Oak Leaf Wreath

Halloween is almost here, a holiday drawn in part from Samhain (which means "summer's end," pronounced SAH-win), the last of the Gaelic harvest festivals. Samhain celebrates, in part, the end of summer, final harvests, and beginning of the darker days. To celebrate this time of year, I decided to make a wreath of plenty with the bountiful harvest from our yard--oak leaves!

The majestic oak has been sacred to many cultures as a symbol of strength, endurance, and protection. So what better leaf to adorn our door?

But lest you think there's nothing about my humble wreath that's particularly fitting for Halloween, some say that during The Burning Times, the acorn was a symbolic item witches would gift to others to identify themselves as witches. While I cannot verify the truth of this apparent legend (and am not sure why witches would want to be identified!), it is interesting lore. And I've affixed a single acorn on the bow of my wreath. You could add lots more acorns, but I figured with a toddler around, I'd keep things simple. 

This is the first fall that my son has been able to say "acorn," and he proudly presented me with a tiny one early in the season. So, every time I see acorns now, I think of him.

Here's what you need:

• A piece of cardboard
• Two bowls of different sizes to make the wreath's form
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Twine
• Ribbon
• Hot glue gun/glue
• Oak leaves
• Acorn(s)
• Ribbon

Here's what you do:

1. Trace your large bowl for the outer edge, and then a smaller bowl for the inner hole, and cut out circles to create a wreath form. 

2. With scissors (or a hole puncher), make a small hole, and loop through twine or wire for hanging the finished wreath.

3. Spread out your leaves, and begin by gluing leaves around outer edge of the form. Apply glue to only the lower portion of the leaf, so that the leaf is not glued completely flat on the form. You want to retain the leaves' shape for a more three dimensional look.

4. Once leaves are glued around outer portion, apply leaves around inner circle, with narrow end of leaves pointing inward. 

5. Once edges are covered, simply continue gluing leaves in various patterns around the form until you are happy with the look of the wreath. Make sure all cardboard is covered. I didn't do a lot of planning before gluing on the leaves, but I did generally try to put larger leaves on the bottom, and I saved the most colorful leaves for the top layers. 

6. When you are happy with your wreath, you can make a simple bow as I have, or whatever type of bow you like. Consider adding acorns, too.

This project is really easy and great for kids, as long as they are old enough to handle the leaves gently, as brittle leaves do tear easily. You could probably use a different type of glue for kids, too, if they are too young for the hot glue gun. 

Slow Cooker Chili

I used to find the flavor of chili a bit monotonous after a bowl or two and then wondered what to do with the rest of the pot. Not any more! I've finally found a combination of ingredients I really like. Plus, the additional toppings add fantastic freshness and flavor. 

One of the beautiful things about this recipe you'll notice, besides the fact it's conveniently cooked in the crock pot, is that most of the ingredients are added in twos, so it's easier to shop for the ingredients at the spur of the moment without the recipe on hand. You can add more meat and less beans, though, if that's your preference.

Here's what you need:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 onions
• 2 carrots
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 2 29-oz cans tomato sauce 
• 2 cans pinto beans
• 2 cans kidney beans
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp dried oregano or marjoram
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder

Chili topping options (very important!): 

• Scallions, chopped
• Fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
• Sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• Avocado, diced and tossed with lemon or lime, salt, pepper
• Fresh lime wedges
• Sour cream
• Hot sauce

Here's what you do:

1. Dice onions, celery, carrots, and garlic.
   
   
2. In large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef with a dash salt and pepper. Break up beef with spatula. Let brown for around 5 minutes.
   
   
3. When beef is starting to get brown, add veggies to skillet along with a bit more salt, pepper, and a dash garlic powder. Saute 5 minutes until veggies begin to soften.
   
   
4. Meanwhile, drain and rinse beans. Add beans and tomato sauce to crock pot.
   
   
5. Next, add meat and veggies to crock pot, along with cumin, chili powder, and oregano or marjoram. Mix well.
   
   
6. Cook on high for about an hour, then cook on low 4-6 hours (or you could just cook on low 5-6 hours).
   
   
7. Before serving, prepare your toppings. Serve up chili in bowls, and let everyone top their own chili.

This chili goes great with corn bread. It makes a crock pot full, and two adults can easily eat 2-3 meals. My toddler prefers finger foods, so I put chili on toast for him, covered with a bit of cheddar, cut into squares, and he loves it!

