Beans: Five Years Later

As I am cooking up a large batch of black beans today, I recalled how much I HATED beans just five years ago.  I even did a series here about how I planned to use up all the stockpile we had at the time.

Now, I eat beans all the time. Since I stopped eating meat, it seems I've gained my taste for beans.


Things change.

I'll freeze these in about 2 cup portions and use them for taco filling, salads, maybe bean burgers, etc. Two of my kiddos are trying to go veg (their idea) too, and have been willing to experiment with their own favorites.

I find that black beans are my favorite, but recently had some house made vegan sausage at a local pizza place and learned that is was made from oats and pinto beans. I'm definitely interested in trying something like that out, it was very good.


I don't post much about my new love for vegetarian cooking here, but I do on my Instagram (as well as other things) so follow me there if that kind of thing sounds interesting.


I'm doing more posting there than anywhere at this time.

Desired Things

I was doing some cleaning last week and found this under the bed. I remember taking it down and stashing it years ago due to the "new ageiness" of it. At the time that was a big no-no. It's a poem written in 1927 apparently and was hanging in this house when we moved in 22 years ago. I enjoyed it for sometime until I became ultra fundamental and, well, if you read it, it is pretty tolerant, loving and all inclusive.


Reading it again and hanging it back up makes me happy.

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

“

”

Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

Living the Dream

It's been an extraordinarily busy time for me lately, but good busy as compared to last year's busy. I HATED having the kids in public school, so the journey back to homeschooling has been very comforting. We are doing more real life learning and less curriculum driven learning. It is exciting and I'm amazed all the time with the interests and talents of each and every one of them.

The housework suffers, but I tell myself that someday they will all be gone and the house will be clean. It has occurred to me lately how time flies and how my life now doesn't look anything like what I thought it would look like a few years ago. (I figured we'd all be raptured by now;).


And I work...A LOT. What was supposed to be a very very part time job to help makes ends meet is now a pretty much full time gig. I've picked up a few bar-tending shifts as well and am finding that to be challenging, but fun. The money is nice and it is nice to not have to scrape and scrimp all the time. Although I do wonder if the hours at work vs. home are a bit out of whack. I am so grateful that the kids aren't in school, so I can spend my days with them. Some days it kind of feels like I'm really living the dream (sarcastically) and other days it feels like I'm living the dream honestly and I'm the luckiest woman alive. I don't get to see my husband much, though, and that is a problem. I hope for some more balance in that area.


Thinking back on the faith, I find that my heart-brokenness about it all seems to be settling down. Life does go on. I'm not quite sure what to do with that, but it is something.

It's Easy

I work about five nights a week and when I get home, walking into a house full of kids and husband and MESS and everyone wanting to tell me something right now, it can be difficult to not be unkind.


Good grief, let me set down my bag and take my shoes and apron off.


So in my frustration the a couple of nights ago, my eight year old says in his best British accent:


"All you need is Love"


It was one of those crystal clear moments that I want to remember. I've always believed that. Love is at the very center of it all somehow, I'm just not very good at showing it (or maybe even knowing what it really is).



I want to be.

Bread Apocalypse Freezer of Doom

Or something like that is what my daughter called it.

What's nice about having the job is that I can stock up, move funds around, stash some away for when something goes on sale. It's not that I couldn't do that before to a degree, but now there is more. It makes things much easier around here.


While stopping at the store just for one item the other day, I saw that they had a lot of bread marked down, so I snapped up around $10 worth. I wouldn't have been able to do that before.


I still love baking my own bread, but haven't had the energy, will, motivation, or time to do it right now. I just keep feeding my starter every three days and it is there for me when I want to make pizza from scratch, which is about every two weeks now.

I'm sure this freezer will be eerily empty again before you know it.

About Sippy Cups

I love sippy cups, especially the kind with the valves where the little ones can't spill stuff everywhere.


HOWEVER,

After a while the valves and lids get quite funky and I can't get them as clean as I think they should be.



My littlest little is past spill-proof sippy, but not quite ready to go it lidless all the time, so looky what I figured out:

The lid from a Parmesan cheese container fits perfect on this particular cup. AND there's even holes for a straw....hooray! It doesn't take much to make me happy.

Glass Jar Picture Frame

I am a super glass jar hoarder. I just love them for everything.





So, when I saw this idea for using them for picture frames, I was determined that someone was getting one for Christmas.




Fortunately, I had the picture ready to give my grandma already, now I have a nice presentation.

This photo is fuzzy, not the actual one:)

I decorated the lid with a piece of cloth hot glued on and a ribbon.




The beauty of it is, that the picture comes right out, so if Grandma would rather put it in a traditional frame, she can do so very easily.


I had to contain myself from going crazy with this right now, but it will probably be used again.

I've linked my little project here:)

The Whole Yard is Getting Lazy

I was discussing my lazy basketball hoop the other day.

Slacker

Mr. (or Mrs.) Tree thought he/she would also have a lie down.

Wind and rain did it in Wednesday night.

I'll just put up my roots and some of your yard, too.

It will be easier to climb this way.

The "pine cone" tree is threatening to strike as well.

One good gust and I'm outta here!

Corn!

Friday evening the popcorn came down.

Many hands make light work...mine were photographing

Here's some of it, it's almost too pretty to eat.

A glorious, sun drenched evening makes me happy:)

Back to School and a Canning Question

It's that time...

Time to get back to our schooling schedule.  I would love to take more time off, but for the most part, I got everything I wanted to get done this summer, had some adventures, an epiphany or two and it's time to get back to it. Plus, my oldest son is requesting going back to his lessons. He is very schedule oriented. It's a momentum thing, once we get going, it will be as if we never stopped. As a kid I always d r e a d e d the first day of school (and just about every other day of school, too for that matter). My kids don't know how good they have it.


Now for the canning question canners! We have this many tomatoes ready so far:

I was trying to take this picture with one hand while drinking coffee at the same time..it's early.

I don't really want to get the canner going for what looks to be a jar or two...I plan to sauce them in this manner:

Mary Ostyn: Canning tomatoes the easy way from Mary Ostyn on Vimeo.


How does this normally work? Do they just trickle in like this or is this like a "firstfruit" situation?  Suggestions welcome!