Blueberry Buckle

I had 3 little pints of blueberries left in the frig. I could freeze more or make jam, but I decided to bake. I love blueberry baked goods and I remembered a recipe from the The Country Life Vegetarian Cookbook. I couldn’t find a direct link at the website but if you are interested you could probably call. The book is literally stuffed with wholesome breakfast recipes. Normally I am not a breakfast person but with all these recipes I could eat breakfast all day, which I guess I am kind of doing since that’s what’s for dinner.

Mavis is getting to be quite the helper. Of course for her any addition to the recipe after honey was superfluous. At first she didn’t understand why I was adding the blueberries to the batter, then she decided to add more while my back was turned. Oh well I guess you can’t have too many blueberries.

Blueberry Buckle

3 cups oat flour (can make your own using rolled oats and blend)
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp salt
2 cups warm water
2 TBSP honey
2 1/2 TBSP yeast
1/2 cup oil
1 TSBP Vanilla
1 cup honey
1 cup blueberries

Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl and stir together.

In a small bowl mix together next 3 ingredients. Set aside for 10-15 minutes to bubble in draft-free area to make sponge.

While sponge is bubbling, beat together next 3 ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.

When sponge has fully bubbled add liquid ingredients and blueberries to dry ingredients. Stir well together. Immediately pour into greased 9X13 inch baking pan and spread evenly. Do not let rise, but bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake 25 minutes more the center will spring back when touched. When cake is slightly cooled top with blueberry topping and Streusel topping.

Blueberry topping

2 cups frozen blueberries
1/2 cup water with 1 TBSP honey
1/18 salt
1/2 cup apple juice concentrate
3 TBSP corn starch

Put first 3 ingredients in a saucepan and boil stirring frequently, until berries give off juice. Blend or whisk together cornstarch and apple concentrate. Add to boiling berries while stirring and cook until clear. Stir and cook 1 more minute.

Streusel topping

1 cup granola
1 cup coconut
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp water
1 tsp vanilla
 1 1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp anis

Blend first two ingredients on high 15-20 seconds until finely ground. Pour into a bowl and add remaining ingredients Mix together well with hands.

So so yummy and virtually guilt free. You can make it the night before for breakfast.

Herb Walk at Lake Como

When we first started farming I had much difficulty telling the difference between the plants. This was especially a problem in direct seeded (seeds planted directly in the ground versus transplants) crops where the weeds would be coming up at the same time as the plants. Luckily it doesn’t take to long to figure out which plants are good to eat and which ones not.

Now I have decided to take my plant education to the next level in identifying wild medicinal plants. To help me out I went back to my herbalist friend Erin Piorier. She teaches classes locally and last night she had one at Como Lake, a beautiful urban park.

Here Erin points out Bee Balm this is an excellent anti-fungal herb and good for the kidneys. You make a tincture out of the flowers which were just about at peak last night.

Hoary Vervain is a relative of the very useful nervine, antispasmodic Blue Vervain. Both are used medicinally for relaxing tension, menstrual cramps, IBD, pms and more.

Yellow Dock if you remember correctly this was Avril’s favorite herb at her treatment. This is a great “normalizer” meaning it can be used to treat opposite symptoms like diahhrea and constipation. It is also very cooling, works broadly and gently, is a great skin rememedy, good for acid reflux and used in some anti-cancer treatments. It has a sorrel like taste in the leaves. Roots are used to make a tincture when the plant is past prime.

Motherwort very very bittter. Good for the entire life cycle of a woman, also fevers, helps you relax when tension is in your core. Erin said that if you have only 6-8 herbs in your family medicine kit this should be one of them.

Medicinal echinacea/purple cone flower notice that its leaves are a bit stringy. Erin does not use this plant much.

Butterfly weed also called pleurisy root used as an expectorant and good for whooping cough. Make a tincture from the roots in the fall.

All in all I think we saw and identified around 15 plants. I also know mullein, plantain, golden rod and yarrow confidently. As Erin said we are no longer trained to learn this helpful and useful plants–even just the ones we eat. Learning can be such an empowering thing. I intend to build up our family herb kit, but we do get sick so infrequently I am not such what I will use probably, purslane, yellow dock, motherwort, mullein (good for ear aches), plantian and yarrow.

Danish Cherry Sauce

Last night I was up late canning. It was warm during the day so it was probably almost the best time, except not. Anyway I had 18 lbs of cherries to put by. Most I froze but then I decided I wanted to do something unique and interesting with them. So In addition to plain sugar free jam (which still tasted fabulous by the way) I made Danish Cherry Sauce from my Ball Blue Book of Preserving. I have a little left that didn’t fit in the jars so I will try that one of these days. I did try the sauce right after it was done and oh so yummy, though I do have to admit that with the cinnamon and almond it seems a little more of a cool weather treat. Here’s the recipe.

