SouleMama

July, in the kitchen

 

Ah, July in the kitchen. When there is so much to be done and so much garden goodness to be enjoying, and yet....it's just too hot to be in here! Until my dreams of a summer kitchen come true (it will someday, it really will), I'm finding ways to sneak in here when it's cool...and avoid standing over a hot stove otherwise. A few things happening these days in the kitchen.....besides the popcorn, berries, hardboiled eggs routine of norm.....

- Chia pudding! How did I not know?? I use chia seeds in our smoothies and in some bar recipes that we like, but I had no idea about pudding! It's the easiest thing ever, and so tasty. It's a game-changer, I think. Easy morning breakfast, to be sure. (The 'recipe" is something like this, though I only let mine site for four hours, not overnight.)

- Grilled Pizza. An absolute summer favorite. It gets me outside cooking, it's quick, and my kitchen stays free of the heat. Plus, there's just so much goodness to put on top of the pizza this time of year. (Here's a method of sorts for grilling pizza.) My biggest tip for making grilled pizza successful is to have all of the ingredients ready to go before you start - it happens quickly. 

- Puff Pastry has been appearing a lot on the table of late as well. Basically....pizza with more butter? Something like that. It's just something easy that I can layer good things on top of, stick in the oven and walk away without having to use the stove top (the stovetop raging is when I get too warm in the kitchen and grouchy). A favorite combination is zucchini, sausage and peas. Though we made a pesto, tomato and basil one the next night that was gobbled right up.

- Pie, pie, and more pie. We are at the point in our berry growing (just four seasons in) that there is a lot of fruit, but not exactly enough for an epic amount of preserving to happen. And if we can't fill a freezer with raspberries and blueberries, we might as well eat them and fully enjoy them right now, yes? We think so. And a tasty blueberry-raspberry pie has therefore been on the table more than once this week. There's no better breakfast than that.

- So many of the herbs I started drying a few weeks ago are ready for storing, and so the jars are filling with oregano, mint, thyme, sage, and more. It feels good to see the pantry shelves starting to fill back up again! 

And you? What's happening in your July kitchen?

July Wool

 

Before dashing out the door for Newport, I stuffed these two skeins of sunshine in my bag, hoping I'd sort out what to do with them on the way down there. I didn't even have time to use my swift to make convenient balls - although that worked out for the best, in that I had to ask a booth neighbor for help. And there's something sweet about winding yarn with a stranger, and the conversation that ensues. 

Anyway, I was looking for just the right project - something that I could carry around easily when leaving the booth to visit another stage, something that wouldn't require pen and paper to keep track of, something I could be interrupted from without messing it up, and yet, something that wouldn't bore me to tears (no garter stitch this weekend, as much as I sometimes do love it). I landed on a simple drop-stitch scarf, and it was just the right balance of all of the above. And quick, too. Although, maybe that had something to do with the fact that I had a very rare three full days of knitting whenever I wanted. Which was always. Except for when we were square dancing.

The yarn is from Spincycle, from my trip out west last month. I never did make it to their shop in Bellingham - next time for certain. It was purchased at Tolt Yarn and Wool on a whim, not certain then what I'd make with it - the color was one I just couldn't resist. (By the way, my dress in the last photo, is by Blue Platypus Clothing - another West Coast find I've fallen in love with. The white dress up top is by Ace & Jig). 

While I won't be wearing this scarf today (it's supposed to reach ninety degrees), I surely will be wearing it come autumn, right around the corner. And when I do, I hope that it helps me to remember the moments making it, and that the sounds of the music and good conversation are woven into it as well. That will be such a comfort on a cold winter's day!

at the Newport Folk Festival

 

If I had a bucket list, the Newport Folk Festival surely would have been on it. I've long wanted to attend, and for years have been listening to the live NPR broadcasts when the festival happens. That it worked out for me to attend this year - when so very many of my absolute favorite musicians appeared on the stages (expected and unexpected too!), and to do so with Taproot, where I could share the work we're doing with appreciating folks - well, I can hardly believe that it happened. But the best part of all, was a brave and dear friend who took on the job of farm care and child care for five days so that Steve and I could take this trip together. Our lives, our days, our farm is not very conducive to us getting away together before (nor, really, have we had a huge desire to leave this place we call home!) - in fact, we can only remember a single overnight since Calvin was born. Ah! So, so blessed we were by this stretch of days working together and enjoying each others company. And all that music!

The lineup surely tells you how fabulous the music was - I needn't explain that. And the way that the organization honors its history while moving forward is impressive to me. But I have to tell you how completely touched and overwhelmed I was by the crowd of folk in attendance. I practically had a fight of kindness at the merchandise table with someone about who should go next - each insisting it was the other's turn. That kind of vibe was throughout the festival, and just felt so good. Good music (amazing music!), good weather, beautiful setting, and good, kind people. Spectacular. After the music each day, we stayed up far past our bedtime each night, explored Newport a bit, found the best cocktails in town (HOPE Food and Spirits, hands down!), and found music in every corner of every room, basement (that's Spirit Family Reunion above - so glad to have discovered them this weekend!), and fort tunnel we walked into. 

Ah, and now we're home! Feeling refreshed from the time away, energized by the music, and fueled by the good conversation with the people we met. How fitting that we slide right on into the work of our next Taproot issue, FOLK, now. I've got a few new thoughts about that word and all that it means and can't wait to translate it into the pages of the magazine.

And though my mind was blown when Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings walked onto the final stage to host the 65 Revisted "surprise" set (marking 50 years since Dylan went electric at Newport); and it was incredible to see Spirit Family Reunion (with many talented friends) in a teeny tiny basement after the festival one night; and I've come home with a whole list of new sounds to add to my days......I still think the version of Heart & Soul I heard last night was one of the best (courtesy of Adelaide and Steve on the piano and Harper on drums). And "The Horn on My Unicorn is Green" by one Necklace Rainbow Magic Candy might be my new favorite song of all. And falling asleep to the distant sound of Ezra strumming away on his guitar downstairs was just the right way to be welcomed home. Oh, the many ways music moves us. 

 

Quince and Co. {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Quince & Co.! 

Quince & Co. was launched in 2010 by Pam Allen in partnership with a historic mill in Maine. Pam has worked in the handknitting industry as a freelance knitwear designer, editor of Interweave Knits, and creative director at a major hand-knitting yarn company.

