Forget-Me-Not Homestead

Berry Cobbler

Hometown parades, barbecues, gardening, sunny days, berry picking, and delicious homemade berry desserts are some of the simple pleasures of summer.  Here's my recipe for Berry Cobbler.  It's best served warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Berry Filling:

• 2 pints Berries - I use wild blueberries or huckleberries, but whatever you have is fine.
• 3/4 Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. Cornstarch
• 1 tsp. Lemon Juice

Pastry Dough:

• 1 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1/8 tsp. Cinnamon
• 3 tbsp. Cold Butter
• 3/4 cup Milk

1. Preheat oven to 400F.  Lightly grease 9-inch pie plate.  Toss all of the filling ingredients together in small bowl, then evenly distribute in pie plate.  Set aside.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In another bowl, mix together a teaspoon of sugar and cinnamon.  Set aside.

3. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour in milk.  Stir with fork.  Drop by spoonfuls onto berries.  Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.

4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

Prayer

I am grateful for God's guidance in my life to worship after the manner of the Religious Society of Friends.  As an isolated Christian Quaker, without a local Meeting for Worship to attend, daily quiet prayer is a deep and important part of my faith practice.

I have found this online text version of Prayer, from The Tract Association of Friends, to be helpful in my prayer life.

"Be still and know that I am God." ~ Psalm 46:10

Vegetarian Food Pyramid

There are many reasons people become vegetarians for a short time or for a lifetime - simplicity, frugality, health, faith, and abundant veggie gardens are some of these reasons.

Here is a Vegetarian Food Pyramid for anyone interested in a vegetarian diet.

I've Been Tagged!

Leslie at A Mother's Heart tagged me.

At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they've been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Let the person who tagged you know when you've posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

I was a 37 year old happy wife and mother; very busy mothering and homeschooling my 11, 7, and 3 year old sons.  Frugality, simplicity, gardening and homeschooling were, and still are, favorite interests.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

I have a morning routine of chores I do every day, before I tackle anything else.  After that, I need to menu-plan and grocery list for some upcoming June festivities. Also, the sun is just now peeking through the clouds, so I plan to go out in the garden and divide and relocate some of my monster perennial flowers before I get dinner started.

3. Snacks I enjoy:

I lost 23lbs this last winter, and I've been maintaining my weight loss by trying to avoid my favorite snacks which usually have chocolate in them.

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

If I were a billionaire, I would pray that I would be a good steward of the money; helping others wherever I could and wherever needed.  I don't think I would own much more than I have now, other than a few small home improvements, I'm pretty content.  I would also invest some of it wisely, so that I could keep on giving to others, and for the benefit of future generations in my family.

5. Places I have lived:

I lived in California and England over 25 years ago, which seems like a lifetime ago, because I've been married, and raised my family in Alaska.

I am tagging:

wannabeone

LaVonne54

mountainmama

anoldfashionedgirl

bodkin

christianmomali 

The Simple Life

"The simple life is one in which there is always time to remember the divine purpose behind each of our tasks, time to listen for a possible divine amendment to the day's schedule, and time to be thankful for the divine Presence at each moment of the day."

~ Lloyd Lee Wilson

Carrot Seeds

Today is a beautiful spring day here in Alaska.  A nice day to be out in the garden planting my favorite seeds - pelleted carrot seeds.  I like pelleted carrot seeds because you can plant a single seed at the correct spacing; there is no need to overplant the tiny carrot seeds, and then thin them out later.  Pelleted carrot seeds are a little more expensive.  I purchase mine from Territorial Seed Company; 250 seeds are $3.25, 1000 seeds are $7.45, 5000 seeds are $23.00.

For the last few years I've been purchasing Mokum pelleted carrot seeds for my square foot garden beds.  I like Mokum carrots because they're delicious, and because of their shorter time until maturity - 56 days.  Because of Alaska's short growing season, I always purchase seeds with the fewest days to maturity.

Here's a photo of a bunch of Mokum carrots from last year's harvest.

They look short and stubby because my raised beds are only 6" deep and the carrots have hit bedrock.  They look funny, but they taste great!

A Sweet,Beautiful Home

The following passage spoke to my heart.  I'm wishing all of you a very beautiful, blessed, and happy Mother's Day today and every day.  Peace and blessings, Kim

"Very largely does the wife hold in her hands as a sacred trust the happiness and the highest good of the hearts that nestle there.  In the last analysis, home happiness depends on the wife.