Danish Cherry Sauce
 
4 1/2 pounds cherries (3 pitted)
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 sticks cinnamon
1 1/2 TBSP almond extract
1 cup water
3/4 cup corn syrup 
 
Wash and pit cherries. Combine sugar, cinnamon sticks, almond extract, water and corn syrup in large saucepan. Add cherries and simmer until hot through. Remove cinnamon sticks. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head room. Process 10 minutes in hot water bath canner.

I decided this winter I will have to do lots and lots of baking. I have plenty of blueberries and cherries now so I could make oodles of pies and tarts and coffee cake. Not to mention the cherry and soon to be apricot (a project for this weekend) jam that could be spread on all sorts of scones and biscuits. Yum.

A trip to the herbalist

Yesterday we took our first real dive into alternative medicine. Though we have used chiropractic care for awhile now it is almost more mainstream (after all it’s covered by our insurance). Honestly we do most of our healing at home with diet, rest and water, this has worked really well for us. Every time one of us gets sick I feel so blessed that I am able to be home with my babies and help them heal naturally at home.

My sister works at a daycare and the previous one she was at parents were always trying to sneak in sick kids just because they couldn’t afford to take the time off with them.

Anyway I digress. Yesterday we all went to our local herbalist. I had met Erin Piorier through Le Leche League and taken a couple classes with her before life got crazy. Now I am renewing my interest in herbs and am planning no less then 4 classes this fall. I am really hyped about it. Avril had been suffering from eczema for awhile behind her knees and in her elbows. Mavis also seems to have some of the same but less severe.

The first part of the appointment was the consulfation and medical history. We are fortunate both girls are very healthy, “robust” as Erin called it. Avril’s body type tends to be more hot and dry. So Erin felt that increasing the moinsure was important for Avril.

After the consultation Erin began selecting herbs from her tincture supply. Erin makes her own medicines and each tincture is hand crafted from wild or organically grown plants.

Then Erin began the “taste test” so to speak. With her hand on Avril’s pulse she tested each one by one on the inside of her arm to see which would have a beneficial result. She said, “until you have it done to you and you feel the reaction you wouldn’t believe it.” She was looking for a noticeable relaxing of the pulse.

Avril is enjoying all the one on one treatment even with her siblings playing in the backyard. She even selected her favorite one–yellow dock. When Erin put one drop of this tincture on her arm she got all peaceful and said, “I like that one.” This was after about 10-15 herbs and she selected it.

Erin refills a tincture bottle from a fresh batch.

After going through the herbs she selected once and taking out the positive ones we washed Avril’s arm for a 2nd try before finally selecting 4 to be mixed into Avril’s very own medicine.

Elderblossom–increases circulation to the periphery, opens pores
Yellow Dock Root–cooling and moistening skin needs (also a blood cleanser)
Chickweed–moistening and cooling
Burdock–moistening and cooling

Mavis wouldn’t sit for the consultation but Erin said since they were sisters we would make a similar mixture for her. Erin just left out the yellow dock for Mavis’.

Avril colors her own label. For those we haven’t indulged in more holistic medicine it is such a treat and so relaxing. The children are getting used to it and not worried at all about going to the doctor now. 

Our medicines. Erin did a joint 1 hour long consultation for the girls. She charges $35 for children. The tinctures and salves were each $6 (not bad for hand made personalized medicine!). and she threw in the soap because I mentioned I was running out of the soap that I made last year. Our co-pays for “1st tier” doctor’s office is $15 otherwise it goes up to $25 for like 15 minutes.

All in all it was a wonderful experience. No fussing going to the doctor. Her house was laid back and comfortable and smelled wonderful. Birds visited at her bird feeder outside and we drank delicious cold tea. I could have stayed much longer and talked herbs, but I’ll see her again tomorrow for class.

Preserving Time Again

What a busy, busy weekend. In addition to all the weeding and harvesting at the farm we celebrated Two’s birthday and had our first shipment of fruit arrive. We are getting better at making the birthdays more low key and enjoyable for parents as well. So that was more fun then anything. And then there was the fruit.

Looking back it was fun and something enjoyable to do together but last night not so much. It would be a very long story to explain how Proeun and I ended up unloading our bulk fruit order from a refrigerated semi parked outside our house at 12:30 am this morning. But this morning the children woke up to boxes and boxes of fresh fruit in the living room–almost like Christmas.

We haven’t had very many real meals today since most of us can’t stop eating the fruit. I have bought fruit with my aunt for years now we are a dropsite also. Last year I only order 1 box of cherries, 1 of blueberries and 1 of Apricots.

