Minimalist Wardrobe

I have reached a point in my life where I have begun to ask the question... "Is my current life really sustainable?" I have been deeply burdened by the level of effort required to maintain my "stuff". I estimate that from dawn to dusk,  I spend 80% of my time cleaning something..clothes, toys, dishes, floors, windows, faces and rear ends...the list goes on. That leaves only 20% of my time left for living..and I want to live more intentionally.."now more than ever!" I have begun a journey to minimize everything that interferes with that desire to REALLY live. That journey begins in my closet.

A few weeks ago I went through the initial sorting, the easy part. Pulled out items that no longer fit, are damaged, haven't worn in 6 months..the usual. A couple more pushes and I was left with about 50 "essential" wardrobe items. They actually all fit in my small hanging space and I was proud and feeling accomplished. I even posted a picture of my "minimalist" wardrobe on Facebook.  Today, a few steps further down the road on my journey..50 pieces feels like a giant sitting on my chest.

I decided to make 4 piles today. Pile #1 Items that don't fit quite right, have a flaw that I can't accept or belong in the trash. Pile #2 Clothes that are out of season. Pile #3 Clothes that would look better on Perrianne than me. And finally, Pile #4 Clothes that I absolutely love.

Why should I have clothes that I don't love? Why should we keep any possession that we don't really use or love? Isn't that one of the first rules of minimalism we all see floating around on neat little signs on Pinterest?

I'm down to 13 pieces...it still feels like a lot.

Why I choose local over organic.

People are often surprised to discover that I often prefer local food to organic.  "But I just want clean food!" they cry. The truth is...your organic food isn't all that clean, and local food is better for you. Let me explain.

Nutrition
In our current food system, most of your food travels hundreds, if not thousands of miles before it reaches your plate. From the moment your produce is picked, it's dying.  It begins to lose nutrients right away after being plucked from it's connection to the earth.  With each passing moment, it loses it's ability to nourish you and protect your body from disease.  We live in a toxic world, there is no escaping it. We can make all the best choices and still...our world is poisoned. Sometimes I weep over it..but alas..I am only one person and I can only do what I can do. Eating food that is high in nutritional value is the best defense we can give our bodies against disease. The fresher the better!

Levels
Most backyard gardeners and small farmers that I have met care deeply for the earth.  Some will resort to using small amounts of chemicals and/or pesticides when it means the difference between crop survival or crop failure. Most use minimal amounts. If you want to know exactly what methods your local farmers use, just ask them! Organic food may not be what you thunk it is. It is not free of pesticides, fungicides and such. The products used in the production of organic foods are derived from differnt sources than conventional sprays; They are potent poisons, however. I know this from deeply personal experience after an illness requiring a trip to the ER with organic fungicide poisoning.


Organic is not always what you think
There has been a lot of recent discussion in the organic community about the fact that organic Apples and Pear blossoms are sprayed with antibiotics to protect against fire blight. Yes, you read that right. The blooms are sprayed with streptomycin and oxytetracycline.  Recent studies have also shown that organic produce sold in a store that also sells conventional produce is highly contaminated with spray residues from handling. That said, are you really getting your money's worth when you purchase organic at the supermarket?


Good for your city, good for the planet
Less demand for long distance food creates a cleaner environment for everyone. Consider just the emissions alone that occur when transporting large quantities of food over thousands of miles. Also, buying local food keep your dollars hard at work in your own community.


It just tastes better
Ever purchase a $5 pint of organic berries to find the flavor disappointing at best? Mass produced produce, no matter how organic, is not fresh food once it makes it's way to your table.  Just as with conventional produce, it is picked before it's peak of flavor and shipped to you in it's dying state.

What about GMO's?
Never to worry, as genetically modified seed is not available to home gardeners and small local farms. GMO seed is highly regulated by those who wish to control the worlds food supply. Most fresh produce is not GMO. The only approved GMO fresh produce available is sweet corn, Hawaiian papaya, edamame, zucchini and yellow summer squash.

