Summer of Pie: Fresh Strawberry Pie

After indulging in episode after episode of Pushing Daisies I finally rolled out my first pie of Summer of Pie! We were going to a family celebration, Birthdays and BBQ, the tradition that started last year where the whole family gets together and celebrates everyone birthdays, eats BBQ (of course!) and each family brings a cake or pie. It excessive and deliciously fun!

This year I contributed a fresh strawberry pie. I searched recipe after recipe and found that the best liked pies had jello in them, an ingredient I wasn't willing to use. I opted to make a glaze out of pureed strawberries, water and corn starch. It turned out ok, but because of the pieces of fruit/seeds it wasn't super smooth and glossy and the lack of red food coloring left it rather pink in color. The flavor was good though and the layer of cream cheese whipped with lemon juice and powdered sugar balanced the sweetness of the fruit. I wouldn't say I've mastered the fresh strawberry pie just yet, but it was a pretty good attempt!

The recipes for the pie filling I used can be found here. The modifications being I kept the strawberries whole to prevent the pie from becoming too wet, and half the water called for in the recipe was replaced with pureed strawberries.

I used this pie crust recipe, which happened to be my first time using lard (which I found a little intimidating!) and it resulted in the best crust I have made to date. I partially credit Amy Thielen for this because after watching an episode of Heartland Table (which I love, love, love!) I realized I have been adding too much water, touching it too much, and not allowing it to chill before rolling it out.

To take the edge off the sweetness of the pie and add a little richness I decided to whip up the block of cream cheese I had in the fridge with the juice of half a lemon and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. I spread it into the bottom of the crust before piling the strawberries in and I think it made the pie extra tasty. I opted to forgo the whipped cream and instead drizzled dark chocolate over the top and pipe the remaining bit of cream cheese filling on top to hold my whole strawberry in place.

I wish I would have gotten a picture of this sliced because the view of the red berry atop the creamy layer of cheese nestled into a flaky crust was beautiful! I couldn't get said picture because my plate my have been piled high with a bit of each treat that was brought...
I told you it was excessive and delicious!

A peak at Birthdays & BBQ 2015:

Stephanie and the Pie Maker

Stephanie was 31 years, five moths and twenty-one days old at the time of the summer solstice. It was summer solstice that set off a chain of events known as The Summer of Pie. The Summer of Pie meant Stephanie would bake no less than a pie a month for the entirety of the summer, thus mastering the art of pie baking. Stephanie was pleased at the thought of such an endeavor and went to work straight away seeking out recipes. Using the knowledge and wisdom of the pie maker himself, Ned, she set out rolling pin in hand.

I have made a pie or two in my day, but I have never felt as though I have mastered a recipe. I grew up in a house where pie filling came in cans and a crust could be rolled out from a box, no cookbook or recipe required. I never feel shame from tearing the plastic off a pastry prepared by Marie Calendar, however I do feel so much joy when I prepare something from scratch. I love giving the gift of food made by my own hands and there is something about the classic pie that appeals to me. No fuss, no frills, just butter and fruit.

I can still remember our family being presented a pie by a neighbor when we moved into our first house. It was such a kind gesture, a little nostalgic of days gone by. It stuck with me, if you ever want to make someone feel welcome bake them a pie.

Of course I can't talk pie without thinking of the show I loved so dearly that was taken off the air before its time. Was I the only one who LOVED Pushing Daisies? Oh the tragic romance of Ned and Chuck... And who doesn't want a little happiness baked into a pie when you're feeling like the aunts? And Olive, oh, Olive, I too break into song from time to time. I just don't have the pipes you do! Mostly though it's The Pie Hole that has stolen my heart. It's a dreamy little dive that I want to close my eyes and pretend I'm at, rolling out pies and serving up coffee.

I decided I needed a Pushing Daisies fix and ordered the DVDs which of course led to my determination to make summer of 2015 The Summer of Pie. I plan on whipping up pie after delicious, flaky pie. Eating piece after piece for the sake of research until the prefect pie is achieved!  Of course this for the well being (and pie eating) of my dear friends and family who are subjected to my baking. I'm doing this for you!

Okay, maybe it's for myself.

And Ned.

Let the pie making begin!

Fishin' & Weedin'

After a long rainy spell the weather finally turned in my favor and it's drying out! I have spent the past week fretting over my garden, its infestation with grass and weeds, my inability to weed or plant and the fact my plants are drowning and yellowing. My children have spent the past week cooped up inside or limited to the driveway to play. It hasn't been pretty. But today, oh today..... There was sun, there was (relatively) dry ground and there was sun!

