our first nature walk of the year.

I have decided to be more diligent about getting out for nature walks this year than I have been in past school years.  I even committed a chunk of time on the schedule each week, hoping that will help me be more consistent.  It helps that the bigger kids can now read the schedule, and can harangue lovingly remind me when I forget or feel like putting it off.

So on Friday, I decided to get all "Exemplary Charlotte Mason Mom" and take my kids for a trek through the woods near our house.

Except, I didn't realize that 'the woods near our house' was little more than just a blazing-hot pedestrian highway cutting through subdivision development and people's backyards.  Oh, well.  Still plenty to see.

We started off on a good foot.  Everyone was in good spirits, but I knew our time was limited because it was over 90 degrees, the sun was high and it was hot.  There turned out to be very little shade along this trail, and I have a couple of Hyper-Sweat-ers (or Sweaties, as I just now have started to call them).  Laurelai pours sweat any time she even looks out the window at a sunny day, and Finneas turns all red and splotchy and swollen.  (About fifteen minutes into our trip, he was so swollen his lips were turning white.)  Fortunately, they're both pretty good-natured about it.

Finneas got pretty hot, so he had to sit down and rest on this memorial bench.

I took a second to read the memorial plaque next to the bench, and I am not kidding you, it said something pretty close to, "Janet Whatever dedicated her time and energy to protecting the property values in the Ridgeway community.  Though it was rarely an easy battle, her tenacity won out."  So, in blunt terms, it seems Janet Whatever spent her life badgering her neighbors and city government into keeping the riffraff and the malcontents off the streets until she died.  RIP, Janet.

I bet this is the most joy this bench has seen in a while, though as I was taking this photo, I did wonder if the lingering energy of our riffy-raff presence might negatively impact the property values in the surrounding Ridgeway neighborhood...

A few other highlights of the walk were the time I got to spend with my koala-baby …

Her countenance here is deceptive -she really did love the walk!

… this 'fig' (read: black walnut) Penelope found …

… and the feeling of pure accomplishment I felt knowing that we had not only gone on a nature walk for once, but that I also got the added benefit of a whole hour (and a whole mile) of movement and exhaustion into the kids before coming home for nap time and quiet nature journaling time.  We spent the rest of the afternoon looking up our wildflower finds in our field guide, pressing flowers, and documenting our walk in our nature journals.  We all honestly had a great time.

I always put stuff like this off, thinking it's too much of a hassle.  But now that the kids are a bit older and easier to load up quickly (our neighborhood has large hills, busy streets, and no sidewalks, so we have to drive to the entrance of a trail any time we want to go walking), and now that I seem to have found a window of time during the day when it doesn't interrupt anyone's nap time, I really do think this is sustainable during tolerable weather.  I'm really looking forward to our next outing!

We'll probably try a different trail next time, though - one with more shade, fewer houses, more actual nature, and no bummer benches.  If any of you reading live nearby and want to go walking with us some week, just holler!  We'd love the company!

the bi-weekly 'what's up.'

Well, we've got a lot to cover today.  Not only did I fail to post a weekly update last week, but it's been a couple of very full weeks.  So grab a coffee... or maybe even a full meal, and tuck in, because we're going to be here for a while.

Last week was our last full week of summer.  We wrapped up swimming lessons, though a couple of the kids developed weird rashes partway through the week, so they had to sit out a few of the days.  Oh well, it just meant I had more company on the sidelines, and most of them still passed their levels even with missing so many days.

After our last day of lessons, I took all the kids to Sonic for shakes, and we finished the morning at my friend Megan's pool.

"Oh, you know, just drinking a shake and contemplating the metaphysical realities of my life."

Rocco was glad he was finally able to get in the water!  Callista was done sitting for the day, so we stuck her in a pack and play for a little poolside R&R.  She was not a fan.

Intrigued by that perennial favorite, the Air Bubble in the Swim Shorts phenomenon.

Other than that, last week held a few other highlights: I had a surgery consult for a hernia I've developed, at which I nearly blacked out while he was showing me an illustrated pamphlet about hernias, and also got the good news that surgery won't be necessary, at least in the immediate future.

Knowing that school was about to start the following week, I decided to be super impulsive and paint the ceiling of our room.  I didn't get to the walls, though, and I have a feeling it will be a while before I do.  School strips me of almost all energy for anything else.  I really should have gotten the walls done last week... sad trombone.