Toddler Knee Pads

This is the easiest toddler knee pad ever. If you have a toddler learning to run, especially if your little one insists on running on your driveway or other paved surfaces, these knee pads are a must have, in my opinion. After one particularly bad scrape, I knew I had to protect my son's sweet little knees.

I actually bought a couple of pairs of knee pads before venturing to make my own. They did not work for us, however. My son has chunky knees, and the store bought pads were a bit snug on him. Also, they were too thick and restricted his knee from bending properly. Once when he did fall wearing the store bought pads, the pads rolled him forward, and he scraped his arm. No good!

So, here is the easiest toddler knee pad ever. 

1. Find a pair of athletic socks that have a relatively snug-fitting top portion. My husband's socks are perfect (shhhh!).

2. Cut off and discard the foot portion of the sock. The top part is your knee pad.

You're done! You really don't need to sew the cut end. I just tuck it under when my son is wearing them. They've been laundered a few times, and they are not fraying much. So easy! They are very lightweight and comfortable, even on pudgy knees. 

My son doesn't fall as much these days, but they have saved us a couple of scraped knees at a paved toddler park in recent weeks. 

White Wheat Pancakes

I love this recipe because it's easy, delicious, and doesn't require buttermilk. I love buttermilk pancakes as much as anyone, but I often find that I'm in the mood for pancakes when I have no buttermilk on hand.  

These pancakes are wonderfully tender with just milk, and they are a bit healthier than most other pancakes, because they use white whole wheat instead of regular white flour. White whole wheat offers all of the nutrition of whole wheat, but with a mild flavor, so it is perfect for things like pancakes, muffins, and cookies. I love this brand. But you could substitute with your favorite flour.


Here's what you need:

1 cup flour (white whole wheat recommended)

1/2 tsp raw sugar/stevia blend (or 1 tsp sugar)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 beaten egg 

1 cup milk (cow's milk or almond milk)

Dash cinnamon

Dash vanilla extract

Butter or bacon drippings for frying
Optional: 1/2 cup blueberries

Here's what you do:

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar/stevia, baking powder, salt, a dash cinnamon; mix with a fork.

2. Use your fork to make a little well in the center of your dry ingredients, and pour beaten egg, milk, and dash vanilla in the well.

3.  Using your fork, mix wet with dry ingredients until just blended. Fold in blueberries if using. Avoid over mixing the batter or pancakes may be tough; lumps are okay.

4. Melt butter or drippings in large skillet over medium heat until sizzling.

5. Scoop 1/4 batter for each pancake into the pan. Fry until edges are golden and small holes develop in the batter. Flip and brown on the other side.

6. Serve with real maple syrup or honey. Makes approximately 5 pancakes.

Corn Chowder with Bacon and Cheddar

The key to this delicious chowder is fresh, sweet white corn. Not only is the corn tasty, but the leftover cobs are simmered in the stock to give the chowder even more flavor. (And remember to shuck the corn carefully, so you'll have nice husks to make corn husk dolls!)

This is the best corn chowder that I have ever tasted, and it makes the perfect pot of soup for autumn! This chowder tastes even better the next day, so it's great for entertaining, because you can prepare it the day before your guests arrive and simply reheat it before serving.

Here's what you need:

6 cobs of sweet, white corn
5 cups chicken stock
2 cups half and half
8 slices bacon, chopped
1 sweet white onion, diced
2 scallions, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh)
2 tbsp fresh dill
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
dash turmeric 
dash nutmeg
salt and pepper


Here's what you do:

To prepare the corn: Hold corn upright in a large pot or other container to catch the corn kernels, and with a sharp knife, carefully slice down to cut the corn from the cobs. Save the cobs, because you will use those to flavor the stock!

