Copyright Information 2008-Present by Kate Stillman. All rights reserved. Please do not use my original photos or reprint my writing without asking me for permission. Thank you!
Natural Mom Healthy Child
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In the last few weeks our garden has really taken off. Right now we have zucchini, tomatoes, basil, onions, garlic, carrots, green beans, and of course eggs (thanks to Cheeky and Sally). So I am trying to make meals that revolve around what we already have here are a few I have come up with this year and links to a few others. I hope you garden is as blessed as ours!
 Fried Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms
Ingredients for stuffing:
- 4 oz. chevre goat cheese
- basil, finely chopped
- zest from 1/2 lemon
- salt to taste
Ingredients for the batter
- 1/2 cup white flour (or other light flour)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup white wine (could probably use milk if wanted)
- salt to taste
Others:
- 4 zucchini blossoms
- oil for frying
*If you are picking your own blossoms, be sure to pick them in the morning when they are open. Wash them gently in water. I them put them in the salad spinner to get off extra water. I store them in the fridge wrapped in a towel in a plastic bag until I use them (within a day or two max). If you treat them like delicate salad greens, you should be OK.
First place all the ingredients for the stuffing in a bowl and mix well. Set aside while you prepare the blossoms.
I like cutting the stamen out from the bottom of the flower first, being careful not to cut too much. Then I cut the flower open from the bottom up in one clean stroke. Lay the flowers open to stuff. Stuff each flower with enough cheese mixture, so that it will still close. I used tooth picks to hold my blossoms together. Then set aside.
After the flowers are stuffed, prepare the batter. Put the flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl and mix well. Then add 1/2 cup of white wine and mix. Keep adding wine until the batter is like runny pancake batter. It will stick, but not clump.
Heat the oil in a skillet (preferably with a high edge). I like using a small skillet and doing the blossoms one at a time because it uses less oil. You want enough oil to at least go half way up the stuffed blossoms. Heat the oil until fragrant. I usually test it putting a drop of batter into the oil. If it sizzles and cooks immediately, you should be OK. Remember to fish this out before cooking your blossoms. Once the oil is hot enough, place the blossom in the oil, it should only take a minute or two. Turn the blossom over if necessary. Place on a plate with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve immediately.
Summer Garden Salad
- Blanched Green Beans
- Blanched (small) carrots, quartered lengthwise
- any kind of onion, chopped and marinating in balsamic vinegar
- fresh basil, chopped
- cherry tomatoes, halved
- juice and zest of one lemon
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients except olive oil, salt and pepper into a large bowl. Add olive oil slowly to taste while tossing gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Other Recipes:
I wish you all a wonderful and flavorful summer!
Please share some of your favorite summer recipes by leaving a comment. Thanks!
 About two weeks ago I received a sample from Motherlove Herbal Company to test. Motherlove just celebrated their 20th anniversary — they have been making natural, safe and effective products (without toxins!) for women since before any other company thought it was necessary. When you visit your favorite store today and see all the less toxic products for pregnancy, thank Motherlove for their vision and commitment to nurturing life! To give you an idea of the history and legacy of this company, Motherlove has been in business over twice as long as any other truly-safe brand. Their products are all rated 0 on Skin Deep for toxicity (zero is the lowest possible rating).
In celebration of summer (bug bites, poison ivy, and bee stings), they sent me a sample of Green Salve. Green Salve also soothes irritated skin and eases the discomforts of eczema. If your family is anything like mine, mosquito bites and sun burns are on each and every kid. With certified organic ingredients including comfrey, calendula, and marshmallow root, the salve will be come a staple in my medicine cabinet.
I find I use it the most on all the little scrapes I get from the zucchini plant when working in the garden. I just apply a little and the stinging stops immediately. By morning, I can’t even tell I was scratched. I also found myself without any lip balm the other day at the beach. My lips were getting so chapped they were cracking, so I tried the Green Salve and it worked great. It healed my lips completely. Now this is not one of the recommended uses, but I found it very helpful. I have been using it on Ross’ little patch of eczema and it seems to be helping there too.
I have seen Motherlove products at Whole Foods and many other natural food stores or Co-Ops, or through their website. If you would like to try Green Salve for free, enter our giveaway by leaving me a comment below. Let me know why you would like to try Green Salve or just simply state that you would like to be entered to win. I am sorry, but this giveaway is only available to those on the continental US.
There are 5 spots left in the Elderberry Field Trip! I have spoken further with Wildlands Inc. and YES, kids are welcome! So I should say we have room for 5 more families.
