Thanksgiving

We went to Michael's college friend's house for Thanksgiving. It was so nice to get out of the city. The drive was amazing along Alligator Alley. We could see alligators basking in the sun on the banks of a river along the highway. There were SO many birds and so much green...the Everglades are incredible. The dinner was incredible and then oddly enough, we went to the beach! It was so weird to have Thanksgiving dinner and then go to the beach. The kids had so much fun playing in their yard. So much room to run and play....they miss our land.

I love these photo's of the kids playing their piano because it reminds me of holiday get togethers at my aunt Mary's. As far as I can remember I have this image of her and my uncle David sitting together at the piano playing songs at holiday get togethers.

They're not quite as sofisticated as my aunt and uncle....

But that's okay... =)

My beautiful daughter

We just got back from the park. There was another family there with two kids playing on the toys. They mostly spoke Spanish to each other, but spoke to me as well in English a bit. They were very friendly and after a couple minutes of the kids playing the gentleman told me how beautiful Elle is.. "Your daughter is so beautiful. We (his wife and him...in Spanish) were just talking about how incredible looking she is." They had the slightest question in their voice, something about the statement.... at the word "daughter"... I understood that they questioned if she was mine. I responded, "Oh, thank you so much.... my husband is really good looking." and smiled. With out missing a beat, they looked at eachother and he let out a breath of understanding and said, "Ooooohhh... I see." about 3 seconds passed (quite a long time really...try counting it out) and he said, "must be good combination."  with a nod of his head. What a save! HA! =) Nice try... I know she doesn't look like me...and when I meet new people when with Michael I often just want to say... "I know, I know....but I have a GREAT personality!" =D

Ukulele

We got a Ukulele!!!

I love the sound a ukulele makes and it is small enough the kids could learn when they are young. I am not musical AT ALL but this only has four strings and I am just following the kids lesson book and learning songs... it'll be a fun addition to any future "hoe-down" we have back at the farm! =) Michael was really itching for a musical instrument (he is REAL musical) so this was the solution.

It makes Elle a little crazy...

maybe a LOT crazy...

With Christian's crooked teeth and under bite, red hair and wide duck feet we have always invisioned him stomping in the barn barefoot with that goofy smile and a banjo on his knee (no offense to any banjo players out there, but for some reason that was just the instrument that seemed to fit his unique appearance and personality), so maybe this ukulele will be a good start for him.

Homemade Soft Pretzels

On parchment paper before going into boiling water

Boiling,

draining

Salted... no very good with the sprinkling! I don't even have Elle to blame on this.. that was me...

I got this recipe out of a magazine- Grit Country Skills Series- Guide to Homemade bread.

1 1/2 Cups warm water

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 Tablespoon Sugar

3 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon salt

1 egg

Coarse or Kosher salt

Water bath consists of: about a gallon of water and 1 Tablespoon Baking soda

1. In large bowl, combine warm water, yeast and sugar; let sit for 5 minutes, or until foamy.

2. In separate bowl, combine flour and salt. Add to yeast mixture and mix until it comes together. Use your hands to combine into a ball. On lighly floured work surface, knead dough for a few minutes until a smooth, sticky dough forms.

3. Place dough in oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for about 45 minutes.

4. On lightly floured work surface, divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each peice into a long rope, 18-20 inches long. (Don't over flour your hands or work surface as this will make the pieces more difficult to roll.) Twist each peice into a pretzell shape by placing the arc of the pretzel at the bottom (closest to you). Round the two ends so they're facing the arc and twist them around;"paste" them to opposite sides of the arc, using a little water, if necessary. Place on baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

5. Prepare water bath. (don't forget the baking soda!) Once boiling, use slotted spatula to trasnfer each pretzel into water and boil for 3 minutes (I did 4 at a time), flipping once halfway through. Drain on a cooling rack and transfer parboiled pretzels back to parchment-lined baking sheet.

6. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush egg wash (beat one egg with 1 tablespoon water) generously over each pretzel and sprinkle with coarse or kosher salt.

7. Bake for 25 minutes.

They are yummy! No quite Aunt Annies (my favorite kind!) or Weltzels but then again, they are not coated in butter (although you could), don't cost $5 each and you know exactly what is in them. I think I am going to try and add raisins and cinnamon to the dough next time I try them... and maybe make 10 instead of 8 with the dough so they are a little thinner. It was a fun one for Elle to help with- watching the yeast grow and get bubbly, working the dough, rolling them out, shapeing the pretzels and painting the egg wash on them.

Fun tip: How to make your own brown sugar

I didn't know this! Maybe it is common knowledge...but I still thought I wouldd post this because I think it's great to know and I had no clue; so maybe someone else has no clue too! =)

For every Cup of granulated sugar add 1Tablespoon of molasses for light brown sugar and 2 Tablespoons for dark brown sugar. Combine with electric mixer on medium-low to medium high speed (start slow and gradually increase speed) until the molasses is incorporated and the mixture becomes fluffy brown sugar....takes almost 10 minutes or so... you want all the molasses balls blended in.