We decided to embrace the nice weather and packed a picnic lunch and went out to find a lake to take our girls fishing. I'm pretty sure I haven't fished since I was about 12. Whoever I went fishing with said I couldn't fish if I couldn't bait my own hook so I set out to do it, no big deal. Except it was a big deal and 12 year old me was a bit of a priss. I stabbed a hook through a minnow and it bled. I gagged, pranced around, made a scene and then gave up fishing. My husband knows this story so I sort of expected he would spare me the trauma and just bait my hooks all day. Nope. Luckily it was just worms and my children were around or this whole fishing bit may not have happened. I have a rule where I can't react to new situations with any bias so that I don't scare the girls off from trying new things. This rule led to worm poop and blood on my hands and only under my breath ewwing. I survived and caught the first fish of my adult life, which I was pretty proud of. My kid caught a fish and wouldn't hold it by the mouth, but decided to pet it and snuggle against it. My other kid reminded me why we hadn't previously tried the whole fishing bit. Next time I'm making the husband rig her reel with a fake fish so she can pretend all day because that girl has no patience and probably said a minimum for 50 times that she was ready to go. Regardless, I think we had enough fun that we will forget the torture that is fishing with toddlers and go again!

When we got home we decided to take advantage of the dry-ish ground and I FINALLY got to pull some weeds out of the garden. It will take hours to clear it and I may never finish, but boy did it feel good to get out there! Some of the yellowing of my plants seems to be going away so the garden may not be a flop after all. (Like how dramatic I can be? I blame 12 year old me, such a drama queen.)

The girls worked and played so hard that they are sleeping away in their beds, slightly sun-kissed because I never remember to put sunscreen on them...

It was a good day. 

P.S. Feel free to come help me pull weeds!

All About April

April showers bring May flowers!

I thought that was how the saying went, but it seems April showers have brought... May showers?

Enough of the rain already!

The rain this afternoon has brought a few things to my attention: 1) I desperately need a covered porch, 2) Chicks are not smart and they will not get out of the rain and will instead attempt to suffocate one another in the fury of trying to hide in a massive pile, 3) I will never finish my planting because the ground will never be dry enough and 4) I so wish to have a lap top so I can sit out on my covered porch (my hypothetical porch that is) and sip my coffee and enjoy the warm rains that are keeping me from getting my work done.

Instead of spending my afternoon daydreaming I'm going to spend it enjoying a cup of coffee in the office and sharing a bit about my April. April always seems to be our busiest (and most expensive) month. I don't know if it is from shaking the hibernation of winter and wanting to do more or if we really just have that much going on, but whatever it is, we stay busy.

The warm weather means outdoor projects so we started April off with a bang (literally) when we removed the lower portion of our back deck. It was built around the above ground pool that met its fate last year and is now residing in the local dump. I knew I wanted to remove the deck since the pool collapsed, but getting Andy on board was another story. I think his hesitation was in part due to the amount of work it would take and in part because he kind of liked the second tier to the deck. In my attempt to persuade him I insisted we at least take off the one set of stairs that were rotting to the point of being a hazard. With one half-hearted push the hand rail gave way and with just as little effort the stairs were torn off. Once we realized the whole deck was in that poor of condition, it was game on. Many, many hours later we had removed the lower deck as well as the stairs from the upper deck. The screws and nails we removed filled a mens shoe box to the top! It was so much work and means we now have the bigger task of replacing the stairs and filling/leveling/seeding the ground where the deck and pool once resided, but it was so worth it! It means we are one step closer to having the back yard we want.

Other yard work we did was plotting and planting in the garden, clearing the fence lines of weeds, burning the brush pile and pruning the fruit trees. Can I just tell you that it is SO NERVE WRECKING to prune trees? Our orchard is young so when I say pruning I mean taking the tree back to its three-four main branches. I snipped away, holding my breath all the while, hoping they would bud and I would know that I hadn't just killed them all! Sure enough, one by one each tree budded and I finally could let out a sigh of relief.

We celebrated Easter by spending the afternoon with family, hunting eggs and eating too much food. Amelia discovered the wonders of the deviled egg and all the eggs we colored were turned into them. She topped each with another discovery on her part: paprika. We have continued to consume these treats regularly, per request!

We made a big purchase this April when we became a two vehicle family. Andy finally got the truck he has been wanting and I'm one step closer to looking like a legit farmer-ha!

We celebrated the 30th birthdays of  my sister Tracey and Andy, which means cake! And sometimes the cake is too hot to frost so you cut it up and make a sundae. Amelia wanted so badly to use her chocolate bunny for Tracey's cake so we melted it down and used it to decorate. It ended up being one seriously chocolaty cake!

We picked up our new family members from the post office when our mail order chicks arrived! The girls were so excited to have chickens again and they have kept us busy with their shenanigans. They seem to like spilling their water and more than one has been found stuck in the feeder. I guess you can only expect so much from chickens.

We spent some time with my brother-in-law who was home on leave and went to a Royals game and ate at various dining establishments. We save the hibachi grill for such occasions, which is good because if we didn't I fear I would spend a small fortune eating too much rice and sushi. I thought for sure there would be pictorial evidence of these things, but it turns out the only picture I could find was an awkward selfie that is too ridiculous to share.

Speaking of pictures, April was also picture day for dance! I put the exclamation point only because I survived. There is nothing fun about dressing small children up in costumes that don't fit into car seats, with eye make up they cry off on the way, to stand in a small room that I'm sure has exceeded max capacity per fire code. Now that it is over I can actually say there is something fun about it: excited children smiling awkwardly in their pictures! It was too much for Marinn, who passed out on me while waiting on sisters group to finish. I must say though, they were VERY excited to finally get to see and wear their costumes!

