Jetta on Piano - what child is this

This is our attempt at singing together as a whole family. We are going to try and do a few more Christmas songs in the next few weeks. Maybe leave the baby out next time. John and I are working on a song together. Let's see if I can convince him to record it with me. Well, this is a snippet of our real life with three kids. Enjoy!

our winter garden - first egg!

Winter is in the air and we are preparing for a cozy few months snuggled by the fire. But there is still lots to do outside and the garden is still a place of excitement and discovery for us. 

With the cold weather upon us, we were prepared not to expect our chickens to start laying eggs until spring yet each day  we check for that mysterious little miracle and what do you know........AN EGG!!!!!! You would have thought we won the lottery we were so excited. Jumping up and down, taking pictures. The neighbors must have had a laugh over us. Since then we have had an egg a day. And they are the best looking and tasting eggs!

And here is the little layer now....Stripy. We are pretty sure she is the one laying the eggs. 

One of the kids jobs is to clean the coop and feed the chickens. They give them yummy salads with all their favorite wild edibles each day. Probably why their eggs are so good. 

These chickens are well loved.

And this is the first egg! We split it five ways.

More new from the garden: We still have lots of Chinese radishes and beets which we make soup from...greens and all. 

The kids are great harvesters. Even Scout gets in the mix washing the veg. 

We harvested the last of the peppers. and put that into our soup as well.

 With these mini hoop houses we should be able to eat from the garden all winter. I have baby collards growing now and some chard and arugula too. Next on the list is to wrap the fig tree a bit to protect it from the cold. Well, that is what is going on in my little piece of earth. I hope you are finding ways to get out and enjoy your garden this winter. No matter what the weather, there is always something to be grateful for. 

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the holiday spirit

This is my favorite time of year! 

Creative Doll Making......."wool and silk!"

Although I guess you might say that I am pretty crafty, I have to admit that following a pattern or structure is not my forte. But, I love using random material or ingredients to create something magical. I have so many stacks of books with how too's and step by step's that I envisioned myself using. Now they are just collecting dust while we re-purpose and stitch together old scraps, found objects, and bits of nature in any old way that will work. I can't say that they always last.  As my daughter says "It is so much more fun not knowing what it will look like ahead of time. I love surprises!" I guess I do too. 

 The kids got to sewing the other day. I snapped these pictures of them hard at work as I made my cup of tea.

It always amazing me what these little hands can do.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope that you all had a wonderful, relaxed, and joyful Thanksgiving.

This Moment: escape artist

This is a special moment from the past week that I want to stop, savor and enjoy.  If you are so inspired, please leave a comment for me with your own special moment and check out other moments this morning at soulemama. 

a halloween trick to treat the soul

 Trick: Treats don't have to be sinful if you use nourishing ingredients in place of the questionable ones.

With all the treats on Halloween that are bound to make you feel more dead then alive, here is one that will excite any age child or adult and make Halloween all treat with none of the guilt. This recipe is as fun and easy to make as it is to eat. And you can feel good about eating them ALL!

 I made a double batch so we could share with friends and family. They were a hit!

CHOCOLATE  CANDY

(Recipe adapted from Oat Meal With A Fork)

2 T. organic cocoa butter

2 T. organic coconut oil*

2 T. raw organic honey

1/2 c. organic cocoa powder

5-10 drops of liquid stevia

pinch of salt

1 t. vanilla extract

1/4 t cinnamon

chopped crispy almonds

Directions:
Melt all ingredients in a double boiler until combined. Pour into candy molds. Freeze for about 30 minutes. 

Thanks Aunt Pam for taking this family picture! 

Thanks Aunt Pam for capturing him getting his first treat.

Happy Halloween Everyone! 

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Favorite things Thursday