A Taste of Summer

A bouquet of fresh basil has an especially summery fragrance during the winter months.

We bought this bouquet, which was grown in a hothouse on an organic farm here in the Pacific Northwest, to enjoy as a mid-winter treat. 

And a jar of garden tomatoes (our last jar canned from this past summer's crop!) possesses an especially sweet summer taste as the cold outdoors whisper nothing but quiet in the still sleep of winter dormancy. 

One of our favorite meals to make with fresh basil and summer tomatoes is Pizza Margherita. 

For the sauce, we simmer tomatoes down to preferred thickness. 

As the tomatoes are simmering, we add salt and pepper and Italian seasonings. 

Pizza dough recipe (makes two crusts): 

1 package yeast

1 tablespoon honey

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 cup wrist temperature water

2 1/2 cups or so of flour (we use a combination of all-purpose and spelt)

olive oil to drizzle on top

Combine yeast, honey, and water in a large bowl. Once the yeast has activated, add salt. Then add flour in 1/2 cup increments and knead until dough is very slightly moist on the surface. Place dough in large bowl, drizzle with oil, and place in warm spot to rise for an hour or more.

Roll out the crust onto floured pizza pan and bake at 425 until just slightly golden. 

Remove from oven and drizzle olive oil over crust and top with fresh tomato sauce. 

Add fresh basil. 

Top with shredded Italian cheeses. 

Bake at 425 until done. 

After reading recent articles such as this one in the Huffington Post, we've held off on buying food packaged in cans. I stopped buying tomato products packaged in cans several months ago but just recently learned that all canned goods may be in danger of absorbing the BPA lining. 

See New York Times article here. 

I thought I'd pass the information along to anyone who may be interested. 

Cooking with Cast Iron

We have been cooking with a cast iron for over a year now. Our reasons for switching from standard non-stick cookware were based primarily on health considerations and the confusing information we had read on the chemicals used in the non-stick coating.

Before switching to cast iron, we had been using a 'green' non-stick version that had eliminated the controversial PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene)  and PFOA (Perfluorooctanoic acid) coatings. But we didn't think it held up very well and just started worrying all over again about the various other chemicals used to create this new form of non-stick.

So we made it very simple for ourselves and went back to the 'original non stick' - cast iron.

Cast iron possesses no potential dangerous coatings, will not chip or scratch and is also a great way to introduce trace amounts of iron into your diet.And if that wasn't enough incentive, cast iron is also very affordable. A twelve inch skillet for example is less than $30 (here) and it will last forever.

Cast iron is also great to cook with as it distributes heat evenly. We primarily use a pair of large and small skillets for everyday cooking. We also use a cast iron dutch oven in place of a crock pot for stews, slow roasts and soups. Our remaining cookware consists of copper-bottomed stainless steel sauce pans.

We purchased our Lodge cast iron skillets pre-seasoned.  Every several months, we re-season them by coating with oil and baking in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, we turn the oven off and let them cool on the oven racks.

For daily maintenance, we soak the pans in warm water after each use. We then scrub with a scouring sponge, rinse with hot water, and pat dry. Occasionally, we also rub a light coating of oil into the skillets while they are still warm from rinsing. We follow the same care with our Dutch Oven.  With cast iron it is recommended to not use soap and to not soak in water for long periods of time as this promotes rust and deteriorates the seasoned condition of the cookware (which makes the cast iron non-stick). In the worst-case scenario, you just have to re-season the cookware as described above.

Like all choices we make in life,  we strive to find ways in which we can live by the healthiest means possible. Some choices are easy to make, some take effort. But we are passionate about creating the healthiest life for ourselves and our babies, so the transition to cast iron does not feel like extra work. In fact, it offers quite the opposite for nothing outweighs peace of mind.

Ice Storm

Our fireplace has been burning at all hours of the day and night these past several days. Following the abundant snowfall we received last week, we received an even greater abundance of freezing rain. Many power outages followed, making the fireplace our main source of heat for a few days. 

With the ice and cold, the blooming forsythia provided all the more 

warmth with its bright smiling flowers. 

Mike worked overtime splitting kindling and firewood. 

I stepped out onto the porch to snap this picture of our frozen landscape and the trees weighed down with heavy snow and ice. The oak and aspen trees fared the worst, with many broken limbs and downed trees. The sound of the limbs snapping and crashing to the ground was sad to hear. I wished there was something we could have done for them. 

The boxwood were completely coated with ice.
Many of the other plants and trees looked the same. 

 Indoors, our summer lanterns were helpful in the evening 

and early morning hours during the outages.  

The first morning light was always a welcome sight. 

When the power was on, we raided the freezer for warm meals that we could make quickly. One really appreciates a hot cup of tea or a warm dinner after being without for several hours. One delicious freezer treat all four of us enjoyed (babies loved it) was this cauliflower and kale soup Mike made a while back. 

