the clean plate club

autumnal goodies :: apple cider donuts

2010-10-12T20:12:00.004-04:00

it all started with her birthday. you can see my little one in the background. recently turned 3. can't believe it! we'd been talking for a long while about what her cake should be. there were many ideas. most included chocolate chips. then we started to talk about Fall. and apple picking and how we always wanted to make apple cider donuts. and so. we decided this was our year. then she announced that for her birthday she would have donuts and ice cream. well. why not! far be it for me to deny a birthday girl her wish.

so, we made donuts! for the first time. and they were awesome! since then we also made some for the school bake sale. they were a hit there, too. which is great. i used this recipe from epicurious.com. now that i have made 3 batches of these bad boys, i think if i were to do donuts again, i would try a yeasted dough, but these were damm fine little dogs!

now the problem seems to be an addiction to deep frying. i have since amazed my children with my deep frying capabilities. my son thought i was a superhero after i turned a corn tortilla into 6 little tortilla chip triangles. i seriously think he thought i was a magician. then, of course we had to try some potato chips too. i think i'd better step away from the oil before i start to get fry crazy. anything could happen.

Rhythm. And lack of it.

2010-10-05T19:49:00.005-04:00

i'm in week....3, i think of being at home with no children. it's still a bizarre world to me. i've been cleaning, organizing, planning and not sitting still very much at all. i don't know what i'm doing, to be honest.

i have spent a lot of time working on the rhythm of our kids days. at their Waldorf school they have set "days" that they can rely on. Monday is painting, Tuesday is working with bees wax, Wednesday is walkabout where they go on a long walk to the stream "we saw lots of salimanders today!" and Thursday is bread day. and now that i have 2 kids going to the school, we get 2 loaves. which totally rocks!

last year we had an afterschool rhythm as well and i felt it worked and helped the kids to feel held. it wasn't involved that they didn't have lots of time to just relax or play outside, but it was enough to provide some predictability. and safety. for the past week or so, i've been working to refine the rhythm to suit the new year and the new ages they have become. i'll talk more about it and what is another time, i am sure. a really helpful resource is the book Heaven on Earth. i LOVE this book (it's in the sidebar, too). it's written by a Waldorf teacher and it's by far the most helpful, hands-on book i've read about conscious parenting and incorporating the Waldorf approach at home. lov it.

today, i realized, as i was sort of spinning my wheels and melting down and not feeling held that i work really hard to make sure my children do not feel this way. but i don't do it for myself. i have no anchor. nothing to ground me. i don't know who i am without my children to take care of all day. so, i still spend much the day thinking about and preparing for their return home in the afternoon.

but, what about me? what about my need for something to hold on to? or some sort of rhythm to breathe into. how do i take care of myself in that same way?

autumn :: the spiritual new year

2010-09-29T11:46:00.002-04:00

as i look outside the world is turning orange, gold and red. i love living in new england where the world changes color each season. winter makes it all quiet and white. spring brings shades of green, summer is every color of every flower and yellow like the sun. . . and here we are in autumn. apples, pumpkins, harvest festivals, cool breezes. it might be my favorite time of year.

in autumn we get to start again, don't we? it's a new beginning and for me, it is the start of a new year. january never felt like true new years time to me and so i was happy to learn as i traveled my spiritual path that in october is a Spiritual New Year. i feel the anticipation of this stirring on the inner right now.

this autumn i see the trees letting go of their leaves and i'm asking myself, "what am i ready to let go of? what's it time to shed?"

today we celebrate Michaelmas at my children's school--a wonderful Waldorf school perched on a hill in the woods. from their teacher, "Archangel, Michael inspires us to face our inner and outer darkness with renewed strength of will and purpose of life." it's a day to celebrate our courage and face up to the things we have not yet been willing or able to let go of. Michael had to slay the dragon, and of course, so can we. . .our inner dragons. so, we muster all our might and courage and watch them fall. today i'm asking myself (and my inner Michael), can i let go of my outstanding ability to compare myself to others? can i let my true self shine and find inspiration and music from within?

From Dirt To Dinner :: Trying to Redeem Myself

2010-09-08T19:50:00.004-04:00

i've been such a giant lame-o. i had the big idea of starting some sort of fun project with beth at Total Mom Haircut and went to her all excited saying let's do something and then i tooooootallly bailed. it's lame. i can't come up with another word.

so, here i am with my tail between my legs trying to make up for it. what have come up with? a THREE IN ONE! yes! i've missed all three post dates for Zucchini, Tomatoes and Corn. alas, i bring you ::

Zucchini and Corn Chowder.

in a word :: YUM. it's really awesomely delicious and at this time of year the flavors just totally sing. i love it and plan to make another (double) batch tomorrow. look at this!

wouldn't you be slurping it down?

i copied the recipe out of a book many many years ago while babysitting when i lived in seattle. and lo and behold, i wrote it down wrong. i clearly omitted a step or 2. so, i had to make adjustments on the fly. when i make a new batch, i'll make notes and then offer the new recipe here. . . if there is anyone out there who'd be interested.

i fully expect that i have no readers left. and i'm not sure how much i'll be blogging in the near future. but i do want to get back to it. i've been experiencing a time of Big Change. it's good. it would be good to write about. . . the blog would take on a bit of an air of "what a mom's transition to having both kids in school is like." i can't believe that in 5 days BOTH my children will be in school. 4 days a week. 8:30 - 2:30pm. and i will start the unfolding of myself process. Big. Change.