The ceiling paint is so fresh it's still wet, and my bed is covered with a makeshift dropcloth.  Fancy.  I have my eyes on this room as my next project... I mean, after bookshelves for the dining room, and a family closet/pantry setup for my laundry room, and installing a new dining room door.  But other than that, it's next on the list. ;)

Then came the stretch of All the Good Things: Todd got news of his promotion, he officiated a wedding, he preached at church, and we all got in front of the camera for once.

Sunday morning, I woke up feeling kind of under the weather, but I figured it had just been a long stretch of a week.  But by Sunday night, I was running a fever and was having difficulty swallowing.  Monday, I still had a fever, and was wrestling with a migraine and loss of appetite... which made a really perfect addition to the chaos of the first day of school.  (**NOT.**)  (Remember "NOT"?  Ahh, the golden age.)

And how IS school going, you ask?


Well.  School is KICKING MY BUTT.  It is not messing around with me this year.  Most days this week we didn't finish before 3:30, and one day it even went until 4:30.  I know it will get easier (and quicker) as we figure out the system, but dang.  I'm feeling intimidated by the weight of the looming year.  The kids seem less fazed by it than I've been, though, which is good.

Rocco is killing it at 'blanket time,' the time during which all the big kids are otherwise occupied with school and Callista is down for a nap.  I just get out a special box of toys from the 'off-limits' closet, and require him to quietly play within the perimeter of a blanket.  He seems to like it!

And, just because this post is already a novel anyway, let me play you into the weekend with some gratuitous photos of my beautiful babies:

See?  Your weekend is looking sunnier already.

how to make kombucha. (both regular and flavored!)

A week or two ago, I posted this adorable little clip of my happy kombucha, doing its bubbly thang.

Second ferment done on my raspberry kombucha and it is HAPPY.

A post shared by Paige Van Voorst (@theminivanvoorsts) on Jul 26, 2018 at 2:22pm PDT

It seemed to spark a lot of interest and curiosity, so I thought I'd give you the run-down on how to go about making this heavenly goodness in your very own kitchen (if you're not already).

Kombucha is essentially just a fermented sweet tea - so it's fizzy and sweet-tasting, and high in B vitamins and live probiotic cultures, but low in sugar when brewed at home.  It kind of has an apple cider vinegar taste, but like, in a good way.


First Ferment (Regular Kombucha)

What you'll need to make a 1 gallon:
SCOBY
1 cup of 'starter' kombucha (already brewed)
4 c. + 12 c. water
5 tea bags (regular black tea works best when you're just starting; NO herbal teas.)
1 c. white sugar (no honey or coconut sugar or anything.)

You will also need a basic gallon-sized glass jar to brew it in, a cloth for the top (tea towels or thickly folded cheesecloth work great;), and a rubber band or canning band to secure the cloth to the jar.

Okay, so let's talk SCOBY, which stands for "Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast."  Basically, it's alive.  It's kind of like a rubbery mushroom, and it's probably going to gross you out.  Give it a name to help you quickly get over that hump.  Todd named ours Scoby Bryant, but he would like you to know that Scoby Doo and Scoby Flenderson are both viable name options up for grabs.

Where do you get a SCOBY, you might ask?  Well, you can order one (this one is consistently recommended, even though the listing looks janky), or you can just ask around.  Any friend of yours who's already making this likely has a SCOBY baby to share.  These things multiply like rabbits.  Or, really, rabbits multiply like SCOBYs.  In addition to the SCOBY itself, you're also going to need about a cup of 'starter': already-brewed kombucha to get the party going.

So, now you have your SCOBY and your starter, so get them in your jar.  (I make two gallons at a time, so I have multiple jars going.)

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil, then turn off heat.  Add tea bags and sugar, and steep for 3-5 minutes.  Stir to incorporate sugar, then add 12 more cups of cold water, to get the tea down to room temperature more quickly.

Once the tea has cooled to room temp, add it to the jar.  Secure a cloth over the top.

Let it sit out on the counter for 7-10 days.  Actually, when you're first starting out and your SCOBY is still gaining strength, it will probably take closer to 14 days.  It will start growing a filmy new SCOBY on top, and the smell will change from sweet to almost vinegar-like.  The kombucha itself will change from a deep brown to an amber color.

You can always test where it's at in the fermentation process by gently sticking a stainless steel straw down the side to taste it, being careful not to disturb the SCOBY more than necessary.  When it's ready, it will taste a lot like slightly fizzy, sour-sweet apple cider.

It's not an exact science - when you like the taste of it, consider it done!  The longer you let it ferment, the less sugar it will contain (this is what the SCOBY cultures actually eat), but it can get too sour if you let it go too long, so just experiment.  As you continue to make new batches, it will take less and less time for it to 'arrive' - your SCOBY will get thicker with each brew, so it will eat through the sugar more quickly.  When your SCOBY gets so thick that it's brewing TOO quickly, simply divide it and share a SCOBY baby with another friend!

