Sunday, April 24, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
playground afternoons
Spring has finally arrived, and we never want to leave the school playground in the afternoons.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
to the sea
martha's vineyard, originally uploaded by ellajohn.
We just enjoyed a week in New England with the kids. John had a conference in Boston, and we tagged along. He was working nearly all the time, but the children love hotel living. I'd almost forgotten I'd be staying in one room with them for four nights. Apparently I'd also forgotten how much they eat. I need a prep kitchen at all times.
We took the train. When a five year old asks how much longer and the answer is seven hours, there may be tears. I loved the train.
Little John got to go to a Red Sox game with Aunt Ren, and the girls and I spent an afternoon in downtown Boston with Uncle Joe. Daddy was determined to get the littles up north to meet his brother and sister in law. Towards the end of the week we met them out on Cape Cod for a few days on the coast. They got us rooms at a great little bed and breakfast in Wood's Hole, and we visited the Aquarium there, the lighthouse, and the best little coffee shop ever, Pie in the Sky, that opens at five am every day of the year. We took the ferry to Martha's Vineyard for the day and visited a alpaca farm. Who knew there was going to be yarn? We drove around the Victorian summer houses of Oak Bluff and then floated back to Wood's Hole.
I'm still thinking about aquamarine walls and glossy white trim. Orange jellyfish. Delicious wine. Quahog chowder at the Black Dog. A big thank you to Joe and Ren.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
The whole enchilada
Here is the recipe for Martha Stewart's Vegetable Enchiladas. I recently had some good ones that were stuffed with potato.
Monday, April 04, 2011
grape hyacinth
The very thought of buying a new house makes me feel inadequate. Six years ago I wrote a number on a piece of paper in a strange kitchen, and a man I did not know laughed at me. A few days later my then preschool daughter forgot her show and tell and decided that she would just "tell". "My mama went to meet a man to buy a house, and he told her she didn't have enough money."
I met with a realtor today for an hour and a half, and I felt that she was telling me to prepare myself to lose money. I'm not prepared to do that. I'm going to plead with the universe a bit and declutter like I've never decluttered before. I don't want a fancy house, just one that feels like home, one that lets daddy spend more time with the kids than in the car, and three bedrooms on the same level.
On sunday the littles and I went to a birthday party out near my crush house. I'm so over it that I had to cry a little on the way home. The party was at a farmhouse with a wrap around porch, so I was primed. Houses are a difficult proposition. Sometimes it is so easy to get wrapped up in the dream that it is hard to face the reality of what you can really afford, and then you are left salvaging little parts of the dream. Four chickens. Flowers. A heart shaped stone. A leaf. An unfound door.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
want
I am almost at the the end of my diapering career, but I think I'm about to buy a big old diaper bag. My cool messenger bag has finally broken both zippers. We had such a good run, and it was a bag that even John didn't mind carrying. Now I feel like a need even more of a diaper bag because I need supplies for three kids, perhaps my knitting, and my camera. What if I even started carrying a book for myself?
crockpot falafel
This is from Stephanie O'Dea's Crockpot 365 website. This may be the best falafel I've ever had. I've never been a real crockpot cooker. I never mix anything with a can of cream of mushroom soup, and we are mostly vegetarian. My kids don't like casseroles or things that are mixed together, but lately I'm the queen of the crockpot. The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla is my current obsession, and I'm cooking my way through her bean recipes.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
milo vest
I finally knitted something other than a scarf, a hat, or handwarmers. I thought I'd make a size four and Ruby would be able to wear it next winter when she is three, but this size four turned out really big. Maybe I'm a super loose garter stitcher, and next time I'll use smaller needles for the top garter stitch section. A certain five year old model in the photograph made me swear that I would not show his face.
I've been taking a knitting class in our middle school, and this was my first class project. I absolutely love the Kureyon yarn, its rustic handspun quality and the amazing colors. Kureyon means crayon in Japanese.
