christmas elves decorate

Here's my little Christmas elf who follows me around and helps me with my holiday tasks. She is so excited for Christmas. These pics were taken Tuesday night after Mom was up helping decorate. Catherine helped Grandma put together another wreath outside {for our barn}and decorate the deck. Mom had the barn wreath idea, so I will have to get a pic of that in the daylight. She also did all the deck decorating.

With all the effort, I'd say I still only have the house and tree half decorated, as with the cleaning, gift shopping, menu planning. I have 2 more days until the kids are out of school for Christmas, and Saturday is looking like 6 basketball games. I think we may have a free Sunday, though. These next photos are glimpses of the decorating we got started on, but there are still a few more details I want to finish before photographing the wide angle reveal.

In the windows hang two fresh cedar wreaths Mom made for my front windows. She did these for me last year, as well. They smell so good and are really pretty in the daylight. To hang the wreaths, I popped out the removable, sliding window panel and inserted the ribbon ends into the window track. Did you know your these panels can be removed for deep cleaning? {learned that from my mom, too}

I couldn't wait to take a few shots of the tree. Our tree is always rustic, country with natural, homespun garland and ornaments for the most part. We have ornaments made with materials such as wood, twigs, burlap, jute twine, leather, felt and quilting textiles.  Next, I need to stabilize the tree top by wiring in a wooden dowel to support the weight of the rustic, bronze angel that goes at the top. I also have more garland to wrap around. I started with the 4-inch wide burlap ribbon here, but Catherine began hanging ornaments before I got to finishing the garland. One of my faves that I created and have had on the tree for years, is the garland made of 2-inch mini twig wreaths tied together with 2 1/2 foot strips of torn calico fabric.

This is one of my favorite ornaments because it has a hole in the bottom for inserting a light. It really brightens up the tree and I love how the light shines out of the church windows and steeple.

Here is one of Mom's handmade ornaments she gave us this year.

This is another ornament she made using chalkboard paint and red duct tape.

Mom taught a wreath making class at Willamette Valley Fruit Co. and has been selling her 'Creation Inspirations' handmade decorations and ornaments at their store this season. I tore an old, red tablecloth into strips to use for a bow with the burlap piece.

Mom makes and sells these reindeer also. We got this one from her last year. She filled my wire basket with pine cones, fir, cedar, and juniper {from Bend} boughs. I need to paint the rocking chair.

Mom made the chicken wire frame with rustic, gray-weathered wood, and she made the manger ornament. I am painting a 'Merry Christmas' and 'Welcome' sign to hang here.

Here is the fir and cedar garland Mom made and wrapped around two posts at our front entry. The large wreath on the bench is the one for the front of the barn. Jim did a nice job of refinishing our decks this fall. They are normally rich with a shine to them, but our dog tracks dirt and leaves paw prints all over the deck. The only way to keep her off the decks is to keep her penned up all the time. One of these days, maybe we'll do some invisible fencing to keep her in the back. None of our current fencing keeps her in the back because she can dig under with our wet soil--it's a complicated and annoying problem, and just one reason why I like having cows much better than a dog. She also digs holes here in front of the deck trying to find the cat who hides underneath, which is where the dirt is being tracked from. She has also started stealing our shoes and burying them in the flower beds because she is bored with no kids outside to play with, and she chewed holes in my Muck boots. This dog will not be getting any of those ridiculous doggie gifts for Christmas {major pet peeve}, although the neighbor girl brought homemade dog treat cookies over for Kendal the other day.

reindeer deco

My mom came up today to help me do some holiday decorating. She makes wreaths, decor and crafts for the home and is always sharing them with us. She made us four fresh wreaths and about 25 feet of fresh garland. This year, she made the rounds to the three homes of her grandchildren and made this reindeer craft with them. I see my nephews have their reindeer in their room. My kids painted the nose, eyes, ears, hot glued the wreath, tied the collar and bells on, etc., and then, he found his final home in our stairwell where we moved a painting to fit him in for the holiday season.

 

 

home

I want to share a series that focuses on some of the beautiful things about HOME. We had a remodel project done on our house a year and a half ago, so I am eager to post some of the photos of the kitchen I LOVE, and our master bath, etc. But, I also just like to share some of the littler things; the things that comfort, things I love, things that organize or beautify spaces, things that make our home OUR home and are, therefore, special to me. Yes, they are just 'things' and as such, not what I treasure most. What I treasure most about our home is the people who fill it and the moments I share with my family that imprints warm memories in every corner.

Projects, projects, projects...