Here is the basic information for or field trip:
- We will meet at their elderberry mitigation site Tuesday, July 27 in the morning at 10:00 AM. For those of you who sign up, I will email you the directions this weekend. I would allow yourself 45 minutes from downtown Sacramento to get there.
- We will first be given a guided tour of the elderberry mitigation site as one large group.
- Then we will proceed to a riparian area adjacent to a levee where we will harvest the elderberries.
- The children and I will stay at the riparian area at base of the levee and explore while the adults harvest.
- Then we will all leave together.
What to bring:
- Water, Water, and Water.
- Sunscreen and Hats
- Snacks
- Thick plastic bags or a few plastic shopping bags (the stems can poke holes in the thinner bags)
- Shears or scissors
I would recommend everything you bring fit into a backpack or something you can wear and keep your hands free. Also the same for infants. There will not be a good place for them to be on the ground, so I would recommend packing them too!
I am very excited about this opportunity and grateful to Wildlands for their generosity. For more information about elderberries, please see my previous post: Come with Me to the Harvest.
I can not believe that it was just four years ago that my baby boy was born! It seems like only yesterday he was tugging at my hair while falling asleep. Oh… wait… that was yesterday! He is still my baby boy.
We decided to celebrate his birthday a week early this year as our friends generously offered to host a party for us. (Thank you Shula, Sarah, Jardel, Heather, and Dana) for the wonderful BBQ and swim party. It was the best ever!!! All I had to do was bring the pinata and goody bags because my children do not believe it’s a party without a pinata.
Ross decided he wanted a race car pinata this year. So we went to the local party supply store and found one. I looked online for a more eco-friendly solution, but did not feel confident in making my own. I think someone could make a killing if they came out with pinatas made out of recycled materials. So if you know of anyone, encourage them. I know I would by them!
This year I ordered the candy to fill it from The Natural Candy Store. I got two 3-pound bags of the Pure Fun Organic Candy Mix. The kids loved it all except for the cinnamon. I think it was a little too much for them. This is a great resource for natural as well as allergen free candies. They have the candies categorized by allergens or other ingredients.
For the goody bags I went to Michaels Arts and Crafts store and purchased small plain canvas bags ($0.59 each) and a set of fabric pens ($6-$7). I thought the kids could decorate their own goodie bags. One of the gifts I got Ross for his birthday is Melissa & Doug Jumbo Palm Stampers - Blue . So I brought them for the kids to use in their decorating. Since the ink for the stamps is washable, they just used the stamps and then colored over the ink with the fabric pens. I think they turned out really nice! Finally each child received a Race Car Wood Model Kit ($1 each) from Michaels. I was amazed at how easy and nice they turned out. Claire made hers all by herself without any help from me at all!
This was by far the easiest and funnest (not a word I know) birthday party we have ever had. I would like to thank our friends again for all their generosity. And I would like to take this time to remember my little boy over the last four years…
Happy Birthday Ross, AKA Bolt!!
 I am so excited! Thanks to the wonderful people at Wildlands Inc. I have arranged for 10 lucky people to attend an elderberry harvesting field trip on one of their mitigation sites. “Wildlands is a habitat development, land management, and environmental planning company with projects throughout the Western and Southeastern United States. Established in 1991, Wildlands is a national leader in establishing wetland and stream mitigation banks and conservation banks that enhance water quality and protect wildlife habitat in perpetuity.” I enjoyed working with the folks from Wildlands back in my environmental consulting days and am very excited about this new opportunity. On this trip we will learn to identify elderberry shrubs, understand their ecology a little better, and of course harvest some elderberries!
What is an Elderberry?
Elderberry shrubs can get quite big and are often confused with trees. They have large clusters of white flowers in the spring that ripen into dark berries in the summer (when I say elderberry, I am referring to the Sambucus nigra elderberries, not the red). They are considered riparian and often associated with rivers, streams, and creeks and in grasslands adjacent to water. Here in the Central Valley, they are home to the Valley Elderberry Longhorn Beetle (it is currently listed as a threatened species). The beetle spends most of it’s life as a larva in the stems of the shrub, so we need to be careful when harvesting. Normally the elderberries are usually best to harvest in August, but it varies every year.
Why Elderberries?
If you read my blog regularly, you will know that I am a huge fan of elderberries. If you are sick, have a sore throat, sniffles, a cough… my first question will be have you been taking your elderberry syrup? Elderberry is an anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and antioxidant. It helps build the immune system and is especially helpful for respiratory illness such as asthma or bronchitis. We all take elderberry syrup twice a day at the first sign of a cold or virus and we usually recover quicker, coughs don’t linger, and rarely does anyone get a secondary infection. It can be taken regularly during an allergy season. I also give it to my children for a few days to a week before and after getting immunizations, traveling, or the first days of school or if a virus is going around. Here are a few links to some other sites with interesting information on elderberries:
What do you do with elderberries?
