My friends know that the dessert I like best is pie. Any kind of pie. Put fruit in between two layers of flaky pastry and I’m in Heaven. Second to a proper two-pastry pie, is crisp. It’s a whole lot faster to make and it’s mighty satisfying.

Making crisp for my crew takes 1/2 peck of apples, peeled, cored and sliced. I always taste one to see if I need to add either lemon juice or sugar. I toss them in flour and cinnamon with at least a tablespoon of sugar (more if they’re really, really tart). Into the baking pan ( a big cake pan) they go, later to be topped with a generous blanket of equal parts butter, brown sugar and oats, half as much flour, more cinnamon, and sometimes I throw in some nutmeg or cloves. Pop the lot into the oven at 350 for 35 minutes or so. When you can see that bubbly juice around the edges and the topping is crispy and golden, that’s the time to take ‘er outta there.

Top with cold homemade whipped cream (made with confectioners sugar and vanilla) while it’s still hot. This will make the cream start to melt and drizzle through the crisp. Oh, so delish. Curl up with your bowl of apply goodness and light the fire. If you’re lucky, there will be enough for another spoonful when everyone is done.

Books. Books are my favourite toys. Fortunately, my children take after me. We would rather have a book than almost anything else. Some of our fondest families memories centre around a family read-aloud. I love to share favourite books from my own childhood, and to explore books that my parents and grandparents enjoyed.

I am blessed to have grown up (and eventually settled our family) near a marvelous old book store. They have sucha a treasure trove of antique books of every description, some first editions, some signed. But most of the books at the Book Bear in West Brookfield, MA are well-loved volumes from the libraries of regular folks.

This particular collection of Thornton Burgess books were a gift from the owner. I had gone in to purchase a complete set of Harvard Classics and The Great Books, both of which they had, in beautiful condition. I spotted these lovelies while perusing the children’s section with my William. At the time, we were reading the Burgess Bird Book for Children.



The covers are a little faded, but in wonderful condition. The cover illustrations are bright and charming.



Standing the test of time - still wonderful reading for children almost 100 years after the stories were first published.



The end papers are simply darling. I would love to have wallpaper made after them. Wouldn’t it be fun to paint them with watercolours or pastels?




Billy Possum is too cute, but doesn’t look much like the adventurous type in this illustration.



What is our friend Johnny Chuck up to, I wonder? Why don’t you stop by for a cup of tea and we’ll find out.

Please stop by and wish my friend Bridget a very happy birthday.

Who stood there watching as the I struggled to right the shopping cart that tipped over with my two-year old child in it:

I apologize for fantacizing about punching you on the nose.

BTW: Louis is fine, apart from a couple of bumps. His guardian angel and mine (and William’s - who was pushing the cart) were surrounding us.

Many thanks to the nice folks at Mountain Run Farm for producing this video tour of their farm. This operation is similar to what we hope to run on our own farm.

Pastured animals using rotational grazing in an ecologically correct order will produce healthy ground in which to grow organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, grains and vegetable fibres. Happy, healthy animals produce good milk, good meat, and good fibre. Good food makes happy, healthy humans. Happy, healthy humans can better fulfill whatever God asks of them. I think it’s time we looked back to the way God created land, animals, and people to work together. I think we’ll go a long way to improving the health of each. Clean, natural living, coupled with renewed faith and spirituality, and the revelations we have come to understand about disease prevention, natural remedies, and critical care, will go far in reversing the damage we’ve done to God’s creation. But no one element can work alone - we must implement every element in order for it to work. We musn’t sacrifice the dignity of humans in order to accomplish the goal, and we must honour the glory of God’s creation at all times.

I feel so strongly about this particular topic. I apologize for sounding like I’m on a soapbox. It’s only because I have such a love of Creation, and such an awe of the responsibility we have been given as stewards of it.


If you’ll check out Local Harvest, you can find a farmer near you that offers beautifully raised farm produce like this. And if you are in southern New England, you can check us out. We’d love to have you by for a cuppa and a chat!

Using the pattern below! See details here to sign up!

Make the Burden Light

I first published this pattern two years ago. Now, I’m making it available as a download. The pattern includes newborn (thumbless) through large adult sizes. I’ve given instructions and suggestions for modifications as well. I think you’ll enjoy making these for everyone on your Christmas list. If you want woolen yarns, just email me - I carry the entire line of Brown Sheep yarns. You can see descriptions and colour cards for them here.

The entire purchase price will go to preserve an historic farm in Connecticut, where we will provide classes and workshops for families, organic and natural farm products and groceries to our community, especially the growing numbers of needy families, and eventually, farm stays for retreatants and families in need.

Your pattern will be emailed to you as a zipped .pdf file as soon as we receive your payment. Thank you so much for supporting this project.

If you would like to link to this post, you may copy the photo above to the sidebar of your own weblog and point the link here. Brian and I are deeply grateful for your help.

For this family! What they can do on 1/5th of an acre should inspire us all to make do with what we have. Our current home is 1.5 acres, and that grass is costing our family of 8 (soon-to-be 9) an awful lot. Imagine what we could do with the space if it was used the way the Dervaes family uses their urban homestead, where they grow 6000 pounds of produce - and they only cultivate HALF of their 1/5 acre. Many thanks to my friend Suzanne at Blueberry Cottage for the tip.

To watch this video fullscreen, click the rectangle just to the right of the volume control:

If you are in southern New England, and want to learn how to grow your own food on small acreage, check out Renaissance Centre’s Farm School.

I’ve begun to load some of my favourite recipes to the “Recipes” page. You can click and print whatever takes your fancy. Eventually, I’ll make them prettier, perhaps putting them in pdf format, but for now, they’re available in a word document.

Enjoy!

In the rough:



You can’t really appreciate the loveliness of this garden area from this photograph. Step down a set of stone steps to a garden area surrounded by stone walls. Raised beds, edged in stone lay to the right. I’m certain that they once contained a bounty of herbs and vegetables, and God willing, will again. Everything has grown in over the last two years, but shouldn’t be too difficult for eager hearts and hands to clear.

To the left of the potting shed is a sweet play area complete with wooden swing set and a “tree” fort. I can easily imagine long afternoons of play out in the fresh air, the sounds of goats and sheep bleating, dragonflies flitting from blossom to blossom, squeals of delight at luncheon taken al fresco, overlooking 73 acres of farmland.

The potting shed is actually two rooms with running water and electricity. Behind the shed is the composter, and a spacious paddock with a very generously-sized run-in shed. It used to shelter highland cattle, but will do nicely for Oberhasli goats and Icelandic sheep. The overgrowth would be no trouble at all for our goats. In fact, Brian and I have considered the possibility of the goats’ drunken stupor after a few days of reckless abandon in those paddocks. Alka Selzter may be in order.