Keep calm...the chives have sprouted!

 Keep calm...the chives have sprouted! It has been a hard spring for me, waiting for things to grow. When everything did finally start sprouting it almost seemed unreal. And I am still in awe at the growth. I thank the Lord for this simple thing...chives that grow and sprout early, even before the grass is all green. Yes so simple but the small things are usually what is real and is a blessing too. Because this small and simple thing can not be attributed to anyone else but God. There is no way for anyone here on earth to have manufactured a seed and make it grow. I can get so disheartened by all the big, fast things in this world because it makes me feel like I'm being silly paying such attention to a plant growing. But in truth I see so much beauty in a seeds growth and should not be ashamed by my simple amusements and wonders!

 Psalm 111:2 How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in Him should ponder them.

 

 

 

 

 (This is our new addition to the family, her name is Willow and is 5 months old, is a BALL of ENERGY, and apparently likes chives too!)

 

 So in celebration of the first harvest from my newly acquired garden allotment, I baked up these yummy cheddar and chive biscuits.

 

MIX: 1 3/4 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tbs. snipped chives, 1/2 tsp. dried thyme. CUT IN: 3 tbs. margarine, to resemble course crumbs. STIR IN: 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Then, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup yogurt. Dough will be sticky. Drop large tablespoonfuls on lined baking sheet. Bake at 450 for 12 min.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I cant remember if I mentioned that we really downsized on our living quarters inside and out, when we moved out here to the West this past year. It has been a challenge adjusting to the size or lack there of, of the yard. It may be temporary or not. Depending on where we sense the Lord leading us. But I have been working at making due with what we have. I've figured container gardening is the best for this year considering that the amount of yard we have is too small to tear up and plant veggies. So its a new adventure in trying this out. I'm thinking it'll be a bit more work making sure they get adequate water and food. On the positive I'm learning something new.

Eager for Green

There has been a string of warm + double digit days in the Celsius and that has gotten me pretty hyped up about this up coming spring. So I got inspired to bring some extra growing green things in the house, by making a terrarium. Its fun and easy to make and there is just something strangely neat about them. Its like your own little personal tropical forest ecosystem, that almost takes care of itself. I even added little plastic forest creatures to make it more fun. Its something easy for kids to make and take care of too. All you need is:

 

 

Need a jar? Just eat all the pickles up! Where to get the charcoal? Check out the pet section for fish tank supplies. This helps keep the environment fresh. Looking for stones? Look in the ditch...or dollar store. Thankfully here in Alberta there is a surplus of them in the streams beds.

Add your supplies like so...

Don't forget some decorations.

Lightly spray the plants and place the lid on. You don't need to water it that often because the water is recycled within the jar. If it looks too damp, leave the lid off for a while. But if its set up right you wont even need to water it after the initial watering.

 

 

Here is another idea for an eager gardener. Place the cut off bottom of a celery plant in a container with water. After a week or so it will start to grow wee little celery stalks. And garlic cloves will sprout bright green stems. Its nice to see bright green growth, this time of year.

 

 

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3:18

I was thinking about how often I focus too much on the areas I need growth in and working hard at making that happen that I loose sight of what is most important. Or I guess I forgot what the whole purpose was. Its that I am meant to grow in the Lord. And that when I cultivate a closer relationship with the Lord, then growth in my life will happen as a result.

I'm so thankful that the Lord can use a little plant to remind me of  His grace and to help me re-focus.

Pumpin out some Pumpkin Recipes!

I don't know why I haven't grown pumpkins other years! I love pumpkin and its so awfully expensive in those cans in the grocery store. So here is a little of what I have been doing with my pumpkiny goodness...

 

I was gunna post a close up of the pie for the recipe,

 

oh well... here is the recipe for this Pumpkin Pie:
Mix all these ingredients and dump it into an unbaked pie crust,
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp pumpkin spice (or 1/2tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp each: nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves)
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
Bake at 375 degrees for an hour or until knife inserted near the centre comes out clean.