I feel like I passed some sort of test this April when I didn't cry when I took my kid to Kindergarten Roundup and I didn't ask any crazy questions in the parent portion. No small feat for the woman who continuously teared up and/or cried when discussing school starting. I'm still not sold on this whole day kindergarten bit, but it seems as though I'm going to have to get on board. You know who is wholeheartedly on board? The kindergartner. She perched herself next to the mascot on the way in for a picture, ditched me at the first chance to go color and explore, and was sitting next to the teacher when I came to get her. Instead of rushing to me when she saw me like other children were there parents, she sat in place and only raised her hand when she heard her name called. She reluctantly said goodbye as she was told it was time to go. She made me so proud! Now I just need to slow down time so August doesn't get here too quickly!

Also in April we had an impromptu lunch with my sister Caley, whom we do not see often enough! We met up with them at a pizza place along the highway while they were making the drive home from visiting her in-laws. We put five kids who hadn't seen each other in a while together in a restaurant. We're crazy. Tracey, being the great aunt that she is, got them all bouncy balls and entertained them. She's pretty awesome like that.

At the end of April my cousin finally went into labor and I got to be present for the birth of her baby girl. She's the only one who has taken me up on the offer to watch them have a baby! (I probably scare people with such comments) I wasn't just hanging out to watch the show, it was more along the lines of a birthing coach and point and shoot photographer. There is something so fascinating about child birth to me and to be able to help someone have the labor/delivery they want is a pretty cool feeling. It's a story I hope to share in more detail, but as for now it's not my story to tell!

Now onto the month of May, which seems to want to prove me wrong about April being the busiest....

The Flock 2015

We have been fussing over our feathered babies for the past week or so and I must say that these chicken mamas are acting like pros! As the girls are getting older they are taking on more responsibility with our chickens. I must say,  I am quite impressed with how well they are doing with our tiny new chicks. They have been feeding, watering and butt wiping (because that is a thing with baby chicks.) Don't they look like proud mamas?

The flock this year consists of 25 birds of 5 breeds, however 3 of them will be leaving us when they get bigger to be city chickens at my sister's house. We loved the breeds of chickens from our first flock and they were great layers so we decided they were a necessity, but I couldn't resist throwing in a couple more breeds. This years flock includes: 4 Rhode Island White, 4 Barred Plymouth Rock, 4 Cinnamon queen, 5 Easter Egg, and 5 Single Comb Rhode Island Red. Here are pictures of our chicks at one day old. Grow, chickens, grow!

Easter Egg

Cinnamon Queen

Barred Plymouth Rock

Rhode Island White

Rhode Island Red

I've Got a Crush On You

So I have a serious crush on this boy... only he turned 30 this week so should probably no longer use the term "boy" and instead say "man." When we met we were at the age where it seemed funny and maybe even somewhat romantic that he would throw coasters at me. We were also at the age where I felt no shame in pretending to like cats so that when he was holding a kitten I had a legitimate excuse to sit beside him. We were also very mature in telling our family about our relationship. I think the conversation with my sister went a little something like this: "Do you want to go hang out at my friend Andy's house? Oh and don't freak out if he tries to kiss me, we may be dating."

The photograph I came across (in print, taken from an actual camera-because we're that old) perfectly shows the maturity. I mean like amazingly well. We look 12. Okay maybe 16... 18 tops. We sure felt like we knew everything and were ready to take on the world though. Little did we know then that we would be looking back at that picture nearly 11 years later and laughing at how naive we were.

Here we are, all this time later, and I still have the biggest crush on the man who is my husband and the father of my children. The world keeps changing around us and we continue to grow together, which is the best part of having a partner to spend your life with. I feel pretty lucky to spend my days with him and I look forward to the day we sit down and look back at the picture of our 30 year old selves and laugh at all the things we thought we knew and reminisce about all the great things we were a part of that we never could have foreseen. Happiest of birthdays, my love. I hope to spend many, many more with you!

P.S. This picture makes me wish we took more pictures with actual cameras. Selfies are awkward (and in this case blurry.) I'm sure 40 year old me will totally make fun of us. 

Mail Order Chickens

We laced up our shoes and zipped our jackets up to head out. There was so much excitement and chatter between the girls that buckling in took much longer than it should have, but alas the car shifted into gear and we headed off down the road. These chicken mamas were off to pick up their new flock. As we pulled up to the post office and strolled inside the girls shared the exciting news with everyone they passed. They were met with strange looks and the question, "You're picking up chickens at the post office?"

