slow.

 Christmas is quickly approaching and I feel as if I've missed the boat.  Really.  I mean, I've had a really had a tough year physically.  I feel as though I've been in a fog, and here we are just days before Christmas.  I've got a list of things to do in just a few days and I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around it.

Last summer, I thought that I would enjoy the Slow movement .  I longed for connection.  I wanted my kids to feel the connection to the land, the people, our food.  And somewhere along the road I lost sight of this.  I don't know if it was my physical illness, or that life just got busy.  I'm uncomfortable, I feel like everything is moving at warp speed.  I feel like I'm really missing out.  I have the desire to slow down, to see and feel moments for all that they can bring and give to me.

Slow down.  Listen to the water splashing on the shoreline, the boats in the Strait, the kids asking me to come with them outside.  The wind blowing through the trees, the neighbors chickens, ducks, and goats chattering.  Feel the sun on my face, the kids blowing kisses, and the grass in between my toes.  I need to slow down and focus on being still.

I'm going to learn meditation.  I always thought that I knew how to do this, but little did I know exactly what meditation is.  I can't sit still for two minutes, let alone ten.  I can't not focus on anything, my mind is constantly running.  I need to slow down.  I need to try a be in the present with a clear mind and focus on the silence, the   silence is a killer.  That's where I fall.  I have learned that meditation is not self learned.  You need guidance, I have found someone who wants to guide me in meditation.  Yeah!  I'm ready.

I am looking forward to Christmas, albeit a busy holiday for us, I'm going to focus on the moments.  As each one comes.  I'm going to enjoy now and not rush to what's next.  I'm going to slow down.

peace and happy holidays to you all!

'tis the season...

for sharing, because that's what I do.

I have to share this website with you.

Everything is beautiful an incredibly inviting.

Santa, for Christmas, I want it all.  Thank you.

in absence there are cinnamon rolls

I could hear your gurggling tummies crying out for some attention all the way across the webisphere. I know you've missed me and perhaps wondered why I haven't been here. Well, I turned some much needed attention to myself and did a bit of healing. So that's my faboosh update and I'll leave you with a picture that will have everyone wondering....What the hell?

Yes, what you are looking at is my famous cinnamon roll (muffins).  If you take a closer look, all of these have lots of nibbles or chunks taken out.

This child, unarguably, is the culprit.  Really.  She even admitted to it when asked as if it were no big deal.  The sticky hands, frosting covered hair and face were also a let on.  Yes, she is eating grass in this picture.  It just goes to show you, she'll eat anything.

If you're looking for the cinnamon roll recipe you can find here - it's faboo and after a few years it gets tweaked a bit everytime, but no matter they are pretty much THE BEST.

Happy Birthday

You old fart!

sickness

I've been a little sick as of late. Actually, for the past two years, it has it's ups and downs. I've been diagnosed with many an illness and only then to have it retracted and called something else. I've been on a multitude of supplements, vitamins, prescription drugs, therapies, and treatments. I've been to many doctors and even been referred out to the big city a couple of times. I'm tired. My body aches. I feel deprived.

I paint myself up and pretend everything is great. I put on a great face and just deal with how I am. I find myself obsessive, pill popping, and eating to suppress the pain, the exhaustion, and the depression.

I know soon, I'll find someone who understands, knows how I feel, and will listen to what I have to say. Until then I will march on to my own beat, trying what I can to stay sane and comfortable.

Fermenting -Part 1: Homemade Yogurt

I have come to the conclusion, that after many months/year of researching homemade yogurt techniques and recipes, that they are pretty much all the same. Some are super technical and strictly to the book and other recipes are just throwing stuff together and waiting for the natural fermentation process.

I do not own a yogurt maker, and quite frankly, glad I don't. I've made runny yogurt and the super thick shit -both massively tasty and always just right. All are relatively easy once you've got the basics down and I hope my clumsy tutorial helps.

milk, raw milk yogurt starter, quart jars

~non reactive pot -enamel cast iron dutch oven, stainless pot

~food themometer -

~wooden spoon/high heat spatula -I've used both

~2 quart jars with lids-sterilized and prepped

~1/2 gallon milk -I've used everything from 2% to raw, unpasturized whole milk

~yogurt starter -my fave is a plain greek yogurt starter or some leftover yogurt from thelast batch

~dry milk powder -

milk -in this case I used whole raw jersey milk

1. Pour milk into pot and bring to a steady boil. Add powdered milk sometime during this process, I usually do around 160-170*F. I've read it helps thicken it up. Milk should be warmed to 180*F. Turn on oven to 350*F for one minute, turn off and turn on oven light -it shouldn't be 350*F, but more like 100* or less. I like to put the jars of yogurt in the oven for a bit and then move them to a cooler for the night or afternoon.

milk, slowly brought to 180*f

2. Immediately move pot to a sink filled with ice cold water(add ice if needed). Cool milk to 110*F. Drain sink. Pull out a cup or so of the heated milk and stir in the yogurt until dissolved. Approximately 2tbsp. of yogurt starter per 1/2 gallon of milk. Then add milk/yogurt mixture to heated milk and stir to completely mix in the yogurt mixture.

sorry that I don't pictures of this process for some reason

3. Pour your yogurt into the sterilized jars and screw on sterilized lids.

4. Put your jars of yogurt in the oven and cover with a towel. An hour or so later I usually put them in a cooler with the jars wrapped in many towels for 6-8 hours (really, this can be anywhere from 4-24 hours depending on your taste).

5. Pull the jars from the oven/cooler, and take a peek to make sure they have thickened up a bit. Put in the refrigerator for overnight or 8-10 hours, this will help thicken up even more.

6. DONE!

finished product! Your own yogurt

We love to add a bit of sugar (shh...yes, white sugar), brown sugar, honey, granola, jam, or fruit to ours. Yogurt is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and the health benefits have been lauded world wide.

For more information on the benefits of making your own yogurt check out this article on Motherearthnews.com or some of the other books I used for reference over time are listed below.

Look for part 2 of fermenting on Homegrown.org in the next couple of days

Cheers!

The Urban Homestead by Kelly Coyne & Erik Knutzen

Reader's Digest Back to Basics

The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan

More-With-Less by Doris Janzen Longacre

absence of mind

I'm really am feeling a bit of writers block. I think it's more so that my beloved laptop has passed on to the electronics afterworld, then a humanly brain fart though. It isn't to say I haven't been doing stuff around the homestead or coming up with crazy shit in my head. It also doesn't help much that when I take an ambien with a pain pill, I have some messed up dreams and those become my writings. Everything of course, is in pencil and paper form and doesn't make much sense to anyone, but me. Dammit for being a creative, lead smearing lefty.

I'm going to leave you with a post I did a while back on granola within it contains the recipe that I swear by. When I'm feeling an urge to make a major sweet mistake of snack, I just dip my hand into the granola jar for a handful and it's enough to curb. Awesome eh?

Easy Homemade Granola

No excuses! Granola is incredibly good for you and easy to make. It is versatile, delicious, and completely customizable. My family likes it as a snack and I love it as a cereal too -toss some nanners on it and hmmmmm...

By the way... ugh I hate this text size and color, what the hell happened?

You have some stuff to look forward to. I'm working on a fermenting post that will be in two parts. The first part will be here, and you'll have to catch the second part on Homegrown.org when I do my monthly post there on Wednesday, October 27th! Thank you and I bid you adieu - bowing out.