Author: The Urban Homemaker

  • An Emotional Day, A Good Day

    Today, my daughters Laura, Mary and I, had the privelege of welcoming  home Laura’s fiance Brandon’s unit from the 101st Airborne from Ft Campbell from a 14 month deployment in Iraq. 

    We arose at 3:00 am to be at the parking lot at 5:00 am and then we were bussed to the welcome home hanger.  The unit was scheduled to arrive in Kentucky at 7:00 am, and I have to say the wind chill at that early hour feels much colder than our typical Colorado morning weather despite the layers of hoodies, jackets, gloves, hats etc I had put on.  IT WAS FREEZING.

     Finally, out of nowhere, a commercial jet landed in front of the hanger, taxied out of site down the runway and then back in front of the hanger.  Soon the soldiers began to deplane single file with rifles, helmets, back packs and  other gear  after days of waiting in Baghdad for departure to Kuwait and many rescheduled arrival times.  

    After they walked over to the hanger,  the soldiers  laid their gear on the tarmac in front of the hangar and prepared to get in formation to march into the hanger for the Welcome Home ceremonies.  The families were notified to return to the hanger bleachers for welcoming ceremonies.  After families returned to the bleachers, the unit marched into the hanger in formation for a welcome from the general, the Flying Eagles song, the Army song and AT LAST, were able to break ranks for 20 minutes to greet their loved ones.  Then back into formation, marched back out of the hanger to complete return of their weapons and other administrative functions, and at last had the rest of the day to enjoy their loved ones.

    After weeks of waiting, numerous arrival date changes, a 1300 plus mile car trip from Colorado to Ft Campbell just ahead of a snow storm, and so much anticipation for this special day, I arrived at the ceremonies very emotional.  I realized I had just had my baptism into Army Life and I wasn’t well prepared.  I will soon be saying Good-bye to Laura and Brandon, after their wedding on January 3.  Heavy on my heart is knowing my son Stephen, an army ROTC cadet will soon be following this difficult yet heroic path.

    Many army moms and wives will know a bit of the emotion I experienced.  But readers, I have to tell you, until you experience these welcome home ceremonies you can not imagine or begin to appreciate the sacrifices and stresses of the deployments and what a toll it takes on family life nor the pride you can feel in seeing just a small group of the armed forces.

    There were quite a few soldiers who had no family to welcome them home after all they have been through.  It broke my heart to see men in groups without family to greet them. God spoke very loudly to my heart saying, “You can get out on that floor and personally thank  and welcome home some soldiers who don’t have any families around to them.”  Obediently, I  to shook hands with many soldiers and thanked them.  I wish I could have done it without a few tears. 

    In rural Paonia, I have been well insulated from the real world! 

    I don’t think we in our everyday lives think about how much has been sacrificed for us.  I wish I knew
    more tangible ways to reach out.  If you have some ideas, please share them with me and others at this blog for a complimentary copy of my Holiday Open House ebook, a $6.97 value.

  • Encouraging Thanksgiving during the Thanksgiving Season

    Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and will be a bittersweet celebration for my family this year. Although I usually look forward to the opportunity to take a couple days off before Thanksgiving to focus on making my favorite Thanksgiving foods with my children, this year will be different. My daughter Laura will be getting married January 3, and is making final preparations to not only get married but move to Clarksville, TN to be with her husband-to-be, Brandon. They will be stationed at Ft Campbell. As most of you already know, this will be our family’s first Thanksgiving and holiday season without my late husband Duane who passed on to glory in April of this year.

    I have decided that instead of focusing on the busyness of the holidays and a wedding, that I want to focus on Thanksgiving, I mean all the ways, large and small, God has met me in this difficult year. I’ll be honest, there have been some very rugged challenges and I continue to struggle my way through denial, anger, and grief on a regular basis. I’m determined to begin a “Thanksgiving Journal” to record God’s faithfulness through this year and through the holiday season.

    Monday, I wrestled with worry and anxiety about some computer/business issues as well as wedding concerns and I really wondered if I was going to get through the day. By Tuesday morning, I realized all three things I worried and fretted over all day Monday had positive outcomes as of Tuesday morning, (yesterday). I knew I needed to record these small victories before I forget.

