Progressive Pioneer

The Friday Make and Do

I've been thinking about making my own chocolate chips... 

Garden Dream Come True

This week I've written about gardening and dreaming.  So it seems appropriate to write about this little garden I've always dreamed of having.  Just a small thing really, but one that makes me happy every time I see it.

On Writing and Dreams

I like hearing about what other people dream of.  It's like being let in on a secret.  I'm not always so open about my secret wishes.  Sometimes I feel as if I need to accomplish it first and then announce that I had been dreaming it all along, just so I'm not so vulnerable in the dreaming phase, you know?  But, other times the inverse is true, sometimes it's healthy to just put it out there!  Let the universe see what you're made of!  So here's what I'm dreaming of:

Making More Basil

Thanks to this book, I've felt emboldened to try some propagating.  You would not believe how EASY it is to grow more basil.  I'm even wondering if this could be done with the store bought stuff...

The Friday Make and Do

These painted dish towels are so cheerful; they would be a fun project to do with kids and then have on hand to take as a gift when you go to a friend's for dinner or tuck in a welcome basket for a new neighbor.  (Here's another fun project; hip potato stamps!)

Breakfast Cookies

I really do let the kids eat these for breakfast.  Or any time they want, for that matter!

Sweet Potato Power

Were I not already a lover of sweet potatoes, this book could have hooked me with its opening reference to Anna Karenina!  Of course, I am not surprised that a thoroughly researched, brilliantly written book full of powerful information and delicious recipes should open with a literary reference.  The reason?  It is written by one of my dearest friends, an all-around renaissance woman who can quote Tolstoy while whipping up a perfect sweet-potato frittatta!

Spring Gardening

I love beginnings.  I get the same feeling at the beginning of gardening season that I used to get at the start of a fresh school year: new possibilities, new notebooks, crisp new seed packets, it all evokes that excited optimism!  Here's what we've got going on in our little patch of earth.

The Friday Make and Do

May Day is coming up!  I have happy memories of making May Day cones with my mom; perhaps I'll revive the tradition with my kids and brighten the neighbors' day while I'm at it:)

The Secret to Sauerkraut

We've made our fair share of sauerkraut, but I was never completely in love with the flavor.  I couldn't get it to taste as good as the stuff from the store, until the last two batches which turned out SO delicious.  Here's how I did it.

Mmm, Chocolatey...

Sometimes, I just give in to the craving...

The Friday Make and Do

These sandals are so cute and fun!  I'm thinking we could make something similar though, don't you think?  Maybe cutting up an old pair of flip flops, or some craft foam and super gluing them to the bottom of a pair of flops... Couldn't be too hard, right?

When Your Kid Wants a "Junky Birthday Cake"

Apparently four-year olds want to eat spray-painted cartoon characters.  Here is a conversation between Sam and I, with direct quotes.  "Sam, what kind of cake do you want for your birthday?"  I'm thinking he'll request one of my regular culinary wonders: a nice sourdough chocolate cake, maybe honey-sweetened carrot cake, or perhaps one of my favorites, whole wheat cake with burnt butter frosting.  Instead he says, "I want a JUNKY cake!  From the store!  With PINK frosting!!!"  Um... yeah.  So, what does one say to the light of their life on their fourth birthday when the desire of their little heart is a poisonous cake?

From the Curiosity Cabinet

So, I got this jar from a neighbor, and when she handed it to me it was all I could do not to recoil.  Does it not totally look like something you would see in some back alley curiosity shop where they have pickled two-headed goats and unicorn horns for sale?

The really crazy thing is that this is something I'm going to consume...

The Friday Make and Do

I really love the idea of an articles club. Wouldn't this be the perfect thing for sitting around with a bunch of other moms, in someone's backyard on a warm summer evening (while the kids are somewhere else...), sipping lemonade with your feet in the grass?  Who's in?

Making More Plants

It's that time of year, time to be buying and planting tons of little seedlings!  Unless, of course, you are a planner and already have trays of little starts ready to go.  I am sometimes, but not this year. 

Instead, I'm trying another angle to get lots and lots of little plants for super cheap...

What the Heck is a Haramake?

I had never heard of a haramake until the spritely Kathy from Bliss Beyond Naptime emailed me.  She's here to tell us what they are and why we might need them!

Do This. You Will Thank Me.

This little jar is changing my life.

Healing Springtime Soup

Has anyone else got the springtime-sneak-attack-flu in their house?  Here's a little recipe from the archives, shared on Plan to Eat for our healing springtime soup.

 

The Friday Make and Do

Gold mine!  Just found this post with a bunch of healthy Easter (or anytime) treats!  I'm definitely seeing something with chocolate and coconut in my future...

And speaking of Easter, how fun are these paper mache eggs?

Natural Easter Eggs Dyes

Thank you to Megan from Fig and Fauna for this gorgeous post about how to dye eggs from plants.  Have a peek; I bet you have most of these in your kitchen and yard!

The Essential Herbal for Natural Health

Wouldn't it be nice if someone boiled down all the magic and mystery of herbal medicine making into one tidy little book?  Something manageable, something you would actually use?  Oh, wait they did!  It's right here.

The nice thing about Holly's book is that she focuses on thirteen basic herbs that she calls the essential herbs. 

Making Magic

What is childhood without a little magic?  I'm all about believing.  In fact, if you asked me now, I'd tell you I believe in little people and unicorns.  Don't laugh.  It's just that it's more fun than not believing.  Long after I found out about Santa's Helpers (a.k.a. my parents), I still liked to believe in Santa, because where's the fun in being all factual?  I want my kids to have believing hearts as well, and recently I lent a little help to that belief...

The Friday Make and Do

Would somebody please make a healthier version of these cookies and share the recipe with me?  Chocolate + black sesame seeds + soy sauce(!)  It sounds amazing!

New Life for Old Frames

What did you think of the family portraits all in mismatched frames, painted the same color?  I thought it turned out pretty rad and I kind of want to do it all over my house now...  The kids and I picked out a bunch of random 5x7 frames at the thrift store for super cheap and gave them a second chance.  Here's how we did it: