MommyCoddle

merry-making

Hi friends. Umm, wow. We are in the throes of merry-making around here. The girls and I made these little votive candles the other day from air-dry clay. Just your basic pinch pot, with some of the greens pressed in the sides to make an impression. They've been the perfect little thing lining my kitchen table. And could not have been easier.

But honestly, what I really need is another good week before Christmas. Though my kids would protest, I never seem to be able to fit in all the things I want to do in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

But what's really slowing things down is a huge project going on behind the scenes. It is taking all of my mental energy, decision-making abilities and honestly, my time. It's exciting for everyone but still...phew! There's not much extra room in my brain these days. 

I hate it when people drop little hints like that around and don't spill the beans, but I promise I'll let you know very soon. In fact, it will probably be my first post of the new year. I can't wait to tell you guys.

I'm taking a little holiday vacation from my work with BabyCenter this week and I'm hoping to be here a few more times before the holiday. I miss this space and miss all of you! 

More soon, friends.

xo. 

What Easter morning looked like here

Cinnamon rolls.

 

New peeps.

Fun dip? Not a good idea.

Real reason to celebrate.

 

7 lovely things

Good morning and Happy Valentine's my friends. Oh, I missed this place. I'm completely procrastinating on things like laundry and school work and showers and a huge mess in the kitchen from pink chocolate chips pancakes. But, it's been too long. So, hello. How about a list this morning, shall we?

1. I cashed in on my Christmas present this past weekend. A girls weekend away with two of my bestest cousins. We had grand plans of doing important things like historical tours and traditional working-farm visits--but it happily and comfortably turned into lounging and knitting in hotel rooms, long dinners out and antique shopping. It was perfect. And while, you know, I fought that mama-guilt about being away, it was such a good weekend. So so good. I have made it official that my husband can give me the same gift every year.

2. Do you see this aisle of goodness I stumbled upon in the very back of one shop? I may have had trembling hands when I took this picture.

3. First tractor-driving lessons with her great uncle. The report is that she's a pro and only stalled it out once. Learning to drive a tractor is on my to-do list. I think she just beat me to it. When asked if she wanted to trade in her pony for a tractor, we only got a roll of the pre-teen eyeballs.

4.  My new favorite and also perfect Valentine's listening: Us & Our Daughters (with a hat tip to my music soulmate. You know who you are.) On their site they share that last year was a tough year for them and their love. But they took to songwriting as their therapy. It pulled them through and this album is the fruit of that time. It's beautiful. 

5. Some love of the 4-hooved variety.

6. This knitted lovely is going in the queue. 

7. Some love it's good to remember.

xo.

Molly

The best of 2011

We've done away with the traditional "Christmas letter" tucked in with our card, in exchange for a family curated "Best of" list....

Happy New Year!!

Best of 2010

 

 

She sews

Christmas gift-giving was a real challenge for me this year. Even up to the last few days before the holiday I was scrambling for ideas.

I was feeling like my kids didn't really need anything. We have plenty of toys. The baby is drowning in three sisters worth of hand-me-downs. Their rooms are totally messy which makes me even less excited to go out and buy more "things" to add to that chaos. 

But my kids aren't quite at the age where they appreciate a hive of bees or a goat. 

Ideally I like to have one "winner" gift. Something that will thrill their socks off and then pepper the rest of the gift-giving with little things like books, underwear, chapstick and pencils. 

Finally at the very last minute this year, and thanks to an in-store phone call to my sister, inspiration arrived. 

For Mary, it was actually easy--she's been begging for an (inexpensive) digital camera since the first hint of holiday decorations started appearing on store shelves. (So that's like, what? October?) And for her slightly absent-minded personality, she's handled the responsibility impressively well. The camera still works AND she knows where it is. 

But Emma was a challenge. She wanted a horse-y Christmas and had things on her list like an indoor riding arena (Lord, help me.), and jockey silks. (They aren't cheap!)

She also had on this on her list at number 10: That Birdy will stay little forever.

Be still my heart. She immediately got extra points for that one. 

