We been keeping our jack-o-lanterns (yes, we already have several) out on our deck. Yesterday, we discovered a squirrel had been nibbling on them.
My boys decided that in order to lure the squirrel away from their prized painted and carved pumpkins, they wanted to give the squirrel a pumpkin of his own.
So my 6-year-old cut up a pumpkin and carefully stacked it for the squirrel.… Continue reading
We love all things pumpkin, but our favorite pumpkin treat is definitely this Pumpkin Custard. It’s simple to make, and it tastes great. We’re already on our fourth batch of pumpkin custard this season, as we all love it. Fresh pumpkins are difficult to find during other parts of the year – so we enjoy them while we can find them.… Continue reading
“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” — Berthold Auerbach
Music has a way of helping us to express things that are difficult to put into words or thoughts. It can carry with it notions of beauty and grandeur as well as heart ache and sadness. Music can change the direction of the thoughts flowing through your mind or the mood of an entire room.… Continue reading
It’s fall, and delicious looking pumpkin recipes are popping up everywhere. They’ll soon be appearing here too. We all love pumpkin.
Most of these recipes call for canned pumpkin puree. Did you know that while a can is convenient, preparing your own pumpkin puree is actually quite simple? Not only is it easy to do, it tastes amazing – there’s none of that canned taste (which I don’t know if I could adequately describe, but is a common underlying taste that I can pick out from anything that comes out of a can).… Continue reading
We had a warm afternoon, and my boys asked if we could make ice cream, since we haven’t made any in a couple of weeks now. Of course, I said yes.
We were at the bottom of our jar of milk, which – because it is raw and non-homogenized – is the leanest part (even though I shake it each time before pouring). … Continue reading
The other day I was talking with a friend who said decluttering sounded great, but she had no idea where to begin. She said that the task felt so daunting, she couldn’t seem to get started. She couldn’t even come up with a room or a drawer that didn’t feel overwhelming.
So I suggested that she remove the pressure from herself by making the task concrete, small, and almost too easy to fail.… Continue reading
We eat a lot of trail mix in our house. The simple combination of nuts, seeds, and dried fruit is easy to grab when we need a quick snack, and is perfect to bring as a snack when we’re on the go. We simply grab the jar out of our refrigerator, toss it into the backpack, and we’re off.
Our latest favorite trail mix blend is super simple, but wonderfully delicious (and addictive!).… Continue reading
NOTE: I wrote this piece almost a year ago, but haven’t yet shared it (in part because I didn’t have a suitable picture — is that silly? I finally decided to use a photo taken by someone else). The other day as we were walking through this same market, and another person’s child was crying and crying. My heart went out to the mother and the little girl, and as we walked by I quietly said, “I’ve been in your shoes, in this very market. … Continue reading
With the coming of October, fresh seasonal Winter Squash are available in most markets. We love winter squash, especially pumpkin, though we also eat a good amount of acorn, spaghetti, butternut, and kabocha, as well as all sorts of other squashes.
Fresh whole squash may look a bit intimidating, but they are remarkably easy to prepare.
To start, wash your squash in order to remove any dirt that may still be on its surface.… Continue reading
“Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to’.” — Lao Tzu
That is, if something is truly important to you, you will make time for it. And if you’re not willing to make the time for it, is it really as important as you say?
Consider this when you’re pondering whether to commit larger things, such as time spent with friends and family.… Continue reading