Being True

        

          Suppose that life in the family is recognised as a path, a school for the soul and the spirit? What does this bring for the individual parent, for the family, for the child?

- from Lifeways by Davy and Voors

Speaking my truth is becoming more familiar for me these days. I'm practising expressing my gratitude for things in my life and speaking from the heart whenever I can.

And the truth this week, as the beginning of the school year is upon us, is that I'm feeling lost for words when asked about our decision to homeschool this year.

I clam up and freeze. I search for heartfelt words that lead to connection and understanding, but end up saying nothing, or perhaps mumbling a little about something if nothing feels too rude.

Its not what I expected I'd do for something that feels so right to me.

What am I to do? I found myself thinking.

And what I did was sit with the torment inside, rather than resisting it. I listened to what it had to say, immersing myself in its tension.

This is what I heard:
- that I'm sad to not be a part of the primary school this year
- that I'm scared of damaging Rosie's education and self esteem in some way
-that this beginning time of year is a time of great expectations for everyone
-that its okay to freeze and be unsure, for that's how I learn and question and look deeper.
-that homeschooling still feels right despite these fears and grieving.

And that we are all on the same educational journey, whether we homeschool or allow our children to attend an institution - we all want what's best for them.

We all want self-directed learners who question and seek answers. We all want joyous, happy little ones who grow in all their glorious ways, uninhibited and owning their own interests, passions and gifts. We all want our children to be true to themselves.

There is no right or wrong way when these are our goals as parents and educators. There are just different ways that feel right to us.

These words help to calm my panic. They soothe and let me take that much-needed step back. And I'm grateful for that.

Wishing you a beautiful new beginning and the blossoming of your children.

Carolyn x x

Pink lemon cordial

We don't exactly have a glut of lemons (although that would be nice) but our young tree has done well this year and given us enough for cooking and to make a couple of batches of lemon cordial.
I used my friend Bron's Lemon Cordial recipe and added some fresh grated beetroot at the end to add a pink tint (the girls love my extra effort!).
To 1 Litre of water I added 1kg of sugar, brought it to the boil and then allowed it to cool to room temperature.
To this cooled mixture I added 2 cups of freshly squeezed lemon juice and the freshly grated beetroot, then strained the whole lot to remove any pulp and the remains of the beetroot.
To this I added 2 tsp of lemon essence (as per the recipe although I think I'll leave this out next time).
Then I bottled it up. It made about 2 litres of cordial to spice up our days...
Enjoy!

Homemade

Homemade has been on the agenda in an increasing way lately for us. Our sourdough loaves continue (and continue to improve methinks), the homemade butter still delights us and our visitors and now we've added homemade pasta to our repertoire.

Ian's spaghetti creations

My oh my, I had never really eaten pasta before Ian's homemade spaghetti noodles. I mean, I'd eaten that stuff that comes in packets, dried from the supermarket of course. But fresh, soft, long pasta made from flour and Henny Penny's eggs. *Mmmmm*.

The colour, texture and taste was truly wonderful - and the girls had seconds. Best of all though? Ian put his love and effort proudly into their creation. Seriously. Awesome. Any man who makes me pasta from scratch gets big ticks in my book.

Ian hard at work

So all this homemade, real food has got this mama thinking - what's so special about homemade? I mean, its trendy (think recycling, upcycling, repurposing etc...) and all that, but that's never been something to drive this mama.

What is it that's driving me and us on this homemade journey?

Firstly its all about connectedness and being more down to earth. My post-natal depression came as a surprise, but looking back I can see the lesson in the challenge - I've been too far from the ground for too long. I've been unanchored and floating. I thought that was the freedom I wanted (and perhaps for a while it was). From trying to be too much to trying to be like others to trying to do everything, I was exhausted even before we brought Rosie into the world. Handmaking things for us brings me closer to who I am and what I have right now.

Homemade is also about valuing the traditions of old, about connecting (again) with our family's past - Nan and Mum both knit, sew and fix cloth. They cook from scratch. They grow fruit and veggies. Pa, who is no longer with us in person, was the first one to be in the garden, growing and sowing, weeding and feeding. This is our heritage and its one that I want to carry on for myself and our little family.

Homemade is also about valuing our individuality. With homemade food, clothes, toys etc... we move away from consumerism, mass marketing and the treadmill urging us to have the same as everyone else. We are all individuals and our homemade approach helps to value and develop our uniqueness.

Focussing on a handmade home also brings balance to this world of technological wizardry and ever-increasing computing speed. Yes, this mama has an iphone, an ipad and blog that she loves, but she doesn't like the feeling of trying to keep up with something new everyday (every hour?). That speed leaves me feeling even more unanchored and increases my anxiety. Our girls deserve a chance to choose what works for them too. In our house we remain relatively unplugged from this world. Making things by hand, knowing where they came from and how they were put together balances the great unknowns of our technology and the system we live in.

