second attempt was a smashing success, but I neglected to measure anything. I just knew that I added a bit more oil, which allowed the peanut butter to remain spreadable, even when stored in the fridge.

Peanuts ground

After mixing in oil, honey, and salt

My third attempt mirrored my second, with said measurements included so I could test it one last time. With the second and third attempts, no cookies had to be baked, as my children readily scarfed down the peanut butter...and a couple of these said children have never liked store-bought peanut butter. Warms a mother's heart even more.

scooped into the jar

Homemade Peanut Butter

*  2 cups roasted, not salted peanuts (shelled, of course)

*  2 T + 2 t of oil (I used sunflower, but another would be fine, I think)

*  2 T honey (I use raw)

*  2 t coarse salt

Put peanuts in food processor, grind until fine. Add oil, honey and salt slowly, until peanut butter is consistency that you prefer.

 

How do you like your "butter bread," Margot?

  

What I love is that there are no hard and fast rules. This is what we prefer. This recipe makes 2/3 of a regular peanut butter jar. Our family goes through that much in about 2 weeks, and it keeps just fine in the refrigerator.

Happy blending!

"Love it!"

...glimpses...

Last year, my sister gave my daughters each a camera for their birthdays. They are quite durable cameras  that take both pictures and videos, and are a lovely pink/purple/flowery combination that my girls both adore. Pretty is important, after all.

 Generally speaking, I have left my kids alone when it comes to documenting their lives with these cameras. I notice when they are using them, and have helped when they have come to me, frustrated, as their cameras fill up. I have noticed these pictures and videos of, what I would deem, rather ridiculous things. The fun and laughter that comes from playing with these cameras, however, makes any opinion I may have, frivolous.

One night after the kids were asleep, I looked at one of the cameras to see what was being recorded in their little worlds of play. I don't think I ever laughed so hard in all my life. The pictures were random, kooky, and the facial expressions were priceless. Also, my children have a real knack for capturing the most unflattering photos of their mama. Perfect.

It was the videos that were the most endearing. My sweet Evy giving her reports on the news and activities of each family member, Isaac divulging Evy's most secret of secrets, and my all time favorite, The Dance Party.  My son, the athlete, who struggles with anything artistic, put his dance face on and busted a move that made his momma proud. Evy shook her groove thang right alongside him, with as much attitude and sass as a 6 year old could muster. It was both precious and hysterical.

I dare not share the video, as my son would be horrified. Instead I'll share these images from their camera, with glimpses of their life, their world.....and, of course, I'll continue to check these cameras from time to time....

...down time...

The kids are on spring break this week. There is both fear and relief when breaks like this come around. The fear of me going crazy, and the relief of being able to sleep in just a few minutes later, with mornings where I am not rushing everyone out the door.

  The very first day of break, all three of my lovelies started whining about nothing to do right around 10am. Mustering up as much patience as I could, we had a "meeting" where we discussed the different things we could do when we were bored. I was surprised that they thought of so many, as I was sure they were completely stumped when they were moaning and groaning not 15 minutes prior.

Nevertheless, we came up with a pretty exhaustive list, ranging from reading, to napping, to playing different games, to going outside. We also discussed mealtimes, in order to prevent me from getting trapped in the kitchen all day. With the ground rules in place, we began to enjoy our break together.

There were games, both indoor and out.

 There were pictures, both painted and drawn.

 There were books, both read and colored.

 There were treats, both made and eaten.

 There were forts, built up and torn down.
 

 And there was a birthday party for a dear cousin...whose hair did stay flame-free.

There was helping, with cooking and cleaning.
There was love, camaraderie, and a few *ahem* disagreements.
All in all, it has been a good break. It has been fun to see the kids reference the list, and it has been heavenly not having them whine about what to do.

..giving back..

If there is one thing I want to model for my children, it's giving. In a society where consumerism dominates most of what we see and hear, I want to raise discerning consumers who take more pride in what they give, rather than what they get.