Before starting Quince & Co., Pam found that the traditional way that yarn companies produce new yarns – going to trade shows and choosing from yarns designed by spinning mills – was unsatisfying and ultimately did not yield great products. She wanted to work with mills to design yarns from the ground up. Pam was also frustrated by how difficult it was to have yarns made in the US, where there was once a venerable textile tradition.

Pam recruited fellow designer and yarnophile Carrie Hoge and, together with inventive and resourceful folks at spinning mills around the northeast, they created a line of classic, beautiful yarns from wool sourced and spun in the US. With those yarns they designed a line of modern knitting patterns for sweaters and accessories lovely in their simplicity, which echoed the “thoughtful essentials” nature of the yarn.

Since then, Quince has grown its offerings well beyond the core wool yarns and a few patterns, while maintaining the dedication to quality, history, and the modern, clean aesthetic that started it all.

This month marks our newest yarn release: Willet, a DK-weight cotton which uses long and extra long staple Cleaner Cotton™ grown by family farmers in California. Read about this in our two-part blog series:  
Part 1 and  Part 2.

Next month, we will be releasing a compelling book about seamless sweater knitting: Top Down, by Elizabeth Doherty. Elizabeth's focus in this release is on sweaters worked from the top down, with set-in sleeves. Delving into this technique and its benefits in great detail, the book also features a number of ready-to-knit sweater patterns using this type of construction. Preorders have already begun (and all preorder customers will receive the e-book ahead of their print copy).

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? 

Quince: We are very excited about the recent launch of our sister company, Twig & Horn, where we offer needlearts accessories from wool soap, to wool totes, to locally-sourced needle gauge tools. Our launch, in June, was so successful that we ran out of most of the products almost immediately. We’re working on restocking now. The Twig & Horn concept was born from the desire to support conscientious, high-quality goods for knitters and other craftspeople, from the finest makers we can find. We’ve only just begun but we have many interesting and unique items in store for the future. 

Also, at the end of June we wrapped up Shawl Week, our yearly celebration of shawls featuring a pattern each week-day by a different designer. This year’s shawl week was our most popular yet! We had some really great ones this time around. 

This month marks Quince's 5th birthday, and we've been celebrating each week in July with fun contests and thank-yous to show our gratitude for our supporters. Next week, we'll be featuring a number of giveaways for our followers exclusively on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and the Quince blog. We have a lot of fun things planned!

Imagine Childhood {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Imagine Childhood! 

Imagine Childhood is a family owned and operated company specializing in earth-friendly goods, craft and activity tutorials and educational supplies that support and nurture the magic of childhood. Our carefully curated collection focuses on products that inspire children to create, imagine, and explore. With an emphasis on quality materials, our toys and tools are made for real kids and real adventures.  

Browse our 2014-2015 Lookbook for over 170 pages of inspiring and thoughtful gifts, our largest collection yet! We’ve spent the last seven years combing the globe for unique heirloom quality toys, tools, games, and craft projects, many of which are $25 or less. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

In addition to our shop we also share free crafts, activities and recipes on our blog here and our recent book, IMAGINE CHILDHOOD: Exploring the World Through Nature, Imagination, and Play- 25 Projects that spark curiosity and adventure, can be found here.

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? 

Sarah: Last time we were here we talked about the massive blog overhaul we were in the midst of and I’m happy to say it is now complete! We’ve transformed 8 years of  craft, activity, and recipe blogs into easy to navigate visual categories because we want you to spend your time having fun, not searching through internet archives. There’s a lot to do and make right at your fingertips over on the Imagine Childhood Blog!

The other thing that we are so excited about is the launch of our very first Imagine Childhood Craft Kits! While there are many more in the process of production these felt flower fairy kits and flower crown kits are making their way into the world this month (see image above)! Designed by our resident fairy maker who has been crafting felt botanicals for nearly 30 years, they are made from a little wool and a lot of magic.

This weekend, Imagine Childhood is generously offering the following gifts to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

A $100 gift certificate to the Imagine Childhood shop! and signed copy of our book!

In addition, Imagine Childhood is offering 10% off all orders placed between now and July 30th, as well as free shipping for orders over $100. Use code "soulemama" at checkout.  Discount expires 7/30/15. 

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

L O V E imagination childhood! thanks for the opportunity!
Posted by: Alejandra

Postcard from Newport, Rhode Island

 

 

 

 

 

This year marks the 56th Newport Folk Festival. Clearly, they've got this thing dialed. Just setting up - before the artists and before the festival attendees - had such a good energy and vibe. And of course, a most gorgeous setting.  Ah! Stunning! I'm excited - and feeling so lucky - to be spending the next few days here. 

Wishing you a lovely weekend ahead! 

this & that

So, this is happening. Or rather, has been happening for a few weeks now. When we added a drake last year, Adelaide (and well, maybe all of us) were hoping some ducklings would appear this year. Stellaluna - everyone's favorite duck - has decided to take the task on herself, and it's been a fascinating process so far - watching her and then reading about what it is that she is so instinctually doing. Like covering the clutch of eggs with feathers to protect them while she takes one of her brief breaks.And the 'brood patch' of down that she plucked from her own belly to keep the eggs warmer (through direct contact with her skin). So fascinating, these little but very big things. We're excited to see what happens next. She's very close we think to the 31 day incubation period ending, so it could be anytime. 

That is happening too. A little bit of a library reorganization was desperately in need. Someone came to me last week complaining that we had no colored pencils. And that's like saying, well, like saying we have no yarn. Or fabric. Or sheep. You get the idea. It wasn't that we didn't have any, it's just that they were nowhere and EVERYWHERE to be found. A jar here and a jar there, a dozen stuffed in the couch cushions, two dozen under each bed, and on and on. Adelaide's cart (Raskog by IKEA) for her most-used crafts is working out so well at corralling those things in her bedroom, I decided to give the same thing a try in the library. So far, so good. No one can claim we have no colored pencils. Or scissors (I counted 21.)

The wildflowers are off the hook right now. That is all I have to say about that. I'm so happy.

And, I'm off! Just as soon as I decide which knitting project to bring (priorities, you know), I'm out the door for the Newport Folk Festival! I'll be staffing a booth for Taproot in the Quad area of the festival. If any of you happen to be headed there yourselves, please do come say hi! I've always wanted to attend this festival and am so glad to be there this year. Check out the lineup. Seriously amazing - so many very old favorites of mine, and so many new favorites too (thanks to Ezra who set me up with a playlist of all the Newport artists a few weeks ago and pointed me a to a few he thought I'd like. My own personal DJ - so handy). I'm not sure what my connection will be while away, but I do hope to pop in and say hello from Newport. 

