Celebrating Halloween with Food

Halloween Dessert
Originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann

This year, the girls went through my ideas folder for Halloween.  Sophia chose several recipes from Family Fun that she wanted me to make. 

So, I tried them and made a special lunch for them this year.  The girls loved all the recipes and were so excited to have "the best lunch [they] ever had for Halloween!" 

These were the things I made that they enjoyed.  To the right is the mult-layered dessert that was in Family Fun magazine many years ago. I've wanted to try it, but it is loaded with dairy ingredients.

So, I modified the recipe by using orange food coloring to color the non-dairy vanilla ice cream orange and using Soy Whip.

This is a picture of the dairy version (the non-dairy version looks identical to the dairy one). The layers are:

- Crushed Oreo cookies
- Orange sherbet
- Cool Whip
- Crushed Oreo cookies

If the container was larger, the layers could be repeated. As it was, this was more than enough for a dessert.

Another thing I made were these apple mouths.  Family Fun  said to cut an apple into quarters, remove the core, and slice a section out of one side. Then, put slivered almonds into the "mouths" to look like teeth.

The girls thought these were funny. It got Olivia to eat an apple (with the peel) which is good. Sophia likes apples, so this was a different treat for her.

 
Sophia pulled this recipe out of my files. It's also from Family Fun magazine from many years ago. The recipe called for small tapioca pearls that were cooked and then colored green and blue. Unfortunately, small tapioca pearls didn't work. You really need to use the large pearls (like the kind that is used for bubble tea).  They should be at any Asian grocery store.

Since I had all the other ingredients on hand, I improvised. So, the beverage is lemonade with a couple of drops of green food coloring, diet 7-Up (instead of seltzer water which they wouldn't have enjoyed), a few gummy fish, and 1 gummy worm hanging out of the side of the cup. Mix it up, and serve.

The girls enjoyed the beverage and thought it tasted great. They liked using the fancy cups for this unusual drink.

The girls with their Swamp Juice, apple mouths, and layered dessert on Halloween.

I am grateful for...

As I think back on the past week, I am grateful for...
:: Good  vets who help keep the pets healthy.
:: Being able to hear the Minnesota Orchestra's performance for school children/families on Wednesday.
:: Having fun celebrating Halloween at the party on Saturday and then with my parents/family today.
:: Seeing three deer on Saturday and two deer on Sunday.
:: Having good memories of grandparents who I knew (some died before I was born or shortly after), and seeing how their legacy lives on through me and now through my daughters.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual (inspired by soulemama). A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments.

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend!

*** *** ***

I am grateful for...

As I think back on the past week, I am grateful for...

:: Opportunities I had in 4-H when I was younger; and being able to have Sophia and Olivia involved in 4-H again this year.
:: Medicine and the availability of flu shots this year.
:: The compassionate guidance of Olivia's speech therapist at the local elementary school.
:: Caring neighbors.
:: Being given the time to spend Thursday with my parents to help set up in-home health care/cleaning, and then having a nice lunch with them.
:: The Sharing Shop's clothing giveaway where the girls were able to get some fall clothes and a warm jacket for winter.
:: Laughter...as I watched the girls play hide-and-go-seek with the dogs on the nature trail.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual (inspired by soulemama). A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments.


Wishing everyone a lovely weekend!

*** *** ***

Needle-Felting Natural Toys

Felt Balls in Lots of Colors
Originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann

On a recent afternoon, I was organizing my wool.  I had not done much needlefelting recently, so I thought it would be fun to take a little break, pick up the barbed needles, and start creating some natural toys for children.  Ended up making a dozen of the wool felt balls.  It was a very relaxing and enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

These felt balls (to the right) are needle-felted from beautifully soft, 100% wool roving. They are colorful, safe, and fun to play with indoors. They are the perfect size for small hands, and easy to catch and throw.

Felt balls also:
- make great cat toys
- can be easily juggled
- make a light-weight bowling ball
- teach children about the colors of the rainbow
- are natural and safe to play with (no risk of lead!)

Each felt ball is approximately 3 1/2" (8.5 cm) in diameter; and 10 1/2" (26.5 cm) in circumference. The core is clean roving that was from one of the sheep I raised at Harvest Moon's organic farm. The outer layer is wool roving that has been hand-dyed with natural dyes.

Some of the wool balls are a single color…while others use roving that have a lovely blend of shades and specks of vibrant colors.

If you're interested in purchasing a felt ball (or a whole collection of them), please visit Harvest Moon by Hand.

Benefits of Cart Driving & Miniature Horses

Miniature Horses and Carts
Originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann

Went to a miniature horse gathering over the weekend. There was such a wide range in the size/shape of the miniature horses - some being quite tiny and petite while others were more stocky.

All the miniatures were hooked up to carts and were pulling 1-2 people. Here the cart drivers are getting instructions for the first activity.

What are the benefits of cart driving for the horse?

Ponies and miniature horses are often ideal for driving as many breeds and bloodlines have been bred for that purpose. Even a miniature horse can pull an adult in a cart. Driving can also be a great second career for a pony or small horse that has been outgrown by his young rider.

Driving is an option for horse and pony owners who are unable to ride or those who prefer not to. Driving provides training and exercise for a horse and gives owners quality time with their equines without ever having to put a foot in the stirrup.

What are the benefits of cart driving for the driver?
Both Sophia and Olivia have done therapeutic horseback riding, and now are interested in cart driving (as well as continuing with horseback riding). I wanted to find out what the benefits are to cart drivers, and found that the benefits are very similar to therapeutic horseback riding:

- Increases self-confidence and awareness
- Normalizes high or low muscle tone
- Develops pre-ambulation skills and strength
- Improves balance, posture, coordination
- Motivates learning and self-discipline
- Helps in the development of interpersonal relationships

The Next Step

Clearly, it would be a great benefit to both the girls. It would be ideal if there was someone who no longer wanted their driving equipment and wanted to pass it along. I wonder if there's someone out there who wants to do this....

Helping Children Learn Math Using Math Gnomes

Math Gnomes
Originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann

This is a set of Waldorf-inspired math gnomes that I made for a customer for my shop, Harvest Moon by Hand.

The gnomes stand between 9-10” inches tall, and each is needlefelted by hand. Sometimes I use 4 barbed needles at a time and at other times only a single barbed needle (for example, when attaching the curly sheep wool to the face and body or creating the math symbols on the bodies).

Each gnome has a different math sign on the body - addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and equals. Individual gnomes and combination of gnomes can be used in combination with natural tactile elements (e.g., pebbles, gems, acorns) to make learning math more tangible.

There are many Waldorf-inspired stories using math gnomes on the internet. You may choose to use one of the stories as they are presented...or create your own stories.

The gnomes are made from sheep wool - the interior core is from cream-colored wool from sheep that I raised at Harvest Moon's organic farm. The exterior (colored) wool is from a variety of textile artists who hand-dye sheep wool.

For a set of custom-made gnomes or other needlefelted items, please visit my shop, Harvest Moon by Hand.

Grandma Olive's Banana Bread

Banana Bread
Originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann

This is banana bread that is from my grandma's recipe. It is very moist. It is a recipe that I'm including in the recipe book I'm making for my daughters called "52 Weeks of Baking."

Originally a weekly swap was happening on Swap-Bot with the same name. The swap hostess stopped hosting them, but I've continued baking so I can complete the cookbook.

This is the recipe for Grandma Olive's Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter, softened (I used dairy-free butter)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
3 bananas, mashed
1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional...I didn't use them)

Cream butter and sugar in bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs; mix well. Sift in flour and soda. Stir in bananas and pecans. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Note: I doubled this recipe and used 7 bananas instead of 6. I also added 2 teaspoons of Watkins Vanilla. I normally don't use vanilla, but wanted to see what it would taste like. I thought it added a nice flavor to the bread.

When making a double batch, you can put it into a 9"x13" pan rather than two loaf pans. Make sure the middle of the bread is done...it could take longer than the 45-50 minutes noted.

****If you haven't tried Watkins products, I would highly recommend them. My parents used Watkins products when I was growing up - mostly the vanilla, cinnamon, spices, spice blends, and some household items.

The vanilla is far superior to what is available in grocery stores. It's made with Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans, and brewed using a process that Watkins has used for over 140 years. The flavor is bake-proof and freeze-proof as well as double-strength.

If you're interested in trying Watkins products, head over to the Watkins site HERE. When it asks for an Associate Number, please use #390175 (Ann Rinkenberger).

I am grateful for...

