monday. backyard camp-out.

usually, memorial day weekend, our family can be found camping far from home. this year, the husband and i were really hoping to not pay for crazy-priced gas, wade through the traffic to get out of town, or take cover waiting for the intermittent rain to stop.

this year, we decided the backyard was the way to go. no packing, soft grass, and all the comforts of a campout—fire, s'mores, hotdogs, tent, (even some sunshine!) all 100 feet from home. it was awesome, the kids had a blast, and we were even able to get some yard-work in.

we were a bit early for the great american backyard campout, but the idea's the same.


no pouting allowed (showing us what NOT to do) ...



run around barefoot ...

get a little crazy ...

eat a hotdog ... or 3 ...

play in the tent ... a lot ...


figure out this whole marshmallow in the fire thing ...

sacrifice at LEAST five marshmallows to the fire in the process ...

rub the belly a little just to make sure he's still there ... yep, not just a food baby anymore ...

most of all, have tons of fun—get outside, goof around, mix it up, and you don't even have to go anywhere! i highly recommend it.

sunday. the red tent.

i'd been searching for something great to read that didn't involve fancy nancy, the rainbow fairies, the big red barn, or goodnight moon. the red tent was exactly what i needed. and then some. i'd seen it at the bookstore, and at the library, but honestly, had never even read the back cover. it was recommended by a few people when i reached out for a list from friends and checked it out at the library a few days ago.

i finished it last night at 2 a.m., and even then, was sad it was over.

let me start by saying that i wasn't sure about this book before i started it. i'm generally not drawn to religious or even loosely religious based fiction. and the back of the book introduces it's main character, dinah, as jacob's only daughter from the book of genesis. it wasn't drawing my attention like i'd hoped. but, as i read, i realized this book is about so much more, and really only uses the character as a way to share intimate and insightful moments throughout women's history. note to self: don't judge a book by it's book jacket.

dinah, the narrator, opens by introducing herself and explaining that she is reciting the memories of her life and her mothers’ lives—because without a daughter to tell the story, a woman’s history does not live on. dinah focuses initially on the stories of her mothers, the four wives of jacob—and how they come to be married to the same man (p.s. i didn't think i could get past the multiple wives part, but it really was easy when you realized that it's not the focus of the book).

what reached me the most throughout this story though, is the journey of several of these women onto the path of midwifery–extremely successful ones at that. it was awe inspiring reading about these women and their relationships. they brought life into the world, helped helpless mothers survive, and created inseparable, yet complicated bonds amongst each other. a lot of the story is unfathomable to today's world—but so much of what was said, still hits home—big-time.

friday. half-way!

20 weeks and so very ready for some sunshine to head our way!

friday. dairy farm trip.

taylor's girl scout troop took a trip to spokane's family farm ... we took the whole family and it was a blast! i've posted about them before, several times, including: last year's trip, making yogurt, and why we drink they're amazing milk.

all the girls in the same place ... and almost everyone looking at the camera, amazing!


cutest little farmhouse ever...


complete with redneck cabin ...


cows!


baby calf—just a couple days old!


brennan was definitely a fan ...


and they were as much a fan of him as he was of them ...


shortcut to the barn ...



chickens!

four week old bunnies were about the cutest thing ever. and definitely a hit ...


feeding the donkeys ...


homemade ice cream at the end of the tour!


thank you spokane family farm!

tuesday. monsters.

adding another boy to the family threw my nursery theme ideas for a loop this time around. luckily, some time, thought, and the internet helped. here's my inspiration so far. i need more ideas and comments, please!

colors: bright orange, lime green, teal.

how cute is this wall decal growth chart! i get to pick the color even—bright orange! i just don't think i can get over how cute it is. really.



same designer, more customizable wall decals! orange, teal, and lime green! they're big, too!


this by-the-yard fabric from fabric.com is PERFECT for the crib sheet i'm going to make (i'll do a tutorial when i get to that point. you won't believe how easy it is, promise).