While different people have different reasons why they choose one over the other, I am convinced that local food is the best choice for my family. Of course I would always prefer local AND organic...sigh...in a perfect world.

Think Before You Drink; Just Say No To Cappuccino!

I have a confession to make. I love those gas station cappuccino's. You know the one's...the warm, sweet, liquid cup of chemicals that flows so frothily (made that up) into your cup and overflows all down the side...burning your hand off as you try to contain it's deliciousness.

There is never a list of ingredients posted next to the machine, so the ease at which denial comes to this religious label reader is swift. To be fair to myself..I had three of them last week..considering I haven't had one in about 5 years..I still consider myself to be winning. 

It was my craving once again this morning that led me to realize I may be starting to build a deadly habit that prompted me to investigate . So in case you ever wondered...here you go. And no...I did not stop for one this morning. I'm thinking never again.

• Corn Syrup Solids
• Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
• Sodium Caseinate
• Dipotassium Phosphate
• Mono and Diglycerides
• Silicon Dioxide
• Lecithin
• Guar Gum Thickener
• Calcium Silicate

Here is a link to the original article.

http://www.ineedcoffee.com/08/really-coffee/

Simplify

Identity Crisis Western Soapberry VS. Chinaberry

This is my second post is a series of foraging for soap nuts.....

Charlies Soap, Rockin Green, DIY....

Bac-out, Biokelln, Borax....SIGH! 

I was a mom on a mission..and I wasn't sure why,

But I found my solution in Sapindus drummondii.  (no idea if that rhymes)

When I discovered that I could get soap nuts (or berries actually) from the Western Soapberry tree that grows right here in North Texas, I set out on a mission with my arborist husband to locate the tree.  I mean, who better to take along that a bonafide ISA Certified Arborist, right? I did some research online and he made some calls to a couple of other arborists and a state forester.  With what I thought to be a  fairly good description of what we were looking for, we went on an afternoon adventure from which we returned...with an abundant harvest......of CHINABERRIES.  Nasty, invasive, stinky, ugly little pale white soap berry imposters! 

Somewhat discouraged and defeated, my hopes were dashed. Until that glorious day..when the one I love was trimming some trees for a friend. When I showed up to bring his lunch, I found him gazing upwards in awe and disbelief. He was standing in the middle of a GROVE of the elusive Western Soapberry trees loaded with the elusive golden berries, exploding with the soap of my dreams.

Though the adventure is a story worth telling...I hope that my tips help you in finding the right berries, the first time.

The berries on the left side of the photo are Chinaberries.  They are pale and stinky, and notice how they grow on the very end of the stem. The golden berries on the right are the Western Soapberries. Sometimes, they may have some black spots, but they look very different from the pale berries of the Chinaberry tree. These soap berries were harvested in springtime, and will grow dark if allowed to remain on the tree during summer.

This is the bark of the  Western Soapberry tree. Mature trees are 20 to 50 feet tall. The thin bark is split by deep fissures into long narrow plates. The bark is grayish to reddish-brown and scaly.

This is the Chinaberry tree. It ranges from brown to dark red. The bark is much smoother, especially the young trees. It can also reach a height of 50 feet.

                                             

Hugelkultur Fail

Inspired by Pinterest, I set out to try my hand at hugelkultur (hoogle culture..like google with an "H"!). Basically, hugelkultur is making raised beds with rotted wood.  Since most of our almost 3 acres here in Azle, Texas consists of heavily wooded forest, there was no shortage of material! So I decided to work with what was available. Which for all you permaculture people out there is principle #5 "Use And Value Renewable Resources"...or maybe it's #6 "Produce No Waste". Either way, I don't profess to be a permaculture professional of any kind, but a Mom with lots of creative ideas to scatter and a fancy for bringing forth life from the ground. Plus, I've always been a fan of the German language..and who wouldn't want to have something in their yard that allows them to frequently say "Hugelkultur"?

