Tag Archives: green

Happy Easter! And a bribe.

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Happy Easter to you!

I was inspired by this lovely photo and rushed to dye some eggs in a crunchy way before the Easter bunny arrived. Aren’t these colors divine?

So I followed these directions…

How To Make Vegetable-Dyed Eggs

Keep in mind the effect of the dyes varies depending on how concentrated the dye is, what color egg you use, and how long the eggs are immersed in the dye. I used half a purple cabbage, shredded, to dye four eggs. Err on the side of more rather than less when creating your dye.

Hard boiled eggs at room temperature, or white and brown eggs, preferably not super-fresh
Purple cabbage (makes blue on white eggs, green on brown eggs)
Red onion skins (makes lavender or red)
Yellow onion skins (makes orange on white eggs, rusty red on brown eggs)
Ground turmeric (makes yellow)
Red Zinger tea bags (makes lavender)
Beets (makes pink on white eggs, maroon on brown eggs)
Oil (canola or olive)
White vinegar

Clean the eggs so there are no particles sticking to their shells.

To prepare a colored dye, first chop the cabbage, chip or peel away the dry skins from the onions, or shred the beets. In a stainless steel saucepan, boil enough water to generously cover the number of eggs you’ll be dyeing. Add the dye matter and bring to a boil, turn heat down to low and simmer, covered, for 15-30 minutes. Dye is ready when it reaches a hue a few shades darker than you want for your egg. Examine a sample in a white dish. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (I put the pot on my fire escape and it cooled off in about 20 minutes).

Pour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into another stainless saucepan, or into a bowl then back into the original pan if that’s all you have. Stir in the vinegar. For the dyeing, it’s best to use a pan with a flat bottom, like a Dutch oven. Arrange the room-temperature eggs in the pan in one layer and carefully pour the cooled dye over them.

Place in refrigerator until desired color is reached. Massage in a little oil to each, then polish with a paper towel. Keep in refrigerator until time to eat (or hide.)

And of course I tweaked these directions and used what natural things I had around – some green tea, some other fruity herbal tea, a bit of raspberry juice and some turmeric. Looks pretty good so far, right?

Well, here they are. I’m a bit disappointed because they don’t quite look like the inspirational photo, but they’re growing on me. It’s just that I’m not really a pastel kind of a girl. Sigh. There’s always Photoshop!

So for a bit of fun after a bit of disappointment, I decided to start a new Easter tradition. I had the ingredients already, but I just hadn’t quite gotten around to making them. But I needed a good chuckle and I guess I needed a few chemicals too after the crunchy egg dyeing experiment sooooo..

Voila! An orange squirrel on a stick! How’s that for a new Easter tradition?

So here’s the bribe you’ve been waiting for, dear readers. Nothing like a bribe on Easter, eh? The first six people to comment on this post AND let me know what topics you’d like me to explore in future blog posts… that’s right, you guessed it! I’ll send you an orange squirrel on a stick. Note: you WILL be chastised if you ask me what the ingredients are. This is an orange squirrel on a stick; this is not a health food.

Have a wonderful Easter or fun pagan ritual, whatever you choose. Enjoy!




Family Wisdom Conference!

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What are you doing on Saturday, April 17? We hope to be checking out the Family Wisdom Conference in Traverse City. There are so many interesting sessions that it’ll be difficult to pick which ones we’ll go to… music, yoga, finger plays, oh my! Register by April 13 to secure your complimentary lunch from The Dish. Let me think about it for a minute… um, ok!

Check it out!

Family Wisdom Conference on Saturday, April 17

Welcoming Words and Slide Show Presentation set to Live Music by Kat Eldred 9:00-9:30

Session I ~ 9:45-10:45

Giving Birth Naturally with Kathi Mulder, CPM. What does a natural, physiological birth look like? Using Midwives as care providers, learn how to plan for natural birth in & out of hospital, including water birth.

Cleansing from Within with Jena Hullman, DC. We strive to clean up our lives, our homes, our cars… what about our bodies? A non-toxic body improves our physical, mental and emotional self. Learn easy whole-body internal cleansing ideas, recipes and programs.

