Every time a child says, "I don't believe in fairies," there is a fairy somewhere that falls down dead.
James Matthew Barrie, Peter Pan

Thursday, January 30, 2014

waning on winter

It may only just be the end of January tomorrow, but I feel like this winter has gone on long enough. Here in New York we've had snow pretty much every other day since November. If it's not been falling thick and hard, it's been blanketed and frozen from the last storm. I've never known snow like this. I've never known cold like this - it hasn't been above freezing during the day for weeks. We gave up clearing the pathway sometime late December and just gave into the soft crunch under foot every morning. The birds are all so active this time of year. So I'm trying hard to keep my feeders full and my suet supply stocked. The thing is I love winter.
When Fall starts dwindling I get so excited at the prospect of the first snow, the sparkling ground and snow laden pines fill me with so much joy. Our property here is just under an acre consisting of a large lawned piece at the front and a wood of Maples at the rear. From the end of Spring when the last of the dogwood and cherry blossoms have fallen - it's pretty much green central station. Green trees, green grass, green bushes.. it's hard to grow flowers well at the front because of our resident deer families. So I welcome that roll into the colorful Autumn oranges, and then the white out that follows. But after three straight months of white, I find myself once again craving the green. Everything looks so dead at this point, with no twinkling white Christmas lights to give it that joyful glow.
 I planted my seeds the night before last. Broccoli, Kale, Watermelon, Zinnia, Sunflower, Moon Flower, Morning Glories... That gave me a bit of a boost, the thought of what's to come in a few months when the snow has gone, and the world wakes up again. but the children look so cute in their mittens and hats, thick winter coats and snow boots, I think I need to take a walk in the mountains to grasp the beauty of what's still here, because even though my love for winter is hiding, the sparkle is still twinkling.


Wednesday, January 29, 2014

knit one purl one



I've always loved knitting, and the look and feel of knitted clothing for my babies. Lately I've become a huge fan of knitted toys too. I started selling my gnome babies on etsy a while ago, so far successfully.
I'm hoping to branch out into other toys too - hedgehogs anyone? No one could resist those sweet little faces? On a side-note that is definitely one thing to add to the list of "oooh I really miss from home"... hedgehogs are just the sweetest thing - and much cuter than porcupines!
I've been a forever fan of the blabla dolls - although none of my children have actually owned one. There are so many different simple little styles of knit animals to try - I should really just go for it - when I find the time of course!

for the love of Le Creuset

My adoration for the heavy French cookware started long ago. My Mother always made her delicious casseroles in a large oval piece, the sight of that on the Aga meant a hearty meal was on the way. The first piece I owned was an aqua blue casserole, which is still the most used piece in my collection. A skillet followed, then a few large vintage casseroles, some enamel stock pots, a few griddles later and my shelves are stacked!
My most recent piece is a large oval skillet - with a family of 7 this is perfect for chicken cutlets and meatballs en masse. I have plenty of star shaped ramekins that have as yet gone unused - I'm waiting for just the right chocolate mousse recipe.. With Valentine's Day just a few weeks away - Le Creuset makes the perfect gift to be enjoyed for a lifetime and more.
Go to www.lecreuset.com and as a special Valentine's treat enter the code LOVE at checkout to receive these cherry red nesting cocettes free on all orders over $150!

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

in search of ancient grains

I certainly feel something rustic and good about preparing ancient grains for my children. I try to buy the ancient grain bread whenever I see it, I even love to say ancient grains - as if that in itself makes it more wholesome, more healthful. They are of course very healthy and good for you as all whole grains are. Tonight I cooked Farro for the first time. They say Farro is the original grain from which all others derive, and fed the Mediterranean and Near Eastern populations for thousands of years; somewhat more recently it was the standard ration of the Roman Legions that expanded throughout the Western World. Ground into a paste and cooked, it was also the primary ingredient in puls, the polenta eaten for centuries by the Roman poor. Important as it was, however, it was difficult to work and produced low yields. In the centuries following the fall of the Empire, higher-yielding grains were developed and farro's cultivation dwindled: By the turn of the century in Italy there were a few hundred acres of fields scattered over the regions of Lazio, Umbria, the Marches and Tuscany. Farro would probably still be an extremely local specialty had the farmers of the French Haute Savoie not begun to supply it to elegant restaurants that used it in hearty vegetable soups and other dishes. Their success sparked renewed interest in farro among gastronomes, and now the grain is enjoying a resurgence in popularity in Italy as well, especially among trendy health-conscious cooks.
I will probably look for a recipe for the next time I cook it, but as for tonight I boiled it in salted water until tender, added some garlic, a little butter, olive oil, and oregano et voila. The children loved it, as did I. It has a nutty taste and it kind of pops in your mouth as you eat it, it holds its shape and is not smooshy at all, I think it would be equally great in a salad, as it would in a risotto dish. Glad to add another grain option to our diets - brown rice gets old after a while!


