Kitchen / Garden / Sanctuary - Urban Homesteading to Nourish Body + Spirit

Tag: around the house (Page 21 of 27)

Glorious Early Spring Flowers!

I had a wonderful St. Patty’s day dinner with my folks last night (corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, Irish soda bread, Irish beer, and a banana cake with chocolate-coffee frosting & green sprinkles!), and as I was riding my bike home in the peaceful night, it began snowing lightly. This morning at 7:00, the neighborhood looked like a wonderland! Here’s a picture, though it was much neater in person:

But spring is right around the corner, so after the snow melted I took a walk in the sunny afternoon to see all the blooming beauties…

Dwarf iris

Pulsatilla

Snowdrops

Crocus

Hellebore, or "Lenten Rose"

Crocus

Winter aconite

Crocus

It’s Been Busy at the Homestead!

So busy!! Since quitting my job, I am so busy!! Busy doing the life I had been putting off for all that time. My, how good that feels.

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Here are some random pictures from yesterday & today:

Inside the grain & legume cupboard in late afternoon. (I love the old fashioned jars — they’ve been in the family a long time, and they give me a homey feeling!)

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I just finished reading this inspiring book about how “the rest of the world” deals with diapers (hint: they don’t use ’em!) and how we westerners can have diaper-free babies, too. This is a must-read for new parents — or even better, before they become parents! Click here for a short synopsis of Natural Infant Hygiene (being diaper-free), written by the author of the book.

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The parsley in the kitchen window looks so pretty in the sun!

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Homemade organic applesauce ready for the freezer. I gobble this stuff up, especially when I warm it up on the stove and add cinnamon & cream!

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2 jars of freshly made chicken bone broth, cooked way down and concentrated…now ready to pop into the freezer. Also, brown rice that’s been soaked overnight and is ready to cook, and raw pumpkin seeds that were soaked overnight in salt water, and are drying. (I love to snack on them and add them to soaked oatmeal!)

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Went to the health food store yesterday (our favorite — Natural Grocers, aka Vitamin Cottage) and got some good stuff at reasonable prices. Everything’s organic except the chocolate and peanuts. Lettuce ($1.99), cilantro ($1.39), seedless tangerines ($1.79/lb on sale), Cara Cara oranges ($1.59/lb on sale), Food for Life sprouted grain tortillas ($2.65 for 6 large), raw cheddar ($3.49 on sale), peanuts ($2.33 for 1 lb), brown rice ($1.99 for 2 lbs, on sale), Kalona Supernatural whole milk ($3.69 for 1/2 gallon – to make kefir), Kalona Supernatural whipping cream ($5.79/quart), Chocolove 70% cocoa chocolate bar (the best-tasting brand and incidentally the cheapest…$1.49 on sale), and two “$1 grab-bags” — one with carrots and celery for juicing, and the other with 3 lbs of bananas at the perfect stage of ripeness to cut up and freeze for smoothies!

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Frozen banana slices for smoothies…ready to be transferred to a freezer bag:

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Then I made a delicious dessert of a sliced banana sauteed in coconut oil with a bit of maple syrup. A favorite!!

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Also made a yummy snack (called a “cheese circle” in my family when I was little!) of cheese melted over a sprouted grain tortilla, topped with Penzey’s Zatar seasoning and Smoked Spanish Paprika. Dynamite! (I make these circles in a cast iron skillet, over medium-low heat, covering the skillet with a cookie sheet until the cheese is melted, then adding seasoning. And normally, I use only 1/4 or 1/2 of a big tortilla at a time!)

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What’s been keeping you busy lately?

A Good Day

I had a really nice day today; how was yours? It’s been crazy energy lately — can you feel it? — and for the past week or two my mood has been sagging a little too frequently into depression. Yuck. I’m prone to those very low feelings from time to time, and I just haven’t been able to shake ’em off all that well lately. But today felt really good. I got up early and put 4 lbs of chicken backs into the big pot to make “bone broth” then went back to bed and let my body sleep as long as it needed to. Oh heaven.

