Just Around The Corner...

It's been a busy week, the weather is turning, and I have spent some time with seeds and dirt, a tractor and a plow, to get things going for the coming garden. Spring is here, by the calendar and by the weather! Daffodils are shooting up out of the ground, some are even in bloom.


I know there will be more cold and frost and most probably, some snow... but the birds are singing again, and deer are out playing and jousting in the fields. The kids are acting like frisky puppies, and everyone wants to be outdoors.


I almost didn't make time for a blog post this week, but here I am. And this is it! Short and sweet and full of promise...


The seasons are turning. Balmy warmth and earthy soil, beauty blossoms and bursting color are all lurking, just around the corner, as evidenced by these photos of bouquets from last year's garden. With that, I bid you adieu, and get back to my tasks at hand...

Info For Free - - Community, Too?

A few weeks ago I made some Ohio State University themed dishcloths for my son's classroom. Every year the parent-teacher organization holds a silent auction of gift baskets as a fund raiser. Each class has a different theme, the kids all contribute something, volunteers assemble the baskets, and they are auctioned off during the week parents come for teacher conferences. It's a pretty successful fundraiser, and everyone seems to love the different gift baskets.

At any rate, I went on-line and looked for knitting patterns having to do with Ohio State University, Buckeyes, and the State of Ohio. I was successful finding "state of Ohio" dishcloth, and knitted it in grey cotton. Here is a picture of my finished cloth.


Click here for a link to the free pattern for the State of Ohio dishcloth, and thanks to Rhonda White for making it available to the likes of me!

After getting the first cloth finished, I went in search of a "Block O" cloth. I couldn't find anything I really liked, so I ended up designing one of my own. I knitted it in scarlet cotton, and was pleased with the results. Here's a picture of the Block O cloth:


Once I get a bit of extra time, I will probably offer the Block O cloth on ravelry as a free pattern. Who knows? There might be a burning need for "O" dishcloths out there. Actually, I have a couple of free patterns to offer up, I just need to get busy publishing them! There is never enough time in the day!


Thinking about time and commitments, today Hubby and I had the neighbors over to discuss how to save a dying social organization, of which we are all members. We've been members for about two years and are the youngest, at 47 and 48 years old. The remaining five or so members are in their 60s or older. The organization can't succeed in getting any new members, attendance is dwindling, interest is lacking, and the current president just dropped out. No one wants to take hold of the reigns, yet no one wants to see it completely die out, either.

In the face of no leadership, we had our own "pre-meeting" today to discuss options before the "real" meeting this coming week. Our discussion led to some very interesting issues. This 75 year old organization started out of a need for neighbors to protect and look out for each other. Over the years it has become a social club whose members meet to visit and share food, and to spearhead community service projects. We were all racking our brains trying to think of something that would interest people enough to get some new, young blood in the organization. Frankly, it was hard to come up with anything.

We are rural folks, many of us farmers or homesteaders, some retired, a few of us young and just starting families, all of us busy. What is the common thread that could tie us all together? What lecture, workshop, or activity could we offer that would actually draw this group of neighbors together once a month? And, more importantly, keep them coming back for more? Hubby raised the point that people get all the information they need on the internet. It used to be, if people wanted to learn a skill, they asked their elders, their neighbors, or a friend with experience to teach them, hands on. Or they went to the library and got books on the subject, or took a class.

But now, there is a world of information at almost everyone's fingertips. Whether it's how to knit, how to compost, what to plant, when to plant it, how to field dress a deer, how to clean your shot gun, how to school your kids at home, where to find a doctor, how to can vegetables, what recipe to cook for dinner, or how to navigate your way to an unknown location. Factor in social and professional networking sites, some of them interest-based, such as facebook and ravelry, and you find people having a sense of community wherever they may be, as long as there is a computer handy. An interesting phenomenon. Perhaps people would rather sit at home on their computers than walk down the road to meet with neighbors in person.

This is the issue weighing heavy on my mind today. Information is free and for the taking. But what about community? Can we save our dying organization? And the million dollar question: What could successfully bring us all together? I'd love to get some comments on this entry. What would entice you out of your house and down the road to meet with your neighbors on a monthly basis, for food and community?

