New Spaces ~ The Bathroom

For some reason the bathroom has never bothered me that much, even though it was in desperate need of new paint and some freshening up.  I finally decided that I was ready to make the change though.  I debated between colors and finally settled on this one.  But, that meant I should really paint the dark woodwork... and I wasn't so sure I could do it.  It really was beautiful, and it was the original wood.  But with some convincing from everyone I went for it knowing it would really lighten it up and go much better with the paint.  And I really have to say that I love it.  It's so bright and filled with light in there now. 



And it looks great with the chair.  When I bought this chair this summer I always envisioned it having a spot in the bathroom (I love a bathroom with a chair).  So with a little rearranging it worked.  And everyone is loving the new sitting space in the bathroom.



But now we must get a new bathroom sink (and mirror).  There is nothing (and I mean nothing) pretty about this sink but for some reason I have a weird attachment to it.  I just always think about all the past farmers having used it for all those decades... it's our farm sink.  But with everything being so white in there now it stands out way to much... even I can't help but notice it.  So hopefully sometime soon a new sink and mirror will make it to the top of the list. 

Baking Day ~ Apple Honey Oatmeal Muffins

Jackson and I altered an apple muffin recipe up a bit today to make these really delicious (and fairly healthy) muffins.
Apple Honey Oatmeal Muffins
1 1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. old fashioned oatmeal
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup sliced raw almonds
1 tbls of brown sugar
1/2 cup of milk
1/3 cup of safflower or canola oil
1/3 cup of honey
2 cups of finely chopped apple
Combine and mix until well blended. Stir together and add milk, oil, honey, chopped apple
Bake in muffin tins at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

New Spaces- The Kitchen

Well of course I didn't finish yet (of course).  It was a lot harder to do then I anticipated (may have helped if I wasn't 18 months pregnant and climbing on counters and such).  But I'm so in love with my new kitchen walls.  The clay was really fun (just labor intensive) to work with and it really is kind of like an art.  Not that it's an art I've mastered yet, but I love how it looks anyway, mistakes and all.



It really gives the kitchen a warm and fresh new look.  Of course this is only phase one of the kitchen remodel but the other phases won't happen for a long time I'm sure, which is just fine because I'm very happy with this for now. 



Now I just need to finish the second coat of those last two walls.  My goal is to have it done sometime before baby arrives but we'll see.

Decorating

Cutting Down The Tree

The Day After

Maybe even better (or at least just as good) then the actual day of Thanksgiving, is the three days after.  When our fridge is stocked with yummy food, and we block off as much time as we can for each other.  No projects, no farm work, just relaxing and being with each other.  On Friday we spent almost the whole day in our pajamas.  Our only real activity for the day was the nice long hike we took before dinner through the forest behind our house. 
It always feels so good after the hustle and bustle of getting ready for Thanksgiving to just slow everything down and be together.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving Morning

This year's Thanksgiving was surprisingly laid back (or at least everything leading up to dinner was), which I couldn't have loved more.  Katie and Kris came the night before and slept over.  We woke up and begin our cooking and pie baking with a lot of little helpers and a little dancing music to liven our moods.  There was still some cleaning to do but not too much and nothing overwhelming.  Anything that didn't get done by noon was forgotten about.  My parents showed up around lunch time and we enjoyed our hoers-devours by the fire and relaxed.  Everyone else came around dinner time.

A few things to note
~ We put the turkey in around 9:30 (I think).  It was a 23lb turkey and took about 6 hours.  This way it was out by 3:30 and we had time to warm up or cook other things.  This worked well.

~ Katie and Kris sleeping over the night before Thanksgiving, fun.

~ Cooking biscuits and soup and anything else that can be done ahead of time and frozen worked really great.

~ Katie's cork place settings I loved.

~ Next year make that pecan pie. 

My other new recipes...

Corn Bread
2/3 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups milk
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Combine the eggs and milk. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares; serve warm.

Molasses Biscuits

Two Days Before Thanksgiving

I spent most of my the day in the kitchen. Cooking, baking and brining.

"Holiday Soup" (Butternut Squash Soup with Cream)
~2 pounds butternut squash, halved, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
~1 1/2 cups diced onion
~2 carrots, peeled and diced
~3 (13 3/4-ounce) cans chicken broth
~1/2 teaspoon salt
~2 tablespoons butter
~1/2 cup light cream or heavy cream

In a medium saucepan, combine squash, onion, carrots, broth and salt. Simmer, uncovered, until squash is very tender, about 40 minutes. Puree soup in a blender or food processor with the butter. Whisk cream into soup. Serve in wide, shallow bowls with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

What To Do When You Have A Lot To Do

American Clay your walls of course.  It did seem like the perfect time to start this project (I am serious... this is how my mind works).  We spent the last two days using the coffee table as our kitchen table.  The walls are still not finished...

First Snow

Thanksgiving Planning And Some Random Thoughts

~ I am so behind on my posts.  There are so many things I want to post about but can't seem to find the right moment to sit down and do it.  Posting has taken a backseat behind Thanksgiving planning and house projects (nesting).

~ Grace and Jackson are so excited about Thanksgiving this year.  They go back and forth between being extremely helpful (washing dishes, dusting, taking sheets off beds) to being extremely annoying, running around like wild animals (all that excited energy) making me want to pull my hair out.

~ Well I don't want to jinx it so I'll just say for two nights in a row we slept until 7 (daylight savings was a toughy this year).

~ Loving the snow (and the not super cold temps).

~ Grace came in from sledding the other day to tell me that they took "Beautiful" (our only chicken who has a name) sledding.

~ We are ALMOST ready for winter with our little farm.  We still need a heater to keep the drinking water from freezing in the coop and I need to cover my bees.  But other then that, the coop is insulated and with electricity.  The bees are tucked in and ready for winter.

~ I picked away at the garden here and there and managed to get five of them weeded and piled with compost.  I think I'll call it good for this year (and kick myself in the spring for not just doing them all).

~ I need a winter coat (in whale size).

~ I'm going to attempt to go to bed early tonight in hopes that I'll have a lot of energy tomorrow for all the cleaning and cooking that lies ahead.

Sunday

A Day of Home

Gosh it was a busy week... 
~ Last weekend Ryan was away hunting
~ And got a deer (yeah)
~ My mom came and stayed with us while he was gone which was fun
~ I took a class to learn how to do this to my kitchen (and someday every wall in our house)
~ I painted my bathroom (love it)
~ Grace and Jackson are still fighting their colds
~ I had a three hour doctors appointment (which ended with good news, no gestational diabetes)
~ We had friends and family for lunch one day
~ We've been getting up early (will we ever get adjusted to daylight savings time)
~ And so some of us have been a wee bit crabby
~ (Just writing all that was exhausting...)

So today, we needed a home day.  Time to relax and catch up on all the things that normally fill our days.



I made granola.  And soup.



We had a tea party.



There was some knitting.



And chicken time.



I tended the garden (one last bag of potatoes). 
And caught up on laundry. 
Along with some cleaning and a host of other things. 

It is amazing how a day of home can restore my sense of balance.  I now have a clean house (and clean kids), and leftover soup for tomorrows lunch.  I couldn't feel more ready to start the weekend.