This year I increased that to 2 boxes of blueberries. I have already put one away for winter in little freezer bags. Last year I tried dehydrating them but didn’t get enough moisture out and they spoiled. Someday when I have a bigger kitchen maybe I will buy my own and learn the process. For this year it is freezing. Oh so simple with blueberries, just label the baggies, wash them quick or check them over for steams. I like to use quart bags and put 1 pint in them.

I bought a full box of rainier cherries for fresh eating, my goodness they are amazing. About 3 weeks ago Proeun was telling me, I was just thinking about eating a big bowl of cherries.

I got 2 boxes of dark sweet cherries for freezing. I was thinking I might try some jam also if I find a good recipe. I also bought a cherry “stoner” at Fleet Farm–so much easier then doing it yourself.

Finally I bought a box of apricots. Last year I dehydrated some, canned some and did jam. I loved the jam but wasn’t really happy with anything else. Of course I can’t find the recipe. Maura if you are reading this do you have an apricot jam recipe?

So the next couple of days in my “free” time I’ll be working on my first preserving of the season. So so much fun.

Peapods–Natural Parenting Mecca

It all began about 7 years ago. Proeun and I were newly married and at his insurance office near Snelling and St. Clair in St. Paul. My brand new sister in law was expecting her 3rd baby and I was trying to think of a good gift for her. Things were taking longer then expected at the insurance office (which has since moved) so I went out to look at some of the local shops and I wandered in to Peapod’s for the first time.

I had grown up with stories of cloth diapers, many were still around the house and used for rags by the time I was helping with the cleaning. My mom would always tell funny stories about  how she would use cloth diapers on me all the time but as soon as my dad watched me he would break out the disposables.

So 7 years ago I walked into Peapod’s and saw this,

Well almost, it’s been a couple years and they have new products all the time but you get the idea. I bought a dozen pre-folds and a little froggie bummis diaper cover for me sister in law. About a year later I had my own little baby to cloth diaper. Honestly my sister in law had never used hers so I tactfully asked for them back added to my stash and began.

Three babies now have grown up in cloth diapers. But while Two was a lighter wetter and more predictable in schedule Avril was a very heavy wetter and completely unpredictable. I tried elimination communication, I read about it from a book I got at Peapods, but went back to the diapers to save my sanity.

Recently I was reading a blog post from Farmama called “stuff.” In it she talks about the trash we generate and how her philosophy has always been if she wouldn’t want it in her backyard she shouldn’t use it as it will most likely end up in someone else’s. I thought about it and realized disposable diapers are definitely something I wouldn’t want in my backyard.

Here I will make a confession. I had been using disposables at night (to save my sheets), sometimes when traveling and often while camping. After reading this post I decided to lay down a new lease. Last time we went camping I brought my cloth diapers though we still used disposables at night.

So today I finally had a chance to go to Peapod’s and get some diapers for heavy wetters. I only bought a few to try.  I bought 2 Kissaluv’s fitted diapers, 1 Bummi’s training pants, and 1 Prorap snap cover.

The children were hoping for more.

It’s always a danger when going to Peapod’s.

There is so much to see and enjoy.

On a side note it was at Peapod’s that I discovered attachment parenting. I was there one day when Two was a baby buying more diapers and asked, “are there any support groups or anything around?” Kind of a clumsy question I know but the kindly shop owner who actually uses all this stuff on his own children reffered me to a local Attachment Parenting International group and the rest is history. Soon I was planning a home birth, knitting my own diaper covers, delaying solids till sometime around one and proudly co- sleeping (we had done this from the beginning anyway now we just weren’t afraid to tell people about it).

Peapod’s has definitely done alot for me and the family so if you are in the area please stop by at 251 Snelling Ave South, St. Paul, MN 55105 or call at 1 866 WOOD TOY.

Maybe I’ll see on an upcoming trip I am planning to buy more diapers for the baby.

Much needed R and R

There is something about sleeping animals and children. I was trying to think of what I should write about today and then walked in the bedroom and saw Austin sleeping like this and had to smile, run and get my camera and then I knew what I would write about.

As any mom of small children knows sometimes vacations are not all that relaxing–especially when missed naps are involved. So I am actually getting my R and R now. Thursdays are fast becoming my favorite day of the week. I love packing our CSA boxes, infact it is probably my favorite on farm work. Then I get to deliver all the boxes. I made a deal with the children that if they sleep while I am delivering boxes (read quiet ride) they can skip nap. They normally try to do that. Finally we have a really good excuse to stay home all evening and get things done around the house, or not as in the case of today.

Since the children got to skip nap today I took a solo one, a nice treat, plus I got to journal, cuddle with Austin and read a bit. A very nice day all in all.

