Super Sour Saturday!

I had such fun yesterday. I had the whole day to play. I happened to find a mother load of fresh but half price raw milk at my local Health Food store and bought not one, not 3 but 5 gallons of it! I wondered what to do with it all but could not pass up $4.39 per gallon. (Remember this is raw, living, full of enzymes raw milk- not dead, cooked, sterilized and highly allergenic pasteurized milk.) You can find raw milk cheaper but in my locale I have to travel about 45 min to find it at $5.50 straight from the farmer so I am content to buy it at normally $8.79 pr gallon upon occasion or as often as I can at $4.39 a gallon!

So what I did with it all!




I set one large glass jar on the counter to separate into curds and whey. The whey I will use for souring grains and all flour products, (muffins, pancakes, bread, etc,since whey keeps about 6 weeks in the fridge) and the solid I will be making into cream cheese of which I have plans to make a raw cheesecake to take up to Canada when I visit my grown children and their families next weekend)

Another gallon (and a half) I made 6 qts of kefir, (see first picture) and that is on my counter setting right now.






The third gallon (and a half) I made a big batch of yogurt, which is sitting on a heating pad covered in towels as we speak. (Notice the thermometer-95 degrees is perfect for 12 hours)

The fifth gallon is in my fridge for drinking and for on homemade buckwheat granola and other breakfast cereals.






But that is not all. I had a lot of fun souring other things yesterday as well. I made a beautiful batch of sauerkraut AND a jar of pineapple chutney, souring on my counter for two days and then put in the fridge for about 3 weeks or till gone which will probably be the later. Use a few tablespoons as a garnish to be eaten with meat to improve digestibility.

AND I made a quadruple batch of raw brownies, in my dehydrator right now (I can hear the hum of the dehydrator in the next room)


Lastly, I made a batch of kombucha tea, a fermented sour and sweet bubbly drink made from black tea.

And to finish it all off (or rather start off the day) I had Chocolate Mousse for breakfast. Yum. I pulled it over again on another unsuspecting victim. This time I asked Jonathan (17) if he would like some Chocolate Mousse and he cautiously took a taste. "OK, thanks Mom." He downed the whole thing!

Sorry, I must find humor in tricking my family into eating what they say they detest-frog. See my previous post on Chocolate Mousse to find out what frog is at my house!.

All of these recipes, except the mousse, are in the great kitchen book (not exactly a cookbook alone) Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats Get it from your library if you have to but you will quickly see the need to have your own copy.

Government as our New Religion?

I love homeschooling. One of the many reasons I love it and believe in it so much is that I have gotten a truly renewed mind and firt time education from teaching my own children.

Yesterday we were reading in one of my favorite book series, The Uncle Eric books by Richard Maybury, specifically, Whatever Happened to Justice? from Bluestocking Press. Today, since our laws are such a tangled mess and are based on political law (contrived - made up based on someone's ideas at the time, instead on common law (discovered law based on logic and moral sense) we as a society have created a new religion. Chapter 18 brings out an interesting point. He says,

"A major requirement for successful investing is the constant awareness that there is a new religion in the world. The god of this new religion is government and the ritual the worshipers perform is legislation. Faith in this new religion is deep and profound. The worshippers are convinced their god can solve almost any problem, if only the right legislation can be performed.

Legislators have become priests, and capital buildings have become temples. I remember visiting the capitol building in Sacramento. The interior resembles a cathedral. I had the strangest compulsion to keep my head bowed, to speak in whispers, and kneel!"

This new religion is so popular you could probably make a strong case that it is replacing the old religions.

Having just come from Washington, DC and toured what was described as the most important building in the world, The Capitol Building I fully understand his compulsion. I have never seen such magnificence, splendor and holy meaning in the statues and art work in the capitol. Certainly no church or temple of today is built with such respect and magnificence. The grand honors to God in buildings are of the past, the middle ages at least. Today, the new temples? Government buildings.

Hmmm,a thought worth contemplating and mulling over some more.

We're back!

What a tornado of a vacation! After a week away from home we are now back and all snug in our beds with vision of DC dancing in our heads. (Washington, DC, that is!) Most of the time I can say it is nice to be home again but this time I really enjoyed the break from routine and had an unusually wonderful rest and inspirational vacation. Our first stop was in Pittsburgh for my husband's nephews wedding. It was held in a bird sanctuary/refuge and was small but very quaint! It was nice to see family that we have not seen in 15 years!


After the wedding and all the goodbyes, we headed out to Washington DC for what we thought was a day or two touring the sights. We had no idea the extent to which you could visit museums, historical homes, and magnificent buildings. We were quite overwhelmed.
Half jokingly Jonathan said, "Too bad we didn't think to check if there was an "Unofficial Guide to Washington DC." At that moment we happened to be walking the streets in the bitter cold and spotted a Barnes and Noble Book store. What providence. We warmed up inside and did find that there is indeed An Unofficial Guide to Washington DC and we bought it. It saved us so much time! If you ever go to a popular tourist spot always check to see if there is one of these invaluable guides printed. They usually save you way more that the full purchase price and loads of time as well.