Operation Bluebird

Before moving to our slightly more rural lodgings here in Rockland County, we lived in Brooklyn, NYC. Some might think there isn't much in the way of wildlife to be had in the city - but they'd be wrong. A little wrong anyway! Growing up in Scotland where wildlife is abundant, I certainly had that opinion of city living, enforced after a spell living in London where all I saw were pigeons and on one occasion a fox. However in Brooklyn we regularly had a large possum in our back yard, so much so we named him Pete! We had the (dis)pleasure of meeting several racoons, and the joy of being able to feed Cardinals and Blue Jays most days. There were the usual finches and once even a bright yellow Goldfinch. One of the draws for me about moving out of the city was definitely being able to see more wildlife. We haven't been disappointed. So far we've been treated to many visits from deer, rabbits, skunk (not so welcome!), groundhogs, turkey vultures, hawks and coyotes. But it's the small birds I love. Apart I might say from owls which will always be welcome, especially of the Great Horned variety. In the bird department we have many different Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Blue Jays, Carolina Wrens, Hermit Wrens, Tufted Titmouse, Hummingbirds, Nuthatches, Chickadees, Black Eyed Juncos, Oriole,  Robins... and a lot more that I'm forgetting! But there is one we do not have, even though they are all over the Hudson Valley - the Bluebird. So my mission this year is to finally get one here - you know how it goes - photo or it didn't happen!
I'm going to start by putting a nesting box out front on a very large, old maple, it faces the house and has an expansive piece of grassland out there, conditions I've heard they like. The pond is in sight if they fly around a bit, and I'll put out some meal worms.. apparently that's what they eat. Not sure what else to do but I'm crossing my fingers that will be enough!

Review: KitchenAid Immersion Blender

Today I'm going to be reviewing the handiest gadget I own, the KitchenAid Immersion Blender. I bought this tool around 4 years ago and find myself reaching for it more and more these days. I don't think I've every adjusted the speed, in fact I didn't notice it had adjustable speed until my husband pointed it out - maybe I should read manuals more! This hasn't ever made a difference to anything I've used it for, it is always perfect. From mashed potatoes, to soups to baby food, smoothies, milkshakes getting the lumps out of a bad batch of béchamel - this is your new best friend. Here is some blurb from KitchenAid's website:

"The 3-Speed Hand Blender let's you blend, crush, chop, puree and whisk. Simply choose the appropriate speed for your ingredients. The chopper attachment is great for processing harder cheeses, nuts and creating graham cracker crusts. The included whisk attachment whips creams and egg whites to fluffy peaks."

I definitely find myself just using the S-blade for everything - it's a great multipurpose chopper. If you don't already own an immersion blender - this one is hard to beat!  Use code "SHIP13" for free shipping now at www.kitchenaid.com

Monday, January 27, 2014

has it really been this long!?

I can't believe it's been over a year since I wrote anything here. That's what having a baby does I guess! So much has happened in the past year, mainly not on the good side, so I bid a respectful farewell to 2013 and I know 2014 will be a much better year for all of us. I started another blog about cooking, well mainly what I cook - I really wanted to have that be a separate entity from this but it makes more sense to me in these busy days to just go ahead and roll everything together. Being a mother of 5 has its challenges, mentally and physically, and right now I tell you I'm the most tired I've ever been! Our fifth munchkin was born on my birthday, December 27th 2012 and she has brought so much joy and happiness to our family I don't remember life without her. But you know I mentioned tired... well! You can imagine. I have a toddler that has started waking in the night again and insisting on sleeping with us, which in turn wakes the baby, and these past few months my others have started to be early risers, coming into the room at daybreak - exhausting! I'm still plodding on with my business - Bramble Boutique - we are on etsy - and while I find it a little financially rewarding at times, it can be a lot of work and not much return most of the time. I decided to stray away from my graphic design roots and swing into the animation field. SO that's what's next on the agenda. On that note my latest thing is bulk cooking.
Inspired by The Pioneer Woman cooking show, I've started making sure I cook double, sometimes triple every time I prepare something which can be frozen. So far this has included chicken pot pie, lasagne, meatballs, chicken breasts, pie crusts, pasta bakes and so forth! It's a really good feeling on a weeknight when I don't have a lot of time (or brain power!) to just grab something out of the freezer and stick it in the oven. 
A quick note before I get on with "laundry mountain" - is anyone else out there struggling with the nightmare that is Common Core in NY State? I'm not sure of the quality of the work they get to do at school but I can tell you the sheets they bring home for homework are consistently misspelled, miss-written, miscalculated miss everything really! So frustrating. More tomorrow!