So, as I was standing in the local Feed Mill staring at hay racks and shedding blades, nothing was inspiring me. 

But in a desperate phone call to my sister and a "What are you getting your kids?" conversation, I hung up the phone with a plan. 

My girl was ready for her own sewing machine. 

If you've caught any of my whining around these parts, we've been without a sewing machine in this house for almost three years. I've been borrowing and begging which is no fun. And Emma loves to sew. 

Even with my majorly budget-minded Christmas, I was still able to get her a very basic, entry-level Singer. 

I've never really given Emma specific sewing lessons. She knows the basics and nothing more. But watching her navigate the creative sewing waters is exciting.

It's like when toddlers first learn to dance. The minute they start to bop to the beat, you don't whisk them off to dance classes. There is so much creativity and growth in them learning how to swing their hips and bend at the knees. They're way more creative and free without the boundaries of proper dancing technique. 

And I'm finding the same to be true with Emma's sewing. I know she knows enough to be safe. She knows that if she doesn't want her stitches to pull out she needs to do a little back-and-forth at the beginning and end. But otherwise, she is a blank slate behind the presser foot. The possibilities are endless. 

I know that eventually what she wants to make will get more complicated and some instruction will be required. 

But for now, my house is peppered with tiny hearts, miniature pouches and endless possibilities.

The dining room curtains and pleated skirts can wait....

Grand Champion

I swear, this will be my last post about chocolate sauces for a very long time. But, I just couldn't let this go. I owe it to you all, loyal chocolate-loving readers. 

Over the weekend, my grandmother's Chocolate Chewy Sauce recipe was finally found. For dinner at my Dad's house Friday night, we made up a batch with her recipe. We felt it our duty. It was an act of research. All in the name of science and foodology. Science served up over locally-made peanut butter ice cream.

Mom, I'm sorry. Meemu's sauce recipe is not only superior, but I might be bold enough to say extremely superior. I grew up on your recipe, so I can only think that something has somehow failed in translation from my kitchen to yours. I blame myself. 

However, in the meantime, I feel it my duty to share this recipe, awarded Grand Champion among all those involved, by a talented, highly-experienced panel of judges.

Some notes before I begin....

I did not melt the chocolate in a double-boiler as the recipe suggests. I do however highly recommend you make the sauce in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Otherwise, during the boiling, you really run the risk of burning or over-boiling the sauce. We don't want that to happen. The recipe calls for vanilla. I do not add it per a little note at the bottom of the recipe that says "no vanilla". I remember now, that my grandmother did not like vanilla. So feel free to add if you wish. 

MPM's Chocolate Chewy Sauce

In double boiler melt 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate. Add 2 tablespoons of butter. ( I add these at the same time.) Stir and blend well. Add 2/3 cup boiling water. 

Stir well and add 2 cups of sugar and 4 tablespoons of light corn syrup. 

Boil readily for 8 minutes, without stirring (Don't do it! You'll want to, but don't do it!) over direct heat. Remove from heat. *Just before serviing add 1 teaspoon vanilla.

*Original recipe is edited and says, "no vanilla".

Enjoy, my friends. Next week I'll share my recipe for a really great veggie tray, I swear. :)

 

For you crazy ones: Chocolate Chewy Sauce

Have you ever gone to a movie, loveloveloved it and then totally hyped it up to someone before they went to see it? And then you thought, "Oh. Maybe I hyped that a little too much and they'll be disappointed." 

Well, I hyped up this recipe a bit back there, didn't I ? But I have to admit, (though pride cometh before the fall)...I don't think it will disappoint. 

I also have to say upfront that I feel a bit like I'm letting you all in on a family secret. I mean this is the Chocolate.Chewy.Recipe. This is the one we pull out when we really want to impress the people we're having over for dinner for the very first time. It's a dessert that says, "We're fun! And we like to get a little crazy in the dessert department!" We serve up the bowls of plain old vanilla ice cream and then turn away from the table to the stove, appearing again with the big heavy saucepan clenched in our hot-padded hands. "What?! You've never had chocolate chewy sauce?!? Oh, you poor deprived human. You are in for a treat! Let my family's secret recipe enlighten your palette!"