At this point, you can consider your kombucha ready to drink, orrrrr….

...make it fruity and even more fizzy! (Yes, please!)



Second Ferment (Flavored Kombucha)

What you'll need:

Air-tight jars or bottles
Fruit (or fruit juice) of your choice

Add fruit or fruit juice to each jar.  (I really like raspberries in mine, so for reference, I typically drop 6-10 berries into each 16 oz bottle.  Play around with amounts, you really can't mess this up.)  Top each jar with kombucha.  I do this in the sink, to keep the mess contained.  Make sure you keep about a cup reserved to use as a starter for your next batch.

Seal each bottle tightly, and let sit out at room temperature.  Aren't they so pretty?

Store-bought kombucha bottles work really well for the second ferment.  These Synergy bottles don't seal as tightly as the Kevita ones do, I've noticed, so they don't get as fizzy.  If you're buying store kombucha to use the bottles later, go with Kevita.  And, if I'm making suggestions, try the Tart Cherry flavor. SO GOOD.

After a day, you'll want to 'burp' your bottles - open them and then reclose them to release any built up carbonation.  Kombucha has been known to build up so much pressure that it can actually shoot the cap off the bottle, or even explode.  (Ask me how I know.)  It's a delicate balance - open them once to release the high pressure, but avoid opening them after that, as they'll lose the carbonation.   After they're sealed again, return to the counter for another day or two... or four or five, like I do; I like mine pretty well-done, but I do take the risk of them building up a bunch of pressure again by leaving them out so long.

You'll start to notice the fruit and the liquid changing color as the flavors from the fruit infuse the kombucha.

My favorite flavor combination so far is raspberry-ginger, but thanks to a tip from my friend Melissa, I started putting peaches in it, and HOLY COW do they make it fizz up!  If you like a lot of bubbles, you should definitely try using peaches.

Once they've been allowed to sit out on the counter for a couple of days, move them to the fridge to stop the fermentation process.  You'll probably want to strain out the fruit pieces before drinking, but other than that, they're ready to go!

********

I know, I know.  It sounds like a lot.  I waited months before trying this because it all seemed really complicated.  But just jump in - you'll find it's basically just a matter of brewing some sweet tea and letting it sit out for a few days.  That's easy enough, right?



I'm curious - what's your favorite flavor?  Do you have any fruit suggestions for me to try next?  I'm kind of on a kombucha kick right now, so I'm in an experimenting mood!

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL IN THE BOOKS!

Well, we jumped into the school year yesterday, and we survived!

This is major news, not only because the kids' work load is much heavier this year as the older two kids are headed into fourth-ish grade, and I am also adding in the next two.  I am juggling twice the students (and more than twice the workload) than I have had in my previous four years of homeschooling.  This year is already shaping up to be a doozy.  Luckily, I have my psychopathic visual schedule to help things run smoothly.

Not to mention the fact that I was also struck down by a ill-timed virus, so I was not only dealing with the nausea, fever, migraine, and sore throat that comes with all of that, but I seem to be developing a regular habit of joint pain flares in my hands whenever I get sick.  So I was arthritic and nauseous and breaking out in cold sweats all day.  Let me tell you, I was a real gem.

The fact that we survived the day is literally a miracle.

But survive we did, and I even have the photos to prove it.  (These were taken at the end of the day, and everyone is mustering a smile!  I will admit, some smiles were more genuine than others, but whatever.  Appearances are all that matter to me at this point.)

 

We've come a long way from our first-ever day of homeschooling!

todd is living his Best Life Now!! (and he's taking us all along for the ride!)

We have had a whirlwind of a life the last few days, and it all centers around so many good things going on in Todd's world.

This weekend was full full full - Friday night, we had a wedding rehearsal for the first ceremony he has ever officiated, and Saturday was THE WEDDING!  We spent the whole day getting ready since three of the kids were also in it.

Worth it - they looked adorable.

How handsome and officiator-y did Todd look?  (Don't mind that guy conspicuously crouching in the bushes there.  He was supposed to be there, I'm pretty sure.)

We actually got a picture of all six of us for once!  See?  Best life now, even though it was literally 100 degrees out and Rocco was acting like a giant turd about having his picture taken.

Then on Sunday, Todd taught at church, which he always loves.