So I set out to build one of these little hills in the middle of what I dream will someday be my very own food forest. And here is what happened:

Perennial grass. (I'm pretty sure that's a nice way to say "death of a dream,by grass").  Trumpet vine also found my sexy German garden hill a wonderful place to do it's climbing. Frustrated...I walked away from the idea for at least half a year.

Inspired by a 68 degree January afternoon, I revisited my grass covered German fantasy hill in an attempt to see it with new eyes.  I've been doing some reading on lasagna gardens, so I thought, why not build a lasagna hugelkultur? It will be kind of like one of those Chinese/Mexican buffet's on Lancaster Avenue.  A multicultural stew of gardening savvy. So here is where I started this time:

I call it "hugellasagna".  A tasty blend of wavy noodles with german sausage inside. I will keep you updated on it's progress.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. ~ William E. Hickson 

Shopping The Urban Forest

Yesterday afternoon a woman walks into my husband's very secluded office with a piece of paper in her hand. "Are YOU Kristoffer Rasmussen?" she asks.  He replied with an apprehensive "yes". Extending the paper towards him, she continues the questioning... "Are you THE Kristoffer Rasmussen who wrote this article for TCI Magazine?"  He glances down to see she is clutching his article "Shopping The Urban Forest", which he wrote about a whim I had one day to gather soap nuts to produce a locally grown natural soap for washing cloth diapers.  Somewhere in that moment...caught in that awkward place where you're not certain if you feel accomplished or like a stalking victim....came the hope that someone might actually be listening, or even inspired enough, by our unconventional, seemingly random passions to seek us out for a quart jar of locally produced laundry soap. How much more could we inspire others to act, or think, or dream.  I have been planning a detailed "how-to" blog entry on foraging for soap nuts..so in anticipation..I thought you would enjoy Kristoffer's article about how this soap came to be.


Shopping The Urban Forest by Kristoffer Rasmussen

Paleo Coconut Latte!

I've been slow to join the coconut oil craze. Mainly, I have been avoiding the change because of the cost. But the more I read, the more intrigued I became. In an effort to ditch dairy, I decided to give coconut oil a whirl (literally). This one change has provided amazing results for me. I notice that I am less hungry, feel more in control of my food choices and I haven't been sick once this winter.  And major bonus..I've lost 6 pounds in about as many weeks without effort. Give it a whirl..you'll be surprised by the creamy texture and sweetness...and maybe by your waistline too!


Coconut Latte

1/2-1 Tablespoon Organic Unrefined Virgin Coconut Oil
1 Heaping Teaspoon Instant Espresso 
8 Ounces Boiling Water


Place coconut oil and instant espresso in the bottom of your blender
Add 8 ounces of boiling water
With the center removed from the lid, give it a whirl until the top becomes frothy
Pour into your favorite coffee mug
Enjoy!

Spinach Cilantro Rice with Zing

3 cups cooked brown rice
1 – 9 oz package fresh spinach
2 small bunch fresh cilantro
3 limes
5 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 fresh jalapeno (seeded), diced very fine.
1 teaspoon salt









Zest the limes and set aside.

Finely chop spinach and 1 bunch of the cilantro with a sharp knife and place in a large bowl.

Add half of the diced onion (the smaller the pieces the better) and one finely diced jalapeno to the bowl.

Add 3 Tablespoons of the olive oil and the juice of 1 of the limes.

Mix to incorporate. Set aside.

In a small coffee grinder, puree 1/4 C diced onion, 2/3 C Cilantro (packed, not diced) the juice of one lime, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 1/2 of the remaining jalapeno and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Pour over rice mixture.

Repeat the coffee grinder steps again...pour second batch over rice mixture.

Stir until puree is well distributed.

Eat it right away or refrigerate.

GF Cherry Cheesecake In A Jar

I love canning jars and am currently a little obsessed with cooking in them. I love that you can see through them and it makes layered desserts look so much more amazing! Here is one of my favorite tested recipes. Just writing about it made my mouth water.

You will need 12 wide mouth half pint jars or 12 small ramekins.