Until then....wishing you and yours a lovely day!

 

a garden shed

I wish I had taken some before shots, but honestly I could hardly bear to look at it! I was using it as a "quick, open the door, shove it in, and close it again!" kind of storage space. Not very efficient. Definitely not beautiful. But then again, as I told myself, what can you do with a simple old shed - that once held llamas we think, who knows what else, then chickens when we moved in? 

Ah, but a can of paint and a few days of effort was so worth it. I'm so pleased with the result! There's a freedom, I think, in trying to 'fix up' such a space - one that has a few rotten boards (fixable), many chicken feathers, nails everywhere, and yes, still a bit of chicken poo. With such a space, there's only so much one can do....and any little thing feels like such an improvement. After a lot of scrubbing and cleaning up, and some board repair, white paint slapped on everything, everywhere was definitely the way to go. And I did cut a hole in the side of the shed (hello, sawzall!) to put in a new (old) window for a bit more light and cross breeze. Then it was just a matter of getting out the things that could be better stored elsewhere (oh, those bee boxes were taking up so much space - much better stored in the barn), and making space for what I do want to do in here. Which is, dry my herbs and things, prepare the food I'm bringing in, store the tools I need and the extras that come in in the wintertime, pot plants in the spring, escape from the heat of the sun for a moment sometimes in the garden, and host a visitor of the little helper kind. And do so in a pleasant space that makes me feel good. 

It's such a simple thing, really. And hardly anything grand. But oh, sitting down in there for a moment in the middle of spell of garden work...or maybe just hiding out there quietly by myself for a moment before dinner. Having space to move, and breathe, and work. It's going to be lovely, my little shed.

Summer Work

 

Here we are on another Monday morning, after a full and wonderful summer weekend. One child retrieved from running camp, then dropped directly off at another camp. And a second child retrieved to settle into the rest of his summer at home. That is, until theater camp starts for him in August. Phew! Steve and I have often remarked that despite there being such a strong and wonderful community of homeschoolers in our area, and with so many great offerings all the time....there is still this surge in the summertime of the kind of intensive learning and playing that happens at camps when the focus is long and thorough. Summer intensives - whether ballet or running or horses or Quaker camp or whatever it may be - are just so conducive to that kind of intense learning. And living, of course - they are one in the same.

Meanwhile, back on the farm, as we say....I think we're all feeling that similar parallel of intensity in life and learning. SO much happens in a summer day. Once in a while, that tips towards overwhelm and long to do lists that seem impossible to complete, and we start to panic that maybe we won't get enough wood cut for this winter, and my, won't that be cold? (Yes, it would be very!) But then, the next day rolls around and the kids are more than happy to ride into the woods on the trailer of the tractor while we haul more firewood up to be cut and stacked, and before we know it, a whole morning has gone by and so much has been done. Adelaide brings Almanzo the cat and talks to him the whole time, Annabel has her racket (you never know when it might be needed - for what, I do not know) and talks, again, about her plan for her halloween costume - a Knight Princess ("a beautiful knight that shoots things!" hmn......). And Harper, well Harper certainly finds plenty of ways to keep busy in the woods. He's Papa's right hand man, that's for sure. Always nearby to lend his hatchet, or give Steve some pointers on what might be causing that tractor the trouble it's having. He's often right. 

They'll break for lunch, and maybe we'll get back out there, though the kids will likely disperse into their own adventures - whatever those may be. Maybe I'll finish painting the garden shed and get that put back together, which will surely be a beacon for all to come and beg for some time to paint. It's easy to say yes out there. And at the end of the day, I hope someone suggests a jump in the lake. I'm sure the answer will be yes (I'll make sure of it). 

It can be tricky sometimes, in the moments, in the days, to remember what's getting done, or to feel like anything is getting done at all. Of course it is, one day at a time, one more tractor load hauled from the woods, one more coat of paint. But it's impossible to forget the help we have in doing it. That, of course, is the great joy at the end of the day that I remember most of all. A pile of wood in the woodshed is surely satisfying (and necessary), but nothing beats the pile of tired, happy kids in the bed at the end of the day. That's the real reward of a long summer's day of work.

Bee's Wrap {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Bee's Wrap! 

Bee's Wrap is a sustainable food storage alternative to plastic wrap. It is made from all natural ingredients- organic cotton, beeswax, tree resin, and organic jojoba oil. Bee's Wrap is great for wrapping cheese, bread, and veggies- like celery, greens, carrots, half of a cucumber, pepper or lemon. Bee's Wrap is reusable for up to a year. Wash in cool water with a little dish soap and hang to dry. When it has reached the end of its life compost or use as a fire starter for camping or a wood stove.

We began making Bee's Wrap about two and half years ago in our home in New Haven, Vermont. We have since moved to a workshop in Bristol, Vermont (just down the road). There are now seven of us of that work hard to make Bee's Wrap and ship it all over the world. We continue to realize how important it is to eliminate the use of plastic for food storage for both the environment and our own health and how instrumental Bee's Wrap has become in realizing this in our own homes.

Bee's Wrap is on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? 

Sarah: We are so excited to offer Bee's Wrap in our two new prints- the Clover Print in Mimi's Purple and the Geometric Print inEverybody's Teal. Bee's Wrap is a blank canvas that cried out for design. I began work on these prints with a friend of mine last fall. I provided the inspiration and Carey provided the expertise in fabric design. The collaboration of a project like this was very fulfilling- from the first thoughts, seeing the design emerge, then seeing the waxed rolls in the workshop and then finally wrapping my sandwich for work.

Our fabric is GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified. Which means that harmful chemicals, such as heavy metals, aromatic solvents and phthalates are prohibited in the printing process. Environmental impact from the printing process is protected through strict regulation and monitoring.  

This weekend, Bee's Wrap is generously offering the following gifts to TWO lucky SouleMama readers:

Winner #1: A Clover Print/Assorted 3 pack

Winner #2: A Geometric Print/Assorted 3 pack

In addition, Bee's Wrap is offering Soulemama readers a 15% discount. Please enter the discount code soulesummer15 at checkout. Expires Sunday, July 26th.

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Monday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winners are...

Still would like to try these. Thanks for the chance.
Posted by: Taryn

Oh! I've been wanting to try these! Thanks so much for the chance!
Posted by: Lynn

Alewives Fabrics {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Alewives Fabrics! 