I can guarantee you, this question will be ruminating in my mind as I sign off and get back to my tasks at hand...

Tolerance

I'm thinking about tolerance today, as, finally, the temperatures are rising enough to melt away some of the snow around here. I can't think of a better picture to show tolerance than the following photo of my son and our dog, Jesse. My eldest enjoys dressing Jesse in all manner of clothing and accessories which today, happened to be vintage football shoulder pads. I love the look on her face as I snapped this picture. Tolerant, yet suffering humiliation, while her clothing adviser looks on with such happiness and approval.


This morning when I awakened, it was 17 degrees Fahrenheit and I stoked the fire, thinking, "I wonder how many more mornings we will need wood for warmth?" This time of year I get pretty eager to clean up the stove and put away all the mess that comes from heating with wood. But the house was chilly, and I was cold, so I stoked the fire, practicing tolerance.


Then, later in the day, bright sun streaming in the southern facing windows and temperatures rising to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, all of us got pretty antsy and excited. The kids headed outside for such fun as burning holes in paper using a magnifying glass. And leaping snow piles with wooden poles. Jesse sunbathed on a patch of deck that was free of snow.


And I started thinking about things in the garden last year. Gathering daily harvests of fresh greens and smelling the garden earth and straw mulch around young plants. But there's still a lot of snow, so we're going to need a few more warm days like this before too much can happen.


And it will be a while before I relive anything remotely related to this:


So, I'm practicing tolerance. It's all a part of the cycle of life around here. Because all too soon, there will be 14-hour days with lots of sunshine and more work than you can shake a stick at. My hands will be too tired at day's end to even think about knitting. And whatever happens with this year's garden, there are sure to be plenty of opportunities for growth and learning. So, for now, I tolerantly resume my tasks at hand...

Snow on the Brain -or- Being Nacky

"In which the title of the blog post is revealed in the first two paragraphs."

I suppose it's safe to say that we've all been bitten by the cabin fever bug, and are getting a bit stir-crazy. My close friend's mother used to say she had "water on the brain." Well, around here, the temperatures dropped, the water froze and fell from the sky, over and over and over again. So we have SNOW on the brain. And it's no wonder. I don't think the kids have had a full week of school since before winter break. Between snow days, two-hour delays, Martin Luther King Day, and President's Day, they've had three- (or four- or five-) day weekends since the beginning of 2010!

Luckily, they are mostly creative and don't threaten, or even try, to kill each other except for about three times a day. When I was a kid and my brothers and I were acting this way, my parents called it being "nacky." Let me tell you, there is some nacky-ness going on in this house! Complaints of being bored have been accompanied by multiple poking, prodding, pinching, whining, pestering, tattling, and pouting maneuvers.

I suppose I was feeling a bit nacky myself yesterday evening, having had my fill of my kids' nacky-ness, so I threatened an early and immediate bedtime unless they figured out a way to get along. I suggested playing a board game and out came the chess set. My 11-year old used to play chess whenever he could and learned when he was about six or seven years old. My 9-year old has played, but not regularly. And they haven't played Chess at all for the past few years, so I was a little surprised by their choice.


It turned out to be just the ticket. They played happily for several hours and even got their dad involved in a few games. Normally, I insist the table is cleared every evening so that it is ready for breakfast the following morning, but last night I let that go and allowed them to keep the chess game out overnight. My youngest played first thing in the morning. They've played off and on all day long, and eventually it led to this:

and this...

and then this...

As for me, I find myself thinking about how my pea-planting date is St. Patrick's Day, yet there are still many, many inches of snow on the ground! It will be interesting to see how planting goes this season. And I've got planting on the brain (not just snow...) because last week, this arrived in the mail:


Ahhh, yes, my seed order. And quite frankly, it's difficult to imagine that this...



is ever going to look like this:




.... again. Ever.


But I know it will, eventually. And being nacky just gets in my way, so for now, I will keep the faith and get back to my tasks at hand.

Going Bananas -OR- Look, Ma! No Dairy!

(Be careful! If you look too closely you will see chocolate on their noses!)

