This Moment

{This moment} - This moment - an end of week ritual, no words, just a special photo to remember, savour, enjoy. 

Holiday preparations

We are getting ready to celebrate the longest night of the year - solstice.  We've made some favourite foods (cookies of course, but also these hearty wintery crackers cut into stars, acorns and hearts), dipped lots of candles to light up the house, and in time for Dec 22 are attempting to create our first ever chocolate yule log (Buche de Noel) with this delicious flourless recipe!  

Instead of a tree we've brought in pine and cedar branches, rosehip branches, yellow and red osier dogwood branches, and pinecones - all from the yard - to decorate the doors and tables.  The wild rosehips have started to sprout leaves after about a week in a jar of water, which is a lovely reminder of the spring to come. We also have our gratitude tree, a large collection of yellow dogwood branches in a vase where we've hung felted acorns and bird oranments.  We added our thoughts of gratitude written on slips of leaf-shaped paper, remembering all we are thankful for at this time of year and hopes we have for the new year ahead.   Wishing you all well for the holidays and new year!

Hearty Wintery Crackers
2 cups flour (organic whole spelt)
3/4 cup pumpkin seeds, ground finely
1/4 cup each hemp seeds, sesame seeds
1-2 Tbsp millet
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup water

Mix ingredients well, and form into a ball.  Roll out dough on lightly floured surface.  Cut into shapes.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes on ungreased baking sheets, in 350 F oven.  Serve with cheese, apple butter, jams, or soups!  Or package into containers to give as holiday gifts.

Pinecone projects

On our walks we invariably will collect all manner of objects - dried leaves, special sticks, rocks, acorns, and pinecones.  We have baskets full of pinecones - so we've been crafting with them.  We made a good selection of pinecone firestarters as holiday gifts by dipping the pinecones into melted beeswax.  They can be used to help get a fire started in a woodstove or fireplace and work extremely well.  Simple, yet effective!  Then there are the pinecone bird feeders. 

How to make Pinecone Bird Feeders
Gather half a dozen or more full size pinecones.  Fill the crevices of pinecones with peanut butter (use a butter knife or chopsticks), then roll them in millet (or other bird friendly seeds).  Let dry on waxed paper, and then hang outdoors on a long string in a place where birds can access them, but out of reach of squirrels!   We first tied them to our pea trellis, but this was a bad idea!  Hung from the branches of a young pear tree the squirrels could also reach.  So, finally we hung them off our long clothes line where there are no overhanging tree branches.  Success!

Both these pinecone projects were fun and easy for young kids to accomplish with only a little help from an adult. 

Animal tracking with kids

We've recently been told that a fox has been seen in a nearby wooded area - and so we have been going on regular adventures to see if we can spot it's home.  With new snow on the ground it's much easier to track animals here in the city, and when we look closely we can find a surprising amound of tracks (the usual birds, rabbits, mice).  It's a good exercise in slowing down and honing skills of observation, even better when done with kids who get excited about discovering the smallest details.  We did find several nice hollows, logs and burrows, and at each place Maya left a small handful of dried blueberries as a gift (because you never know if the fox might be hungry). 

These fox searching walks led to us doing more research at the local library, and delving into other interesting links like this one for making your own fieldguide of your own backyard with kids or this one eco field guide for younger kids and then reading more about the very inspiring Forest Schools that are evolving all around the world, including this one that is organized by people we know who live near Thunder Bay. 

Even though we are an unschooling family that lives in the city (on a tiny farm, but still yes, it's in the city) we have a strong leaning toward outdoor nature-based education and hope to be able to tap into something like this with a group of other families locally in the future.

December garden

December has been a busy month.  We've had our craft sale, been preparing for the holidays, watching the days grow shorter (and nights longer), and just winding down.  We've taken many wintery walks, and I took a few photos the other day when we were out enjoying the snow in our garden (which has all melted again by today - funny southern Ontario weather!)  I think the seeds heads are so beautiful when they are covered by a thin layer of fresh snow.  We leave most of our dried plants standing in the garden as birds enjoy these seeds over the winter months.  In our cold frame we still have kale, arugula, dandelion, tatsoi, and parsley going strong!

