Tackling my first renovation project at home: the staircase

Today has been windy, rainy, and because of all what was said, humid.
 It is kind of cold.
Our baking has slowed down to just one farmers market what makes me very easy to stay at home while Fabian feeds the animals at the farm.

Having just moved and with lots of projects around the house I decided to start with the one indoor and maybe the most tricky because I'm going wild with it.

First things first, right before moving we removed the carpet, it has done its job and didn't do any good to the look of the house, freshly painted and updated.

Second, the staples that didn't came out with our first removal are being taken care now by Fiamma and Fermin. 

Sanding with a palm sander is a must .

I'm very excited about the project and the kids gave me the OK to go ahead, looks that it is not as wild as I first thought and they like the idea of being out of the box.

Prints with vintage images about seeds, farmers, gardeners and community all themes so dear to my heart were decoupaged onto the steps.

Stars (inspired in a crate stairs from Junky Funk Interiors) were stenciled, distressed and as the rest of the steps stained with a light walnut stain.

Tada! Here is the finished product! It turn out pretty nice!

Dark Days of Winter Week #2

Simply Dinner

Here we go, when time runs out, picking up the kids from school, the van that broke just in the wrong moment and dinner approaching nothing better than cooking a very simple meal.

Here is what we did:

Roasted Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potatoes

and Swiss Chard

LOCAL INGREDIENTS (just a note: even when we manage Peacehaven Community Farm, we don't live on site so this is why I still count the distance for the food we grow and raise at the farm to our house where we cook it)

*Whole chicken from Peacehaven farm to freezer to table (Whitsett, NC 12 miles)

*Sweet potatoes from the Peacehaven Farm to the table ( Whitsett, NC 12 miles)

*Swiss Chard from Peacehaven farm to the table (Whitsett, NC 12 miles)

*Lemons from our garden at our house (0 miles)

*Chimichurri Blend (I prepare with dried herbs, Parsley, Oregano, Garlic) from our local co-op (Burlington, NC 18 miles)

NON LOCAL INGREDIENTS

*Canola Oil

*Red wine vinegar

*Salt

*Pepper

*Red pepper flakes (for the Chimichurri)

So I preheated the oven at 350, grab a pan and added some oil (about a Tbsp?) and set aside. Cut up the whole chicken in pieces (2 legs, 2 wings, 2 tights, the breast in half which makes 2 pieces and save the back for broth later) salt and pepper, some herbs (chimichurri blend which we make, is the one I love) and a lot of lemon juice made with homegrown lemons, and to the oven it went.

Yes! I'm in NC and it is December and have a gorgeous meyer lemon plant a friend gave me for my birthday and this year it gave us nine lemons!!! I'm thrilled!!! LOCAL LEMONS!!!

Ok, back to the meal, peel the sweet potatoes (about pound and a half), cut them in round pieces and grab a glass pan, add some oil (2 Tbsp this time) lay the sweet potatoes, as they didn't fit in just one pan I used two, add some salt and brown sugar, just sprinkle them with it then to the oven along with the chicken.

In the meantime I wash the Swiss chard, cooking it in salt water and drain it. Place it in a plate, some olive oil, a touch of vinegar, here it is for me the best way to eat Swiss Chard as my mother prepared it so many times when I was a little girl. When the chicken skin is golden brown and cracking of crispiness (about 40 minutes) and the sweet potatoes are tender they are ready to be serve. 

Serves: 4

Good Eats!

Celebrating life!

Christmastime is here...

I think after moving again I 'm ready with my Christmas Tree and the house decorations all in place after digging them up from the boxes I just move up to the attic a month ago and went down again a few days ago.

I love my Christmas tree, nothing special but with all the ornaments and crafts we gather during our 11 Christmas we have celebrate here in USA looks like a lot, but I haven't thrown away not even one.

 In Argentina and maybe here too, we have the tradition to buy a new ornament every year and keep it in the tree for Christmas to come, so now I have lots of little ornaments.

I'm kind of nostalgic when I see the ornaments my kids Fiamma and Fermin made in Elementary School . Fiamma is the middle of her Senior Year in High School and Fermin is in 10th grade. They grow so fast...

I dedicate all my Christmas excitement in decorating the house to my mom, who is looking from Heaven and smiling.
She loved Christmas and we spend so many Christmas together gathering pinecones for centerpieces projects, reading cookbooks looking for a special meal for Christmas Eve and not spending much time shopping actually, one gift each member of the family and the guests and that was it.
 I try to keep it simple too, one gift to open at Christmas Eve and another to open on Christmas morning, and the kids are so use to it that it is fine with them too, I always forget about the stockings which are hanging from the bedroom doorknobs empty on Christmas morning.