For those home cooking tonight here is our Newletter for this week.

Our first train ride

If I haven’t said it before we had a really fun weekend. In addition to going to a fur trade rendezvous and seeing a very nice fireworks display so close we could see the little man walking back and forth in a cloud of smoke our family took their first train ride together.

The local Kiwanis club was offering rides as a fundraiser. We got on the first ride. There on an air conditioned passenger car (the green and yellow one) and a caboose that was not air conditioned and very popular.

I let the my parents and the older children ride in the caboose while Proeun, Mavis and I rode in the passenger car.

Two wasn’t happy with that decision, and still upset when we got back to camp. It is so hard when we disappoint our children! But after a few hugs and kisses and listening to how he felt he was better.

Our tickets.

Two running for the train. Do you think he’s excited?

View from the window–the paper company on Dunlap island. Kind of puts all our paper use in perspective. 

While my parents had ridden trains before for my little family it was our first time, and very cool.

A Walk Back in Time

Every July 4th weekend a local fur trade reenacting group holds a rendezvous on Dunlap Island in Cloquet, Minnesota. We just happen to go camping near Cloquet about once a month during the summer. And did I mention that my first job was as a “historical intrepretor” at Historic Fort Snelling, a part of the Minnesota Historical Society. While there I did my share of reenacting for fun on the weekends including one 1812 reenactment with my mother and sister. So a fur trade rendezvous is kind of up my alley.

I have a deep love of history for a lot of reasons but I love what it tells us about us. Fur Trade history is big in Minnesota and is everywhere.

No matter how you feel about furs and trapping I think most people would agree it is fascinating. Cultures collided for good or ill. Rugged beauty and wilderness, hand crafts and personal livelihoods supported high fashion back east.

Here Two is guessing which animals the furs came from. He was pretty good at it actually. The furs were donated by the Minnesota DNR.

Here Two sports a coyote hat.

Two handles baby mocassins. I always wanted to make a pair.

Avril is drawn to the beaded items.

I was reading a book that discussed Ancient Greek culture. The book claimed that during this time period a person was considered wealthy based upon talents and skills. Maybe that is what has always drawn me to the past. I love hand made items, there is a beauty in them few things can rival.

There were a few people even making things there like this blacksmith demonstrating his craft.

We bought a few things at his booth including a trade silver necklace for Two and hand blown glass beads strung into a necklace for the girls while we waited.

Of course hand made candy is the best. This gentleman owns a candy shop in Kentucky where he is a licensed confectioner but he travels 50 weeks out of the year to share his favorite treats from a simple tent.

There was even good music. All in all it was a pretty great trip back in time.

The General and the Camera

For those of you that don’t know I am a writer for the Hmong Times, a local ethnic paper. I have been with them for over 7 years, before I was a mom, farmer, or Amy Doeun. It’s hard to put in words (even for a writer!) what the experience has meant to me, including what I have learned about myself, culture in general, sharing culture, and being a world citizen in my own backyard. The Hmong people are an ethnic group from Southeast Asia. They came to America through a long and complicated history involving war, the CIA and lots more. For more information about them I recommend the book A People’s History of the Hmong by my good friend Paul Hillmer.

One of the things that I find striking about the Hmong community is their respect for “The General” the past 50 plus years General Vang Pao has been a guiding influence for his people, lobbying for rights and advocating for needs. He and a select group of elders have lead their people through much turmoil in the past 50 years, including efforts to safely resettle virtually a whole population uprooted by war. This year the General turns 80. It is also the 30th Hmong Freedom celebration (and 30th anniversary of Hmong settlement in St. Paul) at nearby Como Park.

This event is the event in the Hmong community and families gather from all over the country and the world. Last night I had the pleasure of attending the opening dinner celebration at Aldrich Arena a few miles from my home.

The General was there. As always when he is introduced the entire company stands with respect. I have yet to actually meet the General and if I did I would probably be completely star struck honestly. But I was close enough to him to get a picture, if I had a better camera. While I am a writer our paper is small and so I am often photographer as well. I have always had an interest in the art form of photography but for some reason have yet to pursue. Last night as i was oh so close to an amazing personage but didn’t want to get in his face with my rinky dink camera (did I mention the children were in tow) I decided my goal for next year is to save for a really nice camera and become a photographer in addition to a writer.

Another close friend of mine Seexeng Lee  produced his own tribute to the General in the form of a series of paintings, on hand for signing as a birthday gift to the General. Seexeng is an art teach in Minneapolis Public Schools and a well known artist in his own right.

This weekend will be a busy one celebrating in the Doeun household. We work hard, so we can play hard. More on Monday.