Orono Farmer's Market

Our favorite Farmer's Market is about an hours drive from our home, BUT, where else can I get such incredible food and friendship? Ummm... well ... there! So, off we go just about every Tuesday or Saturday to purchase our veggies, meats, and the occasional flower or two. And we always find old friends (I used to live in that area) as well as make new ones (Isaac is really good at that).

My favorite part of the market is the fact that I can get the absolute best meats there .... farm raised, grass-fed, organic beef and pork. Nothing better. I have just begun eating meat after nearly 15 years as a vegetarian, and I am veracious (I eat meat almost nightly now)! I am very thankful for my vegetarian years, and no less thankful for this new era of meat-eating years. Boy, steak is yummy...

And there is something so special about meeting the people who farm and harvest your foods for you. You can rest assurred that they are passing on to you the highest quality beef , carrots, and basil because they produce it for their own families. And they put their face to it. This is a way of life for them that no other food business can match.

As for Isaac, well, he loves that he can pick out the foods for himself and that he can flirt with his favorite baby while Mommy continues her shopping and or gabbing.

Do you have a local (or not so local) farmer's market? Tell me about it.

Love,
Jodi

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Isaac Bakes Some Blueberry Muffins.

Yesterday's post was pretty long on words ... so I will present today's "topic" through photos ... Enjoy :)

Yes, that is our cat covered in flour. She was seated right below Isaac's cooking "station". At 18+ years old, the cat had no clue she was being snowed on.

My Isaac made some delicious blueberry muffins, and we know this because we tasted the yummy batter. However, we were unable to taste his final product because I - as is often the case - burned them to a crisp. Seriously. Many moons ago, when the three of us (Meg, Halis & I) bestowed Indian names upon one another (Meg is Native) ... I became "She-Who-Cannot-Be-Trusted-With-Fire". Poor Isaac, no muffins for him ... but he will learn to cope with his Mommy's shortcomings. I will just have to teach him that life is about the journey, not the destination!

Love,

Jodi

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It's Official x2.

As of dinner time this evening, it has become official, I am no longer a vegetarian. I ate both chicken and moose tenderloin this evening. I'd say that qualifies me as a meat eater. But please note ... the chicken was raised here on our own modest farm and the moose was killed by our good friend, Johnny. In other words, no factory farmed meat was ingested ... I can feel very good about that.

So, one might wonder how I felt about it, especially given that the last time I ate red meat was when I was 18 years old ( I am now 33). Well, in truth, it was simply "okay". I don't think I have really missed much over these past 15 years. However, I think my body will thank me for it, as my carb intake has given me a robust and possibly less than healthy figure. And there is plenty more moose and chicken in the freezer. So, we'll see ...

Also, my Etsy store is "official". It can be found at http://www.thishandmadelife.etsy.com/. I hope you will check it out ... but please note that it has not been well stocked yet!!! I have LOTS more goodies to post but haven't gotten around to it because I have been busy creating even more goodies :)

Like this set of 6 "Early Bird Gets The Worm" placemats...


These are so darn cute that I really want to keep them! But alas, I shall part with them on Etsy soon. These were made with vintage fabrics and from my own original design. I think I may continue to use this bird design on some kids clothing and other kitchen projects.



Thanks for looking!

Love,

Jodi

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Wonderful Week with Meaghan.

Ahhh... school vacations are sweet. And we are so thankful that Meaghan decided to spend hers with us. Isaac, Meaghan and I had such a great time together ... creating, playing, cooking and relaxing.

We made tie dyes:

We cooked various goodies:

We attended Isaac's creativity/dance class and planted some spring seeds:

We introduced Meg to Isaac's favorite horses:

We played "Hide & Seek":

We visited a "happening" playground:

I wish every week was school vacation with Meaghan. She constantly reminds me of all that is possible, wonderful and beautiful. I am so thankful for her ... and Isaac is too!

For LOTS more pics of our week, please check out our Flickr account.

I leave you with a wonderful photo taken today... SUNSHINE has returned to Maine:

We are looking forward to some dreamy summertime naps in the glow of the sun. Happy TRUE Spring (a month late in Maine ... but most welcome!)

Love,

Jodi

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Keeping My Sanity ... Cooking & Crafting.

I am doing all I can to keep my spirits up in this insane "Spring" weather we are experiencing. This weekend saw us through yet another snowstorm ... and if it weren't for crafting and cooking, I might have gone insane (I did have one meltdown but cured it by browsing through some real estate web sites ... I am so out of here).

I was able to work on my "Spring Project" quilt this weekend. The top is nearly completed. I am now in the process of deciding what to do with it. I usually know beforehand who a quilt is intended for, but I am so unsure about this one. It is the first time I have done an applique piece like this one, so I am tempted to keep it. But after inheriting so many of my Mother-in-Laws gorgeous quilts, I see no reason to keep any more (though I only possess one of my own quilts).

I also inherited my Mother-in-Law's Janome Memory Craft 9000. Though I have had it for almost a year now, I only just began using it this weekend. It is just such an incredible machine ... so different from my Memory Craft 3000 ... and thus so very daunting. But Halis and I looked through the manual this weekend, and I got comfortable enough to work with it on my current quilt ...


I also tried my hand at cooking some Turkish food this weekend as well ... for the very first time! After nearly 12 years of marriage to a Turk, I have finally tried my hand at making Boreks. Thanks to The Sultan's Kitchen by Ozcan Ozan, I made some delicious Spinach and Feta Cheese Boreks (page 54)*.

(* For those who would like to try these as well, e-mail me for the recipe. I would only suggest that you not use as much butter as is called for - as these are greasier than my In-Laws make.)




These Boreks are actually alot of fun to make. As I was brushing a buttery mixture on each sheet of Fillo dough, my husband was telling me about the many occasions when he would help to make these as a child. As he watched me make them, he said "My Mom would be so proud of you." Though I am not entirely sure of that, I thought it was quite sweet of him to say.

It amazes me how very "domestic" I am getting in my thirties. I have suddenly taken an interest in cooking the foods of my husband's youth ... and making quilts for charity ... etc, etc. (Somebody please pass me a bra to burn before I take this too far!)

Also, I am really getting into this whole ATC movement in the crafting/blogging world. And after several weeks of snooping around at the ATCs of others ... I finally made some of my very own for a swap that I participated in titled, "Extreme Close Up Photo ATCs". I love how they turned out:

These photos were all taken during an outing that Isaac and I took to the Bangor Public Library. I am very excited for my 3 swap partners to receive them. I also kept a set for myself so that Isaac could have them when he is older. They are so much more vibrant and interesting in-person. I lok forward to making more. I have already gotten Meg into making them and she even plans to put together an ATC swap for kids! We'll keep you posted.

Love,
Jodi

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Mailbox Joy.

Today was a great mailbox day. I received some "joy" from Amazon.com as well as from some Swap-Bot partners. Here is the bounty of goodies that I ordered from Amazon:

Sew What Skirts: 16 Simple Styles You Can Make With Fabulous Fabrics by Francesca DenHartog

The Sultan's Kitchen: A Turkish Cookbook by Ozcan Ozan

The Book of New Family Traditions by Meg Cox

A Taste of Haiti by Mirta Yurnet-Thomas

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier

I am excited to try my hand at some Turkish and Haitian cooking, as well as some skirt making. The Road and The Measure of a Man are books that my husband is interested in reading... but I think I may get my hands on them first. And the Family Traditions book will serve us well in figuring out what sorts of traditions & rituals we would like to hand down to our son (we have only come up with one tradition on our own thus far).

Also ... I received some fabric from a swap that I participated in on Swap-Bot. We exchanged vintage fat quarters (18" x 22") of fabric. I sent my partners some sweet 70's fabrics from my collection. And I just received a package from my swap partner in Sweden. She sent me some very unique pieces. I LOVE them! They are barkcloth materials from the 60's...

I also received some lovely photo ATCs from another swap I am participating in ... but don't feel that I have a "right" to display them here as I still haven't sent mine out yet! (Sorry to my partners ... I WILL get right on this). I will post them here as soon as I quit slacking and send mine :)

Love,

Jodi

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Laid Back Tuesday.

Tuesday has recently become my "stay-at-home-and-get-things-done" day. Though I did get a few chores started, I am pretty sure that the only thing I actually completed was cooking supper and making banana nut bread. I always start out my Tuesdays with the best of intentions. However, I think my flaw today was that I just didn't make a list. Perhaps I should start blogging my lists so that I am held accountable to them!

The weather was gorgeous here today (for a Maine winter day). Lots of snow melt. So Isaac and I spent some time outside with the chickens. We even brought them an applesauce/raisins/pickles goulash. Yum.

And when Isaac had enough of the great outdoors ... (he fell in the mud at least 3 times) ... he asked to go inside to watch "Nemo". Here he is ... with muddy pants removed ... enjoying a peanut butter sandwhich while watching his movie just before nap time:

And here are those yummy banana breads that I actually finished baking! One chore down .... several hundred to go!

Aren't they mouth watering? I make Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread at least every other week. It is a staple in this house. Isaac would eat it until he burst, so we have to be careful to hide it after he has had enough. I thought that I might post my recipe here ... but then I realized that I have become the Banana Bread queen in my family and network of friends, so I think that I will keep my recipe secret in order to maintain my title. Sorry. But I will share my African Chicken Stew recipe in a future post. It is another favorite.

Well, here is hoping that I get something done on "clean-my-house" Thursday :)

Love,
Jodi

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