This weekend's craft sale!

We had our annual "A Little Bird Told Me" craft sale yesterday - it was a great day, with lots of catching up with friends and neighbours who dropped by, and so many beautiful handmade items on display.   Unfortunately the photos below don't do justice to how nice everything looked, and once the crowds showed up I didn't have the time to keep taking photos.  We had turned out dining room into a small cafe area, with a few tables and chairs where people could nibble baked treats or have a chance to take a break, and it was nice to have this social hub in the centre of the house.  Thanks to everyone who came out to support our local vendors!  And a huge thank you to all our talented vendors for participating in this year's event.

For the rest of the month we will take a little break from being busy, and wish you all well for the holidays.  In the next few weeks we will be posting new workshops and events for 2012 on our website and here on this blog - stay tuned!

A Little Bird Told Me Craft Sale Vendor Profile: Little City Farm

Over the weeks leading upto our annual handmade holiday craft sale, "A Little Bird Told Me", on Sat, Dec 10, we are highlighting each one of the participating vendors.  Here are a few comments from us (Greg and Karin) at Little City Farm.

Why we hold the A Little Bird Told Me handmade craft sale:

Little City Farm aims to promote sustainable city living through our workshops, events, and our "living example" of an urban homestead.  We also try to create unique opportunities for people in the community to meet, share their skills, and support each other's ventures.  Two examples of this are our annual Organic Seedling Sale (the Saturday of the May long weekend), and the "A Little Bird Told Me" handmade holiday sale (the second Saturday in December).

We have been holding the "A Little Bird Told Me" handmade holiday sale since 2007 in order to showcase unique eco-friendly well-crafted goods created by local artisans and crafters.  Each year the event grows, and we anticipate it with great enthusiasm.  We enjoy the way our little house is transformed, bursting at the seams with the crowd of folks who pass through the sale, and the busy bustle of the festive mood.  We love having many of our vendors return and welcome some new ones as well each year.  Yes, the sale is open to the general public (so please help spread the word!) 

What will Little City Farm be offering at the sale: 

Herbals & Baking!  

Herbals - We will be offering our usual selection of handmade natural soaps and herbal products (teas, salves, mama & baby items) all made in small batches using pure ingredients and herbs sustainably grown in our garden.  

Baking - One of Karin's dreams is to run a small eco-conscious bakery some day -- but for now she is satisfying this desire by providing artisan breads and wholesome baked treats on a small scale for the neighbourhood.  At the holiday sale we will have a good selection of these organic baked goods and will be offering them in a tiny cafe-like setting set up just for the day.  We use organic locally milled flour from Oak Manor, as well as organic local eggs, dairy, (or vegan alternatives) in our baked goods.  We will have fresh wholegrain breads, vegan shortbread, organic fair trade brownies, raw nanaimo bars, organic holiday cookies...also jams and jellies made with local organic berries...to name a few...

Make sure you stop by our cafe room to enjoy a baked treat while you are at our sale! 

Read more about Little City Farm at: 
www.littlecityfarm.ca
www.homesteadherbal.etsy.com

A Little Bird Told Me Craft Sale Vendor Profile: Your Time Candles

Over the weeks leading upto our annual handmade holiday craft sale, "A Little Bird Told Me", on Sat, Dec 10, we are highlighting each one of the participating vendors.  Here is a short interview with Carol Kubassek from Your Time Candles:

Little City Farm: Describe the products you will have at the Little Bird Sale?

Your Time Candles: Artisan Beeswax Candles in a variety of styles and sizes, and natural stone candle holders. 
 
Little City Farm:  How did you learn this craft?

Your Time Candles: I had the fortunate opportunity to learn from a master chandler who, for 15 years, made it his mission to develop new beeswax candle making techniques and put to rest old myths of beeswax chandlery - gone were the days of half burned, inferior quality beeswax candles made with coarse natural fibre wicking that gave off a putrid scent.  As a former chef I’ve always been passionate about what I put on your plate - I want your approval so this demands my best offering.

Little City Farm: What inspires your craft?

Your Time Candles: I am inspired by quality - I wanted to offer beeswax candles that would burn properly.

