Goodness...

Such a strange thing happened when I was making lunch today! The stove top burner went out and created quite a bit of unexpected excitement...

I had a pan of water on the burner and it was almost to the boiling point. Suddenly, it was like fireworks shooting up through the pan. The burner burned out and the burst of electricity burned a hole in my pan, shooting sparks and water straight up!

This all happened so fast. I did the logical thing - screamed. {smile} Thankfully, I was not near the stove and all of our children have been taught to stay out of the kitchen when mama is cooking.

Next thing I knew, all of our smoke alarms were going off... so I sent the children to wave pillows at them to quiet the alarms (and allow me to see just what had happened).

My pan had a hole burned through the bottom of it, about the size of a pinto bean. All of the water drained out, of course. Looking on the bright side, it gave me a reason to lift the stove top and clean up under there!

I am sharing this because we had noticed a bright spot on the burner recently. Apparently, this was our warning to replace the burner.

If you have an electric range and notice a bright spot on the burner, please stop using the burner and replace it. I don't want anyone else to have a lunchtime fireworks display! (perhaps our incident was an isolated event, but better safe than sorry I think)

I told Hubby that I am perfectly willing to do all of our cooking on the wood stove.  And at this moment, I do mean it...

Goodness, indeed.

The simple loveliness of an apron

I have a work uniform. Everyday, I dress for my life's work... which is helping my dear hubby, raising our children, keeping our home, and managing our homestead. A good "job description" to encompass everything my work entails would be ~

homemaking homesteader. {smile}

Isn't that a lovely title? I sure think so.

My usual uniform is a modest skirt and some kind of top or sweater, or perhaps a jumper with a simple shirt beneath. Often, my daily work uniform is topped off with a simple, lovely apron. There is something about an apron that evokes a real home-y feeling, don't you think?

There is a lot more to apron wearing than just protecting one's clothing.... although I see the value in reducing stains on clothing whenever possible.

If I don my chore apron my children know that I am likely heading outdoors to ~

:: hang laundry on the clothes line (apron pockets make handy clothespin holders)
:: gather eggs from the hen house or duck palace (apron pockets make great egg baskets)
:: tend the garden (an apron is handy for wiping hands on, and the pockets are nice for holding a freshly picked veggie or two)
:: say hello to Matilda. That cow of mine *knows* that apron pockets are meant to hold carrots!

Like chore clothes, a chore apron is meant to get dirty! On our homestead, there are plenty of opportunities for that to happen!

When I have my kitchen apron on, mouths start watering because my family knows something yummy is on its way! I always wear an apron while cooking, and my children (even the boys!) have aprons, too. At our house, aprons and home-cooking always go together.

I think it is pretty common thinking to associate an apron with old-fashioned homemaking. In days of old, aprons were commonplace. Lately, I've noticed that they are becoming popular once again. That is exciting to me! Whatever is popular today will be more plentiful in the second-hand stores tomorrow, right?! (my favorite places to shop!) Some of my favorite aprons have been passed down to me from others, or found in thrift stores.

By the end of each day, my apron has been through a lot. It is likely covered with flour-y hand prints and perhaps a bit of bread dough or cake batter. As I untie the apron, I am thankful for what it represents as well as its practicality...

I take my life's work of homemaking homesteader very seriously... and wearing an apron is part of my everyday. And whenever I read my apron book - full of wonderful, vintage aprons, I am reminded that lots of ladies share my love for this old-fashioned wardrobe staple.

How about you? Do you enjoy the simple loveliness of an apron?

sharing this post with the barn hop :: the modest mom :: time warp wife :: and wishing you a lovely day!

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~ Saturday Snapshot ~

As bloggers, our thoughts are often about *words.* Are you like me? Do you sometimes find yourself writing blog posts in your head throughout the day?

But sometimes... a picture alone is worth much more. Thus, I am starting Saturday Snapshot on my blog. A simple picture from the week - any favorite moment, but no words.

And here is my photo... Saturday Snapshot Number One {smile}

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

sharing my snapshot with at home with books

How to Make Clabber :: homemade cultured buttermilk

Making and using clabber is a bit old-fashioned, I am told. My grandmother says that her mother made clabber back in the Depression era. And then, great-grandma used it to make her cottage cheese. I would suppose that her cottage cheese had fantastic flavor!

Clabber is another name for homemade cultured buttermilk. It is a very simple homemade dairy product that saves money and adds delicious flavor to baked goods. It can be used in cheesemaking and it makes a wonderful free food for our chickens...

That is why I always have a jar of clabber in the fridge!

Farm fresh milk will clabber all by itself if it is left at room temperature for awhile. I have made accidental clabber before, simply by forgetting a glass of milk somewhere and then discovering it a day or two later. {smile}

Clabber can also be made by using purchased cultured buttermilk as a starter. This is a more reliable method, I think. A small carton of buttermilk can be used to make gallons and gallons of clabber.

