Let’s talk about sewing, shall we?  Somehow, I forgot to show you some projects for the past few months, and I’m jazzed about a few new ones for the holidays.  I keep forgetting to mention it, but I’m joining Tonya and many others in making this a Handmade Holiday.  Today, I’ll show you what’s finished, and tomorrow, what’s begun.  Last week, while the grandmothers were visiting and I had a burst of pent-up energy from being sick, I cleaned and organized in the sewing room.  And guess what?  Suddenly I wanted to sew.  Magical.  Note to self – keep the sewing room clean.

This little piece is from the great One-Yard Wonders.  It’s a little car bag that buckles around the head rest and hangs behind a passenger seat, ready to hold trash or anything that doesn’t belong.  Then you unbuckle it and bring it inside.  I made this last May (I told you it had been a while!), and I really do think it’s fun and useful.

Also from One Yard Wonders, I made this binder cover.  I love this fabric – it makes me smile, and I was saving it and saving it, until I finally decided to use it to cover my homeschooling planner binder.  This pattern was super simple, and is a really nice way to personalize a binder (this would be a great simple gift, come to think of it!).  Here’s the inside:

And the next piece, I showed you a sneak peek of back in August.  I made this sweet little bag as a birthday present for my mom, using the Blue Party Bag pattern from Patchwork Style.  I love, love this book – if you’ve got scraps, it’s fabulous.  The bag came out a little smaller than I expected, but otherwise the pattern was pretty simple.  I altered it to use a zipper instead of a magnetic button.

The fabric on the back is from a skirt my mom wore and then handed on to me, and when it finally could be patched no more, I figured this was a great way for it to be reborn.

I’ve saved my favorite for last.  Ella joined me at the sewing machine this fall (be still my heart), and this is the first thing we really made together.  She learned to iron (very supervised, of course), and she chose the fabric and the ribbon.  This is the super-easy, so-cute lazy days skirt from oliver + s.

Happy holiday crafting, everyone!

Outside

Inside

Today I’m joining Ginny‘s love of knitting and reading with Yarn Along:

One Zimmerman mitered mitten done, one to go!  (And yes, I know there’s no thumb yet – she has you unravel some stitches to place the thumb in the exact right spot!).  Looking at this fun new book we have at Wheatberry, geared towards getting kids sewing.  One bonus of being so sick was that I spent a fair bit of time sitting in the living room, knitting.  I finished Ella’s vest (photo soon), and made some good progress on these mittens, as well as darning a whole lot of socks.  Somehow, I’ve managed to get at least one hole in every pair of socks I won.  Does this happen to everyone, or just me?  Someday soon I hope to discover a pattern for the World’s Most Indestructible Sock.

First, I want to thank all of you for your warm welcome to Whole Grain Weekends. I’m so excited to see it evolve and grow, and to share with all of you.

So, the sweet potato pecan balls I made for Thanksgiving disappeared before I took a photo, so I had to make them again to get you the recipe with a proper visual. It was hard work, but we managed. My mother made these for holidays when I was a child – I think she originally got the recipe from Southern Living, and my brother and I insisted she make them every year.  They are perfect for a side dish that’s quite easy to make, but very impressive looking and delicious.  (Oh, and in case you’re wondering, we bought the organic shell-on pecans last year as one of our family Christmas presents, from a farmer through LocalHarvest).

Sweet Potato Pecan Balls

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

2 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

Scrub sweet potatoes and poke with fork a few times, then lay on a sheet pan and bake at 375 degrees F until completely tender when poked (about 30 minutes, depending how thick they are).  Set aside until they are cool enough to handle.

Take off the skins and mash up the sweet potatoes (you could blend them in a food processor if you wanted them really smooth).  Add the butter and salt to taste, and mix well.  At this point, I like to chill the mash in the fridge until it firms up a bit so it’s easier to work with (about 10 minutes).

Place your chopped nuts in a shallow bowl or pie pan.  Scoop about 1/3 cup of mashed sweet potato into your hands and roll it into a ball the size of a small orange.  Roll the ball in the nuts until coated, and place in a baking dish.  Repeat until you’ve used all your potato mixture.  Now, you can chill them until you’re ready to serve.  Bake your balls at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes, until warmed through and the nuts are toasted and aromatic (this may take longer if you’ve had them in the fridge for a long time).  Serve hot.  Bon Appetit!

Hello everyone!  I’m really excited to start a new tradition here, and I hope you may be inspired to join us.  Whole Grain Weekends will be happening in this space the first and third weekends of the month.  I’m going to post a recipe and photos, and have a space below where I will link to all of your recipes, too!  The basic rule to play is: post a recipe on your blog using whole grains.  Whole grain flour doesn’t count, those beautiful grains have to be in their whole form.  Soup with grains, sprouted grain bread, salad with whole grains added, etc . . . If you want to join us but don’t have a blog, you can email me your recipe (wheatberryma (a) gmail.com), and I will post it for you at the end of the weekend.  Hooray!

And now, before today’s recipe, a confession.  When we created the Pioneer Valley Heritage Grain CSA in 2008, we knew that we wanted to bake with locally grown flour, and we knew that we wanted a variety of grains, for nutritional health and for the health of the land (rotation of crops is important).  When we first got our share last winter, it was clear to us that this gorgeous grains deserved to be eaten as they were, not just cracked or ground into flour. 

But we had no idea how to do that.

The closest thing to whole grains I grew up eating was oatmeal (like many of us, I’m sure).   It seemed like a very big hurdle, to suddenly learn how to cook all these different grains and incorporate them into our family’s diet.  This is often what other families express to me, also, that they want to eat whole grains, but they’re intimidated.

