Settling in

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Life is crazy right now, but I am trying to enjoy the peaceful moments where I can find them.  We are in our new house, and have been fighting off a family-wide chest cold for the past week.  Everything is still a complete mess – half-unpacked boxes everywhere, still in the midst of painting the kitchen, nothing baby-proofed.

I did manage to get a tablecloth on the dining table (I know, I’m a funny gal, but it always makes me feel more settled somehow).  When we’ve felt up for it, we’ve been neglecting unpacking completely – instead we’ve been spending our time at the park, enjoying the spring weather.

Wool Soaker WIP

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Just a quick, easy soaker for Tum Tum.   Despite knitting it to gauge, it somehow came out much larger than I had imagined – it was originally intended as a baby shower gift, but would be much too large, so I ended up knitting another style (pictures soon) for the gift, and will keep this huge one for my strapping boy.   I just need to finish the ribbed cuffs of the legs and the I-cord tie,  and the little man will be cruisin’ around in his new wooly buns (I’ll be sure to get some pictures).

For information on washing wool diaper covers, read this (which I found through Emma’s blog.)

Oh, sunshine!!

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I should have been packing, but the weather was just too perfect.

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At least I was industrious – I spent the morning cutting the grass with my clean, quiet reel mower (with the baby in the Ergo),

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making posies with the girls,

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and washing diapers (yay for being able to dry the covers in the sunshine!!)

Okay, back to packing.  Moving in a day and a half!

Just two, toolin’ around the grocer’s.

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Little Hen went to spend the night with Grandma, and the two younger ones had a great time hanging out together (who knew the grocery store could be so much fun?)

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(A little coffee to keep mama going during an 8 am grocery run.)

Tulip Festival

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Since I am frantically trying to paint the new house  and pack at the old house this week, I’ll leave you with some pictures from last weekend’s trip to the to the Tulip Festival in Woodland, WA.  The tulips are a bit late this year, but the weather was near perfect, and we had a very nice time. (I won’t tell you the ridiculous amount I spent on my tulip, iris, crocus, allium, daffodil, hyacinth and muscari order, but I will be looking forward to their arrival in October!)

A Sparrow Post of our own

Doll Journal with cherry blossom bookmark
Doll Journal with cherry blossom bookmark

Recently, the girls and I checked out Tasha Tudor’s Dollhouse from the library, as well a film about her entitled Take Joy.   In Tasha’s world, her dolls wrote and received cards, letters, catalogs via Sparrow Post. Little Hen has been making miniature letters, cards, books for her doll, Princess Rooth.   (A little side note, she used to be “Ruth”, but since Little Hen is rapidly absorbing spelling rules, changing her beloved doll’s name “to Rooth from Ruth makes [her] smile when [she] thinks about it.” )

"Daffodil"

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Just a few examples – A page from Princess Rooth’s nature journal (a daffodil with insects);  in her doll journal (pictures of her two best friends, Crist (one of my childhood dolls that is now Little Hen’s) and Sunflower Baby (one of Firecracker’s favorite dolls); and lastly,  an “I love you” banner with daffodil left by a visiting fairy.

We are moving to the new house this week, and the girl’s have requested we put in our own “Sparrow Post” for their dolls (and any visiting fairies, birds, and butterfies, of course).  Can’t wait to make the post box and see what correspondence takes place!

Celebrating

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The children and I chasing falling cherry blossoms in the yard, smelling the hyacinths – rejoicing in the beauty of spring and anticipating tomorrow’s Easter celebration.

Wishing you a blessed Easter weekend as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, the hope of our salvation.

Good Friday

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But he was wounded for our transgressions;he was crushed for our iniquities;upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. – Isaiah 53:5

Stockmar Beeswax

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We like our playdough around these parts, but we really really love our Stockmar Modelling Beeswax.

After breakfast this morning, the girls sat quietly at the kitchen table and sculpted for quite a while (while Tum Tum crawled under the kitchen table and dumped over my onion basket, peeling several onions and blissfully crunching the skins in his fists).

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Woman with a Cabbage (and a cherry tree in the background) by Little Hen

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A Valiant Knight by Little Hen (with a little help from her daddy)

A friend gave us the original set, but I have found individual replacement sticks at Gossamer on Burnside for less than $2 each.

And when we’re all done?  Our hands smell sweet like honey and our little sculptures grace various corners of the house (until we decide to mush them up and remake the wax into something new).

Cake Mix Cookies and an Announcement

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Well, first off, I’m approaching my 150th post here soon, and I’ll be having a little giveaway of my own.  Keep your eyes out for it in the next week or two and spread the word.