Then later I took a good long walk at a clippin’ pace, ending up at our local herbal apothecary. Walking felt good, I delighted in seeing signs of spring, and ending up at the apothecary was a smart choice. Sometimes getting into a healing atmosphere like that is just what I need! Good medicine, ya know. I browsed the books, the essential oils, all their beautiful things…ahhh. It was fun. Stocked up on some dried nettles and rose petals for tea from their bulk herb section, and then walked home. The sky was cloudy and the air chilly and humid, and I loved it. Living in Colorado, I sometimes get tired of the unrelenting sunshine, and I savor the cloudy days when we get them! It had even been snowing lightly earlier in the morning. I’m sure I’ve said this before, but I just love the cozy feeling of being inside with a cup of tea and a book, looking out at swirling flakes!

Anyway, I arrived home from my walk to find a package waiting by the door — YESS! My new art supplies I’d ordered! But by that time it was 2:30 and I was starving, having not eaten anything yet today. I started right in on making Shrimp Etouffee over soaked brown rice, something I’ve never made before…and oh my…it was divine. I could hardly stop eating it. I love when I’m absolutely starving because food tastes so unbelievably good!

Then I fixed some nettle-peppermint-raspberry leaf tea and tore open the art package. Just like Christmas! See what I got!? Markers and colored pencils!

And by then it was late afternoon and my Honey came home from work…which is actually the biggest treat of all. 🙂 🙂

What did you do today?


Win This Gorgeous Necklace!

Remember when I told you about the beautiful things I bought from Jeff & Taryn’s ETSY store? Well they’re doing a giveaway of the beautiful inlaid pendant necklace in the picture above! If you want to be entered into the drawing to win it, pay a visit to Taryn’s blog, here! The giveaway ends on Monday, February 28th at Midnight, Pacific time. Good luck!

** This giveaway has now ended. **

Philosophy Friday: Gentle, Soulful Days

Ohh these gentle, soulful days — the heavenly opposite of my former workdays! I am so enjoying this. I feel like my soul is coming to life again because I’m spending my energy on things that actually matter to me!

Surprisingly, the feeling of lightness wasn’t immediate. Last week was a little unsettled and I felt like I was in limbo, dreaming, afraid I’d wake up and realize that Sike! Fun’s over. You knew that was too good to be true.

I also felt kind of…delinquent — which isn’t quite the word, but it’s close enough. Sort of like, shouldn’t I still be doing the wage-slave thing like everyone else? Hah; so ingrained is our cultural conditioning! Job=Good, No Job=Bad. And don’t forget the ever-popular Money Before Happiness! Sheesh. I’m slowly shaking off that kind of twisted thinking! 🙂

Right now all I want to do is be in a cocoon; lay low, recover, and heal my stress-worn body. Lots of sleeping, reading, preparing good nourishing food, drinking lots of nutrient-rich herbal tea, playing soothing Steven Halpern CDs as I go about my day, and following the sun around the house like a cat! But with each passing day, I’m feeling less groundless and transitional, and more into my new groove with a definite spring in my step!

Here are some random pictures of my days.

What are some of your favorite ways to spend a quiet February day?

Glorious morning sunshine. I like to eat my breakfast there on the floor!

Nourishing breakfast of soaked teff porridge w/pumpkin seeds & dried cherries, organic fruit, and Russian Caravan tea

Baking some Almond Thumbprints & Chocolate Orange Macaroons

Baking some Almond Thumbprints & Chocolate Orange Macaroons

Trip to our favorite Natural Grocers health food store for some organic delights: Dandelion greens, StingStop for my venom shots, bananas for smoothies, apples for applesauce, grassfed cream, soybeans for making natto, banana chips (treat!), celery, lemons for lemon water & salad dressing, dried alfalfa for tea, and fluoride-free toothpaste.

Sun-filled afternoon reading nook

Day's end

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