Today I wish to share a recipe with you, dear reader.... if, indeed, any of you out there in the blogoshpere are reading my blog. I have a recipe for a smoothie that is so good it gives ice cream a serious run for its money. So if you like to minimize dairy in your house, I encourage you to give this recipe a try!

Peanut Butter Mud Smoothie
(serves 1)

1 and 1/2 bananas, frozen
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon cocoa
rice or soy milk to blend
1 pinch of salt

Break bananas into pieces and drop into blender.
Add remaining ingredients.
Adjust cocoa and peanut butter to your personal taste.
Do not forget salt! It really makes all the difference in this recipe.
ENJOY!

This afternoon, my youngest and I made brownies for dessert. I thought they would be tasty ala mode, so I decided to make a thick version of the smoothie to top off the brownies, warm from the oven. I added an extra banana, and used a little less rice milk. It spooned out of the pitcher just like soft serve! This was a smash hit in our house! Everyone gobbled it up!


About the bananas. They freeze so easily and are so handy to have around. I buy them by the shopping cart full when they go on sale because they are slightly overripe. I take them home, peel them, put them in freezer bags, and pop them into the freezer. I think my husband once bought 50 pounds of bananas this way! Seriously! I'm not ever worried about having too many. I use them in so many ways. I start my world famous oatmeal with them. I make smoothies with them. And who can resist freshly baked banana bread?

Ice cream is simply not something we keep in our freezer. So if you want the taste, texture, and comfort of ice cream, SANS dairy and sugar, give this recipe a try. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. This summer, I plan on freezing the mixture in popsicle molds. I'll bet that's a big hit with the kids, too.

Based on this and my last entry, you might get the idea that this is becoming a food blog, but never fear! There has been knitting going on in the house, as well. After a brief interlude to knit Ohio State Buckeyes themed dishcloths for my son's silent auction fund raiser at school, I have returned to the ever-enticing miter. Soon, it will be available as a free pattern on Ravelry...



... but for now, back to my tasks at hand.

A Tiny Valentine's Story

Cupcakes were batter,
Then they were baked.

Frosted like ice cream,
Messes were maked.


Taken to school
As a Valentine's treat...


...all of them eaten
They tasted so sweet!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Localtarians Grow Convenience Food

Living out in the country and striving to grow a lot of what we eat, I find myself thinking about food a lot. Usually, this time of year, I'm thinking about all the seeds I want to order, where I will plant them, and how I will use the harvested food. In fact, I just placed my seed order last week. I also think about food a lot because it has to be made three times a day, to feed my family of five. And I think about it because of trying to eat locally. There's also my desire to make balanced, whole, healthful food choices that will optimally nurture all my family members in their varied states of need and growth. That's a doozie, because it encompasses a wide range, from my 9-year old son (my youngest, basking in the sun in the picture below) to my elderly father-in-law (80 years old) who successfully battled cancer over the last year.


(Before I go any further, I would like to say that I am not in the habit of photographing my meals or their preparation. As a result, I do not have pictures of food to show you at this moment. I do, however, have lots of beauty pics from this weekend's snow storm. Including the one of my 11-year old, helping with snow removal in the picture below. Because I like picture-heavy blogs, I will post these throughout this entry instead!)



Now, back to food... Over the years, I've been vegetarian, vegan, macrobiotic, and carnivore, not in that order. I've tried so many different ways of eating... eating right for my blood-type, eating high-carb, low fat, eating high-protein, low carb, eating no wheat, eating no soy, eating organic. You can wear yourself out trying to keep up with so many different ways of eating in order to accomplish so many different health goals. About a year ago, I read the book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. In this non-fiction work, Kingsolver chronicles her family's year-long adventure to eat only locally-grown food. It is, hands down, one of the best books I've ever read, and one I will read over and over again for the rest of my life.

Click here if you would like to read more about Kingsolver and this amazing book.

After trying so many different ways of eating, I have settled into the way I believe will be with me until the end of my life. Now, when people ask, I tell them I am a "localtarian." To me this is simple. Eat what's locally available and in season. Eat lots of variety, many different colors, and don't eat too much of any particular thing. That's it.


