Swifts

Last night my family had a chance to go and watch the swifts! In Portland, going to watch the swifts means heading to NW Portland, to Chapman school, where during the month of September, migrating swifts use the chimney there as a roosting place. Every night at sunset, the swifts gather and make their way into the safety of the chimney.
It is an amazing sight, watching hundreds of tiny birds dance around one another, circle the chimney and then eventually funnel their way inside. My photo does not do any justice to what this actually looks like, but you can use your imagination!
Last night's display was especially interesting, as we had a chance to see a real-life predator-prey interaction. There were two falcons waiting alongside the top of the chimney, hungrily awaiting an evening meal. They each caught a couple of swifts, which was slightly heartbreaking, but exciting nonetheless. Can't beat the ringside seat wildlife viewing smack in the middle of a city! Pin It Now!

One Thing, One Month

My too-short summer break ended last week, and as of last Wednesday I was back in teacher mode. The beginning of a new term is always filled with much anticipation (and a wee bit of anxiety), but I am always hopeful of how I may change my students lives, and how they may change mine, over the course of the term.
Today I offered up an extra credit project to my class. It's the same project I offer every time I teach this particular class, and I always get a huge kick out of the results. In order to earn the extra credit, I ask students to significantly change something in their lives through the course of the term that will reduce the footprint they leave on this earth.
I have had a whole host of projects over the past couple of years, but some of the more common ones are reducing meat consumption, driving less, taking shorter showers, reducing use of plastics and, well, I think you get the picture. The projects vary depending on the current lifestyle of each student, with some taking more baby steps than others. I ask the students to keep a journal of their trials and tribulations (times when they may fail or cave in) and how they are feeling about their project. Not all are 100% successful, but everyone who participates develops a much greater awareness of the positive impact they can make through their actions. Many of my students decide to keep their lower-impact lifestyles even after the term ends (and that, really, is my secret goal!)
So, I would like to invite you all to participate in a project to reduce your impact on this earth for the month of October. Personally, I am going to pledge to not buy anything new during the month of October (exceptions are food and toilet paper and craft materials, like fabric and yarn, so that I can still make handmade goods). I do already try to buy used as much as possible, but I do find myself grabbing a last-minute toddler birthday present that I didn't have time to make or another needed household good more times than I would like. Buying nothing new makes me have to plan ahead for what I need and therefore buy only what I do need. Honestly, for this challenge, I really wanted to cut out all processed foods that were packaged in plastics (like crackers, sliced bread, corn ships, etc.) out of my diet for a month, but I am afraid that the tiredness and hungriness of being pregnant will push me to failure. However, I would like to challenge myself to that after the new baby is born and life settles down again. So, for now, I will 'settle' for buying nothing new and finding EVERYTHING I need either second-hand or making it myself! What can YOU do for a month to reduce your impact? If you want to participate, leave a comment with what you can do! One thing, one month! Pin It Now!

Pears Galore!

I bought 20 pounds of locally grown pears a few days ago, and have been trying to use them up before they all go bad. Here are some of the things we have made:

Pear sauce! Super easy to make.... peel and core the pears and cut them into chunks (or if your family will eat the skins, don't peel them!). Add a little bit of lemon juice and some cinnamon and simmer until tender. I didn't add any extra sugar and this came out plenty sweet enough for me! I like my pear sauce chunky, so once the pears were tender, I just used a potato masher to mash it up. I used a hot water bath to process them.
I was actually really surprised at how many pears it took to make only 4 quarts of sauce.... I think we will go through this must faster than I thought!!

I also made some pear butter. All the recipes for this call for lots of added sugar, but I didn't use any (and I still think it taste delicious!). I used about 8 pounds of pears (peeled and cored), a few tablespoons of vanilla and about a tsp or so of cloves. I pureed it all until smooth in a food processor and then cooked it on high in a crock pot for most of the day (until it is pretty thick). I also canned this using a hot water bath. Once this cooked down I only filled 6 4-ounce jars, so next time I will probably make a much bigger batch (I think this will make a great xmas present!)


I also made some pear leather. This was my first time making leather and I was pleasantly surprised by how yummy it turned out. I only wish I had made more!! For pear leather, I used 4 pears (peeled and cored), and pureed them with a little cinnamon and ginger. Then you line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap, and spread the pureed mixture evenly over the tray. Now the problem is the drying.... I dried this on low (about 170) in the oven for a few hours, then it spent a day in the sun (in a box covered with plastic wrap to keep out critters), and then it still needed a few more hours in the oven again. So, it took a really, really long time to dry my one sheet of fruit leather. If I had more cookie trays, I could do 4 at a time, and that would be a little more manageable. However, I think I am adding a food dehydrator to my xmas wish-list.... I have heard it only takes about 6 hours in a dehydrator, and since this came out so fantastic, I know I will want to make more next year. A solar oven may be an option as well, however, I have never tried it! Pin It Now!

Melted Crayon Leaves

The changing of the seasons is always a great inspiration to start new crafts... especially the change into fall. With chilly mornings and colorful leaves, I have been in the kitchen much more than normal and have been itching to do lots of autumn crafts.
I saw the cutest tutorial for wax paper leaves on a blog I follow, V and Co., and just had to try it for myself! My pictures do not do this craft justice, so check out the tutorial (link below) to see much better pictures of these leaves. Finn and I did this together, and although most of it was not safe for an almost 3 year old (hot irons and scissors), he still watched me with intensity.
You can find the tutorial here. I will worn you that the wax bled through the towels I put over and under my wax paper, so use towels that you don't need and if you have a super fancy iron, I probably wouldn't use it for this project!
Have fun!! Pin It Now!

Flock & Fiber 2010

Today I got to escape from the craziness of home life and head with a friend to the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. There was yarn and roving beyond my imagination, handmade wool crafts, and wooly animals galore. It was so nice to browse the local fibers (especially without a toddler trying to grab everything) and imagine all of the projects that those fibers could be turned into!

I came home with a full bag of roving..... probably enough to last me for several years unless I actual get on all of those felting projects that I have been talking about!! Pin It Now!

Hikes & Apples: Our Day in Hood River

Today the entire family (dogs included!) headed out to Hood River for a hike with spectacular views of Mt. Hood followed by a trip to an orchard for some apple picking. The apple picking was so fun that we accidentally picked more than we needed..... I think I will be making a whole lot of applesauce tomorrow evening!







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Genetically Engineered Salmon Anyone?

The FDA is trying to approve the first genetically modified fish created for human consumption. Not only is this a sketchy idea because we have no real idea what eating this type of food might do to us long-term (there have not been adequate studies), but is these modified fish escape and mix with native salmon populations, it would be a huge threat to their survival.
Check out the following articles about the GE fish and labeling and take action now! Pin It Now!