waffle summer

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Shanda

This is fun.

I love making breakfast for the children. The best thing about summer vacation is that the extra time we have makes it possible to do so. I’ve been making waffles.

I suppose it has something to do with the moment a few weeks back when my Mom and I were organizing my pantry and we discovered that one of the boys had put my waffle maker back with waffle stuck all over it. It was shocking. I remembered the day years ago that Rich bought me that wonderful waffle maker from Williams and Sonoma. I was so proud of it, but had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. I immediately felt like nurturing my waffle maker again. As soon as I had extra time again (days later), I took it outside and cleaned the crumbs out of it. The dog was by my side, eating them out of the grass. Waffle makers have the potential to be the filthiest appliance in the house if they aren’t perfectly cleaned after each use. Even the cord itself was coated in old batter. (I blame the boy who used it last.)

Of course once it was clean again I immediately wanted to use it.

This morning I made cornmeal waffles from a Bed and Breakfast cookbook. Before I mixed them up, I thinly sliced 2 quarts of strawberries into a fiesta bowl and sugared them. The kids could put strawberries on their waffles, maple syrup, or both.

Cornmeal Waffles
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cup milk
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons melted butter

In a large bowl beat the eggs and add the milk. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients and store into the egg mixture. Gradually add the melted butter. Spoon into a greased hot waffle iron, and bake.

Notes: I use one of those silicone pastry brushes to grease my waffle maker. Also, I added extra flour to this recipe because I like waffle batter to be thick.

When I made them, only Caleb, Seth, and Sarah were awake. So all the rest are waiting in a 200 degree oven, waiting for the big kids to wake up and eat them. Last week we had someone spending the night with the boys and he was so amazed that I had made waffles from scratch that he took a picture of the recipe.

(star wars and elsa)

I have something to say to you that has nothing to do with waffles!

God is Sovereign, is in perfect control of all things.
Jesus had harsh words for hypocrites.
Self-righteousness is a terrible attitude and scares people.
Strange and Unusual Joy is a mark of a Christian.
A key to a content life is purposefully living the one God gave you and enjoying each part of it.
Continuous study and learning…having a curiosity about life and living….is another way to grow in grace.
If you believe in the blessedness of marriage, put extra time and effort into your own.
At some point in the very near future all the children of God will experience the best happy ending in History….and I just cannot wait!!!!

“The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

first batch of kombucha

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Shanda

I am almost certain that the first time I heard of Kombucha was from Eyes of Wonder’s blog.

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A few months ago I was at the bookstore with Grace and I randomly found a book in the cookbook section titled Delicious Probiotic Drinks. I sat down with my daughter across the table writing, to browse through it, and liked it so much that I went home and ordered it through amazon. When it came in the mail I once again enjoyed looking through it several more times and felt determined to try to make Kombucha. (the book also contains directions to make kefir, ginger beer, and other naturally fermented drinks)

My friend Hannah-Banana makes it, which made the process seem much more doable. She has the experience and was a much needed inspiration.

I do sometimes make plans to make something (like soap) and never get around to it. I hoped that this wouldn’t be the case with the probiotic drinks. Eventually, after the cookbook had collected some dust, I bit the bullet so to speak, and went on Amazon to order the things I needed to make my first batch. “I want to do this, I’m going to do this, and it may as well be NOW.”

My bag of starter (SCOBY) came on Ethan’s birthday. So I set it aside on the counter (oh no, will I EVER get around to it??).

I felt that I simply must just take the plunge, so using the print out that came with the SCOBY, and my valuable book, I nervously sterilized my equipment and made my first batch on a Friday night. (the 6th of March, day AFTER the birthday).

In a nutshell, what you do to make the drink is to brew a tea solution with one cup of sugar, then add the SCOBY, put cloth over the top and let it sit for a week or more to ferment.

“The probiotics and yeast (the scoby) eat the sugar, which ferments the beverage and results in a drink that is acidic, probiotic-rich, and mildly alcoholic.” ~Julia Mueller

My gallon jar of tea and SCOBY was placed in my closet. It needed to be in a warm, dark, quiet place and after thinking it through I felt that my closet was the best room in the house for such things.