From Dirt To Dinner :: Cabbage

2010-07-16T13:05:00.004-04:00

yes, i am still here! but barely. summer is so busy! aren't we all out and about doing stuff and not spending so much time computing. . . or is it just me? it's not even like i'm doing so much as i'm NEEDED so much. 2 kids full-time and a really busy hubby = frazzled mama. trying to keep it all together, y'all.

speaking of keeping it together, we mixed up an awesome little cabbage and apple slaw for this weeks From Dirt To Dinner installment. i have to say we all enjoyed it. and it's hard to please this whole family, i tell you. unless we are eating ice cream. . .

so, here it is, our "recipe" for Apple Cole Slaw. we really didn't do a ton of measuring. . .and it was hard for us to find the cabbage from a local source, but eventually did at our Co-op. i missed the farmer's market where i'm sure i would have found many cabbagey options.

INGREDIENTS

equal parts carrot and purple cabbage (local, of course!)

one large apple (organic!)

equal parts plain yogurt and mayo (you can adjust this ratio to your liking)

salt

pepper

honey to taste

bit of lemon if you got it

HOW TO

in a large bowl, grate carrot and apple

finely chop cabbage add to bowl

toss!

in a small bowl combine mayo, yogurt, salt, pepper, honey and we thought later that lemon would have been nice, but we didn't have any--mix all that up well

pour dressing over veggies and stir it up. adjust salt and pepper to taste

super yummy on a hot day! and we've got plenty of those going on.

From Dirt To Dinner :: Strawberry Lovin'

2010-06-18T09:00:00.006-04:00

well, it seems that From Dirt to Dinner is the only thing keeping this blog alive.

while i wish it were different, i'm trying to accept that it's just the way it is right now.

i'm going through some. . . growth right now that is sorta painful. growing pains, "life stuff" whatever you want to call it. been a stay-at-home mom for nearly 6 years now. and while it's been wonderful, it's also been a rough ride. the Big Question i'm grappling with is,

who am i? being a mom became my identity. so, where is the rest of me? i

would love to be posting about this process. so far, i have not been able to. perhaps that will change. who knows.

in addition to "life stuff" we are trying to sell our house and have been mounting a HUGE fundraiser project for my son's school. so. busy. yes. on to delicious things!

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE!

this week, we celebrate the berry.

last year we picked and picked. this year, we have not made it to the farm itself, but thankfully others have and we have benefited from this!

i decided to make shortcake with the kids. bb (who is nearly 6 now) could not wrap his little head around why the cakes would be "short." "can we, like, make them taller if we want, mommy?" so cute.

my process pics came out all blurry and unusable (SO overdue for a new camera), but i got some OK ones of the final product.

here is what we used for local products.....

Strawberries - 30 miles (organic strawberry farm)

Heavy Cream - .5 miles (we have a dairy farm on our street. sweet!)

not bad!

i really love supporting local farmers. it feels good to support my community in this way. it's a big part of why i wanted to do the Dirt To Dinner project with beth (go see what luscious berry goodness she cooked up this week!)

happy summer everyone!

from Dirt To Dinner :: Peas, please

2010-06-04T13:40:00.007-04:00

it's pea time!

one of my fondest childhood memories is running through my grampa's HUGE garden in the back of his house and picking peas with my sister and cousin. there was such a rush of excitement when finding the biggest, fattest pod on the plant--bursting with fat, sweet, amazingly green peas. i LOVED them. no, i would not eat them

cooked--as most children wouldn't, i suspect. but right out of the pod. . . yes. yes. yes.

i'm sad to say that i couldn't get 'round to the farmer's market in time to pick some up and post something yummy today. it's been a rough week around here! i'm choosing to cut myself some slack.

however, if i had been able to get those little beauties, i was all ready to make Green Pea Soup with Tarragon and Pea Sprouts. found on epicurious.com.

looks good, right? like my kids might actually eat it if i called like, "kermit's soup" or something. it could happen! and maybe still will. . .

anyway, head over to see what beth did with the peas, because it's sure to be amazing and she probably grew them herself! cause she rocks. also, on her blog are the FAQs if you wanna join up! next on the docket....STRAWBERRIES! we'll be posting on june 18th!

From Dirt To Dinner :: Rhubarb!

2010-05-21T09:05:00.004-04:00

From Dirt to Dinner is back with a *mostly* local meal. the happy springy ingredient of choice this week is RHUBARB! click on over to my friend and DTD partner Beth's blog and see what she came up with. it's sure to be awesome and tasty!

so, it's not easy eating only local foods. i had to go to 3 different places to find the local rhubarb that i thought would be a cinch to get. that's ok, though, the farmer's markets are back now, so i'm all about getting everything i need there. luckily for me, i have a few markets to choose from! i love where i live. . .

this meal was a big hit, i'm happy to say. ok, the kids didn't love the radishes, but what can you do? "mommy, these are like......like.....SPICY!" but they are so beautiful. even though i knew it was a long shot, i had to get them just because of how much i enjoyed looking at them. and of course, i ate them, nearly all of them myself. that's alright.

so, we have here chicken apple sausages, boston lettuce wedges with radishes and ranch dressing and for dessert RHUBARB fool. awesome.

he tried. he really tried to like the radishes. i think he thought they were as lovely as i did. but only for looking at.