1 C gluten free graham cracker crumbs
1 T sugar
4 T butter, melted
2-8-ounce packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 C sour cream
1/2 t vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
12 heaping T gluten free cherry preserves

Spray the jars or ramekins with non-stick cooking spray.

Blend the graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoons of sugar and melted butter in a bowl. Place about 1 tablespoon of the crumbs into each jar and press into the bottom of the jar with your finger to completely cover the bottom of the jar.

In a large mixer bowl, mix the cream cheese with the 1/2 cup of sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Add the sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest and mix until well incorporated. Fill each jar with about 1/3 cup of the filling.

Place the jars in a large roasting pan. Fill the pan with hot water halfway until it reaches about half way up the jars. Be careful not to spill any water into the jars. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove jars with tongs and place on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.

Chill in the refrigerator for about at least one hour.

Top each cheesecake with a heaping tablespoon of the gluten free cherry preserves.

Gluten Free Green Chili (White) Enchiladas

12 GF corn tortillas (some people prefer to double the tortillas in case of breakage)
2 C Cooked Chicken (shredded)
2 C Monterey Jack Cheese Shredded
3 T Butter
3 T Lisa's Gluten Free Flour Blend (or any GF flour blend that you love)
2 C Chicken Broth
1 C Sour Cream
1 Can Diced Green Chilis (4 oz.)
1/2 t Salt

1. Preheat Oven 350 degrees.
2. Grease Pan (9x13)
3. Mix the chicken with one cup of the cheese.
4. Roll up in tortillas and place then in the greased pan.
5. Melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute over medium heat.
6. Add broth and whisk until smooth.
7. Continue to cook until thick.
4. Turn off heat and stir in sour cream and green chilies and salt.
5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake 25 min and then broil for 3 minutes to brown the cheese.
7. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Tips: Microwave the corn tortillas in a ziplock bag for 45 seconds(prevents breakage)

Easy Cream of Green Chili and Turkey Soup

With the remains of a forty pound turkey in the refrigerator, I thought I would share one of my favorite easy leftover turkey recipes.You will need

4 cups chicken broth
1 small can of diced green chilis
1/2 cup half and half or cream
Leftover diced Turkey
Salt to taste

Warm the chicken broth on Medium in a large saucepan
Add entire can of green chilis
Simmer until just before boiling
Add leftover turkey (as much or as little as you like)
Salt to taste
Turn off heat
Add half and half or Cream
Stir to mix and serve

Easy, delicious, and gluten free!!!

Seeds of change...Emma

I remember it like it was yesterday. The pears on the counter..the smooth dough rolled out...the way it touched something deep inside of me when she let me help. The way she always measured me on the door frame of the cupboard and wrote my name as if I wasn't just a visiting neighbor, but like I belonged...in such a way that it seemed I became a part of the beam that held up the wall of her house. I had seen apple pie, but this was an apple pie made from pears...pears that grow on trees..the kind that overflow the branches of neigbors trees so that they bend to the ground and sometimes break. The really hard ones that little old ladies give away in paper bags at church and most people won't take.
Little did I know that a seed was planted that day...a seed that would not produce fruit for 30 some odd years. Today as I am baking Thanksgiving pies..I remember it like a flood..I am truly thankful.

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. ~Nelson Henderson

Freedom

When you begin the process of Recognizing God in everything, then the appearances of evil will diminish, until they fade entirely out of the picture.

When God wants to teach me something I find that in the beginning, he gives me a little glimpse of what my future will look like if I apply the teaching to my life. The first one I remember was at my first renewal weekend with RICM. While I was praying ,I got this fleeting glimpse of what life is like without fear. That glimpse of what could be gave me hope and led me on a journey of finding that place and dwelling in it. That was years ago and I find that I live in that reality now most days.

The quote at the top of the page was recently the Facebook status of a cherished friend. The moment he posted it, God spoke to me. “That's where we're going” I felt as if he were saying. And I began to see ,almost like the rolling of script, all of the other times he spoken this to me and I wasn't listening.