We have been taking elderberry syrup for years, but buying it can be very expensive. So last year I started making my own. After harvesting the berries, I immediately juice them and then freeze the juice in 3 cup portions. Then I can make and can the syrup as I need it. This way it does not go bad before we can use it. I use local honey to make the syrup and by making it seasonally, I can use seasonal honey (this helps in fighting local and seasonal allergens). CLICK HERE for my previous post on Making Elderberry Syrup and CLICK HERE for the Cough Syrup recipe. I am just on my last batch now from last year, just in time! As this syrup does contain honey, I do not recommend it for children under 2. You can make it totally with sugar or purchase Herbs for Kids Elderberry Syrup. There are many things you can make with elderberries. They are good as a jam, a compliment in a pie or other baked good, tea, wine, etc. Many people also use the flowers for teas, liquors, jellies, etc. I still have a lot more experimenting to do.
But ONLY use the flowers or RIPE BERRIES and make sure you cook them! Elderberries should not be eaten raw. All parts of the plant contain the toxin hydrocyanic acid which is destroyed by cooking. Red elderberry (S. pubens) is considered poisonous and should not be used at all since cooking does not destroy enough of the toxin. Most of the berries in the Sacramento area are S.nigra elderberry. The stems and leaves have the highest concentration of hydrocyanic acid that is why I recommend removing them. I have seen some recipes that say not to worry about the smaller stems, especially if you are boiling it. I have also seen some recipes that do not boil the juice, I would strongly advise against eating the berries or drinking the juice raw. I have also seen people suggest using the leaves. I would NOT advise using the leaves as they have higher concentration of hydrocyanic acid.
So how can You come harvesting?
The field trip is set for July 27, 2010 (subject to change if berries aren’t ripe enough), some time in the AM to avoid the heat. As I said there are only 10 spots available, so I have decided to have it on a first come first serve basis. If you would like to attend the field trip, please leave a comment on this post, not on Facebook. The first 10 received will reserve their spot. I will also have two back up spots, in case some one can not attend. If there are too many people responding at the same time, I will draw names. I hope this sounds fair. I would love to take everyone, but C’est la vie.
 I have been wanting to make Claire this reversible Candy Stripes dress for about 3 months now. Ever since I got Absolutely A-Line: 1 Easy Pattern = 26 Adorable Dresses for Girls But I kept putting it off. I don’t have the time to sit down a make a dress in one shot. Finally, I decided it would just have to start. Eventually I figured out how I could get it done in the evenings a little bit at a time.
I don’t really like lining dresses. It seems like a lot of work to make a lining that nobody sees, so I prefer making a reversible dress with the inner dress (what would be the lining) 2-3 inches longer than the panel dress. I had some of the fabric left over from the skirt we made Claire in January. I needed a little more fabric, so I bought a pack of pillow cases a Target. Now that we have our fabric, let’s get started…
First Night
Pick your pattern and design: First wash your fabrics. They are all going on the same dress, so if you can not wash them all together in one load, you’ve got a problem!
While the fabric is washing, make your pattern. Choose a single pattern (I used the Absolutely A-line front pattern) for both the front and back panels of the dress. I always make a muslin copy of a pattern, instead of cutting the paper pattern. That way I can also make any adjustments, like using a size 3 for the width and a size 5 for the length. I use wax paper that you place face down over the folded muslin then pin the pattern on top of all the layers. Then you just trace with a pencil or wheel over the pattern you want. The wax transfers to the muslin and I then cut out the muslin. I fold the muslin, so that I have one complete front panel for a pattern. That way I can hold it up to Claire and make sure it will fit and adjust if necessary. When making a reversible dress I use snaps on the shoulders for a closure instead of a zipper, so I added 1 inch to the shoulders of the pattern. Also, choose the length you want for the longest dress and add 2-3 inches for a wide hem. This pattern has an 1/2 inch seam allowance, which I like because it gives you a lot of room for error. If you do not have a pattern, take a sleeveless dress you like, fold it in half. Then trace by adding a 1/2 inch all the way around the dress. Then add one inch to the shoulder and 2-3 inches to the bottom. There is your pattern. If you want you can make two patterns, one for the shorter dress and one for the longer dress, but I usually use just one pattern and fold up the bottom when cutting the shorter dress.
