Email me at sinclair@naturewithme.com
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Our existence on the skin of this earth is a fragile one; give it strength through the work of your hands.
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My featured artist today is Mr. Nature! He is multi-talented, and has been making needle felted sculptures to sell in his new Etsy shop. In addition, he has finally begun his blog, Nature Acre (see his badge on the right?).
So, meet the pixies whom you will soon see in the Etsy shop! This little pixie has a secret, and he is looking to the sky as if to say "nothin' to see here, folks!"Will he share?This little damsel is bearing a gift, and she is looking forward to Christmas already!I love the beard on this Mr. Pixie! He doesn't care about combs and brushes; he just lets it stick out straight in front of him. He says it makes it all the easier to find his direction. And it keeps other pixies at beard's length.
I didn't even see it coming. After a strenuous and heat exhausting morning of hammering, nailing, and power sawing (I know, but that is how I am saying it), I wiped the gritty sawdust off my brow and trudged up the slope of gravel path to the house. Unbecoming sweat patches darkened my shirt and dust rained in my wake.
Out of breath from my walk and the heat, I gained the east deck and started in the house. The drooping potted melon and tomato plants beckoned, however, and I paused to give them drink. As I watered the strawberries, a yellow jacket was caught in the jet stream from my hose, and I admit to a feeling of satisfaction at his struggle to free himself from the roiling water and straw mulch.
I continued watering, making sure to steer clear of the various yellow jackets and their known nesting places. Many have been destroyed in the protacted battle, but many many remain. Daily, Mr. Nature goes on a killing spree to rid the grounds of more aggressive stinging insects. Every day we see hundreds more. They gorge themselves under the apple trees on the fallen fruit and selfishly dominate every open water source. Amilia has even been prevented from play at her water table.
So, I was careful as I watered. I became absorbed in examining the health of my plants as I sprinkled their roots. I inspected for damaging insects and observed the flowers ready to open for pollination. As the last plant was quenched, I felt a stinging, stabbing sensation on the arch of my foot. I looked down, and a yellow jacket had crawled inside my garden clog and was pumping its poison into me. I quickly kicked it and the shoe away and hopped on one foot into the house. As simple as that instance of abandonment, I have joined the ranks of those stung by wasps this summer. I could have done without the pain.
The ongoing saga continues...
NOTE: I immediately went inside and used my Sawyer Extractor pump to remove as much poison as possible. This tool is invaluable to have around for stings, mosquito bites, and snakebites.
I am finding out just how many. If you follow my blog, you will know I have POUNDS of zucchini at my house right now, compliments of Birdhouse Man. Also, my plants finally started producing, so I have about three pounds from my own garden. We have eaten zucchini bread, stuffed zucchini, zucchini casserole, raw zucchini sticks, raw zucchini cubes in green salad, and today we consulted one of my favorite cookbooks (photo above) and made zucchini with hummus (photo below).
(image scanned from p. 195 of Complete Vegetarian)
I modified the recipe from the book because I was using more chickpeas than the recipe suggested, so I will tell you how I made it...
Hummus: 1 can of organic garbanzo beans, 15 oz. (I would really prefer bulk beans cooked fresh, but I was impatient) 4 cloves of garlic, crushed with wooden mallet 10 Tbsp lemon juice (I used fresh squeezed lemon and it took 3 smallish medium ones) 8 Tbsp tahini (I used raw Tahini from Earth Gourmet Foods in Eugene, Oregon) 4-8 Tbsp olive oil (start with 4, and work up from there if you like-I used 6) 2 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp salt
I used my Bella Cucina rocket blender ($19.99 right now at Macy's-I love this blender!) so I made it in two batches. I placed the garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and 1/2 the garbanzo beans in the blender and blended for about 2 minutes. Poured mixture into bowl, retaining a small amount in blender. Added the olive oil, cumin, and other 1/2 garbanzo beans, and blended for about 2 minutes. Poured into bowl with first half of mixture. I then added the salt and stirred with a spoon until mixed in. FINISHED! If it is not thick enough for your liking, add more garbanzos. This was very lemony and garlicy, just how I like it. You could adjust down if needed for a milder flavor.
