Making A Home And Family

This past week, I have realized that I have been called to my home.  I have been working on taking time to make a nice dinner, keeping up with my chores, and taking the time for me.  I have been listening to the Raw Mom Summit interviews, and I am currently working on the Q&A.

The 4th of July weekend can be consuming, filled with lots of activities, and you lose track of your home and the needs of your family.  I will be spending time with extended family - spending time with family from NC, spending time with my mom so she can play with V while she is mourning the loss of a friend, and celebrating my nephew’s EIGHTH birthday!!

How are you going to have a simple 4th of July weekend?

Picture courtesy of - http://schulen.eduhi.at/hsgunskirchen/hot_pot/English/More1/family_clipart.jpg

Watermelon is my favorite summer fruit!  It just screams summer to me!  On a hot day, there is nothing better than a cold slice from the fridge.  Except maybe a tall glass of…. watermelon lemonade.

I have not tried this recipe yet, but I know I’m going to love it.  Watermelon, lemonade, in a cold glass…. hello to the perfect summer recipe!

For more ideas, visit We are that Family.

Upon request by my Mom, I am back on board with Meal Plan Monday.  I am trying to be consistent… it’s just hard with baby V.

Monday ~ Spaghetti with maranara and a side salad

To do: Soak beans

Tuesday ~ Spicy rice and beans 

Wednesday ~ Mushroom swiss burgers and potatoes on the grill

Thursday ~ Black bean burgers  and tuna salad

Friday ~ Pizza biscuits and salad

Saturday ~ Veggie pot pie

Sunday ~ Fettucine alfredo with garlic bread and salad

For more meal ideas, visit Org Junkie.

I was asked for my recipe for spicy rice and black beans, so I thought I would make a new post for it.

Ingredients:

1 cup organic brown rice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup chopped scallions

1 medium pepper (your color of choice)

1/2 cup diced celery

3 garlic cloves, medium

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 15 ounce can of red kidney beans or black beans

2 cups canned Italian tomatoes, chopped

Directions:

1.  Cook the rice according to package.

2.  Coat skillet with oil over medium heat.  Add scallions, bell pepper, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and paprika.  Saute until veggies are softened.

3.  Add beans and tomatoes.  Simmer until beans are heated through and most of the liquid has evaporated - about 10 minutes.

4.  Remove bay leaf.  Transfre rice to a large serving platter and spoon the beans over the rice.  Serve.

Recipe from Yogi in the Kitchen

Sorry I missed out on Stepping Lightly this week.  I was busy back in my kitchen, taking care of the chicks, and getting bigger chickens so we can have eggs sooner.  I will try to post this week, so I can update you on the new happenings!

 Until then.. my weekly menu!

Monday ~ Nachoes

Tuesday ~ Ravioli with pesto

Wednesday ~ Cheeseburgers and homemade fries on the grill

Thursday ~ Spicy rice and blackbeans

Friday ~ Frozen pizza

Saturday ~ Brat patties with canned veggies

Sunday ~ Mushroom stew in the crockpot (with homemade bread?)

For meal ideas, visit Org Junkie.

Monday ~ Fettucine alfredo with broccoli

Tuesday ~ Black bean burritos

Wednesday ~ Mushroom swiss burgers and homemade fries

Thursday ~ Veggie lasagna

Friday ~ Pizza biscuits

Saturday ~ Brat patties, canned veggie, and fried potatoes

Sunday ~ Porkchops on rice in the crockpot

For more meal plan ideas, visit the Organizing Junkie.

Our chicks are here!

We were expecting 5-6lb hens, but we got chicks instead.  I’m embracing the task of raising these babies so thaat this fall they will be laying eggs for my family.  It’s exciting to know we won’t have to rely on a grocery store for eggs, especially with the cost of organic and cage free eggs.

Until they can go in their coop, they are in a 50g aquarium with pine shavings on the bottom.  There is a heat lamp to keep them warm, chick feed, and water.  I am going to buy a nice waterer today because they are spilling all over their shavings when I water them.  With the cost of the waterer, I have put in about $20 so far for them in the chick stage.

When they can go outside, they will be in a coop at my parent’s house.  We spent about $60 on hinges, fencing, and stakes.  We used an old building already on their property for the coop and changed it to fit our needs like adding a small door for them to get outside.  We also used scrap wood and the skills of family to build nesting boxes.

This is just one step in our goal to live more simply and more independently.  Be sure to check back to read about how our garden is growing!

Monday ~ Spaghetti with asparagus on the side

Tuesday ~ Nachoes with black bean salsa

Wednesday ~ Cheeseburgers on the grill and homemade fries

Thursday ~  Quiona and black beans

Friday ~ Frozen pizza

Saturday ~ Veggie kabobs and corn on the cob

Sunday ~ Porkchops on rice in the slow cooker

 For more meal plan ideas, visit Org Junkie.

 DH and I wholeheartedly believe that we should learn tradeskills that make us independent of the “outside world.”  Just in case we ever need to care for ourselves - as in feeding ourselves from our land.  As of right now, we don’t own land but that’s for another post and another venture.

For now, we are working with what we have and who we know. :)  My parents own quite a bit of land and have offered to share a garden with us and to house chickens!  How exciting is this!  We are using a building that is already on their land and equipping it with a fence and some nesting boxes (which DH’s father is going to make for us out of scrap wood).  Then we are going to fill the coop with sawdust from the nesting box project.  Our chickens will be arriving in the beginning of May.  We are pretty sure we will only be using our chickens for eggs at this point and not for meat.

Then the garden!  My mom  has already started planting - the onions and garlic that were planted last fall and covered with hay are now sprouting.  She even started some tomatoes and peppers in the house and we are awaiting warm weather to put them into the earth.

I am also part of a community garden this year.  When James and I put in our work hours each week, we will receive our share of food.  Isn’t that amazing!?!  We get to work with friends and earn vegetables.  If you are interested in the concept, please check out the garden blog here.

So we are taking a few big steps to tread a little lighter, grow our own food, and learn independence in feeding ourselves.  Are any of you growing your own food this season?

Picture courtesy of ~ http://www.greenestcity.net/resources/Aerial+Garden.jpg

These past 7 weeks have flown by so fast.  I can’t believe my baby is growing before my eyes and my life has changed so much in a very short amount of time.  Of course, it’s been for the best.  I have realized that the small and simple things in life can be the most beautiful.

Things I have enjoyed during my hiatus from blogging:

cuddling my new baby
watching her grow from *my* milk - my body still amazes me
seeing her change and learn new things - like cooing loudly to wake me up
staying in my pjs for far too long
DH cooking me meals and taking care of me
feeling loved
learning something new about being a mommy everyday
gaining patience (even if it wasn’t always easy)
an open calendar
feeling good enough to do the dishes, laundry, and cook again for my family
sunshine coming through my windows
listening to my body to get back into an exercise routine
listening to my heart about work

Next Stepping Lightly, I’ll be talking about raising chickens and having a garden!  Don’t miss it!