so much kale

Our little garden beds have been overflowing with kale for months now. It is pretty much no credit to myself. I have done nothing special or secret, but have simply planted my tiny little heirloom seeds in soil and watched them GROW!

I have preserved a bunch of kale by blanching, chopping and freezing it. This has been so simple and I  know I'll thank myself this fall and winter when I'm dreaming about dinner plans and craving our favorite sausage, kale and potato soup (yes, with lots of cream and spices too!).

But today I took a different approach to putting by our kale... kale chips.

I used this recipe, but there are dozens out there, and it all came together so very easily.

Kale, coconut oil, sea salt and a hot oven. Pretty basic and I even got to use my hands to mix it all together (a true mark of a tasty meal!).

From the garden.

To the mixing bowl.

 Drizzled with coconut oil. Sprinkled with sea salt.

To the baking sheet (I filled three large baking sheets this morning... for now!).

To the bowl.

That simple.

hello august

August. Typically sweltering and steamy. The last bit of summer enjoyed. Beach days. Lots of cold desserts.

At least at this point, August has come in quite mildly and unseasonably cool. Last night, after sitting at the ball field for a few hours, my skin felt cool to the touch and I was wishing I had tucked a sweater into my bag.

Today. Baking banana bread for dear friends who just brought a new baby home. Listening to the sounds of four (my three boys, plus a friend) contentedly playing Legos in the cellar. Sneaking out to the garage to work on a (secret) project in small bursts when I find a few minutes to step away. Hearing the laundry spin, spin, spin- the constant whirring of laundry is familiar background noise in this home.

Also thinking about sacred days. A name day for Elias tomorrow. A twelfth birthday for Sophia next week. Planning and plotting small secrets and sweets.

Our garden has been generous with its radishes, lettuce, kale and basil and somewhat stingy (as history has shown in our garden) with its carrots and peppers. Looking at the gorgeous tomatoes emerging and growing brings me joy though. Heirloom pinks, red and purples. I can hardly wait.

In the meantime, I've been looking at these photos for days, planning to post them. They can simply be summed up by saying garden 'squirting' before bedtime!!

A Morning Full of Cherries

Last night as I prepared for bed, I set my mind on getting up early before the heat of the day set in to visit my favorite orchard for some berry picking. In a perfect world, my children and I would visit the orchard on a weekly basis and pick the fruits that would be enjoyed that week. There would be no need for the 'middle man' (the grocery store) and my kitchen would be a throwback to something out of the 1930s, complete with berry pies cooling on the windowsill, a perfect pantry whose shelves were lined with canned fruits and a cupboard full of sweet homemade jams.

In my current world however, picking fresh fruit every few weeks is the ideal. This summer to date, we have enjoyed picking our way through a sticky sweet stawberry field in June and today we were blessed to have the opportunity to bask in the glory of the 'final pick' of cherries for the season.

Since my middle boys are enjoying some time with there grandparents up north this week, I am 'traveling light' with my bookends, Sophia and Luca, over the next few days. Despite nearly a decade separating these two children, both were cheerful and eager to venture out in the heat of the early day to help their determined and energetic mother pick cherries.

We were given advice from the farmer tending this particular orchard on where to find the trees with with the most abundant fruit and even invited to 'sample' the different varieties of cherries! It seemed we were the only harvesters in the orchard and we reveled in the solitude and privacy of this sweet, rosy world.

In the end we left the fragrant orchard with over six pounds of luscious Bing and Ranier cherries. I secretly felt guilty for having left with the last of the cherries for the summer from this peaceful, fertile little hill, but it didn't stop me from enjoying hand fulls along the ride home.

Soda Bread

My older pair are at a point where they are baking independently now. It is an excellent state to be in. When they get the idea and inspiration to bake something- whether to satisfy their own sweet tooth, or to produce something gift-worthy- they set to work, recipe in one hand and will in the other.

Today they baked up a superb Irish Soda Bread. It was tasty and perfect. Butter and jam were both coveted options for spreading on this warm slice of golden perfection.