Located in beautiful Midcoast Maine in a big red barn, Alewives Fabrics was established in 1978. Since 2004 Alewives Fabrics has been owned and operated by the mother/daughter team of Barbara Neeson and Rhea Butler. We currently have 10 employees and sell a carefully curated selection of fabrics to the local population. Through our webstore we sell to fabric enthusiasts all over the world. Our shop carries lots of different substrates (like vinyl laminate, lawn, double gauze, chambray, linen/cotton blends, voile, flannel and more), but our first love will always be quilting cotton. We have a great selection of modern, designer prints, but we also love timeless classics, like ticking, toile, stripes, dots and paisleys.  

Alewives Fabrics can be found on Facebook, Twitter and we do a lot of posting on Instagram.   

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? 

Alewives: Since our last feature on Soulemama, we've added a few new workshops to our class list that we are very excited about! In August, we'll be hosting Nichole Vogelsinger (better known as WildBoho to her thousands of Instagram fans) for an embellished embroidery hoop workshop. Noichole's one-of-a-kind embellished embroidery hoops are masterpieces, each and every one. And in October we'll be hosting Lizzy House for a 2-day Meadow Quilt workshop. We've always loved the Meadow Quilt, and it's not available as a pattern: the only way to make this quilt is to take a workshop with Lizzy herself! We're so excited to be bringing these two very talented ladies to our little shop in Maine for a dose of inspiration!  

This weekend, Alewives Fabrics is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

One of our new "Fussy Cutter's Bundles" 

The bundle includes 15 different quilting weight cotton fat quarters featuring prints that are suitable for fussy cutting. All fifteen fabrics feature great textures, line work and colorful motifs that make them perfect candidates for fussy cutting!    

In addition, Alewives Fabrics would like to offer Soulemama readers FREE SHIPPING on all domestic orders and $10 OFF INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING through Saturday July 25th by entering the code SOULEMAMA into the promotional code field at checkout. If you are local, please mention the Soulemama promotion at the register and choose a free fat quarter (up to $3 value) from our selection of pre-cut fat quarters through Saturday, July 25th!   

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 9am EST on Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

Just love this place!
Posted by: Dd

In the Garden, July 17

Ah, what a wonderful week in the garden it's been! I've had plenty of time out there since last week, and things are a bit more tame than they were seven days ago. I do love this time of the year out there so much - when the plants are strong enough and big enough to handle a little interference from some weeds, and while there is just so much coming in from the garden. So much life in those beds this time of year, and I love wandering around and plotting our next meal. 

This week, all of the garlic was pulled and is now drying. While I still don't think it's enough for us to last a full year, I do think I grew more than I ever have before, and we might make it till spring, at least. (I'm sorry I didn't keep my notes on just how much we planted, and I haven't counted/measured the yield yet either.)

Other things coming in - the most beautiful broccoli I think we've enjoyed from our own garden, and lots of it thank goodness; plenty of beets; so many greens; radishes; and the very first of the sungold tomatoes (those first tomatoes are a little slice of heaven, aren't they?). There are lots of flowers coming in right now, which pleases us all of course. I'm still a little worried about the carrot yield and will definitely be switching to pelleted seeds next year in hopes of improving that. 

Harvesting, some light weeding, and propping up the plants that need it seem to be the big tasks at the moment (I'm a big fan of using old cut up t-shirt strips for helping the tomatoes stay close to the stakes, or the gourds go up and reach the cattle panel). And I suppose with the garden somewhat under control, one needs a new garden project yes? I guess that's why, on a bit of a whim yesterday, with paintbrush in hand from another project, I walked out to the garden shed and just started painting. Ah! I got myself into a bigger project that I realized, but it's all good. I've had visions of pretty garden sheds in my head (and on my Pinterest boards) for years, and I'm thrilled to play around in there and see what I can come up with, using what we have. The sawzall has already been put to use and I think I just might need to pull out the chainsaw for the birch I was talking about the other day. Every garden shed needs birch logs in there, right? Right. Construction in the garden....it's going to be a fun week out there!

. . . . . .

During the growing season, I share a garden update once a week. If you are doing the same (on any day of the week) in your own online space, please leave a link in the comments section below so that we can take a stroll through your garden! Or simply, in your words, share what you've been up to in your own garden. Be sure not to miss the comments of these posts, as the garden wisdom shared by all of you is such a beautiful thing to see - I learn so much every week! Thank you, friends. And blessings on another year in the garden!

 

for Energy

This week, we dropped my eldest son off at cross country running team retreat. I know, another camp! Geesh! I can barely keep it straight, and my Mama heart is getting a little anxious each night as I tuck everyone into bed and try to keep tabs on who is where and when they'll all be back under the same roof. But my boy - heading into high school in the fall - joined the cross-country team and the season starts now. Or really it started a month ago when he began training in earnest, and passing through the kitchen about a million and ten times a day to get something else to eat. As a result, he's getting into great shape, and maybe all of that has something to do with the fact that overnight he didn't just grow taller than me, but is closer to towering over me now. Oh my goodness. What a wild and strange, wonderful and weird feeling all of that is. 

But back to the growing boy, and his running, and the feeding of that young athlete. Oh my gosh!!!! Feeding him!!! Friends, I've never seen anything like this in all of my life, and I see Ezra just a tiny corner around him (and threatening to be taller than his older brother already) and I wonder how on earth it is that I'll manage to keep them fed and healthy through these teen years, and provide them with good models of sustenance and energy for all these good physical things they're up to. It's a beautiful thing to behold - watching strength build and children grow. 

I've been puzzling over all of that lately, trying to come up with some great grab-and-go snacks for them to have at the ready. Healthy options. Ones that don't come in a package or wrapper and send my grocery bill skyrocketing. Things that don't keep me in the kitchen all day long. And tasty things too. This week I made the bars above (these ones). I don't usually cook with coconut, as I have an allergy to it, but let's be real - these were eaten long before I could get around to trying one if I wanted to. They've been a big hit, and a nice alternative to the similar but super simple bars I make often and that I think the kids were getting a bit bored with (with raisins, soaked cashews and almonds, cashew butter, and cocoa powder). 

I have Feeding the Young Athlete: Sports Nutrition Made Easy for Players, Parents and Coaches by Cynthia Lair and I need to spend some more time flipping through it and finding some things that will work for us, as I'm sure it's full of them. And just this week, I received my copy of Little Bites: 100 Healthy Kid-Friendly Snacks by Christine Chitnis and Sarah Waldman. It's a beautiful book and full of good things that I think will certainly find their way into our repertoire and fill the need for healthy, hearty snacks for kids of all ages (Annabel, as you can see, is requesting Peach Frozen Yogurt right away. I'm on it.). 