i was surprised to see the lettuce wedges (or tacos as we called them) went down easily. they were confused about how to eat them until i said, "eat it like taco!" oohhhhh! this is especially lovely because neither will eat much salad, so hey, we'll eat lettuce tacos instead. good by me.

onto The Fool. again, i turned to The River Cottage Family Cookbook for this one. i love love love this book. yes. can't say it enough.

so, what you do is get an orange and juice it. put the juice in a pot. add a couple tablespoons of superfine sugar. next add about 5-6 rhubarb stalks cut into inch long pieces. cook it down until it starts to mush up, but there are still some chunks floating around in there. you don't want baby food. let that cool to room temp. then fridge it til cold. next get about 2/3 of a cup of heavy cream and whip it all to crazy. add a bit of superfine sugar to taste. finally, either layer the 2 of them parfait style or just mix it all up! YUM!

when thinking about this meal, i couldn't help but want to sort of tally it up, see how i did on the local food scale. how close to home did i get. how many ingredients were local vs. not?

here's how it shakes down. . .

found locally:

purple radishes - 1.7 miles

boston lettuce - 1.7 miles

rhubarb - 10.3 miles

heavy cream - .5 miles (we have a dairy farm right down the street. we often pass by and wave to the "girls."

chicken apple sausages - 70 miles

not bad, right!?

decidedly not local:

superfine sugar

orange

ranch dressing

you have to do what you have to do... a little citrus, a little sugar, a little Newman. i will, before this season is over i will do some completely local meals, top to bottom.

next friday we'll be doing a little chat about bread making and then on june 4th it's PEAS. peas of all kinds! so now it's your turn! join us in the venture won't you!! the more the merrier. for the "rules" of play go here.

From Dirt To Dinner :: The Tomato Interview, Part 2

2010-05-16T11:41:00.004-04:00

did you read part one? did you love it? i know i did. i find beth's approach to be unintimidating. casual and knowledgeable. which is what i need! thanks again beth! and please join us this friday for our Local Meal including RHUBARB! play along, won't you? (find the FAQ's here.)

back to the interview.....

4. Varieties :: Are there certain varieties that are easier to grow than others? are cherry easier than beefsteak? I've grown heirlooms for the past 3 years and am now wondering---are they harder to grow? Is that why I feel like I have a black thumb? or is a tomato a tomato in terms of how to grow it?

Sweetie, I don't know if what I'm about to tell you is going to make you feel huge relief or huge frustration:) Heirlooms are generally harder to grow. Here's why:
Heirlooms are the real deal - they are the original strain of plant from years and years ago that has been passed down through the generations; it hasn't been changed or altered, but rather, preserved for its amazing qualities of taste, loveliness, uniqueness, what-have-you.

Hybrid tomatoes, the other type, have essentially been bred for commercial purposes. The strains of one type of plant have been crossed with another to give it traits that would make it easier to grow, look better in a store (a uniform red tomato as opposed to, say, a striped Green Zebra), and travel better. As a result, these tomatoes are more resistant to diseases and pests and are sometimes more prolific in production.

BUT, they don't have the flav-ah of an heirloom - flavor is not really part of the mix in the hybridizing process. Also, know that you can save the seeds from an heirloom tomato for use the following year, and those seeds will produce the exact same type of tomato from year to year to year, just as those before us have done for generations. If you save the seeds from a hybrid you're going to get something different, if anything at all.

That said, even a hybrid tomato you grew yourself is going to taste far better than that bought from a store. It still has that straight from the plant flavor we are all looking for when we decide to grow our own tomatoes. And it might provide you with more in the way of production.

I think if you've had some bad luck with tomatoes in the past it might be worth trying some of each - an heirloom or two so that you are growing something really special and divine, and a hybrid or two to ensure you get a harvest of some sort in the event that the heirlooms have problems. Take advantage of the good qualities of both.

5. Sunlight :: how much sun do they need? Can I grow them indoors if I have a super sunny spot?

Tomatoes need at least 6 or more hours of sun a day. There's no negotiation on that if you want them to produce properly. There are what are referred to as "outdoor" and "indoor" tomatoes, but indoor really means inside a greenhouse, not a house-house. I don't know that you could create the right environment inside a home. The 6+ hours of sunlight would be hard...they need good air circulation...I just don't know.

6. And finally the most vexing topic for me. pruning. I know about suckers. I know I'm supposed to remove them, which I have done. but am I supposed to prune other parts of the plant? I feel like I have never given the plants enough space, possibly. they get huge! i feel like i get more plant than I do fruit. OR I get lots of fruit that doesn't ripen or when it does, it's not tasty, but mealy instead. am I supposed to limit the amount of branches and/or fruit so that what I do allow to grow gets more of the plant's energy?

Ok, pruning. pinch the suckers. You already know that. You also want to have just one main growing stem, so pinch off to keep that limited too. Also, if your plant gets to be too big and you want it to stop growing in size you can pinch off the growing tip (the part at the top of your main stem). Then it will stop getting bigger and focus instead on fruit. You can also do the latter if you sense the season coming to a close, ie. frost is coming, and you want the plant to focus its energy on its last fruit.

What you are describing though - a large plant with not a lot of fruit - is most likely not a pruning issue as much as it is one of fertilizing. Tomatoes are heavy feeders, and even more so if you have them in containers. And they can be tricky. In the beginning, they need quite a bit of nitrogen in order to produce strong stems and leaves, but it can't be too, too much. I think I just read in Organic Gardening that too much Nitrogen early on makes the plant essentially spend all its energy on those stems and leaves, so that it then doesn't produce as much fruit.