Zucchini (about 2 pounds): While I was making the hummus, Mr. Nature cut up the zucchini into slices and used about 4 Tbsp of olive oil in our Wagner Ware #8 cast iron skillet, and pan fried (or pan sauteed, really) the zucchini slices until just browned and tender. Just about one to two minutes per side. C'est Finis!
If I were on the show Chopped, I would be chopped for plating in this manner, but here is how it looked:It should have had a paprika garnish on the hummus, and some greenery garnish on the plate. I could have picked a bit of basil from the east deck to go with the tomato, but I was too impatient. (a running theme)
This was an amazingly yummy way to eat zucchini. Local zucchini, heirloom tomatoes from my own garden, Garden of Eatin' Bible Bread pita bread, hummus made with fresh garlic from the farmer's market...and a fork. I also had 1/2 a pita pocket and made a sandwich with hummus, zucchini, onion, tomato, and lettuce. Exquisite!! Highly recommended.
The Change The World Wednesday challenge this week from Reduce Footprints is from a suggestion by Elizabeth Barrette of Gaiatribe:
Make a craft featuring reused/repurposed materials).ORIf you often do crafts with reused/repurposed materials, teach other people how to do so. Write a set of instructions and/or create a photo-essay showing the steps of a craft project, and post it to your blog.
Well, this is something I do ALL THE TIME, so I think I can easily get on board with this one! I will let you know what I come up with...
And because it is hot, I have nothing to say here today. I come from the hot parts of California where it is scrambleyourbrainsontheasphalt hot, so I am thankful that it is not 113 degrees hot here, but once we pass 100, I still find that I feel a little cooked. Yesterday, 103. Today, projected at 106. I had been trying to get through the ENTIRE SUMMER without using any air conditioning. But, I must confess, I have used it the last three days for four hours each day.So, because my creative juices are evaporated by the heat, and because my fingers are too heat sluggish to type, and because my brain is heat slow, there will be no post here today.
The wild turkeys were out with their babies this morning in the field next door. Mr. Turkey was leading them around and making a small popping noise in his throat. "Come this way, quick!"He was not happy about my presence, and the dog on the other side was heartily barking in their direction. They meandered off into the cover of heavier brush and trees.
I guess turkeys do NOT wear hats, but if they did, they could keep warm in this little hat that I knitted this weekend. This is my first ever hat! I have been knitting for two years and have done scarves, washcloths, scrubbies, finger puppets, and doll blankets. But no hats. I have finally broken the hat barrier. Now I need a set of interchangeable bamboo circular needles so I can make more and more and more hats and cowls and...sweaters? Dare I attempt sweaters? First, more hats...
We attended the Friday evening market, to see our friend the Birdhouse Man. Just because he is kind, and Amilia had admired a particular birdhouse and told him her favorite color was green...he had made her a custom bird house, and we were to pick it up. It is grand!Her favorite color. Outhouse with copper roof. Double staircase. Decorative moss. Little cats sleeping under the stairs. A cute little snail sneaking off the corner. Stained roof, base, and outhouse. 19 inches long, 8 inches wide, and the house is on stilts, so stands 15 inches from the base to its apex. And, of course, since bird nesting season is over, the Playmobils will be in residence from now until next spring. Maybe longer.Birdhouse Man also gave us more of his garden bounty: 2 lbs, 1 oz. lemon cucumber and 8 lbs, 9 oz. zucchini. Thank you Birdhouse Man! In return, we took him a large bag of moss from Deer Palace. He uses it on his sculptures and bird houses, but he has to go collecting. We have an abundance, so we thought it would be a help for him to have more on hand.
From our own garden, we collected a last 10 oz. cabbage, a 6 oz. yellow summer squash, a 9 oz. zucchini, 10 ozs sungold tomatoes, and 1 lb., 5 ozs purple cherokee heirloom tomatoes. The tomatoes are turning color finally! These picked are almost completely ripe, and the vine needed thinning - - placing in a brown paper bag with a banana for a few days.
And, two of the girls have given us a baker's dozen eggs this week. Numbers 12 and 13 arrived today. They are still the smaller first eggs, but one of them is almost full sized. We finally named the chickens. There is Olive (named by me), the very mild mannered and very productive layer. She is surprisingly at the bottom of the pecking order and hangs out alone very often. She lays light brown, creamy colored eggs.