with this perfect crib bumper to set off the colors!



and baby's name (whatever THAT ends up being!) in this font above the crib on the wall (again, i'll tutorial this also if we ever pick a name).
i'm thinking several little guys like this around the room in the accenting colors—good thing they're super easy to make! i may have to have a monster-making party at my house this summer ...

and a monster mobile with the same (smaller) plush monsters, similar to this one, minus the birdies ...

and we already have this tickle monster kit, but i think it will go quite nicely, with the rest of it. if i can peel it away from my 2-year old.
so, this is where i'm at. i need fabric ideas, curtains, and i'm thinking a big bright orange shag area rug or something fun!

tuesday. pie.

my sister has a ton of rhubarb, and her and her significant other both dislike it very much. so, i borrowed some (and will hopefully continue to do so all summer). i made pie. huckleberry-rhubarb to be exact. and my rhubarb-hating husband happened to LOVE it. i'll be lucky if there's any left when i get home.

here's the how to:
• 4 C chopped rhubarb
• 1-2 C huckleberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 1/3 C sugar
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 double crust pie recipe

1. preheat oven to 450.
2. combine sugar and flour. sprinkle 1/4 of it over pastry in pie plate. Heap rhubarb and huckleberries (mixed) over this mixture. sprinkle with remaining sugar and flour.
   
3. dot with small pieces of butter. cover with top crust (i used a lattice crust).

1. place pie on lowest rack in oven (important so it doesn't burn!). bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and continue baking for 40 to 45 minutes.

i don't normally have hearts on my pies, but taylor insisted we make it pretty. it was either hearts or pumpkins. hearts made more sense to her since, "mom, it's not a pumpkin pie."

if you can help it, let it cool in the fridge or on the counter before you try it. it will thicken up and hold together so much better. it's super-yummy warm, too, if you just can't wait!

monday. allrecipes.

i love baking. but even more than baking, i love baking with good odds that it'll come out in my favor. and so far, the best thing i've found to up my odds is: allrecipes.com. i'm sure lots of you have heard of it, or used it, but for those that haven't, you're missing out!

perks:
• it's free.
• search by ingredient, recipe title, or keyword.
• all recipes are rated by all reviewers with stars (1 to 5).
• search by rating.
• reviewers add their comments and suggestions for you to read before you attempt it yourself.

i've used this website for soooooooo many recipes i can't even count. and always read reviews and suggestions. you seriously can't go wrong!

monday. time.

it has truly never been so hard to work a full 8 hour day as today. for weeks we've had nothing but rain, hail, snow, and frosty mornings. but today ... oh, today ... it's sunny, not a cloud in the sky, 68 degrees, and time has officially stopped.

i hope everyone else's day is flying by and you're enjoying the sunshine!

thursday. yogurt-making.

making yogurt is so flipping easy! not only that, but it's so flipping good for you. how easy is it you ask? well, if you ask me, anything that only requires one ingredient is pretty darn easy.

milk. real milk. most importantly, non-homogenized. well, and a cup or two of your last batch of yogurt to mix in to get the cultures going. that's it!

1. bring one gallon of milk to 160-180 degrees in a big pot on the stove. this will make a LOT of yogurt. don't let it boil! you'll have to start over. take it off the heat as soon as you get to the right temp (160 is perfect).
   
2. let the milk cool to between 110-120 degrees (shoot for somewhere in the middle).
3. take out 2 cups of milk and add to a medium-sized bowl, and mix in your 1-2 cups of yogurt starter—or dannon plain yogurt if you don't have a start already! mix. feel free to add probiotics from your health food store or super supplements type place.
   