We had baked several loafs a few weeks ago during our celebration of Saint Brigid. We also churned butter, wove crosses made of rushes and read a bit about the life of this saint from Kildaire, Ireland. It was a simple day for our family that spoke both to the oldest and the youngest children, each in their own way.

oats and joy

Finally, an oatmeal-centered breakfast and joy all at one table.

This morning I finally got around to trying out my dear friend's recipe for Soaked Baked Oatmeal. The dish came together quite easily and even called for some improvisation, which is one of my favorite elements of baking and cooking!

Soaked Baked Oatmeal
The night before, mix the following in an 8x8 pan:

2 cups oats
1 cup yogurt (I used Plain, Whole Milk yogurt)
1/2 cup water

Cover with a kitchen towel and let soak overnight on the counter (soaking grains helps to break down phytates and makes the oatmeal more digestible and tasty!).

In a bowl, mix:

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar (I used a few tablespoons of honey and maple syrup)
1/3 cup oil (I used coconut oil, my oil of choice when baking)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk

You may also add 1-2 cups of fresh, frozen or dried fruit (I added frozen wild blueberries today).

Add this mixture to the soaked oats and mix well. Bake at 350' for 40 minutes.

Serve plain, or top with yogurt, milk, or applesauce (today we added butter and a drizzle of maple syrup).

apple cake

Snow has fallen, yet it is indeed autumn in spirit. Apple cake has been baked three times in the last week or so. It is a recipe from a dear friend and calls for four cups of diced apples. When viewed in this light, one can offer it to family and friends at any hour of the day (lately, right before the dinner hour) and still feel content to eat 'cake'. 

Luca resting for a bit during an autumn nature walk

Apple Cake

4 cups apples cubes (not too fine)

2 cups sugar

Mix well, then add

2 eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup oil

2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Mix together

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon sea salt

Add dry ingredients to mixture and bake in greased 9x13 pan for one hour at 350'. 

Let cool for a bit and serve warm.

french paradox

One of the most intriguing topics regarding food and families for sure- the 'French Paradox' has been mesmerizing me for years now with it's hardcore, no-nonsense, slow food movement ways. Lately, all of the information out there having to do with how the French feed their children has me simply swooning over new ideas and alternative philosophies regarding childhood nutrition.

Do you love this poster as much as I do!?

Do you buy into the idea that it is alright (even beneficial!) for children to come to mealtime hungry!?

What about the ban on short-order cooking in one's home? I simply won't do it.

Sidenote: I read Brining up Bebe last spring and simply fell in love with the ideas in the book having to do with family mealtimes. As a result, we rarely snack in between meals now and my ideals regarding slow, peaceful, beautiful family meal times have been strengthened. Meal time is a high point in our day and I feel so strongly about making it as nourishing and lovely as possible!

liquid gold

As the years go by, and my life experience adds up... along with a few simple homesteading skills, my list of items that are considered liquid gold continues to expand!

Tonight I will add beef stock to my already crowded list of breastmilk, maple syrup, coconut oil, cod liver oil and red wine.

After nearly two days of simmering, tonight I added four quarts of rich, velvety homemade beef stock to my freezer to use in the future for soups and stews. It felt a bit odd to be thinking about stock on a steamy August afternoon, but I knew that my efforts would not be in vain.

It seems that every so often I am encouraged to revisit our nutrition philosophies and recommit to looking at the big picture when it comes to feeding our family. Pondering the never-ending surplus of sugar and flour at literally every turn. Feeling guilt-ridden about the over-indulgence of desserts had by my children this summer. Thinking about nourishing meals that do not require ceaseless snacking in between.

These realizations have been the catalyst needed to stay the course and get back in to the rhythm of making good, deliberate choices about what, where and how we are eating together as a family. Being sure to tend my garden even when I don't feel like getting out in the heat, lining up my children once again for that spoonful of cod liver oil, saying no to the endless requests for sweets and treats even if it is met with tears and sulking!

What is going on in your kitchen these days?
What do you consider to be liquid gold!?

kale harvest

It has been raining here all day and soup is on the menu for dinner tonight. Tasting our first kale tonight from our garden in one of my favorite soup recipes- sausage, kale and potato soup (with plenty of cream and herbs). A welcome bit of weather to cool down our house so we can eat something warm and comforting in the middle of this super hot summer here!

birthday cake

We are blessed to have several 'June birthdays' in our extended family. Today we celebrated three generations worth of birthdays and enjoyed the warmth of the day together.