Switch your fabrics from the washer to the dryer while you work on the design. I already had the design of the Candy Stripes dress from Absolutely A-line. It is basically 5 strips of fabric sewn together (kind of like a quilt) to create one rectangle of pieced fabric (mine ended up a square 24×24). For more details on how to make the Candy Stripes dress, please refer to Absolutely A-Line: 1 Easy Pattern = 26 Adorable Dresses for Girls You can use use the same design for both dressed if you like, using different fabrics for diversity (CLICK HERE to see pictures of previous reversible dress). For the longer dress, I decided I wanted to use the solid blue, cut out some of the flowers from the floral pattern for the bodice, and place a ribbon of the striped fabric across the bottom seam. I actually drew a few different pictures and placed fabrics here and there to get my final design.
Finally, iron your fabrics. This is very important if you used a dryer, if you line dry it can wait. Make sure you have everything you need to make the dress: correct thread, snaps, applique backing, ribbons, etc. If not, make a list for tomorrow.
Second Night
Cut dress panels and add any details: I am assuming that you have already gathered all the materials you will need before continuing. At this point, I made the two 24×24 inch pieced fabrics for the Candied Striped dress as outlined in Absolutely A-line. Now its time to cut two panels of each fabric. To cut the panels, fold the fabric with right sides facing each other, making sure to fold the fabric lengthwise (the grain arrow should be parallel to the selvage). If you made your own pattern, 9 times out of 10 the grain line arrow with be going the length of the dress from top to bottom. Place the folded pattern over the folded fabric and cut around the pattern. Since the pattern is for the longer dress, fold up the bottom until you have the desired length for the shorter dress (don’t forget at least 1 inch for the seam). Repeat the process for cutting out the two panels for the shorter dress. You should now have two panels for each dress. You should also cut out any details you may need. For example, I cut out the flowers I wanted from the floral print for the longer, blue dress and strips of the striped fabric for a boarder along the hem.
Once you have your panels, I like to add whatever details or designs to them that I can before sewing them together. This requires that you think through the process a little, but I find it easier, especially with applique if I am only having to work with half a dress than with a whole dress or even two dresses (if you wait until the very end). You will want to pin everything in place (including a hem) before you sew and details on. Then place the longer dress right sides together, place a panel of the shorter dress on each side of the longer dress, right side facing out, and pin it together at the top. This way you can judge whether or not your stitching and designs for you dresses will show or interfere with one another. It can also help you decide if you should add the details now or wait until later. It was after I placed the flower cut outs on the blue dress that I realized it looked blah, so I cut out a piece of the striped fabric to go under the floral, framing it and liked it much better. I also decided I would put on the striped fabric after I hemmed the dress.
Add the applique or details to the dress that you think best at this time. I chose to iron on applique the flowers on the bodice. (I wish I had also stitched the edges using the machine at this point, instead of planning on hand stitching it later, but live and learn).
Third Night
Sew the sides of the dresses and hem: Stay stitch (long basing stitch) along the curved edges (arm holes and neck) within the seam allowance (about 1/4 inch). Take the two panels of the longer dress (for me, the blue dress) and pin them right sides together. Sew a straight stitch up the side seam with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. I often find out at this point that I have cut the pieces less than perfect, so I use the “widest” edge as a guide as I sew. I feel like this helps to even out any errors I’ve made in cutting. Repeat for the shorter dress (for me, the Candy Stripes dress).
Try dresses on to make sure they fit. Then cut excess fabric at the seams, but leave enough to easily be ironed down. Iron the seams open. Then hem the bottom of both dresses. Hem the shorter dress first. Begin by, fold the bottom edge up about 1/2 inch and iron it down. Then fold again about 1/2 inch and iron. Pin the hem if necessary before sewing a straight stitch along the edge of the folded fabric.
Place the longer dress inside the shorter dress right sides facing in and determine the desired length of the hem. Remember that you do not want the hem seam to show out from under the shorter dress. 2-3 inches should be fine. Mark the finished hem with a fabric pencil or pin. Remove the longer dress and fold the bottom edge up and iron down (as before). Then fold the fabric again until desired length as marked. Iron down the fold. Pin if necessary before sewing a straight stitch along the edge of the folded fabric.
Note: if you are following my design and placing the striped fabric (or ribbon) over the seam of the blue dress, this is a good time to finish that detail. It is easier to work with one dress than two.
Forth Night
Sew the two dresses together: Turn the shorter dress (for me the Candy Stripes) inside out. Then take the longer dress and put it inside the shorter dress. The right sides of the two dresses should be facing each other. If you have a front and back to your dresses (i.e. applique) the front panel of the longer dress should be facing the back panel of the shorter dress. And the wrong sides of the shorter dress should be facing out.
