Thoughts and Musings...

Hello my dears,

It's been a while hasn't it?

I feel like I've hit the ground running and haven't stopped, so I decided to take an inventory of what I've done since I talked with you last. The dinner above was a beautiful stopping point in this long weekend. Simple soup (recipe to follow), sweet bread (apple sauce bread on the left, chocolate chip banana bread on the right) and sliced pears. Throw in a few sweet faces, some funny conversation and you have a near perfect meal.

So journey with me as I focus on the present and treasure the beauty of the past.

Since we last spoke, I've been to California and back.
I spoke and listened to my Grandmother, bodily cared for her for a too short weekend.
Conquered two first days of school (one you'll see tomorrow!).

Thanks to donated garden produce... I canned 12 quarts of tomato sauce, 4 pints of apple sauce, 4 pints + 1 quart of pickles.
Lost one iMac (so long sweet computer).
Designed a dissertation workbook.
Knitted 1.5 washcloths.
Packed 8 lunches.
Attended a super-fun pre-labor day BBQ.
Finished reading this book.

Stopped at Pumpkinland with some wonderful friends.
Wore my new fall coat, because I was actually cold.
Made fried green tomatoes.
Painted one tiny painting.
Nursed two tiny people's colds.
Wondered when the tiny people got to be so big.
Made a batch of laundry detergent.
Drank lattes and ate pancakes with friends-- with homemade whip cream and strawberry sauce.

And I'm wondering, what have you been up to lately? Keep me up to date-- I feel out of the loop.

Weekending

Friday night dinner with around our kitchen table with friends.

Saturday morning park date and donutless-bakery date. Heat-induced-mild-crabbiness from 5 kids.
Lazy, quiet time afternoon. Cool sheets, special snacks and a oasis from the heat afternoon movie.
A mud bath with the beloved neighbor kids.
Mama cleaning the house. 
A rinse off bath then a bubble bath post mud bath.
A late night visit from two of my favorite women-- while our Men were out together.
Sangria and coffee plus waaay-past-bedtime-children-wrangling. 

Sunday morning quiet with a visit to church.
Pork ribs, cheesy-rice and fruit salad for lunch. Simple. 
Another lazy quiet time-- a stack of books with my boy. 
A visit to our favorite pond, meeting some favorite friends by happy accident.
Hours wading in the water-- splashing, laughing.
A quick picnic.
A sunset drive home.
Time for bed.
Laundry to wash, dishes to be done.
Reading out loud, knitting away.
Waking up to a thunderstorm-- snuggle down into safe warm bed for sleep.


How was your weekend?


Joining Amanda.

Welcome Back!

Hello friends,
I've been on an unintended blogging break. But for very good reasons! So many NEW GOOD! things coming up.

But for now I'll give you a quick update to our spring/summer manifesto!

Read with the kids everyday-- We're reading Ramona the Pest (with Auntie Jayme!), Five Little Peppers and How They Grew  

Read something for myself, everyday-- I'm reading Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom

Grow! Cook! Eat! Invite!-- The garden is growing, pies have been baked, meals have been shared! 

Dry herbs for winter-- I first dried chives in the oven. Tutorial soon.

Use fresh herbs now-- Mint for mojitos, chives in herb dip, bits of basil on eggs, cilantro in salad...

Sing-- We've been singing as we work, as we drive and as we play. 

Plant flowers-- Hydrangas, peonies and lilacs...

Be gracious to my children, slow to anger and abounding in love. I am diligently working on this, it makes for a much happier household. I heard Sylvia Boorstein's interview on On Being with Krista Tippet.  She told a story about watching a family on an airplane. Their kindness to their upset child was just gracious, attentive and productive-- the child settled on her own. "Do not ask am I pleased?... {but} in this moment am I able to care for the child and myself in a kindly way?" Because getting upset and flying off the handle is not kind to me and it is not kind to my children.