 

(**Edited to add, for disclosure and clarity: Cynthia Lair was an earlier contributor to Taproot Magazine, and Christine has been a frequent one, in addition we share a publisher! And...you'll find one cutie patootie - aka, Harper Soule, in a photograph inside the pages of Little Bites.)

Tell me, especially parents of athletes and growing teen children with that unbelievably amazing appetite - what are your go-to healthy homemade snack options and energy boosters? I'd love to hear, and I'll be certain to share more in the coming weeks and months as I develop more of our own favorites. 

a simple swing

You already know I'm a firm believer in the importance of benches - anywhere and everywhere. Our yard and gardens now are practically littered with them (the best kind of littered). Well, I suppose it's no surprise that hammocks and swings are right behind benches in my backyard love life. There can never be too many, now can there? 

All spring and summer I've been saying out loud, thinking to myself, and asking Steve to build a new swing for Ani. She outgrew horsie at the end of last summer, sadly, and all the round tree swings are just a little too tricky for her to manage. She just needs a spot to sit and swing (who doesn't?). Each time I mentioned it to Steve, I saw the slightly panicked look in his eyes that said, "a swing would be great, I'd love to make a swing, but how about I cut that firewood I need to so that we don't all freeze this winter?" Right. That. 

And so it went, and here we are in the middle of July and she still didn't have her swing. Until last week, when Steve and the big boys were away. It wasn't until then, as I was moving one of the benches to mow around it, that it dawned on me. What's the matter with me? I can totally make a swing! Geesh! 

I know, a swing. A simple swing. Adelaide could make one, likely Harper too. And yet, I still find myself, even after having made a few things, not thinking of myself as someone who can make anything with wood. It's funny, isn't it? The things we believe ourselves capable of, the things we think we can't do, or don't even think about at all. And the things, that after nearly forty years of not even paying any attention to, we discover that we really actually enjoy and are perfectly capable of. There's a whole lot of gender thoughts mashed up in this, of course. And there's a whole lot of empowerment in slowly letting go of some of those thoughts buried so deep I didn't even know they were there. The miter saw? It's not scary. It's just a tool, like any other. Which sandpaper to use on the sander? This is not rocket science.

I know, not exactly revolutionary thinking here, but it still surprises me sometimes, how these ideas become engrained, how deeply they can stay there, and how liberating and exciting it is when we become aware of them and let them go. Right now, I'm incredibly excited by the gift from a friend - thanks, Don! - of my own chainsaw. Ah, what freedom it will be when I want that birch branch cut just right for hanging in someone's bedroom for something or other. Or, when I want to spend a day out there limbing trees with Steve in the pasture, making things go along at a faster and smoother pace with the work of two adults, not just one. 

Well, anyway....those are all the things that were on my mind as I made this simple little swing this weekend. Some leftover pieces of cedar, a little bit of our favorite stain (Vermont Natural Coatings), and a few power tools that I thoroughly enjoy using. She's as happy as can be. And so is her Mama.

And just as soon as that one was up, I set to work on another right away (because who wants to stop using the power tools once they're all fired up and ready to go? Not me!). Adelaide has requested one for the pasture, which I think is just brilliant. And then I've got my eye on this perfect maple tree deep in the woods that I wouldn't mind swinging on...and then.....

summer in the kitchen

You know, I've had months to empty that freezer. Months, I tell you. At the height of our freezer storage, we keep a whopping three freezers full of our food. One full of pork (two pigs at the peak), one full of chickens and turkeys (up to 70 birds at the most), and one full of vegetables (lots and lots of vegetables, with a little bit of fruit). It's a lot, and honestly, it's not something we're extremely comfortable with - all that electricity. But that's another story for another day. And an ice house is another project for another decade. The reality is that we are, in general, incredibly happy to have three freezers of our own grown and raised food going out there in Papa's workshop, right next to the chop saw and the piles of Harper's abandoned and sometimes in-progress woodworking projects (it's hard to tell which is which, and so it's best to ask him first before moving anything. You never know when a pile of wood and nails might be about to turn into his next woodworking masterpiece).

The peak of that freezer use is of course late fall, when all the harvesting has been done. And slowly, as one empties, we adjust and move things around to make it just two. And then one. And then, for a very short time at the beginning of the summer, the kitchen freezer holds everything we need (and I panic frequently that there's nothing to eat in the house). The reprieve gives us just enough time to stop running that electricity in the height of summer, clean the freezers all out, and prepare to fill them all up once again, one at a time. I've been delaying the final end of that timeline for a few weeks now - the cleaning out part. There really isn't a lot left. Some pesto that somehow got tucked away and buried for two years (um, gross?).....and a whole lot of fat back and leaf lard. Ah. With two pigs, and even with using lard as often as we do (everyday, a little bit for something or other), there still seems to always be a tiny bit of a backlog. And there it sits in the freezer waiting for me to spend the time dealing with it. It isn't that it's such a challenging job, just that it's a big one (I like to do it all at once - two pigs worth - that's a lot of lard). So it was only natural that yesterday, on what might have been arguably the warmest day of this summer yet, I decided to render all that lard.

As the piles were amassed on the kitchen table, and I was sharpening the knives, Steve walked in, dripping with sweat from his own project out of doors. "What are you doing?" he asked incredulously. "Rendering lard! I need to empty the freezer!" I may have replied, just a wee bit snippily. And thus, he walked right back out the door to resume his own project, leaving me to my own warm kitchen and humidity-induced attitude. Turns out that yes, I needed to empty the freezer, but more accurately than that, I needed to spend the day in the kitchen.

Granted, it was warm. I definitely could have chosen a cooler day to do this on. But there's something about that first summer day in the heat of the kitchen, preserving the current harvest for the seasons to come, that I really do love. And while I was at it, in between rendering all that lard, I blanched and froze some spinach, hung some oregano, and made a bit more garlic scape pesto for the freezer (hopefully to be discovered before it reaches the fate of that last batch). And while I was in there, not really wanting to leave that kitchen yet, I took the elderflowers I had gathered earlier in the morning and set to making cordial and liqueur. It was hot, yes. And it was hard work, to be honest - schlepping and hauling baskets in, scrubbing those freezer shelves, and standing over the hot kitchen stove, then hands in the hot dishwater to clean up. But oh, it was the best kind of work. And at the end of the day, I soaked in a (hot!) bath, and crawled into bed, feeling so satisfied at a summer day spent in my kitchen. And this morning I woke to a few more things on the pantry shelves, which is the blissful reward for such kitchen work on a hot, hot day in July.

