sour dough {edited}

Right now I'm in the kitchen trying to convince my sour dough starter to grow, grow, grow.  I have yet to be successful in my sour dough ventures, but I have feeling that maybe my patience has been the problem and not my starter.  This notion was brought about after I spent a little time on the Cultures for Health site and watched some of their wonderfully informative videos.  Did you know that when the brown liquid rises to the top of the starter, that means your starter is hungry?  I didn't!  What helpful information!

impromptu backyard picnic

So while I'm in here growing bubbles and bacteria, my loves are in the backyard welcoming the sunset.  I love to peek out the window and see what they are up to.  On my last check, Moonpie was walking around the backyard trying to balance a bucket of water on her head while singing a song.  Always a song on that girl's lips.  I love her creativity.  I could see it in her face that she was somewhere far, far away.  I kept my peeking to a minimum in fear of ruining her moment.  Her private moment wrapped up in her wonderful mind.  I walked away from the window so grateful that I get the chance to share this life with these two precious people.

edit:
This morning I got up ready to feed the starter and make sour dough pancakes.  There were bubbles, but only on the surface.  And the starter had a distinct odor.  The kids were grossing out, but I pushed on.  Sure, it smelled like baby poop, but I've never had a successful starter, what do I know?  Maybe it's supposed to smell really awful and then miraculously turn into pure delciousness.  Let's just say that was bad thinking on my part.
After more research on the Cultures for Health site, I've realized that I'm not supposed to start a culture with freshly ground flour.  Can anyone give me any pointers on this?

(I should add that the culture I'm using is not from Cultures for Health.  This particular brand did not note if I was to use white flour or whole wheat.  I'm assuming at this point that it was probably intended for white flour.)

farewell cocoa

photo credit:  Moonpie

This weekend we lost our last little chicken, Cocoa.  She was a beautiful araucana and laid green tinted eggs.  After we lost Blackberry, she developed a bit of a crow.  We thought that maybe she was crying out for her buddy, feeling a little lonely and lost without her sidekick.  She spent her last days roosting up in our live oak tree- we couldn't get her in her coop at night to lock her up safe.  Poor little thing.

We are still on the quest for the raccoon.  He is old and smart and will have nothing to do with our live traps.

We've decided not to replace the chickens until we catch him and remove him from the area.

It's weird not the hear the cluck-cluck of happy hens first thing in the morning.

I miss them.

my first guest post

I guest posted for Heather at Sit a Spell yesterday!  And being the on the ball blogger that I am, I'm just now posting it here!  If you get a chance, go over and check out Heather's blog.  Her family is in Texas right now, but they are about to head back to Haiti, where they live and work full time.  Heather is passionate about justice and redemption and is currently writing a series on how to care for the poor while living in the United States.

Head on over!

the frugal garden

I've been busy working on a guest post for a friend, and have been neglecting this space here.  I'm talking about living frugally while living naturally over there (not posted yet), so frugal living has really been on my mind.  It's one of those things that is just so tied into our everyday living that it was hard for me to put words to it.  Does that ever happen to you?  But I must say, it is always a welcome gift to actually think through the why I do what I do.  I started looking through all of the areas of our day to day living, looking for glimpses of frugal living.

In the flurry of harvesting and putting up produce this time of year, sometimes it is easy to overlook one of the most frugal uses of our garden bounty.  Saving the seeds.  I was thinking about this yesterday when I was cutting up some cantaloupes a friend brought over from his garden.  The peel was to go to the chickens, the fruit was to go in our bellies, and the seeds were to be saved for next year's garden.  Not one part of this fruit was going unused!

I do this with most of the veggies and fruit that I get locally (whether through my own garden or the gardens of friends).  Store bought fruits and veggies are often hybrid, so their seeds are not viable options for saving.

To save the seeds, I simply remove all of the fruit or vegetable matter (sometimes this calls for a thorough rinsing) and lay out on a paper towel to dry.  Once the seeds are completely dry I move them to seed saving tubes, or envelopes.  I clearly label each little package with the name, the date, and where the seed came from.  I'm sentimental that way.  I like to be able to say, "those are my daddy's tomatoes".

It is wonderful to be able to plant an entirely free garden patch.  Or, it is a good way to free up some money to buy some wonderfully different variety of vegetable from the seed catalog.  Those are nearly impossible to resist!

lessons from a flower

image credit: here

It was before bed time, the sky was pink and dusky blue, begging us for some time.  The kids and I set out, out walking the day light, reaching the fallen tree by the time the sky was newly dark.  On our way we passed flowers planted along the park perimeter, and were passed by pick-up trucks- one after another.  We filled my pockets with dead flower heads and a couple of live ones too.
We turned back, following street lights and the rhythmic sounds of hip-hop - the sounds that play a back drop to our gardening, our play, our laundry hanging- the sounds that lead us home.  Hip-hop, R&B, rap...
We returned home with Buddy on my back and Moonpie carrying the bouquet we wove together on our journey.
Buddy busied himself with flower arranging, and I began the task of collecting seeds.  The black-eyed Susans handed over their seeds happily, dropping them by the dozens on the kitchen island.  I pulled out my seed saving tubes, wrote out the labels, and tucked the seeds away with a smile.  Easy, satisfying work.
Until I came to the echinacea.
She guarded her seeds fiercely with prickles that kept digging into my fingers.  I marveled out how desperately she held onto her seeds when she was designed to eventually have to let them go.  That is the point of flowers after all (so my botany professor taught me), to spread more seed and guarantee that the species will go on.
And of course, viewing all things through mama eyes I thought of my own seeds.  My two little lovelies.  And I could commiserate with this plant.  Wanting so badly to hold on, to protect, fully knowing that one day they must go on - and I must let go.

