What Are You Making?

Oh so many things! As Anna told me today: "My favorite things to make are crafts and food!"

Yup, that just about covers it. Anything you can make would fall into one of those categories, right?

Meatballs:The meatball production -first you have to make the mud, in this dry climate. Use a spoon to mix the water and the dirt, collect it in a cup, form the balls, powder them with something white and fancy like crumbled cement, let them dry out of a younger sister's reach:
Sage spoons and acorn top bowls, for a feast in the playhouse:
Brownies, by Anna:

Little acorn people (yes, we collected all the acorns last Fall and made an acorn bag out of them-as opposed to a bean bag- but today the girls requested that the bag be cut open so the real treasure inside could be put to good use):

A surprise for Daddy, energy bars for his bike rides, freezing on plates before being dumped into bags:Anna made them with peanut butter, honey, different chopped nuts and dried, chopped fruit, oats, chocolate chips, and the secret ingredient- ground coffee beans.

Also being made: Squirrel food:

They liked it.

It doesn't count as feeding wild animals if you're just giving them back their food source that you stole for them last Fall, right? Anna wanted to know what the inside of acorns looks like, so she found some rocks and spent a while pounding them open. When she realized that the meat of the acorn is inside, the squirrel's favorite food, she left it out for them. It was amazing how fast they found it. Within half and hour it was all gone, even while we continued to play within 5 feet of the food offering.

Yes, most of these are things Anna made today, as opposed to Josie or Ruthie, although Ruthie helped on some of it. Josie has been sick. We made her a throne to recline on in the kitchen today where she was able to feel like she was an intimate part of all the activity while still getting the rest that her body needs. She seems to be feeling much better this afternoon, and I'm betting she'll be as good as new by tomorrow morning.

Our Days...

...have been oh so full around here. Here's a glimpse of a few of our highlights.

Another birthday, Mitch turned 1:We had neighbors over to celebrate with pumpkin pie.

Sweet Josie napping on the couch in her new dress made by Mema. I love how this little one falls asleep in the middle of whatever she is quietly doing during her rest time, never one to actually put down her book and decide to sleep.


Josie's leaf pile, leaves that she collected on our walk this evening. All three girls brought back so many colorful leaves. We are absolutely loving all the colors that are on the trees and carpeting the ground and filling the air. My favorite fall moment happened the other day when it was quite blustery out and colorful leaves were literally raining out of the trees in our courtyard, filling the air with color. All the kids started running through them as they fell, screaming and laughing, caught up in the excitement of running through a downpour of leaves. It was a moment I think I will remember my whole life and will always bring a smile to my face.



Puzzles. All three girls at different levels working on and succeeding in doing puzzles, and then doing them again, and then again, and then again. I love watching them learn the skills needed for doing a puzzle and I love their excitement when they succeed. The whole family joined in a rousing "hip-hip-hooray!" for Ruthie when she finished hers for the first time.

Anna is making such incredible strides in her reading skills these days. She's actually starting to blend together the sounds of the letters she sees and has randomly read words on signs as we drive or walk around. So exciting! Such a huge life skill unfolding before our eyes.

Here's one more video I took this morning before ballet class, because Anna asked me to "take a video of us and post it on the blog!" These kiddos always make me laugh, they are so silly in such an impromptu and unselfconscious way.

5 Year Old Birthday Princess

Half a decade old, my little Anna girl, so grown up, so confident and kind- two characteristics that can be hard to find in the same person. She knows her mind. I wasn't kidding when I told you this little girl loves to be fancy! She wanted me to put her hair in rag curlers the night before her party.
I love watching her walk when she feels beautiful. So poised and graceful (for a five year old), she holds her head high with a sparkle in her eye.
She and her daddy went on a date in the morning and returned with donuts for all of us for breakfast.

She loves her new roller skates! I love that her fancy dress doesn't ever stop her from being completely herself and doing crazy Anna things, like roller skating or climbing trees or playing in the mud.

For her birthday this year Anna wanted to invite two special friends, Nam and Sophie June, to a swim party at the rec center, and then home for games, dinner, and birthday cupcakes. A perfect choice. Our rec center has a zero entry pool where the girls can touch everywhere complete with a small and large slide and other water fountain like amenities. One of Anna's favorite places to go and safe enough for Mitch and I to watch 5 crazy girls. They had a ball. Sorry, I didn't take the camera with me. At a pool I definitely need to focus on watching the girls and making sure they are safe:)

When we got home they all dressed up like princesses and played a rousing game of hide-and-seek while Daddy fixed dinner.

Oh where, oh where has that Anna girl gone?

There she is!

The three princesses, with crowns, high-heeled shoes, fancy dresses, and bouquets of flowers.

Anna's dinner request was pesto pasta, oven fried chicken and salad. Yummy choice, Anna!

Zucchini chocolate chip chocolate cupcakes with coconut cream cheese frosting. Where does a five year old come up with a combination like that? But the birthday girl gets to choose, and I must say they turned out pretty darn tasty.

