Reusable Cone Coffee Filters by EvelynFields

One of my favorite magazines is Sunset, perhaps only people in their fifties should actually make that claim!  It is regional, it features AMAZING recipes with seasonal ingredients, and it places a strong emphasis on discovering your local area, ranging from hiking in the beautiful Yosemite Valley to some crazy whole in the wall restaurant you might find along the California coast.  Recently they wrote this article, The zero-waste home and it blew my mind.  Literally this family allows a handful of waste to go to the landfills each year....what?!?!?!?  How is that even possible?  However, this article has infiltrated my brain and is now holding it hostage. 

There are many things I've been wanting to do to change our waste output for quite awhile now.  There are stacks in each closet of my house where clothes await their transformation into new wonderful items, scraps of fabric piled into like colors longing to be made into reusable napkins, socks with holes waiting to be mended (instead of throwing away and replacing with a new pair), making produce bags and my list goes on.... 

Yesterday I ran out of my last coffee filter.  Usually I would pick up a bulk box of filters at Costco but this time these filters I've had my eye on for quite some time crept into my mind.  Melissa, the shop owner of Evelyn Fields and an Etsy featured seller, is inspiring and has incorporated so many elements of what I only dream of doing into the life of her family, read about her "unplastic kitchen."  Let me just also say that she has been refashioning her clothes and has only bought a couple new items in the last couple years...oh, how I wish I could do that! 

Reuseable Cone Coffee Filters by EvelynFields

All that said, it was months later after first seeing this shop and coveting these coffee filters that I realized Melissa and I went to college together...that is the second time that I've randomly stumbled upon the Etsy shop of someone I know and I like that!

The Fashion Advice of a Toddler

This morning Lincoln walked in just as my shoe selection was under way.  Foolishly, I suggested he select some shoes to go with my outfit.  Dressed in various tones of brown, the goldish ballet flats were the pair of shoes that my feet were about to be adorned with until Lincoln entered the closet.  First, he selected the black moccasins that I wear around the house.  Second, my red TOMS...hmmm, not the look I was going for with my brown Banana Republic slacks.  Redirecting him to my work shoe section he lit up and pointed to the black and cream giraffe print flats, "those, Mama, THOSE!"....oh man, I just didn't have it in me to shoot him down a third time.  I love those shoes but to show up at work with a cream dress shirt, brown slacks and beige coat was just not going to happen...grocery store, yes, errands, tolerable but work, no.  I mustered, "Excellent selection" and gleefully put them on asking him what he thought, he smiled and ran out of the room leaving my outfit in matching chaos.  I couldn't bear the thought of changing my shoes behind his back and having him notice as we marched out the door.  Like Superman in a telephone booth I quickly swapped brown for black slacks and was on my way and my outfit became perfection.  Phew, situation averted...happy mommy but more importantly happy Lincoln!  Do I dare ask him to make tomorrow's selection?

reading is sexy

Picked this up at Twee last week....this must have played a part in how I ended up with three kids!?!?!?!

Homemade Gift Wrapping by the Kiddos

It has been birthday central around here!  Trying to give all handmade gifts this year it seemed only natural to include this in gift wrapping.  Wrapping gifts in itself is becoming a lost art, it's just SOOO much easier to throw it in a bag with tissue paper but that's expensive and this way of wrapping gifts is crazy cheap and more importantly, heart felt! 

It's about $10 to pick up these supplies but they easily last well over a dozen gifts if not double that.  Not to mention that the kids love it when I roll the drawing paper from one end of the table to other so they can draw on it for fun.  When they are done it is simply rolled back up and then is there when needed for a gift...surpringly children do not always want to make wrapping paper on demand so this serves as a nice reserve for those non-cooperative moments that parents cherish!  It is always fun to include a "treat" with the bow.  When the See's candy fundraiser comes around at school a box of lollipops are purchased for just this purpose but we were out so a pirate eye patch had to do on this particular gift!

Supplies :  IKEA Mala Drawing paper - Medium/Large Paper Tags - Ribbon - Markers/Watercolors/Crayons

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lino Print, 'I Have A Dream" 8X10 by The Letter Studio on Etsy

 ...and aren't you glad he did?

Chimayo - Red Chile and Holy Dirt!

Built in 1865, this little church nestled in the hills of Northern New Mexico is sacred to Northern New Mexicans.  Each Easter a pilgrimage takes place from Santa Fe to Chimayo to this holy site where it said to have holy dirt that has healing powers.  This isn't just a Catholic thing, Protestants and Catholics and many tourists trek to this remote village to visit El Santuario de Chimayo daily. 