this moment {five}

this moment- inspired by soulemama...

no words.

please share your moments in the comment section.

buying club

 Way back when I wrote a post about the Frontier wholesale co-op that I host.   We have been going strong for close to five years now!  I currently have 8 members and we order monthly.  When people ask me about how I can afford to live naturally, I always tell them about the co-op.  I am able to order items for almost half of what I would pay for them in the store.

I thought I would break down what a month of savings looks like for me.  Also, if you tend to buy more conventional products, this may give you a peak into what the cost difference is.

I will list the product info, the SRP (suggested retail price), and the price that I paid.
 (I should add that some stores sell items for more than the SRP, which means that this is even more of a savings.)

Some months are heavier buying months than others.  This was one of those for me.  We hadn't ordered in about six weeks, so we were running low on some staples.  Also, I ordered disposable items that I don't usually order.  It's nice having those things on hand for large get-togethers that tend to pop up in the summer!

Alright, are you ready for this?  I don't know if I am!

Huddle up, all hands in...

Ready...

Break!:

Product                                                        SRP                       wholesale price

7th Generation 12 pack toilet paper            $13.19                     $6.32
Earth Friendly veggie wash                        $5.99                       $3.60
Dr. Bronner lotion                                      $9.99                       $5.99
Kiss My Face shaving lotion                      $7.95                       $3.58
Alba SPF 25 lip balm                                 $2.99                       $1.53
Eco-Dent xylitol gum                                 $1.99                       $.89  
Nutiva 29 oz coconut oil                            $21.99                     $14.65
Nux Vomica (homeopathic meds)             $7.95                        $4.75
22 Ultra Green plates                                 $6.79                        $3.69
Organic Chia seeds                                    $14.49                      $6.53
7th Generation paper towels                      $3.69                        $1.76
Earth Friendly dish soap 25 oz.                  $4.69                        $2.80
Ecover limescale remover 16oz.                $5.75                        $3.45
7th Generation pads  18 count                   $6.45                        $3.85
Earth Friendly dishwasher gel 40oz          $6.96                        $4.00
Kiss My Face shampoo 32 oz                   $17.99                      $10.79
KMF conditioner 32 oz                             $17.99                      $10.79
Alba lip gloss                                             $3.99                        $2.39
Frontier Organic Tea 1 lb.                         $17.90                      $8.95
Giovanni shampoo/body wash 16oz          $9.95                        $5.97
Organic chili powder refill 1.3 oz              $3.32                        $2.19
Kiss My Face toothpaste                            $5.95                       $3.57
Cat supplement  2 oz                                  $7.99                       $3.23
Weleda tooth gel                                        $7.00                       $4.20
Ultra Green cutlery (36 pieces)                  $3.89                       $2.12
7th Gen. disinfecting wipes (70 wipes)      $9.09                      $5.45

SRP Total:  $225.92

Wholesale Total:  $127.04

Total Savings:  $98.88!

That is pretty big savings!  I've never broken it down like that before so I'm pretty excited to see how much I saved.  I rarely spend over $100 a month, but I bought larger items this time.  I'm hoping that the shampoo and conditioner will last for three months.  The shaving cream typically lasts for around that long as well.  The chia seeds and the tea will not be monthly purchases either.

Besides the great savings, I also like the time saved.  By ordering all of this and having it shipped directly to me (for free!) I don't have to drive around trying to find it all.  And, news flash, in our small town I wouldn't be able to find the majority of these items anyway.

 If you are looking for a great way to save money, get your friends together and start a co-op!  I couldn't be happier with the customer service of the Frontier people and the variety of items that they offer.

If you have any questions about starting up, please let me know.  I'll answer all questions in the comment section.

this moment {science}

as inspired by soulemama:


{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

B.R.A.T. diet

We're on the B.R.A.T. diet over here.  You know bananas, rice, applesauce, toast.  Monday Moonpie was having stomach aches, but we attributed it to one too many sugar babies at the 4th of July parade.  For a child who doesn't eat much in the processed food realm, a small bag of sugar babies can do you in!  She's been a little under the weather all week, and my stomach has been off and on.  Buddy on the other hand has been great.  So imagine our surprise when he leaned over the arm of the couch yesterday and threw up.  Three times.  John and I looked at each other and said "hmm, that's weird".  And then got to the business of cleaning.

This weekend John and I are supposed to be going into Austin to sing in a wedding (here's what we are singing, with some minor word changes- and minus the leather pants and heavy eye liner).  They are providing two whole nights in a hotel for just the two of us.  Here's hoping we make it through today and then are able to make it.  I'd hate to miss.

In honor of our feeling ick, I'm busting out my all time favorite book to read to the kids- A Wrinkle in Time.  I hope they love it as much as I always have.

Back to bed we go.

this moment {harvest}

{{{as inspired by soulemama- one single, wordless moment that is worth hanging onto}}}