Nine months and counting.

Our garlic bed after the first snow of winter

I haven't written here for most of my pregnancy. Truth be told, we have really fallen back into our old ways. I have been very low energy, and between working part time, and doing the bare minimum to keep up with the household chores we have let a lot of positive changes fall by the wayside. But never fear! I am all set to deliver this baby any day now and shortly after that I hope to be getting back into the swing of homesteading....and drinking a little here and there. I also plan to make some new resolutions to add to the list. In the meantime, we have reinstated a very strict "no new stuff" policy, and are curbing our restaurant habit. I hope to be sharing a birth story here in the very near (like pretty please tomorrow!) future. This has been a very interesting nine months. Chris has been amazingly supportive and we have received an amazing amount of help from family. I can't wait to get back to working toward our goals. Next week, or the week after, I plan to start some of our seeds for this springs garden. We planted a huge bed of garlic in November and every time I go out and check on it I feel optimistic about this years growing season. We planted five varieties that should do well in our zone and should provide a good harvest to last through the year. The bed was fertilized with aged manure and mulched with a layer of oak leaves and a top layer of pine needles. The garlic should be ready for harvest around mid June. I plan to also do a better job of posting here more frequently, at least for the sake of keeping track of our plantings and recipes. Hopefully I can muster up some funny as well! Cheers!

Where the hell have I been?

I've neglected this space for a long while now. Most of what has been going on in my life lately was not very...homesteady and definitely not drunken! I'm pregnant and the truth is, pregnancy sort of bums me out. I guess I get the opposite of post-partem depression. Once the baby arrives I usually snap back to my old self pretty quickly. This pregnancy has been especially challenging. I had a string of medical problems during the first trimester that have completely thrown us off our game as far as home made living goes. Our garden has been neglected. No canning and preserving have been done. I haven't made yogurt or bread in forever! We are in the new place now, and have been for a few weeks. It's amazing out here! I can't stop daydreaming about next years garden, chicks in the spring, and goats! Oh I just can't wait to get goats! But for now I have to accept the fact that I feel pretty lousy most days, and am lucky just to get the dishes and laundry done, and feed my family a healthy meal or two each day. I feel my energy slowly creeping back now that I've passed the first trimester. I just have to say that I'm glad baby will be here before spring so I don't miss the growing season! I hope all of your gardening and homesteading adventures are going well,

and if not, you're in good company. We'll get our groove back soon enough!

Sober Homesteading.....

It's been a while. I have been backsliding a bit as far as homemade living. I have a good excuse though. Fatigue, and nausea, and bursts of crying/laughing. Yep, that's right, I'm pregnant!

"But wait" a sane person might say, "you guys just bought a farmette that needs fixing up, you want to raise animals and grow food, and make everything from scratch. Are you insane adding another child to this already packed agenda?" Yes, sane person. Yes I am! But I don't view having another child as an added challenge. Sure, I'm not an idiot. I know that having a baby around makes things....different. But what's more important? Having an orderly, organized, picture perfect life and home, or having love and all the craziness that comes along with it? I choose the crazy love. I've never cared much for order anyhow.

So in the cold and hopefully snowy month of February, we will welcome our fourth child into the family, and continue to grow and learn together. I can't think of a better way to brighten the winter months.

To be a Mama

I was twenty years old when I became a Mama for the first time. I was terrified, overwhelmed, and completely in love. Being a mother has been the most important thing to me in my life. It has changed me in ways I cannot describe. It is an experience I am better for having.

I have the privilege of being Mama to three completely amazing people. They are all unique and each of them has taught me a different lesson in life, and I continue to learn from them every day.

Jasper was born by cesarean section on September 19, 2001 after a twelve hour long labor induction. The first time I saw her I couldn't believe she was mine. She looked so big, and just thinking that only moments before she was all curled up inside my belly was just mind blowing! As a baby she was fun, and feisty, and a quick learner. Now, ten (almost eleven) years later, she is a compassionate, empathetic, shy, brilliant and beautiful child. She is thoughtful, and very nurturing to her younger siblings. I am thankful every day that she came into this world and gave me such an important job.

Dakota was born on April 27, 2004 after a long and intense labor and two hours of pushing. I was thankful to be able to have a natural delivery, but unfortunately due to my prior C-section, I had a partial placenta abruption. She was blue and not breathing when she was born. Every one else in the room (minus the doctors and midwife) was panicking. I was a little afraid, but just remember having an overwhelming feeling of calm and I just somehow knew she would be ok as soon as they got her to cry. After five days in the level two nursery at DePaul, we got to bring her home. She was a gentle baby. She had bright eyes, and an amazing smile, and the chubbiest cheeks you will ever see! She loved her big sister instantly and as soon as she could crawl followed her every where. Eight years later, she is bright and spirited. She has an amazing imagination. She is confident, and out going. She is kind and selfless. She is often the peace keeper between her sister and brother. A beautiful, loving girl.