As I think back on the past week, I am grateful for...
:: Having a new stove/oven that doesn't leak propane (thanks to the warranty it was under, it was paid for by the company which was nice!).
:: Seeing a beautiful full moon with Olivia after her first Brownie meeting.
:: Being able to see the incredible shades of the fall leaves.
:: Spending a fun day with my family watching miniature horses and cart driving.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual (inspired by soulemama). A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor, and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments.

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend!
*** *** ***

Creating Something Every Day

One of my goals during 2010 is to create something every day.  Sometimes the project is simple and can be completed in an hour; and other times I work on a longer-term project (like the sashiko quilt that took several months to make).  The purpose is to carve aside some time each day to be creative. 

This is one of the sets of wool felt pancakes that I sent to HGTV. 

This item in my Etsy shop was selected to be featured on an upcoming HGTV-Etsy holiday special

that will air after Thanksgiving.

Choreographer Twyla Tharp stresses in her book, The Creative Habit: Learn It And Use It For Life, the importance of setting up a daily habit to sustain creativity. Tharp outlines the significance of making a commitment to this habit. She proposes that talent will only get you so far and then you must commit to a daily routine to stay creative.

Set of six notecards.  I made several sets from photographs of Grand Marais (Minnesota) and

images from children's books.  Some of the sets are available in my Etsy shop, Harvest Moon by Hand.

Something I came across which sounds like fun is Art Every Day Month which begins on November 1st.  The artist who started AEDM says she wants to "...encourage people to make something every day, but my goal is to foster more creativity, so if you make just one piece of art per week or just one for the whole month, that's fine with me."

She continues, "The idea is to bring more creativity into your life, not to make you feel overwhelmed, pressured or guilt-stricken. Art is also loosely defined here. I mean art in the sense of anything creative, whether that be painting, drawing, knitting, sewing, cooking, decorating, writing, photography, clay, jewelry-making or whatever!"

It's free to sign up.  Just visit the site HERE.

Bags made from a vintage children's book. I trim the pages using a paper cutter, and then cut the decorative edge at the top by hand.  I sew each bag on the sewing machine for durability. 

This set and others are available in my shop.

What I am making today?  First off is a needlefelted set of math gnomes.  A customer requested a set, so I'll be making two sets - one for her and an additional one for my shop.  Then maybe more needlefelted items...as long as I have those barbed needles and wool out.  I haven't done needlefelting for a while, so it will be nice to work with wool again.

Mail Art Project

For many years I've been interested in the life of St. Francis.  His relationship with nature and animals as well as his views on simplicity and frugality are of particular interest.  During the past couple of years, I've participated in different swaps on Swap-Bot, and have been introduced to mail art. 

So, I started another website dedicated to The St. Francis Mail Art Project which is a on-going internet gallery of mail art that is received that positively depicts St. Francis, his life, his writing, and how individuals are living a life that is inspired by St. Francis.

The project is open to any type of print media of any size (no video or audio, please), and each artist's interpretation. Postcards, photographs, textiles, sculpture, mail art, artistamps, calligraphy...so many options.  For more information and/or to send an item in to be included in the gallery, please visit HERE.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies
Originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann

Tried a new recipe. My mom use to make peanut butter cookies, but I didn't have her recipe. Found one in a book that I checked out from the library that I thought sounded good.

I made the cookies dairy-free so Sophia can have them (she has a dairy allergy).  They are moist and flavorful cookies. 

Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2 cup butter (I used dairy free)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
granulated sugar

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and peanut butter together. Add the sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat until combined. Add egg and vanilla. Add the flour with the mixer (as much as you can) and then add remaining flour by hand. If necessary, cover and chill dough in refrigerator until easy to handle.

Shape dough into 2-inch balls. Roll in sugar to coat. Place 12 balls on a cookie sheet. Flatten by making risscross marks with the tines of a fork.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Makes 36 cookies.

I am grateful for...

As I think back on the past week, I am grateful for...

:: having one of the items in my shop (Harvest Moon by Hand) selected by HGTV and Etsy for an upcoming holiday special on HGTV.
:: being able to spend time with both my parents on Tuesday to help them with errands and a medical appointment.
:: my mom's continued recovery from surgery that went smoothly thanks to a talented surgeon and team of medical professionals.
:: being able to hear my daughters sing joyfully as they practice songs for choir and piano lessons.
:: having a nice lunch at El Burrito Mercado with Sophia and Olivia.
:: attending the fire department's open house; and seeing the dedicated volunteer firefighters who are committed to helping and serving the community.