My husbands first GOT to SEE spot was Lincoln Memorial. The morning and early afternoon was actually quite warm. It poured in the afternoon and the rest of the week was bitterly cold and windy.




Graydon's choice was the museum of flight. They actually had the original Wright Brothers plane inside! Also was the Spirit of Saint Louis-Charles Lindburgh's first solo flight across the Atlantic)

The Capital Building was phenomenal-inside and out!.


Jonathan's favorite place was Mount Vernon, home of America's first president. The house itself was beautiful but the visitor center was like none we had seen anywhere else. After 4 1/2 hours we rushed out trying to avoid the rush hour in Downtown DC in the snow! We made it but we really wish we could have spent another hour or two.




In case you cannot figure this out, this is a model of George Washington's house-and my son's "huge" face in the back door!

We're Leavin' on a Jet Plane!

Songs seem to ring in my ears. I usually cannot remember who sang them or what most of the words are except for a key phrase like...

I'm leavin,
On a jet plane,
Don't know when I'll be back again.

Tonight we are all leavin' on a jet plane to fly thought the night from Seattle to arrive on the other side of the country in Pittsbourgh early tomorrow morning. We will be attending a family wedding/reunion this weekend and then will be doing some sight seeing for the rest of the week.

I may try to post throughtout the week if I can get some time at a hotel computer but you know what it is like with a lot of long-time-no-see family visits. I may try to post some of the pictures that we will be taking on our trip as we do plan on visiting the Capital and a few major historical spots along the way as we travel after the wedding.

And guess what! I bought a new camera!....8 mega pixels, compact and with a 7X optical zoom, video features, "the works" (I guess all these things are standard on cameras these days). My sons were all over it and I have not had much of a chance to see how it works yet but I'm sure they will have it all down in a few minutres flat, then they can show me. (What am I going to do once they leave home. I will be hopelessly technically handicapped)

I'll be thinking of all my faithful American readers sleeping their your cosy beds as I fly across the entire US tonight from Seattle to Pittsburgh sitting upright in airline seats. Oh well. The flights were available at least and were a very good price. We can always sleep another day.

Happy Valentines Day!

My Son is Coming Home!

There is a song that some famous singer of my long ago past used to sing about the prodigal son who came home after an long, hard and wild life. The song must be quite memorable because it was ringing in my ears today as I went up north to Canada to pick up my 17 year old son, Jonathan. He was staying at his brothers (my oldest son, Ryan and Stephanie- Keeper of the Home.com) for two and a half weeks assisting Ryan in a new business set up. It may have been more of a mentoring situation for Jonathan than assistance to Ryan but I so appreciate the opportunity my wonderful son and his wife afforded their brother. It was an excellent chance to see first hand what goes into planning a business start up. Jonathan assisted with some market research, business projections, and participated in potential client meetings and plans for the recruiting of qualified employees as well.

But oh, how I missed him. He certainly isn't a prodigal coming home (as in a repentant wayward son) but he is a different boy, really almost a man. He is confident, and talks positively about "our business" and "we are planning" and "projections seem to indicate." Girls are sweet and they provide you with a lot of joy, but boys as they grow up,.....well, a mom can be overcome with pride. I am proud of my son becoming a man. With it comes the understanding that I will one day have to give him up to a young lady who will fill his heart to the fullest. I will be replaced.... and that is ok because that is how it is supposed to be. But, I missed him. He went away a boy and came back a little more mature. Thank you God for your opportunities that I see daily that shows your provision for my children. I know I can trust You with their future.

Chocolate Mousse - on a weight loss plan?

Since I have been exploring and have become fascinated with raw foods lately I tried a recipe for chocolate mousse that is delicious! But, of course it is not your regular sugar loaded artificially flavored variety. It is natural and completely raw, and since it is full of natural fat- the healthy variety- it certainly can be on a weight loss plan as well - if you do not eat too much! (and you might)

If you do not have all the right ingredients just try it with the best of what you have on hand for now and see if you like it. You can upgrade when you can afford and want to try a few more new ingredients.

The biggest test I have in mind when I try a new recipe is to try it out on my youngest, Graydon (14). I often recall the commercial of about 15 years ago. Several children gather around the breakfast table and shove a new brand of cereal in front the youngest child, Mikey. He hesitates and lifts his spoon and cautiously takes a bite. His face clears and he continues to chew in glee. All the children grab the cereal simultaneously and dig in. "If Mikey likes it-it must be good."

So I likewise tried it on my "Mikey" and it passed! What I found most humorous is I got my son to eat his most visually detestable food- what he calls "frog." Guess which ingredient that is? He, to this day, does not know what crossed his lips.

