Homespun

Okay, so I guess I've been a little granola, or crafty these past two weeks. While I've been waiting on more contract work to be ready I've really enjoyed trying a few new things I thought I'd share. 

1. Making baby food

I don’t have ice cube trays yet to store large amounts of food but I’ve been starting to make more of Nathaniel’s food. While I could probably set all those glass Earth’s Best Organics baby food jars aside and take them to a recycling facility I end up just throwing them in the garbage since our waste management doesn’t accept glass off the curb. I hate throwing away so many baby food jars….and spending nearly $1 for each jar when I know I can make the same thing for pennies on the dollar. He has been enjoyed mixtures like pear, plum, mango and sweet potato carrot.

2. Dryer balls

I’ve been wanting to get my hands on a set of these balls ever since a friend told me about them after I started cloth diapering since dryer sheets shouldn’t be used. Dryer balls don’t cause any buildup on the material, cut static, and speed up drying time. Since so many people sell them on sites like etsy (something I’m thinking about) I knew I could figure out how to make them myself. I contacted a wool mill in Pennsylvania and had a couple pounds shipped. I just finished them up and am putting them to good use!

Wool balls inserted into a nylon stocking and ready for the felting process

Completed wool dryer balls!

3. Homemade pasta

I’m guilty of having a pasta making tool for a few years and NEVER opening the box….until now. As a side to the filet minion and mashed cauliflower with cheese, I decided to do a garlic and olive oil tossed pasta side. I’m happy to report that not only was it much easier than I thought it would be, it was also delicious!

4. Wetbag

This project has been on my to-do list for a couple of months now. To avoid dragging plastic sacks everywhere we go I have now equipped the diaper bag with an adorable wetbag to store dirty diapers (or anything else wet) until we get back home. I found a cute pattern at the fabric store at a fabulous price and picked up a brand new zipper for .10 at the thrift store (hurrah me!).

Completed wetbag

5. Cucumber/pea/bean trellis

I’m hoping this project is wrapped up within the next few weeks so we’ll be ready to plant once the frost date passes. I’m in the process of digging up the sod where we’re going to place the trellis and the last four pieces of lumber are waiting for their last coat of stain (I’m planning on doing that today).

6. Making soy milk

I’ve been drinking soy milk ever since I found out I have an allergy to dairy a few years ago. I really enjoy soy milk but it is SO darn expensive! When I learned there is a way to make soy milk from the comfort of home I just had to give it a try. From beans to milk the process took a bit of time but I did it! I understand they have soy milk making machines….one might just end up on my Christmas list this year!

Dry soy beans

Soak overnight

Blend with water

Simmer for 20 minutes

Strain through cheesecloth

From start to finish

And…as I stay busy with projects around the house I’m getting ready to take on another contract job and go on our cruise. I’m more excited for the cruise!

Ready, set, spring!

Spring is finally here!

I’ve been waiting ever so patiently for the sun to come out and the past couple of days couldn’t be more beautiful! Spring around the Clark household means one delightful thing….Crystal gets to play in the garden again!

While this may prove to be much more challenging than in years past because of our little bundle of joy, I was able to pull out a blanket, a few toys, and have my little man accompany me out in the backyard today to play. Toys were fun for a while but then we decided to play in the dirt and plant our first four rows of seeds in hopes that some of the early veggies will be able to outlast any additional frosts (our last frost date in Puyallup is not until May this year – ugh!).

Nathaniel inspects a handful of dirt before planting seeds.

Today we put one row each of radishes, beets, Swiss chard, and cauliflower into one of our raised beds. In addition, our hot peppers are begiining to flourish in the garden window. We tried these last year as well with not much luck but wanted to give them a go again since we've had huge success with jalapenos and serrano chilies in the past.

 The rhubarb starter I picked up at the Puyallup farmer's market last summer is taking off this year.

My next project is a 8X4 bean/cucumber/pea trellis. Matt took me to the hardware store this weekend to pick up the materials (2x2x8 boards and wire fencing material). I stained the boards with an oil based stain to protect the wood from the weather and insects and will hopefully be working on the construction soon!