Now to the cookies –

I’m more of a bake from scratch kind of woman, but I ended up with a lot of devil’s food cake mix,  and have been trying to use it all up.   For tea this week, Firecracker and I ended up baking some Reverse Chocolate Chip Cake-Mix Cookies.  (The original recipe is here, but I made a few changes, below).

Reverse Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies

1 package devil’s food cake mix

1 large egg

1/4 cup strong coffee

1/4 cup oil

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Directions –

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine wet ingredients thoroughly, then stir in cake mix until a stiff dough forms.   Gently fold in white chocolate chips until distributed throughout the dough.

Drop heaping teaspoonfuls onto a parchment or Silpat (love mine! Wish I owned two!)- lined cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until done.  (We prefered closer to 12 min, they were chewier, but at 15 minutes, they were crisp and good for dunking in a cup of tea.)

Not the best chocolate cookies I’ve ever made, but they were a thrifty, quick choice, and we did enjoy them very much with tea this week.

Candle Flame WIP

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(Apologies in advance, this is one of my wordier posts.)

Do you ever feel that God brings someone to your mind over and over again for a purpose?  I have been thinking a lot about a friend back on the coast (She’s the one who spun me this incredible yarn from her own sheep).  She doesn’t have e-mail or a phone, so quick communication isn’t possible.  Anyway, I made up my mind to get a care package together for her, and knowing that she loves shawls, I went on a Ravelry hunt for quick, comfy shawl pattern, and I came across  the Candle Flame Shawl.

I hope to have it finished in a week, get a package together (I’ll add in some homemade Raspberry-Lime jam, looseleaf tea, a pair or two of homemade earrings, this CD, and a few books I’ve been meaning to recommend to her.)  Spring and summer nights are often cold and damp on the coast, so maybe she’ll even get some use out of the shawl before the autumn.

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The yarn is a soft 100% natural undyed alpaca from Bolivia (I purchased several skeins for $2 total (score!) at an estate sale). It’s a heavy-worsted or aran weight, and is knitting up very nicely on size 9’s (I think it’ll look great once blocked).

If someone’s been on your heart and mind lately, I encourage you to send her a little something to let her know.  I know how uplifting it is for me when a friend from far away sends a little note (or thoroughly spoils me with an amazing package of handmade soap, tea, and TONS of yummy vegan cookies like the one I got this weekend from my old college roommate – totally made my month), and I know how blessed I am to be able to do just a little something for another woman.  In this age of e-mails and texting, the handwritten letter, the care package, these personal, thoughtful things can mean so much in a day of the life of a woman at home.

Wish I could do it more often.  As the girls grow older, I hope we can send off more together.

Giveaway

Triple giveaway here.  Included is jewelry by my very talented friend Jessica.  Check it out!

Toy Daydreaming

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The Palumba catalog came today.  The girls and I poured over it, dreaming and wishing and talking over everything in its pages.

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The child-sized domestic items were a favorite – especially the clothespins and clothesline and the ironing set.

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Most days, Little Hen seems to be wrapped up in pretending to be Susan Pevensie, so she was quick to point out the bow and suction-cup arrow set.

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Firecracker was partial to the pirate chest and treasure set.  (Yes, she’s my naturist in the making – prefers to run around in just her undies whenever she can get away with it).

I was oohing and ahhing over the playstands and the wooden bowls and spoons.  I’ve been keeping my eye out on Craigslist for the former.  Maybe I’ll come across some someday that fit our budget, but for now we make do with kitchen chairs and blankets.

A few other places full of beautiful, natural, lovingly made playthings that stimulate learning and the imagination – Waldorf Mama, Little Seedlings, Mamaroots, Red Dirt Mother, Little Jenny Wren, Buntspeckte, Bamboletta,  Waldorf Home Flickr Pool.

And my ultimate dream of a playspace for the children (from Little Seedlings).

Who inspires you to dream of childhood’s creative play?

Comfort

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The ultimate comfort dinner – Scratch Chicken Pot Pie with a Parmesan-Whole Wheat Crust, served with our friend’s homebrew Imperial Stout, and Oatmeal Apple Crisp for dessert.

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Life is good.  A full day of cooking, and a full belly.  Maybe when I can summon up the energy, I’ll post my recipe.

Backpack

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(Pictures by Hubby.)  Another birthday gift from my parents – a comfy Ergo to carry my big boy around in (he was just getting too heavy to tote around in the sling for long).

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The carrier was purchased at Milagros Boutique in Northeast Portland.  So far, I am finding is very comfortable, and Tum Tum thinks he’s big stuff riding on my back.  It’s going to take a little practice to get accustomed to flipping him safely up onto my back, but I am already very glad to have my new Ergo – thanks Mom and Dad!!