That simple! How great if you are baking something and realize you're out of brown sugar- no trip to the store needed if you have granulated sugar and molasses on hand.

I raised a chicken

Warning*** another "potty" story... =)
I was sitting in the living room yesturday, reading a book (You Can Farm by Joel Salatin- SUCH a good one!) and I hear Elle screaming. She was working with her art stuff on the floor of my bedroom.  Her screaming is not normal, so I feared she was hurt or managed to cut herself with the child proof sissors, I went running to the room... There she was, on the toilet in the master bedroom, bach bach baching at the top of her lungs like a chicken! She looked up and saw me and smiled and said she was "announcing that she just laid some eggs." I think I laughed a little too hard as now this is a regular event when she is going potty. Oh dear...

The beginning of a dream

I got Elle (let's be honest...and me) a pottery wheel ($25 at WalMart). I have been wanting desparately to learn how to use a pottery wheel for years and years and hope to some day have a set up in our barn for a wheel, but in the mean time this will have to suffice.

Elle LOVED it. We were a total mess, which of course is always fun, and she was pretty good at it. (A little heavy on the water...)

We made this as a toothbrush holder for her bathroom.... she accidently broke it the next day...

Here's what the box looks like if you're interested. (again, I think it was $25 at WalMart...doesn't come with batteries though). I will say, the end product can't hold water though... so although they show a vase and a mug and plant pot... don't plan to make those if you want to use water in them. =)

Pinecrest Gardens

 

The kids and I went to check out this place about 35 minutes from where we live. It is BEAUTIFUL. All of the house plants I see sold in stores in WA.... are here, growing in magnificant splendor; making the ones back home look like they are barely surviving.

This is "Swan Lake". Amazing right?

Look at that swan! If someone would have asked me if I had seen a swan before I would have said "yes" with an "of couse" attitude. But after seeing this.... I realize... I couldn't possibly have ever seen one before... I would have remembered how HUGE they are! Just miraculous.

ROAR!

This was their "petting zoo". I was a little disappointed in this aspect to say the least... but the pigs that were there were super cute and the kids enjoyed seeing them. I can't wait to get pigs on our farm. I have been researching ones that are really good with kids and how to care for them so they don't stink. Yummy bacon!

Those are turtels behind the swan...

Bug

Here's my little man. It's not the greatest nickname, but somehow "bug" has really stuck. I called him "my bug-a-boo" early on and that resulted in "bug"... I love it. I love him.

Little One

In keeping with my daughter's ability to give our animals Indian names (remember the chicken's named "yellow on top of his head" and "broken bill"?) She changed "Betty" to "Little One". She is a really good hamster, hasn't bit anyone yet, in spite of the less than perfect affection my 2 little ones (pun intended) give her. Christian puts his toys in her cage and trys to tickle her, Elle pretends she's a baby and also enjoys how funny it is when you hold her upright like a person would stand and watches as her little legs and feet try desparately to touch the table which makes her look like she's running in place. It is so nice to have an animal around her. I really miss having animals. I am spending much of my time here reading up on and making plans for when we get back and how to really make a go with our small farm. I can't wait! =)

Birdhouse

Yikes, it has been a while since a post! New camera batteries are in and I can now download my photo's of what we've done the last couple weeks.  Elle and I assmbled this birdhouse (I felt like a fraud... I would have never considered buying a KIT before...but no saw or scrap lumber here in our condo...) She had so much fun and we talked and planned where we would put it when we got back to the farm and what kind of a bird she thought might make it their home. The kit was $10 at WalMart if anyone is interested...

Elle pool story

The kids and I went to the pool this afternoon. It has been rainy and "cold" (60 degrees or so) here the last week or so and the pool is not heated other than by the sun, so it was FREEZING! (felt straight out of a hose... which would be fine if it was super hot, but it was probably mid 70's and windy) Elle didn't mind and still wanted to swim, since she missed it from a week of it being too rainy and cold. So the kids played in the water for a while and Elle pretended that there were sharks and I was the "protector" and saved them from the "sharks". After about 5 minutes and everybody was shivering and bright red (from the cold) with purple lips we went to lay on the warm lounge chairs to warm up.