How to Make Clabber

Put 1/4 cup starter (cultured buttermilk) in a sterilized quart jar. Add goat milk or cow milk (fresh or store bought) to fill up the jar. Stir to combine thoroughly. Cover jar and let mixture sit at room temperature until milk is thick, approximately 8 hours. Refrigerate. Use the last 1/4 cup of homemade clabber to start a new batch.

Note: Store bought milk is fine for clabber making, as long as it is not ultra-pasteurized.

After awhile, the results from the re-used starter won't be as good. Freeze the excess buttermilk from the original carton of purchased buttermilk in 1/4 cup amounts, to thaw and use when a fresh starter is needed.

Uses for clabber in my homestead kitchen ~

:: buttermilk substitute in any baking recipe

:: cheesemaking (I learned in this book that clabber can be used as a substitute for mesophilic culture... that is a tip I have used time and time again)

:: substitute clabber for part of the water in breadmaking

:: use when making sourdough starter

:: feed surplus clabber to the chickens - they love it!

I love the flavor that clabbered milk gives to recipes. Homemade clabber is a frugal and self-sufficient buttermilk replacement. And, it helps with sustainability on our farm by providing us with free chicken food. Clabber is here to stay, I think.

Happy Clabber Making!

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Thankful Thursday

Today is Thankful Thursday on my blog.... a regular tradition of noticing, giving thanks, and cultivating an attitude of gratitude for all of the goodness that surrounds me.

Here are a few of the things I am thankful for today -

:: The stillness of evening. Sitting back at the end of the day - after all the chores are done and the little ones are safely tucked into bed - the daily exhale. I always count my blessings when I watch a sunset.

:: Barnyard basketball. My boys love to shoot hoops. Watching the younger boys play basketball with big brother is a sight to remember. Slam dunks and all!  Such athletes, those boys of mine! {smile}

:: More wildflowers. These sweet little white flowers are growing along my walking path around the yard. I love their simple cheerfulness.

:: Safe travels. Our oldest son made his move across country safely. And I will *always* treasure the whole-family weekend we enjoyed right before he moved. I am so proud of him for following his dreams! (but goodness, I do miss him already)

:: My portly cow. This cow sits upon my kitchen windowsill... and makes me grin every time I see it. She *is* portly indeed.

:: Fifteen eggs in one day!  *That* is our new record for this year, so far.

:: Dandelions everywhere. Time to make a batch of dandelion syrup! It is one of our favorite parts of spring... yummy! I also need to bake bread and get a roast in the slow cooker - this will be a bustling morning in my homestead kitchen.

What are you thankful for today?

Crafting, Walking, and Reading

This week has been an eventful one for us. With our daughter's recent car accident and having our oldest son at home again before he moves {I shared those things here}, and Mother's Day, there has been plenty of excitement. And not a lot of time for crafting, walking, or reading!

But thankfully, I have found a little time for the simple (relaxing) hobbies that I love...

Crafting ~

My current project is crocheted yoga socks, for me! I have made this pattern a couple of times before (it is Achsah's yoga socks on Ravelry) and I like them a lot.

For this pair, I am using two skeins of yarn that I have had for awhile - a skein of soft orange leftover from some longies I knitted for my little boy and a skein of soft white that was given to me. (frugal and stashbusting - yay!)

I love the color combination!

Walking ~

I did 30 miles last week... I was pretty happy with that because it was mostly a mile here, a mile there, rather than longer walks. Our weather has been so nice and I'm walking outside almost every day. Fitness walking is so wonderful - it is truly one of my favorite things.

Two of my favorite walks of the week were with my family. Oldest daughter and I took a brisk walk up our country road, just the two of us. It was a lovely chance to talk. And then on Mother's Day, our whole family took a walk in our back pasture. That one will stay in my memory and feed my soul for sure.

Reading ~

Somehow, I managed to get through Trim Healthy Mama this week. The book was fantastic, and over 600 pages long! I find the topics of food, health, and fitness quite interesting, so it was actually a fairly quick read.

I just started another book about food. It is called At Table with the Lord - Foods of the First Century and I've had it on my Kindle for quite awhile. I love reading about the foods and customs of other cultures so this book has really captured my interest.

That is the latest crafting, walking, and reading for me. What are your latest projects?

sharing this post with Ginny's yarn along :: and wishing you a lovely day! :: {note - this post contains referral links, thank you for your support}

A lovely mother's day

I felt like a queen today - goodness, this family of mine knows how to make me feel special. The children planned and prepared a special breakfast. I sat in our living room sipping coffee with Hubby while the preparations took place. Oh, it was tempting to peek, especially as the yummy smells began wafting my way.

"Close your eyes, Mama," I heard at last. Okay...

They made me French toast with berries and whipped cream! What a lovely surprise... and believe me, it was delicious!

My family also gave me a beautiful hanging basket to adorn our deck. I *love* flowers and I have never had a hanging basket full like this. We hung them in a spot somewhat protected from the wind and the sweet fragrance fills the whole area. Aren't they pretty?