    Just recently I learned that 40% of what we worry about never happens, 30% of our worries is over the past, 12% is over matters of which we have no control, and 8% are legitimate concerns. Well, I may not have the percentages exactly right, but Tuesday morning (yesterday) I realized I worried needlessly and I needed to focus on thankfulness.

    I suspect you and I are a bit like the Israelites who quickly forgot all the miraculous things God did for them to get them to the promised land alone! Well, it just seems like the month of November is the time to focus on Thanksgiving more and the food preparations less. Perhaps you will be challenged to join me and begin a little prayer notebook filled with things to be thankful for, answered prayers to unnecessary worries and scriptural promises that we can cling to and claim during difficulties.

    Here are two scriptures that have been getting me through:
    Phil 4:6-7- “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

    Psalm 34:8,19 “O taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man that trusteth in him…Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”

    I know I am not the only one who had some serious setbacks in 2008, I would love to hear from others of you and ask that you share the scriptures with me and others that have helped you through trial after trial this past year.  Please post your comments or email me at marilyn@urbanhomemaker.com with the scriptures that get you through trials.  Let’s encourage one-another during this Thanksgiving season.

  • Bull Moose Visits our Neighborhood!

    Although we live out in the country, so-to-speak, we don’t usually see wildlife such as a moose. In fact, 60 moose were introduced onto the Grand Mesa area (about 50 miles away) in the last two years. Apparently, the moose like it here as there is talk that their population has more than doubled in the last two years.

    My daughter Mary received these pictures from her friend Jesse who lives around the corner. The pictures were taken by Jesse’s younger brother and emailed to Mary. I thought it might be fun for you to see how brown in gets in Colorado in the late Fall along with the “wildlife” shot of the bull moose.

    Off he goes over the fence and up a nearby hillside.

     

  • Honey Glazed Chicken, a family favorite

    Ed Note:  It turns out that one of our family favorite recipes, Honey Glazed Chicken, was a hit in Iraq.  Here is an update from my oldest daughter Laura, who is currently serving in a Christian School in the Kurdish area of Iraq.   Read on:

    Dear Mommy,

    Oh, I forgot to tell you- I made Honey Glazed Chicken for our whole team on Monday and they LOVED it!  It was definately a hit:-)

    It is a great recipe too because we actually have all those ingredients here!  We didn’t have to scratch our heads and say “Well, we could subsitiute this for this since we don’t have this and this and this ingredient…!”

    We also made dinner for the guys tonight (they were having some of the male teachers over this evening and asked us to make dinner, but we can’t stay for it… but we are happy to serve!  Anyway, we need to go deliver their dinner.

    Jeremiah requested the Honey Glazed Chicken so we are serving it to the Kurdish men- I will let you know how they like it!

    Laura in Iraq

  • Baking Testimonials, comments, questions.

    Today I sent out an email entitled, “Is baking bread and storing grain economical?”

    I received many interesting responses you might enjoy reading through:

    <<<By the way, I share your bread recipe(Marilyn’s Famous Whole Wheat Bread Recipe) with everyone that I know that buys a Zojirushi bread machine. It’s far better than the one in the Zoj recipe book and even better than Bread Beckers. Everyone I know loves your recipe, so thanks for sharing it with us! Bunnie C

    Zojirushi Bakery Supreme (Auto Baker Method)

    2 TB honey
    2 TB oil
    1 1/2 C water (90 – 100F)
    1 1/2 tsp Real Salt
    3 1/2 C fresh whole wheat flour
    2 tsp Dough Enhancer
    3 TB Vital Gluten
    1 1/2 tsp Saf Instant Yeast>>>

    Another:

    <<<Marilyn,

    I understand Connie’s concerns! I would be interested in seeing the cost break-down of how you price your bread; when I’ve done mine, it comes in closer to $3 a loaf to make it myself. Still cheaper than buying it, and of course it’s healthier, and I get the satisfaction of doing it and my children help so we like it 🙂

    Regarding storage, the buckets are wonderful but expensive. I had some grain in buckets in our basement, but for everyday use I had 25lb each of quite a few varities in non-airtight Sterilite stacking bins in my kitchen. They were fine for years (rotating the grains as I used them), but in the last few months I lost 2 bins to maggots (spread from an infestation in my bin of dried fruit I’d harvested and dried myself) and the remaining 3 to flour moths. Now I have everything in buckets. Less convenient access but I hope we’re through our pest problems. For those who do buy in bulk, please urge them to store in airtight containers! I had never heard of flour moths and had no idea maggots could get into grain (or dried fruit — and they ate right through ziplock freezer bags!). At least the buckets only need to be bought once. Tyrie W>>>

    Tyrie and others,

    his is how I calculate (estimate) the cost of bread per loaf:

    My grain costs me about $30.00 per 50 lb bag. It takes roughly one
    pound of flour per loaf (1.5 lb loaf).The whole wheat flour cost is 60 cents.