I saw Elle holding my empty water bottle heading toward the pool, so I say, "Elle, where you going?"
Elle: "I'm thirsty."
Me: "Where are you going to get water from?"
Elle: "I'm just going to get it from the pool."
Me: "No, you can't drink the pool water, it has chemicals in it."
Elle...stops, looks at me, looks at the pool very carefully and back at me....with concern in her voice, "How many legs do "chemicals" have?"
HA! =)

Gobble Gobble

We made turkeys! Elle made Christians a Jamacian turkey with beads on his feathers. =) And Elle's is 4 "fingered" (she is still getting the hang of using scissors to cut on the line) and 3 legged... They had a lot of fun (well, Elle anyway, Christian just kept trying to eat the glue and suck on the feathers...). We talked about how when we were back at the farm we'd raise some heritage turkey's. Elle is really excited. Happy Thanksgiving month! =) We are so thankful for our family to be all together.

The New Critter

Well, we didn't even make it two weeks and we have a new little critter. We got the kids a hamster. Elle named her "Betty." She is a sweet little hamster that so far has been extremely active and great entertainment for the kids...and us...not to mention MUCH less work and "overhead" than our other beloved farm animals.

I really do think that children need animals...And let's be honest, they are wonderful "baby siters". =)

Cast Iron Skillet Steak

I never think food pictures look nearly as good as real life....maybe it's because you can't smell a photo...

I want to preface this post with the statement that I do not consider myself a very good cook. I haven't done it enough, I have always tended to just do what I knew and not really branch out much. I don't know the "rules" of cooking or the basic "ideas" or anything like that...I was just never taught it and haven't taken the time to learn them. But it is one of the things I am working on here in Miami... and tonight... tonight I really out did myself! =) The most incredible steak I have EVER had, sauteed mushrooms, and mashed potatoes/carrots.
I got the long wanted cast iron skillet here and have loved cooking with it... feels sort of old fashioned for some reason... I couldn't find a broiler pan at any store here (odd?! Target-no, Walmart-no, grocery store-no...) and we aren't allowed to have a BBQ at our condo so I had to figure out how to cook steak in my cast iron skillet. I looked at a number of websites and a couple food chat forums. There seemed to be quite a dispute between salting your steak first or not salting it first, but everyone agreed that upon removing it from the fridge, it needs to sit at room temperature for 30-40 minutes. (I never knew this). I decided to just salt my salt a little- with Coarse Kosher salt.- there was a consensus that table salt should NOT be used. I heated the oven to 500 degrees with the cast iron skillet in it. This oven here takes FOREVER to pre-heat so this took the full 40 minutes. In the mean time I cooked bacon until it was crispy and sliced some Monterrey Jack cheese.
 I also started the mushrooms. I used about 2 Tablespoons of butter, 1 Teaspoon of Olive Oil, 1/2 teaspoon of Balsamic Vinegaret (sp?), 2 cloved of garlic minced and 1/4 of an onion sliced, then added the mushrooms- about a Cup and a half... wasn't quite enough for 2 adults, I would do at least 2 Cups next time. I had these is a fry pan on the stove between medium and low- a little closer to medium.
Once the oven was preheated and that skillet was, literally, smoken hot- I brought it out and put it on an already HOT burner (burner on high, turned on about 2 minutes before putting pan on it) on the stove top and put the meat on there (by the way, this was new york strip steak, but I'm sure the same method would work with T bones or other kinds of steak). Everything I read told me not to move it once it was placed on there, the point is to sear the outside to hold the juices in. So after about 2 minutes (my steak was about an inch and a half thick) I flipped the steak and did another 2 minutes on the other side. Then I put the oven on Broil 500 degrees. (It was already so hot from heating the pan it didn't take any time to pre-heat) and put the pan with meat in the oven. I cooked EACH SIDE for about 4-5 minutes and this gave me a little more than medium well done... you would have to adjust your time based on how you like your meat and how thick your steak is. As soon as I pulled it out of the oven (and cut in to it to check that it was done to my liken) I put the slices of Monterry Jack cheese and bacon peices (that I had cooked and cut up earlier) on top so the cheese would melt. It was INCREDIBLE. I honestly do not have too much to compare it to, I don't normally order steak at resturants or anything, but it was JUICEY, not chewy, flavorful and in my humble opinion, tasted DELICIOUS.
The mushrooms were also remarkable, although I must admit I have only had sauteed mushrooms one other time in life and they were soggy, I liked these with a little firm texture still to them. (they took about 20 minutes on the stove top). REVISSION: I have had sauteed mushrooms another time... Shantrel mushrooms our friend, John, made us... THOSE were incredible... a completely different playing field, so they didn't even occur to me in thought about this... he sells to the local stores in Olympia, and all over Western Washington and does cooking samples for them... incredible...
Yummmmm...