My sister baked the birthday cake, and when I say 'the' birthday cake, I mean the birthday cake! It was perfectly delicious and was just right for a late-spring-almost-summer celebration.

I am still dreaming about this lemon-raspberry cake!

My sister is such an amazing baker and has earned herself a pretty superb repetoire of baked goods (and non-baked goods like her homemade 'Lara' bars!). It is great to have a partner in life who is as enthusiastic about preparing homemade, nourishing, delicious food to our families as I am!

Thank you for taking time out of your already-full life to make our day so special... and delicious!

summertime

The first day of summer is here. It seems as if we have been thinking and talking about this day for months now. And it is finally here!

Now it is time for berry picking, swimming, beach trips, suntans, freshly squeezed lemonade, lazy mornings, countless bike rides, baseball, grilled dinners, watermelon, fresh vegetables, blooming flowers, and one of my most favorite things on earth (which by the way is not only enjoyed in summertime, but is now only more justified!).

I hope to be writing in this space much more this summer as now my time previously spent focusing on formal academics is now available now for things like blogging, beach-going and drinkings numerous glasses of iced coffee throughout the day whenever I feel like it just because!

First stop- a trip to Philadelphia this weekend. Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Franklin Square, the Betsy Ross House, Elfreth's Alley and Valley Forge. What a perfect start to summer!

opening day

Last Sunday was the opening day of our favorite summer farmers market. There are no words to describe how excited I get over the opportunity to see, smell, taste and purchase fresh, locally grown and made foods!

In addition to fruits, vegetables, meats, farmstead cheese, pies, cookies, tarts, pasta sauce, brick oven pizza, kettle corn, maple syrup, honey, and ethnic foods, there are also many artisans selling jewelry, knit items, paintings and yarn.
It is certainly one of my favorite events of the week and I just love 'eating my way through' the market!

eating of curds and whey

We have begun making whey! It is sitting on our counter right now and we hope to make some ginger ale and some lacto-fermented vegetables with it.

The other great part is that we will also get cream cheese!

I used the recipe found in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. I chose to used raw milk instead of the buttermilk, pima milk or yoghurt. If you are using raw milk, simply let 2 quarts sit in a clean glass container on your counter at room temperature for one to four days until it separates. Then you strain it with a clean dishtowel or cheesecloth and let it drain for several hours. The liquid is the whey and the solids or curds are the cream cheese.

I am most looking forward to the ginger ale and will certainly share our experience in this space to let everyone know how it turned out.

Have you ever made whey? Cheese?
Have you ever made your own ginger ale or ginger beer?

six months

Luca is six months old now. So much has changed over the last few months. Our baby is thriving to say the least. I am enjoying each and every day because I finally have the proper perspective on infancy and know that these days go by so very fast.


Luca is crawling. He is sitting. He has two teeth and is currently working on a few more. Our baby loves to keep up with his older siblings during the day and stay close by his mama at night tucked safely under her 'wing'. He naps well during the day yet despises his crib at night. He endured his first cut tonight after toppling over into the corner wall in our kitchen.

He is eating a bit of food. So far he has enjoyed bananas, raspberries, apples, pears and oranges. Also eggs, avacado with olive oil and sea salt and a bit of mashed bean. Then there was the dot of sauteed spinach and onion, the pleasure of sucking on a cucumber with sea salt, the gobs of baked sweet potato with pastured butter and the bits of sharp cheddar cheese tonight while we all ate our black bean and chicken chili.

Oh, and he sips water very successfully from a small glass after his 'meals'.

As you can see I am not following a typical 'intro to solids' diet with our baby that starts with rice cereal and then leads into fruits, vegetables and eventually proteins. I am feeling really confident that as long as he is eating whole foods that he will continue to thrive.

I have been careful to follow his lead and to feed more when he 'asks' and to stop when he turns his head or keeps his mouth closed. None of this 'just one more bite' stuff. My goal is not to fill his belly so that he will sleep longer at night. Nor is it to make the steady climb to the eventual eats-more-food-than-he-nurses stage so that I will have a bit more freedom during this stage. My purpose is to continue nourishing him as his needs change and grow so that he can become all that he needs to be.