 So let me officially welcome you to the family.

Okay, seriously. That's enough hype. This stuff is good people. In a fun way. In a pull out your 8 year-old's loose tooth way. In a soak the bowls to get the remaining sauce off way. In a probably not for people with braces way. In a no one will be talking during dessert way.

There are two versions of this recipe floating around the family archives. My grandmother's recipe and  my mother's recipe. Both versions equally good with the exact same results. And because my mom, upon my phone call two nights ago, could put a finger on her recipe immediately "I think I file it under sauces.", and my grandmother's version is currently MIA, the recipe below comes from my mother's kitchen. She's a pro at this stuff.

Chocolate Chewy Sauce from the family vault 

2 one ounce squares unsweetened chocolate (to which I said, "Really? Unsweetened?" To which my mom replied:

"It will make sense when you hear the next ingredient.")

2 cups granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon butter

3/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Over medium heat, slowly melt and combine all ingredients but vanilla. Once they have melted completely, bring to a boil. Cover and continue boiling for two minutes. Remove lid (still boiling) and continue boiling until sauce reaches soft ball stage*. (This usually takes another minute or two.) *Note: If you have a candy thermometer, you can use this to test for soft ball stage (235 °F). The method I use is to keep a clear glass of cold water at the stove. Drop a few drips of the sauce into the water, if it holds together in a loose, "soft" ball, you've achieved soft ball stage. If it falls apart like a cloudy mess to the bottom of the glass, you're not there yet. You know what comes after soft ball stage? Hard ball stage. You don't want to get there, unless you plan to never reuse the dishes you serve the sauce in. However, reaching a good softball stage is key to the sauce having the right consistency. If you err any way, err to the side of hard ball. Don't under do it, or you won't get the chewy factor. But go to long and you'll get a more brittle sauce. No pressure, huh? I promise, it's not as difficult as I just made it sound.

Once you reach soft ball stage (Phew! You made it!) remove the pot from the heat and stir in the vanilla. At this point, you can either let it cool to re-heat and serve later in the day, or keep it warming on the stove until dessert. Serve over vanilla ice cream, or if you want to get a little daring, mint chocolate chip. Leftovers? Jar them up and warm them again the next day. And the next....

Enjoy! I am not responsible for the extra five holiday pounds these last two recipes have caused you. Nor am I responsible for any damage to dishware, flatware, dental paraphernalia or lost teeth. (No honestly, it's not that chewy. Usually.)

 

7 Tips for taking a perfect family Christmas card photo

1. Take your photograph when your children are well-fed and rested. (Not right after church when the baby is looong overdue for a nap and everyone's low-blood sugar is resulting in impatience and grumpiness.)

2. Make sure your husband is well-fed. (Because you'll need his help to wrangle babies, arrange children, shoo chickens, and hold ponies. And if he's hungry {see above}, he'll give up on your perfect holiday photo shoot way too quickly.

3. Find a clean, white pony to add something unique and meaningful to your family's photo. (Preferrably not one that was rolling in her muddy field just as you are all walking outside to take pictures.)

4. Make sure your children are well-groomed and bathed. (or else they'll be wearing handknits in all the pictures to cover up)

5. Drain all tubs of standing water. (Because you know the baby will find them. And while you're directing the brushing of the pony and making sure noone gets stomped on by the same nervous pony, the baby will find the water and be up to her elbows in it before you turn back around.)

6. Lock in the chickens. (They distract the photographer.)

7. Remember that one of the things you love most about your family is that it's big, crazy and chaotic. But every once in awhile, you get a glimpse of almost-perfection. And there among the five hundred wacky outtakes, there'll be one that captures just that. 

 

Give the gift of chocolate (the less dangerous variety)

My family has a special well-loved by many generations recipe for something called Chocolate Chewy Sauce. It's killer. The moment the warm chocolate hits your cold ice cream it gets all thick and sticky and ohhh man, so good. 