My oldest son made dinner. That boy of mine is a very good cook - we call him the Pasta King because his spaghetti sauce is *so* good. He made spaghetti and stuffed mushrooms at my request. He is moving away this week and I wanted one more chance to enjoy his cooking.

After dinner dishes were done, we took a family walk in the back pasture. It felt like old times and new times all at once. There are so many memories up there... my all-grown-up children as little ones, running with their dog and chasing butterflies. How did all of those years pass by so quickly? And we still have little ones, so there are lots of memories yet to be made.

The very best part of this day was being surrounded by my whole family. All ten of us under one roof... that, to me, is a gift beyond measure.

I hope your mother's day was lovely, too.

Trim Healthy Mama ~ My Thoughts and a Review

Do you want to be a Trim Healthy Mama? I know I do... in fact, I have been on a personal fitness journey for several years now. So when I heard about the book by Serene Allison and Pearl Barrett - Trim Healthy Mama - I was quite excited to get a copy! Imagine my delight when I contacted the authors and asked if they would give me a copy to review on my blog and they said YES!

Trim Healthy Mama is not a quick-fix book. It is a book about developing a lifestyle that the authors say will lead to a healthy weight, loads of energy, and a joyful relationship with food. In fact, many times throughout the book the authors remind us that eating should be fun - and if we learn to eat foods in the right way, we can indulge and still be Trim Healthy Mamas. Isn't that fantastic?

As you can see by the cover, Serene and Pearl are trim healthy mamas indeed!

This book is more than 600 pages long. It begins with an introduction to a few fictional ladies... Whole Grain Jane, Drive Thru Sue, Raw Green Colleen, and Farm Fresh Tess. (I think Farm Fresh Tess and I would be great friends!) We learn about lifestyles and eating habits that can cause us to gain weight and lose energy, and there are plenty of suggestions given on how to make simple changes.

Next comes the eating plan. Foods are put into categories -

S foods are the satisfying foods (fats) and E foods are the energizing foods (carbohydrates). The "rule" is that your meals are either one or the other. If your meal is high fat, it must be low carb. If your meal is higher in carbs, it must be lower in fat. Unless you are trying to gain or maintain weight, meals should not combine lots of carbs with a high fat content. There are lots of lists and nutritional explanations about why this method - which is basically a low-glycemic way of eating - is important.

Things I liked about this book ~

I really connected with the writing style. The authors present nutrition information in a very chatty, understandable way. I love the topic, but even if I did not I would have found the writing style very engaging.

The book tells us exactly what kinds of foods fit into each category and how we can combine them to make delicious meals.

The budget minded approach. Both of these ladies have large families and a frugal lifestyle (I relate to that!) and the plan fits very nicely into that situation.

The tweakability of it all. This isn't a strict diet plan, it is a lifestyle. It applies to women of all ages and stages of life. And it even works for husbands, as the authors share from their own family's experiences.

My favorite parts of the book ~

The chat sections are fun. Serene gives her opinions and Pearl gives hers... it is like having coffee with two sisters that engage in friendly debate but have a common goal. I loved these back-and-forth conversations.

The reminders that skinny does not mean healthy.

The lists of plan essentials. Some of the foods the book suggests were new to me. Many recipes call for glucomannan powder, and stevia is the sweetener of choice. I am not getting the glucomannan because I have reached my goal weight without it and the recipes that use it don't appeal to me. I do like stevia and I use and enjoy the brand they recommend.

The information about coconut oil. I *love* coconut oil and have used it for years. In fact, I consider it to be a major factor in my personal weight loss success. (This brand is wonderful! There is also a less expensive brand called LouAna that I often use.)

The exercise chapters. The authors explain the importance of exercise and how to fit it into a busy schedule. As an exercise enthusiast, I was so happy that this information was included.

Something I didn't like as much ~

Some of the recipes. Remember how I said I thought Farm Fresh Tess and I would be friends? Like her, I prefer cow and goat milk (not almond milk as suggested) because we raise cows and goats on our farm. And I do use bananas, even though they are not recommended for ladies my age. I also bake and eat whole wheat bread... and I still reached and maintain a healthy weight.

Perhaps those differences are just examples of the tweakability of the plan.

My thoughts about Trim Healthy Mama ~

I really enjoyed this book. Even though I was able to learn a lot about it online, the book itself contains so much information that it is a really good addition to my bookshelf, I think. It has given me some excellent tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and I am looking forward to experimenting with some of the recipes.

The price is a bit high (the Kindle version is much less, that is the version I have) but can we put a price on our good health? The authors obviously put a lot of time and energy into sharing their knowledge and experiences in this book and I highly recommend it to everyone that wants to be a trim and healthy mama.

For more information, please visit the Trim Healthy Mama website. There is also lots of good information about the book on the THM Forum. Before I got my copy, I learned a lot about it there!

Do you have the book? Is the plan working for you?

{Note - Some of the links in this post are referral links and will generate a small commission for my blog if a purchase is made by using them, thank you for your support. I requested and received a complimentary copy of this book so I could review it on my blog. You may view my disclosure policy here.}