Just in case you are wondering about how to get that pumpkin puree out of your cute little pumpkin. Here is the easiest way I have found. Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff. Save the seeds (more on that later), place cut side down in a baking dish with an inch of water. Put in the oven at 425 degrees for 30-45 min depending on the size of your pumpkin. To check for doneness, just stick it with a fork. If it pierces easily, its done! If not....cook it longer :)

Seeds can be washed off of all the stringy slime, let air dry on a cookie sheet. Then mix in a bowl with a little oil (1 tbs.), spread on the cookie sheet, and sprinkle on a seasoning like salt mmmm. Bake at 300 degrees for 30-45 min.

And now you can turn the heat off because the oven has been on for so long that its nice and toasty warm from all the baking being done.

Next up in my Pumpkiny future is: Pumpkin soup, and Pumpkin Buns! 

The Great Pumpkin

My First Pumpkin

What a great thing: a real homegrown pumpkin, in my bread and soon to be in a pie (this weekend)! I decided to cut it from the vine when I saw a recipe for pumpkin bread in my cookbook "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day" But to make my loaf more breakfasty I added 1/3 cup of raisins and 1/3 cup of chopped pecans to the flattened dough and folded it into thirds before I put it in the pan. 
In a large ice cream container I mixed all together:
1 cup of pumpkin puree
2 cups of warm water
1 1/2 tbl. yeast
1 tbl. salt 
5 tbl. melted butter
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup oats
5 1/2 cups flour
Fit the lid on and let rise. After it has doubled. Scoop out with a floured hand, about a third to make one loaf. You can save the rest in the fridge for about a week or make 3 loaves. Let rise until you have a good size loaf it could take an hour or more, but if you use the dough after it has been refrigerated give it a bit more time to rise). Bake in preheated oven of 350 degrees, for 25-30 min. Yummy. 

Super Slippery Fun

"Buttercup", our new addition is doing very well. She has grown and it is still hard to believe she even weighs about 3 lbs.! Holly is doing an awesome job being her mummy.

Another cucumber idea. Its something of a cold cucumber tea. I adapted it from the prevention's flat belly diet. To 8 cups of water add a large sliced cucumber, tsp of ground ginger (I would have used fresh if I had it, but this tasted fine) a couple tablespoons of dried peppermint (again with the woulda used fresh if I had it) And half a lemons juice. Toss the pieces in with the rest ( but of course I only had bottled juice) Let sit overnight or so and the water is so tasty and refreshing. Its ugh hum.....spa water. ;)

This is a great idea for kids (sorry I should not limit this to just childs play), or anyone, on a hot summer day. 

You stick the kids in the trampoline, and just add soap and water!!

Ever seen a soap angel before!?

Its handy too for when they are looking a little dull, and crusty. They clean up real well with this fun. :D

Super Slippery Fun

Cukes- Coming out of my ears!

I was looking on line for ideas to use up all my cucumbers, and I found the popular recipe for creamy cucumbers and altered it to my liking. Here is how it turned out: 1/2 cup of Light Miracle Whip, 1/2 cup light sour cream, 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion. Mix and add, 4 cups of peeled, sliced cucumbers, or however much you can. In my opinion it has just the right amount of sour and sweet, and so refreshingly tasty.

Garden Notes and Being REAL

Lil' watermelon

Green Beans

One lone tomato

Green Onions (obviously :P )

Harvested...

Cucumbers!!!

Lots of beans!!!

Radishes!!!

Well I am quite pleased with how the garden has been progressing. My fears of growing from seed are pretty much relinquished, with the exception of my peppers. I'll definitely use seeds again next year but I love growing peppers so I'll figure out a sure way to get them going next year, and have a few plants as well just for back up. The sandy soil I have will need more improving for the next year as well. But I am so happy with how its turning out.