When it comes to charity, I have found that oftentimes giving money in support of something is the easy way out. Not that I would ever encourage someone to stop supporting something monetarily, as it is a fine way to be charitable. Instead, (or perhaps, in addition), I would rather do something, make something, that might benefit others in need.

In systematically cleaning out our home for our impending move, I have brought countless bags/boxes to the Goodwill and Salvation Army. Through our church, I have assisted with meals at homeless shelters. I try to find opportunities to give in ways that are more direct, in ways that might not always be the most comfortable, but ways that are surely (for me) more satisfying.

Awhile back, I found a group called Craft Hope that is made up of crafters looking for ways to help others through their crafts. It involves mostly sewing/knitting type crafts, so it was right up my alley. I hesitated initially, for many different reasons, but with this last project, I chose to dive right in. Bibs. How hard could that be?

Sometimes, I'm my own worst enemy. I searched and searched for the right bib patterns. Then it turned into a mental debate about whether to knit the bibs or sew the bibs. Did I have the right yarn? Did I have appropriate materials? Honestly, I can procrastinate at making a decision better than anyone I know. So I just made myself start.

I have quietly devoted a little time each day to creating these bibs. When my kids ask who they are for, I am happy to explain to them what I am doing. In this particular project, the bibs are meant to go to special needs orphanages in China. It has sparked many discussions about children in other parts of the world, how they live, and who they are. And when my kids show interest and compassion for these lives so different from their own, my heart swells with pride.

At the end of this project, I finished four bibs: a koala, seahorse, rabbit, and
chick, using patterns created by Elaine Fitzpatrick. I used some cotton yarn that I have had for a number of years, and the texture of the yarn makes the bibs soft and interesting to the touch. I was very pleased with how they turned out.

Someday I will include my kids in these types of projects....but for right now, the personal satisfaction and setting the example of giving is more than enough. I look forward to participating in more projects like this in the near future.

..rites of spring..

Spring is finally in the air. We have (hopefully) turned a corner weather-wise, and are enjoying some milder temperatures and a bit more sunshine. I love the promise of spring....the budding flowers and trees, the sweet songs of birds chirping...always a welcome change.

A few weeks back, I made some lemon curd. I love lemons. Their fresh, sour taste has always appealed to me. It was a desperate attempt at bringing some early sunshine into our home. However, my recipe made two jars of curd and after awhile I realized I needed to try to find something besides toast and scones to put my lemon curd on/in. Enter: the tart.

I was inspired by one of my favorite photos from my childhood (see above). Isn't it lovely? Yes, it is in a cookbook. McCall's Cookbook, circa 1963 to be exact. Most of our family recipes came from this cookbook, and I recall spending long periods of time just staring at this photo. It is of the lemon meringue pie....another of my favorites. I love the simplicity of the photo...a lemon, an egg, and a pie. Perhaps it remains one of my favorite pies because of this photo.

Anyway, I decided that perhaps making little lemon meringue tarts was in order. Admittedly, I had also thought of making meringue because of the 3 egg whites I had sitting in my fridge. I wasn't sure about making one whole pie, as I had a questionable amount of curd leftover....approximately a jar and a half.

Everything came together quite nicely, with the hardest part being the tart crust. I am still learning the fine art of pie/tart crust making (thankfully they are forgiving). I used up all of my curd, all of the meringue, and they turned out just right. Tart and sweet, like sunshine on a plate.

Mmmmmmm.....happy spring!

..ch-ch-ch-ch-changes..

Oh hello.

What a year 2013 is shaping up to be. I think I have mentioned before that my dear, sweet hubby works quite a ways from where we live. We are on our 3rd year now of living separately during approximately half the week, and it's wearing on all of us.