So you want to provide your tomatoes with a good amount of Nitrogen in the beginning. This would be the first number in the ratio on a bag of fertilizer, by the way. So if you were looking at an organic fertilizer that said 5-3-3, that means it is higher in Nitrogen...N-P-K; Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium. In general, these correspond to the growth of the following - Leaves-Roots-Fruits - and in that order, always. N-P-K. Leaves-roots-fruits.

Soooo...you can now see why in the beginning when you want to encourage leaf and stem growth you'll need to feed with something more rich in Nitrogen, but apparently not too much. And then you can probably deduce that if what you want is to encourage fruit growth on your plant, you want to up that last number, the Potassium. In Grow Great Grub, Gayla Trail says that once those flowers start to show up, you want to cut back on your Nitrogen and start adding Potassium every two weeks. There are lots of tomato specific fertilizers on the market, including many organic ones. I think you'll find that these are slightly more rich in Potassium because we want those fruits.

Ok, the mealiness is caused by the same thing as the cracking (number two) - too much water when fruit is ripening.

Based on what you have told me, I have a theory about your past problems with tomatoes. You've mentioned the cracking and the mealiness. I also feel like you've mentioned before, perhaps in an email, something about plants having limp or yellowed leaves. This is generally a sign of a lack of Nitrogen, but I know from serious personal experience that those limp discolored leaves can look an awful lot like a plant that needs water. Maybe it looked that way to you too, and maybe it made you over-water a bit, causing those problems with the fruit.

So my advice to you, Dear Kate, is that for this year maybe you try to feed a little more (nitrogen early, potassium later) and water a little less. And I have thus completed the Tome of the Tom-ato. And I'm quite certain you are the only one still reading...if you even still are!

From Dirt To Dinner :: The Tomato Interview, Part 1

2010-05-14T09:00:00.006-04:00

i could not be any more pleased about this week's From Dirt To Dinner installment. (**want to know more about this local eating celebration, visit beth's blog for the FAQ's and then join us!**) my partner in food for this little event, beth is not only a fabulous mom and a great writer and blogger, but she's got a very green thumb. certainly much greener than mine! when i *have* attempted to grow things, it's always been tomatoes and herbs or tomatoes and zucchini. or tomatoes and flowers. you get the idea. problem is, i've never had a ton of success. i keep trying because, clearly i love the tomato. i gorge myself in summer and then don't touch them again until the next summer. (we all know the grocery store tomatoes in winter are not even worthy of being called tomatoes.)

so, as part of this Dirt To Dinner experiment, we thought we'd interview each other on things we would like to know more about. i'm so glad i did. because beth has given me the most helpful tidbits i have ever read on the subject of tomato growing! and here, for you is part one of her helpful advice! read and enjoy. (and then go buy some plants, pots and soil and grow on!)

oh! and thanks, beth! you rock.

ON TOMATO GROWING, especially as it pertains to growing in containers

1. Seeds vs. Plants :: Is there any reason why doing one vs. the other will yield better results? Is it just more cost effective to use seeds?

Ok, some plants don't like to be transplanted. That means they don't want their seeds to be sewn in one place only to eventually be moved to another; they want to be "direct sewn," seeds sewn only in the spot where they are ultimately going to live. Tomatoes ARE NOT like this though. As a whole, tomatoes are just fine with being transplanted as seedlings to their ultimate location. That's why it's easy to find tomato seedlings when the growing season comes. These are seedlings that have been started early indoors in order to get a jump start on the growing season in order to ensure that they produce fruit before season's end. Most tomato seedlings you get and transplant will produce just as well as those you have grown from seed.

What is cost effective for you, though, will in large part be determined by what you want to grow and how you are set up. Starting seeds yourself takes some work and can be a bit costly if you aren't set up for it. You have to have a LOT of sunlight to start seeds, and depending on how long your season is you'll probably need to have that light available indoors - that means a greenhouse, grow lights and rigging, or possibly a window if you have one that gets, like 8 hours of sun a day. Not likely. You also need to start them in a medium specific for seed starting, which you'd have to make or buy. And not all seeds germinate - it's a little tricky - so you end up using more seeds than will ultimately be grown.

Now, is it worth it to start your own tomato seeds? Well, how many tomatoes are you planning to grow? As you know, they get pretty big, so what do you really have space for? Are we talking about 4 plants, or are we talking about a row of 10-20? And also, of the number you can grow, how many varieties do you want to include? There are so many great ones, I seldom hear of anyone that wants to grow just one kind. And you might want to do some cherries, some for canning purposes, some larger ones, some of different colors, etc.

I ask because you're gonna have to buy either a seedling (let's say roughly $2/seedling) or a pack of seeds (again, let's say roughly $2/seed packet) for every variety you want to grow. So if you want to grow say, 5 plants, all of different types, you'll spend about $10 either way. But if you do it with seeds you'd have to also get the materials necessary for starting seeds, and you'd lose seeds in germination. Plus the actual work of seed starting. If you bought 5 different tomato seedlings you'd still spend $10, but you'd have the benefit of picking seedlings that look good and have obviously survived the germination process - you'd be starting with plants that are already healthy and ready to go.

If, however, you want to grow several of one variety it might be much more worthwhile and cost effective to use seeds, assuming you have a location in which you can start them. But really, if we are talking about this season, you are limited to seedlings because I think you'd have wanted to start seeds a while back.