Her spirit gives the home its atmosphere.

Her hands fashion its beauty.

Her heart makes its love.

And the end is so worthy, so noble, so divine, that no woman who has been called to be a wife, and has listened to the call, should consider any price too great to pay, to be...

the light,

the joy,

the blessing,

the inspiration,

of a home.

The woman who makes a sweet, beautiful home, filling it with love and prayer and purity, is doing something better than anything else her hands could find to do beneath the skies.

A true mother is one of the holiest secrets of home happiness.  God sends many beautiful things to this world, many noble gifts; but no blessing is richer than that which He bestows in a mother who has learned love's lessons well, and has realized something of the meaning of her sacred calling."

~ J.R. Miller, Secrets of Happy Home Life, 1894

Garden Pleasures

"God Almighty first planted a Garden; and, indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures; it is the greatest refreshment to the spirits of man..."

~ Francis Bacon

An Easter Prayer

God, give us eyes to see the beauty of the Spring,

And to behold Your majesty in every living thing ~

And may we see in lacy leaves and every budding flower

The Hand that rules the universe with gentleness and power ~

And may this Easter grandeur that Spring lavishly imparts

Awaken faded flowers of faith lying dormant in our hearts,

And give us ears to hear, dear God the Springtime song of birds

With messages more meaningful than man's often-empty words

Telling harried human beings who are lost in dark despair ~

"Be like us and do not worry for God has you in His care."

Amen

Cottage Gardening

Spring is just around the corner, and I would like to share my favorite gardening book.  The Cottage Garden by Christopher Lloyd and Richard Bird is a well-written, comprehensive book for anyone seeking a cottage garden.  This book was written in England for English gardeners; but it can easily be read, enjoyed, and used by American cottage gardeners as well.

The Cottage Garden covers all aspects of cottage gardening, including; traditional cottage garden plants and plans, cottage garden features such as pathways, gates, and arbors; and tending the garden and using its produce.  Cottage garden history is covered as well.  My favorite aspect of this book are the dozens of inspiring color photos of beautiful cottage gardens.

In my own humble cottage garden I grow a variety of colorful perennial flowers, vines, and wildflowers.  I have a kitchen herb garden and square foot vegetable gardens.  The wilder areas of our little homestead have been abundantly blessed with wild blueberries, huckleberries, and salmonberries.

I have several good gardening books that I refer to throughtout the growing season; but The Cottage Garden is the one I pull out every spring for pure inspiration and beauty.

A lovely website to view photos of an English-style cottage flower garden thriving in Alaska can be found at Gardening, Alaskan Style. 

Friendship Sampler Quilt

The quilting ladies in my small town keep the lovely tradition of making a Friendship Sampler Quilt for friends and family to mark memorable occasions.  Friendship sampler quilts have been made for families moving away, having babies, weddings, and students graduating from high school.  

Each of the quilters will make a 12 1/2" x 12 1/2" block at home. This block can be any style, color, or fabric.  One of us, usually a more seasoned quilter, volunteers to take all the quilt blocks home and sew them together with borders in a solid color that compliments all the blocks.  After that is complete, we all meet at our town hall to tie and finish the quilt.  Even with all the different types and colors of blocks, these quilts always turn out beautiful.

Right now, we are busy working on a quilt for a dear family that is moving out of state soon.  I like to make the crazy quilt block.  I enjoy making this block because it looks so different every time I make it, and because I have many small pieces of fabric in my sewing basket waiting to be sewn into a  pretty block.  Also, the crazy quilt block is so forgiving if I make a creative flaw.  A pretty button, embroidery, or some beading can cover up a little piece of muslin showing through.

Here is a picture of the block I just finished.  I still need to embroider my name in the lower corner.

The center piece has a vine of forget-me-nots and berries on it, which grow freely in our town.

The Friendship Sampler Quilt is a precious gift to make, as well as receive.

Homemaking and the Soul

"The ordinary arts we practice every day at home are of more importance to the soul than their simplicity might suggest."

~ Thomas Moore

My Day Planner

"The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

Even on my quiet homestead, in the middle of winter, I use a simple day planner to plan my days and weeks.  Daily plans, goals, and blessings are written down.  My husband and sons also record notes and needs in my day planner.  This week I noticed my sweet 13 year old son had written more bird seed for chickadees on my planner's shopping list page.

