All posts in Domestic Damsel

My Bread

by admin on September 7, 2011 in Domestic Damsel, Foodie Like Me, My Romance, People In My Heart with 1 Comment

A sure sign that summer is on its way out is when I return to my weekly bread making day. With all the kids home, and the HEAT, I take summers off (in spite of the complaints from family, he he he)…but even I, by falls return, miss the home made loaves and even the process of making them. So I find the initial umph required to get back at it again. Today was a good day to begin again.
My kids often gather around to watch, the first few times I am back at it. I make them sit in the dining room and watch from there, as I don’t appreciate all the little kiddy fingers mucking with my dough. They ooh and ahhh and ask many many questions. It always brings me back to how I saw my mother when she was busy making bread. It was as if she reached a whole new level of mother hood, there was more prestige, when she started kneading the dough. I thought she was so strong as I watched her beat the dough. I thought she was so loving as I took note of the day long task.

I guess these memories helped me get into making bread… but to be honest it is the taste of the fresh bread that keeps me going! Garnet is often very very willing to help me get all the loaves in and out of the oven at the end of the day. We both wait eagerly for the first loaf to cool and both devour two big slices in no time… but we limit ourselves to just a taste… no one needs a fresh bread tummy ache before bed.

TTFN

A Plot Of Veggies

by admin on September 6, 2011 in Adventure and Me, Better Check Out Links, Bits Of My Personality, Domestic Damsel, Foodie Like Me with No comments

We have been eating very very well off of our little plot at the community garden. I was so prompt about posting pictures of this spot, while it was still dirt, I thought I had better show you the lovely luscious life that is now abundant.

Here are some pictures from a harvesting trip we did as a family this past long weekend.

(South side of the garden is seen above and below is a picture of the north side.)
(Not from our plot but I had to show you these sunflowers and the prairie water melons that someone successfully grew!)
(Here is our plot, half cleaned out already but still full of veggies!)(Herbs, hanging to dry in our basement, grown in our garden.)

I had more pictures of our produce but have misplaced them so I hope to find them and share them soon.

Gardening is hard work. It took some help from family, to water and watch over our plot when we where away this summer. It took many many night walks over to water it during the dry days. It took days of me and my girls, hands and knees in the dirt, going after weeds. It took nights of me walking over with my oldest boy to pick something fresh for supper. It took more then that too but it gave so much more then just produce back. The garden added family time and quality outdoor time to our summer.

P.S. Check out THIS POST and THIS ONE TOO to see the humble beginnings of our community garden adventure!

TTFN

Apple Sauce

by admin on September 6, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Domestic Damsel, Feeling It (Thankful), Foodie Like Me, My Romance with 1 Comment

We have never had an apple tree this big before or with apples this large, in our previous homes. My husband took it upon himself to solve the tall apple tree dilemma today. The tree grows way above and behind the cedars in our back yard. Most of the tree is sticking out into the back alley. When we go to harvest apples each year we always have the problem of no ladder long enough and the reddest apples are always high up.

(The kids did there best to help their Dad with the apple picking… although they where very much distracted by their water gun fight and the slip and slide.)

The kids and him fused with this problem most of the afternoon while I prepared a meal of garden fresh veggies for Garnet’s brother’s family. It was a tedious task for them (almost as tedious as cutting up all the apples for apple sauce). I love watching my husband work on a problem. His manly determination is very attractive.

When it was all done for the day we had enough apples picked to start me on my apples sauce marathon. It is an excellent kick off day and the rest of apples will wait… like little red and yellow promises of more work too come… just hanging up there on the tree. Every year I think I am not cut out for harvest time and every year I find a deep satisfaction in the work when I just dig into it and get busy. We will be enjoying thick, creamy, cinnamon-y apples sauce all winter again!

I am so thankful for produce to harvest and for a husband who enjoys digging into the work with me.

TTFN

The Process of Preparing a Meal That Is A Moment

by admin on September 4, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Book Flavor, Domestic Damsel, Feeling It (Thankful), Foodie Like Me, Little Things with 1 Comment

I am a napper… have been for years… my mother and grandmother where nappers so it is in the genes… In the last few years I have went from an easy riser to a crawl outta bed kinda mama. Fatigue is common place in my life.

Now I struggle with putting naps off. The idea of not being with it enough afterwards, for my kids sakes, is a real difficulty. This inner conflict meets its match with the promise of fresh espresso to help with the wake up process. I am super thankful for my little stove top espresso maker. It doesn’t break down like the fancy new ones often do. It is fast and makes nine shots at a time!