This is why I value homemade for our little family of four learners. Most of the time though I don't think about these reasons. I just know that it feels good. That I feel calm and in control when I use my hands as much as my head to make something for us.

Wishing you, dear readers, a lovely, lovely day.

Our days

As the Winter solstice slides past and we feel ourselves move into the second half of the year we begin to look forward to the growth of Spring and Summer.
School finished up for the term with a special day of activities and the bringing home of much delightful artwork and storytelling. I do so love Rosie's drawings when she is engaged and full of stories about what is taking place in them. My favourite at the moment is her drawing about Little Red Riding Hood (see photo) and the Big Bad Wolf (there was another about the Three Little Pigs too). They are so priceless, these drawings, like snapshots into the fantastic world of a 5 year old where anything is possible and everything is in technicolour.
And for me? Well, I've taken what feels like a natural break from the blog and really enjoyed some times with the girls while it's school holidays. We've played and worked, and much of that was one and the same.
Our days have been filled with garden work, playing with friends and a big family trip into Albury-Wodonga for our monthly shop, annual purchase of fruit trees and new plants for the garden and a big play at an adventure park.
Oh my, the joy on Bethany's face as she swung to and fro at the park. And the joy on my face as Rosie quickly and easily made new friends and smiled constantly. A proud mama moment again.
The kitchen has been a busy place with pumpkin soup, homemade pasta sheets, more sourdough loaves and homemade butter starring on our menu repeatedly. And are they getting better, these loaves and pats of butter? Well, the proof really is in the tasting but lets just say that these are still a hit with the Ian and the girls and I admit to a certain amount of pride at these homemade achievements too.
In the garden the chickens remain healthy and adventurous and are often to be found in our neighbour's yards during the day. So far there have been no protests, and I'm sure the cat next door is more afraid of our hens than they are of her, however we have plans to add to their current pen so that we may concentrate their manure-producing capacity and allow them to keep our fruit trees free of pests. This is our permaculture solution in action (providing we can convince the chickens to stay in their area!).
We're also adding to our fruit trees this year with a new dwarf cherry, a dwarf apricot, a lemonade tree (mmm...I can taste the homemade lemonade already) and an emperor mandarin (for easy peeling). Add to this 2 new rhubarb crowns and 5 asparagus crowns and a whole lot of rain and you have a lot of garden work for this mama to get her green thumbs into.
And with rain falling down here in Mount Beauty and snow falling up in the hills, the fire has been our constant warm companion these last few days. This has inspired much knitting, finger-knitting and crocheting. Several beanies and fingerless mittens have been churned out by this mama as she's sat, warmed by the flames, while her little ones play and run. Ahhh, I love this part of Winter....the time indoors, the creativity, the chance to make something to warm a loved one, the crackle of lovingly collected timber and girls in thermals and handknits...
sigh.
Happy holidays to you all.

This was the first beanie I crocheted (I had to be my own guinea pig!)

This was the second, Rosie chose her rainbow colours and was adamant that it must have a pink stripe.

The girls in their matching thermals

The first loaves

The second loaves - better looking I think!

The delightful Little Red Riding Hood, drawn by Rosie at school and brought lovingly home

The girls at the adventure playground

The sourdough fruit loaves I tried next - needs more work I think, but tasted good.

Homemade butter

Yes, I made my own. Something I've been wanting to do for a long while. And it tastes just like butter.

After purchasing cream that came from local cows I used firstly my cake mixer to make a batch (which was quite slow I admit), and then my food processor to make another two batches (much quicker). I used some instructions from Down to Earth about making butter easily at home if you're interested.

The photos are worth a lot more than my words today.... enjoy.

Our $21 Challenge - part 2

We're part-way through the $21 challenge week and so far I've spent the $21 on ham, cheese, icing sugar, apples and mince. It didn't go far but our pantry is mostly full so we should be okay. Job done right? I came in (technically) at $21.09 and thought that I was close enough. But then we 'needed' more stuff for home.

Like some coffee beans (we couldn't go without those could we?).

And I'd promised a friend we could meet for coffee in town (I couldn't pull out of that could I?).

And so the lines around what is acceptably 'feeding the family' and what is a special treat for us are quite blurry it appears. And I suspect this is part of the clarity I'm seeking to improve upon in this budgeting quest.

Despite going over our $21 (and there are 3 days to go in our challenge still) I did plan our dinners for the week and am on track with those. We had creamy chicken pasta for the past two nights and tonight I'm making chicken soup from the stock I made with the leftover bones. Tomorrow is lasagne with the mince, but I need to make my own pasta sheets, something I've never done before, because our budget didn't stretch to that and I thought it could be fun (will let you know about that!). Friday night we're going to a friend's house for dinner so its covered already and Saturday will be lasagne again (a second batch). I've also left my cash at home so I'm not tempted to return to the supermarket or fruit shop.