Christopherus Homeschool Resources {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Christopherus Homeschool Resources! 

Since 2003 Christopherus Homeschool Resources has been creating a range of friendly and empowering publications and services designed to help every homeschooler with an interest in Waldorf education. We offer full Homeschool Curriculums for PreK through 5^th grade, FREE Rough Guides for 6^th-8^th grade, plus a abounding array of audio and educational materials that will enrich your homeschool journey.

Browse our bookstore

Join our Facebook Group: Christopherus Homeschooling Families

Sign up for our monthly newsletter: Homeschool Journey

SouleMama: Since the last time you were featured on SouleMama, in what ways has your business grown or changed? 

Donna: For the past several years homeschooling parents who have been schooling with Christopherus have asked us for a Homeschool Planner that would be unique to our curriculum and now we are happy to announce we have one! Way back in January Donna contacted Amy McGehee-Lee, homeschooling mom and owner of, Magic Hollow Etsy shop specializing in homeschool planners about designing one for us. After months of collaborating, soliciting opinions from Christopherus homeschoolers and receiving sage advice and planning material from Barbara Benson, our Homeschool Consultant, Amy has developed an artistically designed planning tool that is open ended enough to be useful for many different families, from many parts of the world, who are creating a way of homeschooling that meets their needs.

The full year planner comes to you as a .pdf so that you can pick and choose what and when to print the pages that you want to include in your personalized planner.

 

 

This weekend, Christopherus Homeschool Resources is generously offering the following gift to ONE lucky SouleMama reader:

One free Homeschool Planner, Daily Rhythms

For more information about the content of the planner and to view additional sample pages visit our blog: Homeschool Journey.

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 8am EST on Monday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winner is...

I could certainly use some help with Home Ed planning! :)
Posted by: Charlotte

Marblemount Homestead Online Cheese Making Class {a soulemama sponsor}

Greetings from Marblemount Homestead Online Cheese Making Class!

I'm a native German who homesteads on five acres in the beautiful Skagit Valley in Washington State. I live in a cabin next to the wilderness, together with my husband and three homeschooled children. We raise lots of different animals, but the goats are my favorites! I teach cheese making and homesteading skills to earth conscious people and have inspired hundreds to live healthier, happier and more sustainable lives through my classes and my blog.

I am very excited about offering an online cheese making workshop so people all over the world can learn how to make Chevre, Greek Yogurt, Gouda and Cabra Al Vino and create healthy dishes with them to nourish their families and friends. Most people use store bought milk to make these cheeses – no need to have your own goats or cows!

You can find more information on my website. I am also on Facebook and Instagram.

SouleMama: Please tell us about the beginnings of your business, and how you've come to be where you are now? 

Corina: Many people love coming to my homestead to learn how to make cheese. I have taught hundreds of people the art of cheese making here.

But the truth is - we live in the boonies, and it's a long (albeit scenic) drive for my students. That's why I designed this online workshop so everyone can participate. Most of my students buy milk from the store, so there is no need to have your own dairy animals!

In this four-week class, you will learn how to make four different kinds of dairy products - one every week. We start with the easier ones (Greek Yogurt and Chevre) and then move up to the more involved cheeses (Gouda and Cabra al Vino). Keep in mind that even the more difficult cheeses are not hard to make. If you like cooking and eating good food, you can make cheese. I will hold your hand every step of the way!

In this self-paced workshop, you will receive my beautiful, detailed e-books on making each cheese, filled with gorgeous pictures, step-by-step instructions, and many tips and tricks that I have learned in over a decade of making thousands of pounds of cheese at home.

You will know exactly what supplies to order, where to order from, and how much.

My recipes are easy to follow, clear and simple.

I also will provide you with recipes on how to cook and bake with what you make (cheesecake, anyone?).

And if you are a visual learner, you will watch me demonstrate techniques and methods in my movies, right in my own kitchen.

One really exciting part of this program is the weekly live coaching call with me, where you can hop on the phone or computer and ask me questions, let me help you solve problems, and celebrate your successes!

Plus, we will have a private Facebook group where students can interact with each other and me.
At the end of this workshop, you will wonder why you were ever intimidated by the thought of making cheese!

This weekend, Marblemount Homestead Online Cheese Making Class is generously offering the following gift to TWO lucky SouleMama readers:

Free tuition for this workshop.

Go to the online cheese class website, look at the pictures and tell me which cheese you would be most excited to make, and why you want to learn how to make cheese.

In addition, Marblemount Homestead Online Cheese Making Class is offering Soulemama readers a 25% discount on the workshop tuition, which brings it down to $59 instead of $79 for the general public. To get the reduced price, go to my website and scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page, then click on the payment option for soulemama readers, which will automatically give you the 25% discount.

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To enter today's giveaway, leave a comment below (one entry per person, please). Comments will close by 8am EST Sunday. Winners will be chosen by Random Number Generator and announced in this post shortly after. Comments closed. The winners are...

I think I like the gouda best, although what would be most exciting for me is to take the class and work along side my son while learning to make cheese. Thanks! 
Posted by: Tammy

Wine soaked goat cheese! Please let me be one of the lucky ones - oh wine soaked goat cheese!
Posted by: Barb B

In the Garden, July 10

Ah, my wild and crazy, wonderful garden. That's exactly how it feels this week, a week in which I've taken hardly more than a moment each day to run out there and grab a snack for the beach - snap peas and raspberries, or dream up something quick and easy for dinner - roasted beets and kale over quinoa. Yes, 'swimming and ice cream' all the days hasn't left a lot of room for garden work. It's sliding this week, growing a bit wild, but hopefully something I'll be able to reign back in, in a jiffy, just as soon as Pop is home and I can spend a solid day out there. I'm looking forward to it. 

For now, we are enjoying those things we bring in - beets, plenty of greens, peas, and berries now. And feeling full of gratitude for this space that offers us so much.

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During the growing season, I share a garden update once a week. If you are doing the same (on any day of the week) in your own online space, please leave a link in the comments section below so that we can take a stroll through your garden! Or simply, in your words, share what you've been up to in your own garden. Be sure not to miss the comments of these posts, as the garden wisdom shared by all of you is such a beautiful thing to see - I learn so much every week! Thank you, friends. And blessings on another year in the garden!