Eat outside-- We went camping so we had lots of eating outside! And we've been taking picnics with Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa John plus this week Grandmommy, Papa, Megan and Jayme.

Get into the sunshine-- next time I'll go easy on this... I'm a bit sunburned today!

Let worry go-- When my heart is full of gratitude, there is no room for worry.

Farmer's Market, every Saturday-- Orange City, Sioux City and Omaha.

Coffee and tea with girlfriends-- A few impromtu coffee dates with some special girls, hopefully more!

Do you have a manifesto-- written or unwritten?! Have you been slowly bringing beauty in your life this spring/summer?

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I've been writing letters for The Summer We Sent Letters! Have you? It's been wonderful to get a bit of mail and to send a bit of mail (plus a few boxes)!

Yarn + Reading

Yesterday afternoon made up for all of Monday afternoon’s shortcomings (which were too numerous to recount, I assure you).

The kids played outside while Eric and I tag teamed dinner. After dinner, the kids helped me clean up the playroom. And they REALLY helped. Our treat for finishing the playroom was to run to the basement— ahem.... my cave of a ‘studio’-- to pick out a few special things to craft with. Given the run of the whole studio Isabel picked, three Popsicle sticks and red twist ties. Truman picked a baggie of rickrack and elastic. I grabbed a few skeins of yarn for an easy shrug. We were all happy with our treasures.

We all sat around the table with a projects in hand and the light fading from the skys, I said a quiet Thank You, for the little people I’ve been given.

Bedtime was peaceful. We stared reading J.M. Barrie's, Peter and Wendy. They LOVE that the kids are taken care of by the dog, Nana.

After they went to sleep and the house was quiet, I continued knitting a new project and listened to the end of Rilla of Ingleside and the beginning of The Chronicles of Avonlea. What am I going to do when I finish the Anne series?


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I’ve joined Ginny for Yarn Along... just a few days late.

Leftovers getting you down? I rolled mine up into egg rolls!

Mumford and Sons sing Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing-- the Sufjan arrangement. Beautiful.

Hope you are having a beautiful week!

*If your viewing this in google reader, I did a little design update so pop over and say hi!

EAT! Rosemary Lemon Shortbread

We are full swing into our Late Spring Manifesto here-- last night we made homemade pizza, had coffee with friends, finished reading Little Women, I snuggled my little people and folded laundry with a vengeance last night.

It feels good to reclaim a bit of normalcy (and to reclaim the laundry pile)!

This weekend I have plans for more cooking. Not just homemade pizza-- but Rosemary Lemon Shortbread. My friend Tara made it for last weekend. And it was in a word: divine. Really.

This recipe inspired me to use more herbs in baking. I already make a Lavender-Almond Tea Cake which tastes like heaven... so now I'm thinking about all the other combinations that could flavor Shortbread or Tea Cakes. Any suggestions?

Her recipe is barely sweet (in a good way!), buttery, pinch of salt to round out the rosemary and enough tang of lemon to keep you coming back for more. You will not be disappointed. I asked her if she'd share the recipe so I could share it with you... and she gave a resounding, YES.

So here it is, in all it's Lemony-Rosemary glory.

Rosemary Lemon Shortbread

1 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/4 c. cornstarch 

2 T. finely chopped fresh rosemary OR 2 t. dried rosemary, finely crumbled

1 egg yolk

1 t. grated lemon rind

1/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line a 9 x 9 x 2" square baking pan with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick spray.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  With a pastry blender or fork, combine until mixture is uniform and resembles coarse crumbs.  Scrape into prepared pan, press lightly to compact.  With a fork, poke holes around the surface of the cookie dough, every few inches.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the outside edges are lightly golden.  Gently lift the aluminum foil  out of the pan (once it's cooled for just a few minutes) and set onto a cutting surface.  Slice into bars with a serrated knife.  Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  You can also double the recipe and use a 9 x 13" pan for a slightly thicker cookie.