With that aside, I had a bit of time to recollect my thoughts recently. And I thought on how I wanted this blog to be about keeping it real. Also I don't want there to be an air of how this is how to have the perfect life. I try hard to make the most of life, enjoy the simple pleasures of life with my family, but by no means is it easy or perfect. And by saying this I will include the fact that I did start the summer rather reluctantly, for the simple fact that I know my children and they are approaching the age that they are not as easily occupied or amused as easily. So I worried about how they would handle the days being at home a lot more. And moms crazy activities are not quite as entertaining as they used to be. Can I also include that they love to drive each other mad?  Now with it being half the summer over, I see how my fears did come true. I'm truly hoping that they did not come true on my own accord (with almost being in expectation of it). On top of this is the fact that every mother faces, that kids are demanding of your time, patience, and energy. And for me its all way too much to handle lately. I truly feel alone in how I feel so overwhelmed. Sometimes it feels like, it doesn't let up. UNLESS I am re-leaved for some period of time. Which in my case is not enough for me. And that is reflected in how I react to the kids. And I feel its not fair for them. And so I guess I am learning for real how I need to take care of myself so I can better take care of those entrusted to me by God. I so want to do the best job I can, and loosing my temper or feeling like I'm gunna turn into the HULK is not where I want to be. God Himself took time for himself, and He is my example. So should I be so afraid, or prideful, or ashamed to say: I need some time to myself? I teach my kids about diversity so often, I truly believe that its so awesome how God made everyone different, but I wont allow myself to accept me and the fact that I need a lot of time to get my bearings, recharge so I can be in best shape mentally. I hate feeling inadequate for the job of mothering and am afraid of anyone thinking the less of me. This all made me think of the serenity prayer.

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Ahhh... Being real is a relief. It really is giving God the reins.

Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pudding Cake

Yay, finally I have my own rhubarb to use. I planted it last spring and it has grown a lot since then. Now its ready to be used for baking.

 I pulled out quite a few stalks for my cake recipe. About six.

 This is the recipe I tried, that my mom gave me a few years ago

Wash up and chop the rhubarb.

Cook it in a pot with the sugar over medium heat for 15 minutes. 

 Mix all the rest of the ingredients, including the 1/2 cup of left over sugar.

Spread the batter into a 9" greased baking dish. 

Pour the rhubarb over top.

 Bake in preheated oven of 350 degrees, for 30-35 min.

It was so easy and the ingredients are so basic. My favourite kind of recipe!

Garden Notes

 May 19th the seeds were planted, after many containers of manure were added to the soil. Thankfully we were blessed to get the manure from a friends farm, saving quite a bit for us! So here goes my first attempt at starting a garden with just seeds.

 Here is the plan for my hopeful garden. On one of the pages of my garden journal is written: Gardening is a way of showing you believe in tomorrow.

 I spy with my little eye, something that is green! Not even a week later the radishes are sprouting.

And next came up the beans. I have yet to see the tomatoes, peppers, and carrots. I'm not sure if these usually take longer to sprout. Or maybe we planted them too deep. I hope they come up, I would be so disappointed it they don't.

May Days

Our pond resident admiring a statue with a striking resemblance.

 Play on a May day.

 The smell of the lilacs were so captivating this day.

 Apple blossoms from my wee little apple tree.

 More of the pond life.

 Now time to plant a gift I recieved of impatience, and some seeds.

 I up-cycled some of the containers I'm using for my plants. The tins on the left were once for tea. I got the idea from here . The square pot under I found at a yard sale for 50 cents! The green one in the middle, same price at the Salvation Army. The red and yellow one was a cookie jar before the lid broke.

 There was a lot of pestering coming from the little one, to have the big garden planted at the same time. But there was only a bit of potting going on this afternoon.

 Some bloomers I made to go under all those dresses and skirts my daughter wants to wear all the time. It was so easy to make, I got the pattern from here. I used a shirt that no longer fit, for the material, it was great for this project.

A nice cookie recipe, I tried from one of my favourite magazines. The recipe for these Ginger Biscuits can be found here

Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. Psalm 85:11