The pattern is on Ravelry, Milo by Georgie Hallam. I'm looking forward to making Ruby another one that is a little longer that can be worn like a tunic dress. Maybe my next project is the Rainbow Dress.
first tooth
John lost his first tooth this weekend. The tooth fairy brought him a dollar, and he was pretty thrilled.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
sea and sky
Just the five of us went to the beach, our first family beach trip since Ella was two years old and we were a family of three. We rented a house in Edisto, South Carolina to enjoy the early spring warmth and the empty beaches. We all got sick, but at least we were together. We had the space and time to sleep. liberated from our usual obligations. We returned with bags of starfish and shells, telling stories of kites and castles on the edge of the world.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Saturday, March 05, 2011
driving south
We are driving south for a week in Edisto, South Carolina. The internet is not coming with us. We are staying right on the ocean, and there will be much sea shell collecting, drawing, walking, digging, and castle building.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sunday, February 06, 2011
valentine capelet
I finished this today to sell at the BNS chocolate party. There is another one in a big girl size on the way. I've got some crafting to do before next saturday.
I saw daffadils today. And baby lambs.
Friday, February 04, 2011
no knead:: artisan bread
3 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 T yeast
1/2 T kosher salt
6 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Warm water to 100 degrees. Add yeast and salt to water in a 5 qt bowl. Mix in flour. No need to knead. the dough will be wet ad loose. Cover and let rise 2 hours or until the dough collapses. Refridge overnight and up to 14 days.
Baking:: Dust a peel with cornmeal. Dust the top of the dough with flour and pull up a grapefruit sized portion. Cut off with a serrated knife. Shape into a round. Rest on the peel for forty minutes and bake in a 450 degree preheated oven. Pour a cup of hot water into a hot broiler pan beneath the baking stone and bake for 30 minutes.
1 1/2 T yeast
1/2 T kosher salt
6 1/2 cups all purpose flour
Warm water to 100 degrees. Add yeast and salt to water in a 5 qt bowl. Mix in flour. No need to knead. the dough will be wet ad loose. Cover and let rise 2 hours or until the dough collapses. Refridge overnight and up to 14 days.
Baking:: Dust a peel with cornmeal. Dust the top of the dough with flour and pull up a grapefruit sized portion. Cut off with a serrated knife. Shape into a round. Rest on the peel for forty minutes and bake in a 450 degree preheated oven. Pour a cup of hot water into a hot broiler pan beneath the baking stone and bake for 30 minutes.
jicama kiwi ginger salsa
1 T chopped ginger
4 kiwi diced
2 cups jicama diced
1 cup red onion
1/4 cup cilantro
1 jalapeno with seeds minced
juice of 4 limes
refrigerate
4 kiwi diced
2 cups jicama diced
1 cup red onion
1/4 cup cilantro
1 jalapeno with seeds minced
juice of 4 limes
refrigerate
Thursday, February 03, 2011
carolina
Ella's science fair project is making us all happy. She is going to put four different kinds of bird seed in trays on our deck and count who comes to eat.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
grateful
I was searching behind my tired eyes for something uplifting, and I've come up with a few things.
1. pomegranate popcicles
2. potage
3. yarn
We are mending, albeit slowly.
1. pomegranate popcicles
2. potage
3. yarn
We are mending, albeit slowly.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
sick house
For the past two weeks I've been stumbling around glassy eyed, making food and changing diapers, driving to school and knitting my socks, making lists and running the dishwasher. Ella, John, and I have all had strep, and now I've got it again. Tiny people have thrown up in my hands and pooped in their beds. I've boiled our toothbrushes and purchased disinfectant bathroom cleaner. I've washed my hands until they are raw. I'm just so tired that I can't believe that it is sunday night.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
saying something
Well, we are here, all recovered from the scarlet fever. Really. How quaint are we? It was painful, and I actually spent some time lying in my bed moaning. Medieval. Ruby has a bit of a fever and runny nose, but it is mild and unrelated.
I'm ready for spring.
I'm ready for something new. But I think I better learn the technical aspects of my new camera first.
I'm ready for spring.
I'm ready for something new. But I think I better learn the technical aspects of my new camera first.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
snowflakes
The snow kept us home from school today, but the kids were up doing homework before eight this morning.
I'm turning my thoughts to the New Year, new inspirations, new ways to think about things, perhaps a new address and a new rhythm to our days, one that will get us out of the car and into the forests and meadows of our small mountain town.
Thursday, January 06, 2011
play
On Christmas morning there was a castle in our living room. I wanted to get them a present that all three would want to play with, and I think I was successful. It was made in Maine by a family owned company called Elves and Angels. The figures are made in Germany, and we have knights, a horse, a royal family, a dragon and a wizard. Ruby has rounded up some other wooden animals as well, so there is quite a menagerie in the courtyard.