For a long time now, I've been speaking a lot of power into the devils work. “Oh, look what Satan is doing, Satan is doing blah blah, that's Satan...he's trying to blah blah”...feeling powerless under the weight of it all. At a time, coming to believe that I would never reach the destiny that God has created for me because I could not continue to walk through the attacks of Satan in my life.

When you begin the process of Recognizing God in everything, then the appearances of evil will diminish, until they fade entirely out of the picture.

The day I first read that...and since the corresponding essay...I have been on a journey to see and speak out only what God is doing ..walking into my destiny with my eyes fixed on the Father.

It was last night when my oldest son was involved in a very serious car accident, which he emerged from completely unscathed, that another facebook friend posted. ...”I don't like the attacks that are coming on your family lately.”

And much to my delight I realized...I never even noticed. I had to search my facebook history to see the posts about the accident, multiple illnesses sweeping through out household....I honestly never saw Satan in any of it . With my eyes fixed on Him I have only seen the goodness of what He has done. Who the Son sets free is free indeed!

Parallel Lives

It was early morning, late June, when I picked up the box of little curious turkeys from the post office. Poking their heads out of the box in delight; trying to get a look or maybe a taste of my cell phone. It was the same week I first poked my nose in the door of The Abbey Church. From the first day I nurtured the turkeys; probably more than you should nuture something you plan to eat. I fed them, kept them warm, and delighted in their ways. A little flock they were, and I buried the weak and help to develop the strong.


Having never lived a parallel life to a turkey, it wasn't until today that I realized the metaphor. The Abbey has nurtured me, fed me, kept me warm. Helped me to cut off the weak and see and develop the strong. They have delighted in me and shown me that my Father too delights in me. They have given me new wings and brought me to a place where I can fulfull my destiny.


As I carve this turkey today and it finds its purpose, how appropriate that I receive communion and become a full member of The Abbey Church. I have come home.

A wise man once said "If it ain't done, don't eat it!" Lord continue to prepare us for the feast.

Dig Deeper

After much anticipation and unfortunate timing of heavy rains, I began to dig my sweet potato crop last week. Much to my suspicion, and with heartbreak, I discovered the crop to be full of large cracks and not near the quality I needed to sell it at the farmer's market. Always wanting to see the blessing even in the negative things, I let my dream of bringing those large baskets full of sweet deliciousness to market go, and got excited about having ugly, but tasty, sweet potatoes for my family all winter. I left the harvest in the ground to deal with at a later time.

This morning I revisited the sweet potato patch. With more rain forecasted came a sense or urgency to get them out of the dirt. As I began to dig along the surface it was if I felt God saying "Dig a little deeper." As I plunged the pitchfork into the rich earth I began to find potato after potato...some were smooth and perfect, some rough and ugly..but I uncovered so much more than I had expected.

If you have reached a point in your life where you feel as if you have uncovered all of that God has for you, I urge you to revisit your dreams, "Dig a little deeper". The harvest is larger than you ever imagined.

Joel 3:13
Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, get down and tread the grapes, for the winepress is full; the vats overflow.

Putting Okra By

Gluten Free Fried Okra (with directions for freezing)

Ingredients:

Freshly Picked Okra
Potato Starch (Not Potato Flour)
Organic Corn Meal
Eggs
Sea Salt
Oil For Frying

Step 1:

Cut the stems and tails off of the okra and put them in your compost pile.
Cut the okra into 1/2" pieces.




Step 2:

Beat 3 eggs in a medium sized bowl.
Remember I am a measure free cook and put on your creativity hat.
Blend 1/2 potato starch and 1/2 organic corn meal in a larger bowl.
How much? About 1/3 of the bowl.
Add a little salt to the dry mix. You can always add more later.



Step 3:

Fill the egg bowl with okra just so you can mix it without pieces falling out.
Mix it with your hands coating all the okra with the egg.
If the okra is coated and there is still egg pooled in the bottom of the bowl, get a larger bowl and keep adding okra until there is no egg remaining in the bottom of the bowl and all okra is coated with egg. In the picture the egg is pooling so more okra needs to be added.


