All the Little Projects

We jumped right into making our new house a home by checking off some little projects that needed to be done:

• removed carpet downstairs to reduce my allergies to dogs and dust mites
• installed a tie-out for the dogs until fencing can be completed
• hung bird feeders to begin to understand who lives here
• planted tulip bulbs, Lil's first part of her flower garden
• installed a mailbox and post because the old ones were knocked over before we moved in
• put together a cart to hold the mailbox and post and tools
• assembled Twitter-found bed frame and stainless kitchen work table
• re-installed smoke detectors (there were none!)

There are many more little and big projects to come:

• Find the box with my socks - seriously, I've been washing and wearing the same three pairs for over a week
• Fence a dog yard
• Replace leaky kitchen faucet and maybe the sink while we're at it
• Replace incandescent lightbulbs all over the place
• Paint and furnish Lil's room per her specifications, a bribe we gave her to get through the moving stress
• Replace dated hardware and fixtures
• Finish removing carpet tack trips and staples, oh goodness hundreds of staples
• Plant cuttings I took from plants at the old house
• Plant orchard so trees can get established before the spring
• Locate and begin a compost bin
• Make kitchen more workable with shelving, maybe new cooktop?
• Tons of tree work
• Which will inevitably lead to installing a wood stove

Tomorrow I'll post something non-house related and a recipe post is coming soon.

What little (and big) projects are happening in your world?

Dirt, Brunch, Turkeys, Flowers, Jars & Calphalon?

I'm busy working on the new house with no time to pretty up this list of events I want you to know about. Imagine pictures and a real introduction here: Dirt! the Movie Event is coming to Wild Goose Creative this Sunday. My friend Kellie Gedert is organizing a panel of local soil-lovers, root vegetable food competition, and art show, followed by a screening of the documentary Dirt! Buy a $10 ticket now for the evening of November 4.

Brunch! I'm co-hosting a brunch on November 18 at Brother's Drake Meadery with Allison Lehman and Stephanie Hayward. We're gathering a group of local Internet friends who want to hang out in real life. If you fit the bill, Let's Do Brunch!

Turkeys! Now is the time to order your Thanksgiving bird. This year, for the first time, The Hills Market is offering an Ark of Taste heritage breed, the Red Bourbon from Tea Hills Organic Farms. I can't wait to discover what the Red Bourbon brings to the feast. You also might be interested in Cota Farms smoked or fresh pastured turkeys or Ray Ray's Hog Pit smoked birds with all the fixings.

Flowers! Add some locally-grown joy to your decor this harvest season with a bouquet from Sunny Meadows Flower Farm. They are offering three styles of arrangements for pick up at the farm, City Folk's Farm Shop, or Mix: Home.

Jars! Instead of consuming, try creating on Black Friday, November 23. Head over to City Folk's Farm Shop from 11 am - 2 pm to join me in making Gifts in Jars: custom cocoa mix, foam bath, or flavored salt in pretty Weck jars with a variety of labels. Each jar will cost $6 and take only 10-15 minutes to make.

Calphalon! The folks at Calphalon shared that they are hosting a warehouse sale at Northland Plaza this weekend and next. The location is dangerously close to my new house and they promise premium cookeware at very low prices.

New Homestead: First Look

We're all moved in to the new homestead!

Our new place is a large Cape Cod house on almost two acres right in the middle of Columbus. The lot has several very large Burr Oak trees and lots of open space to garden.

Austra and Rosetta, the chickens, are living in a new coop that will offer protection from the hawks and other predators abundant on our lot. We also saw our first deer hanging out in the back yard tonight.

There is plenty of work yet to do - the kitchen is full of boxes but lacking in counter space, our homeschool room is a wreck of furniture, and we don't even have a mailbox installed. We're exhausted from moving but excited about the labor to make real the potential we see in this homestead.

Cabin In The Woods {Silent Sunday}

I thought we were encouraging exhaustion by accepting an invitation to an overnight in the woods in the midst of packing and moving. But unplugged time in the Appalachian back country turned out to be most relaxing. We hiked wet trails, played with sparklers, ate well, and then Lil experienced shooting for the first time. We feel grounded and ready to settle in a new house this week.

Sassafras Bakery's Delectable Crumble Topping

Lately I have been in a pie rut. My crusts have been tougher than I like and I suspected it had something to do with my switch to making pie crust with 100% butter fat. Compared to shortening, butter is arguably more healthy (because it contains healthy acids and vitamins) and easy to buy or make from local cream. I also much prefer the flavor of a butter crust to anything else. I could switch to lard and have made and used lard on occasion, but it isn't something I have on hand all the time.

I finally solved the butter crust riddle when I tested my theory that a thicker crust would correct butter fat's tendency toward toughness. The cranberry apple pie pictured above has a double crust recipe rolled thickly. The resulting crust is tender yet holds up to a fairly wet filling. It was neither mushy nor unyielding to a knife.

What placed my pie in the realm of perfection, however, is all in the topping. AJ of Sassafras Bakery generously shared her recipe with me on Twitter. Once I tested it, I asked for permission to publish for you and she agreed. Meet AJ and learn more secrets at her Buttercream-Decorated Sugar Cookies class December 1 and/or Art of Pie class December 8 at Franklin Park Conservatory.