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine with Jill Donberg, MAcOM. Among the oldest healing practices in the world, Oriental medicine can do more than relieve symptoms. Learn the facts about its uses, benefits, and see how it can teach you about yourself. The session will close with an acupuncture demonstration.

Healthy Foundations: Talking with Your Child About Healthy Sexuality with Janna Deering. Learn about healthy sexuality & development from birth throughout childhood, how to answer sensitive questions, how to teach about appropriate public and private behavior, and how to become an “ask-able” parent or care-giver.

Music Together with Georgia O’Brien.  A hands-on demonstration of Music Together curriculum and classes will be provided for families of young children. Be prepared to move and shake with your kids, because making music as a family is what it’s all about!

Children’s Stories and Fingerplays with Rosie Flickinger. Wigglers Storytime is sharing the love of books and reading through stories, songs, fingerplays and fun. For preschoolers, their families & friends. Storytime lasts about 30 minutes followed by snacks and a craft.

Session II ~ 11:15-12:15

Elimination Communication with Zane Kathryne Schwaiger & Kristen Burgess. Can babies use the toilet? E. C. is a practice used by families all over the world to help babies eliminate out of their diapers. We will talk about our experiences with our own babies and share some helpful tips for successful infant and toddler pottying.

Getting Your Children to Follow Directions with Jerry O’Hearn MA, LLPC. Do you find yourself telling your child to do something several times? Does your comply only when you “yell” at him/her? Jerry will discuss giving Good Directions and demonstrate simple, practical steps that you’ll be able to apply immediately.

Maximizing Your Family’s Potential Through Health & Wellness with Kurt Froese, DC. Learn how simple lifestyle habits such as proper nutrition, exercise, coping with stress, and family unity can have a profound impact upon a family. Maximize your family’s human potential through these simple wellness measures!

The Revolution Has Been Funded. How a Bush Era program provides the funding to act locally and have an impact globally with Bill Watson. Learn more about SEEDS and its 21st Century Community Learning Centers which works with at risk youth and families in ten high needs schools in five counties. SEEDS After School teaches green collar job skills while working to connect disconnected students to the environment, improve academics and provide them with the support and life skills they need to be successful.

Vermicompost for Kids (and Adults!) with Angela Stricker. This session is a hands-on introduction to the world of worm composting. Learn what worms eat and why everyone should have worms.

Yoga for Kids with Kyna Getsinger. We will stretch, move, play and sing with yoga for kids and babies.

Lunch 12:15-1:15. Repeat Performance of Slideshow, 12:30-1:00

Session III ~ 1:15-2:15

Boys, Boys, Boys with Heather Shumaker. Perplexed by the boys in your life? Learn to help active kids—especially boys—channel energy. Learn how to talk and listen to boys. What are the benefits of rough-and-tumble play? Take home ideas to make your home or school more boy-friendly.  This session is focused on the preschool age group, and may benefit parents of girls as well as boys.

Good Weeds…. Medicine in Your Own Backyard with Anne Hughes, FNP. Plants are gentle, yet effective healers. In this session you will learn to identify and safely use plants that grow where you live. With a little advance planning and a few square feet of soil, you can plant a medicine garden for yourself and your family.

Momma-Baby Bellydance with Kim Barnes. New moms & moms-to-be connect to your growing & changing body in ways that empower and make you feel good about yourself. Improve balance, coordination, muscle tone and have a great time while preparing for or recovering from your own personal birthing experience.

Resources for Living with Food Allergies & Other Restricted Diets with Nessa Butler. Restricted diets due to allergies or other issues can be frustrating and expensive. This session will provide some basic info about discovering allergies and food intolerances in your own family, and what to do once you know what to avoid. We will focus on recipes; ingredient sourcing, breastfeeding the allergic child, and helping kids cope physically, mentally and emotionally.

Why Music? with Susan Raguse and Traverse Community Music. Susan and her team of teachers and students will discuss the personal and educational value of music lessons, answer audience questions and demonstrate various instruments in an interactive ” musical petting zoo” that children will be able to see and “try”.

Creative Dramatics for Children with Mychelle Hopkins. Traverse City Children’s Theatre Director, Mychelle Hopkins, will lead participants in some creative dramatic exercises and theatre games. Information will be given on various youth and family-friendly programs offered by TCCT and the Old Town Playhouse.