1 Hass avocado
3-4 Tablespoons raw agave or (I used) honey (agave has a lower glycemic index and is better for weight loss)
2-3 Tablespoons coconut butter (coconut oil)
1 Tablespoon fresh coconut meat (optional)
2 Tablespoons of raw cacao powder. This is pure raw chocolate powder without any added sugar-bitter if used alone) You may want to try raw carob but I think raw chocolate works really well!
1/8 t salt
1/2 cup of raw defrosted raspberries (I used raspberries that I had previously run through a juicer to remove the seeds and frozen in baggies)

Blend all well till light and fluffy. Serve chilled.

I added a little more honey to my taste and I think I also added a little more coconut because I had opened the young coconut and didn't know what else to use it do with it right away.

I'd be interested to see if anyone was able to pull raw "frog" over on their families without them knowing it. (not that deception is the goal but I found it quite amusing that you could make a delicious chocolate mouse out of an avocado without it being obvious.)

Letting go of the control in your child's education

What do I mean control? Well, just that. In modern education everything is controlled. The predetermined educational menu is formated by grades, administered by employees that take one portion of that pre intended meal and over 12 years or so produces a whole and complete education. All this sounds good if you accept the finished product as fully educated. I don't. The often quoted phrase by William Yeats states, "Education is not the filling of a bucket but the lighting of a fire."

Predigested informational based education allows for very little exploration or self directed learning and produces only people who know how to spit back what they have been told. Generally, schools today produce cookie cutter employees ready for the job market. Yes, we do want our children to get a job, but is that the only reason for their education? I hope not. So how do you homeschool with freedom and without control? If we can just learn to let go of the control that has been built into us by our childhood experiences (being in school) It may not be easy, in fact, I believe some may never get it. But some do. I'm probably a little in the middle, where I get it but somehow control tends to seep in again every now and then and I start seeing the symptoms of apathy in my kids and I know to back off again.

Once I found out about the 5 learning tools coined by Marilyn Howshall, in the most excellent book series Lifestyle Learning, the light went on and I started seeing my children were already learning very well on their own. I saw how I needed to back off and stop interferring in their learning process and I learned to relax. All I needed to do was to facilitate their learning and not to control it. The 5 learning tools are below I will expand on each of the following in another post. I will also share the 7 vital signs of the learning process also penned by Marilyn Howshall in her Lifestyle of Learning series (My blog's namesake)

Research
-This must be delight directed not controlled by assignment. It can include collections, observations, experimentations, and repeated exposure to certain subject matter.
-Reading of library books and field guides on chosen subject matter.

Record
-everyday life, documenting the child's own life experiences and spiritual lessons. Record what the child is learning, building, collecting in productive free time. (more on this later on)

Reason -
-making choices, solving problems, making decisions, practicing discernment skills and logical thinking skills.
-Learning to ask the right questions that will lead to the solutions that they seek to solve a problem, (Controlled situations usually have no problems. They all have been resolved so they are testable)

Relate
-To see a need to relate to something to real life, to see a need to know something or a subject. This is the application or a how to apply of the reasoning process

Rhetoric
-to relate to others what something meant to them and to others.
-To communicate through the written or spoken word. Can be done through a project, narration or brief composition. (or a blog as my son is doing right now)

Many times each of these learning tools build in order on top of each other but some times you may see a child or yourself go back and forth over the tools to revisit them in order to gain more info, record that new found info and reason it's importance in the child's subject of delight. Then he may relate it with a new twist or to create a new product (Rhetoric)

Does all that make sense? If you will watch yourself, really think about how you have learned something, anything, you may find that you also learn this way as well. Although sometimes we get stuck and do not move past one or two of the tools because we have had our learning controlled. Breaking free yourself into a Lifestyle of Learning is the first step to allowing your children the freedom to do it themselves ...and it comes much more naturally to them if they have never been in school. Then, and only then, will you be free yourself and allow that same freedom to blossom in your children.

But, I must warn you. Your children will take off with this and probably run much faster than you will and leave you in the dust. When this happens try, try, try to control the insecurity and the temptation to control again in order to hold them back (get the problem with public group schools?) Let them go and watch them flourish. Let them master their subject of delight. I haven't always been able to let them go but one such time I saw the evidence of the results of the learning tools in my youngest son.

At dinner one evening, Graydon 14 at that time, had wanted to explore and study physics. So I got him a great book on physics and let him go to it. He mastered the book quite quickly and sat at the table discussing electrical terms and principles with his electrician father. I sat there amazed, (but proud.) At the end of this deep and lengthy educated discussion of currents, and voltages, electrical diagrams and a whole bunch of other terms I did not understand, I took a deep breath and made the announcement. "I am such a g-r-e-a-t teacher!" Dumbfounded they all stared. I further explained, "I did not have a clue what you just talked about so I must be a great teacher. My student has gone far beyond me and my limited knowledge and pursued much higher education in a subject than I ever wanted to go.... so I must be a great teacher."

They all agreed once they knew where I was coming from. And so can you be a great teacher too by letting go of the control and letting God lead your children's education "in the way that they should go," according to their bent, gifts and calling in their life.