Step 4:

Add the wet okra to the bowl of dry ingredients.
Mix with your hands until all okra is coated.
If you have extra flour in the bottom of the bowl you can use it for the next batch.
The coated okra should not be gooey. It should look coated in powder, not wet. If it's gooey, add some more potato starch until it looks dry.


Step 5:

Deep fry the okra.
If you are going to freeze it, remove it from the pan just after the crust hardens.
If you want to eat it now, cook it until it starts to get a little brown.

Step 6 (for freezing):

Drain the okra on a plate lined with paper towels or a paper sack works well too.
Once it is cool enough to handle, spread it out on a parchment lined cookie sheet and place it in the freezer.



Step 7(for freezing):

After the individual pieces are frozen, place it in a freezer bag.
Fry it to lightly brown when you are ready to eat it.

Friday Night Football Gluten Free Style

I tend to be somewhat of a measure free cook and am constantly asked about recipes. I am going to do my best, but I also need you to find a little creativity deep down inside of you and meet me halfway. In our small town, Friday Night means football and football means junk food, doesn't it? It's hard to find easy to prepare gluten free snacks so I designed these Kolaches or sausage balls for busy nights where summer is fleeting and fall is on it's way.

Ingredients List:
Gluten Free Bisquick
Milk
Eggs
Butter
Precooked Gluten Free Sausage Of Your Choice
Shredded Cheese

Mix the Bisquick following the box directions for biscuits. (I use butter instead of shortening because shortening is the devil so whatever you like) Add a gigantic handfull of grated cheese to the dough. I use a large serving spoon to place the dough on the pan. Stick little chopped up pieces of sausage in the dough ball after you place it on the pan. Use more sausage than you think you need. Cook at 400 degrees until it checks done with a fork. Serve with raw local honey!

Dead Turkey Mama

Dedicated to Hurricane Butch...
We are raising our first turkeys this year. After our great success raising chickens, I wasn't put off by the the tales of turkeys drowing in the rain, being susceptible to illness and the like. I originially placed an order for 20 turkeys. But, since our Cuckoo Maran hens decided to start their own breeding program, our pens were approaching what I would not consider a cruelty free situation, so I reduced the order to 10 turkeys. I was suprised when I opened the box to find the most adorable little creatures. They pecked my phone as I tried to snap pictures of their curious faces. They didn't seem particularly stupid, just way to curious for their own good. Unfortunately, with each passing week, we have had a passing turkey.
The first 3 died as chicks (poults actually). The last one was big enough to eat, which something did after we buried him in the compost pile.

To Kill A Chicken

It took years before I could even wrap my mind around eating an animal that I knew and loved. Would I really be able to eat it? Would it taste funny? How would the kids handle it? Would they be upset, devastated for life? Our youngest daugter, Mette, has a deep passion for animals..kissing each chick as she removes them from the delivery box and lovingly showing them where to get food and water. Her first experience with death was a small kitten she found dead in the yard. I held her sobbing body for almost 3 hours before she finally drifted off to sleep. I was certain her little heart was too tender for meat animals. The guilt of eating factory farmed animals began to wear on me. Not certain of which repulsed me more, the treatment of the animals or the filth they are raised in, I told myself to get over it and if I was ever going to find success in this homesteading dream I would have to raise meat or become a vegetarian. I ordered the first broiler chicks. I explained to the children that these chickens were meat chickens and if they didn't want to help care for them, I would not require it. I was not quite sure that Mette understood my lecture as I watched her welcome each chick with a kiss as she had all of the others. When the day arrived for the chickens to be butchered, Mette insisted that she be allowed to go with them to the processing plant. Forcing my own fears on her, I refused. The only tears shed were those of disappointment that she was not allowed to go. Not once did she say she didn't want them to die or that she felt sorry for them in any way. She helped bag them up and place them in the freezer when they came back. Four years later it is not odd for her to come in the house holding one upside down by it's feet...."Look Mama! We got a dead one!" Kids are stronger than we give them credit for.