My day planner is a plain black, ringed binder (8 1/2" x 5 1/2").  Inside, it has weekly and monthly planning pages, narrow shopping list paper, lined blank paper, an address book, dividers, and The Book of Proverbs.  It is lovely in its simplicity.  Each weekly and monthly planning page begins with a beautiful Bible passage for meditation.  This week's Bible passage is "Pleasant words are like honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." - Proverbs 16:24.

Salt Publishers publishes my day planner.  They are publishers of Christian adult, student, and church day planners.

A simple day planner can bring the blessings of peace and order to a home.

Cozyness

"Shut the door,

not that it lets in the cold -

But that it lets out the cozyness."

~ Mark Twain

Vegetarian Chili

Here's a simple, nutritious, delicious chili I make for my family often during the chilly winter months.

3 cups Dry Pinto or Kidney Beans

8 cups Water

4 Cloves Garlic, chopped

1/2 Med. Yellow Onion, chopped

1/2 Green Pepper, chopped

2 15oz cans Tomato Sauce

1 sm. can Corn, or a cup Frozen Corn

1 1/2 tsp. Chili Powder

1/8 tsp. Cayenne

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cumin

Soak beans overnight.  Place beans in pot with water and garlic.  Cook until tender-about 2 1/2 hours.

When beans are tender, cook onion and pepper in a little oil.  Add all ingredients to beans and simmer for at least 30 minutes.  Sometimes, if I take this chili to a pot luck, I'll add some Morningstar Meal Starter Soy Crumbles to the mix with the onion and green pepper to give it a meatier texture and flavor.

Serves 6, with leftovers for lunch.  I double this recipe for a large gathering.

Garnish with grated cheese, and serve with homemade cornbread. Yummy!

George Fox Quote

"Let your lives preach."

~ George Fox

Christmas Blessings

I'd like to wish all of you a very merry, blessed, peaceful Christmas.  I will be back to blogging in 2008.

I also wanted to share that my dear oldest son is coming home from college next week for winter break and I'm so looking forward to his arrival.  I haven't seen him since August, and I've really missed him.

Peace and blessings, Kim

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie

Although I am a vegetarian, my family is not.  Every year we enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.  My husband prepares and stuffs the turkey, and I prepare all the side dishes with a little help from my sons.  Here is one of my desserts that my family prefers to traditional pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie

1 8oz pkg. cream cheese, softened

3/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

3 eggs

1 16oz can pumpkin or I use fresh frozen pumpkin

1 tsp. vanilla

1 unbaked 9" pie crust

Beat cream cheese until fluffy, gradually adding sugar and spices.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well.  Beat in pumpkin and vanilla.  Pour into pie crust and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until set in the middle.  Chill before serving. 

What Is A Home?

I've been offline and out of town for awhile visiting with dear family that were in need of help.  While I was away, I came across this short essay that I'd like to share.

What Is A Home?

A roof to keep out the rain.  Four walls to keep out the wind.  Floors to keep out the cold.  Yes, but home is more than that.  It is the laugh of a baby, the song of a mother, the strength of a father.  Warmth of loving hearts, light from happy eyes, kindness, loyalty, comradeship.  Home is first school and first church for young ones, where they learn what is right, what is good, and what is kind.  Where they go for comfort when they are hurt or sick.  Where joy is shared and sorrow eased.  Where fathers and mothers are respected and loved.  Where children are wanted.  Where the simplest food is good enough for kings because it is earned.  Where money is not so important as loving-kindness.  Where even the teakettle sings from happiness.  That is home.  God bless it. - by Ernestine Schuman-Heink

It's so good to be home!

Overwintering Fuchsias

Last night the temperature dipped to a chilly 33 degrees at my house.  That means it's time to overwinter my 2 hanging baskets of fuchsias until next spring.  A common sight around Alaska homes during the growing season is hanging baskets trailing branches of beautiful blooms.  If you live anywhere in the north, and you'd like to try and overwinter your fuchsias this year; I'd like to share how I overwinter mine.

First,  before you bring your hanging basket indoors, check to make sure there are no pests on the plant.  Then, cut all the branches of your plant back 2/3.  This means you will only be left with 1/3 of your beautiful plant.  I know this might be difficult to do for some, but it will make your plant stronger for next season.