Of course to most this would seem like a strange transaction, I mean chickens in the mail?? I get it. But for someone purchasing chickens for the first time it seemed like the best way. We weren't connected to anyone raising and hatching chicks and after hearing stories of less than healthy chicks from stores that wasn't a route I was too comfortable with. Health is of utmost importance as these birds are a food source for us. We want to make sure the chicks are from healthy, non-medicated birds. We also wanted to be able to pick a specific breed and only pullets and if we sought out someone hatching backyard chickens we would be limited in what we could get. Our attention shifted to hatcheries and we decided it would be the best decision for us. We researched and found a reputable hatchery and read about all the breeds of birds they offered, their decision not to medicate and the ability to order chicks at different times and our decision was solidified. The only thing with this hatchery was it was too far to drive which meant our chicks would be arriving via the US Postal Service.

I'll admit that this seemed quite strange to me. Who in their right mind puts freshly hatched chicks into a box and onto a truck to drive them all about? Turns out it's not that strange, or uncommon. It isn't much different than if we would have gone to pick them up and put them in our own car to drive home. The chicks hang out in their box all snuggled together and seem quite fine upon arrival. A quick dip into a water dish and they are eating, drinking, sleeping and growing just as any other baby would be!

We raised our first flock last year that consisted of three different breeds and we were not disappointed. We had healthy, laying chickens that were quite entertaining to have around. Our plan was to continue to add a few birds to our flock each year so we would have a rotation of layers and a few birds in the freezer. It seemed that the mail order would continue to be a good method for us as it provides healthy birds of breeds of our choosing that we order whenever we see fit.

Unfortunately our first flock met an unlucky fate (RIP ladies) but we are starting with our second flock a little wiser in the ways of raising chickens. Our second flock is busy growing, spending their days under the heat of a lamp and being fussed over by their chicken mamas (AKA my girls.) At some point we may seek out someone local to purchase a chick or two from. We may even get really brave and decide to hatch a few chicks of our own, but for now we are liking our mail order chicks.

If you want to check out the hatchery we order from you can find them here. If you want to read more about our experiences with chickens you can read about it here.

Fancy Shoes: DIY Project for about $5

Why is it so hard to keep kids in shoes? It seems like as soon as they get a pair they out grow them! I particularly hate shoe shopping with the girls in tow because they pick out hideous, sparkly shoes or, even worse, shoes with characters on them. All of these for the low, low price of (roughly) $40.

After spending money on some shoes to put up for the school year my kids promptly outgrew their current shoes so it seemed I would be spending even more money on shoes. We walked aisle after aisle in store after store, striking out on finding the right size, color, and comfort level. (Are everyone's children this picky??) I gave up and went to walmart and bought two pairs of plain white canvas shoes for $5 each. My children cannot be trusted to keep white shoes clean for more that five minutes so we took those shiny white shoes home and broke out some sharpies and my knowledge from the short stent of being on the pep squad in middle school. The result was their "fancy shoes" that they helped make themselves.

To make your own fancy shoes (which I'm tempted to do for myself!) you need a pair of canvas shoes, sharpies, rubbing alcohol and about 30 minutes of your time. Start by coloring basic designs in the color(s) of your choice. We did hearts, stars, flowers and butterflies. These are just rough shapes that need little thought because they will change in the next step. Once your shapes are drawn,  drip rubbing alcohol onto the colors and watch them spread out onto the canvas. (I helped ours along a little with the use of a cotton ball to drag the colors onto all the white areas.) Once you have the color you want achieved you let the shoes dry. You can do this by setting them outside in the sunshine or with the help of a blow dryer. Once they are dry use a fine tip black sharpie to draw the outline and design into your shapes. Then all that's left to do is proudly sport your new, fancy shoes.

We Are Officially a Two Vehicle Family

There are times when the things we do in our day to day lives come up in conversation and elicit questions about how and why. Take for instance the time the guy from Dish came out to set up our TV and after getting it up and going he asked where the others were. I told him we just had the one and he laughed and said he had never seen that before and asked if I was sure I didn't want to put a couple in the bedrooms. I didn't realize until after the conversation that people thought it strange to have only one TV. After telling other people about the encounter they asked what we did when we wanted to watch different things or for the kids to watch their own shows. It seemed it wasn't just the Dish guy who found it strange that we watched it together or not at all, although to us it meant spending more time together and practicing compromise as well as limiting the amount of time we spent in front of the TV.

Similar conversations ensued after disclosing the fact that we had one vehicle. How do you get anything done? What if there were an emergency? Don't you ever just want to get up and go somewhere? Followed by many comments like, "I could never do that." I'm sure that at one time I felt the same way about it, but it happened as a turn of events and quickly just because our normal. When I had one child we would get up and go for the sake of getting out of the house. We would visit friends and family and go to lunch or to the store for something I had forgotten or suddenly wanted. It was our normal and probably very similar to what others were doing. After our second girl was born the outings slowed because it was more work taking two kids around and it wasn't very friendly to the budget to go out to eat and make extra runs to the store. (As a single income family of four I became more concerned with the budget because if the budget didn't balance I would have to return to work.) Once Andy's car was gone the luxury of those things were stripped away. We said it would be temporary and that we would just have to find another car but then weeks turned to months and the desire for the car gave way to a stronger desire for a house. We were diligent about savings and soon after giving up the second car we realized just how cost effective one vehicle was. 