A few weekends ago, when my sister was in town, we decided this would be the perfect thing for dessert that night with our families and brood of children. But for some odd reason, the recipe was MIA from my box. Though mildly distressing ( I haven't put out an all-out search for it, so I'm not worrying, yet.) I found another version of chocolate fudge sauce in my box that I've stored away for years. 

I heard about it from a college friend. And it is just as rich, not overly sugary sweet, and chocolately as the chewy stuff--but minus the chewiness. And as I was making a batch up, I realized that this hot fudge sauce would make a great holiday gift. The chewy sauce isn't for everyone. If you didn't grow up on it, you might not appreciate the jaw-clenching fun of our family's warm fudge sauce. You might not appreciate the work it takes to scrape every last bit of chocolate from the sides of your bowl. Or the fact that you must soak the bowls in hot water in order to remove the last bits of chocolate from their sides. 

And who wants to be responsible for giving that kind of chocolately madness to a neighbor, co-worker or your daughter's preschool teacher?

Enter my much less dangerous, but still just as delicious version of hot fudge sauce. I can vouch that this recipe, once prepared, can be poured into cute little canning jars, or my personal favorite BonneMamam jars, with their red and white checkered lids. It can be refrigerated and then warmed in a pot of simmering water while you eat dinner and be perfectly ready for the dessert hour. I'm thinking the neighbors will each get a jar this year. It is easy to make, easy to store and something completely different from my usual plate of sugar cookies....Who doesn't love a good warm, fudge sacue over vanilla ice cream? Not many. 

*FYI: Sauce in the picture is straight from the fridge, it will not be that thick once warm.**

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

5 squares unsweeted chocolate

1/2 cup butter

1 can evaporated milk (12 ounces)

3 cups of powdered sugar

1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat. Mix in sugar and milk (alternating the two ingredients as you add them.). Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil for 3-5 minutes so that sauce will thicken. Remove from heat stir in vanilla. Serve warm over ice cream. Leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to....it won't last long enough to worry about that. 

Breaking tradition in the form of pumpkin bars

It almost feels wrong to post this. I mean, there's a tradition to maintain on this blog. It is this recipe that marks the beginning of cooler temperatures and sleeping with the windows open. I post it every.year. 

But this week was Dan's birthday, and in his usual style, we needed a birthday cake that didn't fall in the super-sweet or super-chocolately category. He's more of a cheesecake, apple crisp or shortbread kind of man. 

That's when I remembered this recipe. Clipped from a farming newspaper way back when we lived in Illinois. I wasn't even sure I still had the recipe--that little slip of newsprint, fragile and folded, tucked away somewhere. 

But on his birthday afternoon, when I opened my old recipe box, to see if I could dig it out among the other recipe artifacts, there it was. The very first recipe in the box. Waiting for me. 

The cake isn't super-sweet and bakes up like a sheet cake. And the cheesecake frosting? Well, it's the frosting on the cake, of course. 

Try this. It won't disappoint, and then be sure to break out that pumpkin bread recipe some time, too. It's tradition.

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting clipped from the pages of The DuPage Farmer

4 eggs

1 ⅔ cups granulated sugar

1 cup cooking oil

1 16 ounce can pumpkin

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspon baking soda

For the frosting:

1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

2 cups sifted powdered sugar.

In a mixing bowl combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. ( FYI: I did all mixing by hand, to save breaking out the major appliances.) Sift together the dry ingredients (if you want to be an over-achiever) and add to the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Spread batter into an ungreased 15 x 10 x1 inch cookie sheet (aka jelly roll pan). I lined mine with parchment. (I am an over-achiever.) Bake at 350 ° for 25-30 minutes. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting. 

that's SO last year

First of all, thank you, for all the comments and encouragement and commiseration and "I'm in the midst of it too" on my last post. I seriously still intend to sit down and reply to many of your comments. It has just been hard to find a chunk of time on the computer, or I should rephrase that-- a chunk of "productive" time on the computer. But seriously. Thank you.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Every year just before the holidays, I tell myself that this is going to be the year that I get my act together and mail out a Christmas card. And every year, I'm determined to not go the route of pre-designed, purchased photocards. I vow that I'll design my own unique, creative version. 

