All Part of the Plan

This week, as I tweaked my own garden plan, I was reminded that good planning makes a world of difference in your garden.

Now I've admitted I'm a bit type A ~ and I tend to get warm-fuzzies from having everything planned out and on paper (or digitally so, as the case may be).  That's not to say everything always goes as planned ~ I've already changed a few things on mine for the year, and it's only March!  If you're not like me, some of these ideas may be overkill or even stressful.  This is what works for me.  I hope you take what you can use to make your own garden and homestead a success ~ and know that it's okay to make mistakes, too, because they help you learn!

First of all, a disclaimer: I have been gardening for about 8 years now.  Gardening in the food-producing sense.  I grew up tending plants and flowers, inside and out, but not much vegetable gardening at our own home -- a few tomatoes or peppers was it, usually.  My Babi (buh-bee, Czech for grandmother) had a little garden I used to help her with as a child, but it was occasional at best.  I don't claim to be an expert, but rather a well-read hobbyist of sorts.  I'm no master gardener, but I'm definitely learning as I go and enjoying almost every minute of it.

DH grew up on what could be called an urban homestead, the family garden was bigger than most city lots.  So when we got hitched, the garden was already in the ground.  Those first few years were me helping him.  I couldn't contain my excitement as it grew, and soon I asked if I could take over the planning and planting.  I was convinced that a little foresight (again, type A -- DH is fantastic at making things happen, but the lack of a plan drove me nuts) would give us greater yield.  So I put on yet another hat: GardenMama.

It was a slow progression from helping him, to doing it mostly myself, with a few kids thrown in just to keep it interesting.  Seven-months pregnant and weeding onions, not my most graceful moment -- but I kept trying, as should you!   Every year we add something new, and/or make the garden itself bigger.  Eventually, I realized it really is better to do it teamwork-style, we can do more with less exhaustion.  However, the more we do, and the more kids we have, the harder it is for me to remember everything that's out there or been done already.

So, back to garden planning.

Journal: The biggest helper for me now, is to note everything I can note from year to year.  This is good for what works and what doesn't, so you remember for next time.  I also jot down my perennials (flora and food) -- when and where we bought it, how much it cost, any pertinent info on the tag (like fertilizer or tending instructions) and where exactly I planted it if it's in a mixed garden (like the herbs).  You can either use a "garden journal" specifically for gardening, a spiral notebook, or even using a word/drawing document on your computer.  I've grown to like the last option best because I can send it to my e-reader and have it with me when I'm shopping or away from home.  It's also easy to make changes in diagrams or goals, as well as keeping charts of what exactly is planted and when.

Research: Know what you are growing -- its likes and dislikes, needs, etc.  Some good books will help.  I have a [brand name] Guide to Vegetebles that goes through veggie by veggie with details from seed to harvest.  I also have a homesteader's book with lots of info on a variety of things and month-by-month yard/garden guide book made specifically for our state.  There are great websites out there with similar information, and most areas have classes and seminars offered by true master gardeners.

Document: This goes beyond the journal.  A journal is your story, but it also helps to jot down what varieties you've planted.  If you start seeds, it may just save you from wondering if you've got duds or if they are just not up yet.  I jot down the brand, variety, when I started the seeds, how many I started, and what the package indicates for germination time.  I also leave room for results.  In the words of my DS1's favorite science show: "I like checking out charts; charts rule!  A chart is handy-dandy scientific tool." :)

My 2012 garden, subject to change, but at least I have a plan to start from!
Key: Top Rt - Peppers, Red circles, center - Tomatoes, R - Rhubarb,
Br - Brocolli, B - Beens

Draw: Having a diagram of your garden helps when the plants are small, or if you don't remember which variety is where.  Again, so you can eventually track how everything does and add that to your seed/plant charts.  This will also help you make the most of your space.  I do mine on an office drawing document so I can move things around and try different layouts.  Before that I used graphing paper and colored pencils, which also worked well.  With paper, I just glued it into my garden journal as part of the year's information.