I went through a somewhat tough transition, losing the freedom of having a car, but it gave way to a nice routine that our girls seemed to thrive in. There was consistency in the day to day that made life easier. There were few distractions taking away from my time with them, there was more time to maintain the house and cook meals at home and I became very focused on what I wanted our family structure to look like. It was our new normal. We did miss out on time with our friends and family at those lunch dates and a couple birthday parties as a result, but the money we were able to stash away for a house made the inconvenience of it worth it. We were saving money every month by choosing not to take on a car payment (averaging between $300-500), increase in car insurance ($50-100) and increase in gas consumption ($200+). 

Flash forward three years and we were still a one vehicle family, but we knew we were going to transition out of this stage of our lives. With a child starting school in the fall and work changes that could result in my needing to return to work we decided it was time for us to purchase a second vehicle. We waited until our other vehicle was paid for so we would not be taking on more than our budget would allow and my husband was diligent about his research before we purchased and as a result he has his long awaited pick up truck. 

The idea of transitioning back to a two vehicle family is harder for me than I thought it would be, partially because of the other big changes that are coinciding with it and partially out of fear that the new found freedom will come at a cost to our structure and budget. I'm ready to embrace the new season of life we are in but mostly I am very thankful for the time we spent as a one vehicle family. It was that time that afforded me so much more time with my family as a stay at home mother in a home of our very own. 

Snip! Snip! Snip!

Yesterday I found myself childless, with nothing to do and with a car. This NEVER happens! So after breakfast with my dad and step mom I was determined to make a hair appointment, hoping someone had an opening for the same day, you know, before I could change my mind. There was an opening with just enough time to drive there so I headed out. I sat in the chair and announced I didn't know what I wanted because it depended on how brave I was feeling and I pulled up my pintrest board filled with hairstyles of varying lengths. After a brief moment of telling me my hair would look fuller if I went a little shorter I said, "Well I guess I'm going to be brave then." As the words left my lips I heard the snip of scissors and saw my ponytail get carried to the trash can behind me. I let out a huge gasp which elicited a wide-eyed expression and giggle from the receptionist. In that moment I thought I might be sick and I heard the lady beside me getting highlights in her long locks say, "I guess it is just hair. It will grow back right?"

"Aren't you going to show her?" the receptionist inquired.

"Nope, we are just going to keep going. Come on over and lets get your hair washed," the stylist was so nonchalant.  And with that my hair was gone, no looking back.

The entire drive all I could think of was the silly line in Little Women where Amy is appalled at Jo for cutting of all her hair, her "one true beauty."  On days when I feel frumpy and don't like the way clothes are fitting or how my eyeliner never seems to match I say to myself, "at least you've got your long hair" as though that some how compensates. I don't feel at though my hair is my "one true beauty" but I do like that I can fix my hair and feel better about the rest of it. When did I become so emotionally attached to my hair anyway? I think it may be less emotion about my hair and more of my uncertainty of navigating being 31. I mean, if I cut my hair short will I look old? Too young? Were some cuts too trendy? Trendy has never been my thing. Oh God, will I look like a.... soccer mom?? I'm really good at the over analyzing thing.

As I sat in the chair on the verge of tears or perhaps even vomiting, I reminded myself how long I had been wanting to do this. It will be good. Change is good, embrace it! Short hair is sassy and your hair just lives in a ponytail anyway. I pushed aside the memories of the questionable decision to get that pixie in high school and the lovely post-wedding haircut from my sister-in-law while she was in cosmetology (that she stopped short of finishing so she could go fight with her boyfriend.) "It's not that short and this is a paid professional." I told myself. "Plus, it's on your all important list so you cannot bail."

The combination of my pep talk and the 12 inches of hair that was already residing in the trash can kept me in the chair. When they stylist was finished and spun the chair around so I could see my new hair I was in shock over how different I looked. It had been at least six years of long hair. My hands were literally shaking when my hair was carried to the trash. I talked myself into and out of hair cuts for over a year. And you know what? I LOVE my new hair. I don't know why I was so afraid of changing it up for so long!

Here is a peak at the before and after. (The lighting in the before is particularly crummy, but it was almost an after thought and  I ran back in to the house and snapped a quick pick before heading out!)

P.S. My sister-in-law does hair professionally now and quite well! If she weren't on maternity leave she would have been the one doing the chopping. I chalk the fore mentioned haircut and the waxing incident as a learning experience!