Over a week went by and I started texting Hannah through Facebook (she should live next door, but she lives in Alaska) about when my Kombucha should be done, did I do it right? Should I have used soap to scrub my jar? Should I have used tap water for the tea? She could sense my anxiety and told me not to stress, all would be well.

Indeed, the print-out did encourage saying a blessing over your beverage and sending it nothing but good vibes…..so I took a deep breath to release the stress, checked my jar, took a few pictures to send to Hannah, and she agreed that it really did look as though it was thriving. The SCOBY was growing.

Seeing the new scoby forming filled me with pride.

I put it back in the closet for three more days, when I decided to be brave and try a sip.

I’ve had Kombucha from Target before so I knew what to expect….and my taste-test tasted great!

On Monday night, with Grace sitting at the counter making me laugh, I chopped up a fresh pineapple and bottled the drink for it’s second fermentation.

I took the scoby off the top of the jar with my hands and put it in a glass pitcher with 2 cups of the tea (to use for the next batch), and then poured the rest into the plastic pitcher.

Then I poured the tea out of the plastic pitcher through a funnel into the bottles, in which I had added a few tablespoons of pineapple.

I ended up with six bottles to put back in the closet to ferment. I opened up the first one last night and it was delicious. Um, the kids don’t seem to like it though. Rich had to work very late last night so he has to try it later on today. He’s had the Target Kombucha and I sure hope he thinks our home-brew is just as good, if not better.

Did I mention that it is fizzy like soda? But it’s healthy! Low carb! Pro-biotic! Mildly achoholic! Pretty exciting stuff but you do have to have a taste for it. I’ll let you try when you come visit me, dear local friends. 🙂

I have another gallon of it brewing in my closet and it should be done by Monday. I told Grace that Monday night bottling will have to be our new tradition. It was fun to have her company in the kitchen. Next time I will try a different flavor, too.

Every batch will be blessed.

these days

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Shanda

Yesterday morning I walked out of the house into a sparkling fall day. In my hands was a little vintage fiesta plate of leftover banana bread and cereal milk from breakfast, to serve the hens. They seemed to enjoy the treat.

They explored the grass along the fence. There are five full grown hens and two half-grown ones.

We do not let the little ones stay outside for very long because the cats come over to try and hunt them. The poor things.

I gave them a bowl of chick food in a yellow fiesta bowl. The way they hop in and out of the bowl, peeping and scratching food everywhere, is amusing.

The leaves were turning.

The fall flowers were in bloom.

My heart was singing.

You are the joy in my morning
You’re my song of praise
Just like the new day dawning
Flooding my world with grace.

Isn’t this green and pink combination BEAUTIFUL?

Caleb was home sick from school yesterday. He had an upset stomach and a high fever. He was on the couch curled up in his soft blanket and as much as I was able, I was sitting by him. The children are so needy and love to have me near when they are sick. As much as I hate to see them suffer, and as long as I know it’s only a common children’s illness, I confess– I love the cuddle time.

Caleb likes to talk. It was an eye-opener to me when he said, “You know why I bury my head in the couch to sleep? Because I don’t want my picture taken.” My heart was so sad to think that I unknowingly made my poor boy uncomfortable with photography, it’s just that I think he’s so cute. He doesn’t like the feeling that I’m taking pictures when he’s sleeping. I told him I would never take another picture of him unless I knew it was okay and I asked him first. He told me that one day he was falling asleep on the bus and a couple of girls took a video of him. It bothered him. I told him some things he could do about it, such as telling them that their Dad doesn’t want videos taken of him, or going to the principal or the bus driver for help, or asking them to delete the video.

We seem to be living in a time when privacy isn’t understood or desired. I know that I personally love to share on my blog, but there is a part of me that almost envies that time not so long ago when families were in their homes and their lives were virtually unknown to the rest of the world. They had their own private and intimate lives within the walls of their “nest”, special and meaningful only to them.

It is something to think about.

(I asked Grace about this, too, and she said she was absolutely fine with me taking pictures of her whenever I wanted.)

I asked Caleb if I could take this picture and he agreed.

Rich and I purchased a coffee table and a loveseat this weekend. We needed more places for people to sit when they come and visit us and we were thankful to find things that we didn’t have to order and wait for. Ethan Allen was having a floor sample sale on a lot of their furniture. Both pieces have small problems but in our family we would rather buy things on super-clearance-sale WITH a problem, then to pay full price for a perfect piece that will get scratched the next day.