Set Goals:  To decide what to plant and how much to plant, you need to know your goals.  I found a great book that lists how much you need to plant per household member: [The Backyard Homestead: Produce All the Food You Need on Just a Quarter Acre, by Carleen Madigan].  Not advertising, just saying it's a good read.  So, it recommends 5 plants of broccoli per household member, and I have 30 in my plan (a few extra for good measure).  Another part of goals is what you want to produce.  Are you looking at a fresh-eating summer garden?  Salads, fresh veggies, berries?  Or, do you want to preserve for the winter?  Stew, salsa, sauce, jam?  Find the recipes now, look at the ingredients, and try to grow as much as you can yourself!

Our backyard, in rough sketching (not quite to scale).
Note the green O's -- trees.  Some of those may have to go
eventually.  We fence the main garden with 3' garden
fencing to keep kids from running through. We also plan
on putting the eventual chickens in the dog pen, and possible
fruit trees to the east of the house, in the front/side yard.

Placement: If you don't have a garden in yet, you need to decide where to put it.  Depending on what you're growing, sunlight, moisture, and space are determining factors.  Watch for close-by trees, which as they get bigger will shade your plants and put roots into the garden space.  If it's a perennial plant you are putting in (like those bloomin' strawberries) make sure you know how much space they need at maturity and plan for that.  It may look like you only have tiny plants now, but they will spread out.  Perennials are best outside the "main garden," for me.  Then, when we till the veggie garden, we don't have to work around perennials -- I have two rhubarb in the main garden, and I don't think they will be there much longer!  Finally, be aware of kids and pets, either put the garden where they can't get to it, or fence it in.  Little ones will run right through, not caring about the bean sprouts you've been nurturing!

Form & Function:  I urge you to try and find ways to make your functional garden beautiful and relaxing to be around.  This will save you stress, and make it part of your yard, instead of entirely utilitarian.

Be Reasonable:  It's easy to get ambitious on paper, but start where you are at.  When I was first learning, our garden was about half the size it is now, with no outlying plantings.  As I got my feet as a gardener, I felt ready to start something new, maintain more, and grow more.  I guaranty, if you start your first garden at this level, you will more than likely get overwhelmed and give up.  It may be more than you can handle in maintenance, or the plant might have certain needs you don't expect and you lose the crop.  Better to lose a few tomato plants than thirty.  Take on what you know you [and your family] can manage, learn from it, and then grow from there!

Pray & Praise: Trust me when I say His help is exactly what you need to succeed in your efforts.  It can be done on our own skill and labor, but I've found the blessing more abundant and the work more sustainable when I ask God's blessing and give Him the praise for the result.  Pray as you plant.  Praise as you harvest.  Bless others with the abundance.  The Lord will shine through your efforts, if you are open to being an instrument of His efforts.

Just remember the wisdom in the Word: our plans are not the first priority ~ His is better, even if we don't see it.  The Lord always provides (even when things don't go "right"); appreciate what you are learning, even in failure...for through it all, He won't forsake you or your family.  If you are excited about gardening, then I'm with you!  You will truly be blessed by knowing you and your family can be more self-sufficient as long as you put credit where it is due -- to the One who provides for you, even through your labor and skills He has granted you.

Batches of Patches

Sometimes life is busy and glamorous; something new and productive everyday.  And sometimes life is putzing through the same boring tasks on a regular basis because these practical things must be done.  The last few weeks I've been plugging away at my mending basket.  I do it once a month usually, but March has been so beautiful that I've been outside digging, planting, pruning, etc... while my indoor chores have been sorely neglected.

Something I've discovered in the last few years... you will rarely find boys' jeans or pants 2nd hand for size 5 and up.  Why?  Because those crazy boys are just hard on them!  They play hard, they work hard, they run hard, they crash hard... and then, there are times when they are just plain bored and make a tiny hole suddenly run from knee to hem.

Scene: Sunday morning; DS2 -- "Mom, I don't have any church pants!"  Of course, because last week when I did laundry his pants were hidden under the bed and thus both sets of khakis are dirty.  Enter the mending basket -- always half full, it seems.  Props needed: iron, sewing basket, patches, scissors.  Quick Sunday morning patch job on a clean pair of khakis.  I like to do iron on patches on the inside as long as the hole isn't too big -- tacking the edges down to keep them from coming back off after repeat washings.  So naturally, we move on: Sunday school, church, lunch, small group... on the way to the mommy-van, I notice the other knee.  Hole in the knee... well :-p  Back to the basket they go!

I keep a pretty green basket and my sewing box next to my spot on the couch, so if I find myself watching TV with DSs or DH, I can make better use of my TV time ~ this is also a great guilt-reliever when I do actually watch my shows (usually once every 2 weeks).  When the basket's full, it's time to catch up on my shows or watch a movie ~ my sneaky plan *wink*.

There are a few reasons I patch pants whenever possible.  First, we believe in living frugally.  Our resources are not our own, but rather given in trust to us by our gracious Lord.  We strive to make the most of His provision, and to teach the boys to do the same.  A set of patches (which could do 3-5 pairs of jeans) is $1.77 ... can't even find a pair at goodwill for that price, assuming you could even find any.  If I bought a new pair of pants every time one of my boys went through a knee, or seem, I would have to find a paying job to pay for them all, instead of following this path God has set me along.  Second, it teaches the boys to make due with what they have.  Not everything needs to be new to be useful.  We're green without the political platform.  Third, it's satisfying to know that your work, and the skill you have been taught is truly useful.

Some of my favorite techniques make it a bit more fun... for me and the kids.  Granted I have boys, and there are more cute patches for girls...and of course they don't go through nearly as many knees, another irony of life.

• If the hole isn't suffering serious gaposis, I patch it from the inside -- after all people pay big bucks for the pre-tattered "cool" jeans.  I just stitch around the edges of the patch with a thread color that matches the denim and the tattered edges are held in place by the iron-on backing

• Combine multiple patches -- stagger different sizes and colors of denim to cover the whole hole.  This a great way to use up scrap pieces, too.

This one had two blown knees, then the boy ripped open just above the
left knee again.  So, I just whipstitch that line, just above the patch, and it's "part of the look"

• Cut patches of interesting patterns &/or interesting shapes.  I've done dinosaurs, cars, trucks, leaves.  Nothing beats camo dinosaurs on the knees, or bandana-patterned trains!  Cookie cutters, stencils or freehand all work for this.

The khakis have a camo dino on each knee, the far right jeans have a combo
of both the inside patch, and the multiple patches on the outside,
 makes each pair different and interesting.

• Use contrasting colors of thread -- I sometimes stitch around the edges of a patch in a different color like a rich brown or bright red -- especially if another patch has that color, or the detail stitching on the pants is in that color.  (Note, I do not always do it this way, because of course it would get boring.) 

Just below the cross-knee tear, there was detailed "tattering" already,
so I used the same color of thread on this tear.

• A word~ most of these can be done with fabric alone, not the iron on patches.  I find the iron-on makes it a bit easier to manage stitching them in place and if you're in a hurry you can do that part first, and stitch it after it's been worn and washed, at your luxury.  

There are times, something is beyond hope.  I let those go... cutoffs.  The one that was shredded from knee to ankle ~ yeah, I won't make the kid run around in Frankenstein's blue jeans.  I also make sure to have a few pair that are in good condition, no patches, for special occasions or outings.  But in general, for school or play, the patches work well.