31 Things To Do While I'm 31

Tomorrow is my birthday!! I love birthdays! I usually stretch birthdays out from one day to a minimum of one week. You're celebrating someone existence, isn't that worth one week?? My birthday falling on a Monday threw me a bit so instead of birthday week ending on my birthday this year I'm going to say it kicks off birthday week. It's my  birthday so I get to make the rules, right? My husband is nice and plays along and allows me to do things like announce 'I can't bathe the babies' or 'I can't do the dishes because it's my birthday week' and he will do whatever chore I'm trying to get out of. I return the favor come April when it's his birthday so he can't complain too much! This year I told him it was going to be the whole year of 31 and he looked at me quite concerned, like maybe I was going to spend the whole year saying, "I can't because it's my birthday...year." That isn't quite the case. After opting not to set New Years resolutions I decided instead to compile a list of things that I would like to do while I am 31. (That may have just been the procrastinator in me wanting 25 extra days to decide what my goals will be, but I'm embracing it!) The over all theme is trying new things, taking time for myself, and a little self improvement (which never hurt anyone!) So, without further ado, here is the list:

31 Things To Do While I'm 31

1. Blog more frequently. I really enjoy taking time to read blogs and write a few of my own, but a lot of the time I will put it off to tend to other matters. The goal is to give my self permission to take time for me and sit down and write about the things we are doing since it is something I enjoy doing. 

2. Plant my first herb garden. Last year was the year of our first garden and this year will be the first for our herb garden. Hopefully I will even get some nice cutting flowers in there with them! 

3. Stick with a work out regiment for a whole year. My husband has impressed me with his one year anniversary of going to the gym 4-5 days a week. His body has changed and gotten stronger and it has done wonders for his mood too. I feel good when I complete workouts and getting stronger makes my tasks around the home and yard easier. My goal is to stick with it for the whole year which is four times longer than I have ever stuck to a work out. Wish me luck!

4. Spend more time with family. After having my parents live far away for so long I feel like I am not taking enough advantage of having them so close. Also it has been hard to get all of the family together at once so I plan to make up some good excuses for us to spend time together.

5. Read one book a month. I love reading, but it seems a luxury I never have time for! As part of the taking time for myself bit I want to make up for lost time and read at least one book a month. Any good reads I should add to the list?

6. Take up bike riding. My babies are finally big enough to pedal around with us! The only problem is that it has been too many years to count since I last rode a bike! Lord have mercy on my thighs.

7. Be a better budget-er. One of the tasks I took on when I became the stay at home mom was the budget. (Who am I kidding? The OCD in me probably never relinquished this task to the husband, even pre-baby.) Either way, it became an important role when we were living off a single income as a family of four. Over the past year I became more lax on this task and a lot of money was wasted as a result. The goal this year is to be purposed with our money and particular about what we are spending it on.

8. Write more letters. Who doesn't love getting mail?? I plan to single-handedly keep the USPS in business. Well it may not be to that extreme, but thank yous? Card in the mail. Thinking about you and how great you are? Mail. Birthday? Mail. Why did we stop doing this? A quick message on facebook is fine, but not nearly as thoughtful as taking time to put your words down on paper and send them to someone.

9. Fold and put away laundry as it is cleaned and dry. I never said this list was going to be filled with profound thoughts! I despise laundry, specifically folding and putting it away. I will let clothes sit on the loveseat until there are multiple loads and one of two things happens: it becomes too full and it starts to spill to the floor, or people are coming over and I don't want them to see my slacking (that and they need somewhere to sit.) If I can stick to this my house will always be company ready which leads to my next goal:

10. Make time to spend with and expand my circle of friends. Being a stay at home mom with one vehicle means our days are spent in the house doing our own thing, This consistency I think has done wonders for the routine and sleeping pattern of toddlers, however it comes at the cost of making connections with people. As the girls are getting older it is easier to be flexible in our schedule and I crave connection with people. I'm hoping that our monthly play dates will become something more along the lines of weekly. I also want to take some time to spend with my friends without children in tow so I can remember what adult conversation is like!

11. Get bee ready. I want bees! I really, really want bees. I want to learn as much as I can about keeping bees and get myself bee-ready for next spring. If I can get them before then I would be beside myself with excitement, but realistically it will be next year. 

12. Fill the empty picture frames in my house. I don't know what is wrong with me that I feel the need to hang a picture frame that I don't have a picture in. I started doing it after we moved in and the walls were empty and it seemed to make sense. Now it's just weird and I need to get these people from the store out of my house. Either that or name them.

13. Make gifts. In part to give more thoughtful gifts and in part to be a better budgeter, I want to make gifts rather than buy them. I love being creative and using my hands to make things so hopefully this will be a good motivator for me. 

14. Take a vacation. I don't care how sort it is, I don't care how close to/far away from home it is, I just want to take time with just my little family to get away from the day to day and the responsibility to enjoy each others company. This is something we have NEVER done. It's crazy to think but it shows my husbands devotion to taking care of us so I can be home and not living beyond our means. The reward has been great, but this year I want my hard-working husband to have real break.

15. Re-enter the work force. After staying home with my babes for the past 5 years it has become necessary for me to go back to work. I'm not sure what that is going to look like just yet, but it is a little intimidating after being home so long! It is going to be a big adjustment with the girls, as it is about two years sooner than we had planned. 

16. Not cry every day that I take my kid to school. Speaking of adjustments....my kid starts school in the fall. I don't know how it happened that she is already five and eager to start school, but this mama is not ready for that. I have melted down on more than one occasion and I still cannot believe that kindergarten is full day. My girls have had the luxury of being home and outside playing all day everyday with very little obligations to take them way from that. This is going to be a big adjustment for her. As big as it will be for her, times that by two and that will be the adjustment little sister makes to being by herself for the first time ever. I think both will adjust, I'm just not sure I will! Giving my baby to someone else for 8 hours of her 12 hour day is going to be very hard to do. 