Nolan was born on May 22, 2007 after a fairly easy and short labor. He was a smiling, laughing, friendly baby. He is a very inquisitive child and often so intuitive that it blows my mind! He is very loving and has a love of learning that I take great pride in nurturing. Almost five years after his birth, he is bright, loving, sometimes challenging, and always hilarious! He loves his sisters so dearly and misses them terribly when they are gone. He loves animals. He loves learning new things. He loves candy, and video games too :)



These three little people are my world. They are why I get out of bed in the morning. They have shown me a love that is truly unconditional. I will never hold another title in my life, no matter what I do, that means as much or holds as much responsibility as Mama.

 Happy Mothers Day to all the amazing Mamas out there who love, and learn, and love!

I only have two freaking hands and 24 hours in a day!

Barn at the new place

It's been a while since I have shared anything here. I have wanted to, but there has been one tiny problem. I'm completely EXHAUSTED! The irony is, I don't feel like I'm getting much actual work done, but it's more that there is so much to do lately that just thinking about it causes me to pour a glass of wine. It's been pretty exciting getting started on fixing up the new house. The previous owners had not been keeping up with the house, or the land, so there is a lot to do. There's also all the end of the school year stuff, and the spring birthday trifecta (me, Dakota, Nolan). Some days I just feel like anything I could possibly write would be so painfully nonsensical and boring and a complete waste of anyone's time who would bother reading it (thanks for reading mom). But today, I just felt like writing for some reason. Maybe it's that I woke up before everyone else (except the youngest who is currently anesthetized in front of a computer game) and actually had some quiet time with which to collect my thoughts. Maybe I just hope that something witty and hilarious will end up on this screen when I'm done slapping my hands across the keyboard like a bored toddler. Either way, I hope to have some interesting homesteading stories to share soon. Until then, I'll be working hard, or at least thinking about working hard. And I will definitely be drinking! Cheers!

The magical month of April.



This is a picture of my dog in a birthday hat. Why the hell not, it's my blog!

  Ah April! My birth month, and now (even more significantly) asparagus month. I have been consuming it at least twice daily. I love it so, so much! Roasted, sauteed, raw. The possibilities are endless. It's even pretty!

  This April specifically I am feeling a tremendous amount of gratitude. This birthday week (as I like to call it) I am finding myself a tiny bit overwhelmed by the amazingness (no I did not mean Amazons, thank you, spell check) the next year holds for me and my family, but also gratitude for this year of growth and learning we have just experienced. I feel like I am finally growing into myself, if that makes sense. I am on a path that has been and will continue to bring me immense happiness and fulfillment, and who could ask for a better birthday gift than that....except maybe some more asparagus....AND a nice bottle of bourbon!

                                            Cheers to you all in this beautiful month of April!

Chris and I on my Birthday camping trip last year. (You know you love the matching shirts!)



Muffins and Smoothies: The perfect vessels for fooling kids to eat healthy.

My youngest two kids have always had constipation issues. I'm sure they'll be thrilled that I chose to share this on the internet. We have tried, and been quite happy with using fiber gummies to supplement picky diets, but it never feels quite right to me. I am one for getting to the root of a problem and changing life choices or habits rather than using an easy fix and continuing down a broken path.

I have found that muffins and smoothies are amazing delivery systems for healthy food. You can hide damn near anything in there and kids will be none the wiser. The last few weeks we have been enjoying a recipe for Left-over Oatmeal Muffins, from Soulemama's blog. They are super easy, tasty, and I can boost the fiber by adding lots of dried fruit and ground flax seed. Tomorrow, (since one of the two is currently severely backed up), we will be trying a recipe for Strawberry Flax smoothies (with spinach! Shhhh) that I just made up.....I hope it's actually good.

Any way, without further ado here are the recipes for the muffins and smoothie. The muffins are kid and mom approved. The smoothie is pending approval ;)

Leftover oatmeal muffins:
1 cup cooked oatmeal
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp sugar, honey or maple syrup
1 cup additions (dried fruit, chocolate chips, etc.)

Mix flax with water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add oatmeal and milk. Mix thoroughly. Add egg and sugar. Add everything else. Mix well. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Strawberry Flax Smoothies:
1 cup plain (homemade) yogurt....sorry, I had to brag about my yogurt.
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup raw spinach
2 Tbsp honey
1/2 a banana (would be good but bananas are not local so ours won't have it)
2Tbsp flax
maybe a little milk or something if it needs it.

Put all that stuff in the blender. Boom! It's a smoothie. You're welcome.