That vow hasn't gotten me very far. It has been more than SIX YEARS I'm guessing since I sent out a Christmas card. And even then, it might have been a baby announcement, not a true holiday greeting. 

But this year, I came to my senses and ordered our Christmas card from tinyprints. Hello? Why had I not been doing this earlier?

 

But....I was still determined to add our own "flair" to the whole thing so at the very last minute I whipped up a little "best of 2010" to throw in with the card. 

I have to say, I kind of love it. It was so fun making every one come up with their list. Emma had hers finished in five minutes. Dan and I agonized over ours. 

And let me just say, apparently, I don't watch a lot of movies. Coming up with a best movie title for 2010 was painful. I know I saw some good movies. I'm sure I did. But in the end, 3:10 to Yuma was the best I could come up with. I remember it having a really good story line. And Russell Crowe. That makes a good movie, right? 

Anyway, I've been meaning to share our card with all of you. Since I couldn't possibly afford the postage for a card for each of you. :) 

Next year, we plan to add another category for the girls. But I think I'll keep that one under my hat until the end of 2011. 

hello again

Wow. I'm still here. Really, I am. Tis the season to be hunkered down and happy. Which leads to a lot of absence in this place. I'm sure that will change come the new year. At least I truly hope that it will.

And because the lists are working for me, here you go:

*My mom showed up at my house a week ago for a whirlwind of decorating, gift-giving and also the handing down of several things that she's been storing from the old farmhouse we grew up in....sheep show boxes and fitting stands, bee hives, galvanized tubs, rubber feed pans, and an old writing desk. She also showed up with a bag containing this little silver tray, a prize from my "reign" as queen of the county fair. It's funny, but if left to my own 17 year-old opinions, I'm sure I would have thrown this out years ago. But I'm so glad it got squirreled away in my old bedroom closet. She brought it to me last week. And now, it feels so special. And it was the perfect thing for our tea at breakfast this morning.

*Sickness has been making the rounds at our house the past several weeks. But I think it's safe to say we are all finally healthy but for a few lingering sniffles. Phew. That was a long stretch.

* Mary and Birdy are like a little miniature "circle of life"....one is losing teeth as fast as the other is getting them in.

*I have been knitting like crazy from this . two elf hats down, two to go. 

*I also have a project to block and ends to weave in for a shrug I made for birdy. My husband doesn't "get" the shrug...and I have to admit, while extremely cute, the jury is still out on its practicality for a baby. But his favorite thing to say to me is, "so that's half a sweater, that's half finished??" Yes. Yes it is.

*My favorite background to knitting has been online episodes of Parenthood. Am I the only person who finds this show oddly intriguing and mildly addicting?

*Yesterday was a sad day. I had to purchase my first box of store-bought eggs. The girls aren't laying enough now during the short winter days to keep us in eggs. 

*A good post from gwen bell...what are we willing to put down in 2011 ? In the words of GK Chesterton (quoted in her article, and also a personal family favorite) "It is easy to be heavy, hard to be light."

*this picture and this one. loving.

*the night we put up the Christmas tree, I sat in a chair in the living room and watched my children--one on violin, one on a guitar with only two strings, one on a wooden recorder. And I was struck. By how much I loved that moment. But also by the fact that this is them, making their memories. That blows me away some times.

*the other night, as I was in bed with elizabeth, just before she fell asleep she asked me, "Is Christmas after bed time or is Christmas after college?" 

If I am not back in this space before the holidays, here is my Christmas wish to all of you for a warm, healthy, full, and happy holiday. 

xo.

molly

this is what you get

I intended this post to be something slightly more coherent, perhaps even in paragraph form, but alas, basically everyone in this house is sick, but me. I've been 24 hour on-call nurse and complete sentences and paragraphs aren't in my repertoire right now. (apparently, using the shift-key isn't in my repertoire, either.)

*hurry. over to this post on momformation. i'm giving away a great little compact photo printer from epson.

