Lilacs!

One of my favorite harbingers of spring is New Hampshire's state flower, the purple lilac.  Well, any of the three makes me breathe deeply and inhale their enchanting fragrance.  We have a lovely purple lilac and a very large white lilac bush next to the chicken coop...strategically placed to override the chicken perfume for a short time! 

As a child new to New Hampshire, my friend Sharon taught me that lilacs were edible.  You can take the individual blossom, pluck them off the stem and suck the nectar out of the end of the petal.  It is quite sweet and lovely.  So, when I found a recipe on another blog for Lilac Apple Jelly...I KNEW I had to try it!

The recipe makes 5- 1/2 pint jars of lovely golden jelly.  The flavor of this wonderful spread is very delicate and has an undertone of the flowers combined with the apple, honestly incredible flavor.  I've never tasted one like it.  It is definitely better suited to a lightly toasted English muffin or perhaps a crumpet.  This is not a peanut butter and jelly sandwich jelly, the flavor deserves a lighter handling then that!  This suggested pairing would be perfectly suited to a nice cup of tea, English or Irish breakfast would do nicely.  If you love the idea of foraging in your landscaping as much as I do, please, give this a try.  You will be so happy that you did!

Lilac & Apple Jelly

2 c lilac petals, removed from the stem (try to keep the entire blossom intact, the nectar is in the center part)
2 c boiling water
1 pkg powdered pectin
1/4 c freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 c finely diced, peeled apple (I used empire, which was a great flavor with the lilac)
4 c. sugar

Rinse flowers well.  Put in heat resistant bowl and pour boiling water over all.  Steep over night.  Next morning, strain petals using either a fine mesh sieve or cheese cloth.  Discard flowers.  You will need the liquid to be exactly 2 cups, so if the flowers soaked some up, add enough cold water to make 2 cups. 

In medium saucepan combine flower infusion, pectin, and lemon juice.  Using a whisk, mix until the pectin is fully dissolved.  Add diced apple.  Bring to a boil.  Add sugar and stir until fully dissolved.  Return the pot to a rolling boil, boil for one minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat.

Using sterilized canning jars and lids, ladle hot jelly into the 1/2 pint jars (5 in all).  Put in a water bath canner and process for 10 minutes after the boil is achieved.  Remove from canner and place on counter on dishtowel to cool.  Listen for the wonderful sound of the "POP!!" as your jars seal. 

Enjoy!  and if you try it, please let me know how you like it.

Wishing you flowers & apple tastes, ~Peacemom

No Farms, No Food

There is a field next to our house that is about 2 acres.  There is also another behind us that is probably 10 or so acres.  The time that we've lived here, it's been hayed. Hay that fed livestock which in turn fed us. 

A bit ago, these stakes showed up.  And our view is going to now have a neighbor right next to us.  We have enjoyed lovely privacy up here on our little hill.  That is now gone. As is the food for the livestock that used to be grown in that field. 

It is a bit of a mystery to me how people expect that we can continue to feed the masses when the farms that make up our local food are being sold to the highest bidder.  Music Man went and talked to the developer that bought it to build the house on the two acres.  The new owner is a transplant from Massachusetts, which is not a popular thing for we native New Hampshirites. I'm sure the $140,000 he paid for those two acres is a bargain where he came from.  But it's not land someone on a smaller budget that has lived in New Hampshire most of their lives that wanted to farm it could have afforded. Not without a house, foundation, well or septic system on it.  No, too expensive indeed.  Little by little what was a farm is being sold off, money seems to be the only objective that matters. 

I'm saddened deeply by this.  Not just because we'll have to give up our beautiful, rejuvenating view, but because that's one more piece of farmland that's now housing.  And because of it's proximity to us, it sure feels a whole lot more personal to this would-be farmer.

Insert resigned sigh, ~Peacemom

YUMMY!

This new eating style rocks!  I'm up to so many fruits and veggies a day now, I can't even count. Some sort of fruits for breakfast, cooked veggies for lunch and a huge salad for supper, which includes 1 oz of nuts or seeds and lots of beans.  On the health train!