And as the cherry on top of all this good life, we found out on Thursday that he got a promotion at work!  This is MAJOR for us - this is the first time since starting our life of church planting over five years ago that he's actually been at a company long enough to move ahead.

We're all feeling the good vibes.  (All except Rocco, that is, but that's just because he doesn't understand how the corporate ladder works.)

my cast iron skillet: a love story. (and my Skillet Lasagna recipe!)

My mom always had a cast iron skillet when I was growing up, and I hated that thing because it wasn't supposed to be washed with soap, but I always forgot and stuck it in the dishwater anyway.  And then I had to deal with the guilty conscience, and then the confessing of it to her today on my blog... (I'm sorry you had to find out this way, Mom.)  It's been a long, complicated relationship with cast iron.

When Todd and I registered for wedding gifts over eleven years ago, I was playing it fast and loose with the scanner gun, and I threw a cast iron skillet of my own on the list.  Even at the time, Todd was skeptical, and I should have been, too, since it was when Emeril Lagasse was a thing, and the bottom of this particular one was stamped "EMERIL!".  Like any realistic cooking was going to get done in that thing.

For a while, it kind of languished around my kitchen.  I tried seasoning it, but it just ended up greasy.  I'd cook in it, but then I was intimidated by having to clean it without dish soap (I was apparently dealing with a complex), so then it'd just loiter around my counter for a week with nasty bits sitting in the bottom.  It was a casual relationship at best.

I'm not sure when I turned the corner and started getting serious about it.  But I've gradually become more and more obsessed with this thing, and now I can't live without it.  For the past three or four years, I've been using it two to three times on the average day, and I never even bother putting it away because that would be an inefficient use of time.  It has a permanent home on my stove top, and I don't foresee that changing any time soon.  In my head, I call it my Kitchen Baby, which might be weird, but I'm beyond caring about that.

Lately, my favorite thing to use it for is Skillet Lasagna, a one-pan meal that (almost) everyone in the family loves.  It's adapted from the Trim Healthy Mama "Lazy Lasagna" recipe, so it's low-carb, THM-S, gluten free, grain free, yadda yadda.  I really can't believe it, but it's stuff like this that has helped me lose the baby weight and balance my hormones.  (If you'd like to know more about that, you should check out my video on this topic here!)

This makes enough for our whole family with ample leftovers (which I love, because it reheats so well for lunch the next day.)  If you have a smaller family, you may want to cut the recipe in half.

Ingredients:

2 lb ground Italian sausage
1.5 (26 oz) jars sugar-free spaghetti sauce
1 (15 oz) carton part-skim ricotta
2 eggs
1/4 c. grated parmesan
fresh spinach, frozen and crushed*
8 oz mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In an oven-safe skillet, thoroughly cook sausage over medium heat; drain fat and return meat to pan.  Add spaghetti sauce and simmer over medium heat for 10-12 minutes, until thickened a bit, stirring regularly.

Meanwhile, combine ricotta, eggs, and parmesan in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Once sauce has reduced, generously sprinkle spinach over the top.  Spread ricotta mixture over the top of the spinach.  At this point, it's going to look gummy and albino and generally pretty gnarly, and you're going to question me.

Just trust me and keep going.  Now top the whole thing with mozzarella.

Move pan to oven and bake until cheese is browned and sauce is bubbling at the sides, usually about 30 minutes (give or take 10 minutes).

*A note on the spinach: My family doesn't like tasting or feeling the spinach in this recipe, so I buy big bags of fresh leaf spinach from the fridge case, and throw them directly into the freezer when I get home.  Once frozen, it's very easy to squeeze the bag to crush the leaves into tiny flakes.  I can be pretty liberal when I sprinkle these on, but I haven't heard any complaints since doing it this way.  It seems to make the spinach relatively inconspicuous.

I love this on its own, which keeps it gluten-free and low-carb, but Todd and the kids like it served over plain pasta.

If you're a really good mom, you'll serve this with salad and a sautéed veggie on the side.  Zucchini would be great with it.

However, if you're only an okay mom, you'll shrug your shoulders, tell yourself you don't feel like doing any further dinner prep, and count the spinach inside the lasagna as the salad and the green veggie.  Bingo bango, dinner is served.  In a bowl, to boot, because you're only an okay mom, and all your plates are dirty this late in the day.
And just because I love you and want what's best for you, here's a recipe for individual-sized Lazy Lasagna made in mini loaf pans.  I made and froze a million of these before Callista was born, and lived on them in the newborn days.  They were so easy heat up and so filling, and they kept my milk supply up while keeping my hormones balanced and my weight down.  That's what I call a win-win-win-win-win.