1. In a large stock pot, saute 8 slices of chopped bacon until crisp, around 5-6 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, in another pot, bring 5 cups chicken stock to a boil along with the leftover cobs. Cover and simmer at least 10 minutes. Simmering the cobs in the stock will add wonderful corn flavor to the stock.

3. Once you've removed and reserved the bacon from the pot, to the bacon drippings, add the onion, carrot, celery, scallion, and dried or fresh thyme. Saute until veggies begin to soften.

4. Once the veggies are soft, add flour, and stir to coat veggies thoroughly.

5. Pour in the stock (with cobs removed) and the half and half. 

6. Add potatoes. Bring to a hard boil, and let boil for a few minutes until potatoes soften.

7. Add corn to the pot, fresh dill, a dash turmeric, and a dash nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until corn is cooked. It will still have a bit of crunch.

9. Add reserved bacon and shredded cheese (if making the soup ahead, wait to add cheese when you reheat the soup).

10. Taste for seasoning, and garnish with more fresh dill if desired.

Serve with homemade bread and salad for a filling lunch!

Celebrating the Autumnal Equinox

The hydrangeas in our front yard have declared the onset of autumn, brushing the ground with their heavy, spent, color-drained blooms. The temperatures are finally starting to dip into a comfortable range here in eastern North Carolina. Soon, we may even have reprieve from the mosquitoes!

The Earth in Balance

The autumnal equinox occurs in the northern hemisphere this year (2013) this Sunday, September 22 and marks the first day of autumn. On this day, the hours of light and dark are equal as the Earth's axis is neither tilted away nor towards the Sun, but has both northern and southern hemispheres experiencing equal amounts of sunshine. Earth is in balance. 

Soon, the darkness will overtake the light, as darkness falls earlier and earlier. The air will get crisper, leading us toward the cold of winter. 

Many regard this day as a religious or natural holiday rooted in ancient harvest celebrations. I am drawn to celebrating such earth-based events, taking time to recognize the changing of the seasons, our connection to nature, the passing of time, where we have been, and our lives as they are right now. Having a child makes this pull all the more powerful for me.

Celebrating the Equinox  

This year, our family will be celebrating the autumnal equinox with a simple lunch and a couple of easy, natural crafts.

Easy equinox lunch

The autumnal equinox is a time of harvest; some of the foods that are popular for celebrations on this day include apples, corn, breads, nuts, and various root vegetables.

To keep things easy, I am planning a simple lunch of homemade corn chowder with bacon and cheddar along with a loaf of life-changing no-knead yeast bread with herb butter. For dessert, apple walnut crisp with ice cream.

Natural autumnal crafts

I have two crafts in mind for this occasion, a very simple apple tealight candle votive and a Native American corn husk doll, which will be a perfect way to use some of the husks from the corn I'll be putting in the chowder.

How will you celebrate the autumnal equinox? 

Simple Apple Tealight Candle Votive

One of the foods most associated with celebrations of the autumnal equinox and second harvest is the apple, so it makes a perfect decorative item this time of year. This craft is so easy, and you are likely to already have all the materials you need to make it. 

Though not really a craft for toddlers, my son was very interested; he enjoys saying "apple" and having an apple of his own to roll around. He also enjoys the circles (a.k.a. unlit tealight candles). 

Here's all you need:

• Apple
• Tealight candle
• Lemon juice
• Small knife
• Pen and optional marker (not pictured)

Here's what you do:

1. With a pen, trace around a tealight candle on the top of your apple to mark where you need to cut.

2. You might find it easier to judge how deep to go with your knife if you use a marker to mark the height of the candle on the tip of your knife.

3. Using a small knife, cut out the circle.

4. Once you've carved your hole, use a small spoon to carefully scoop out the apple just to the candle's depth. Be careful not to go too deep, but you want the hole deep enough to completely hide the candle's edges.

5. Brush a little lemon juice onto the apple flesh to prevent browning, and then push the tealight candle into the apple, so that the candle is as flush as possible with the top of the apple.

6. Light and enjoy! A grouping of apple votive candles would be very pretty. I also think arranging a few in a bowl filled with acorns would be lovely and seasonal. Our back yard is covered in acorns right now, so I think my son and I will start collecting!