Spring in the Northwest

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Spring is finally unfolding here in the Northwest.  Inside the house, our usual spring rituals are delayed a bit.  Since we’re packing to move to our new house over the next few weeks, I won’t be getting out the spring decorations, and we won’t be starting a spring nature table until after we get settled in our new home.

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Instead, we are enjoying the beautiful bulbs we planted last fall that are making their appearances all over the front yard.  It’s wonderful to see and feel the world waking up, isn’t it?

Birthday

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Well, I turned thirty on Sunday.  My parents got me some wonderful birthday gifts, including restocking my spice and baking cupboard (for the best spices, go here).

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Thanks, Mom and Dad!!

Jam Sandwich Cookies

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A  simple sugar cookie recipe, made into sandwiches, some filled with homemade raspberry-lime jam, some with apricot preserves.

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I am so inspired by A-Friend-to-Knit-With‘s Cookie of the Week.  I have made several of her recipes, but our favorite -  her chewy peanut-butter cookies (I’ve made them more often than I should admit!).

While I don’t make cookies every week, some weeks we make 2 or 3 kinds!  In general, I’m more of a cake and pie girl, but children love cookies – the baking and the eating – so we make time (and room in our tummies!) for them.

Cheater Peach Cobbler

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What a treat – tasty fresh organic peaches in March!  We were given two boxes of fragrant peaches, and after eating some with breakfast, we made this “cheater” cobbler (the simple batter goes on the bottom, and you simply pour the peaches on top).

My favorite things about this recipe – it’s gooey and sweet with a crunchy top, it has NO eggs (great for when I happen to run out and need to make a dessert, or need to take a dish to our friends’ house where they have egg allergies), and it is quick and easy.  It is very rich, though, because of the significant amount of cream and butter for the size of the dessert.

I have used home-canned, drained peaches, and also peaches plus raspberries when I was low on fresh peaches.  The result may be a bit more gooey.

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Larksong’s Cheater Peach Cobbler

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter (as always, I recommend Tillamook), melted

1 cup plus granulated sugar plus 3 Tbsp

1 cup unbleached flour (or 1/2 unbleached, 1/2 whole wheat)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream (or if you feel guilty, use whole milk)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 ripe peaches, pitted, thinly sliced (I prefer mine unpeeled – the skin adds so much flavor!)

Directions – Heat oven to 375°. Pour melted butter into a 2 or 3-quart baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir to blend.

Stir in the milk and vanilla until blended. Pour the batter over the melted butter.

Toss the peaches with the remaining 3 Tbsp  sugar. Arrange the peach slices over the batter (The girls like to do this part).

Bake for 35 to 50 minutes, or until browning on top and set (a 2-quart dish may take longer to bake, since it’ll be deeper).

Coconut Macaroons

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I have checked out this book from the library at least 10 times.  I need to just go out and buy it.   So far, the girls and I have made close to half of the cookies  in the book.  We keep coming back to a number of them, but the coconut macaroons are simple and fun for children to make.  The girls enjoy shaping them into pyramids and we all enjoy the crunchy outside and soft, sweet inside.

The recipe is also online at Martha’s website

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Hope your day is filled with sweet treats and smiling children!

Better watch your back

Tum Tum was sleeping on the sofa, and the girls were cutting pink paper snowflakes on the living room floor.  I was mopping in the kitchen, and when I finished and came back into the living room, my hulking baby boy had been transformed…

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…into a pink fairy prince in an enchanted sleep.   I think my boy is destined to spend many many hours of glittery, fairy-tale, tea party, dress-up adventures in the years to come.

Pineapple Upsidedown Cake

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Ah, comfort food… we even eat this for breakfast sometimes.  I know everyone has their own favorite version.  This one is quite good, as are these individual ones made in ramekins, but I’m always trying out new recipes – who knows, it may be better than one I’ve used for years.

This time around I made a sour cream version, since I happened to have quite a bit in the fridge.  The recipe is here, and it was SO good – I will certainly use it again. (I omitted the almonds, due to allergies to them in our family).

Happy baking!

Helping Hands

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I keep finding these tucked in places around the house.  Little Hen’s Daisy Girl Scout Troop has been asked to do various tasks and things that “need to be done around the house” without being told, or asked, to contribute.  She was only supposed to do the project for a week, but she’s continued it, reusing her cards over and over.

I have come into the bathroom to find the counter and sink washed down, or entered the girls room to find a bed made without a reminder.  Here,  I came into the kitchen and found that a fresh table cloth had been put down, some art work laid out on it and this little note set on top.

She never brags and draws attention to what she’s done.  Only the note let’s me know.  It’s so sweet, really a blessing in my day.