This week I plan on starting him on cod liver oil and really focusing on some good proteins like egg yolk, some (really local) venison and his first taste of turkey this Thursday.

With that said, I think that this will make an excellent Christmas gift for our baby!

pesto

So we made the pesto sauce last Saturday after gathering our ingredients during the previous days. I used the recipe found in The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters. This is one of the best cookbooks and food guides to follow for anyone who is serious about eating whole, natural, simple, locally-grown, seasonal, fresh foods. I really hope to someday be able to have the experience of dining at her restaurant- Chez Panisse and really would love to create an Edible Schoolyard of my own someday here at home.

Here is Alice Waters' recipe...

Pesto 1 bunch basil, to yield about 1 lightly packed cup 1 garlic clove, peeled salt 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

I used raw pine nuts instead of lightly toasted and pecorino romano cheese instead of Parmesan. I also used some amazing olive oil that I bought at a food co-op nearby that was poured fresh out a big vat of golden olive oil stamped 'from GREECE'. This had to have made a difference in the taste. It was so, so good and didn't taste anything like the bottled oil from the supermarket.

Lately I have had a pair of four-year old hands that have been very eager to help out in the kitchen. Saturday was no exception. He thought that just in case there were some who wouldn't like the pesto sauce that he would prepare a bowl of pasta with just butter and romano. I wonder just who he could have been referring to.

It was a very simple meal served with loads of cherry tomatoes from my sister's garden. Sometimes I wonder why the dinner hour can be so intimidating when meal time can really be so very simple.






After all, simple food is an art and in my opinion one that is often sadly lost in the midst of a culture of fast food and complicated recipes.

Yet another area of life to simplify!

real food

As a lifelong learner and seeker of the best ideas and principles of nutrition, parenting, nurturing and family life, I feel that I have found one of those nuggets of gold in the realm of health, feeding babies and children and pregnancy as of late.

Mike and I found Underground Wellness last year and have spent many a night listening to the interviews on this program after hours (meaning, after the children are asleep). We don't have television service and just love a form of media that actually enhances your life rather than robs you of precious time and creativity!

This week featured Nina Planck, author of Real Food and Real Food for Mother and Baby. The interview was amazingly informative, to the point and really brought the truth to light about what we are to feed ourselves as we are preparing to conceive a child, while we are pregnant and what to feed mother and baby after the birth and during breastfeeding.

Nina pretty much follows the principles and findings of Weston Price. If you are at all familiar with this amazing man than you know that his advice is pretty much contrary to what you are going to hear from your OB or mainstream dietetics.

The interview touches on...

• good nutrition during the three trimesters

• exposes the myth of eating low-fat and vegetarian/vegan lifestyles
  

• stresses the importance of high-quality proteins and fats (especially during pregnancy and more specifically during the third trimester)

• encourages traditional foods, especially fish and butter

• avoiding soy

• how to manage swelling during pregnancy (eat enough protein!)

• and keeping your baby close during the first few months to meet the needs of cluster feedings and establish breastfeeding

Her website also offers handouts on Eating for Two and Baby's First Foods.

It was inspiring to hear this advice to give me that little extra nudge to eat right and care for myself during the third trimester. The end is in sight and I want to do what I can to build this baby to his full potential!

Some daily habits that I have already established during my pregnancy include...

• taking a high quality fish oil supplement daily
• using pastured butter, coconut oil and organic extra virgin olive oil as my fats
• taking a prenatal vitamin derived from whole foods (not synthetic)
• drinking only water and seltzer as beverages (no juice or soda) and some teas and (yes, I'm back to enjoying that morning cup) coffee
  
• avoiding all artificial sweeteners (like the plague!)
• continuing with avoidance of corn syrup, food dyes and MSG
• aiming for 75-100 grams of protein daily
• avoiding refined sugar and grains (to the best of my ability)
• listening to my body's cues about sleep (this may include naps or early bedtimes)

Enjoy the resource! I have posted it on my sidebar for your viewing and listening pleasure!