I personally went with seedlings this year because I wanted to grow heirlooms (more on heirlooms below) and am doing nearly as many varieties as I am plants. I only have so much space where tomatoes will fit, both in containers or outside, and I really wanted to try lots of different kinds. So of my 5-8 plants I'm doing I think . . . 6 different kinds.

2. Pots vs. Garden :: I've found that cherry tomatoes do better in pots (rather than the bigger tomatoes), but there have been times where i think they look great and then all of a sudden they start to split. There will just be a big long crack in it---what's that about? What am i doing wrong? Is it related to the pot?

Each type of tomato plant is different. Some varieties can be done in either a pot or outdoors, some prefer one or the other. Usually when you are reading about a type of tomato, either on the seed packet or seedling tag, it will tell you if it is a variety that can be done in a container. And then, of course, some have "container" in the name, and these are tomatoes that have been bred specifically to do well in pots.

A lot of these varieties that do well in the containers happen to be cherry types. The splitting you are talking about is not a correlation with the container itself as much as it is a problem people often see with cherry tomatoes in general. The splitting has to do with water - either too much water or a sporadic water supply. The split occurs, I believe and have read, when too much water has gone into the tomato and the skin cannot grow fast enough to keep up, so the little guys pop...or get stretch marks:) They are still fine to eat as long as the crack hasn't attracted bugs or bacteria, but certainly they're not as cute.

Try to keep the water supply even - you want moist soil, but not too wet, and not long periods of dryness followed by lots of water; try to be consistent. And maybe make sure you're pot/container is draining properly.

3. About pots :: Should i use terra cotta or plastic? I feel inherently against plastic, but I know some people really prefer them, but i'm not sure why. Do you have a preference?

This is a hard one. Like you, I'm inherently against plastic, especially when it comes to substances that will have contact with my food. But there are a few reasons why one might prefer it to terra cotta. The biggest 'pro' of plastic is that it keeps your plant mobile because it's so much lighter. These containers, if you're using ones that are big enough, are pretty darn heavy once filled with soil and stakes and tomatoes. If, for some reason, you needed to move your plant (like there is going to be a severe drop in temperature outside/a frost and you needed to move it in for a few nights, or you decided the spot you have it in is not getting enough sun so you want to try another) then it would still be possible to transfer your pot somewhere if it is made of plastic. If you put all that stuff in a huge terra cotta planter though, that really ain't gonna happen.

And then there's the simple problem of cost. Those terra cotta planters are just really, really expensive! They're too expensive for me, unfortunately. And I think it's safe to say that many people who are trying to grow some of their food might be doing so, at least in part, to save some bucks. I grappled with this issue again this year because I really wanted to get away from the plastic, but standing there and looking at the price tags (in several gardening supply stores, by the way) I couldn't rationalize spending that much on a pot, not even when I told myself it would be an "investment" and so forth. For the cost of one huge terra cotta pot, I can get several, I don't even know how many plastic ones. Oh, and I can get them home easily too:)

I can tell you that I don't think your tomatoes care from what material the pot is made. So it comes down to your own preference, your own budget, etc. I can also tell you that what I have found so far is that the pots, according to their number on the bottom, are made of the "safer" plastic, as opposed to the "bad" plastic types.

FROM DIRT TO DINNER to come:

sunday may 16, part two of The Tomato Interview

friday may 21, local meal featuring rhubarb!

the baby update

2010-05-11T12:53:00.004-04:00

i feel compelled to document our experience observing this little robin family. every day we watch mama or maybe papa bird out there looking for worms and things. it's so lovely to have them in our yard so much. they start to feel like one of the family.

we were most excited to come back after a weekend away to see that they have grown! so, now, when mama comes along to feed (or someone they THINK is mama) when they stick their little heads up, we can see them! they have gotten quite tall, in fact.

i can't express how special we feel to be a part of this process in some small way. i know, that in a larger sense, it's no big deal. life happens. birds do this every spring. and so do so many creatures. but there is something about feeling a connection to it, that is so heart-warming.

it got me thinking. i have no talked about my own little baby birds in a long time. i used to blog solely about them and what goes on in our little home. then i went the way of the food blog and now i'm trying to bring it all together. in the process i have lost parent readers as well as foodie blog readers. and myself, as well, as a blogger. but i plod along trying to find my way. wishing i had more time to devote here. however, being mama is job one!

today we had the pleasure of celebrating bb's SIXTH birthday at school. he is a summer birthday, so we always celebrate at the end of the year. it was a true delight to be there. among his friends and his teachers we have found such warmth and love. it's just awesome. the Waldorf school birthday celebration is unforgettable. the candles, the silks, the crowns and cake. the applesauce we all made. the quiet. the verses and stories. so special. and to think, i get to do it all again with his sister when she goes! yay!

From Dirt To Dinner :: Asparagus!

