Family Traditions and Food, Glorious Food

For Christmas we flew back to California to be with family. We had this restful but busy time. Lots to do, but we did get to sleep in, snuggle and watch movies. Eat and laugh. And drink coffee-- how can you resist a 60 degree morning on the back patio with a cup of coffee? I can't. And after hearing about the 24 inches of snow and negative double digit weather. I reveled in the 60 degrees as long as I could!

One of my favorite traditions is the annual watching of The Family Stone. If you have a big and quirky family, than this movie is for you. We have most of it memorized-- this year there were several viewings to accommodate various schedules and two time zones. With a few phone calls between my sister, Megan and I,  "Where are you in the movie?" It was so good to be able to sit with my sisters and watch the ending of it all together. Our other family favorite? Little Women. Don't laugh. Is it a coincidence that Claire Danes is in both movies? I think not.

We did all the regular traditions but, this year we added one more. Remember when I told you that Megan was learning how to cook? She is now just honing a god-given talent. Armed with a Real Simple recipe book... lord, it's amazing... she created the most delicious Monday after Christmas dinner. And now I'm hooked on Goat Cheese Bruschetta. 


She got the original recipe from Real Simple, but I'm also in love with the Butter Lettuce and Radish Salad (which has lots of lemony-goodness). So here is my take on the recipe. Do yourself a favor and toast up some cocktail rye bread and have a beautiful (and EASY) appetizer. People will think you're all fancy with the goat cheese too!

Goat Cheese Bruschetta

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs-- chive, parsley, basil and sage

1 clove of garlic finely chopped

1 chopped shallot

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper (or more if you like)

1 teaspoon honey or agave nectar

-----

2 packages of cocktail rye bread, toasted

Two 4oz packages of Natural Goat Cheese

Mix all dressing ingredients. Place opened goat cheese on a decorative plate, drizzle with vinaigrette dressing. Serve with cocktail toasts.

*Goat Cheese Bruschetta Photo from Real Simple

Should We Start With Solstice?

Hello Dear Friends,
This holiday season, was a different one... all joy and pain, sickness and health, snow and sunshine, beauty in all forms. We had a wonderful time, getting to be home in California longer than expected, due to some extenuating circumstances. We were just glad to BE. Home to love and hug, to drop off and pick up, to bake cakes and wash dishes. It's all in the little things isn't it?

I think I jump right in to telling you about our holiday season: Solstice, Christmas, New Years- Like I said, it wasn't as expected... but, isn't it just like December to change plans on you at less-than-a-moment's notice?

Our Solstice evening was amazing and cozy, the calm before the big winter storm. Amazing in the way that two women I love very much (and their equally lovely husbands) were able to share a holiday dinner with us. The meal consisted of roast chicken, herb roasted potatoes and sweet potatoes, cranberry pomegranate relish with ruby red grape fruit, red bean casserole and fresh baked corn bread. An apple crisp, few bottles of sparkling cider and wine topped off the night.

We laughed, had some great discussions and my kids got naked (see Truman with inside out pants on?). They do find every opportunity to get undressed when we have company over. Why is that?

Here are a few photos....

*If marked, the photos are taken by Emily Sweet (middle in the picture of three) the unmarked photos were taken by Larissa Poppen (left in the picture of the three of us).

Christmas Tag Templates

As an early Christmas Gift to you, I've designed just a few sheets of Christmas Tags to add to your gift giving goodness.

I print mine out on sticker paper, but you could on any paper, really!

Thank you for such a wonderful year, I have appreciated the notes and encouragements from a wonderful group of people who have a special bond-- whether it's through knitting, crafting, green living, parenthood, rhythm of life or family. I hope you all a blessed season.

You can find them on my flickr photostream. Here's a link to individual pages,

Oh, My Deer!    Happy Tree.    Green Sleeves.    Awesome Ornaments.

I'd love to know if you use them!

Fun to use, please do not sell. For personal use only.

Happy Birthday Megan.

My little sister, Megan Elise is turning 23 today. I remember the day we got to see her at the hospital, all pink and wrinkly. Mom let us 'big girls' undress her and count her toes. And from then on, she changed our lives.

She's compassionate, passionate and effortlessly stylish. Somehow, she changed out Mother into a animal lover after we all moved out, and in the last few months has learned to cook--well and in themes, we were present (via skype) for vegan taco night-- I'm going to get her to do a write up for DinnerTime, Again? really soon.  Izzo also shares her middle name.

Happy Birthday, Mega.

Fresh New Day

Today, life begins anew. Today, you are blessed with fresh, new opportunity.
You can build on the best of what has been. You can look clearly and objectively at the limitations that have held you back, and find new ways to transcend them.