I am now obsessed with fruit smoothies for breakfast!  Lots of antioxidants and goodness in this glass.  In my attempt to add more and more fruits and veggies to my day, I'm having lots of them for breakfast.  Sooo good, and easy!  Give this one a try, I promise, you won't be sorry! (Also, great for my vegan friends!)

Morning Berries and Cream

1/2 c pomegranate juice (I use the one with blueberry added, made by POM)
1/4 c unsweetened almond milk (found in your health food section at the grocery store)
1/2 c frozen blueberries (or Wyman's makes a wonderful blueberry, raspberry and blackberry mix that's outstanding for this as well, just substitute for only blueberries)
1/2 c frozen strawberries
1/2 c frozen peaches
1 banana
1 Tbl ground flax seeds

Whip all ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy.  Enjoy!

PS...the kids LOVE them, too!

Something that I'm finding kind of funny is that before I started this new nutrition based eating plan, I had a couple bad habits.  I would got to the grocery store, and from time to time,  I'd be hungry when I went shopping.  I know, I know, we're not supposed to shop hungry, but sometimes it happens.  Well, when that would happen, I would get myself a little cookie, or perhaps a muffin...baked goods are my total weakness.  Then I would snack on that on the ride home.  I also might get a soda to go with it, cause I craved soda.

Now, something interesting has happened.  With the increase in nutrients I'm giving my body, my cravings for these things has been greatly reduced.  They aren't gone yet, but they are sooo much less then they used to be.  I went to the market yesterday, and I was STARVING because the all veggie pita I had eaten 4 hours earlier was gone from my system.  I walked the store picking up things I might need, and they included stuff like sesame seeds, B vitamins (with no meat right now, I need to supplement that), lentils, carrots and kale.  I found some of my newest favorite snacks...roasted seaweed in sesame oil and grabbed a Kombucha to go.  Since giving up soda, I still do want a fizzy drink from time to time.  Kombucha is a naturally fermented mushroom drink with tea added (I know, it sounds vile but it's so delicious, especially with ginger added, and incredibly good for you.  It puts back the good gut bacteria in your body, much like yogurt does).  I looked at my face in the rear view mirror on my drive home.  Stuck to my mouth was a little piece of seaweed and a huge smile.  Finding health is a wonderful adventure.

Cookies!

For those of us that enjoy a less sweet, more grown up cookie...or just want to offer the kids something with a bit more nutrition then the usual rice crispie treat or fruit roll ups...here is a great recipe that I found in my King Arthur Whole Grain Baking Book.  I adapted it a little to suit our tastes, you should do the same. 

All Oats, All The Time

yield: 42 cookies

baking temp: 375 degrees

baking time: 14 minutes

2 cups quick cooking oats (I used old fashioned rolled oats and they were chunkier, but very yummy)

3/4 c coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts (I used unsweetened shredded coconut)

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

4 tbl unsalted butter

3/4 c packed light or brown sugar

1/4 c granulated sugar (I used applesauce as a replacement)

2 large eggs

1 tbl cider vinegar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins (my addition, not on the original recipe, but I like raisins in my oatmeal cookies)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

Combine the oats, nuts, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a food processor.  Pulse until the nuts are finely chopped and evenly distributed.  (I don't own a food processor and used my blender instead.  It did not come out fine like flour, it was a little chunkier, and though a little harder to form cookie "balls", they did hold together so well in dough form, they combined fine in baking and came out a little crunchy and chewy and lent the cookie a more granola bar feel).

Beat the butter and sugars (and applesauce if using) in a large bowl until smooth.  Add the eggs, scraping the bowl and again beating until smooth.  Stir in the vinegar and vanilla, then the oat mixture.  Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the cookies, reversing the pans midway through (top to bottom, bottom to top) until the edges are barely browned, 14 minutes.  Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the pans for about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Note:  Substitute old-fashioned rolled oats for quick-cooking oats if you like.  Pulse them in the food processor (or blender) several times before adding the nuts and remaining ingredients, and then pulse again.



Happy Easter!

Happy blessings to you and your loved ones this Easter Sunday!

