a hippie with a minivan

SMUG

We are just about to head out for the first SMUG. (Summer Montreal Unschoolers Gathering)…

There are a few unschooling gatherings that happen in the US and other parts of Canada, but nothing around here. Until now. Idzie is an unschooling teen that loves to spread the word and took the initiative along with her mom to have a gathering of our own. There won’t be any conferences etc but it is just a buch of unschooling families and teens from around here, the US and even China coming together to hang out and camp for a few days in Oka park just outside of Montreal.

I just know that it is going to be a blast. Hanging around with people that live the same lifestyle as we do, people that have the same goals and the same visions surrounding parenting.

Getting ready for this little trip makes me realize just how much is needed for a family of six to camp out for a few days… I have prepared food, made sandwiches, packed the cooler, packed our plates and cutlery, linens and clothes and the piles seem to be growing…

It’s a lot of work but it is going to be very much worth it!!

Cherry-Vanilla jam…

I am finally discovering the world of jam. I have always loved jam but in my memory jam was a labour intensive, long process that needed a whole day to make. I have come to my senses though and I am not afraid. Jam can be so easy to make and the results are so worth it!

I made a small batch, but you can adjust the recipe for whatever quantity because it isn’t really a recipe which is why it is so easy to make.

I forgot to take pics of the process… sorry

For this cherry-vanilla jam you need 4 ingredients. Cherries, lemon, sugar and a vanilla pod. (the vanilla is optional)

First, pit the cherries (I used about 2 lbs of cherries) and put in a heavy-bottomed, non-reactive pan. Roughly chop a bit more than half of them (or use a wand to puree a bit more than half of them to save on mess and time) Start cooking the cherries on medium-high heat. Add the rind and juice of a lemon. (The natural pectin will help gel the jam later and the sour will compliment the sweet)

Cook for about 20 min until the whole cherries are soft and cooked through.

Now, measure what you have and add 3/4ths of the amount of sugar. I had about 4 cups of cooked cherries so I added 3 cups of sugar… (or a little less since I was not preserving the jam and I like it a bit more tart)

Mix the sugar in and let cook until you have the right consistency. The more you cook the thicker it will be. Just before it is ready add the seeds of 1 vanilla pod. (this of course is optional but I love the flavour that vanilla adds to the jam)

Put in clean jars and either process or put in the fridge…

Enjoy…

On the move…

Just over 4 1/2 months old, Wilhelmina is changing so quickly…

It is amazing to think that we will soon have a crawling babe…

Kale chips

I finally got the grocery store near me to have Kale in their inventory. It is the only store around here that has it and I have a feeling that I am the only one that has been buying it, so to make sure that they keep on stocking it, I have been buying a lot and using it often. On Pizza it was great, but Kale chips have become a favourite around here… well… for Colin and I especially.

If you haven’t heard of Kale chips, well you are missing out on something. They are great for snacking on and their crunch is so satisfying. Colin, who at the moment is going through a bit of a picky phase tried them and has fallen in love with them. He cant get enough and has finished off a baking sheet full a few times now.

Of course, not only are they satisfying and delicious, they are also really easy to make.

Preheat oven at 350

To take off the Kale leaves from the stem, run your hand on the stem and pinch while pulling off the leaves, what you can pull off is what is tender enough to eat. Discard the rest.

Tear the larger leaves into bite sized pieces, but not too small, they will shrink while baking.

Wash and dry the leaves and then place in bowl and toss with 2 tbsp of olive oil and about a tsp of salt…

Place on baking sheet in a single layer (I use two sheets) and bake for about 15 min until dry and crisp but not burnt.

Enjoy 🙂

Simple veggie tomato soup…

I have a new toy in my kitchen… a brand new Cuisinart Elite food 12 cup processor. I have had an old cheaper food processor in my kitchen for about 8-9 years now and it was just not working out for me anymore. I was waiting for it to die but it wasn’t, even though it has been struggling through many recipes.

So I was dealing with it while I waited for a Cuisinart to come on special at Canadian Tire. I was still waiting when I decided to go check out Food Processors at “Home Sense” since I had a 100$ gift card for HBC stores. Instead of having the one that I had been looking at they only had the Elite models and I didn’t want to pay 340$ for a food processor even if I have 100$ off. We were heading to the mall anyway, so I decided to go though “The Bay” while we were there and to my luck, the Elite was on special at 249$, so with the 100$ gift card it was a great deal that I couldn’t pass up!

I am having so much fun with my new toy!

Tonight I wandered around in the kitchen wondering what to make for supper. Khéna said he wanted tomato soup so I got a bread in the oven and started on the soup.

I went to the fridge to see what I had on hand…

So in the food processor went 3 carrots (cut into thirds), two stalks of celery, a large onion (quartered), a half of a red pepper that I needed to use up, a full orange pepper (cut into large pieces), a few cloves of garlic, some parsley and a few green onions. I processed it until nearly puréed and then put it in my soup pot with a bit of olive oil and cooked it through.

Then, into the food processor, I added a can of whole tomatoes, a can of diced, and puréed that and then added it to the pot along with two cans of tomato paste, a bit of salt, 2 tsp of sugar, some garlic powder a tsp of powdered broth and a bit of oregano and let it simmer for about 45 min while the bread was baking.

When cooked through, and slightly thickened, I used the wand to make it smoother and it was done… So easy to make and so delicious…

A perfect creamy veggie tomato soup for a cool rainy day.

(served with fresh bread and a drizzle of cream that I had on hand)