2010-05-07T09:15:00.000-04:00

i'm super excited to be writing the first From Dirt To Dinner post! you might notice (if there is anyone out there!) the button in the sidebar.

in short it's a little project that beth (of Total Mom Haircut) and i have cooked up in order to, sort of, push ourselves to a higher level of dedication to eating local foods. luckily for each of us we have access to farmer's market and CSA farms in our area. not to mention really great co-op markets and friends with gardens. i feel blessed to be here in western mass. with so many opportunities to eat fresh foods. it's awesome.

for info on how to join us, and more about what this project is, please click the button and head over to beth's awesome blog. we would love love love to have others joining in this little experiment of ours.

so.

yes.

asparagus.

i decided to make Asparagus Fritters. a recipe i found in one of my favorite cookbooks; The River Cottage Family Cookbook. and funny timing--it was a gift i received last year for mother's day. read all about it here. i shant rant again!

the recipe called for mushrooms and spinach, but i chose to use the awesome and locally grown asparagus rather than spinach. i blanched them first.

i was psyched to find these bad boys at our co-op market. i knew they got mushrooms from a local source, in fact i could have visited the farm myself, but couldn't remember the name of it. something about a moon. but, the co-op had 'em and they don't always, so that was a score. local shiitakes! chopped them up small.

after that it is just a bit of flour, egg and cornstarch. salt and pepper and fry them in some good organic sunflower oil. mmmm!

for the rest of the meal we decided to bake some bread. now, this is where i got a bit tripped up on the localness of the meal. i think, in my head, i confused "local" with "homemade." there is no ingredient in this bread that is locally produced. but it the bread was made at my home. nothing more local than that. still. . . i don't think it qualifies. . . does it? either way, it's made with organic ingredients and lots of love. so, that has to count for something. but this has made me think a lot about the topic of local food. what is local? some say it's as simple as the food coming from a source within 100 miles of your home. but, i'm not so sure i can get wheat around here. so, okay. i have some homework to do!

the bread recipe comes from the fabulous amanda at Soulemama. it's called WHO bread and i did it "acoustic style." recipe here.with our fritters we enjoyed some scrambled eggs. these little beauties came from a co-worker of hubby's. she has chickens. i have major chicken envy. look at these! aren't they so lovely!?

behold, the fritters. they were a little doughy. i fully ignored one of the directions that would have led to less doughy fritters. now i know why they say to let the batter drip off of the slotted spoon. next time! but, these were a success because my kids ATE ASPARAGUS for the first time. no, no, of course i have served it before. but this time they ATE it. and LIKED it. so, while i admit, i could have chosen a preparation that featured the veg more, i chose this because i thought i might have a chance with the kids. score one for mama.
my daugher's plate.

we also added some applesauce---made last fall with apples we picked (locally, of course). been in the freezer! nice!
our next meal will be posted on may 21st. the ingredient :: RHUBARB! stay tuned. or better yet, join in!

oh, and look here NEXT friday for an interview with beth on how to grow tomatoes. cause she rocks the green thumb. bring it, beth!

babies!

2010-05-06T12:56:00.006-04:00

we were so happy to go outside yesterday and discover that those little blue eggs have cracked and fallen away and new life has emerged. imagine the feeling on their skin of the air and sunshine and mama's feathers! so sweet.

we could hear the tiny little peep peep peeping, but because of where the nest is, sorta wedged in there, we couldn't see anyone. not until they get a liiiiiitle bigger. so, i sneaked my camera in there as best i could and took a few shots. i didn't want to use the flash, of course, so the pics are a bit blurry. but that's ok. look how lovely they are? i can't wait to watch them grow and

maybe even get to witness them leaving the nest. how cool would that be?

yesterday evening we watched mama bird hopping in the grass with a worm in her mouth, checking us out. eventually, she went up to the nest to feed the babes. we felt so honored to be so close to them. a total treat.

project no. 1 done!

2010-05-02T13:06:00.006-04:00

went to a baby shower yesterday. got a new baby in the family coming next month! how cool is that? not only is there a new life, a new person to get to know, but i get to make baby stuff! sweet deal, i say.

so, i wasted no time in getting to a project from The Book. it was the perfect thing--a bib!

goes nicely with the hat and onesie that was already in the works. i did it a bit different than martha prescribed, and it was trickier than i had hoped, but i ended up happy with the results.
now the question is....what next martha, what next?

what a mom wants.

2010-04-29T12:12:00.004-04:00

oh. my. goodness.

just got this little beauty from the library. and that simply won't due. must own this book. it's so packed with ideas, designs, techniques and *beautiful* photography. i'm just drooling all over it.

hubby, if you are reading this look no further for a mother's day gift. add a yard of fabric and i'm over the moon.

our mother's days around here usually center on working in the garden or doing some project around the house (or really in the yard) that i've been wanting to do. but this year, i think all i want is to be alone with this book and a few yards of fabric. for a whole day. did i mention the CD full of printable pdf's? my heart is literally a'flutter.

ooooh what i could do!

2010-04-25T21:12:00.007-04:00

Spring is coming, spring is coming,

Birdies, build your nest;

Weave together straw and heather,

Doing each your best.

Spring is coming, spring is coming,

Flowers are coming, too;

Pansies, lilies, daffodils

Now are coming through.

