Some Assembly Required

I didn't realize it until today, but this Christmas has been very hands on.  

Hot little hands on the bowl of the mixer- a quickie way to bring that butter to room temperature!

 Some vigorous sprinkle shaking

 Thumbprint cookies

 Awesome recipe-  Lemon Raspberry Thumbprint cookies

truly simple, I swear!

This recipe uses whole wheat flour, ground almonds, and maple syrup for sweetener.  

A good way to satiate your sweet tooth and forgiving for little hands to mix together. 

Christmas cooking with Grandmary

Classic sugar cookie recipe

this one is a new found winner b/c you don't have to refrigerate the dough-HOORAY!

Roll out cookies always intimidated me before these came along.  

Red....

 GREEN!!!

more zealous sugar shaking...

Puzzle making- all hands on deck

Matching pj's thwarted by holiday potty training....

And yes, Madeline received her first Lego kit.  This is the Lego Friends line that has received some flack for taking a "gender neutral" toy and girlifying it.  Uh, huh.  Somehow the Star Wars sets escaped notice. Princess Leia lives here. 

Celebrating 1 and 2

Yesterday, Jeff and I celebrated twelve years of marriage.  Whoa and seriously and unbelievable and happy.  Yep.  So we celebrated with a week's worth of events.  A week ago we puttered on down to the Bijou and saw KebMo in concert; marveling that we were actually "out on the town" at a time when we are typically in pjs. (and at times wishing we were home in pjs)  Tuesday we finally got our act together and signed our will.  How very grown up and mortal.  Mack trucks please stay away.  We took advantage of a babysitting time at our church on Saturday and poked through Downtown Knoxville's Christmas festivities, eating crepes, drinking wonderfully warm tea, meandering through a independent bookstore.  We even dropped in to a new local store, Fig & Company, and had the most wonderful time visiting with the owners.  Locals, you must check it out.

And, after 7 days of intense viewing, Jeff finally caught up on my new must see "Downton Abbey".  Our sweet art theatre partnered up with our local PBS and hosted a free sneak preview of Season 3.  Although just the first of the two hours.... bummer.  I sat behind Lady Mary- she really was dressed up like our favorite main character, love her or hate her.  One of the best parts was this video that PBS put together to get you "caught up"  on the first two seasons.  A great spoof at their own expense, I must say.  Check out the full opener on January 6! Maggie Smith's award winning role ALONE is worth it.  Well, that and the costumes.... and the set... and the writing...

October is not complete

without a trip to the corn maze!

giant sandpit digging... perfect for those budding engineers

Hello Rabbit!  

Moooooo!  

No Sara, that's a goat!  

Mooooo! 

You can go your own waaaay!  Go your own way!

(Who's been playing Fleetwood Mac for the toddler???)

It's a... it's a... what is it Daddy?

It's a clue!

What are we looking for? 

That's a lot of popcorn!

Rawhide!

I'm the queen of the ... uh, what is this?  

Dirt. 

I'm the queen!

l

Ta da!

Ta....da....

Are sunglasses as big as your head really in style??

This one...

no wait, here's a good one...

wait....

wait...

Book Review: Overdressed by Elizabeth Cline

Full disclosure:  this book presses all of my buttons and I err on the geek side when it comes to consumerism.  If you have no fear, read on.

I heard this author give an interview on NPR and I was instantly hooked on the premise.  The tagline reads:  "The shockingly high cost of cheap fashion".  Cline then dives into her own journey of cheap fashion by confessing to a binge in which she parts from a K-Mart with seven pairs of $7 markdown shoes.  She begins by stating in her opening chapter that "When buying trendy, cheap fashion, quality has a relative meaning.  It is best measured in washes.  As in, how many times can you wash it before the fabric pills or stains, the garment loses it's shape, a button falls off, or a seam busts open.  In the age of cheap fashion, you just need it to last until the next trend comes along."

Um, yes.  I've succumbed to this thinking for the last six years or so.  When shopping for maternity clothes at Target, I was (and still am) thankful to wear cute styles for very little money for what amounts to a short amount of time.  As a mom outfitting a child whose shoe size can change two clicks before I realize it, I am grateful for $10 tennis shoes.  But, if there was one thing I figured out while buying the bare minimum as an expectant mom, it was that I really could be content with a lot less in my closet.  Pretty liberating, because I wasn't held back by anything I bought in the past, so I could just concentrate on buying the things that I absolutely needed. 

Cline goes on to detail that the 1950s was when we started to have more disposable income for clothes. But, the space we had in our homes precluded the amount we could bring into it.  The average house size was 983 square feet, and in the mid 2000's that number had grown to 2,349 square feet.  Style ads were typical in those days versus sales ads now.  Department stores of today have to turn over their inventory every ten weeks. 