My mother is a major DIYer, homemaker-crafter-seamstress-reupholsterer-carpenter extraordinaire, who has done many amazing projects with and for me and my two brothers/sisters-in-law to make our houses more stylish and functional. I have been happily surprised over the years to find that, with our design input and now her own studying of home & design magazines, she has not only focused on the latter as she would have when she was a young mom with limited resources, but has really grown an eye for style keeping with our taste and the times. She is still practical, frugal and efficient while I am more, well...not, but we balance each other out. I have learned a lot of reusing, refinishing, repurposing, recycling ideas from her and on my own as I have branched out and tried things on my own over the years. We all enjoy garage sale-ing or sifting through thrift stores, antique and consignment shops and flea markets together on our family camping trips while the guys are out fishing. We have good memories of these shopping experiences and our finds. This is just an intro into my mom and her projects, with much more to show of her creative abilities.

The Entryway Bench

One of the best examples of what she does can be seen at my sister-in-law's blog, where she shows an amazing laundry-mudroom makeover my mom did in their house. Mindi linked to my blog in that post, and here is the bench she referred to. Mom made this bench for me, for my birthday last year, out of an old headboard she bought secondhand. We shopped for fabric together and then she made the cushion with piping and monogrammed pillow for the bench for my birthday this year. We love this bench...I think, for its functionality most. I hadn't realized how useful it is to have a sitting area in the front door entryway. Now that the kids gather there in the morning to watch for the school bus, we use this entryway daily where we hadn't before. They have a place to lay down backpacks while packing them, a place to sit while tying shoes, and a place to 'hang' while waiting.

it's cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg & allspice, people!

My mom makes really good oatmeal cookies that were my favorite cookie growing up. I loved the chewy texture, and the spices are quite perfect. That combination makes these cookies addicting. So, as long as you can look past the ordinary, brown, oatmeal cookie appearance, you will find an extraordinary cookie.

I lost the recipe my mom gave me and didn't want to call and bother her for the hundredth time for one of her recipes {ok, and,...well, if I admit I lost something, it is bringing up the idea that I am disorganized and that is not an area I feel like getting into...better to let her think my homemaking is up to par...you get the idea...this is a whole another blog post I'm delving into here...}, so I decided to try to recreate the magic myself. Consequently, our family quickly gobbled up two batches this week.

Here is my version that has the same texture and taste as my mother's great recipe...less a little sugar, plus a little molasses...and the key here is don't skimp on the spices! In fact, it was baking this recipe as a kid that caused me to learn what later made my pumpkin recipes a hit. And because I grew up knowing these five spices, I still don't understand why more spice recipes don't use them together, or use enough of them. Including all five spices is KEY, and the sixth spice is to play around with to make the flavor profile even more tantalizing!

Chewy Oatmeal Spice Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon each cloves, ginger, allspice, nutmeg {and/or cardamom}
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup chopped, dried fruit or raisins, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, spices, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oats and dried fruit.
• Drop by rounded spoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. May still look slightly shiny and soft in the middle; this is fine. Let stand for 1 minute before removing to wire racks. 
• Yield: 4 dozen.

"Menu Plan Monday" # 6

Here is my menu plan for the week, and some other exciting kitchen things I've been working on...

Monday--Salad Bar restaurant after SB game

Tuesday--(featured recipe of the week) Chicken in Lime-Butter w/ dill, Orzo pasta, steamed broccoli, carrots, & red pepper, Strawberry-rhubarb pie

Chicken in Lime Butter w/ Dill recipe,

from Denise Segura in Simple & Delicious

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 T. oil

1/4 c. butter

1 T. lime juice

1/2 tsp. dill weed

1/4 tsp. minced chives

Sprinkle chicken w/ S&P, and cook in oil over medium heat in a large skillet for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm. Add butter and lime juice to the skillet; cook and stir until butter is melted. Stir in dill and chives. Drizzle over chicken. Yield: 4 servings

Wednesday--Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas & carrots

Thursday--leftovers

Friday--'Springtoberfest'--German Bratwurst, homemade soft pretzels w/ mustard sauce, sauerkraut mashed potatoes w/ bacon crumbles, red cabbage salad, (recipe ideas inspired by "Celebrate Oktoberfest," Simple & Delicious, Sept./Oct. 2006 issue, pp. 20, 21)

After several years on the fence, marveling at those who did this, and then dabbling in it myself, I have jumped on board, so to speak. I don't really know how to sort out all the health information I glean from so many varying sources, and I don't feel convicted enough to go all out on every aspect of the health food movement,...but, I have always been drawn by the idea of traditional living, cooking, farming, and all things homemade. So, this is just an extension of that interest, along with the belief that it probably is better for us, too. I just think that there are so many uncontrollable factors affecting health, that we shouldn't obsess over every little thing to the extent of isolating ourselves from the world we live in, or laboring ourselves beyond what is manageable, just to try and obtain perfect health. Ultimately, our lives are in God's hands, so we follow Him in every area. We should work on improving the way we live by always making steps in the right direction, as we pray and are led by the Lord to do so. I am talking about being reasonable, rather than eccentric and obsessed. And yet, I hate the idea of 'ordering a Big Mac w/ a diet coke'--and so, I hope that the steps we are making to be healthy aren't counteracted by the things we are not doing...but, this is quite a process--of moving toward healthful, sustainable living.