There have been numerous discussions, countless hours looking for properties, and lists and lists of what is important to us as a family when it comes to homes and moving. Mind you, we have taken our own sweet time in deciding what to do about this job situation with the hubby. When he started this position, my mother was still living, and my responsibilities here weighed heavily on us. Now in year 3, we are anxiously awaiting a time when we can be together every night. How sweet that sounds.

We are moving to an area that consists of communities no larger than 5,000 people. There is that inner "farm gal" in me that is so excited about the possibilities of living in such a rural setting, but then the "city gal" in me gets nervous about the impending culture shock. I suppose all one can really do is dive head-first into the change, and embrace the loveliness of it instead of dwell on the frustration and pain of it.

With the decision to make the move, we have been searching for homes. Tirelessly searching. Asking all the questions...taking all the tours...trying to envision all the possibilities. In weighing all these options, we discovered that finding the "just right" home in such a small market was proving to be a sincere challenge.

Our solution to this predicament?

On Thursday, February 21st, we became the proud owners of 1 1/2 acres of land. We have finally taken the plunge, and we are currently deciding upon the layout of our new home. The nice thing about our land is that it is in a small neighborhood, and we have some dear friends living right across the way. That will certainly help to make our transition to the rural life go a little more smoothly.

I don't know about this whole "building" thing, however. Just thinking about the decision-making overwhelms me.

Right now we are still in the early planning stages, but with a "move-in" date that falls right about mid-summer, once these plans are finalized, these decisions will come at us non-stop. I tend to be a bit of a dreamer, and feel fortunate that my dear hubby gently (yet at times, sarcastically), brings me back to reality. This process should be an interesting one, and when appropriate, something to share with you, as well.

Wish us luck.

..welcome girls..

Every holiday, I feel as though I bite off more than I can chew. I believe I have a bit of crafting ADD at times, as I get distracted with all of the wonderful things out there waiting to be created. This Christmas was no different. I wanted to do something special for my girls. I have always liked the look of these dolls, simply constructed and wonderfully loveable. We have a myriad of "baby" dolls around this house, both from my childhood and gifted to my daughters over the years. This year, I wanted them to have a "bigger" girl doll. However, the price of these beauties was pretty prohibitive..at least for me.

I came upon a website that offered kits to make these dolls, and I decided to give it a whirl. It couldn't be that hard, I thought, if you know your way around a thread and needle. And it was a fraction of the cost...bonus. So in October, I forged full-steam ahead and got the kits. 3 months will give me more than enough time to complete these.

Now, in theory, 3 months was more than enough time. I believe that's why I didn't muster up the courage to open the kits and get started until mid-November. You see, there's also this procrastinator side of me -- the one that likes, even thrives under the pressure of an imminent deadline.

I forced myself to start on the first one, only after the children had gone to bed, most evenings. I followed the directions to the letter, even looking for tutorials online when the directions seemed a little unclear. But slowly, my dolls came together.

As I got to making the bodies, the process seemed to get easier. I felt a little guilty making these body parts and then shoving them into bags or boxes to keep them hidden. It felt oddly inhumane.

When it came to the finishing touches, I felt that the hair was a bit sparse. Perhaps I had done it wrong. Regardless, I decided to add some color to their manes. I chose pink and purple, knowing that Margot would be thrilled, but uncertain of how Evy would respond. She is much more fickle in her color preferences.

I finished Margot's doll first. I cannot explain the pride I felt in having completed this project. In some ways, it came out better than I anticipated. And Margot loves it.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief when Evy loved her doll as well...even with the pink hair. In the interest of full disclosure, I finished Evy's doll at 12am on Christmas morn. *sigh*

I loved every moment of making these dolls, raw fingers and all. What's even sweeter is that all the doll clothes my mother meticulously made for me years ago, fit both of these little ladies.

I have enough materials left over to perhaps make another, although it would be a much smaller version. I am so happy I chose to make these dolls, too, as the satisfaction that I feel is far greater than any I would have from just picking it up off a shelf and purchasing it directly. But that's just me..