Elle's Imaginary Friend

My 3 year old (nearly 4) has an imaginary friend... or two... Before we came to Florida this was the friend she talked about raccoons with, the friend she had "circle time" with and taught how to do things like sit quiet, write her letters or clean her room, etc...
There were a few times it got a little confusing when Elle actually BECAME the imaginary friend who had an imaginary friend named "Elle"... (did you catch that?) Yes, when I would speak to my daughter, "Elle, what do you want for lunch?" She would say- "no, no mom, I am NOT Elle, I am Tootsie (or whatever the pretend name was for the day), thhhaaaaat's Elle." (with a point to the blank space beside her). "oh, I see" I would say...
Well, now... Elle's friends and dolls speak "Spanish" and she interprets for them... it is histerical! She'll throw and "uno" or a "dose" or "dainata" in the string of absolute jiberish and it's "spanish". Too funny... she LOVES to correct me when I pretend to "understand" what they are asking for... who knew the world of imaginary friends was so confusing?! I really hope we meet some families here soon so she can have some REAL friends. =)

History of Thanksgiving

Elle and I took this rainy day without or van (they towed it! accidentally...) to start to learn about the history of Thanksgiving. Maybe it's just me but I have a real void of that knowledge other than the photo images that are marketed of Indians sitting with pilgrims at a big table loaded with food with a boat in the background that says "Mayflower" on the side.
I thought I would share what we learned and if anyone else has anything to add please do! I have a new found passion to learn about the holidays our family celebrates and to educate our children on the real heart of what they stand for.
I got this information from about 5 different websites and then sort of put in my own words... http://www.history.com/ was the main site used.

After 66 days on a boat 102 passengers came over from Plymouth, England in September 1620. They first landed in Cape Cod-far north of their intended target, the mouth of the Hudson River. They mainly stayed on the boat (the Mayflower) all winter and were quite exposed to the elements and come spring, only half of them were still alive.
Upon moving ashore in the early spring they were greeted by and Abenaki Indian who spoke English. He came back days later with another Native American, Squanto, a member of the Pawtuxet tribe who had been kidnapped by an English sea captain and sold into slavery before escaping to London and returning to his homeland on an exploratory expedition. Squanto taught the pilgrims (who were desperately weakened by illness and malnutrition and lack of knowledge of the new territory) how to cultivate corn, extract sap from maple trees, catch fish and avoid poisonous plants and insects. He also assisted them with an alliance with the local Wampanoag tribe.
In the fall of 1621 Governor William Bradford organized a celebratory harvest, including the Wampanoag Indians. The event lasted 3 days. Turkey may or may not have been served. It is more likely that lobster, seal and swans were on the menu... certainly no pies with the depletion of the pilgrims supplies since the earlier fall season.
During the American Revolution Continental Congress designated one or more Thanksgiving days/year. In 1789 George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation by the national government of the United States. In it he called Americans to express their gratitude for the happy conclusion to the country's war of Independence and successful ratification of the US Constitution.
John Adams and James Madison did similar during their presidencies.
Other facts:
In 1817 New York was the first state to officially celebrate the holiday.
Sarah Josepha Hale- author of "Mary had a Little Lamb"- was credited as one of the most individuals responsible for making Thanksgiving a national holiday.
Ben Franklin wrote in a letter to his daughter that he was disappointed that the national bird was not chosen to be a turkey- as he had hoped- and was to be a bald eagle. He wrote of the eagles "bad moral character".
Thanksgiving is celebrated on the 2nd Monday in October in Canada.
And lastly... the heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds!!! Jeepers! =)

Have a wonderful November. May it be full of thanksgivings and shared times with family and friends. I encourage you all to create a new tradition this year for yourself/your family.

veggie-speghetti

I love my new cast iron skillet! I made this for dinner in it last night. I have never made speghetti like this before but really liked it, so I thought I'd share. Here's what I used:

1 lb ground beef

1 Cup of sweet corn

1 Cup of diced green pepper

1 Cup of diced orange pepper

1 Cup of  sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 Cup of diced celery

1 jar of roasted garlic speghetti sauce

1/4 Cup of Sugar (I always put sugar in my speghetti...yumm...)

This is enough for about 6 adults, so adjust accordingly. I browned the meat first and then threw everything else in and cooked for about 15 minutes. The veggies were still real crunchy (which I like). You could cook those separate for a little bit if you wanted them softer. Or you could keep it on the oven on low for an hour or so and that would soften them. (Michael didn't get home for dinner until almost 2 hours after he thought so it simmered on the stove for him for a LONG time and his veggies were softer). So just cook your noodles and drain them, pour some of this on, add some parmasean  cheese and woo-la! =) It was really easy, pretty fast and a really good way to get a lot of veggie's in. I would have added black Olives too if I had had any. And I thought about carrots too, (didn't have any) maybe grated?... next time... Enjoy!

Braclet

Elle made me this braclet. She is really in to tying knots these days.

I got her a bunch of craft stuff when we first got down here. She has been making all kinds of things.

I maybe should have re-thought buying the bells.... she certainly knew where I was all day. =)