There was a point in time DS2 came home and told me a girl at school called his patched jeans stupid because in her family they buy new jeans if something has a hole.  My heart ached for him -- I almost gave up on my frugal pursuit.  Then he continued, "Yeah, I told her she was wrong, Mom.  My patches are special because they are really cool ... and my mom did it for me!"  *Melted Mama*  Thank you Lord for giving me a glimpse of the fruits of my labor!  Even when the world tries to discourage us, there are moments of affirmation that can carry us through!  It does a mama's heart good to know that the the seed doesn't always fall in the rocks and thorns. :)

Loving Lasagna

Lasagna is a labor of love, I've found.  Either you love lasagna, or you make lasagna for someone you love.  It's time consuming, and takes a while to bake.  Still, it never gets a complaint~except maybe that there isn't enough!  Lasagna is a lot like canning stew or making pie -- if you've never done it before it may seem daunting, but once you tackle it, you (and your family) look forward to it.  I'll admit, I don't make it often enough, but then it's all the more appreciated when I do!

This week gave me the opportunity to tackle it in a different way -- a double!  I thought, while I've got lasagna on the brain I'd share my recipe, and the lesson learned.  There's always a lesson learned for me ~ it's one of the great joys of my life, seeing the lessons the Father teaches me through the everyday things.

First the recipe.  This is for a 9x13" dish (3" deep -- if it's only 2" you'll need to adjust the layers down to 3 to avoid boiling over).  I have a stoneware dish, but a regular cake pan will do, too (nonstick is helpful).  It's the basic recipe on the noodle box, with a few tweaks of my own that my family seems to dig.  As a side note, for a 2 year period, lasagna was known as "spaghetti cake" in our house (DS#1 would not eat anything that wasn't part of his top 5, so we told him it was the same, just put together differently *wink*wink*)

Ingredients:

• 1 box no-boil lasagna "sheets"
• 2 24 oz jars of sauce 
• or 1 1/2 qts homemade/canned spaghetti sauce
• 1 15 oz container of low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 16 oz container or low-fat cottage cheese
• or 1/2 of a qt container
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 1 tsp dried Italian herb seasoning (blend of oregano, basil, marjoram, sage, thyme)
• 4 cups shredded Italian blend or mozzarella cheese (divided)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb. ground beef, venison, or sausage, your choice~ cook, crumble, rinse/drain
• idea: 1# each of sausage and venison for a double batch, mixing the meat together

Homemade sauce and meat, mixed.

Prep (45min - 1 hr) & Bake (1hr 15min):

• Oven to 375 degrees.
• Cook meet, drain/rinse, add sauce.  

• While that's cooking, mix ricotta, cottage cheese, 2c. mozzarella, and Parmesan, salt, pepper and herbs. 

  

  Ricotta cheese mixture with herbs, blend well.             

• Pour 1- 1 1/2 cups sauce/meat mixture in the bottom of your dish.  
• Add a layer of uncooked noodles on top.  [If you're a little perfectionistic, like me, you can carefully break off corners to fit any curves in your pan.] Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on the noodles.  Top with 1 cup of sauce/meat mixture.
• Another layer of noodles, 1/3 ricotta mixture, 1 cup sauce/meat.

Each layer should look like this:
sauce, pasta sheets, cheese; repeat.

• Another layer of noodles, remaining ricotta mixture, 1 cup sauce/meat.
• Last layer: noodles, remaining sauce/meat.
• Do not top with cheese, yet ~ many recipes tell you to, but then it sticks to the foil!  Cover with foil and bake for 50-60 minutes.   In the meantime, toss a salad and/or make some garlic bread or bruschetta to go along as a side!
• Take foil off and top with remaining 2 cups mozzarella/Italian cheese.  Less works if you are trying to keep the cholesterol at a minimum -- we cut back in little ways to make a difference in our health.  Bake for another 10-15 minutes, uncovered.  Let stand for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving.  For the sake of your pan, a plastic knife should cut it just fine.

Sauce making: time consuming, a little
messy, but very rewarding.
A single batch makes 7-8 qts.