And I've been thinking more about why this is important to me, this $21 challenge.

Reason number one is to help me be more organised and in control, both of my spending and what comes into our house.
Reason number two is the chance to save some money and get ahead a little financially
Reason number three is to give me more time, for me and for my family and community.
Number four is the impetus to cook more things from scratch. I'm pretty good at this, but want to be better. I want to make my own pasta, butter, bread, cheese and other staples.
And the final reason is the chance to declutter our pantry and fridge and the way I cook meals.

So far I'm learning more about all of these this week....

Sourdough

I've been on a mission lately to produce my own sourdough loaves at home. Apart from the benefits of knowing where our bread is coming from, there's something so authentic and REAL about growing our own culture of yeasts and then turning them into something to nourish us.

My first starter or leaven went along, growing merrily, until we visited Noni and Pa for three days and I accidentally left her behind (her name was Jill) - oops. By the time we returned my young colony of yeasts had been over taken by some bacteria and despite multiple attempts to resurrect a viable starter culture, I eventually gave up and accepted a friend's offer of some of his, more robust, starter.

And so it was with this new batch that I created my first two loaves.

It was a lovely experience that took time while nature worked its magic. From the beginning steps at breakfast time to the final loaf emerging from the oven after dinner, this was not a fast process. But efficiency isn't what this Mama is about anymore. Yes, there was a time when I was very good at being efficient, but somewhere in there I lost authenticity. I loved the time spent growing and shaping these loaves. Like children, they could not be rushed into the next stage of their development and I watched with wonder as they grew in size, texture and shape.

 Now I have more starter in the fridge, slowly bubbling away and waiting for its chance to grow into more loaves. 

What will they be like, I wonder?

The Weekly Harvest

This week I introduce a new weekly post about our garden. In order to appreciate what our garden offers us, and the importance of its role in our natural and authentic lifestyle, I will bring you images and recipes of what's growing for us up here in Mount Beauty.

This week in our garden there are but a few pickings on offer. Henny Penny continues to lay a small, clean egg most days and Pippy and Poppy are growing nice and plump to get them through the Winter.
Today I'm preparing a lovely slow-cooked beef stew to enjoy with my loved-ones tonight and tomorrow. And from our garden came several welcome additions. Parsley, rocket and rosemary have added some lovely, deep flavours and I also picked some small beetroot and added them, leaves and all, for colour, sweetness and vitamins. Henny Penny's egg has been put aside for breakfast tomorrow (oh how I look forward to that bright yellow yolk...) and I also picked our first lemon and orange for the season (handy for this Mama's head cold!).

Ahhh, eating from the garden is refreshing and grounds me so. Wishing you a down-to-earth day.

A collection of fresh garden produce - even in June!

Raw Choc Sesame Balls

I make these based on a healthy, homemade choc-nut spread recipe which I've adapted to turn into balls of chocolately (but healthy) goodness (although I've added honey, rather than rice malt syrup, but either will do).
After several attempts and lots of eating by all I think I have a recipe that will work. Enjoy - and let me know how you go...

 

Raw Choc Sesame Balls

 

4 Tbl coconut butter, just melted (not too hot)

4 tbl peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1 tbl honey

1 tbl raw Cacao powder

I 1/2 cups sesame seeds

 

1. Melt the coconut butter until its just turned to a liquid. This won't take long however if you let it get hotter it will start to cook the peanut butter when you add it.

 

2. Take the saucepan off the stove and mix in the peanut butter, honey, cacao powder and 1 cup of sesame seeds until well combined.

 

3. Place the saucepan in the fridge until the coconut butter has set again (about 20 mins).

 

4. Take the saucepan from the fridge with the now-solid mixture. Scoop teaspoons of the hardened mixture into your palm and roll into balls then roll these into the remaining sesame seeds to coat.

 

5. Return the balls to the fridge to set completely (about 1 hour). Makes approximately 25 balls of chocolaty antioxidant goodness.





Feel-good Laundry Powder

I've made this a few times now, first as a liquid and now as a powder, which is much less time consuming but still effective in the wash. Of course it takes more time than buying a packet of pre-made laundry powder from the shops but I'm not interested in saving time anymore (what am I saving it for?), I'm much more interested in living each moment with meaning and deliberate intent. Making my own laundry powder connects me with one of the larger jobs at home in an organic, authentic way. I feel that I am doing good, being creative AND cleaning my families clothing all at the same time. And that feels good.

Here is my 'Feel-good Laundry Powder' recipe:

2 x bars vegetable-based soap
1 tub Borax
1 cup bicarbonate soda
1 pkt washing soda

Grate the soap bars then mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into a large glass jar or two for storage. I usually choose two different soaps and make a double batch in two different jars.
The mixture can separate a little as its poured out - just shake it up before you use it and I find it works out fine.

Happy Washing!