A quiet moment after hosting family this past week; our four year old working independently on her sewing project.
Watercolor Salt Trails Activity for Kids
Thanks to the awesome staff and volunteers at the Charles Schulz Museum Museum Monday program for this project idea!
I’m a sucker for fun art projects that serve as a learning opportunity. This particular art activity allows kids to play with color making, as well as demonstrate how salt absorbs water. (Pretty freaking cool!)
First draw a picture with glue on a piece of heavy cardstock or watercolor paper:
Then use a spoon or fingers to sprinkle salt on top of the glue, completely covering all the wet areas. Then shake off any excess salt that’s not adhered to the paper.
Using an eye dropper place colored water on the salt trails and watch as the watercolors travel along the salt path.
Be sure to watch what happens when two colors meet!
I love this project because it’s fun for kids of all ages and the final product is so very pretty! I want to make one.
Hello, Summer Break!
Well that was an unexpected blog break. Hello, there! How did it become the middle of June?!
Summer has arrived here in Sonoma County with 80-90 degree days and all our free time being spent trying to stay cool. Homeschooling has taken a hiatus, spring classes are winding down, and summer camps and swim lessons are beginning. Next week I will go from having essentially no alone time during the day to experiencing 1-4 hours to myself EACH DAY with our daughter starting art AND dance camp. What am I going to do with myself?!
I’m planning lunch dates with the hubby, thrift store scouring, at least one nap, vacuuming and laundry, and possibly some blogging too. Over the last few weeks I’ve done a poor job of balancing mothering and blogging, devoting essentially all of my time to the former and none to the latter. (Sorry about that!) At the end of the day, I just can’t seem to mentally transition from mommying to blogging. I’m all tuckered out. I need to re-find my blogging rhythm.
I miss you, friends! And I have so much to say and share with you… See you back here soon!
Flowers To Keep Me Company
By placing a bouquet of fresh blooms right by the sink I’ve found a simple way to make doing the dishes less of a chore.
The incredible fragrance and color keep me company while scrubbing pots and washing dishes.
Gifts from friends, flowers from our garden, surprise bouquets from my husband and daughter, they each last about two weeks and brighten up each and every one of my days.
A doze of tranquility amid the chaos and clutter of our kitchen… breathe in, breathe out, dishes are done.
Gearing Up For Canning Season: A Call For Fruit Spread Recipes
I feel giddy with excitement over our plans to can fruit spreads, sauces, and butters this summer. I’ve been gathering supplies:
Tattler reusable canning lids
As well as taking out books from the library on preserving and putting up:
Including Put ’em Up!
Unfortunately I find myself completely out of luck with regard to recipes. Here’s the common thread I’ve found in all the canning books I’ve procured:
Sugar, sugar, and more sugar! Not small quanities of sugar either, but astounding cups (and cups!) of sugar added per batch.
That is simply not how we eat in our house. I want to make healthy fruit spreads for our family, not condiments chock-full of sugar!
So I’ve begun a quest for more natural fruit spread recipes with no added sugar and I need your help.
I’ve found a number of recipes using honey or maple syrup, others that are raw fruit sauces (like our favorite berry sauce from Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook
I know fruit-sweetened jams exist: I buy fruit spreads in quantity at our local grocery or Whole Foods, usually sweetened with apple or grape juice concentrate.
Why isn’t the internet teeming with these sorts of recipes?! I keep searching on Google and Pinterest without much luck. Am I missing something?!
Please tell me you have information to share, perhaps a family fruit spread recipe or favorite low-sugar canning resource or website? I have blackberries growing on our bushes and strawberries to can. Thank you for your help!