My spunky, feisty, social little Anna girl, growing up so fast.

Happy Birthday, Anna. We love you.

And one last picture, just for good measure, of Miss Josie Joy trying out the roller skates in her pajamas.

Birthday Dinner

Yup, its that time of year again, the birthday month in the Clement household. Tonight was my turn, and your turn in this household means you get to choose your birthday meals.

Have you ever made Sushi Rolls? Or Nori Wraps or California Rolls, whatever name you want to call them by they're pretty darn tasty! Don't worry, we didn't have any raw seafood in these. Just chop up your favorite colorful vegetables (bell pepper, carrot, avocado and cucumber here), cut cream cheese into slices- or mini (cooked) shrimp- cook the sushi rice according to the directions on the package.

Spread a thin layer of rice on most of the Sushi Nori wrap, leaving an inch at the top uncovered so it will stick to itself when rolled. Spread your desired toppings in a thin line towards the bottom of the wrap. Dampen the last uncovered inch of the wrap so it will seal when rolled and then roll it tightly from the bottom up.

Slice it, like so:
Dip it in tamari/soy sauce and wasabi if you like, and enjoy!


These girls loved it! They were eating them as fast as I could roll them!
This is one of my favorite potluck meals. The host provides the wraps and the rice and each guest brings a favorite topping or two. Mmm mmm mmm!





Mitch, the chef extraordinaire tonight, outdid himself with dessert, a delicious chocolate cake made from scratch, Texas Sheet Cake.

My favorite chocolate cake ever because it always turns out so moist.

If you're looking for a never-fail chocolate cake recipe, try this one out. I've even made it with 100% whole wheat pastry flour and it was still incredible.

Texas Sheet Cake

2 c flour

2 c sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 c butter

1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder

2 eggs

1/2 c buttermilk (or sour milk)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 recipe Chocolate-Buttermilk Frosting

Mix first four ingredients. Melt butter in a small saucepan, add cocoa powder and 1 c water. Bring mixture just to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add cocoa mixture to flour mixture, add eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. 350 degrees for 35 min. Pour warm Chocolate-Buttermilk Frosting over warm cake.

Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting: Combine 1/4 c butter, 3 T cocoa powder, and 3 T buttermilk in a saucepan. Bring to boiling, remove from heat. Add 2 1/4 c powdered sugar, beat until smooth. Add a smidge more milk to reach desired spreading consistency if necessary.

Crab Apple Jelly

My friend Amelia came over to make Crab Apple Jelly with us the other day.

The girls are showing you all the crab apples they picked. They couldn't reach many off the tree, but Amelia and I would shake the tree and crab apples would come raining down for the girls to pick up. Then Amelia and I would keep picking all we could reach from standing on the crate and chair.The girls did all the washing:

Amelia and I cut them in half and removed the stems.

Then we cooked them (2 c water to each lb of apple) and removed the pulp, leaving just the juice.

Add sugar (lots!), cook it until reduced by half, and there's your Crab Apple Jelly! Pour it into jars, give it a hot water bath for 5 minutes (at our elevation I do 15), and let it sit on the shelf until it thickens up.

Crab apples are high in pectin so you don't need to add anything to thicken it up.

In our neighborhood the sidewalks are littered with crab apples this time of year. I love finding a use for something that otherwise would just go to waste. Crab apples, if you've ever tried one, tend to be pretty tart and not very good to eat plain. But made into jelly it can't get tastier!

'Tis the Season

Fall is the season of plenty around here. Local food grown on local family farms, food from our own garden and surrounding trees, everything coming ripe and ready all at once, so much fresh goodness on our table!

Carrot Tomato Soup for dinner, from pounds and pounds of fresh tomatoes and carrots picked that day (recipe found here on SouleMama's Blog). I'd never actually made Tomato Soup from fresh tomatoes before, but after coming home from Miller Farms today with 20 lbs of tomatoes (along with 16 other sacks full of the Fall harvest), I knew this was the day. The girls loved it. Who wouldn't love a creamy tomato soup with fresh basil in it? My cupboards and closets are stocked! I finished canning about 50 lbs of peaches today, along with 10 pint's of Grandma Jo's Special Sauce, aka Blender Ketchup (that's what I did with the rest of the 20 lbs of tomatoes that I didn't turn into soup).The smell of Grandma Jo's Special Sauce filled the house for two days while it cooked down. Mmm mmm mmm! It brought back so many memories of my own childhood. Isn't it amazing how many good feelings can be evoked just by a certain smell? Grandma Jo's Special Sauce is special indeed. If you're wondering what to do with your Fall harvest abundance of tomatoes, give this recipe a shot:

Grandma Jo's Special Sauce, aka Blender Ketchup

8 lbs tomatoes, washed, peeled* and stemmed

2 red bell peppers

2 green bell peppers

4 onions

3 c white vinegar

3 c sugar

3 T salt

1/2 tsp allspice

3 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp hot red pepper

De seed and cut peppers in strips. Skin and quarter onions. Blend tomatoes, peppers and onion in blender. Bring to a boil in a large stockpot along with vinegar and sugar. Place other ingredients in a cheesecloth bag and add to pot. Simmer uncovered till reduced by half, about 24 hours.

