Getting Crafty: Children's Art Display Frames

Until this week, I've been going through a bit of a crafting drought.  I guess I've just been so busy with having all three kids home all day and caring for the little farm we've got going on in the backyard that inside fun projects have slowed tremendously.  But, this past week, I made two dresses and completed these frames, so I feel like I've got my crafting groove back.  :)

I started with these 3 old frames found on the cheap at a local flea market.

I dismantled them and painted them to look distressed using paint I already had on hand and the same paint method I used for our Farm Fresh Milk sign.

Then, I glued some pretty fabric to the backing board (1/2 yard was sufficient for all 3 frames), put it back into the frames, and glued these bulldog clips to the fabric.

Then, I hung them and displayed some of the kids' recent artwork.  They were so proud of their framed work!

For those who are familiar with the layout of our house, this shows where the frames are in relation to everything else, next to the mudroom-type bench near the garage and backdoor.

Thanks, Pinterest, for the idea!

Forks Over Knives

I've been really enjoying some of the food/farming related documentaries available on Netflix's instant viewing.  Two that I've enjoyed are Forks Over Knives and Fresh (if you, like me, can't seem to get enough of good 'ole Joel Salatin, be sure to check out the latter :). 

But, I thought I'd share with you a couple of tidbits I gleaned from my viewing of the former.  

-- Americans are carrying an average of 23 extra pounds.

-- 40% of us are obese.

-- The average American consumes 147 lbs. of sugar per year.

--  1 in 3 people will be diagnosed with diabetes at some point during their lifetime.

These are staggering statistics.  The movie also provides a unique look at why we're facing this health crisis in the US.  And, interestingly, it doesn't place the blame on the individual.  In fact, the movie claims that we the people are the victims.  I'm not going to give it away though.  Just watch the movie.  ;)

Araucana: a Stand-out Chicken!

When we first brought home our flock of hens, we had a total of 8, a pair of each of 4 different breeds.  Then, our Araucana's were not my favorites.  Sure, they were pretty enough, but they were very timid.  I much preferred the Australorps that would greet me when I came with treats and let me pet them.  Also, the Araucana's were prone to lay "floor eggs," or eggs laid in places other than the nesting box, which I found annoying. 

Now, that our flock has dwindled to 4, though, the Araucanas have won me over. For one thing, they're both still kickin', which leads me to believe that they are pretty tough and heat-tolerant.  Also, while the other two hens have basically decided to just lay off the laying of eggs during this horrible heat, the Araucanas are still going strong.

It's easy to tell their eggs from the others.  Araucanas are frequently called "Easter-eggers" because of their beautiful blue/green eggs.  Martha Stuart, who really likes this breed herself, even named a paint color after that exquisite shade of blue!

So, if you're in the market for a new chicken breed, this one is definitely worth a look!

Oh, and it's watermelon season around here in the home of the world's sweetest melons!  And, our chickens are loving the opportunity to pick those rinds clean!

Pasta Salad with Salami and Mozzarella

This cool, summer salad is a staple at our table, especially during this season when cherry tomatoes are plentiful.  It's delicious and has the added bonus of being one of the only dinner salads that our kids will eat (I think it's the salami that makes it so appealing; Girl 1 would be a vegetarian but for her love of all things pork!)

To make this salad, mix up the dressing in the bottom of your large serving bowl:

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. white whine vinegar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Then add the rest of your ingredients, toss, and serve!

8 oz. cooked pasta of your choice (we used penne this time, but we've also used gemelli and rotini in the past)

4 c. or so chopped spinach

1-1.5 c. halved cherry tomatoes

4-8 oz. cubed mozzarella (depending on how much cheese you like.  I was actually low on mozzarella, so we cut up string cheese :)

a few slices of sandwich-cut salami, cut into little triangles like pizza slices

Yummmm!

Because of the spinach, the salad doesn't keep for long as left-overs once it's been mixed up.  If you think you may not eat it all at dinner, consider mixing it all up without the spinach, putting spinach in the bottom of each serving bowl and topping with the rest of the ingredients.  Keeping the spinach out of the mix ensures that your salad will still taste great at lunch tomorrow. :)

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Yesterday, God granted us rain!

  It worked out that I was able to do my afternoon, backyard chores during the gentle rain, and it was such a blessing to feel that sweet wetness on my skin!  The garden already looks happier.  I set out to find a prayer in thanksgiving for rain.  My search turned up many prayers requesting rain and not a one specifically thanking God for answering the prayer.  There's a lesson for us in there.

There is rain in those clouds!