All of this I knew because I have a degree in Consumer Science.  I learned about buying, negotiating in different cultures, and factoring markdown dollars into a store's profit.  Fifteen years ago. But, now there is fast fashion.  "Fast fashion is a radical method of retailing that has broken away from seasonal selling and puts out new inventory constantly throughout the year."  Basically, the more often you have people coming through your stores, the more profit you make.  Even at ultra cheap prices.  New products arrive every two weeks, or as often as every day for the fast fashion champion stores like Zara, H&M, or Forever 21.  So clearly, at price points that top out at $20, our disposable income translates into disposable clothes.  At what cost?  The author encourages us to punch in "minimum wage" into a google search for our clothing with made in India, China, Bangladesh tags.  What kind of living are we encouraging for those that make our clothing?

Cline goes rogue as a fictional US company wanting to manufacture clothing cheaply in China. Armed with "samples" from her own closet, she visits factories in China to find out how cheaply the product can be copied.  Many of these workers live in dorm style housing on site and work six days a week, twelve hour days.  Some work as many as seven days a week, with only one day off a month. 

"The fashion industry has gotten too large and is competing too fiercely on low price, and the only way it is able to run now is by creating new products cheaply and constantly.  The quality of our clothing has been chipped away. The reason why so many of us have no kinship with or respect for anything in our closets and why fashion can seem so self-indulgent and pretentious nowadays is because fashion has become a slick, industrialized, heavily marketed industry.  Loving most clothes today would be like loving a fast-food sandwich."

So Cline's final analysis is a return to investment dressing- aiming to stock her closet with clothing that is well made, alterable, and mendable.  This is definitely an uptake in cost, and many of us cannot afford it. My personal take away is to be more mindful of what I bring into my house.  When I opened my Fall/Winter wardrobe, I had a visceral reaction of "Blech!" to about a 1/3 of it.  But there were several pieces that I was actually excited to put on again.  These were the pieces that I had agonized over spending the money on, but felt beautiful in every time without fail.  I have also hung onto two fantastic dresses from twenty years ago- a madras patchwork shift dress in sea blue shades, and another shift dress that my mother made for me; also in blue.  As for dressing my kids, my hope is that I will make good use of the consignment outlets available to me, and perhaps really learn to sew some simple things for them.  And to continue watching "I Love Lucy" reruns. 

Hidden Art study

This past week (sorry folks) we studied the chapter on Painting, Sketching, and Sculpturing.  I'll be honest, when I first read this chapter three years ago; I literally drew in a breath of air, prepared to hate it and to hate myself for not having any hand drawing talent.  By the end of the chapter, I was enthralled and couldn't wait for more.  The reason why?  Mrs. Schaeffer included some of her own hand artwork- stick figure illustrations of her husband's sermons.  She would illustrate the sermons to help keep the attention of her children and subsequent grandchildren on topic.  We all discussed the merits of this, and at the encouragement of my group, I gave it a whirl this past Sunday.  It was actually liberating- although not worthwhile to save for posterity!

We discussed the challenge of illustrating a favorite verse, if for no other reason than to challenge your mind into thinking of the words in a new way.  Imagine illustrating part of Psalm 23:
"He leads me beside still waters".  Would you use a hand being held? By a lake, a stream, ... what would the sky look like?

My friend Caryn (practicing graphic designer and aspiring children's book illustrator) was our guest speaker.  She shared that one of her earliest starts in drawing were the old tracing paper coloring books.  I had completely forgotten about those!  One of the challenges that I have given to all the speakers is to have a $5 entry- how can someone who knows absolutely nothing about this art begin practicing on $5 or less.  So Caryn's advice? A simple pencil. Just draw.  Along with Mrs. Schaeffer, she suggested just drawing some of the every day.  A funny face in a letter, scrollwork on a list, food images on your menu plan. 

Our favorite quote from this chapter was "Ideas carried out stimulate more ideas."

Two years, four stitches, and one gumball machine

This cutie on the left celebrated her 2nd birthday

with exactly four stiches in her lip/chin. Somehow she managed to fall while walking through the kitchen. Walking!  I was on the other side of the counterop when I heard the thud and cry. Jeff scooped her up, and thinks that she just tripped, held onto her dolls rather than stop her fall, and somehow managed to bite through her lip. Off to Children's, bloodstained shirt as proof of her desperate need to get into the walking wounded area.  During game day traffic.  Three hours after our entry, we walked out with popsicles and blue stiches.  She handled herself pretty well, but she was a pitiful sight with the numbing liquid inflating her entire mouth to 3 times it's normal size.  And she drooled like a Labrador at a peanut butter factory for a couple of days.