So, here's the first lesson homemade meals~especially those from the garden~have taught me: thriftiness is it's own reward!  Which would you rather do: spend $65-75 to take the fam of 5 out for an Italian dinner, or spend an hour prepping, an hour baking, and a small fraction of the dollars to make a meal your family will enjoy?   I can snag a week's groceries near the amount of that dinner out!  Between shopping at a local discount grocery, watching for specialty items (like the noodles) to be on sale, and growing and making as much as possible from scratch (like sauce), lasagna becomes a very economical and delicious addition to our menu!


Now, I get that time is valuable, but we also aim to be good stewards of the resources we have.  That's part of the balancing act.  I try to keep things economical all-around, but I also pick and choose when I "cook" for my family ~ only when the time won't cause more harm than good ~ a few days a week, in truth, given that DH is at work when I'm cooking dinner.  Most days have swiftly-made and hopefully healthful meals, so I can get back to being the referee of my living room.  Maybe someday I'll try the noodles from scratch too... but today I'm just not that ambitious!

Now that all that work is done, the numbers have been crunched, and it's baking aromatically...let me tell you something else I've gotten from my forays into Italian cooking ~ all that complexity yields great reward!  Okay, maybe not the most profound, but you get my meaning.  The harder something is to do or learn, the more satisfying the reward.

There are so many "ingredients" in life that may seem unique and they fit together in a specific pattern ~ but oh how good it is when it all comes together!  We don't always see that it will be great when we're mixing it up (like say picking through the bits of our lives to decide what to do and where to go on any given day).  Yet, when it's all finished and we look back, we're often glad for every bit we were led to juggle, mix and layer!  There may even be a few mistakes we learn from~ have you ever put the wrong herb in a dish~ yikes!  Yet, His greater plan is just like that; there's a balance to the layers, learning from mistakes, and a joy to the completion!  Savor it, even if the work is hard and the prep is long ~ another lesson learned.

Ready for Spring?

Good day, friends!  Here in the mid-west our last few weeks of winter have been suspiciously summer-like.  Not kidding you, the kiddos asked me to fill the pool yesterday.  Near record highs have my garden (and everyone else's) doing wonky things.  It's also messing with me.  My allergies (and those of DearSon#3) are a mess.  Here in March I find myself already bringing out the big guns: antihistime and eyedrops (my typical allergy meds and asthma meds usually do it for me until June).  So here's where I choose to be content with it anyway.  

Blueberry bushes budding (2nd season for these)

I could easily be miserable, and lazy (my head feels like a fog).  Instead I'm going to find the silver lining.  March/April/May are usually nice for me.  Not so cold as to hinder my breathing, but the allergies are low.  Not this year.  Trees are budding, plants are sprouting, bulbs are up and ready to bloom.  So the silver lining is I can get a jump on my winter clean up!  May as well, since everything's growing anyway.  In being industrious there is contentment, for me.  Busyness, not so much -- I can be busy all day and still get nothing done -- but industrious, absolutely!

Roses (and lilacs) are budding like crazy!
Leaving the mulch for now.

It seems odd to be doing my spring clean up in winter, but c'est la vie ~ make hay while the sun shines, right?  So, the last two days were spent watering my transplanted strawberries (they are still alive and look to be growing!!!), tending my seedlings for this year's garden, cleaning weeds out while they are still dormant, taking frost-killed foliage out of the bulbs, hosta, and herbs, and pruning some bushes and roses (yes, I know this is better done in the cold, but we never got a lasting freeze -- I kept waiting for it, but it didn't stick around long enough).  The kids have been loving the weather, bare feet in the sandbox -- which of course gets tracked in and gives me yet another clean up to do, but I digress.  

Found the irises (center) and the chamomile (right)

I'm knocking things off my spring chore list, and it's not even spring yet!  I'm a tad type A ~ so I really enjoy crossing things off that list ;)  Some of these have yet to be tackled, but I love getting a jump on the list.  

Started 54 tomato seeds (3 types) this year --
planning on 28 in our garden.  Plant it forward, right?