17. Finish home projects. If I look at one more unpainted spot on the wall, one more piece of missing trim or a pile of scraps in the garage for another minute I think I will lose my mind. We are past the one year mark of being in our house and it is just time to have this all done. If we can be diligent with our money we should be able to finish up all the projects this year and hopefully in the next couple months!

18. Organize the garage. Once projects are complete we will have our garage back and it's time to get it organized. One of the trade offs of buying a split level house was there is no basement storage. We have paired down everything we don't need and not it's time to make a home for everything we do need. 

19. Make a drastic change to my hair. I have been wanting to do something different with my hair for a long time, but when it comes down to it I chicken out! I have been letting my hair grow out for so long it seems sad to chop it off but it lives in a ponytail so its out of my way so I'm over it. If I can muster up the courage I'm going to chop it all off and I think it may be long enough to donate. 

20. Reuse waste. We have cut down the amount of trash we have each month by recycling, composting, and being aware of the packaging we buy (skipping single serve things, etc) and our waste has become very little. My goal for this year is to try to reuse more of the things that we usually take to recycling. We save the clear plastics for plant starting and reuse some other plastic containers for food storage, but this year I want to save our paper waste and make my own firebricks.

21. Finally visit local wineries. We live so close to a handful of wineries that I somehow never visited. I blame it on my time pregnant and breastfeeding. Some adult time, maybe even with some friends I don't see often enough, seems like a good idea made better with a glass of wine in hand.

22. Learn to play piano. This one seems like a bit of a lofty idea seeing as how we do not own a piano. We want to get Amelia in lessons this year and if we decide to do that we will be getting a piano and it would be a shame if I didn't learn to play too! I have always wished for musical abilities I do not have. 

23. Acquire every Ray Lamontagne album on vinyl. Because I have no musical talent I choose to listen to those who do. My love for Ray is deep, thus I need more than just God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise. The need is real.

24. Have more date nights with my husband. Though my love for Ray is real, my love for my husband is more so. I want more time away from the distractions that come from running a household to appreciate our relationship that started long before our house and children were part of the mix. We joke that our social lives are separate because it's much easier for the other to play 'babysitter' while one goes out, but this year the focus is our time together, easy or not! 

25. Make more of an effort to shop local. Nothing rivals the customer service and quality of product you get when you chose to buy from a small local business. Sometimes it's easier to make a one-stop-shop place your destination, getting a few dollars back in your pocket, but when you walk into a store with great staff or store owner who are knowledgeable about their products and you know that your money is going directly to them and the community it makes it worth the slight increase in cost. 

26. Take up yoga. This is another thing that has been on my to do list for some time. There is something about yoga that has always appealed to me so I figure there is no time like the present to start learning. I'm hoping that this coupled with my workout regiment will help me feel fit and healthy.

27. Work on more sewing projects. I have a stash of fabric and a goal to make more gifts and spend less money. Seems like an easy win to do some extra sewing this year, which happens to be something I really enjoy doing. I may even get brave and try to re-purpose some old clothes into something I may wear again!

28. Make more foods myself. Last year we drastically changed our diets and worked hard to cut out processed foods and eat more whole foods. This year I want to go a little further and make more of the breads, pastas, and crackers that we eat. I want to have my children participate in this as part of understanding where food comes from and hopefully encouraging a healthy relationship with food.

29. Butcher my first chicken. Along the some lines of making more food myself this will be another step in becoming more self sufficient in feeding myself and my family. When we got our first flock we did so knowing that we would be butchering a few, however we never got the chance. Between the neighbor's dog and the chicken massacre that happened last week there are none left to butcher. This years flock will have birds that we will be raising solely for the purpose of meat so I will get my chance to butcher in the fall.

30. Let go go the past. If it means writing it out, crying it out, yelling it out, whatever the means, some things I need to just let go of. I found that this past year I let things that happened in the past affect what I was doing and how I felt so this year I am determined to work through these things so I can be at peace with the past and present in the day to day and with relationships. 

31. Make a five year plan. I have always been good at making plans for a year, maybe even two, but I have never made a plan that went so far into the future. I'm not really sure why that is, it's almost a little intimidating so maybe that is why. In the next five years our lives will be much different than they are now, as both girls will be in school and I will be back at work. I feel like this is a good time to sit down and work on a plan so we can make sure that the things we are doing now are leading us to where we want to be later. It is easier to accomplish goals and stick to budgets when you can see the long term that you are working towards. I'm excited to spend time with the husband to determine what our future holds!

So that is my list. My 31 one things I intend to do while I am 31. I hope that I can back at this next year proud of the accomplishments I made and ready to take on more things!