 

Luckily, the party was a petite affair.  Sara has an affinity for a hand me down shirt with a gumball machine, and so the theme was easy. 

 

I even found this tutorial for a DIY machine.  Take a terracotta flower pot, saucer, wood ball, glass bowl, and a doll pin stand- add a little paint, and

   

voila! I think I put about $3 into the project.  Those are M&Ms in the machine, and the actual gumballs on the cake were called "non edible" decorations. 

Once again, a reiteration of a book study

This school year, I have the opportunity to facilitate a study on Edith Schaeffer's book "The Hidden Art of Homemaking"  (1971).  We are meeting twice a month and I thought it would be fun to recount some of what we are learning here too.

I will begin as I often do, and declare that this is a terrible title for this book.  It has nothing to do with setting up housekeeping as a newlywed, miraculous ways of scrubbing your tub, or any other Heloise-style tips that you want to have in your arsenal.  This book, as we discussed yesterday in Chapters 1 & 2 is about God being the perfect artist and how we have the opportunity to reflect His glory as we practice art. 

Is art necessary?  Art gives expression to what we often cannot understand, but someone else can communicate in a different form; whether it be by sight, smell, touch, taste, or experience.  This is reflective of God, as " The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. "(Psalm 19:1-2 ESV)

What is God saying through His art?  That it matters!  It requires detail, skill, and investment of time.  I've marveled at the fact that God took six days to create the earth and all it's contents.  Let's be honest, God could have created in the blink of an eye, He is omnipotent after all! 

The whole of creation communicates something.... What are we trying to communicate with our art, what do we steer away from, how do we observe art?

And my favorite lines from the whole book:

So we are, on a finite level, people who can create. Why does man have creativity?  Why can man think of many things in his mind, and choose, and then bring forth something that other people can taste, smell, feel, hear, and see?   Because man was created in the image of a Creator.  Man was created that he might create.  It is not a waste of man's time to be creative.  It is not a waste to pursue artistic or scientific pursuits in creativity, because this is what man was made to be able to do.  He was made in the image of a Creator, and given the capacity to create- on a finite level of course, needing to use the materials already created- but he is still the creature of the Creator.  p.24

Two weeks from now, we will begin our individual studies of particular arts, as my friend Caryn teaches on painting, sculpture, and sketching.  She also has started a great blog, Three Books a Night, and is a terrific resource for children's literature and illustration.  Check her out!

Tomato Sauce

Every year towards the end of summer, I am enticed by boxes of gorgeous Roma tomatoes.  I think it's the thought of summer finally being at it's wit's end, pulling off it's leaves in frustration.  I begin to think of simmering pots, sweaters, and sauce.  Lots of sauce.

Back in the days of cable, I watched a show on TLC called Cake Boss.  (And thank you, Netflix, for renewing my Hoboken accent).  Crazy thing is - that of all the episodes I watched, the one that made the most impact was when the kitchen was taken over by the Italian family making sauce.  They bought GOBS of Romas and basil, and I envied their big wooden spoon.  I searched in vain for that recipe online, but to no avail.  For the past two years I have made up my own version.  Of course, I always screw up the first two batches or so, but the final version is worth it. Here's my take on sauce:

• Buy copious amounts of Romas.  I have spent between $8-10 for 25 pounds at the farmer's market.
• Grab a pot ( a dutch oven tends to be my choice) and set it on the stove with enough olive oil to cover the bottom.  Measurable depths are personal choice.
• Mince fresh garlic, 4-6 cloves or so, and let it sweat along with the oil.  Keep it on low, b/c you don't want to burn the garlic. 
• Cut up the Romas into quarters (skin on) and fill the pot with the cut pieces.  You want to fill it to the top, but be able to put a lid on it. 
• Cook on medium-high heat until the skins begin to come away from the tomato flesh. 
• Let cool enough to be able to sink your hands into the pot and pull away the loose skins.  (Factoid: my hands got a mini- treatment from this for about 7 nights in a row- they looked and felt awesome!!)
• Process the tomatoes in the pot with an immersion blender and throw the whole mess into Mason Jars.  I freeze mine out of laziness, but you could also process them for pantry storage.

That's it!  We use this sauce for pasta, sandwiches, pizza sauce, you name it.  And the great thing about it is  that you can transform it however you like.  For pizza sauce I will generally reduce it further on the stove and add some fennel and oregano.  Give it a try!

