hello....

Can you believe it's been over a year since I've blogged in this space! Well I just wanted to say hello. Things are chugging along and we are so, so glad that Summer is here in the Pacific Northwest (we need the sun to make up for all the rain we get during winter and spring). I know a lot of folks are having heat waves in the Midwest, South, and East Coast-try to stay cool, okay-and don't forget to drink your water. Of course with summer comes gardening, and if you know me, I love gardening. I love growing stuff. Anyway I plant most things in my garden on purpose, except for this beauty~

this sunflower was not planted on purpose. You see, I had a bird feeder on the tree and some seeds from it fell on the ground. This sunflower is so big. It just reminds me that even sometimes when things are not planned, they can turn out great-perhaps even better than we can imagine. I realize this with a thankful heart.

canned

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Lots going on here, like I know with you all too-traveling down south for my cousins graduation, participating in the girls school activities-school will be out in about a week, can you believe it!
In between all these happenings I'm also taking a class. The class, which meets once a week for seven weeks, is a class about food preservation. I am really enjoying this class because its so hands on-perhaps too hands on seeing that I cut my pinky finger pretty good today while cutting carrots for a pickled carrot recipe.
So far in the class we have made and canned jams, jellies, soups, fruits, and today we pickled lots of things and even made our own custom herb vinegars. I kept my vinegar simple, a white wine vinegar with chives. We also are making sauerkraut and kimchi the old school way (using salt fermentation). Next week we are going to learn the proper way to process and can tomatoes, make salsa, as well how to make fresh cheese-queso fresco. I think I'll take some tortilla chips to class for some good ole' taste testing (:
Have a great holiday weekend!

fermentation station

~brewing kombucha

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~injera starter

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~kefir grains

Someone has been busy in the kitchen and guess what it hasn't been me! My husband is currently experimenting with the process of fermentation. He is reviving some kefir grains that we have had for at least 2 years now (we thought they were not "alive", but after sitting out on the counter at room temperature for a week (and adding lots of sucanat) the grains are now bubbling up. Next is the injera. We are huge fans of Ethiopian food. Injera is like a sourdough pancake that is used to scoop up lentils, vegetables, and stewed meats-no utensils needed-and it is so so good. I think the starter has another week to go before its done. He also has a batch of kombucha going. Now I'm a little apprehensive about this one. My husband found a free scoby on craigslist and the person who gave it to him even included their favorite recipe. A couple of years ago (after reading Nourishing Traditions) I did think about making kombucha, but instead thought kefir would be easier and less daunting to make.
At first when I saw him doing all these things in the kitchen, I kinda felt like he was taking over my "territory"-not the kitchen per say (because he cooks a lot of the time too) but the territory of experimenting-doing "quirky things" but hey I'm learning to keep my mouth shut. Really I'm looking forward to the results of his fermentation station, especially the injera (:

out of doors

If I'm completely honest, I'll admit I'm not "too much" of an outdoorsy person. Yes, I love gardening, but as far as hiking, camping, and going on trails-I haven't done much of those things-but now we are living in a part of the country where people love (and I do mean love) the outdoors-and that feeling is a bit contagious. The more I venture out and see the beauty of this place we now live in I totally get it. Bring it on-I'm ready to get us a tent!

spring is pretty....

isn't it?

in the kitchen, for the kitchen

~in the sink

~by the sink

~making salad

~making potholders

I actually cut out the material for these potholders before our move. I finally got around to sewing them up this weekend. A really small satisfying project (although I found it interesting to sew bias tape around a circle:) The pattern for these potholders are in Handmade Home.
Hope you are having a great Tuesday!

crocheting, in between naps

Between naps I've been keeping myself occupied by doing a little crocheting. I got this book a while ago and like the different shapes/motifs that is included in it. Having a bad cold at that time of the month (I know, I know, tmi) should be illegal-but at least I'm learning some new interesting crochet stitches like dc2tog and dc3tog(:
now back to my nap!
xoxo