The Great Chicken Massacre of 2015

January 20, 2015 will always be remembered at the Lynch Homestead as the day of the great chicken massacre. I woke leisurely at 7:30 that morning and pulled open the curtains to find a back yard filled with feathers. Quickly throwing on some clothes I ran out the door and too the coop to find evidence of an attack. There was not a live chicken to be found. Chicken one and two were snatched from the roosting bar where they slept. The third and fourth made a run for it but were taken down just outside the run. Chicken five ran towards the house but was caught along the way. Six and seven made it to the fence line, but not through. Eight was caught in the orchard and nine, who was the only one with a body to recover, laid beside the burn barrel. We decided it was likely raccoons that attacked because whatever it was had to be able to go through or over the fence, reach roosting bars, make little noise and we found feces beside chicken remains that looked like it belonged to a raccoon.

The chicken business has been tough! After battling the neighbor's dog and losing 5 to him and two more (one to another dog, one to a broken egg inside her) I thought we had finally resolved the issues. We were ready to move beyond the chicken deaths and get ready for new birds a little wiser to what to expect. I never imagined my (poor) decision to leave the coop open on an unseasonable warm evening led to the rest of our flock being destroyed. Thankfully the girls were away spending the night at their grandma's house (thus the waking leisurely at 7:30) so they did not see the mess the raccoons had left behind. It took my husband and I a couple hours to clean up the feathers and pieces of birds that were left strewn across the back yard and to clean up and close up the coop. My husband was very sweet, taking care to console me because he knew how upset I was.  I spent the rest of the day looking for any chickens that might have gotten away and might be hiding. I knew it was highly unlikely considering there were individual spots where the birds were attacked and all were accounted for, but I wasn't ready to admit it.

When the girls came home they were excited to go check for eggs so I had to break the news to them. There were tears and we talked about what happened (in non-graphic toddler terms) and we talked about how it's okay to be sad and upset. These girls spent every day since the chickens arrived last April tending to them so having none was going to be an adjustment. Through the tears Amelia ran outside to see if it was true and she turned to me and said, "We still have a coop, are we still getting our new chickens?" I told her we would be and she went right to work telling me all the things we needed to do differently to "save our chickens from Roscoe (the neighbor's dog) and those bad coon rats." I guess they are pretty resilient when it comes to the loss of animals! (This may work in our favor when it comes time to butcher for the first time.)

So now we are back to square one with chickens and will once again be anticipating the arrival of our new flock and counting down the days until we have eggs again. We will be making a few adjustment to the coop before welcoming the new flock and we are discussing movable runs to be able to better protect the flock. I still prefer to free range our chickens, but in the end we will have to decide what is best for the homestead as a whole. Spring will mean many new beginnings!

Farewell First Flock

2015 Seed Catalog!

The 2015 seed catalog arriving is pretty much the best thing that happens in winter (Well, aside from my birthday!) It combines two of my favorite things: garden planning and list making. There is something so euphoric about putting pen to paper to make a list. It's a bizarre fetish I have had since youth. When that is coupled by all the daydreaming of what spring will bring it almost makes winter bearable.

Following the practice of last year we will only be planting heirloom varieties and will be ordering seeds from Baker Creek again. I love growing food with history as well as with health benefits and tastes untouched by the modern food industry, which is the driving passion of Baker Creek. I like being able to support a company whose ideals I can stand behind and they have very reasonable prices and great turn around on orders.  If you haven't had a chance to check out this company and what the stand for take a minute to look at their website www.rareseeds.com.

This year my focus will be on new/more varieties as well as seed saving. Here is what will be in the garden in 2015:

Beans
     Blue Lake Bush
     Beurre De Rocquencourt
     Dragon Tongue
Beets
    Chiogga
Broccoli
     Waltham 29
Cabbage
     Red Express
Carrots
     Amarillo
     Nantes Scarlet
Corn
     Golden Bantam 12 Row
Cucumber
     Muncher
Eggplant
     Rosa Bianca
Lettuce
     Rocky Top Lettuce Salad
     Little Gem
Melon
     Minnesota Midget
     Blacktail Mountain Watermelon
Onion
     Red of Florence
     Stuttgarter
     Zebrune Shallot
Peas
     Tall Telephone
     Sugar Ann
Peppers
     Anaheim
     Poblano
     Thai Chili
     Bullnose
     Jalapeno
Radish
     Early Scarlet Globe
     Purple Plum
     White Hailstone
Squash
     Lemon Squash
     Black Beauty Zucchini
     Butternut Waltham
     Bush Buttercup
     Table Queen Bush Acorn
     Vegetable Spaghetti
     Connecticut Field Pumpkin
     Sugar Pie Pumpkin
Swiss Chard
     Vulcan Chard
Tomatoes
     Ozark Pink
     Comstock Slice and Sauce
     Black Cherry
     Chocolate Pear
     Dr. Carolyn
Herbs
     Basil, Genovese
     Chamomile
     Chives, Common
     Cilantro
     Dill, Bouquet
     Parsley, Giant of Italy
     Rosemary
     Sage
     Thyme

Is anyone else spending their winter dreaming of warmer days? Any garden planning and/or seed ordering keeping you going until spring?