Rain drops on our tomatoes

For anyone who may have not yet received their long-awaited rain, here's a beautiful Catholic prayer I found in my search:

O God, in Whom we live and move, and have our being, grant us rain, in due abundance, that, being sufficiently helped with temporal, we may the more confidently seek after eternal gifts. Through Christ, our Lord.  Amen.


And, if you, like us, have experienced that long-awaited end to the drought, maybe you'd like to join with me in this simple prayer of thanksgiving . . .

Thank you, Lord, for the rain you sent in answer to our fervent prayer -- for the salvation it provided parts of your creation.
Thank you that you never stop providing. 
Thank you for keeping us ever mindful of our dependence upon you. 
Thank you for the many lessons you teach us through the workings of your creation, if only we have eyes to see and ears to hear you in it.  Amen.

Blossom End Rot

It's officially tomato season at our house, and, oh, how sweet it is!  While it hasn't damaged too many fruits, I have noticed my first case of blossom-end rot since I've started gardening.  It's pretty easy to diagnose blossom-end rot.  Basically, you're dealing with blossom-end rot if the blossom end of your fruit shows signs of, um,  rot.  It's quite an appropriate name, it seems. 

This tomato (picked from a neighbor's garden) looks great from the top.

But, turn it over, and you'll discover that brown, leathery patch of rotted tomato flesh.

I've talked to several local gardeners who are currently experiencing this problem.  It's no surprise, either, since the primary cause of blossom-end rot is insufficient moisture, and we've been how many days/weeks without rain now?

Anyway, for those gardeners who aren't familiar with this condition and are shocked and dismayed by that hideous leathery patch, I've got only good news for you.

It's not a disease; it's a curable disorder.  In other words, there's no need to pull your plant up by the roots and go tomato-less until next year.  

The rot is caused by a lack of calcium reaching the fruit.  Usually, in organic gardens, this has nothing whatsoever to do with the calcium content of the soil itself, and everything to do with the plants not having enough of the calcium-delivery-system -- water.  Besides a lack of moisture, over-fertilization is another frequent cause of blossom-end rot.  According to Rodale's Vegetable Garden Problem Solver, "Applying too much nitrogen fertilizer may cause blossom-end rot by stimulating so much leaf growth that there's too much competition for calcium."   Since my plants are not super bushy, I suspected that my problem stemmed from the drought, but it did seem like the perfect time to try out one of my Mother's Day gifts, a pH soil tester.

According to my tester, our soil pH is just fine at 6.5.  If it measured much lower, it would benefit from the addition of lime. 

If you have some affected fruits currently green on the vine, pluck them off and feed them to the chickens or compost pile.  There's no need to keep them there when new, healthier fruits could make better use of the plant's resources.  If, however, you happen to bring in a ripe tomato that has been affected, just slice off the yucky portion, and use the rest.  While it's not a pretty fruit, worthy of the farmer's market, it should still taste just fine.

Grilled Summer Vegetable Pasta

Okay, yes, there's a zucchini in this photo.  I will say, though, the zucchini plants are really slowing down, so the zucchini recipes may follow suit soon. ;)  There's a lot more than zucchini going on in this one, though.  This pasta was truly delicious! And, it uses a lot of what's in season right now.  In our area, you should be able to get your hands on local, fresh ingredients for this dish at your local farmer's market or watermelon stand. ;)

Ingredients:

8 oz. linguine, cooked according to package directions

4 medium tomatoes, chopped

1/3 c. coarsely chopped basil leaves (don't go with dried here.  It really matters sometimes, and this is one of those times.)

6 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 red bell pepper, quartered

1 zucchini, halved lengthwise

1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices

4 oz. chevre (goat) cheese, crumbled

1/3 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In large bowl, mix tomatoes, basil, 4 Tbs. olive oil, salt, and pepper; set aside (or take a photo, like I did, because it's just so pretty! Or, just periodically sniff it as you go about the rest of the prep work because it just smells so great -- I've been really craving a Caprese salad lately myself!)

Coat eggplant, bell pepper, zucchini, and onion with a mixture of garlic and 2 Tbs. oil and grill over medium heat for 8-12 minutes or until desired tenderness.

Coarsely chop vegetables; add to tomato mixture.  Gently stir in chevre.

Place cooked linguine in the bottom of serving dish, top with vegetable mixture and Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!  We've made a lot of veggie pastas, but this one has two great things going for it. 

1.  I love basil.  The fresh basil makes this one great.

2. The grilled flavor really adds something nice to the mix.

Enjoy!