Second, water the plant, but do not fertilize it.  Also, so that the plant can go into dormancy, do not fertilize your plant within 2 weeks of bringing the plant indoors to overwinter.

Third, take your hanging basket out to your outbuilding or garage that stays cool in the winter, but does not freeze.  During the winter, water the plant only enough so that the roots won't dry out.

And finally, when new early growth on the plant starts appearing during the winter, just pinch it back so that it won't grow too leggy.  By spring you should have beautiful, full fuchsias once again.

Autumn Reflections

Autumn is here in my neck of the woods.  The days are getting shorter, the light and colors of the forest are more breathtaking, and it's getting chilly.

For my family, autumn is a time for rest, reflection, and study.  No longer are we in the garden or working on the house; hiking, fishing, or berry picking.  It is time to come indoors to enjoy good books and music, friendship and fellowship, a little seasonal decorating and handicrafts, and good-smelling comfort foods.  It is a peaceful time.

May we all find God's blessings of peace and beauty in our homes this beautiful autumn season.

A Favorite Poem

This is a nice poem for copywork into a writing notebook or nature notebook.  My boys liked to try and illustrate their copywork too.

I come in the little things,

Saith the Lord:

Yea, on the glancing wing

Of eager birds, the softly pattering feet

Of furred and gentle beasts,

I come in the little things,

Saith the Lord:

Not borne on the morning's wings

Of majesty, but I have set My feet

Amidst the delicate and bladed wheat.

I come in the little things,

Saith the Lord, Amen.

by Evelyn Underhill

Square Foot Garden Idea

My dear husband came up with this neat free gardening idea for our Square Foot garden.

Initially, I began Square Foot Gardening because it was a way to start a small vegetable garden without having to fence our property or our garden to keep the deer out.  We have a lot of deer in the area we live in, and they are beautiful animals, but as most gardeners know, they can be a garden pest.

Like Mel Bartholomew suggests in his book, we installed 1/2" PVC pipe frames over our raised garden boxes, so that we can cover them every night with a sheet of plastic.  The plastic protects the garden by keeping the heat in, the heavy rain out, and most important to me - the deer out.  Here's where we use my husband's idea, instead of Mel's.  Mel suggests that you use pieces of wood to hold the plastic down (we used rocks from our beach at first).  This seemed very inconvenient to do every night.  So, my husband found an old garden hose.  He cut it up into 6" pieces then sliced the pieces open. They fit perfectly over the PVC pipe to hold the plastic snuggly in place.  It's so nice and quick covering up and protecting my gardens now.  If you have an old garden hose laying around, you might want to give it a try.

Simplicity at Home

I've always appreciated the idea that we can find the greatest joy from simple things, especially at home.

I live in a small, old, imperfect house.  It is small; but thankfully, has many windows, which makes it seem bigger and brighter.   It is old; but all the nicks, dents, and time-worn imperfections in my homes' simple wood floors, cabinets, and furniture represent to me, many years of love and living.

I don't have too many belongings anymore.  I left them behind when we moved from the city to the country seeking a simpler way of life.  But that's fine with me.  God provides all that my family needs.  Although, I still have too many books.   What I do have, I try to keep clean and tidy; this brings peace to my home.

My family and I like to go out in nature and enjoy God's perfect beauty.  Sometimes we bring nature home with us to enjoy - flowers, rocks, shells, sea glass, driftwood.  It's all beautiful and a gift of God.

I am so grateful for all of God's blessings.  May you also be blessed with peace and simplicity in your homes and hearts.

The Peacable Table

I became a vegetarian several years ago; and over a year ago I found an encouraging vegetarian website for all people of faith.  The website is Vegetarian Friends.  They publish an inspiring monthly journal called The Peacable Table.  Please take a look if you feel led, as I did.  

My Son's Bookshelf

The following books are on my 12 year-old dear son's bookshelf above his bed.  These books are his very favorite books that he would read over and over again.  The general theme of all of his favorite books is adventure and survival in the wilderness.

• My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
• Far Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
• Frightful's Mountain by Jean Craighead George
• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
• Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen
• The River by Gary Paulsen
• The Hunt by Gary Paulsen
• Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (Calvert School Edition)
• Eragon by Christopher Paolini
• Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Right now, my son is reading Swiss Family Robinson.  I know he will be making room on his favorites bookshelf for this book too.