Big Mama (who we thought might be Big Daddy, but wasn't) has been named Mary by Mr. Nature. I like to call her Big Mary. She is at the top of the pecking order, just under Mr. Nature and myself. Her eggs are a darker brown than Olive's.
Then, there is Daisy (named by Amilia). She is the skittish one, much like Amilia herself. Scared of her own shadow and not too keen on outsiders. Or insiders, for that matter. She has not laid an egg yet, as far as we can tell. If she has, we have not found her hiding spot. It has been fun to follow her around in an attempt to sleuth it out of her.
The coop is in progress...Basically, a 36" cube.The front door with hinged opening. Linoleum on the floor will protect the wood and make the bottom easier to clean. Alas, we are not carpenters, and it will be a humble little abode. But it will be an accomplishment for me, and it will be safe and dry and nesty.
Lastly, some poison has been sprayed. Some more wasps have died. The vigil continues.
Deer Palace is besieged by yellow jackets. We are off fighting the good fight, as it appears that the population of unwanted mean insects has suddenly exploded, despite our routine killing of insects and nests. The problem with yellow jackets is that their nests are very difficult to locate. Bringing out the big guns.
Last night we killed 14 yellow jackets inside the house. They had found a way in at a sliding glass door, but even after we shored up their entry point, they persisted. Trying not to use poison...employing many measures right now that include wasp traps, borax, and maybe fish or liver over a bucket of soapy water.
I think the snakes were more agreeable to me than having wasps invade the inside of my house. Mr. Nature was stung again last night while killing the swarm.
They may be good for the gardens, but wasps have been plotting a hostile takeover of Deer Palace, and they are taking no prisoners!
Monday, Amilia was brutally attacked in her little wading pool. She was minding her own business, playing with Schleich animals in the water, and STRIKE. She was stung on her third finger. The screams were heard across the land. Mr. Nature immediately went on the offensive. It was a massacre! At least 20 wasps were dispatched, and several nests destroyed. They paid dearly.
Tuesday, Mr. Nature was the one caught off guard. He was out hunting chicken eggs (see Monday's post). He was looking in the Juniper bushes because Daisy (the chicken) had been spotted trying to find a nesting spot there. STRIKE! He was stung on the hand in a surprise aerial attack.
Tuesday night, Nature Boy was dive bombed in bed as he was minding his own business with his laptop. The eye witness report states that the wasp flew in and landed just under the bend of his knee. There it stung the soft flesh at the top of his calf just below the back of the knee. The attacker was gone again just as quickly, but it turned out to be a Kamikaze mission. Mr. Nature rooted out the guerrilla agents and dispatched them quickly and permanently. We are all in wonder at how it got in the house, and Nature Boy is sleeping on the couch until he is sure all enemy agents have been eradicated.
The apple cider vinegar, baking soda, ice, and hydrocortisone cream (used only as a last resort) have been getting a workout.
Reporting to you from the insect front. (and hoping I can escape attack)
I don't know about you, but I have always been sensitive to the teeniest tiniest annoyance in my clothing. A scratchy tag, a poky seam, stiff fabrics, all a colossal bother. My mother always called me "The Princess and The Pea." My daughter is the same. In fact, there are no tags left in her clothes. Her underwear are purchased tagless. She refuses to wear denim at all. And for myself and my family, I am always feeling seams in socks in the store in an effort to finally find a type that wouldn't dig into our toes.
I was thrilled to be able to try out the patented "100% seamless" Smart Knit Kids socks made by Knit-Rite, Inc. Knit-Rite has been a maker of medically therapeutic textiles since 1923. Smart Knit Kids began in 2003 as a result of a mom requesting Knit-Rite to come up with a truly seamless sock.
I tried Medium, Large, and XL on my daughter, and she liked them all. "Hey, these are comfy!" were her words. I will say that we thought the medium was NEVER NEVER going to fit, as it looked like an infant sock when I pulled it out of its box. It uses the same type of Corespun yarn and Lycra as therapeutic support socks. This is to give a form-fitting design that won't bunch and wrinkle inside shoes. It did fit, as they all did, with some initial stretching. The medium fit as a crew sock would fit, the large was mid-calf, and the XL was higher than mid-calf, but not all the way to the knee. She is 46" tall with a shoe size of Toddler 12.