    Water is free, but I do use filtered water so there is no chlorine or other chemical contaminants in my bread.

    Saf Yeast costs me $5.99 per pkg (I use SAF Instant yeast). I would use about 1 tsp per loaf. I calculate that cost at 5 cents, that is an estimate.

    Salt is 1 tsp. I don’t calculate that cost, but call it 1 cent. (I use Real Salt)

    Honey and oil are my most expensive ingredients. I would use 2 TB honey per loaf and 2 TB oil per loaf, so depending on the costs of the oil and honey you purchase (bulk purchases are cheaper per cup). I calculate the honey cost at 25 cents (1 cup of honey costs me $2.00 because I buy it in bulk).

    The oil is 2 TB per loaf and I use olive oil which costs me about $13.00 for 2 qts. so that is 20 cents for 2 TB.

    Total estimated expense is $1.11.

    So even if your ingredient costs are more because you don’t buy in bulk, we are talking in the neighborhood of $1.00 to $1.25 a loaf. You could add in electrical costs if you were really wanting an accurate cost, but I think the point is homemade bread is significantly less expensive and better quality than most store bought equivalents.

    Depending on the size of your family and how many loaves of bread you use a week, you can calculate annual savings. Large families will save a bundle!

    Here was a reply from Tamara, a homemaker, who’s husband has had some significant health improvements since she started baking bread. Read her story in her words.

    <<<Dear Marilyn,

    About 1.5-2 years ago I began grinding my grains an making all my doughs. I’d made bread in a machine for years, but have since given the machine away. Let me simply say that my husband has struggled with high blood pressure for years and has worn glasses since his school days. The only changes in his diet over the 1.5-2 years was that I varied our meats/fish consumption and the whole grains.

    In the last year he came home from a eye appt. to find that he was no longer required to wear glasses, now 20/20. The doctor said this was very rare and wanted to know if his diet had changed. We were in awe. Then a few months later he went to the doctor for a check up, and giggled when she congratulated him on his completely low/normal range BP.

    She wanted to know what was so funny, and he said he’d been pretty stressed the past week and figured it would be sky high. In 11.5 years of marriage, that was the lowest his BP had ever been. We truly believe it is a direct result of the grains. I make everything else too (i.e. detergents, yogurt, sauces, etc.). He travels every other week and cannot eat as well those days, due to his occupation. Look at the changes have done for him! Tamara E.>>>

    Thanks Tamara for sharing. Do you have a testimonial or question to share with others? Please post here at my blog.

    One more health testimonial:

    <<<Dear Marilyn,

    Your bread recipes and milling grain is helping me to survive a horrible Auto Immune Disease I was just diagnosed with & my daughter more than likely has as well. It is the only thing some days I feel like eating and has staved off anemia & helps the ulcers in my throat stomach & soft tissue. I am grateful for your recipes I believe 6 months ago I bought your ebook, what a blessing you are!

    Your bread & milling grains have helped us tremendously with energy & getting healthier. Thank you again & God bless you. Many Blessings, Larisa G>>>

    This is a common question about how to keep bread from drying out so quickly:

    <<<Dear Marilyn,

    I enjoy making my own bread.   My bread seems to get dried out a day or two after it’s been baked.  I’m wondering if there is a secret to getting bread to stay moist.  Thank you, Loretta >>>

    Answer:  If your bread is dry, use less flour during the kneading process.  If it stales quickly, always use honey, honey is the secret to keeping bread from drying out.  Marilyn

    Remember:

    Marilyn’s Famous Bread Recipe is VERSATILE! Use it to make cinnamon rolls, pizza, bread sticks, and more. Click this link for Whole Wheat Bread Dough Variations. If you use this bread dough to make your own rolls, cinnamon rolls, pizza, etc.the savings continues to grow.