Being a localtarian accomplishes so many food goals all at the same time. During the summer months when the weather is warm, the body needs balanced, light, quickly-metabolized food energy. During the colder winter months, the body needs the warming, downward, sustaining energy of animal foods. You can probably see where I'm going with this. The seasons have a way of giving us an abundance of what we need when we need it. Mega veggies in the summer, and deer running around all over the place during fall and into winter. And the foods that naturally keep well, such as winter squash and root vegetables, have great downward energy when you need it in order to be outside in the cold getting firewood.


Simple as it sounds, all of it requires a decent amount of planning, and a huge amount of labor. It can be the hardest work ever, day-in and day-out, to bring in the harvest, prepare it for dinner, and then preserve it for future months. It is relentless. But having gotten through a couple of seasons doing it, I can't conceive of any other way. The food tastes so much better and has a way of giving me exactly what I need. It's a cycle that feeds on itself. I plant the seeds, grow the food, work hard to harvest and eat it. My body feels great eating it, I want more of this great stuff, so I figure out what other things I can grow myself. Which leads to planning the next garden, ordering seeds, and planting them. Over and over again... ad infinitum.


But, there's a part of me that needs a break from it all every now and then. It's usually satisfied by eating at the Chinese buffet once every month or so when I'm in the city. But there are also, at times, fleeting moments when I think I'd rather just forget it all and go buy cheap convenience food at Wal-Mart. Chips, canned soups, lunch meat, pre-sliced cheeses, frozen french fries and fish sticks, boxed dehydrated mashed potatoes, of all things. Open a can, heat it up, or open a box and pop it in the oven! How easy! I'll even serve it on paper plates and we'll throw it all away! Don't worry... I'm not really serious about this. It's just a crazy fantasy.


There remains, however, this little convenience food imp that sits on my shoulder, a leftover from my days in the city, and that guy is famous for starting to whisper in my ear around the time I need to start making dinner. Things like, "You could always pick up subs at the gas station..." or "Let the kids eat at McDonald's on the way home tonight--it won't kill them!" Also, when you live out here, even if you want to, you can't just pick up the phone and order pizza. And when you live far enough away from town, it doesn't make sense to pick up carry-out because it's always cold by the time you get home. Which leads me, f i n a l l y, to the title of this post: Localtarians Grow Their Own Convenience Food!


In the last few years, I've canned a lot of food, both in quantity and variety. At first it was apple sauce and green beans. Tomatoes or pickles. But now, I'm canning soups, too. I figured, why not make soup and put it into jars? I can just as easily open my jars and heat them up, as I could a can of Progresso. Plus, I don't have to load my soup up with a boatload of unnecessary salt. So now I grow and can tomatoes and tomato juice, but I also grow onions and basil so I can make my own tomato basil soup, as well. About once every few months, I make a mega-batch of soup, so I can put up a canner load of jars at the same time I'm making dinner. This works well. And there's nothing like the feeling of opening your own jar and heating it on the stove when you need to prepare a quick meal, or want to cop out and open a can.



I can take this to another level by giving an example of a meal I made last week. I made a big batch of venison stew, and, to me, it was the epitome of convenience food. I sauteed onions and garlic in the bottom of my pressure cooker, added broth, carrots, tomatoes, corn, venison, green beans, turnips, and potatoes, then seasoned it all with thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. I locked the lid into place and 20 minutes later.... delicious venison stew. I served this hearty stew with some crusty bread for a complete meal. The entire family loved it and asked for more. Of all the ingredients, only the garlic, corn, and seasonings were purchased. The rest I grew and preserved. Another example: Today for lunch, hubby opened several jars of my tomato basil soup and we ate it with grilled cheese sandwiches and my pickled radishes. We grew everything but the bread and cheese.


As a final thought, would I expect a baby to nurse on anything but its mother's milk? For equally good reasons, it just makes sense to eat what comes from Mother Earth, from the land on which I live for the brief period I refer to as my lifetime. If you are considering the hard, rewarding work of becoming a localtarian, take heart! You *can* have your food and convenience, too. Speaking of which, I must now make dinner, so for now.... back to my tasks at hand.