The maroon throw at the end of the love-seat is the latest loved comfort with everyone….it’s our very first electric blanket….and the children are all so very appreciative. Ethan had it last night after football practice when he was shivering cold. Seth fell asleep under it when he was sick last week. Sarah had it this morning when the house was chilly. Seth accidentally called it the “electra blanket” and the name has stuck. We love our “electra blanket”.

I have been having fun freshening up the house (after an inspiring visit to my friend Lydia’s house). I had Rich and the boys move the piano from the living room to the new addition and so far we all really like it in there. You can’t tell by the photo, but there is still a good amount of room between the table and chairs and the piano, so we don’t feel squeezed.

I bought our first full length tablecloth, long enough for our big table. It’s a linen fabric with golden leaves stamped on it. We have 8 chairs around the table, and one bench that seats 2.

I also bought the mirror on the right side of the picture. It’s reflection brings in even more of the sunshine.

I’ve been longing to use more of the rhubarb from my garden that Mr. G so thoughtfully gave me to plant before he moved last fall. I found a great recipe for a pie. I used a store-bought crust, and baked it yesterday afternoon. Everyone liked it.

Rhubarb Pie

5 cups sliced rhubarb
6 rounded Tablespoons flour (an odd measurement…it’s basically 1/2 a cup)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Let rhubarb mixture stand at room temperature for 20-25 minutes, then stir and add to a pastry lined pie plate. Sprinkle on top of the filling 2 Tablespoons melted butter, 1 Tablespoon flour, and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Place the top crust over and pinch the edges to seal. Poke top of pie with a fork and bake in a 400 degree oven 45-50 minutes (or until done).

Recipe adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, A Return to Sunday Dinner, by Russell Cronkhite.

I love candlelight, and these days, my favorite is a chocolate layer cake candle from Yankee Candle. The children, especially Ethan, hate it because it smells so realistic that they are disappointed when there aren’t brownies or chocolate cakes in the kitchen (only rhubarb pie). The candle holder makes me laugh, it’s also from Yankee Candle, and it’s a spoof on Snow White and the seven dwarfs. I told the children it’s me and the seven of them. “But where’s Dad?” they asked. “He’s at work!” I reply.

After Seth got home from Kindergarten we went outside to play. Sarah cut a chunk of her hair off a few months ago so it doesn’t fit into a ponytail unless I use about five bobby pins. Still cute.

“Mom, bring your camera! David has a snake!”

The stream is low so there are plenty of rocks to step on, which makes it easy to walk up and down the stream, exploring. I got my head too close to the branch of a pine tree and it took my headband off and flung it someplace….it was black and I never did find it.

We found crayfish.

I watched this one for a little while. It was busy, I saw it pick up an acorn-cap in it’s little legs. It shuffled around, keeping an eye on me (the big monster?)

The boys like to eat them but yesterday I wouldn’t let allow it …. I became friends with this one.

I took this picture last night because Sammie and Sherlock were sleeping together on the couch. Would you believe they are from the same litter? Sherlock is so much bigger than his sister!

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has the eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.” Augustine

{this moment} and, a recipe

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Shanda

M O M E N T

A friday ritual. A single photo, capturing a moment of the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember.

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M U F F I N S

I made muffins this morning for the children. Seth (in picture up there ^^) requested chocolate chip muffins. I typically don’t care for chocolate chips in breads or pancakes, but I mixed up a batch of muffins, making a few changes to a favorite recipe. They turned out chocolatey from the chips, but not too sweet. The whole family liked them, including Rich, so I thought I would share the recipe with you in case you want to make them for Saturday breakfast.

Summertime Chocolate Chip Breakfast Muffins (makes about 18, depending on how much you fill the cups)

4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Add all dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk together. In a separate bowl, miss together the wet ingredients thoroughly. Dig a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the milk. Stir until just mixed and no more…..then, add one and a half cups chocolate chips (fold into batter gently). Place batter into muffin liners with an muffin scoop. Bake 20-25 minutes or until done. (firm to the touch, lightly browned around edges, or a clean tester inserted into middle of a muffin).

Let rest 10 minutes so the paper can be peeled off without sticking to muffin.