  • Preview of a Little Grace and Charm

    I am extremely excited to introduce The Riches and Treasures of Home and give you a pre-publication peek at the beauty, grace, wisdom and quality of this new book.

    I am sure you will agree, after browsing a few sample pages below, that Kari’s book does a splendid job of blending the beautiful and elegant with a sumptuous coziness and charm.  As a lover of “old-fashioned skills” and anything home oriented this book makes my heart go a flutter!

    The Riches and Treasures of Home is an old fashioned book filled with warm recollections and fond remembrances, and overflows with the quaint customs and lovely old rituals of the 19th century. Recalling an extraordinary time and place, the book takes the reader on an enchanting journey that brings the gentility of the past into the present, and allows all revel in the prim formalities that made it such a glorious affair.









     



    Kari’s book is sure to become a cherished keepsake by those with a contemplative spirit and an affinity for things of old.   Her book is a sweet compendium overflowing with historical imagery and Victorian ephemera (old fashioned illustrations) in full and vibrant display, and nurtures a love of home and a delight in all things lovely.

    Kari has generously given me permission to post  a broad sampling of pages from The Riches and Treasures of Home.  This pre-publication special offer is a limited time offer.

  • Fresh and Wyld Farmhouse Inn & Gardens

    AKA The Farmhouse, Paonia, Colorado

    Great recipes for using seasonal veggies like Chard, Kale, Corn, and Zucchini follow:


    The following recipes are courtesy of renowned Aspen Chef Dava Parr (Paonia, resident). Chef Dava was pleased to share her delicious recipes with us and The Rocket (also known as Arugula) Salad was totally awesome! I learned that I can roast zucchini in the oven instead of saute it, and I must say I love it this way! Learn something new everyday!

    Rocket and Roasted Summer Squash Salad
    This is also a great way to use up leftover corn on the cob. Although I don’t have any arugula growing in my garden today, I think it isn’t too late to plant for a Fall harvest.

    Roasted Summer Squash

    Preheat oven to 425

    1 yellow summer squash

    1 Zucchini

    ¼ onion, chopped

    ½ clove garlic, crushed

    3 T olive oil

    Salt & Pepper

    1/2 tsp Paprika

    Combine all the ingredients above and roast for 25-30 minutes.

    Arugula Salad

    5 oz baby Rocket (arugula), chopped a couple times

    3 ears of corn, shucked off the cob

    2 oz Goat cheese

    Salt & Black pepper

    Dressing

    1 tsp Lemon juice

    2 tsp Nama Shoyu or other good soy sauce

    1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

    2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

    Whisk everything together in a little bowl or shake up in a pint jar. Lay arugula on platter, sprinkle corn and goat cheese over the top. Spoon roasted squash over Rocket, (arugula) and pour dressing over the top. Serve.

    Chorizo & Chard Omelet

    ¼ # chorizo, crumbled

    ¼ cup thinly sliced onion

    ½ clove garlic, crushed

    2 cups chard, chopped in small pieces

    1 cup grated zucchini

    3 eggs beaten w/ 1 T Cream

    ½ cup grated Jarlsberg

    Sauté Chorizo with onion, garlic, chard and Zucchini over med-high heat. Spoon into a bowl and set to the side.


    Raw Kale Salad

    1 bunch of Kale cut in chiffonade (Strips as thin as your knife can cut, think shredded paper)

    1 tsp garlic, crushed

    ½ cup raw pine nuts

    ½ cup raisins

    ½ cup grated Parmesan

    Sea Salt & Black Pepper

    3 T olive oil

    Juice of 1 lemon squeezed

    Blend everything together with your fingers until it is well mixed. Let sit for 20 minutes at room temperature.

    Stewed Tomatoes and Green Beans

    1 pound green beans, steamed until almost done

    1 T olive oil

    1 clove of garlic, crushed

    1 cup of chopped tomatoes

    1 tsp fresh oregano or ½ tsp dried oregano

    ½ cup nicoise olives, optional

    1 tsp capers, optional

    Pinch of crushed red pepper

    Juice of half a lemon

    Sauté garlic and steamed grean beans in olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes and lemon juice. Let stew for a few minutes over low heat.