Session IV ~ 2:45-3:45

Mothering the Mother: Benefits of Doula Care with Megan Rizzo, Melissa Waterstripe & Sairy Franks. Three local doulas will discuss the benefits of doula support for women, their partners, and families during pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum period. If you are pregnant, you deserve a doula and we’ll show you why!

Cooking From Your CSA Share with Jennifer Welty. Grow your culinary talents! In this session you’ll learn easy techniques to prepare delicious meals using fruits and veggies from your CSA share or other local food source. Learn the basics of food preservation through freezing, pickling, drying, canning and jelly making.

Homeopathy for Family Health with Heidi Kistler. This session will cover a brief overview of Homeopathy, which includes the Homeopathic principles and how Homeopathy works. It will also include descriptions of some of the more widely used remedies and how they work with certain conditions.

Free & Low-Cost Family Outings in Northern Michigan Panel with Jenika Burden, Kristi Weadock, Pam Darling & Ethan Scott. Representatives from Traverse City Kids, TART Trails, & Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will provide a variety of practical & engaging activities for children to experience in the Grand Traverse region.

How to Draw Animals Using Simple Shapes and Letters with Russ Ryba. Kids will learn how to draw funny-looking cartoon animals using simple shapes and letters. Children as well as adults and parents are welcome. Materials will be provided. Clear space on the refrigerator to show your amazing creations when you get home!

Kid’s Fitness for the Mind & Body with Brandi Johnson. Children discover exercises they enjoy by experimenting with movement. Learning health habits can be simple and playful!

planting the seed!

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If you’ve been following my drivel, you know I’ve mentioned thumbing through seed catalogs and planning a couple raised bed vegetable gardens this year. I spent more than a few hours this winter perusing catalogs with coffee in hand, pondering what interesting veggies I might grow from seed. All the while thinking that I’d have the seeds ordered and in hand by the end of March. So it hit me yesterday that it was already the end of March and I hadn’t even placed my order yet. Well well well. It’s the thought that counts? As it turns out, this philosophy will only get one Mamma so far.

It was time to stop thinking, wishing and hoping. Act already! Truth be told, I was overwhelmed by the hundreds of organic heirloom tomato possibilities and just needed to settle on a couple packets of seeds. But which ones? It was like going down the cereal aisle at a big grocery store. Too many choices!

48, sunny, and a desire to dig in the dirt pushed me to load up my little birdie and head to Target. Because when you think of gardening, you think of Target, right?! The last time I was there I noticed a good selection of seeds and I just HAD to get a few other things so there I found myself. Thankfully, Target and Burpee made the decision for me and only had organic Brandywine tomato seeds. I’m not a huge believer in fate, but this was possibly just meant to be. I also picked up a packet of organic cherry tomatoes called Sweeties. How cute is that? A packet of organic Chinese Giant peppers also jumped out at me. For instant gratification, I grabbed a packet of microgreens. In two weeks, we’ll apparently have something edible to snip off and munch on so I couldn’t resist. I also got some biodegradable seed-starting cells and I was on my way!

Side note: while I was shopping, Wren was playing with her kazoo in the cart and flirting with other shoppers. Have you ever seen a baby play a kazoo? It’s pretty damn funny.

I couldn’t wait to get home and get planting! Wren decided she didn’t want to be around when I was flinging potting soil every which way so she took a nap. Perfect timing!

Here are a few pics. Enjoy!

My hope in this seedling experiment is of the guarded sort because I’m not sure we have enough heat and light in the sun room, but it’s worth a shot! I’ll keep you posted on what happens this spring. Even though I check on them every hour or so, no shoots yet. Shoot.

So what about that fancy seed order? Well, I still want to place one for other fun stuff I’ll start from seed after Memorial Day. Spinach, beets, sugar snap peas, mache, carrots, basil, zinnia, bells of ireland, oh my! I will try to restrain myself because I want it to be an enjoyable summer and with a mobile toddler, I’m not sure how much garden maintenance I’m actually going to be doing… thankfully it’s still light out at 10 p.m. when I’ll probably be doing most of the weeding. With a cold beer in the other hand.

What about you, dear readers? What garden plans do you have this year? Will you be planting a “Victory Garden” too? Tell me about it!

crunchy eggs.

