lady cordelia

my mama said one day

Have I ever told you that when I met The Brad I had very little furniture in my house or food in my fridge?  I just was vacant in a bunch of ways.  Even though I had a good family and friends, I was lost. Real lost.  I cooked up a mean meal of toast and beer and dated stinky men.  (I mean "stinky" in a figurative sense.  But, maybe also literal.) Ya.  It happens.  I had no sense of style back then.  

Check out my style now.  Ya.  That's right.   Two daughters on a Craigslist couch under vintage wool blankets.  

That.  Freaking. Rocks. Hard. 

Hey, did I ever tell you I didn't know how to cook?  I didn't even know how an oven worked.  I had lost too much weight.  I didn't think I'd meet a nice man.  I thought I'd never have an opportunity to have my own children.  All alone and lonely. I listened to sad songs.  I dreamed.  My mama promised me: One day.  

Right now my house is a mess, my kids are screaming.   My desk looks like a bomb went off and organizing it will take several hours.  I think there may be a cat poo in the litter box.   I forgot to run the dishwasher. The chicken coop needs deep cleaning.  What? Is that a pair of kids undies in the toilet?  And you know laundry is my weak point, so please... oh please...let's not even go there.   Let's go here instead:

readers: enjoy all you have today.  and prolly just skip the laundry.

Happy Tuesday.

under the covers

Jeez.  I fell off the face of the internet because I got a sinus infection.  Having a social 5-year-old sure does bring a lot of colds to this house of ours.  And maybe it's because I hardly ever sit down and relax, but this one really got me.  I almost got real sick a few weeks ago and I really got sick this time. And, I had just been thinking in the days previous to getting sick...wow..I wish I would sit down and finish knitting that hat for my friend.  Yeah, the same hat I started a month ago.  But, who can sit down and knit for hours on end with two small children, mountains of laundry, a little farm and house to be tended & plenty of food that needs to be cooked and served!?

I have super big "homesteading icons" out there in the blogging world whom I respect to the millionth degree and I have decided they must have help in their home of some form.  Someone else is cleaning out the chicken coop or doing the laundry, no?  Someone else wiping a baby butt or two?  Or, maybe I'm just hopelessly horrible at multi-tasking.   It's possible.  My husband would say it's a rock solid bet that I'm horrible at multi-tasking.  (Rude.)

Anyhoo.  My Mammy came and spent the night because The Brad is out of town (and has been oh so very busy when he is not out of town.)  And, well, I was falling apart.   My mama was also sick but we drank hot lemon water together and had a very peaceful time and I had to explain to my oldest daughter why sometimes Mama needs her Mama.  And then I had time to sit in bed and finish knitting the hat and even start another knitting project.  I also read and read and read the biography of Alice Waters and Chez Panisse.  And THAT was so fun because it got me interested in cooking again.  (I am like...on for a month and then off for a month with my cooking passion.  Its terribly depressing.  I wish I loved food like Alice Waters does.) 

I even started perusing one of her cookbooks again and decided that YES I am very excited about cooking and NO I can't wait another minute to totally make a ridiculous attempt at a Goat Cheese Souffle tomorrow.  And I also got very happy about growing more food and adding to my random wild and messy veggie boxes that pop up here and there, wherever I can fit them, around the property.  Oh.  I got so bonkers about a new one I have planned that I pretty much just burned out the last little bit of energy I had saved
to write
the blog. 
Poof.

Wow.  Well.  I'm spent.  Enjoy the rest of your weekend!  As for me, I am rather enjoying lounging around reading and knitting as if I have nothing better to do.  Luckily my girls are knee deep in books and imaginary play. Perfect! They'll hardly notice I'm under the covers.

Ciao.

weekending with my pal amanda

happy valentines

happy cards

happy cat

happy dogs

happy birds

happy

valentines.

xo

scenes from around here (outside)

To be perfectly honest, it's a little dreary in the yard.  Spring is just not quite poking it's head out, but it will start to do so just a little tiny bit in the next weeks.  I can already see a few tiny pink blooms on the plum trees.   (This is Southern California, after all.)  In a few weeks those trees will be pink pouffes of color and that will be the announcement that Spring has crossed the starting line.

We've packed a lot on this little 1/4 acre.  Or, rather, I have.  I seem to be the director of all things growing and laying eggs.  (And I do almost all of the work in takes to keep it all up. Even though others still reap the benefits.  Of the eggs.  And chard.  And other things edible on the property.  Oh, hey Brad. )

There are plenty of places I could clean up, plant more.  But it's challenging, takes a little inspiration and some inventiveness.  Often recently, I just wander around outside in a daze wondering how I could better the look of things.  But my wheelbarrow is broken and The Brad hasn't fixed it.  So.  Not much I can do.  Really.  Without my wheelbarrow.