Directions and times for canning blender ketchup can be found here.

*To peel tomatoes: dip them in a boiling water bath for about a minute and the skins will slide right off.

We are loving this Sauce in our house right now!

Whew!

What an end of summer whirlwind, and its Fall already! Time has felt like it is passing in leaps and bounds, each day melting into the next with hardly a breath between. That could seem stressful, I suppose, but for the most part it hasn't been. Lots of time with friends, lots of shared meals, late summer harvests from the garden on our plate. Little girls growing up so fast. Ruthie, especially, has been growing and changing so much lately. Talking up a storm, running fast after her sisters trying to keep up with their antics. People keep calling her Josie lately because she got so big so fast. She seems more like a little girl and less like a toddler everyday.

She's my little helper in the kitchen-helping me roll out pie crust for a pot pie.

Nora and Ruthie sharing a book together.

Josie reading to Ruthie.
Josie is a little mother. If you need a room picked up and all the toys put away ask Anna. Don't ask Josie unless you're ready to put in some parenting time guiding her through the task. But if you need help taking care of a little one, ask Josie. She'll take their hand and guide them through a task, entertain them while you cook or eat, read to them, bring you a clean diaper or a sippy cup. Such a sweet, patient spirit. They each have their strengths and weaknesses.




Here's one last picture I have to share with you before I head off to bed.
This is Lars, who has hung out with us a lot lately since his Mama was on bed rest, pregnant with his little brother (now two weeks old, doing great, the tiniest little being I think I have ever held). We have had so much fun with this little guy. Anna and Josie don't really like to wrestle. I keep waiting for wrestling matches to break out in our house, but those two are never both in the mood at the same time. Ruthie, on the other hand, being the youngest and always getting tackled both accidentally and on purpose, loves to wrestle. It has been so much fun for her to have Lars around to laugh with, to good-naturedly wrestle with, dance with, and have a playmate of her own to hang out with when her sisters want to do big girl things. Lars, for his part, fits right into our little family, and brings a lot of laughter along with him. Here's an action shot of the little guy jumping off the coffee table. I think we taught him a few bad habits:) The coffee table is our favorite indoor launch pad. We loved having you around, Lars.


I have missed being in this space, sharing our life with you. Time flying by can do that, so can a computer that is incredibly slow and never gets to the next web page or accomplishes the tasks that you are asking it to do. Frustrating, to say the least. But we have a new computer in our home now (with a webcam, we can skype!), so my words can flow out again and not get bottled up in the frustration of a computer that isn't moving.

Pickles!

Making pickles is one of my favorite late summer activities. It is always fun to make something so yummy from things that we grew ourselves in our garden: cukes, dill and garlic.

Pickles are a whole family affair around here.

Anna got all the dill off the stems and put it in the sterilized jars:

Josie collected the seeds from the head of the plant and sprinkled them in the jar:
By the time our cukes are ready for pickling our dill is sparse and mostly gone to seed. But I have read that the seeds actually have more flavor than the dill, so we added a lot of them to each jar and that did the trick. (My mother-in-law also told me you can freeze the dill earlier in the season until you are ready to use it)

I sliced the cucumbers and and garlic and Ruthie loaded them into the jars:

Pour the boiling brine solution over the top (1 part vinegar : 3 parts water), let sit for 24hrs in the fridge and voila!

Yummy pickles to eat!

One of my all-time favorite foods.

Jenna's First Birthday

We have another one year old in the house! Today was Jenna's birthday. (And I think tomorrow will be Charlotte's birthday- making a grand total of three one year olds in our house).We had a blast making this cake, although since Mitch had the camera at work you don't get to see any pictures of the process. I wish you could have seen how covered Ruthie's face was with chocolate frosting when I gave her the spatula to lick off, or how meticulously the girls worked at putting the sprinkles on in just the right way.

Singing Happy Birthday to Jenna- even little Ruthie joined in:
Did you see the card that Anna made for Jenna on the table there? And notice how fancy the table is set, complete with a fancy tablecloth, fancy dishes from their tea set, and fancy forks they found in the drawer. We were all dressed up fancy as well (except Ruthie). Quite a fancy birthday party you had, little miss Jenna!

Here's the birthday girl blowing out her candle after Josie made a wish for her!

Blowing out the candle was definitely Ruthie's favorite part. I think she had Mitch relight it about 10 times so it could be blown out again and again and she could cheer.

Mmm, mmm, good.

Would you like another bite of your birthday cake, Jenna? No? Okay, I'll eat the rest of your piece, then.

Josie and Anna even washed all the dishes up afterwards. Quite impressive, really.

Happy Birthday, Jenna! You are well loved and well celebrated in this house!