Then pin the front panel of the shorter dress to the back panel of the longer dress at the neck and arms. Do the same for the other panels. Remember you do not sew the same fabrics together. This is had to explain, so I hope this picture will help.
Then using a straight stitch (1/2 inch seam allowance), sew from one arm hole all the way around the two arms and necks, to sew it all together. This should be one consistent stitch. Leave the needle in and lift the foot as needed to turn corners etc. Trim any excess seam allowance and clip the edges.
Once that is done, then you turn the dresses right side out using the dull end of a seam ripper to get the straps completely right side out. Now at this point you may end up with two dresses side by side, don’t panic. Just put the one dress back inside the other. One dress should be facing out and one dress should be facing in. Press the dress alone the neck and arm holes. Then top stitch then by using a straight stitch from the bottom of one arm hole all around the edge to finish at the same place. This is the same as before when sewing the dress together, except you are stitching on the outside of the garment. Remember to take your time as this stitching will show.
Fifth Night
This is the night of catch up. If you did not get the top stitching completed or have not finished all the details of your design, this is your chance to finish. The final item is to place two snaps at the ends of each set of straps. I always try to place my snaps to the the front panel is going on top of the back panel (if you do not have a front or back, it does not matter. Another tip I have learned is to place the snaps in an order. This is hard to describe to I will provide this picture. But I always start with the bottom- outside snap (Bottom = the strap going under. Outside = at the arm hole, not the neck). Then mark where the corresponding snap needs to be on the top panel and add it. Then I place the top-inside snap where I think it looks best on the strap and use it to mark where the corresponding snap should go on the bottom panel. MAKE PICTURE OF SNAPS.
And voila you have a very cute dress ready for the weekend!
P.S. I hope this is helpful. I find it very hard to write sewing instructions. It always seems more confusing to me written down. So please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions. Thanks!
 I really did not have anything planned for the 4th of July, except making homemade quinoa mac-n-cheese for the kids. (Which they did not eat, but Mark and I ate). So I decide to go to the farmer’s market and see what I could find. There were soooo many choices it was hard to narrow things down, but I finally decided on green beans sauteed with mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Also, we decided to BBQ the flank steak we got from our Grass Fed Beef using the left over Bourbon Marinade from father’s day that I had jarred. And how could I come home without some stone fruit! I picked up 1.5 pounds of cherries (organic), 1.5 pounds of yellow peaches (organic), and 7 pounds of apricots (pesticide free) all for less than $12! So I decided to make two stone fruit crisps: one for us and one for the local fire department. The 4th of July is such a hard time to be a fireman (or firewoman). I like to try to take something on all the holidays, but we never miss Christmas and the 4th of July. So I recruited the kids to help and we all took it over together! The kids (all of us) got a tour of the fire station. I think every fire house I have been in has a room full of LazyBoys facing a TV! It was a lot of fun. Then we came home and had a little fireworks of our own. Claire opted to watch and give instructions from inside, while Ross covered his ears and couldn’t wait for the next one!
Stone Fruit Crisp
Ingredients for the topping:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 Tbsp Turbano sugar
- 6 oz cold butter, cubed
- 1/4-1/2 cup crystalized ginger, chopped
Ingredients for the filling:
- 4.5 pound cherries, peaches, and apricots, pitted and chopped
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup Turbano sugar
- 1/4 cup flour
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a food processor, combine the 1 and 1/2 cup of flour and sugar. Add the cold butter until the mixture looks like wet sand. It should still crumble. You may need to scrape down the sides a few times. Add more flour if the mixture is too pasty.
- Take the topping mixture out of the processor and mix in the chopped crystalized ginger with your hands. Try not to over kneed the mixture, keep it light. Set aside.
- Combine all the fruit in a bowl and mix in the sugar and flour. Let stand until gets moist.
- Put the mixture in to two sprayed 9×9 casserole dishes.
- Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the top of both dishes.
- Put in the oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the sides are bubbling with thick juice.
- Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving, while still warm.
Note: Claire got a little over zealous with the topping and I think I did not have enough butter to flour ratio, so the top was not browning. After I thought they were cooked enough, I placed the oven on broil and set them on the bottom rack, just to brown the tops a little.
Hope you all had a wonderful 4th!
 Congratulations Sandra! Claire has pulled your name out of the cup to win the Earth Mama, Angel Baby giveaway! I will send you an email with a link to redeem your prize. Thanks to everyone who participated. For those of you who did not win, you can check out their wonder full products by CLICKING HERE. Also, stay in touch for more giveaways!
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Words of Wisdom "What we call Man's power over Nature turns out to be a power exercised by some men over other men with Nature as its instrument." -------- C.S. Lewis
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