After years of this fatigue stuff I still manage to smile as I work at shacking it off, because I really really like my espresso treat and the espresso making process.

I have to serve my wake up espresso with something substantial to avoid going from a walking ton of bricks to jittery jabber-y nut. I find the process of setting it all up a sweet encouragement to my weary self. It is almost as pleasant as the slow morning routine of setting up a breakfast and not just scarfing something down.

Sun coming up…

patter out to the kitchen in favorite robe…

make favorite hot beverage and set up you breakfast in style so you feel pleased to sit down to it…

crack open the Bible and breath in and out as much as possible before the kids wake up!

Speaking of the process of presenting ones self with more then a meal but a moment…I just purchased a book, long ago recommended to me. It is about two women who spent a year purposely making a little oasis around their breakfast habit. I am hoping for delicious encouragement from this book. I will let you know what it is like when I get it.

TTFN

Tea Partying It UP!

by admin on September 3, 2011 in Better Check Out Links, Bits Of My Personality, Domestic Damsel, Foodie Like Me, People In My Heart with No comments

Tea parties make me feel so domestic:) I love the group pictures we have taken over the years. Year after year of different ladies, all dressed in different colors and styles. More hats have shown up over the years, as that has been a personal aim of mine (to encourage more hat wearing that is). Next I would love to encourage the wearing of gloves and caplets!
My mother and a favorite auntie of mine travelled all the way down to be at this party. Mother in law and sister (Mirelle) made it, they are always so supportive of me and the icing on the cake was my ‘college mom’ making it out. Nancy was the lady I lived with through my college years (first few years away from home) and although she has always been the kindest of friend, she was also like a mom… a less bossy mom:) It was great to have her over! Three dear friends came. Two of them being pals of mine for years and the third is a new girl friend who is really game and I like that about her! All of us ate very very well and enjoyed fabulous conversation. Though the wasps chased the little girls in early, we women endured for the sake of more socializing.Why do I do this? Because I love being a woman. I loving being with other women and I love to see them enjoying femininity! It is a grand thing to have a time so full of girlyness that men would be afraid to accidentally intrude:)

It almost always feels doubtful that it will all work out for me to have a tea each summer and then when it is all pulled together it is so worth it. Here’s hoping I have time for one winter-y tea this year and another fabulous summer one next year!

P.s. I have been blogging for a few years now and boy do I love to go back and look through the archives. CHECK OUT THIS LINK to the last tea party I had two summers ago.

TTFN

Getting ahead, an introverts advantage?!

by admin on March 2, 2011 in Bits Of My Personality, Domestic Damsel, Four Little Eggs In My Nest with No comments

Last week all four children were home. No school for my oldest two, my extroverted two. Cold weather meant I worked hard at planning many inside visits away and at home for my crew. There were days where the kid count went up to 7 around here. By the end of this week full of play dates, birthdays and sleep overs I was terribly ready to get back to quiet days at home with my youngest two.

I have spent the last two days happily cleaning up after the holiday, joyfully wearing my pjs all day, merrily reading a new book and leisurely drinking many many cups of tea while seated on my cozy chaise. I lean toward the introverted side of things, perhaps… definitely more so then my older two kids.

Such a blessing to tidy up the house in the morning and then have it pretty much stay that way for the whole afternoon. Such a wonder to get ahead on the laundry and dishes. I dream that all this will lead to one thing! I will manage to get to my secondary chores this week!Do we all have these lists? The basic list of required regular chores that insure the house is in a functional and seemly order and then the secondary list, the wish list. It is a collection of the delicious big jobs that could make our world so much more streamlined, so de-cluttered, so free of paperwork baskets and the well hidden ‘deal with later’ corners of the house. No matter how well I hide my ‘deal with later’ stuff I can’t stop thinking about it…

Oh to attack that storage space that has imploded, or to finally take all the donation items in, or to put my sons freshly destroyed bureaus full of clothing back to rights. The list goes on and includes closets and bins waiting to be organized… One may never completely complete it all, the endless jobs of a house wife, but one must try or… or drowned I suppose.

Well that seemed to come to a dramatic point… to finish on a happy note, please remember I am indeed happy about the prospect of venturing to the secondary chores list.