So far, one of the best things about Easter for me was saving the white eggs our Egyptian Fayoumis laid over the course of a week.  It was so neat for me to see the boys coloring our own white eggs instead of having to buy the factory farmed ones at the grocery store this year.  That was a moment of delight for me.

We did end up with a dozen, but the boys were so excited to get coloring them that I missed getting a picture of the full dozen before they were colored.

They had fun drawing designs on them this year...can you figure out which two were mine? 

This morning began with the Easter Basket Frenzy!  The boys were up at 7:15 looking to open their Easter baskets.  When I was little, we just got up and went at it, we didn't need our parents there...Music Man's family would wait for their parents to even go look at the baskets and that's what we do now. 

The Easter Bunny has toned WAY down on the candy and mostly does little toys because the boys do multiple egg hunts and end up with WAY more candy then they are allowed to eat.

The favorite of the morning seemed to be the bowling and soccer marble game.  Miniature everything and the most fun of all the toys. 

There were also make-your-own saiboats, a diving game (for when they go to someone else's pool this summer), tek deks (for those of you that don't know what these are they are all the rage with the 7-10 year old boys, miniature skateboards they ride and do tricks with their fingers), a few chocolate bunnies and jelly beans.

Then the egg hunt ensued...Maestro is so competitive that when Little Red got 8 eggs and he only had 7, he was upset.  Even for an Easter egg hunt he has to win.  I personally never knew there was a loser at the Easter Egg hunt, isn't getting the candy inside the point?

After all the festivities, we ate hard boiled eggs and in a few minutes I will be making some Belgian waffles for a brunch, then it's off to my sister house to spend the afternoon with her family and inlaws. 

Maestro and I also watched Joel Osteen on the TV.  Being Quakers, we don't have a meeting house anywhere near us, but I do feel a strong desire to hear the words of God on a day like this.  The boys haven't had a religious education formally, but we do talk about God and Jesus and what they mean in our lives. After we watched the show with a great positive message of hope, Maestro and I headed out to the garden beds to get them ready for the hoop house to be installed.  While we worked, we talked about the message on the program, how he can talk to God, and why unfair or challenging things happen to good people when it doesn't seem fair.  We've had a lot of experience with that the last year or so, and it was nice to hear his perspective on all this.  He's a thoughtful kid with a spiritual nature, and I really enjoyed that time together talking.  I even taught him the Lord's Prayer and explained what each verse means.  So far, that's been my very favorite thing about Easter Sunday, that connection and time with my son being able to talk openly about what faith is in my life.  Yes, very favorite, indeed.

How did you celebrate today? 

Wishing you a warm and fuzzy Easter, ~Peacemom

Sprouts are UP!

These are the seeds I planted about 2 weeks ago in my bay window in the dining room.  Total southern sun exposure and look at how happy they are!  I've got 2 types of cukes, zucchini, lettuce, two types of peas, kale, broccoli and cauliflower in there. 

Here are some happy cukes.  Music Man and I are going to be building a mini-high tunnel over two of the existing garden beds in the next couple of days (more on that later and as the season progresses).  For now, the seeds are doing very well.  Thank you, High Mowing Organic Seeds for the awesome stock, you never disappoint!

In mere weeks we will be eating our own homegrown peas, just can't wait!  A salad made with your own lettuce is never outdone.  What do you have planned for your garden beds?  If you don't have room for beds, how about a nice planter box full of lettuce on your balcony, or a some potted tomatoes on the fire escape?  Be creative and grow some food, however, whereever you can.  Your body will thank you for it (and so will your grocery bill!).

Until next time, ~Peacemom, Gardener

Guess Who?

Guess who has arrived at Casa de Peaceable Kingdom?

Can you see them?  The boys are enamored!

Little bitty chickies!  Three to be exact...we have a Araucona named Rosie, a Golden Laced Wyandotte named Maddie and a Black Star Sex Link named Iris!

Little Red knows cute when he sees it!  We're loving the newest additions to the Coop.

Next post on potted veggies in the bay window...what spring plans are you putting in place?

Cheep, cheep, cheeps to you,
~Peacemom