On the homemaking front:

In the kitchen: Using two new books in the kitchen these days and am loving them both. One is this book that is giving me some new and fresh snack ideas for the wee ones:

So far we've made Apple Cookies and Carrot Oat Muffins and both were delightful. Look forward to lots more yumminess from this wholesome cook book.
Also loving this cook book that Joelie gave me for Christmas:

The recipes are very simple and nourishing. The subtitle is ," Recipes and suggestions by Mennonites on how to eat better and consume less of the world's limited food resources." One of the first quotes on the inside is, "We are prepared with all our hearts to share our possessions, gold, and all that we have, however little it may be; to sweat and labor to meet the needs of the poor, as the Spirit and the Word of the Lord and true brotherly love teach and imply.--Menno Simons"
How can you not love a cook book that begins with that quote?:)
On the menu this week is a tomato quiche and a crusty mexican bean bake. I'll let you know how they turn out.
We also made a fresh batch of play-dough. I love making play- dough. Here's the recipe I use:

Homemade Playdough
1 c. flour
1/2 cup salt
1 T. cooking oil
1 T. cream of tartar
1 c. water
Food coloring of your choice
Add-ins of your choice (i.e. spices, extracts, glitter, etc.)
Stir ingredients together well. Just measure them into the saucepan you will be using to cook the dough, but mix them well before heating up the pan. Over medium heat cook the dough, stirring constantly until it forms a ball. Turn dough onto a board (or the countertop) and knead until very smooth. Cool. Store in a covered plastic container OR in a sealed ziploc bag.


Last note on kitchen topics is that I have finally cemented the habit of menu planning on Sundays and grocery shopping for the week on Mondays. All it took, really, was making the decision to do it(thanks to my friend in my mom to mom group, Sarah M. for having a long chat with me about this. It really helped!) Boy are we saving some moolah by planning ahead so that we aren't grabbing food when we're out, on the way home, etc. Now I'm hoping that with the new learning tower I can keep the babes occupied beside me while I cook instead of using their nap time to get it done. We can dream, right?

House Cleaning: : Hmmm, have a ways to go on this one it seems. My mama is helping me with some problem spots and really streamlining things. My desire is to have a cozy but not cluttered home and it seems a constant battle to get there. I'm not giving up, though. My next goal is to have a rythem to my cleaning. Mondays are bathrooms and linens, for example. I mean, they aren't now, but they could be:) Anyone have some success stories to share?
I did finally start making some of my own cleaning solution when Tara was here. We used baking soda, vinegar and lemon juice. I like the smell much better than strong, toxicy smells, ya know?

Atmosphere: Would love to get to the point where, at least once a week, dinners are on a table with a table cloth with fresh flowers and other lovely things. Right now I am just trying to remember to wash my hands in between spraying poop off of cloth diapers into the toilet and chopping up onions for soup. Was that too much information? Sorry. But truly, I love setting the atmosphere in the home. I think beauty makes an enormous difference on the mood of everyone in the house. So, I aim for little things these days. Framing a new, Waldorfy post card to hang at the babes level. Rearranging the living room to look more open and airy. Etc. Baby steps.

Anyway, I'll be posting a bit more often about this area of my life. It is a big chunk of my role right now, and a part that I cherish and think is very important. Sometimes I feel defeated, thinking of managing the home as an uphill battle. But mostly I feel hopeful. Hopeful that new habits can be created and passed on to Sam and Amelia and any other little ones we are blessed with. Hopeful that I will continue to learn to see the every day as sacred. It is my New Year's desire. Jen