*i just finished reading this book by michael perry. i was (probably a little too) sad when it was over. you know how you mourn the end of a really good story? there was a bit of genius on every page. and of course, it was almost like reading a page from my own story. i think i may be so bold as to say this ranks in my top 3 reads of  2010.

*speaking of poultry, tonight we lost our rooster, captain. do they have strokes? he was suddenly stricken blind. running into things. then lethargic. he could have been old. he could have been sick. and we didn't want him to pass something on to the hens. so unfortunately, we (which means, dan) had to put him out of his misery.

*i've been knitting. that hat peeking out in my picture is kyrie's. it's a great pattern. and so versatile. i can wear it, and so can all the girls. and now several family members have requested it as christmas gifts.

*i purchased a set of these, since it appears that i'm going to be doing a lot of knitting-gifting. (be warned, there is a ticking "countdown to christmas" on this website. it may elevate your heartrate.)

*last night, i did something i never thought i'd do. i purchased ready-made photo christmas cards. but apparently, my drive to always "design them myself" has resulted in five years of no christmas card from our family.

*i made one holiday decor splurge yesterday. on an advent calendar. i know. i know. i could have made my own. but sometimes, you just need to let someone else do the work. luckily, i'm not ready for it to be december 1, so this will give me a few extra days to get organized. i loved our advent calendar when i was little. it was one of my favorite parts of the holiday. my kids need to get in on that action, too.

*tomorrow on momformation, i'm going to be sharing my kitchen christmas wish list. what's on yours? i'd love to know. 

*and while we're talking...now that coop is over, any good book suggestions? let me have it.

alright. that's the news from here. where the rain is pouring down, the woodstove is cranking. and there is strange pig-like squealing-screeching-creep-me-out coming from the dark, back yard.

that would be my cue to go upstairs and hide under the covers with a feverish babe who is already passed out in my bed. someday my husband and i will sleep in the same bed again without a child between us, right? right.

thanks. giving

The girls bundled up early this morning and headed to the barn for a pre-Thanksgiving ride.

It is cool and sunny and breezy. I walked outside this morning and thought, "This feels like Thanksgiving."

I hung clothes on the clothesline (in my mittens).

Swept the leaves from the mudroom and front steps, again.

I cleaned up breakfast dishes and kept the washing machine humming all morning.

And just as the girls are returning from their ride, pink-cheeked and smelling like cold air, the baby is waking up.

It's off to the library for books for our holiday.

Then an afternoon of baking, cleaning, and napping.

Wishing you all a peaceful, sweet and full Thanksgiving. I am truly, truly thankful for all of you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

xo.

molly

sniff, sniff

A few weeks ago, two of my dear cousins came to town for a visit and stayed at my grandmother's house. On their last day, we sat together in my grandmother's bedroom on her boldly upholstered sofa, knitting, looking at old scrapbooks, reminiscing, and assessing the future. 

One of my favorite things in my grandmother's bedroom, aside from that great sofa, are the throw pillows that cover it. I've said it before but one of the things I love about my grandmother's house is that her handiwork is everywhere. And those pillows are no exception. Some were gifts, some made by her children and many made by her. 

To me, they are little gestures that carry so much love, care and effort. 

And during the time we spent in her bedroom that Sunday afternoon, I determined that I would make each of the girls a pillow of their own for Valentine's Day this year. 

When I was living on my grandmother's farm, she gifted me a small basket of her fabric scraps and many of those fabrics went into the girls' pillows. At the bottom of that basket, I also found a piece of the same fabric that upholsters her bedroom sofa--enough to back each of the girls pillows. 

As I ironed and stitched the fabrics together and appliqued a special design on the front of each pillow, for each girl, I said to my husband, "This fabric smells like her still." It made me teary, but happy.

And when those three little girls opened their presents Valentine's morning and pulled out the pillows, they clutched them and buried their noses in them. "This smells like Meemu!" And they recognized that fabric and knew bits of it were from her. 

It made all the effort and the sneaking-around sewing, and the borrowed sewing machine, and the stuck fingers, and the ripped out stitches and silly mistakes worth it.