Anyway.  Best go cook up some fresh farm eggs for the family.  The ones I helped the chickens lay.  By feeding them and giving them fresh water everyday and keeping their coop clean.  All by myself.  And I can hardly even do that now.  Not until my wheelbarrow is fixed.  And The Brad knows how to fix it.  And I guess I could try and figure it out.  Right after I bring in the eggs from the coop.  Brad.  I'll just take a look at it myself.  Cool.

XO

 

scenes from around here (in the kitchen)

Part of my evolution as a mother-who-cooks is to remember now and then to soak green peas overnight.  Then I can make soup or dal (depending on how much water I use) for next nights lunch of dinner. I don't decide in advance if it will be soup or dal you silly-head!! I'm still new to this whole cooking thing! See?  If it's too watery, it's soup.  Too thick, it's dal.  Voila!

Part of my evolution as a healthy feeder is to make fresh veggie juice for the girls.  (It was a 2012 resolution to keep the juicer out and use it frequently).  As long as there are enough apples in there I can get away with plenty of leafy greens too.  At first my 3-year-old said Blech! and spit it out everywhere.  Another time she pushed it away angrily with a disgusted look on her face and spilled a full cup of carrot/apple/beet juice.  (Nice.)  But, as the old adage goes, If you don't suceed, try, try again. And so I did.  And now she walks around with a beet mustache all day.  And often a beet beard too. 

Part of my evolution as a mom who hates being sick is pulling out the nettie pot, taking these herbs and downing a lot of hot water with lemon/honey/cayenne when I have a head cold. Beat the cold out in two days. Maybe it was just the nature of that specific virus to last a few days.  But, we'll never know will we. And meanwhile, the thought that I scared it out of my system with cayenne and herbs is super hella rad.

Also: Today I will be making a no-knead bread as introduced to me by a good friend.  If you have never wanted to make bread because you are highly irritated and upset about the time it will take, that's no longer an excuse for you.  Here is a recipe I found online that is similar to the one I am using today.

Well, that's it for now.  Off to make the soup or bread.  Or both.  Or neither.  That's how I roll.

(Oh..and for you that read yesterdays post, here is some sweet news: the pup was adopted by a new family already (one with out a cat or chickens). 

joy moments

joy moments:

dressing up brown dog.  happens frequently.  she's an interesting dog- moderately devoid of personality.  so when we can make time to fancy her up a little, it's real good for everyone.

 

white dog: more personality, way lovable, but total pain in the a**.  we dress him up just to bother him a little and get him back for all the times he annoys us.  of course he totally goes with it.  he's solid with wearing pink. I love that about him.  and yea.  I made the scarf last christmas.  made it for my neighbor who found it too short and made it a hella huge cowl. she may not be too amused that I dressed the dog with it before giving it to her.  it was only for a quick photo shoot.

of course I have a thrifting joy moment!  these plates are so gorgeous.  but I took the photo with a weird iphone photo app and now you can't tell just how rad.   4 of them for $6.  a tad bit steep for my thrifting eye, but I traded for something I had and didn't want.  see.  that's how I roll.  did I tell you about the huge handful of early 1900's silverware I found the other day?  $3.  la te da te da.

another joy moment: the egg poacher from yesterday's blog. 

and check this out: my 5-year-old says to me this morning: momma, if a mom is mean to their kid, and then that kid grows up and is mean to her kid and then..well it just goes on and on and on and on, right? And I told her: yeah.  that is basically the worlds biggest problem.  that is why everyone needs a nice mama and dada.

I'm so glad I'm a nice mama.  And that you are a nice mama (or dada.)  I think we can change the world together. don't you?

Have a great weekend!

linking with this moment and joy pockets.

 

hello buttermilk cake, good bye paper towels.

Buttermilk Cake (with Pears.)  

Quick.  Easy.  So yummy. Light.  Not too sweet. Good with a little cup of coffee.  Or, how the girls had it last night with fresh whipped cream on top.  (My three-year-old begged for whipped cream, I made it, and the whole way through eating her cake she said.."I love whipped cream!  Then, after her plate was licked clean she looked at me and  said: "I hate whipped cream.")

Anyhoo: I used the recipe from Swanson's book but found a very similar one online at her site. Almost the same recipe I used but it features a different fruit than the book version, which was plums.  I used pears.  So see, you can use almost any fruit.  The online recipe also calls for salt (instead of sugar) to sprinkle on the top.  (Really?  Salt? I would use sugar.  But, then again, that's just me.)

So.  There is that.  

And.  That is that.

Here's my big news: Ready?  K.  Hold on to your seat cause this is heavy: We've decided to stop using paper towels.  Ya. Ya.  [nodding].  Maybe all of you are already fully grooving non-paper-towel users and I am late on the bandwagon.  Or.  Maybe you are like I used to be (up to last week that is ): you use plenty of paper towels but have a bit of a mental eco-block about it.  

Sure, sure, I hear you: one uses more water washing the cloth towels that replace the paper towels. Ya, Ya.  I hear you, I get it.  But, life is not perfect.  One must choose the lesser of two evils.   If I  just throw a few dish towels in the laundry with each load is it really wasting water?  No.  So: NO paper towels in the house.  