This is the list I usually hit in late April / early May:

• start seeds, thin, add dirt, fertilize
• transplants/moving/thinning of perennials
• shape bushes
• ready herb garden
• take potted plants out for sunshine
• clean up after dog, tidy kennel
• till garden / plant taters (Good Friday)
• mulch around trees
• remove mulch from roses, tulips, herbs
• clean out dead leaves from perennials (I tend to let these mulch themselves, kinda lazy I know, but it seems to work)
• bring out sandbox toys and kids toys/bikes
• put out solar light spikes around sidewalks (new this year!), planters, and decor
• clean up garbage and broken stuff that has collected inside our fence 
• Start a load for the dump... if it's broken and you are not going to fix it SOON -- don't keep it!

Herb garden: chives, thyme, cilantro (seeded last year)

A few surprises, that will make a beautiful summer, if we don't get a late winter blizzaster:  Roses never died out (typically you lose the stems more than 6-12" above ground because it's just too cold and you can't cover them well) -- they are budding all the way up the 4' stems.  You see, I never pruned them because we didn't have a lasting freeze this year; they will be very full this year.  My parsley never died either last year, so I may have herbs early, too!  I see daffodils, tulips and irises growing... so color is on its way!

Parsley growing!

Sure, I could be worried we are headed for drought as there is no snow melt to saturate the ground.  I could fret over a late frost killing all those tender buds and plants.  I could even dread my garden not growing correctly because it's too hot all summer long.  But tomorrow will take care of itself, right?  

That's not to say I don't make preparations, but it's just not worth worrying over.  I cover my roses on frost warning, and we're installing rain barrels on our gutter system this year to conserve water.  I'm saving some of those things on the list until the right time of year, after frost risk.  But I'm reminded over and over: our Lord provides for the birds of the air and the lilies of the field, how much more will he provide for us?!  There's no sense in worrying, in fact, we are directed not to do so.  We can and should be prudent, good stewards of what is in our care.  It took me a long time to learn to discern the difference.  We do what we can, the rest is in His hands -- and he already knows what's going to happen!  We just need to make the best of what's before us ~ attitude is a choice!

Get Creative

So I'm always more ambitious than my lifestyle will often allow ~ at least with my creative pursuits.  I like music, painting, yarn-crafting, creative gifts, trying new canning recipes, coming up with activities for the kiddos, etc.  I don't always have time for them all -- it's been years since I've finished a crochet project bigger than a scarf or mittens.  Honoring God and caring for my family is my first priority (or at least they should be -- it truth some days it's a struggle).

Yet, I'm reminded to take joy in what I can do -- and to gently ask my family to help make it possible for me to do so.   I've learned that having some creative outlet can be therapeutic.  And do you know who taught me this, most recently?  My 5 year old, naturally ~ don't you know they are the philosophers of tomorrow?  Now he doesn't necessarily say the most profound things every time, sometimes it's what he says and sometimes it's what he does.

Have you ever seen a kid play playdough all day, until there are crunchy pieces on the table and floor, awaiting the vacuum cleaner?  His hands are dry and nasty, there may even be dough in nose or mouth.  He says "Mom, I don't want to stop, we never play playdough."  If you never do it, you will over-do it.

How often do we as parents (and even as grown-ups, really) put off the things that gave us joy (like music or art) for the more practical things that demand our attention?  Then when we do get back to it we either a) are terribly out of practice, b) hobby ourselves to the point of burnout (like musicians with muscle tension or writers who start seeing blinking cursors in their sleep) or c) get frustrated when we are interrupted, throw a tantrum, and then give up for another year or two.  Okay, maybe that last one was just me...

It's relaxing too, did you know?  When you're in the zone of your craft or hobby, everything else seems to melt away.  How do we seem to forget this part, caught up in our "too busy" lives?  You can go from the 5 year old whining and stomping around *paint for 30 minutes* and voila!  Instant joyfulness ~ even to the point of wanting to go outside and soak up some sunshine when he previously wanted to stay in and sulk.  I think that one good mood leads to another.