Little City Farm: Describe how your craft is eco-friendly?

Your Time Candles: Pure beeswax is nature's renewable wax - no chemicals are used in the process. It all begins at the hive. I procure Canadian cappings wax from beekeepers who haven’t scorched or overheated the wax when separating out the honey. Then, in order to maintain the integrity of the wax, with patience, and through a gentle cleaning process, I purify the wax by filtering it down to one micron. When making the candles, in order to keep alive the full bodied aroma, rich yellow colour and texture, the beeswax is heated carefully in small batches until melted then poured into the candle moulds. Next, each candle is fitted with the perfect sized 100% cotton wicking. I'm also very passionate about recycling and all our packaging is very biodegradable made from recycled paper and hemp twine.

Little City Farm:  Do you have favourite music to listen to while you craft?

Your Time Candles: Bradfield and Anael.

Little City Farm: Do you have a website/blog/online store?

www.yourtimeboutique.ca
www.yourtimecandles.ca 


Find Carol and her pure beeswax candles at the A Little Bird Told Me Handmade Craft Sale, Sat December 10th at Little City Farm (508 Duke St W, Kitchener).

A Little Bird Told Me Craft Sale Vendor Profile: Once Upon A Tree

Over the weeks leading upto our annual handmade holiday craft sale, "A Little Bird Told Me", on Sat, Dec 10, we are highlighting each one of the participating vendors.  Here is a short interview with Trevor Ewert from Once Upon A Tree:

Little City Farm: Describe the products you will have at the Little Bird Sale?

Once Upon A Tree: Food grade salad and fruit bowls and cutting/serving boards in various sizes.

 

Little City Farm:  How did you learn this craft?

Once Upon A Tree: I've been involved in woodworking for over 15 years as a violin bowmaker and am now making wooden objects for a wider audience.

Little City Farm: What inspires your craft?

Once Upon A Tree: The materials I use are really the inspiration for the craft.  Domestic local hardwoods and burls present some of the most highly figured and beautiful wood that can be obtained anywhere.

Little City Farm: Describe how your craft is eco-friendly?

Once Upon A Tree: All of my bowls and boards are made from domestic species that have grown no further than 50 miles from here.  Much of the wood is salvaged from roadside work done by hydro or roads crews, and the rest is purchased from firewood/pallet operations.

Little City Farm:  Do you have favourite music to listen to while you craft?

Once Upon A Tree: Too noisy to listen to music with the machine tools running.

Little City Farm: Do you have a website/blog/online store?

www.onceuponatree.ca

Find Trevor from Once Upon A Tree selling his gorgeous one-of-a-kind wooden bowls and cutting boards at the A Little Bird Told Me Sale!

Winter Tonics : Elderberry Syrup

We like to prepare our herbal medicine cupboard with teas (e.g. a Winter Flu tea blend, and lots of peppermint), tinctures (e.g. astragalus, rosehip, elderberry, echinacea), and cough syrups (e.g. sage-horehound) before winter.  Recently a friend mentioned making elderberry syrup for her kids.  They loved it and it was a nice way to administer the healthful benefits of elderberries, without needing to use an alcohol base like a tincture would.  Syrups are preserved by honey or sugarand have a long shelf life.  So, we made a batch and yes, it is absolutely delicious.  It tastes sweet and rich like dense bursts of berries, and is thickened with local honey (we used buckwheat honey which made the syrup even darker).  Elderberries are one of the oldest remedies for colds, flu, respiratory infections, and many other conditions.  Elderberries are rich in antioxidants, contain 3 different flavonoids and boost the immune system.  The syrup can be taken by the teaspoonful (2-3 tsp/day as needed) or added to tea, juice, water, etc.  I like to spread it on toast or pancakes.  Isn't the best way to create vibrant health simply by "letting food be your medicine"?  Where to get elderberries?  I would highly advise planting at least one elderberry bush in your garden/yard, as this is such a valuable plant.  However, if you don't have a good local source, excellent quality organic dried elderberries can be purchased from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Elderberry Syrup
1 cup fresh or 1/2 cup dried elderberries
3 cups water
1 cup honey (or sugar) for every 1/2 cup elderberry tea

1. Place elderberries and water into saucepan and bring to a boil.  Then reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.  Close lid and let steep for another 30 minutes after this.  You are making a very strong tea (infusion).