Garlic with French Bread

My 16 year old dear son is tending the large vegetable garden of a neighbor's while they are away.  My neighbor told my son he could bring home anything from the garden that he wanted for his mother.  Yesterday, my son surprised me with 3 big, beautiful garlic plants.  I baked them for dinner, along with homemade French bread, pasta with pesto, and a garden salad.  Simple and delicious!

Here's my recipe for Baked Garlic with French Bread:

Ingredients

• 1 garlic, left whole
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 loaf French Bread, sliced
• Butter or Cream Cheese (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350
2. Trim the tops of the garlic head, leaving them whole, but removing about 1/4 inch. Remove excess dry skins.
3. Rub the garlic with olive oil.
4. Drizzle garlic with more olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover loosely, then reduce heat to 275 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes.
5. Remove cover, and bake for about 1 hour and 15 min.
6. To serve: Spread warm bread with butter (or cream cheese), then squeeze and spread each clove onto the bread.
7. Enjoy!

Being Home

I'd like to share a book that I'm reading right now.  It is a devotional book for women of all faiths.  It is called Being Home - Discovering the Spiritual in the Everyday by Gunilla Norris.  It's a small, beautifully written book about prayer and housekeeping, and the extraordinary beauty of dailiness.  It is nice to read during a quiet moment with a cup of tea .

Simple Vegetable Gardening

I enjoy the Square Foot Gardening method.  In my vegetable garden, I plant only simple-to-grow-in-Alaska salad veggies.  This year I grew lettuce, spinach, arugula, swiss chard, carrots, radishes, and scallions.  I also planted a beautiful light red nasturtium in the corners of each raised bed box.  Nasturtiums are very tasty, and pretty in a salad bowl.  I had never seen a red nasturtium before, so it's been fun to see them bloom.  They're called Whirly-Bird Cherry Rose Nasturtium.  I purchase all my seeds from Territorial Seed Company.

Square Foot Gardening might not be for everyone, but for anyone with little garden space or a beginner, it is a great method.

3 Simple Rules for Children

When my children were much younger, and I was a young mother homeschooling and trying to keep a peaceful home with 3 little boys; I noticed that many behavior problems stemmed from verbal squabbles or bickering.  I also noticed that minor bickerings with boys could easily and quickly escalate into major chaos.  At that time, I decided to teach my children these simple rules (I'm not sure when or where I learned them myself), which were very easy for them to learn and apply.  I used to have these rules pinned up in my kitchen when my boys were younger.  They continue to serve us well in our home, and also out in the world.  Here they are:

Before you say anything, ask yourself:

Is it kind?

Is it truthful?

Is it necessary?

If the answer to ALL 3 questions is yes. Then you may say it. 

That's it.  It's so simple, even for younger children.  Sometimes older siblings have the tendency to point out when little brother is slipping up. But my husband and I quickly taught them that monitoring the children's words was our duty.  I hope these rules will bless someone's home like they did mine.

7 Habits

My 3 sons are 20, 16, and 12 years old.  Last year, my two oldest sons and I read a good book that I would like to recommend.  The book is called 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers by Sean Covey.  Since reading this book, my family has adopted these habits into our lives.  In fact, the 7 Habits are pinned up by our desk as a little reminder.   Here they are:

1. Be proactive (Take initiative, be responsible).

2. Begin with the end in mind (Develop a mental image of how projects, including your life, will turn out).

3. Put first things first (Use discipline to put off today's pleasures for greater future pleasures).

4. Think win/win (There's plenty for all).

5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood (Listen more, speak less).

6. Synergize (The whole is greater than the parts).

7. Sharpen the saw (Improve physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually).

These are great habits for older kids and adults.  When my children were younger we had different habits or rules pinned up around our house that I plan to share another day.

A Favorite Hymn

Simple Gifts

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,

To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed,

To turn, turn will be our delight,

'Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.

Be it sung, be it spoken, or within a silent prayer,

Be it acts of kindness showing that we care,

When we give each other love, colored in it's endless ways,

'Tis to God that we offer a simple gift of praise.

When true humility is gained,

To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed,

To love, love will be our delight

'Till by loving, loving we come 'round right.

Shaker Hymn, 1848

Introduction