Between Santa and the tall stack of presents that poured out of Granny's station wagon, the kids were showered with gifts, geodes to crack, real tools, and a life sized waldorf friend for Miss Ruby. John has been playing Legos and racing little cars around a track. This week they are back in school and trying to figure out how to incorporate some of their new gifts into their science fair projects.
I'm almost sad to see the season pass. I had such a nice time staying at home, and I'm ordering a white christmas again next year, that and bigger stockings. I'm still working on a few handmade gifts, but today I cleared the christmas greens out of the house, and the tree will come down this weekend. We'll settle a little deeper into winter.
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
the first light of advent is the light of stones
The first light of Advent is the light of stones.
Stones that live in crystals, seashells, and bones.
The second light of Advent is the light of plants.
Roots, stem, leaf, flower, and fruit by whom we live and grow.
The third light of Advent is the light of beasts.
Animals of farm, field, forest, air, and seas.
All await the birth in greatest and in least.
The fourth light of Advent is the light of humankind.
The light of love, the light of thought, to give and to understand.
Steiner
We set up a Waldorf inspired advent table this year, and Ella really seemed to enjoy it. We used our birthday ring and put some of the elements from the verse in the four corners. She loved the crystals, seashells, and bones , and she received some amethyst, quartz, and zeolite crystals to place there.She put the little wool faeries our friend made in the corner to represent the light of humankind. She has been writing poetry lately, and she liked reading the verses aloud when we lit the candles, and by Christmas Day she had it memorized.
We put up our twenty five red felt stockings in the kitchen to count our December days, but we didn't even do every day. I was determined that I wasn't going to purchase "things" to put in the stockings, so I made little scrolls that said things like "bake cookies" or "drink hot chocolate together".
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Monday, January 03, 2011
Can you tell?
Mama got a new camera just before the holidays, but she hasn't really had time to learn how to use it. After a year of saving birthday money, change, and making waldorf dolls for other people, I got the Nikon D3100. I've always had a Canon camera, but I'm going to give this one a spin.
winter elf
elfing, originally uploaded by ellajohn.
About two days before Christmas John gave his sisters a knowing look and wondered out loud what Mama was making him for Christmas. I'd been wanting to make him a Meathead hat from Larissa Brown's book, Knitalong, Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together, and I slipped out to the yarn shop for a little celebration of the last minute. It wasn't finished by Christmas morning, but I don't think he noticed.
Friday, December 31, 2010
lemon butter
Lemon Butter
2 lemons
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
Grate the lemon rind and juice the lemons. Put zest, juice, butter, and sugar in a saucepan over LOW heat. Dissolve very slowly. Beat the eggs and stir some of the hot lemon mixture into them. Add egg mixture to saucepan and stir over low heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Pour into a glass jar, let cool, and refrigerate.
Take time with the cooking, stirring constantly, for a smooth sauce. This can be made in a double boiler.
Grandmum used to say that if one had this sauce in the refrigerator and a pound cake in the pantry one was prepared for almost any situation.
Washing dishes. Making gingerbread.
2 lemons
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
Grate the lemon rind and juice the lemons. Put zest, juice, butter, and sugar in a saucepan over LOW heat. Dissolve very slowly. Beat the eggs and stir some of the hot lemon mixture into them. Add egg mixture to saucepan and stir over low heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Pour into a glass jar, let cool, and refrigerate.
Take time with the cooking, stirring constantly, for a smooth sauce. This can be made in a double boiler.
Grandmum used to say that if one had this sauce in the refrigerator and a pound cake in the pantry one was prepared for almost any situation.
Washing dishes. Making gingerbread.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
merry making
Here is little John in 2006. I had this notion that I'd post a little something every day in December, and that just didn't happen. Apparently, without a camera I've got nothing to say.
We celebrated the solstice last night with a few friends, a fire, a big pot of beans, cornbread, lots of homemade goodies, homebrew, and even some live music. Today I am staying home all day for the first time. Daddy and Ella are out seeing Prince Caspian, and I made latkes for breakfast.
When my children are grown they'll be saying that when they were little it always snowed on Christmas. A storm is headed our way, and I'm thinking about yet another trip to the store just in case we are in for a few days. Today I want to make gingerbread and lemon butter with the children.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
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