I made AJ's crumble with Hawaiian macadamia nuts and smothered it on top of cranberries and apples because those are the ingredients I had on hand. I know I'll try it with other nuts and fruits as the seasons turn - I can almost taste a pear pie with pecan crumble topping and peach with walnut. Play with this recipe and let me know what combinations you love! Sassafras Bakery's Delectable Crumble Topping Makes: Topping for 1 9-inch pie Time: 10 minutes preparation, 30-45 minutes cooking

2/3 cup raw nuts (macadamia, walnuts, pecans suggested) 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter 1/2 cup white granulated sugar 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour

1. In a small saute pan, roast nuts over medium heat. Stir frequently and watch/smell carefully. As soon as nuts are slightly browned and smelling nutty, remove from heat. 2. Meanwhile, melt butter over low heat in a small sauce pan. 3. When butter is melted, add remaining ingredients and stir. Remove from heat. 4. Add nuts and stir to combine. 5. Spoon or use hands to place topping over a single-crust fruit-filled pie. You may not have complete coverage and that's ok. 6. Place a round of aluminium foil just smaller than the top of the pie on top to prevent burning. Remove foil five to ten minutes before cooking is complete to brown the top. 7. Allow to cool at least one hour before slicing.

Calves, Cows, and Cheese {Silent Sunday}

I learned 1001 things about milk, cows, and cheese on the Ohio Dairy Adventure, many of which I will share in future posts. To get you in the mood, peruse these photos from my dairy and cheese tours: 1) bottle feeding a one-week-old calf 2) several-weeks old Holstein calf licking nose 3) Holstein, Jersey, and Brown Swiss cows eating 4) dog considering benefits of drinking milk off floor versus risk of being kicked by a hoof 5) 20x20 milking parlor where each white tube is the milk flowing from a cow 6) cheese curds stirred by a machine 7) 1500 pound stacks of Pearl Valley swiss cheese in aging room

The American Dairy Association Mideast provided meals, accommodations, transportation and access to farms during the Ohio Dairy Adventure. They did not allow me to bring home a calf. My opinions are my own.

Develop Nature Fluency - Leave No Child Inside

In the push for reading and math fluency, children in America are missing an important part of growing up: nature fluency. Nature-deficit disorder, as some call it, is implicated in the obesity epidemic, rise of electronic media consumption, decline of ocean and atmospheric health, and general disconnect with the world beyond humans. What's the solution to all the deficiencies? A re-education in nature.

Nature fluency is witnessing the cycles of nature, being able to name creatures by the seasons, and appreciating our place in the natural world. It can't be taught inside. It must be experienced outdoors.

Today is No Child Left Inside Day. If you have a child, take them outside. If you don't, spend some time in nature yourself and encourage others to do the same. While you are outside, keep in mind the following pillars of nature fluency.

Developing Nature Fluency

Learn To Be Outside - This sounds like an easy one, right? Just walk out the back door. It can be as simple as that, but observing a few rules about nature makes the experience better for other people and the environment. Namely:

• Respect property lines and trails
• Take only pictures, not rock, plant, or shell souvenirs
• Keep it quiet - other people who might be silently observing wildlife
• Learn what is edible and inedible - and only eat with permission
• Respect wildlife and give them space if a trail crosses their path

Observe, Name, and Record - Develop a working vocabulary of the things around you to better describe what you see and track changes from year to year, place to place.

• Watch for what interests you - rocks, flowers, trees, birds, insects, or weather
• Learn the common and scientific names of what you see
• Use a field guide or walk with nature enthusiasts to confirm identifications
• Consider keeping a field log that tracks date, weather, location, and species seen
• Note the season changes in light of your preferred creatures

Appreciate - When confronted with the vast wildness that is observable even in city parks, humans begin to see that we are not alone. Our choices have consequences on the environment. We belong in the circle of life. Sometimes it's nice to appreciate nature with action:

• Become a member of a society that protects species or land, such as Audubon Society, Nature Conservancy or Duck Hunters Unlimited
• Participate in a clean-up hosted by a local park or watershed group
• Make a drawing, song, or story about what you see in nature
• Advocate for nature education in your schools and community
• Make spending time in nature part of your family routine
• Find ways to include outdoor play and exercise every day

How will you observe No Child Left Indoors day? Alex and Lil will be pressing cider while I am milking a cow on the Ohio dairy tour.

All The News

The apple Lil is holding in the picture at right is the most special apple she's ever held. She picked it herself, but picking apples is nothing new to her.

This apple is organic and of a heritage variety, but for a girl who eats Charlie's gold rush fruit all winter, that's not special either.

What is exciting beyond exciting, is that this apple is off a tree at our soon-to-be new house!

You can see a glimpse of the Cape Cod home, three car garage and large backyard with old growth trees that will soon become our homestead. The new place is only a couple miles from our current house in Clintonville, yet zoned rural. We'll fill in details after we move at the end of the month.

And A New Vehicle

To assist in the move, we bought a pick up truck. It just feels right to have a pickup if we're going to manage two acres. Our Ford Ranger 'Rebel' was built before I could drive but has fewer miles than our other car. Soon she'll be filled with mulch, soil, straw, and lumber for the many projects we hope to complete at the new house.

And A Tour of Dairies

I will be part of a team of bloggers touring Ohio Dairies this Monday - Wednesday. We'll see everything from milking to cheesemaking. I'm sure I'll report some of what I see here but you can follow @racheltayse on Twitter or RachelTayse on Instagram where I will post live pictures and reactions.

And It's Earth Science Week

Today is the beginning of Earth Science Week. You may not know it, but my undergraduate degree is in geological sciences and I remain fascinated by rocks and soil. Check out the Earth Science Week website for learning opportunities and activities near you. Tuesday is No Child Left Inside Day - be sure to help a child you love spend some time playing outdoors then.

What's going on in your world?