 

 

at the shore

We spent a lovely day earlier in the week gathering with Em and Sarah and various members of our families (who thankfully all adore each other, as you can see). The last time the three of us were together it was in Bali, and well, the water was a bit warmer there! Ah! But oh, I love this hometown ocean of mine, and the feeling of being so fully awake and alive when immersed in it. So very good indeed.

I've been playing a bit of hookey this week. Well, not really, I suppose, since the work must be done eventually and so I'm trading my normal morning work hours for late night work hours at the moment. It's not a sustainable way of being, but at the moment it seems like absolutely the right thing to do (and the necessary one, as Papa and the older boys are adventuring and so I'm flying solo). And because summer is so short, and because there is no place that brings as much peace and harmony among the crew, and because....well, there needn't be any more reasons. It just is the right thing to do. And so I set a goal with the kids on Monday morning - we must swim and also eat ice cream, each and every day this week. Here we are on Thursday and cruising right along on my plan - hopping from ocean to lake to river and I think back to the ocean again tomorrow. As you can imagine, I have three little ones quite eager to help hold me to that plan. Ah, summer days are the best.

 

books, books, and more books

First up on the subject of books, I'm very happy to say that I've just reopened my little shop, with signed copies of all of my books. I really love being able to send those out into the world, knowing the names of the people who will read them - it makes the experience all the more real and rich for me. And well, it makes me want to write another one, I have to say! So I thank you for your support there. (Right now, I'm just shipping to the US, but hope to sort out an easy international rhythm soon. I'll let you know.)

Beyond that, I wanted to talk books with you! We've dipped our toes into the book conversation in recent posts and corresponding comments, but oh, I can't resist the opportunity to go a bit deeper. About a year ago we did this, and I told you of my love affair with audiobooks, and most especially....my love affair with my wireless headset (I have this one). It's true love, friends. True love. I listen to books while I'm doing dishes, folding laundry, making dinner, going to bed, definitely knitting and sewing, and oh so many other moments of my days it fits into just perfectly. It's really changed my 'reading' habits in such a positive way. 

  

And then there are times when a real book calls. On an airplane, in the waiting room, when I don't want to be disconnected from my loves in the same room, at the beach when I want to hear the sounds of the ocean and so on and so forth. And then there are all those wonderful books that just aren't on audio, or that really are meant to be read in hand, lingered over, and savored on the paper pages. 

Since we last chatted books, some of my favorites (a mix of fiction and non-fiction) have been...(with asterisks marking those I not just enjoyed, but really, really love).

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (a re-read, that I loved just as much the second time around)
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott
**Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Not THat Kind of Girl by Lena Dunham
The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
**All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Mary Coin by Marisa SIlver
The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore
Masterminds & Wingmen by Rosalind Wiseman
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman
My Notorious Life by Kate Manning
**The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffebaugh
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
**The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Annie Barrows
**People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
The Boston Girl by Anita Diamant
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

And now, the part I love most of all.....do tell! What have you loved reading of late?

 

in her room

Ah, her room! I had such fun putting this together for her, and thank goodness she adores it just as much as I had hoped she would. Besides the obvious freshening up - of paint, etc - that needed to be done, I was trying to create a little more of a grown up girls room for her. One that suits an almost 10 year old, rather than the 5 year old she was when we moved in here. But perhaps my biggest goal of all was to create a 'place' for all of her crafts and supplies - she's a crafty one, this girl, and there is no limit to the number of hobbies she decides to take on, and therefore accumulate 'stuff' for (hmn....). And given her personality and tendency to really dive fully into a project and the accompanying creative flurry of mess....well, she needs a clear workspace and a place for everything. I think we accomplished that goal when we turned her closet into full-on shelving for all of her supplies, and I made all of those baskets to hold all the things. So many baskets. But, success!

Some details I'm guessing you might be asking about - 

The wall paint is by Colorhouse (Dream 02....and indeed, dreamy it is!), and the floors....oh, the floors! I did so love the white floorboards upstairs for a while, but I never could quite get it to work the way I wanted to. The durability just wasn't what I needed without being true-blue "floor paint" and so we've begun repainting, room by room, the floors in Ben Moore (with the color Shaker Gray). It's working well.

As for other 'stuff' in her room - the craft cart is a Raskog Utility Cart from IKEA. The hanging string lights are Geometric Pin Dot Lights from Terrain. And her chandelier, silly and fun as it is, is from Land of Nod. Her curtains are all Matilda by IKEA (the same that we have in most of the upstairs windows now).  And almost everything else in her room is thrifted, handmade or existing furniture we had. And a few little bits and bobs from the woods, of course. 

I wanted to create a little sitting area and cozy soft spot by adding that pouf to the room. I made it with a vintage tablecloth and by using the pattern from Maya's book Reinvention. It's stuffed with wool and old clothing, and I love how it came together as a sturdy, solid but cozy sitting spot for her, right next to her books. 

Ah, we are both so happy with her completed room....and she, the tired post-camper that she still is days later....is still sleeping away in dreamland at nearly nine am this morning. I'll take that as a good sign. 

ten things on Monday morning

1. My girl is home!!!!! She arrived home happy, confident and full of new friendships and so many stories. Like the one about this treehouse, and a boy named Mike that she was hiding from because "Mom, he was just too silly, you know, and I think he liked me. Like, really liked me." 

2. Her room was completed on time, and she walked into it with a huge smile on her face and so much love and gratitude for it. I think the end result is so very her, and she agrees. Hooray! I'll show you the finished results in the coming days, once she's settled into it a bit more.

 

3. The day before we picked Adelaide up, we received no fewer than three letters from her in the mail. The postcard reads "Dear Mom & Dad, I miss you a lot. But then again, Camp is awesome. There's a lot of strange things written on the walls. I've learned how to twerk! The girls in my cabin taught me. Write back. Ada"  That just might be my favorite piece of mail ever. When I picked her up, I asked for a demonstration of this twerking. She started cackling, "Na! I don't know how to do that, I was just messing with you Mom!" 

4. Such is the weekends of our summer, we picked one up and dropped another off. Ezra is off for his own camp adventure right on the heels of his little sister. He went out the door with his ukulele, a fresh haircut, and a new bottle of hair gel. I'm expecting him to have lots and lots of fun, and for us to receive well, approximately no letters. That's okay too.

5. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, this one has declared this to be her last summer at home "because four is just too little and you still need your Mom and Dad and stuff, but not when you're five".  Her constant stream of dialogue from morning to night is a true pleasure to hear right now, even when the eleventh hour of engaging with it approaches. "Can you pick dandelions upside down?" And so on and so forth. I do so love the mind of a four year old!

6. Harper? While he certainly loves being given the tours of camp from his older brothers and sister, he's decided that camp will 'never!" be for him. Instead, he'd really like to stay at home and "do whatever I want." That's a smart fella, I'd say. Right now, "do whatever I want" mostly involves the use of a hatchet. I think we can keep him busy.

7. Calvin and I continue to plug away at his "handmade dickies" using the Thread Theory pattern. We seem to be working on it in only one-step-per-night intervals, because that's about the maximum amount of time I can keep myself from swearing to a point far beyond appropriate for the ears of even my fourteen year old. That zipper fly? What the? But....I'm determined to save my sewing cred, and more importantly, have this thing that we created together, so we will persevere. I've got about 48 hours before he starts a series of his own summer adventures that will keep him out of my studio for a while, so we best get to it. And I will practice patience and appropriate language all the while. 

8. Speaking of that child, is there skateboarding Mom in the crowd? Will someone explain to me how it is that he can go through a pair of skate shoes in just five weeks before blowing them out completely? Twelve pair a year seems excessive, but seems to be the track we're on right now. And each time I say "that can't be possible!" he shows me a completely falling apart shoe with a hole in the sole. Also? His feet are now so much bigger than mine, that I'm no longer getting any fun hand me downs (the non-skate shoes with holes in them, that is). This is very sad (and my eye is on you now, Ezra!). 

 9. We watched Harold & Maude with Ezra a few days ago. It was one of those movies Steve and I were cautious to share with him, only because we love it so and were afraid he wouldn't love it as much as we do. Thank heavens, he really, really got it, and it even made his top ten movie list of all time. Phew! But while watching, needing something that didn't take too much concentration, I pulled out the ongoing scrap blanket I haven't worked on since winter. Each time I do, I am reminded how much I love this project, and wonder just how big I should make it. It might just be the blanket that never ends. I've been knitting it for five years now, and I think there might be more years ahead!

10. The ocean. It's happening today, finally. Ah.....

In the Garden, July 3

Ah, what a good week in the garden it's been! Plenty of rain and lots of sunshine (with my apologies and sympathies to those of you experience drought at the moment). There seems to be a slight pause in the work of the garden at the moment, as everything is tucked into the spaces it needs to be in for now, the weeding is manageable, and the harvesting is still easy.  The pests - for the most part - are at bay after Steve caught the first round of potato bugs early. We are harvesting quite a few things - kale, chard and lettuces, radishes and peas, and many many herbs. The elderflowers are ready (cordial, here we come!), and the raspberries are so very close to taking off, with blueberries right behind them. 

My one disappointment so far in the garden has been carrots. Carrots! That's a big deal! The germination on those were just terrible, even the second go round. I tried once more, and hopefully that will do the trick. We can't be without a surplus of carrots now can we? I think not.

Annabel's corner of the garden is all but hidden with the tall potato plants in front of it. She loves that - a secret hideaway spot, she says. And I can't wait until the corn grows just a little bit more, so she's fully surrounded by tall green plants, snug in her corner with a book and her hammock. Ah, that's the life. I think it's time I move a chair back there to join her. 

Wishing you a most wonderful long weekend ahead, in your garden, at the shore, or wherever you may be!

. . . . . .

During the growing season, I share a garden update once a week. If you are doing the same (on any day of the week) in your own online space, please leave a link in the comments section below so that we can take a stroll through your garden! Or simply, in your words, share what you've been up to in your own garden. Be sure not to miss the comments of these posts, as the garden wisdom shared by all of you is such a beautiful thing to see - I learn so much every week! Thank you, friends. And blessings on another year in the garden!

Garlic Scape Pesto (and lunch)

Having nothing to do with garlic scapes, this was lunch yesterday. Thought it could be the day before, or today, or tomorrow, for that matter. Kale chips, popcorn, and hard boiled eggs. These are the things I worry about my children never wanting to touch again once they leave my house, for over saturation in their childhoods. But for now, that's not my worry....and this is lunch. And no one is complaining (yet!). Maybe today, I'll throw in a garlic scape pesto pizza - that will please everyone.

Garlic Scape Pesto

20 garlic scapes
2/3 cups almonds
2/3 cups parmesan cheese
2/3 cup olive oil
1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste

In a food processor (or sturdy blender), combine scapes, almonds, cheese, salt and pepper. Slowly add olive oil. Add cream to desired consistency. 

This makes a healthy-sized batch of pesto, that I use over the course of a few days on several meals. On pizza (skipping the sauce, adding sliced tomatoes and mozzarella cheese), pasta (I love it with spinach pasta and sauteed veggies), toast (grilled bread with sharp cheddar cheese, yum) and as a dipping sauce for those brave of taste buds. It's strong, but the cream helps tamp that down just a bit, and it's oh so good.

Enjoy!

 

July 1

 

Hello July!

And welcome (and welcome back) to the newest Sponsors here at SouleMama...

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colorhouse paints

Paint for the people and the planet. Colorhouse is committed to making the world more colorful and less volatile by creating products that are safer for your home and better for our planet.

 

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FrejaToys

Breastfeeding and babywearing necklaces for moms, crochet toys and knitted dolls for babies and kids - 100% natural handmade gifts for your loved ones or just for yourself.

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Hunter Yoga

 

Are you feeling overwhelmed or stressed out? Be more calm with your family?  Do you want to feel grounded despite your busy life? Are you curious about how mindfulness can help? 

 

HunterYoga.com is offering a free 14-day virtual retreat July 13 - 27th. This is what Rose said about it: "After the mindfulness retreat, I feel more at ease in my body, I feel more loving kindness towards my family, and I have a pretty established meditation routine that I plan to keep up with. Hands down. Sign up now!"

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Sew Grown

At Sew Grown we are committed to providing quality products that promote a healthy and natural lifestyle. All of our Sew Grown products are handcrafted in the USA by local seamstresses using high quality materials and timeless Liberty of London fabric. Our meticulously handcrafted products are made to last so that you and your family may enjoy them for generations to come!  

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Check out all of their handmade, natural, and creative offerings - and those of our other Sponsors - in the days and weeks to come. I thank them and you both for your presence and support here. And if Sponsorship is something you're interested in for your own business, please be in touch!