For me, one of the downsides of this sock is this support "hug" feature. They are made of 97.3% polyester and 2.7% Lycra. As a mom who is moving to completely natural fibers and avoiding fabric blends, I would much prefer to see a 100% cotton or bamboo variety of these socks. If I had never tried these, I might pass them up on a store shelf simply because I look for and usually purchase only 100% natural fabrics.
These socks are made in a tube shape with no discernible heel. This is to allow small children more confidence in putting on their socks, and to allow longer wear before they grow out of them. I normally do not like tube socks, but this works well with this design, and did not pose a problem for us at all.
The top of the socks are created with a specially trademarked Halo Top that we did very much enjoy. On the large and XL sizes, the socks have a very small finished edge, with no restrictive band to leave impressions on sensitive skin. For this feature alone, I would love to have a pair in my size.
One more feature of these socks is that they wick moisture away from feet, and have "antimicrobial benefits." I could not find any information about the antimicrobial agents or what, exactly makes the socks antimicrobial, but for me, this is another drawback. In my efforts to live a greener and healthier lifestyle, I avoid antibacterial agents, waterproofing agents, and other chemical enhancements that are supposed to provide benefits but are not derived directly from nature. Bamboo is a naturally antimicrobial fabric, so I say again that I would love to see a pair of these in bamboo.
These socks have benefitted many children with sensory disorders, and for them, I think the hugging fit, the corespun stretchy support, the seamless, heel-free design are spectacular. My child and I have Princess and Pea tendencies, so are also in need of seamless socks.
I like the socks and the idea and am happy that there is finally a seamless sock out there. Amilia really likes the comfort of these socks. However, for us, I would be much more inclined to purchase a design that is seamless, with heel, and made from 100% natural fibers. If you are looking for seamless socks, these might be for you.
We have now arrived at (one of) the reason(s) that most people do not allow their chickens FREE free range. They lay all around the yard. Of course, other reasons include dogs and other animals of prey, but we don't really have those concerns here during the day.
Our chickens still do not have a proper nest box in their coop cage, and the fully enclosed coop is still incomplete. We had let it fall behind a bit, as the chickens have been happy with their accomodations, and we didn't expect eggs for another month.Yesterday, Mr. Nature found four beautiful small eggs in the ivy where one of our hens spends time. They are obviously the first ones, as they are very small. We are elated to have the first eggs, and look forward to all those to follow.
Thanks to Sriper Striper the Wonder cat, we had a visit from this little snake yesterday:Striper had inflicted a wound, so we do hope Mr. Snake made it...Mr. Nature let him loose on the north side near the creek bed (where the other snakes were taken). Garter snake of some sort; yellow ribbon snake?
I finished the embroidery on Amilia's project. Now to take it to the sewing machine...
Well, the Farmer's Market was a BIG bust this week. It was HOT. Not that I'm complaining about heat; my tomatoes need some to get red already. It was apparently in competition with the County Fair. The organic produce farmer was absent AGAIN. Even Nature Boy came along for the fun this week, but was mostly unrewarded for his efforts (except he did eat some yummy fish tacos). So, it was transformed into artisan market two weeks running. That would be fun, too, except it turns off the people who came for produce and eggs and the like. So, no photos from the market this week.
Instead, I give you the progress on Loving Hands... (I did not alter the size of these photos or watermark yet, so you can click to see a larger and more detailed view)And, the bonus for me this week at the Evening Market was that I met the knitting lady and had a tutorial on using circular needles. I have learned how to use 5 needles to knit in the round because I think one should know it, but I want to try the circulars...now I just need to find a 16" circular needle, and I am on my way to Hatville.
This little pixie has a secret, and he is looking to the sky as if to say "nothin' to see here, folks!"
Will he share?
This little damsel is bearing a gift, and she is looking forward to Christmas already!
I love the beard on this Mr. Pixie! He doesn't care about combs and brushes; he just lets it stick out straight in front of him. He says it makes it all the easier to find his direction. And it keeps other pixies at beard's length.