The recipe is from Martha Stewart, which you can find here. Mike used twice the amount of kale that the recipe called for. It's very savory and delicious. It reminds me of cream of artichoke soup. 

Winter

After several months of a mild green Winter, the snow has come. Over two feet of snow fell over 

the course of one cozy winter day. It is knee deep, and as high as the porch floor. 

The landscape is quiet under a blanket of white.      

The berry garden (blackberries and blueberries) will be sleepy for some time. 

The soft twinkle from the holiday lights still strung along the fence whisper a soft warmth. 

The dining patio stands still. I was out to sweep the boxwood 

hedge, something I do after each big snowstorm. 

The dining room is very quiet early on this snowy winter morning. 

The babies are playing in the warm coziness of the living room with 'DaDa.' 

Old and New

Our home is filled with a mixed collection of old and new. Perhaps one 

of the most frequent reminders of this is found in our kitchen drawers.  

Our everyday cutlery consists of two mismatched but complimentary sets found several years ago 

at Home Goods. They reside in front of my Grandmother's every day silver plate cutlery that is 

kept in the wicker basket at the back of the drawer. Next to the collection of antique bottle openers 

I've collected are hardware store clothespins used to fasten bags. 

The wood cutlery box was my Grandmothers. 

This old wicker paper basket holds our knives and some of our serving utensils. 

The other kitchen drawer holds mostly new utensils with a few old things mixed in. 

This twenty-piece set of cutlery is from Martha Stewart's old line 

at K-Mart, which I found on sale for $9.99. The wire basket that holds this set 

was found at an antique store. 

My Grandmother's old ice cream scoops co-habitate with the modern metal can opener, scissors 

and peeler. I love the mix between the cool metals and the warmth of the wood and wicker. 

It's amazing to think of the different time periods in which these items were made and originally 

used, yet how compatible they are today. 

Here are the latest additions to our drawers. My mom sent my old baby spoons to us when 

Graham and Margaret started eating solid foods. Each has its own subtle design. These are the 

only baby spoons we use so they're used several times a day. 

xo

Winter's Nest

Shortly after Country Living was here for the photo shoot, I told Mike that I'd like to dismantle our antique four poster bed and put the mattress on the floor. Never did he think I would utter such words, but I explained to him that it was a precaution because I was worried about the babies tumbling off the bed now that they were becoming much more mobile. 

With the stark room that was left after removing the bed frame, the side tables and the bedside lamps, it wasn't long before I started to think of ways to spruce the space up a bit. At first I asked Mike to 'whip up' a headboard that we could upholster, but that involved more spare time than we had. 

Then I remembered reading a post on Little Green Notebook about pelmet boxes that Jenny had made to go over her girls' bedroom windows. They were so beautiful and added such lovely detail to the room. Plus, it only took her two hours, and the materials were so simple...foam core, fabric, duct tape! 

So I basically used her tutorial, except I made one large pelmet box on the wall at the head of the bed. 

The upholstered foam core was attached to a large metal curtain bracket mounted on the wall. The linen drapes hang behind the pelmet box, suspended from a piece of surplus wood trim also mounted to the wall. Behind the linen drapes, we also tacked up quilted padding as another baby precaution.

In the spirit of the season, we hung the boxwood wreath in place of the heavier artwork that hung in the space previously. 

I love that it's baby friendly, and that it was an 

affordable solution to dressing up our placement of the mattress on the floor. 

This man helped me a lot! We often laugh about the Country Living article which stated, "Mike can build or fix anything." He thought that was ridiculous but I think it's really very true! For this project, he did all the math and measurements necessary to make the pattern for the cutout. Then, after we "upholstered" the foam core (with duct tape of course), he made sure the installation was centered, straight and level on the wall. 

He was also in charge of the exacto knife (with a steady hand) to cut the pattern from the foam core. 

It was a team effort which we were able to work on in spurts (often when my mom was visiting) over the course of TWO MONTHS! I often muttered, "I can't believe Jenny did all this in two hours...she's amazing...I can't even sketch out a pattern...how do you upholster this?...I can't cut a straight line..."

But I assure you - it could be accomplished in several hours if you have the spare time.

Our materials list: 

Thick foam core 

Duct tape (white of course!)

Metal curtain bracket

Linen fabric (50% off from Joann's)

Wood trim (or you could use a smaller metal curtain bracket)

Quilting to pad wall (optional)

I washed the linen, sewed six foot-long drapes, and then pressed them before hanging. 

Happy New Year

As I bid farewell to 2011, I am filled with gratitude - gratitude for my son and daughter, 

for my husband, for our families and for many great friends.