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Bunny on the brain around here. How ’bout in your nest? I’ve been day-dreaming about coloring eggs. Just had to share this lovely photo. If this doesn’t inspire you to grab a dozen and begin your own egg adventure, I’m not sure what will.

This year, I’m going to go crunchy and attempt to dye eggs naturally. Click here to watch a video on how to do it. Or follow these simple instructions for more loveliness in green egg form.

With Bunny on the brain, I checked out Martha’s site on Egg Dyeing 101. As soon as she mentioned finding some quail eggs, I clicked away. The terms ‘101’ and ‘quail eggs’ DO NOT go together, right? Sometimes her ideas really are easy and fabulous, but usually when the header reads “Easter Projects Anyone Can Do!” I cringe. Come on, Martha! Not everyone has a ready supply of quail eggs… or do they?

Will you be dyeing eggs this year? Do you blow them out for future use or do you simply like to put them in Easter baskets and eat them in egg sandwiches for the two weeks that follow Easter? Me? Make them pretty and then eat them. Duh.

Enjoy!

P.S. How ’bout that? Health care for the uninsured after all. Whew!

Birthday Banner ponderings…

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Time is zooming by and Wren is getting older every day. I suppose everyone is getting older every day, but it seems more monumental in a wee one, doesn’t it? The countdown to my little birdie’s first birthday (May 24!) has begun and I’ve been pondering party themes and decorations. I really don’t want a throw-away birthday with lots of paper and plastic junk. I’ve been thinking a lot about making an heirloom-quality “Happy Birthday!” banner, which can be used for years to come. Here are some ideas I’ve stumbled upon so far…

I love the funky colors and the whimsy factor in this first birthday banner, don’t you?

But I’m thinking of something a bit cleaner and modern. Like this one. This one is a better fit for our nest. Does it say boy and girl though? No, I’m not pregnant; just trying to plan ahead, just in case.

But I like the simplicity and fun shapes in this banner. This is definitely boy or girl, no?

And then there’s this possibility for a classic pennant-style banner.

What say YOU, dear readers? Any other birthday banner ideas you want to send my way? I could do a “boy” banner on one side and a “girl” banner on the other. I’m not really into “boy” and “girl” colors, but it might be a fun way to have two banners in one.

In other party ponderings…

I’d love to have an outdoor garden party for Wren, but Memorial Day weekend in northern Michigan is hit or miss. It could be 75 and sunny or it could easily be 40 and rainy…. arrghhhh.

Speaking (err, writing) of weather, it’s above 50 (!!!) and sunny in these parts. Yee-haw! Trying to suck up the Vitamin D while I can. Is it possible to make up for the last four months in one week? I’m going to try. Can’t hurt.

Best!

mini eats.

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Even if you don’t have a baby, doesn’t this photo inspire you to make baby food?! I can’t stop looking at it. Why would you buy Gerber when you could take three hours out of your life and make a month’s worth of baby food that looks like this? WOW! Click on over here to see how you can do it.

But. Did you know there was a *but* coming? After several months of gastronomical exploration via spoon, Wren refuses to eat from a spoon anymore. She will only feed herself with her amazing pincer grasp. I gotta hand it to her (no pun intended here). She is really good with her hands and if I were her, I probably wouldn’t want to eat mushy stuff from a spoon either. So the world of “baby food” is a distant past now. Sigh. But it might come back when she masters eating from her OWN spoon. I give her a couple more months on that.

If you do plan to buy commercially produced baby food, I recommend Sprout. It’s organic and yummy. Yes, I tried it! Wren enjoyed it when she was an agreeable spoon-fed baby. If you live in northern Michigan, you can now get it at Meijer and Tom’s Market. It’s pricier, duh, but look at the packaging design. Love!

Last night we were transported to an exotic place via this yummy salmon dish that my sister-in-law wrote about on her blog. Honeybells, salmon, fennel, oh my! As it turns out, Wren loves salmon. That’s my girl!

Any fun baby food stories to share, dear readers? Do you make your own food? Do YOU like eating baby food? I’ve discovered that some of the purees are great added to cookies or cakes for a healthier fat substitute. Or added to plain yogurt. Maybe that’s what I’ll do with all the baby food cubes in our freezer…