I know when I'm fuming and ready to blow my mommy-top, an hour of music therapy changes my heart.  I open the Hymnal and go.  The focus is half the battle and all the joy.  How can you be bitter and sour when you're worshiping?  I also go for dirt therapy (this is a great one to do if you can't get away from the kids, because they likely want to go outside anyway, and may even help you).  The mindlessness of it is good when I'm burnt out.  Nothing like a little hard work to clear the head ~ even that can be joy!  And nothing focuses me up more than looking down at how amazingly this world was created!

So moral of the story, don't neglect what you enjoy.  I made that mistake for a while when my kiddos were very little.  A little recreation is healthy for you (mind you, overkill is not *been guilty of that before*).  Find a way to make it part of your life, without neglecting this calling of parenting (or job or mission).  These gifts and callings are given to us for a reason ~ in EVERYTHING we do we should bring glory to the One who made us.  Yes, this means diapers and dishes, a very hard thing to remember when you are in the trenches.  But, it also means with your talents, too.

Do you think the Maker does not enjoy his creations?  Does He look at a bloom and not anticipate it opening and following the sun -- living to it's fullest potential?  He wants us to use everything He gives us.  Sometimes it's very public, sometimes it's quiet and for others, and sometimes it's just for our own sanity.  Always, it's part of His plan.

One last point on this subject: this can often be said for dads too, so don't take this as a cue to complain at your man, ladies, about wanting more time in your hobby.  Find a way to get both of you some hobby/recreation time.  I get a few days a week for music, he gets a few days a week for bike rides.  I crochet while "watching" football with him.  There are ways, believe me.  It doesn't always work, but we're trying.  Picking a fight over it is never worth what you accomplished, even if you did "win."  There was a time I was sour about not getting "me" time, and trust me when I say, it gets you nothing except the blues.

Happy Pi Day

I heard today is National Pi Day (get it 3.14?) ~ and my quirky sense of humor goes from one pi to another.  So, in honor of Pi, I thought I'd share my personal love-hate relationship with pie.

The first time I volunteered to bring pie to Thanksgiving, I bought crust at the store ~ that's what any other mom would do, right?  After all, when we were dating I made DH an apple pie "from scratch" for our first Valentines together.  I used store-bought crust and he raved about it.  Fast-forward a few years: Thanksgiving rolled around and I thought, I can do pie, we LOVE pie! I got home from the store with crust and DH gently made sure I knew that that was just second fiddle to homemade crust.  Now I knew his mom made them from scratch -- and they were always great.  But I just thought that was beyond me.

Well, I fumed and grumped my way through trying to make it from scratch.  Did you know that the more you work pie crust, the less usable it gets?  You can roll it out 2 maybe 3 times before its scrapped.  How dare this man make me feel so inadequate when all I wanted to do was make pie for HIS family?!  Wait -- don't leave yet -- there's a moral to my bad attitude.  

At this point in our marriage, I was in the process of learning to honor my husband and his wishes, even when they seemed ridiculous to me.  If it's within my power to give, and does not dishonor God, do I have the right to refuse my husband anything?  No ~ part of the big "S" is honoring and respecting our husbands -- loving them on their level.  The way to a man's heart may very well be through his stomach because it is a way of serving him.  I've since learned Acts of Service is his love language (big surprise -- because mine is so NOT that).  By refusing to make crust for him, I was refusing to love him on his level.   *Thoroughly convicted*

I went about figuring this out -- my mission was to conquer pie crust for the love of my husband!   I realized my tools were wrong.  I mixed the crust wrong -- a pastry cutter works so much better for blending the shortening and flour.  I had the right recipe from the church cookbook, but wasn't chilling it long enough either (patience is not my strong suit).  I couldn't for the life of me get a crust to go from table to pie dish without tears.  Here's my system now: non-skid mat and wax paper first, and a bit of flour on the wax paper.