So that’s why Whole Grain Weekends is here.  I’m going to be beside you in the kitchen, sharing some of the delights we have discovered.  What we found is that cooking whole grains is actually incredibly simple.  It’s delicious, and very filling in a way that flour products or even rolled or flaked grains are not.  A bowl of oat groats will satisfy you much longer than a bowl of rolled oats.  And, because they are so dense and packed with goodness, you also eat less.  Whole grains are an incredibly economic way to eat – you need to eat less of them, so you can buy less, and you can usually find them in bulk, saving on the packaging and processing costs.

Are you ready?  We begin with the super super simple.  I’m so glad to share this journey with you.

Ready and Waiting Warm Cereal

(aka Awesome Porridge)

1 cup whole grains (oat groats, spelt berries, wheat berries, barley, etc .  .. or a mixture!)

3 cups water

1 tsp salt

After dinner, while you’re cleaning up, rinse your grains, then throw the above ingredients into a crock pot and turn it on low.  In the morning, a warm and nourishing breakfast is waiting for you and your family.  Yes, it’s that easy.

Serve with a pat of butter and a drizzle of local honey or maple syrup, or some warmed fruit (we had ours with warmed blueberries from the freezer this morning).  Serve with yogurt if desired.

Variations below:

*  Need a simple breakfast for Christmas morning that will hold everyone until the big dinner?  Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries, substitute 1 cup cider or orange juice for some of the water, and you’ve got a hit.

* For a creamy treat, use 1 cup water and 1 cup half-and-half or soymilk, and add 1 tsp vanilla extract.

*  For a classic warm breakfast, add 1/2 cup of raisins or other dried fruit.  You can also add nuts, or fresh fruit such as diced apples or pears.

Bon Appetit everyone!  Can’t wait to see what you’re cooking up.  Blessings on your weekend.

Grateful to be less miserably sick (although definitely still recovering).

Grateful for my first food other than miso and chicken broth – I craved cabbage soup.

Grateful for family visiting, warm fires, and these brave little candles in the window.

Grateful that this vest is almost done!  (I took this photo for Yarn Along, but our power was out Wednesday.)  Happy Hannukah, Happy December – may your inner lights be bright as the days grow shorter.

looks like this.

Hello friends -

We’re all quite sickey here at our house, so this space will be quiet for a few days.  Thanks for all your sweet comments – I will, of course, share the sweet potato balls and cranberry caramel tart recipe as soon as I’m back.  Good health to you and yours,

Adrie

I’m grateful for the new cat in our life, a sweet grey fluffy girl named Jasper.

I’m grateful for the arrival of a very dear old friend, who is here for Thanksgiving!

I’m grateful for our customers, and our community, which helps us do the work we love.

I’m grateful for successful homemade tortillas (recipe soon!) for dinner last night, and a gathering of friends for dinner tonight.

I’m grateful for my sweet three year old – three and a half next week!  Whose favorite game right now is that she is the dancer, and I am the audience.  Have I mentioned that the audience gets to knit?  I hope it never ends.

I’m grateful, always, for those moments in the day when my hands find their work and know what to do.  When I do not need to enter elaborate mental negotiations, do not need to reign in my temper, my own crankiness, or figure out how to get someone’s shoes on without outright coercion or force.  When I can simply haul a bale of hay, shape loaves, knit a few stitches, make some small beauty.

I’m grateful for this space, and for my camera, which reminds me that there is some beauty in each day, and that where we put our focus is where our hearts and minds follow.  May some beauty and peace find you in this busy season.

Most people think Thanksgiving is about turkeys, but I must tell you in all love, that is not.  It’s all about the pies.

At least, that’s how it is in my house.  Yes, we’ll be having a beautiful turkey raised by a neighbor, and some amazing sides including collard greens and sweet potato balls rolled in pecans.  But the true star will be the pies – real pumpkin pie (made form our own pumpkins this year – what a treat!), pecan pie, and a cranberry caramel tart.  I searched and recipe tested for years to find a pecan pie recipe that 1) did not include corn syrup (disgusting!) and 2) didn’t have a gooey filling with a mere sprinkle of pecans on top (also disgusting).  Below is my tested and true recipe – may it bring joy to your table this holiday or in the future.  Blessings on your Thanksgiving, friends – may we all remember to be grateful, and not just run around like nuts.

Splendid Pecan Pie

1 pie crust

1 cup dark brown sugar or maple syrup (I use the latter)

6 tbsp unsalted butter

1 cup cream

2 tbsp cornstarch or kudzu root powder (found in the asian food section)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups pecans (a mix of nuts is also lovely)

optional: if you really want to go crazy, add 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a 9-inch pie pan with your pie crust, prick the bottom with a fork, and put it into the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes. I’m serious about this – if you don’t, your crust will fall and we’ll both be sad.  Bake your crust for about 20 minutes, or until it’s barely lightly golden.  Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F.

Pour the butter, sugar, and cream into a metal or glass bowl that will comfortably fit on top of a small saucepan (it should cover the top of your pot, but the bowl should not be touching the bottom of the pot).  Put 2 inches of water into the pot, place the pot over low-medium heat, and put your bowl on top to create a double boiler.  Sift in the cornstarch, and beat with a handheld beater (or a vigorous whisk) over gentle heat until the mixture thickens and is free of lumps.  Remove from the heat, and add in the vanilla and beat in the egg yolks one at a time.  Stir in the pecan nuts and scrape into the pie shell.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the filling only jiggles in the center a teeny bit, and the whole top is golden and glorious.  Let sit a few minutes before serving.  Serve with chipped cream or ice cream as desired.

Adrie’s favorite Thanksgiving tip: any leftover pie makes an excellent once-a-year breakfast the next morning.