Spring is coming, spring is coming,

All around is fair; Shimmer and glimmer on the river,

Joy is everywhere.

for the last few weeks we've all been singing this song around here a whole lot. my son learned it at school. it's one of my favorite things about Waldorf schools--the celebration around the seasons. i loved it when he came home singing "winter is here forever and ever, we will not get warm no not ever!" in late February/early March it really does feel that way around these parts. but then spring arrives and the rain and the green and the robins come back. you can feel the relief in the air!

to our surprise, we found a bird nest nestled in between the beams of our deck. the top of the deck was like a roof over it, so we could not see inside. but we were so curious. was there anyone in there? eggs? babies? and if so, what kind? i grabbed our crappy little camera, held it over the nest and took a few pictures. we were SO delighted to find these beautiful little eggs in there. aren't they perfect??? 4 beautiful blue perfect little eggs. right there. i love them. today we went outside to play and scared momma bird away. but i'm sure she's back now right were she belongs warming those precious treasures. i can't wait to see who hatches.

happy earth day :: new ideas at the CPC blog

2010-04-22T14:18:00.002-04:00

i'm so happy to be in full-swing spring. isn't it so good? sunshiney days and lawnmowers a whir out in the 'hood. i love it.

you might have noticed the logo over there. that's right. i'm up to fun food blog mischief again.

my long-time blogger pal, beth over at Total Mom Haircut and i are teaming up. beth is someone i have never met, but i totally consider her a friend. she is the person in the blogosphere i have known the longest. she knew me back in the days of my first blog called Peeping Moms. i'm so very psyched to be playing with her on this project.

we are both finding ourselves more and more dedicated to a lifestyle of eating local foods. she's a fab home gardener who can inspire anyone to grow in their own yards, boxes, barrels or whatever you got. i'm an avid CSA and Farmer's Market goer who loves food and cooking. we're both busy moms of 2 just trying to make a difference in how our families eat. we want our children to know where their food comes from. we want to support our local growers. and so From Dirt To Dinner was born.

every other Friday we'll post about either a meal we've each made with a common ingredient that will be entirely (if we can pull it off) local. on the other Fridays we'll be posting interviews with each other full of ideas on how to cook, grow, shop, find local resources, get kids involved in their food and anything else fun we can think of on the topic.

and you can join us, too--the more the merrier! for the Meal posts, we'll add a Mr. Linky so that you can post your meal, too. the first posting date will be MAY 7th. i'll be hosting so come here to add your link if you decide to play. and the ingredient we'll use for this first meal is ASPARAGUS! yay for spring veg! i'm super excited and so grateful to beth for doing this with me.

repurposing

2010-04-13T08:18:00.005-04:00

i wish i had process pictures of this one. this is a baby gift i gave to a friend at her shower a couple months back (she has since had her beautiful baby girl) but could not post about it because of blogger's issues. and now i'm wishing i had more photos of it in progress.

i took 2 old, but still in good shape wool sweaters--a pink and purple. both of which i loved, but accidentally shrunk. we've all been there. i cut them in to pieces and made a bit of a patchworky type thing. added some fringe to make it like a taggie and put some super soft flannel on the back. my hope was that it would be a nice little spot for tummy time or for changing a diaper or anything at all, really.

then i found that i had a matching purple t-shirt, so i used soulemama's baby cap pattern and made a little cap to go with it.

it was a fun little project. it feels so good to make things for little ones. it's slightly addictive, really.

summer in april

2010-04-08T19:59:00.009-04:00

April had barely begun to show itself when suddenly here in New England we were seeing temperatures in the 80s. wrong wrong wrong. i love summer! but, please, not in April. we had to dig out our shorts, flip-flops and picnic blanket from the attic and fill up our sand box.

it's all good and fine. who can argue with sunshine and backyard snacks? we decided to whip up our one of our favorites. Graham Crackers. i've blogged about them before and included the recipe if you are interested. this time we added Orange-Honey Cream Cheese on top. big big hit, i'm happy to say!

sundresses in april!we just brought the whole cooling rack outside. why not?

Orange-Honey Cream Cheese :: mix up some organic cream cheese with a bit of honey (sweet it up to your liking), add some orange zest and a little squeeze of juice. that's all you need. good for dipping apples, too.

well, today it's back to rainy skies and 50 degrees. so long, summer. . . for now.

needle felting project :: playscape

2010-04-06T16:55:00.007-04:00

i've fallen in love with needle felting. it's so totally satisfying!

several years ago i really tried to get into knitting. i loved the idea of it--making a baby blanket for my yet-to-be-born girl (she's now 2 and a half and i've never made a blanket or anything wearable) and even the action of doing it--knit, purl, knit, purl. therapeutic!

the problems were; losing my place, dropping stitches and not having any clue how to fix mistakes. this combined with how l o n g it takes to finish anything made me a bad knitter. i realized i needed quicker results than that. maybe i can take up knitting when the kids get a little older and i can focus better? this is what i tell myself, anyway.

felting, like sewing, is sort of instant gratification. it takes no time to make something--even just something small, like a little apple or pumpkin. and if it looks not quite right, you just needle a bit more here and a bit more there until the shape starts to come together.

after doing lots of looking on Etsy (couldn't you spend hours just looking at all the cool stuff people made?) for felted playscapes around the holidays, i decided to make one. there's a lot of beautiful ones out there with amazing detailing. i decided to take a sort of "waldorfy approach" to it and to adopt the "the more formed it is, the less the child can imagine" way of thinking about it. less is more. let the child fill in the details. so, here it is. a simple, first little playscape for fall or early springtime play.

we often add special stones or marbles to it. outside last weekend we did a lot of burning of yard brush and leaves and things. "just like the gnomes in the cave, mommy!" yes. i was very proud of my felted logs and fire in the corner there.

a little nest with purple eggs. we don't know who it belongs to, but maybe a little bird will have to come visit soon and show us.
there's always little parties going in here. pine cones, "dudes" and special stones.
the addition of play silks has been new. sometimes a little log or piece of wood becomes another home for someone or other.
someday, maybe an Etsy shop of my own.

migrating.