** I have been getting questions on which prenatal vitamin I take. It is the Raw Prenatal made by Garden of Life.

traditions

One of the best things about starting your own family are the old traditions that get the chance to be carried on and the new traditions that get to be started for the first time.

For our family, one of those new traditions is cutting down our own Christmas tree.

This splendid day just happen to coincide with our first snowfall of the season. And although it was just a dusting of snow, the ground was white and the world looked a bit softer and quieter when we woke up that morning.

I have to admit that one of my favorite parts of the entire experience is the part where we walk and walk in search of that perfect tree. At times it feels like aimless wandering, but in the end all five of us end up agreeing on the same tree.



This year we decided to make our own eggnog. It was a simple recipe that required nothing but patience on the part of both the children and Mike. After four hours of cooking and cooling we were able to sip on some of the tastiest and spiciest eggnog that I have ever tasted. Somehow, nutmeg just makes everything taste better.

Somehow I think that the eggnog tradition will continue to be carried on for years to come also.

green foods

Is it possible to be drawn to certain colors of food while pregnant? Without realizing it, I have been enjoying a lot of green lately...

my new favorite tea, best drunk on chilly afternoons with a drizzle of honey- Tazo Green Ginger

our dinner tonight, including the greens of both lime and cilantro- Cilantro Lime Chicken Cacciatore

and the dessert that I was inspired to buy for tonight after reading this book to my boys today (I'm so easily influenced by my reading materials, even when they are picture books)- Pistachio Gelato, which will be promptly enjoyed tonight once the chidren are nestled snuggly in their beds.

Wishing you lots of green foods this weekend! And yes, vegetables would be nice too.

tasting good

So now that the word is out, I feel a bit more inclined to share from the deepest depths of my heart and soul on this blog. No more holding back. I hope you're all ready for what I have to share with you today.

Do you want to know what I'm really loving right now? My lunch.

Like I said, I'm not having any food cravings. It's just that food tastes unbelievably good these days. I think I went on and on about some cheddar cheese the other night to Mike and had him laughing with me and at me.

So, about my lunch.

Portabella burger on freshly sliced and toasted multi-grain breadwith thick slice of some seriously sharp cheddar cheese
Steamed broccoli with a bit of Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Baby greens with a little honey mustard dressing
Tall glass of sparking apple-raspberry cider

As you can see I'm pretty excited about food these days. If I were a cat, I'd be purring right now. Instead I am simply a really content and nourished person right now who is ready to take on the rest of the day.

our maple cinnamon granola story

Feeling especially domestic today. Today was a day for clean sheets, meal (and dessert) planning for the next week and a day to bake a batch of granola to enjoy for breakfasts in the weeks to come.

My recipe for granola is, like many of my other recipes- a spin-off of some original recipe I collected years ago. I have turned my granola into something a little different from the normal honey and oats recipe.

Mine goes a little like this...

Maple-Cinnamon Granola

18 ozs whole rolled oats
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 maple syrup
2 T cinnamon
2T vanilla
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup raisins or dried cranberries

Mix the dry oats and cinnamon. Melt the coconut oil in a glass measuring cup and add the maple syrup and vanilla to that same cup. Pour over oats. Mix by hand in large bowl until well combined. Mix in seeds and nuts. Bake on large cookie sheet in oven preheated to 250' for about 45 mins, stirring half-way through.

Add raisins or dried cranberries after granola is done baking.

As I write this, our entire house is filled with this oh-so good maple and cinnamon aroma that is intoxicating enough to even lure the children in from outdoors. "What is that yummy smell", they ask. As I lead them to the oven for a peek, many oohs and aahs are heard. And then the disappointing news that the granola is for breakfast tomorrow morning. The room becomes silent and a row of tiny heads towards the floor in defeat.

An urgent message of encouragement is needed by all and they are looking to me to provide them with some redeeming news.

I think fast. Weigh the options. Consider that my husband will not be with us for dinner tonight. And make a momentary decision that will deliver both delight to the heart and good nutrition to the bodies of my dear little ones.

Granola is delicious on yogurt as well. And with a little fruit? Perhaps this will become tonight's dinner.