What am I really talking about? I just purchased a grain mill (which I received today) and about 125 pounds of 8 different whole grains from a health food co-op in Oregon that delivers organic, all-natural, health food and farm products to customers throughout the west and to many other states, as well. This co-op is called Azure Standard--by the way, they carry Willamette Valley Fruit Co. pies (all-natural and better-than-homemade taste--formerly LuSuisse)--my Dad/brothers' business in Salem. I am excited to make breads, oatmeal, other cracked grain cereals, and whole grain baked goods with freshly ground grain that has not gone rancid or lost much of its nutrients within the first 72 hours post-grinding. I also got a yogurt maker to incubate yogurt culture at the correct temperature, so I can easily make our own.

This is kind of a big deal, because it is unfamiliar (not the way my mother did things), requires more time and preparation, as well as, a whole new process of buying and storing the grain. Many people seem to think canning & freezing is an old-fashioned thing to do--but, I was raised doing this. However, old-fashioned is how I felt when I heard of modern women grinding their own grains. There is just something so nostalgic about it. I hope I don't wake up one day and realize I was crazy to think I could keep this up...the way I felt the time I considered buying a milking cow to sell raw milk...just a couple well-timed reminders from 'my voice of reason' (Jac) and I, regretably, gave that idea up pretty quickly. I am not (yet) a morning person (I'm working on that), nor a person who lives a very consistent, scheduled life, but a cow that needs milking is both...

New recipes I want to try this week or next:

• Rhubarb Coffee Cake, clipped recipe (by Michelle Stelzer in Azure Standard April/May 2007 Sale catalog, p.32)
• Traditional Homemade Lacto-Fermented Sauerkraut, Nourishing Traditions cookbook
• Homemade Yogurt
• Homemade Buttermilk
• Homemade Bread--Whole Wheat & Sourdough (from starter began last week)

"Tackle It Tuesday" #3

I was over at Mom's all day, visiting with the kids, so all I had time to 'tackle' when I got home was dinner--which went over well. I did 'tackle' teaching my mother how to log onto the computer and get to my blog--hopefully, she will remember. This new technology stuff makes her a bit nervous (in this way, she makes herself seem more old-fashioned than she really is--she's only 51!)--plus, she's so practical about homemaking and working with her hands to accomplish big things, that being on the computer seems like just a waste of time. Well, I'd have to say she's right,...it really is...it can be...yes, sometimes...she's always adding a healthy dose of reality as the other voice of reason in my life (that's after Jac--in case you missed that post). Yet, I am still compiling my case for blogging, and will share it when it's complete. However, I do know that there will always be those individuals in my life whom I will not be able to convince.

Well, I guess if I am going to be 'wasting' my time at the computer, it would be more luxurious to have an organized/cute computer armoire to sit at. Here is what I have been putting off... First, I will pull all the stuff out, and purge/containerize, then, I want to make some fabric & ribbon bulletin boards on the doors to organize notes, calendar, etc. I think this will be more fun than 'real' housework, I've got to admit...and next week I will show how I have tackled this project.

MY ORGANIZING TIP OF THE WEEK:

Clutter your notebook, not your mind. If you think of things that need to get done, just write in on your to-do list. However, if you never check off items from the list, that can weigh on your mind just as heavy. So, make sure you are steadily chipping away at those projects. Enlist help from others if you need to. Those who really care about you are usually flattered and excited to be able to help--to them, your projects are more fun than their own. Trade off spending a morning helping at each others homes.

'Curlers 101'

Since there was a question about this week's "Wordless Wednesday" (see previous post) photos, I decided to do another post about 'curlers'...with words..

I got started doing curlers because my mother is a 'beautician', or hair stylist, as we call it these days. I remembered going to bed with sponge curlers in my hair, and I do the same with my daughters...I'll have to ask Mom just how many generations this ritual has been passed down...

Me, age 2

Well, I used to do this a lot with Jessica, but not so much with Cate. Her hair is so stick- straight, that it takes more to get hers to curl. She looks SO different with curls--or even waves!

I just put the curlers in after a bath. Baby thin hair is easy to roll up, and dries quickly. The key (and the tricky part) is to leave them in until they are completely dry--so overnight.

I try to do it just before bed, let her run around a bit while I am watching, so that I can distract her if she tries to pull them out. She soon forgets about them. Then, when they are about dry, I put her to bed where she may leave them in if she goes to sleep quickly. Worst case, she pulls out the ones in the front before falling asleep, but that hair is usually, at the least, wavey. I only trouble myself with this for special events, or when I'm feeling especially vain about perfecting my child's already precious looks: Easter Sunday, weddings, portraits...

The next morning, you want to take out the curlers and 'finger'-comb through the hair and shape/style with your hands. Brushing turns it into an 'afro'. If it is way too curly, loosen curls a bit with damp hands (I never have that problem with Cate!). Lightly spray to hold in place.