None.  Not even one roll. Because if I had even a little "emergency" roll  in the house, it would be dangerous.  Know what I mean?  I'd be all: "Oh, jeez, one paper towel won't hurt.  I just need to clean this spilled yogurt off the table."  But then, you know...before I know it, I'd be totally out of control again and, once again, a full-on paper towel junkie.  That is what I was.  A junkie.  Well, a moderate junkie.  But a junkie none-the-less. Yes me!   I come off so eco-consious but know this: it's really a work in progress for me.  

I am deconstructing myself and reconstructing myself one day at a time.  There are pieces of my consciousness that are still rock hard.  The paper towel piece was so...you know, so formed and almost unchippable it seemed.   But then, I take away the paper towels and I find I'm living closer to the source of my joy.  Closer to the real me.  And I love that. Ya.  I solidly love that.   I love it so much.  When I see a dishtowel lying around now I just kind of say to it "Hey, you."    And I kind of just take a deep breath and shake my head a tiny bit in a thoughtful way.  You know.  I just do that.  So.  Yeah.  I feel good about it.   Really great.  I could just go on and on. 

 

a weekend visit to my home

come in and see a little bit of my home taken with iphone photo apps that make everything look weird.  i didn't clean up for you because i didn't want to get everything all tidy and then make you feel like a totally clean house is normal and therefore you are abnormal.  i hate that feeling.

above: see now. that's a  herman millar chair i found in the dumpster next door.  well, it was actually in a dump truck, and not a dumpster. i don't pull things out of dumpsters, only dumptrucks. it's this rule I have.  usually.  but not always.  also viewable: electric guitar from the past & a nice, little woman who is usually up to no good. appears innocent as heck though.  takes after mama. plus she is super huggable.  i love her way more than earthly measure.

this is where we eat, talk, play, drink coffee, drink wine, watch dance performances, go over bills, knead bread. We bought this solid wood table on sale at World Market when we started our family almost 6 years ago.  i would never buy at World Market now, cause i would thrift it instead.  luckily the table is wearing beautifully and i can be proud of it.  i am slowly trying to replace the chairs with all vintage ones that i love.  they must all be the same height.  and they are not so now.  so.  not so easy.  K?  this thrifting stuff is not for the faint of heart and dont ever tell me that is is. you can see the blue chair I scored in the forefront.  $9.  the right height.  the Brad finds it "whatever."  i am shocked & apalled he would feel/say such a thing. almost packed his bags, showed him the street. 

old mexican cup.  windowledge.  window is covered in a vinyl material so we don't need to see the neighbors load of junky cars. sigh. don't get me started.

 see that chair?  that's where I write the blog from.  see that thick knitted blanket on the chair?  was on my bed as a kid. see that coffee?  must have first thing every morning.  see that bed?  ya.  I didn't make it for you.  see that vintage-y torn wall hanging?  $8.  yesterday.  flea market-ish sale.  I've been wanting to find an antique headboard/bedframe on the side of the road. but.  haven't seen one yet. so, the torn vintage thing must do.

do you like these?  authentic retro butterfly chairs (don't be fooled by the reproductions.).  i got the frames for free from someone who was getting rid of "junk." i've been looking for covers for them for nine months but not wanting to spend any money.  last night a friend told me to ask another friend of ours.  that friend had some extra covers.  i texted her.  she brought them to my house today and gave them to me.  batta bing, batta boom.  done.  amazing and simple.  that's how life works sometimes.  see?  

thanks for visiting today!  it was a short visit.  but, you really should get on home now.  

xo

weekending with A.

Firsts for 2012

 

Daily Veggie Juice. Pulled out the Champion Juicer and not planning on putting it back into the cupboard means: fresh veggie juice almost everyday for this family in 2012.  A year ago the juicing "clean-up" used to bother me so I put the juicer back into hiding.  Now the clean up is like nothing and the everydayness of doing it is, so far, just a simple ritual. THAT, my friends, is progress in the kitchen.  See.  I am not saying we will do it every. single. day.  But the juicer is not going back.  He's part of the family.  The son I never had.  I'll call him Bruno.

Her first piano lesson. Sigh. Smile. So happy. Makes mama proud.  

 

(Pinterest photo. I'm a little lazy today.  The rest of the photos are mine.)

Zippers. Who knew I would be so excited to find zippers (for sewing projects) at a new local thrift!  Really, Cory?  Zippers make you smile?  Zippers?  Yes.  Zippers.  Now zip it. 

Little Guy.  A first sewing project for my five-year-old from this book.  She fully rocked the whipstich.  Way cleaner than my messy stitches.  Really.  I mean it.

These are just some of the wonders and wonderfuls around here since the beginning of 2012.
I'm still kind of tired from the holidays actually and looking forward to a day with the family at the beach tomorrow.
So.  Well.  Ciao!