TTFN

My Quiche (Recipe Request)

by admin on February 23, 2011 in Domestic Damsel, Foodie Like Me with No comments
This is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE quiche, make it often and have gotten very quick at it.

  • 1 (9 inch) deep dish pie crust (I have a chick pea flour crust I just love.)
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 cup organic coconut milk (organic because it is thicker)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 dashes hot pepper sauce, or to taste
  • 1 cup shredded old mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 can of crab meat
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped greens (fresh herb mix or spinach)

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Make the crust and place in the greased pie plate (remember to puncture the crust with a fork too prevent too much crust shrinkage).
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Stir in cheese, onion, greens and crab. Pour into the pie shell.
  4. Sprinkle top with a little paprika to add color.
  5. Bake for 30-40 minutes in the preheated oven.
  6. Serve with a salad.

TTFN

Sentimental and Practical

by admin on November 19, 2010 in Better Check Out Links, Bits Of My Personality, Domestic Damsel, Little Things with 1 Comment

Sentimental? Yes, my family had an old record player and a varied collection of records. I think we all enjoyed listening to it well into our teen years! I am a romantic and so I love old things and record players have been on my mind since I saw the beautifully packaged new records at my local book store… ‘I can get (enter fav new artist here) on vinyl!!’ Vinyl Cafe is a family fav radio show in our house and… well… for many sentimental reason’s spotting that rack of new vinyls sparked a vinyl on the brain week.

Now, how can I make this practical??

Well of course it is practical to own something that suits my decor! Since I have a traditional and off kilter old fashioned in my own way living room of course I can’t have a stereo or i-pod station! It simple wouldn’t go! I would have to cover it, shamefully, with a doily as I have with my husbands electric piano. I must go with my decor and get a record player!

Who am I trying to convince? Well my husband of course (enter big grin and eyelash flutter here).

TTFN

Biscuit Love

by admin on November 15, 2010 in Domestic Damsel, Marriage Monday with No comments
Always have to double the biscuit recipes with my growing family but it is all good, kinda like doubling the love:)

Yes that is a harmonica and a biscuit by my baby boy’s supper bowl. He has been singing since he learned to talk and any little instrument he can get his hands on he loves and uses incessantly. The harmonica is a symbol of my hopes for him. The biscuit is a symbol of my love for him.

I strongly believe a child’s potential is boosted, and hopes become realities, with love. Biscuit love is that extra love. The kind of love that puts a mommy out just a little bit more but generally seems to have great effect. I could just serve them up soup, goodness knows I often do because that is all I can muster, but if I find the time to do a little extra in the way of biscuits or other quick breads to eat with the soup or stew I always see extra results. It is hard to give a little more, do the extra, when there is so much pulling at a mommy’s mind and time, but I guess that is why it is called extra and why it is so special for the kids and for me.

More biscuits please:)

AND for those days when you just can’t do extra, do what you can do in love and be at peace with that… Paul couldn’t do much in jail now could he, or could he?? He wrote this while in prison:

“(Verse 2) Be anxious for nothing (verse 6) Let your mind dwell on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent and worthy of praise (verse 8) and I can do all things through Him who strengthen me (verse 13)”

(psssst, thanks for the verses mom)

TTFN

A Break From Tomato Sauce (Recipe Request)

by admin on November 10, 2010 in Domestic Damsel, Foodie Like Me with No comments
Red Pepper and Tuna Spaghetti Sauce
  • 1 large red onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 2 Tbsps flour
  • 1 can of organic coconut milk
  • 2 cups canned roasted red peppers
  • 1 medium red pepper
  • 1 tsp coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp sweet basil
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • pinch of cayenne (optional)
  • 3 cans tuna packed in water
  1. Chop up the onion and garlic very fine.
  2. Cook the onion and garlic in the oil till soft.
  3. Sprinkle with flour and stir well.
  4. Slowly add the coconut milk and stir constantly till thickened.
  5. Drain canned peppers, puree them in blender, then mix into the sauce.
  6. Chop up the fresh pepper very fine and add to the sauce.
  7. Add the sugar, basil, salt and cayenne and reduce the heat to medium low.
  8. Drain and flake the tuna then add to the sauce.
  9. Cook till the fish is heated through and the sauce is very hot.
  10. Pour hot over pasta and toss.
  11. Top with sliced black olives and parsley (fresh if you have it).
  12. Serves about 8 and goes great with 2-375g. pkgs of multi grain spaghetti.

TTFN

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