Back to school

We started preschool last week.  This is Madeline's final year before she hits kindergarten. Having climbed to the top, she is now a Fab 5.  A great little term for anything you want to accomplish;  "Madeline, are these your clothes on the floor?  You're a Fab 5, and Fab 5's don't leave clothes on the floor.  Has my Fab 5 brushed her teeth? "  I know it's going to backfire on me soon, but eh;.... what parenting technique hasn't?

Every year, without fail, I have found myself scrambling the first few days of school picking up supplies.  The first year was a container to include all of her lunch in with one lid only please.  The second year it was a 1 1/2 inch binder with a clear plastic front- in the color white only please. This year, it's been a conglomeration of empty containers.  An empty Pringles can for a time capsule?  Oh, all right... like I can't eat a can of Pringles in a single sitting.  An empty Capri Sun box.  Ummmmm......would a shoe box work?  We like Capri Sun boxes to keep them uniform, I was told.  The kids create an "All about Me" box ; which is just a gift wrapped box with pictures, stickers, etc., and these are then wrapped in clear contact paper to become the boxes for the building block corner.  Gotcha.

Oh, yes, and also, we like the kids to learn to do things for themselves this year, because next year in kindergarten you don't want to find out that your child is thirsty because they can't put the straw in their juice drink.  Hmmmmm... Am I supposed to be sending juice drinks?  Is that what all the other kids are getting? Is my child deprived? I've never bought juice drinks for my kids.  Not because I'm diametrically opposed to them, we've had them at parties and such, but I'm frankly to cheap to spend the money on them, too lazy to add them to my shopping list, and would prefer not to add the packaging to the landfill.  But, I'm not going rock the boat over this one, so off I go to purchase some Capri Suns.  I'll send them for special treats every now and again.  I have also decided that if my child doesn't master the "dull dart at over-filled juice package" game, I'm okay with that.  I haven't either, and I have a degree from an orange university. 

In addition, I've been told that all the children need two drinks sent to school every day.  Another problem.  See, I've had the same THREE Nalgene Grip n Gulps for Mad since age 1.  They've been great, are a breeze to wash, and outside of beaver teeth, have held up beautifully.  But, they are technically a no-spill cup and I was a little embarassed to send her to school with these.  I could hear all the teachers saying,  "Ah, the poor little girl, no juice boxes AND still drinking from a sippy cup.  We'll need to schedule a conference!"  All of my own insecurities re-incarnated in my child's school days. 

See the non-beaver version below.

(Sara's of course)

I had to get at least one more drink container,

and then I remembered that replacement lids are sold for Nalgene products. 

Surely I could just buy some of those? 

Perhaps lengthen the life of our beloved grip n gulps?

Help my Fab 5 save face amongst her juice box buddies?

My dear husband ran around to the local outdoors stores and found a copious amount of water bottles at River Sports on Sutherland (for you locals). 

He bought the Camelbak for a $1 (I think it was a loner) and the Nalgene lid for $2.50.

 

Both were a perfect fit. 

Bring it on Kindergarten!! This Fab 5 is ready!

From the funny farm....

A few Madeline funnies:

"Sara, share the book, don't eat the book!"

"Sara has too much speed in her life."

(commenting on an auto accident that we passed) 
"Are they going to turn their wreck into a check?"

While stopped at a light on K. Pike, Mad reads the sign at a restaurant:

"Come and enjoy the view from our potato" 
"I think that says patio"
"Oh"

Blueberry Hill remix

We usually pick blueberries on our 4th of July trips to NC, but this year the farmer informed us that there had been a frost in April.  No public picking this year.  Total bummer.  There's nothing like picking for about an hour and then running to jump in the lake afterwards.  And, I had planned on the youngest to be initiated. 

Madeline picking last year.

Michelin baby in her private outdoor spa

This year, we drove up to Norris, and Madeline said,

"Sara and I will be the eaters, and Mom, you be the picker.  That's a good idea."

"Don't you love the forest Sara?"

"Dla,aldluaj?"

A much needed example of sisterly love. 

You eat one underripe blueberry and you never need further instruction.  I caught Sara with a slighly chewed green blueberry and that was it.   First hazing was done. 

Then my brilliant child realized that it was much simpler to grab the blueberries that had hit the ground. 

Gather ye blueberries while ye may

But, where have your shoes gone today?

Both girls ditched their playshoes because they had been covered in newly mown wet grass.  Madeline would yell , "Ow, ow, ow!"  to which Sara would lend an echo and then laugh hysterically. 

We picked for about an hour and then headed back home, happy, hot and with one more thing off the summer bucket list.  PB&J was enjoyed plastic poolside.