Today, you can make amazing progress. Today, you can reach higher than you've ever reached before.

All your mistakes are behind you, and you've learned much from each one. All your experience is still with you, and you can use it in innovative new ways.

This day has begun, and with it comes your chance to make a difference. In these moments you can bring your dreams to life.

From deep within your purpose, look out and see all the great possibilities. This is a day that's now here for you to live more richly than ever.

-- Ralph Marston


Photo is from backgroundmusic on flickr.

Let's Make: Homemade Laundry Detergent

I have a little confession to make. I’ve been making my own laundry detergent for about 4 months now. And it wasn’t born out of some dire need to be Ma Ingalls (which most of my craft/homey pursuits usually are)-- it was out of um... money and needing to do laundry. So I set out to look for a recipe.  I found a few, all based on the same premise, bar soap and borax. Praise the Lord, that’s what’s in my laundry cupboard. I’ve made it four times now, with variations so I could fully report back on my findings.

I found that I liked Ivory above any other bar soap I’ve tried. If you like any other non-oily soap, I’m sure you can use it too. Zest, Lever2000 and Dial have all been suggested. I found that making detergent with just the fels naptha was harsh, I use this as a pretreated and as a laundry booster, but it works great as an add in to this detergent.

First off, this stuff is awesome. And you can use it on everything. I now use it for dishwashing liquid detergent and dish soap too. Seriously, it’s that awesome. It saves us about $22 a month or more (depending on how much laundry/dishes we’re doing) each batch three gallons costs about $1.35 to make and you get about 55-60 loads per batch. Two and a half cents per load. Woah...

This takes about 20 minutes of active work, and about 12 hours after that until it’s ready to use. I make this after dinner and it’s ready by morning. Cool, huh? Ok so here’s how it’s done...

Laundry Detergent
1 bar ivory soap
1/3 bar fels naptha soap
2/3 cup borax
2 quarts of water
3 gallons of warm water

Grate the bar of ivory and third bar of fels naptha soap. In a saucepan combine 2 quarts water and the grate soap. Cook on medium watching and stirring as needed until all the soap is melted. Take off the heat add borax. Allow to cool slightly. Add to three gallons of water and stir. Cover bucket and allow to sit over night. The mixture will be slightly gelled. I will have chunks of gel in a thickened liquid. Use 3/4 cup per load.

Notes:
*For homemade dishwasher detergent and dish soap, use as you normally would. It will not be as sudsy as other soap, but works just fine!
*I do keep a bottle of strong smelling commercial soap on hand for tougher jobs. But I’ve only had to use it twice in the last four months.
*I still use fabric softener, Method from Target I stock up when it goes on sale, which is often.
*You can add about 20-25 drops of your favorite essential oil to the 3 gallons of water to add a scent.
*Use this has a homemade pre-treater too! Naturally cleaner laundry!

If you have any questions I will answer to the best of my ability.

Now, you too can be a penny pincher or a Ma Ingalls— go forth and make your own laundry detergent!!



Don't you wish this was your laundry line? Photo from sxc.hu

Taking photos...

Hello friends, it is a quiet and snowy morning here. Everyone will get up and be busy in a few minutes but for now I’m taking in the quiet that the snow brings. I forget every year what few inches can do— making the world hush. I am tempted to get outside with my camera, but my toasty-toes are preventing me from venturing out into the cold.

I am finally feeling better (finally!). On Saturday, my girlfriends got together for some Christmas shopping. What fun! I was able to ride with my beloved friend, Katie (of the pumpkin crisp fame). Of all the Christmas shopping, lunching, the laughter, conversation— I only have two pictures— and not of these beautiful girls. 100 years from now, there will be no proof of our friendship, other than cookie-swap recipes and baby-having-lore. We even talked about this at lunch. Our best picture is at her wedding with about half our group missing— and three of us are pregnant. Even though I’ve made a promise to myself to be IN pictures, I’m doing a bad job of encouraging others (and myself!). So here's a picture of (just a few of) us from dinner with our husband's a few months ago.

In other news: I will actually be home by myself for few days between Christmas and New Year, so I’m deciding what projects I want to accomplish... I know I want to get the toys cleaned out. The playroom takes on a life of it’s own, and the toys/games/dress up multiplies while I sleep. How can this be? 

And I want to get a few rooms painted. But I also want to read, take walks, watch movies, sew, knit, drink tea... I’m not sure if I can get it all done. Ahh. We’ll see (: 

I am in dire need of new book/ movie suggestions. Got any good ones??