4. add the mixture back into your warm milk pot, and mix well.
5. pour the contents into the inner bowl of your crock pot, put the lid on, wrap it in a couple towels and set it in your oven—no heat on! just turn on the light in your oven.
6. let it sit for 8-12 hours depending on how tart and thick you like it.
7. if you want to make greek-style yogurt, take your final product and strain through cheesecloth or a t-shirt to your desired consistency—I usually strain mine for about 3 hours, making it a sour cream-like texture. see my post on greek yogurt for more info!
   
8. flavor however you like and store in mason jars or tupperware in the fridge for 2+ weeks! try fruit, honey, maple syrup, or a spoonful of homemade blackberry jam does the trick for me!

p.s. if you save the whey (the watery stuff that strains out through the cloth, you can use it for lots of things! i.e. add to your vegetable stock, pour over your dog's dinner for extra nutrients, feed it to your flower bulbs, use in place of water when baking ... don't throw it out!

thursday. milk.

mother's day came early for me this year!

i had the lovely experience of taking a class on saturday with one of the owners of spokane family farm (local dairy farm)! topic of the class? how to make greek yogurt and fresh mozzarella! see my next post for more information about THAT part of it! i've known about the local dairy farm for about a year now, it's a great place to take the kids—baby calves, fresh ice cream, milk and cookies, chickens, donkeys, goats, the works! an awesome place to visit on a weekend.

but, aside from being a super-fun place to visit, it's the only place to get 'real' good-for-you milk in spokane. literally. i won't go TOO much into the science behind it (there's a lot). but, i will say, with access to this farm, my family will not be drinking store-bought milk. and for any of you that live in the spokane area—look into it.

as i mentioned, i won't detail you to death. but, here's a bulleted list of reasons i will no longer buy store-bought—bullets don't really count as reading, you can just skim, ha ha—lame pun, totally intended:

• it tastes amazing. and i control the fat content by how much or how little cream i leave on top and shake back in.

• spokane's family farm milk goes from happy cows to your cup in less than 72 hours. this is total time from cow to you buying it in the store. i buy mine from the farm (it's cheaper!), and cuts that time by a LOT.
  

• my kids love it, and it still comes in a regular milk jug just like all milk does, so my kids don't question it with 'how come it looks funny?'

• regular commercial pasteurization includes heating milk past the boiling point, we're talking like in the 245 degree range ... this kills ALL bacteria to extend shelf life, and removing any bacteria, vitamins, or minerals that were good for you.

• because the 'good stuff' was ruined during the process, they add fortified vitamins and other nutrients back in with not-natural ingredients.
  

• spokane's family farm pasteurizes to make your milk safe, but does so at the lowest FDA temperature, 145 degrees—because their milk doesn't need a several-month shelf-life. this lower temperature keeps all the good stuff intact. safe and healthy ... works for me!
  

• i can skim the cream off the top and make things like butter.

• homogenization forces the milk through a series of screens at high pressure to keep the cream from separating and coming to the top. when you drink the processed homogenized milk, your body cannot digest the cream in this unnatural state and the fat in the cream gets absorbed by your stomach lining and passes straight into your blood stream which deposits itself in your arteries.

• the homogenization process physically changes the fat molecules from round to long and sharp. extremely not cool when 'long and sharp' means the fat is more likely to enter your bloodstream and adhere to your arteries causing all kinds of issues.
  

• when you drink non-homogenized milk, ( when the cream is left in its natural state) your body can digest the cream and use the fat that is in the cream for energy and nutrients that your body needs.

• i can make yogurt, cream cheese, mozzarella, and so many other things that you CANNOT make with store-bought milk.
  

and the number one reason i will buy milk from the farm? hearing from an extremely reliable source that the local dairy farmers of a VERY well-known dairy company won't allow their own families to drink the milk that comes out of their cows.

that's a good enough reason for me. it's no wonder people have dairy issues these days.

let me end this post with a disclaimer. i am in no way a scientist. i do not know all. my information comes from research, first-hand sources, experience, and more research. i am not legally stating any of this. it is all my own opinion, and you have every right to yours.