    Serve with a little Parmesan over the top if you like.

    Fresh and Wyld Farmhouse Inn and Gardens Tucked into a serene corner of Colorado’s North Fork Valley, near charming little Paonia—and —our lovingly restored 1908 farmhouse inn and gardens is a great way to caress, de-stress, and decompress yourself while enjoying a rural lifestyle in total comfort.

    Innkeeper Dava Parr (a renowned Aspen chef) prepares cutting edge comfort food for breakfast and weekend dinners from fresh, local, organic meats and produce grown right on our own four acres or from one of the many farms in Colorado’s most active natural farming region.

    Call us for reservations room types vary in price and range from $90 to $135 per night. 970-527-4389 We look forward to hosting you!

  • Crystal, Colorado

    Crystal, Colorado is  nearly a ghost town except for a few remaining cabins, occupied by dedicated seasonal residents. These cabins are leftover from its’ colorful mining heyday of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Most residents moved out by 1920.

    Crystal is probably most famous for the frequently photographed Crystal Mill above. It is also about five miles from Marble, Colorado, where the gorgeous pure white marble was quarried for the Lincoln Memorial, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Denver Post Office, and other commercial buildings in New York and San Francisco built in the earlier part of the twentieth century.

    We found numerous, lush, green, roaring, waterfalls all around. I only hiked to a few of them, but Laura, an avid hiker, probably didn’t miss one.

    We hiked from the Crystal Valley one day to Lead King Basin. This scenic valley, on the back side of the Maroon Bells near Aspen and Snowmass wilderness, was just coming into the peak of colorful wildflowers. We didn’t meet one hiker along the old, rugged jeep road, just a few jeeps passed us.

    The old jeep roads are badly deteriorated, really more suitable for hikers, so the next day we hiked up to the “snow bridge”.  The snow bridge is normally melted out by mid-July and this horribly deteriorated jeep road would otherwise go over Schofield Pass on into Crested Butte. As you can see the heavy snow year meant the road was still impassible even in the later part of July. My children are in the upper left corner of the picture below.  So this snow bridge is actually quite large and the “end of the road” for now.

    One jeep drove up to the snowbridge while we were there to see if it was truely the end of the road.  I cringed to think about how he would turn around or back up on this narrow rocky road.  But he adeptly navigated the turn and returned back down the road.  Amazing!

  • Leadership Training Course

    My son Stephen left June 16, 2008 for LTC (Army lingo for Leadership Training Course) at Ft Knox, near Louisville, KY. His departure was exactly two months after his Dad (Duane) died. Needless to say, sending your son off to 4 weeks of intensive physical and mental challenges and training is a little hard on a mom with no family military heritage.

    Then I received the invitations from the Colonel to attend the Family Day and Graduation Ceremony scheduled for July 12 and 13 which pulled on my mama heart strings. Could I afford it? Should I afford it? Could I handle going by myself? What if I don’t go? All the typical mom worries. My sister’s husband Chuck, a retired army reserve Colonel advised that I skip this event and plan on attending his commissioning in a year or two.

    Meanwhile, I only received three very short phone calls while he was gone, one of which was Saturday during the Family time. Friday, I found the web site with all the many pictures of the activities covered including two good ones of Stephen, I can’t resist posting.

    These pictures were taken candidly by the army during the One Rope Bridge Steam Crossing Training Event.

    Stephen is the short haired boy in glasses. He told me he has had two hair cuts in the four weeks he has been at Ft Knox. When he called Saturday, he informed me that he was graduating “fully qualified” so he will now be able to contract with ROTC when he returns to school this Fall. I am proud Mama for his determination and fortitude inspite of the obstacles our family has been facing. God has been faithful to all of us.

  • Father’s Day Picnic – Erickson Springs, CO

    Erickson Springs is a camping/picnicing area about 45 minute drive from here.  With the gorgeous Anthricite River rushing through, we go there often.  We decided to roast hot dogs, make Somemore’s and play Rummicube, all outdoor/family camping traditions.  The weather was picture perfect. The Ragged Mountains and Antricite provided a heaven-made backdrop.   I am finding the outdoors very healing and soothing to my soul in ways I never imagined.

    Thanks for your prayers, my first Father’s Day without Daune is filled with good memories.