Busy Hands Homestead

After a string of super busy weekends (What weekend?) during which Adam was finishing some projects, I finally got everyone out of town and into the woods: 

A few weeks ago I sat in the noisy gym at the Y (during family fun time) listening to a voice mail from one of my WIC counselors asking me to call her back regarding the online session I had just completed.  At my last visit I had been offered the choice between a follow up in office visit or an online session on wichealth.org after which I would just email the office. I took the online choice and all I could think was: SHIT!... because there is nothing like an online, blank, anonymous appearing box to solicit my honest and uncensored opinion on a subject, especially a subject related to food.  And that opinion had NOT been kind.  In my mind the person reading my criticism was not received by the sweet lady I look forward to chatting with every few months but rather the creator of the lack luster content I had found when I clicked through the segments of my Meatless Meals Section I had chosen to complete. When I finally did speak to her, I...

AH!!!!! I am about ready to scream!!!!!  I have spent the last 45 minutes trying to get one text box onto an image and I can not figure it out. I have focused on it so intently that my coffee is cold. Cold. I don't have time for this!!!! And then I accidentally saved it like this: I can't figure out how to undo it.  Anyway that last bullet point is supposed to say that I added 3 double crochet into each stitch for the bottom half of that corral shape (it appears denser).  A few months ago I watched this:  The beautiful math that links coral, crochet and hyperbolic geometry: Margaret Wertheim  I finally sat down and made myself a "stitch library".   Why?  Well, for years now I have been telling myself that I am going to combine all those craft skills that I love: knitting, crochet, sewing and pottery.  And then I fall short of that goal. I like the ceramic pieces too much on their own...  or I make up s...

I took Ivory, her friend and Sylvan to the Mini-Naturalist Program at the Montana Natural History Center.  The topic was birds, nests and eggs.  We held nests, matched eggs to their mamas, went outside, collected nesting materials, watched an osprey pair bring branches to their nest, and then built our own nests.  Here are Ivory's nests: They are made of play dough , sticks, leaves, feathers and yarn scraps. When we got home she added birds. Lego Birds.

This is my adaptation of the Sweet Potato Salad with Chipotle Chili Recipe found in the cookbook  Best Bite Recipes published by Oklahoma State University Seretean Wellness Center Kitchen.  5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces toss in oil, spread out on two cookie sheets and roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 - 40 minutes place roasted potatoes in a large bowl and allow to cool while making the dressing 1/4 cup olive oil 2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 Teaspoons cumin 1/2 Teaspoons chili powder 1 diced Chipotle Chili (canned)* 1/4 cup sour cream 1/4 Teaspoon salt (or to taste) Pepper to taste combine the above listed ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together  *if serving this salad to children, I recommend adding the Chipotle pepper after a few servings have been set aside  1/8 cup finely chopped onion 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley pour the dressing over the potatoes, add the onion and parsley and tos...