With Christmas music in the radio, fire in the fireplace, Fiamma and her boyfriend making s'mores and winter approaching fast I'm happy and ready...the smell of the cookies in the oven is something I still have to work on soon...

Dark Days of Winter week #1

A blink of an eye Omelet

Hello friends,

To enter more in details about Dark of Winter Challenge, it was started in 2007 by the people of (Not so Urban Hennery). The whole idea moves around cooking one meal each wee featuring SOLE (sustainable, organic, local, ethical) ingredients, during the lean months of the year, and write it on your blog. This year the challenge is being posted by Not Dabbling In Normal and the post of all those who are participating in the challenge will be posted in those two blogs. And of course, ours! It runs from the beginning of December until the end of March, follow us to see how we are doing, we are so happy that many summer goodies which came from the garden and are in our freezer!

I'm kind of late posting our week one meal as we singed up for the challenge at the very last minute, regardless of time, we made it in time to cook our meal in week #1.

During weekdays at lunch time we are by ourselves, kids are at school and we made a very simple meal, which keep our tummies content and our hearts full of satisfaction considering the miles our food took to reach our table.

As farm managers of a great place called Peacehaven Community Farm, we are blessed with many things and one among them is the access to a bountiful community garden and chickens for meat and eggs, and in a near future pork, beef and lamb. Our great overgrown garden during the season give us the chance to eat fresh, organically grown produce and also we had so much that I have frozen many, many bags of multicolored peppers, broccoli, summer squash and all of them made it today to our lunch plates in this delicious, colorful omelet!

LOCAL INGREDIENTS (just a note: even when we manage Peacehaven Community Farm, we don't live on site so this is why I still count the distance for the food we grow and raise at the farm to our house where we cook it)

• Farm fresh eggs from Peacehaven Farm (Whitsett 12 miles)
• Country ham bits from Sunset Farms (Wilkesboro, NC 91 miles)
• Yellow squash from Peacehaven Farm to freezer to table (Whitsett, NC 12 miles)
• Broccoli florets from Peacehaven Farm to freezer to table ( Whitsett, NC 12 miles)
• Multicolored sweet peppers from Peacehaven Farm to freezer to table (Whitsett, NC 12miles)
• Scallions from our local co-op Company Shops Market (Burlington, NC 18 miles)
• Mozzarella cheese and butter from Calico farmstead (Gibsonville, NC 6 miles)

NON-LOCAL INGREDIENTS

• salt
• pepper

Fabian (my beloved husband and personal chef) beat four eggs with a fork in a bowl, season well with salt and pepper, and put to one side.

Afterward, he melted a dab of butter in a frying pan, toss the country ham bits until crispy, added chopped scallions (3), peppers (a handful of frozen strips chopped), summer squash (3 rounds pieces), a handful of broccoli florets and stir fry them until they were tender.

Pour the beaten eggs on top the the veggies and ham in the frying pan, wait until the eggs started to set, add 4 round pieces of mozzarella until golden brown and cheese is melted, fold it in one half and serve onto the plate. YUM! Serves: 2 Preparation and cooking time: about 20 min.

Winter Days and Family Life

I love this picture of our old Bakehouse! I miss it so much and in honor of all the joys that this little house brought to us while baking in its yellow kitchen I'm going to use it as my winter postcard.

Family life - Dark Winter Days Eat Local Challenge

Family life during winter days seem more enjoyable, every one snuggle together by the fire, eating a piece of chocolate and watching an old movie. Also during this winter we'll be cooking as always but also, and this will be the challenging part, taking records of where we get what we eat and a recipe that will follow, we sing up for an eating local challenge!

 My daughter Fiamma is taking an Environmental Science class in her Senior year of High School and the teacher has made a big emphasis on how the way we eat affects the environment and that makes me so happy! We talk about it all the time at home at night when sit at our dinner table. 

Today is the deadline to sign up for this challenge, it is countrywide. I love this kind of challenges, having Company Shops at hand to provide what we can not get from the garden (so far we have only garlic growing and some Swiss Chard, eggs and pastured raised chickens) make me feel relieved and not wondering where I can get my local source of food. Thanks Company Shops!!!

Kids Day @ Elon Community Church Farmers Market!!

Last Thursday at Elon Community Church farmers market we had a one-of-a-kind event, "Kids Vending Day". What a wonderful community event! Kids sharing their talents and growing skills through their crafts, flower bouquets, hand milled pancake mix, cookies, muffins, produce, berries, etc. Also an obervation hive with honeybees and Milly, the Americana hen were the focal point in the educational activities.

ECC farmers market was filled with laughter and fun, in a day where kids were the "honorary entrepreneurs".

Everyone had a good time last market day and because this First Kids vending Day was a very enjoyable experience, we will have more Kids Vending Days to come!

Here there are some pics!