When I reflect on our friendships, I am incredibly grateful for the blogging community that I have been introduced to over the last several years. The sentiments from readers near and far have been wonderfully and completely embracing, and your presence in our life is felt and cherished very much. Because of your warmth, kindness, and kindred spirits, I feel as if we could meet anywhere, anytime, and I would know you as a familiar friend.

So thank you dear friends for a beautiful year!

May you be blessed with health and happiness, and with the love of your family and friends in the coming New Year.

Christmas Post Scripts

I hope that everyone had the most joyful Christmas! I have to say that sharing this 

Christmas with our sweet son and daughter made it one of our most memorable ever. 

Here are a few snapshots from our holiday week. We moved our couch to the south side of the room (facing the tree) because we wanted to open up as much floor space for playing as possible. 

We usually have a very large play yard set up in the living room, so large that it takes up half the room. It's been the best purchase we've made as it provides for wonderful safe play time (no base board heaters, cupboards or other hazards to get into), especially when Mike's at work and I'm alone with the babies. With both of us home to watch over the babies, we were able to fold it up for the holidays. 

We set up our traditional cardinal Christmas tree in the dining room. This tree is especially 

meaningful to us as Mike's Mom (who passed away shortly after we were married) loved cardinals.  

I can tell you that this is the cleaned up version of this room. Usually, the high chairs are there, as well as lots and lots of books (for story time after meals and snacks), and other various and sundry items distributed about the floor - toys, sippy cups, finger snacks...

Next to the tree, we placed my Grandmother's old settee under the mirror at the east end of the room. I just love putting it in this room at Christmas time as its warm tones are so suggestive of the season. 

The settee had originally belonged to her grandparents. She upholstered it with this toile pattern 

years ago, before I was born. It is a piece I grew up with as it was in her entry way - I'd toss my 

coat on it each time I ran through her front door. 

Best wishes to you and your families for a joyous New Year! 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Dear Friends. 

xo

Holiday Jam

This is the first season that we made jam from our concord grapes. I have to say that it was exciting to think of eating jam from fruit that grew on our land. I am also quite a connoisseur of jam (meaning I eat an awful lot of it!). Oh, how I looked forward to opening the refrigerator and grabbing a jar of our homemade jam, grown right outside the kitchen door. 

Well, we'll just say that we'll have to work out a few kinks and consider this year's batch to be a test run. In the end we didn't end up with so many jars. So we've reserved them for a small handful of family members (people who will think it tastes good based on the pure effort alone). 

Here are a few of the jars (there were a total of eight in all). 

Here are the grapes ready for cooking.

Taking the grapes off the stems was by far the most arduous part of the process. And when I say 'arduous' I mean that it looked like Mike was doing it for quite some time... I'm admitting here nearly at the end of this post that I hardly helped make the jam. 

Mike was the master canner and he did a wonderful job. Making jam takes patience and the 

wisdom to stick to the recipe. He possesses these qualities in abundance! 

Well, our stockings are hung, the tree is trimmed and I've officially consumed at least an entire loaf of pumpkin bread over the last several weeks. 

'Tis the season...

Christmas Kitchen

I love bringing out my Grandmother's old red transfer ware this time of year. These were her 

everyday dishes so many family meals were shared using them. When I left Los Angeles and moved to Maine to go to college, I was able to enjoy those meals much less frequently.

But when my Grandmother was alive, I never once missed a Christmas Eve dinner at her house. My father was my Grandmother's only child, so my brother and I were her only grandchildren. 

We felt very, very loved. 

Her name was Margaret. xo

Yes, more pomegranates. 

Pomegranates never stay in the fruit bowl for very long. 

These evergreen cuttings look like holly but are actually a Northwest native plant called Oregon grape. Lili used a few clippings for the photo shoot (it's visible in the magazine), and I thought it was such a wonderful idea that I've been using it all over the house lately. 

Due to my complete and utter weakness for pomegranates, we have been consuming them 

non-stop. I love them on pancakes or french toast on the weekends, but 

also crave them on my weekday morning oatmeal as well. 

This sort of consumption, as you can imagine, is logistically challenging. I am rarely 

without a baby in my arms (they too are too delicious to not want to hold them all the time), so seeding 

messy pomegranates takes some orchestration. 

But wonderful news - I've found a miracle process by which to extricate the juicy seeds - saving 

a lot of time and mess! And just who on earth could know such a secret? 

Yes, that's right, it's Martha Stewart. 

Watch her tutorial here. 

It does work but I would recommend doing it in the sink as 

this process, although very time-saving, is not splatter proof. 

Here is one of my quarters after using a wooden spoon. 

Here is what the work area (inside my sink) looked like afterwards.  All of the 

splatters stayed in the sink basin due to hitting the pomegranate face down. 

For once, I had not one tiny splatter on my clothes! 

xo