2010-03-17T20:42:00.004-04:00

it's spring! yay!

we've been doing lots of puddle play. mud mucking. and dragging out the kids gardening tools and bikes. it's been truly celebratory!

i've not been posting because i'm well, blogger hasn't been letting me. frust-er-ating. so, it's been quiet time over here at the Clean Plate Club.

but we will be in full bloom again before too long, i hope....

until then, enjoy the sun and the green!

i heart alice waters

2010-03-02T10:12:00.002-05:00

i have been trying to post for a week now. blogger is giving me trouble and i can't upload photos! boo!!! i'm looking to switch over to wordpress and re-vamp the blog a bit and my dedication to it, what i want to post about, etc.

if anyone is still out there now you know what is going on here the CPC!

in the meantime. . .

do you love Alice Waters? oh my. i have been reading The Art of Simple Food and just loving it. i love everything about her and what she stands for. i am gearing up for a spring and summer dedication to eating locally produced foods from veg to dairy to meat and eggs. can i do it? with the prices get me down? can i pay more for quality meats, raised humanely and locally even tho it's twice as expensive as the meat we've been eating (organic, but not local)? can i suck it up and pay $5 a dozen for the local eggs? this is what i ask myself. money is tight, but what's more important here? health. taste. supporting my community. mmmm....

i'm looking forward to a delicious season. come on in, spring!

needle felting project :: pumpkin mouse house!

2010-02-16T13:03:00.006-05:00

my kids are super-lucky on the grandparent front. one of their grammies is a Waldorf kindergarten teacher. she is always there for us to bounce ideas off of whether it comes to parenting or school choices or creative projects.

this fall she gave BB a little kit for creating a pumpkin mouse house. he was delighted, but a little unsure of how to begin such a project. so, we decided that a little at a time was the best approach. and i was a little wary of him wielding a felting needle!

she gave us some delicious orange felt pre-cut to the pumpkin shape. he started by needling on the stem and some vines and leaves.
she had cut a little door in it already and a tiny little opening that we decided must be for any "mouse mail" to come along.

next we started to sew it together. the purple strips become the sides of the house.

before doing the back panel, BB decided there was more decorating to do, so he made this flower. all on his own!

it took many days of sewing, but he sewed the entire thing up himself. only receiving my help if he got stuck or needed more thread. after it was done i made him a tiny pumpkin to go inside and he made this little white mouse with yellow eyes.

this gift was such a treat because it was a great way for us to work together on something. i loved the coming and going from it that we did. each time he sunk a little deeper into it. the rhythm of the needle sewing one stitch at a time. he can tend to be in a hurry a lot, so this was nice pace.

one day i was doing some embroidery. he was sewing. and little CM was coloring. it was quiet as we were all so busy. and he said,"isn't this so nice? we're all together, but working on our own things."

it was. we watched the snow fall, drank Inka and it was a perfect moment.

valentine hearts

2010-02-13T09:56:00.002-05:00

well, it's Valentine's Day weekend and we are at home. . . we were supposed to be on our way to Vermont to visit family, but alas the Car Gods were not on our side. both of our old, but sturdy cars are in the shop. so here we sit.

having no expectations of needing a good valentiney crafty activity, i had nothing planned. thank you to SouleMama for this idea! paper hearts. cut up paper bags. paint. brilliant. easy. on hand.

we even happen to have a plethora of stamps on hand. we might actually mail some valentines this year! imagine that.

happy love-filled weekend to you. . . if you are out there. . . if i have any readers left. . .

may you eat chocolate and receive many a hug!

comforted and binky-free!

2010-02-12T08:47:00.000-05:00

there have been some big shifts around here lately. the biggest of which, i think, would have to be that after 5+ years, my son has finally learned to sleep without his "binky." yes. 5 years old.

there have been many bouts of parental guilt over his ever even having one to begin with. and over the years we tried to break him free of it, but we never could/did. he was attached and quite emotional about the whole idea of not using it. to him, "binky" was a friend.

when his sister was born, we toiled over whether or not to give her one. we eventually did. and then began to wonder if she was headed down the same 5 year path. so, all in one swoop (just about) we said goodbye to their "friends."

for him it was very hard. very sad. emotional. but he got over it quickly. lots of snuggies from mom and dad. lots of back scratches, songs and stories and he's pretty over it. for her, it was less emotional, but she is still struggling with learning how to sleep without it.

we decided we needed to celebrate. so last weekend we took them out for ice cream. OUT. which is much different than eating ben and jerry's at home. we told them we were celebrating. we said very little. not wanting to re-hash it all, we told them we were celebrating that they had both learned to sleep without a binky. bb's teacher advised us to not praise a lot or dwell on how hard it was, but to acknowledge it and celebrate it. and we did. they were out of their heads to be out having ice cream!
when we got home we presented them each with a new down comforter. we got sunny, yellow covers for them on which i appliqued their initials. to make them snazzier and more special.

it seemed appropriate to give them something new to sleep with now that they no longer slept with the comfort of the binky. now they sleep in the coziest of cozy beds!

and my relationship with the binky comes to an end as well. a friend and a foe all at once! i thanked God for it at times and cursed it at others (o, how i hated the times they had stuffy, drippy noses, but still wanted to sleep with a binky!) and i have to say, though i have beat myself up about it, i do feel like they helped me be a better parent. and now... i'm happy to see them go!