2. Crush berries, then strain the liquid through a fine-meshed cheesecloth.

3. Measure your liquid, and return it to the saucepan.  Add 1 cup honey per 1/2 cup elderberry tea.  Return to heat on low, stirring occasionally, and let the liquid boil down until you have the desired consistency you want for your syrup.

4. This is a very sweet syrup and can be preserved unrefrigerated.  Use 1-3 tsp per day, as needed.  Not for children under 2 years old.  If you wish to reduce the sweetness you can store your syrup in the fridge.

Make your own lipbalm

We've been busy stocking up our soaps and herbal products for the upcoming month of holiday craft sales and gifting.  A very simple project you can make at home is lipbalm, made with pure essential oils and healthful oils.  Lipbalm is a useful gift to give almost anyone, and practical for the upcoming cold dry winter months.  I make lipbalm in large batches with my 3 year old, who helps line up the tubes, stir the oils, and cap the lids on tight.  Here's our basic recipe (adaptable to the ingredients you wish to use):

Natural Lipbalm
20% local beeswax
25% coconut oil (or other cosmetic grade oil that is solid at room temp)
15% cocoa butter
40% sweet almond oil (or other liquid oil such as olive oil, sunflower oil, hemp oil)
1-5% vitamin E oil (adjust beeswax to get firm consistency of finished lipbalm)
a drop of pure essential oil per tube (e.g. lavender, sweet orange, peppermint)

Melt all ingredients (other than essential oils) in double boiler over low heat.  When completely liquified, do a consistency test by placing a few drops on a metal spoon and letting this cool (I put it into the freezer for a few minutes to harden).  If you like the hardened consistency then you are ready to pour the liquid lipbalm into your tubes.  If it's too hard add more oil; if too soft add more beeswax accordingly.  Add essential oils at the very end when your saucepan has been taken off the stove (do not heat your essential oils as this will degrade them).
 

A Little Bird Told Me Craft Sale Vendor Profile: Sustainable Cycles

Over the weeks leading upto our annual handmade holiday craft sale, "A Little Bird Told Me", on Sat, Dec 10, we are highlighting each one of the participating vendors.  Here is a short interview with Lauren and Jenn from Sustainable Cycles:

Little City Farm: Describe the products you will have at the Little Bird Sale?

Sustainable Cycles: Sustainable Cycles offers soft, absorbant and thin reusable menstrual pads made from organic cotton and bamboo viscose.  Jenn and Lauren also make one of a kind clothing, bags and accessories using reclaimed and earth-friendly materials like hemp and organic cotton.

Little City Farm:  How did you learn this craft?

Sustainable Cycles: Lauren's mom did a lot of sewing when she was growing up.  She taught Lauren how to sew and when she was 18 Lauren decided to start he own earth-friendly clothing company (then called Down 2 Earth Designs).  Jenn had some sewing skills when she met Lauren, but the more they crafted together, the more techniques Jenn picked up as she refined her craft.

Little City Farm: What inspires your craft?

Sustainable Cycles: We are inspired by the desire to create empowering, awesome wares, full of love and made with respect for the Earth and all it's creatures.  We hope that our art inspires others.

Little City Farm: Describe how your craft is eco-friendly?

Sustainable Cycles: We do our best to source the most sustainable materials we can find.  We use Canadian companies that carry oeko-tex and organic certifications.  We also use reclaimed materials from thrift stores and swaps.

Little City Farm:  Do you have favourite music to listen to while you craft?

Sustainable Cycles: Joanna Newsome.

Little City Farm: Do you have a website/blog/online store?

Sustainable Cycles:
www.sustainablecycles.ca
www.sustainablecycles.etsy.com 

Find Lauren and Jenn, and their beautiful wares (or should we say "wears"!) at the Little Bird Told Me sale, Sat Dec 10th at Little City Farm!

This Moment

{This moment} - This moment - an end of week ritual, no words, just a special photo to remember, savour, enjoy.