The plastic rolling pin did not hold a candle to marble - it is firmer, heavier, and can stay cold while your rolling crust.  They are not that expensive and make a great gift, too!  Once my dough is chilled properly, I put my pin in the freezer for a few minutes.  Then I can roll out crust without it sticking to the pin.  Again, a small amount of flour helps, too.

 Then I roll the wax paper with the crust (just as the ones from the store come) and unroll it directly into the pie plate.  Follow the same process for the top crust, if needed.  I learned the hard way to cover the edges too -- you can buy a shield, or just fold foil into quarters, cut a curve and shape the result around the pie.  

Now, years later, I feel like I can make pie without scrapping a crust or two in the process (and without wanting to wield my marble rolling pin elsewhere)!   Once I got rolling figured out, I got a nifty crust cutter for fun shapes in a top crust -- cookie cutters work, too.  You can brush the crust with egg-wash or milk, sprinkle sugar if you like, or just leave it plain.

Perseverance pays off... if you're willing to undertake the "impossible."  I actually enjoy making crust this way, now -- even get a creative fix from it!   By the way -- if you still buy crust, don't feel bad, I would too if it weren't so near and dear to DH's heart :)

Relocating Strawberries

Today's Adventure: Relocating Strawberries

I planted 4 strawberry plants 2 years ago.  Second season found us with a 4x7' patch filled to capacity.  It was productive with 7# produce too!

Yet, I find myself second-thinking my placement.  DH tilled a 10x10 patch last year but we never got them moved.  So what's a mama to do with unseasonably early spring?  Kick some boys outside and start digging, of course!  I moved about half the strawberries for now and I'll take care of the rest when I know if these take.  I may lose production this year...hoping by moving them so early I won't!  My ultimate goal is to fill the 4x7' box with salad greens instead.  It's much closer to the house and adjacent to the herb garden.

As a back-up plan, I brought 16 strawberry plants in pots inside to hopefully get growth that way too!   If I do it three ways, something's bound to stay alive, right?  If not... I've learned it's not the end of the world to start over, either ~ another life lesson.

Welcome to my Garden

Not to be cliche'd, but life is NOT just like chocolates (though they certainly do help!), it's kinda like a garden.  This view has helped me see so much that I had missed before.  I didn't expect this life -- and no one expected it for me.  I was the anti-thesis to the stay-at-home mom.  I chose to change majors because I didn't think I could work with kids daily.  I turned up my nose at all the efforts of family to teach me practical skills like canning and gardening.  I was too busy following my own path to see the path God laid out for me... until (like He is prone to do) he just said here you go!

A garden needs nurtured.  So does life ~ you weed out the things that choke out your joy.  You make sure you're fed emotionally and spiritually.  It's back-breaking, and you often don't see reward until the end of the season.  Keep with it, it's worth it.  If it doesn't work like you plan it, take note and try again!  Never be discouraged!

A garden is much more enjoyable when you share it with someone, whether that's family, friends or total strangers.  The bounty and beauty of a garden is meant to be enjoyed in community just like that of our lives.  In truth, the struggles are better if we share them too.  I know the first time I hoed a patch of corn, I thought I'd die.  But when I swallowed my pride and asked DearHusband (heretofore referred to as DH) to help, it was done in no time and we had time to enjoy some back-yard swing time!  Here's to life in community!

In a garden, you don't start out staring at plants and equipment and then say oh, I should learn to garden.  No, you (or your spouse or even your yard!) decide you want to garden, and then you get equipped to do so.  In my life, God called me to this, then proceeded to equip me as we went along.  I often find myself asking for grace because I'm learning this domestic thing from scratch!

That brings me to my last point ~ much of this is new to me.  It really has been an adventure over the last 7 years!   Now with that sense of adventure comes the excitement that I want to share it with *someone*.  Well, DH is not big on me getting my 50,000 words in each day -- kinda overloads him.  So... I thought I'd share my excitement this way!  I hope you enjoy this adventure with me!