All are welcomed to pass through the church or stay for mass. The altar is similar to many found in the Spanish churches of New Mexico with wooden carvings of santos from floor to ceiling amidst the small adobe walled church.  Walking up to the altar there is a doorway to the left.  There are two rooms one filled with crutches, wheelchairs, and pictures and the other with a small pit in the ground.  This pit, carved from the stone floor, holds the dirt to have sacred healing powers.  It has been blessed by the Father and people scoop it up to take it to the sick or kneel on the stone to rub the dirt on their ailments.  It is a tranquil spot where prayer is abundant, voices are kept to a murmur, it is a true sanctuary.  It is with this back drop that I must preface our Santuario experience. 

On many occasions our family has gathered for meals at Rancho de Chimayo, a must for anyone visiting the Santuario.  There are so many places that I've yet to take Mr. Rogers to and with Jack and Lincoln's interest in California Missions we thought the Santuario would make for a perfect outing to celebrate my mom's birthday.  Lunch was fabulous, Mr. Rogers experienced his first stuffed sopapillas smothered in delicious New Mexico red chile only to finish it off with the traditional sopapilla and honey...mmm, a true New Mexican treat. 

We headed to the Santario, less than a mile away, and began to walk the grounds with my parents and the kids.  Through the Santuario we walk, up to the altar and into the rooms to the left.  I had Maggie in my arms and decided against squishing into the teeny tiny room where the holy dirt lay.

Directing Mr. Rogers and the boys into the room mostly concerned about Mr. Rogers bumping his head.  I note some women scooping holy dirt into containers but what catches my eye is Jack who all of a sudden tumbles into the pit!  Absorbed in the crutches and other odd relics around the room he seemed oblivious to the fact that there was a hole in the middle of the room.  Unsuspectingly he takes his tumble, it is as though he is having a bout with quicksand as well because that kid just couldn't get himself out of the pit.  Holy dirt was pouring into his shoes and no doubt he probably took out a hand or two in who were in the process of collecting this sacred dirt.  The look on his face was sheer terror and Mr. Rogers had to swoop down and pull that sand loaded kid out of the holy dirt.  At this point all I can do is hide my chuckling in the other room, really I should have been upset and embarrased but I couln't help but find the humour in it all.  We trekked to one of the holiest sites in New Mexico and my son biffs it right smack in the dab of it all!  It is a good thing my little Spanish Catholic grandma wasn't there because I'm sure she would have yanked Jack by his scalp out of that pit as she cried "aye, dios mio" and then made him do "Hail Mary's" all the way back to Santa Fe despite the fact that we're Protestants.

A picture of the pit moments after a shell shocked Jack was retrieved.  Can you see that someone is already back at work collecting the dirt again?



The drive from Santa Fe to the Santuario is a wonderful outing only complete with a meal from Rancho de Chimayo.  One could easily make this a side excusion on the way to Taos from Santa Fe.  Beautiful Georgia O'Keefe country surrounds this area and whenever I make the drive from Santa Fe to Taos, along the Rio Grande, it feels as though I'm traveling through one of her pictures.  With a copy of Bless Me Ultima it captures the Spanish culture of Northern New Mexicans perfectly.

Snow Ice Cream Recipe

A treasured winter memory, here is the recipe our family uses for fresh snow ice cream.

 

Ingredients:

2 eggs

½-1 cup sugar

½-1 cup half & half

Big bowl of snow

Splash of vanilla

Time: approx 30 minutes, eat immediately

 

The general taste is a custard flavor but you could a splash of any extract for the flavor you want, I prefer vanilla. My kid warning is this: It smells like eggs when you make it so I would suggest that you serve it in a different room than where you prepared it so that the smell doesn't thwart your efforts!  Enjoy!

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for SNOW ICE CREAM...or apparently only I do and Mr. Rogers out of sympathy!

There is nothing more exciting then waking up, looking out your window to find a sea of snow AND then finding out that it is a SNOW DAY!  Yippeeeee!  My heart used to skip a beat when Uncle Mel would announce that he was making a batch of snow ice cream.  So this Christmas I anxiously awaited the snow while visiting my family.  Sure enough, a storm came through and there was about four inches of fresh snow.  The kids were so geeked up to try snow ice cream!  Jack and I went and collected snow and I went to work hoping to produce a wonderful childhood experience for the kids. 

Foolishly thinking kids would proclaim "World's Greatest Mom" for making such a wonderful treat!

Excitedly announcing, after risking frost bite after collecting snow with no gloves, that the snow ice cream was ready Jack and Lincoln ran into the kitchen with squills of glee.  Jack sniffed the air and then his smile turned crooked as he continued to sniff, "It smells like eggs, yuck, I don't want to eat that snow ice cream," in classic younger sibling fashion, Lincoln also announced "it smells like eggs, yuck, I don't want to eat that snow ice cream," and they turned around to continue playing in the other room  [long mental health pause].  Just like that my merry memory making efforts were down the drain...literally!  No one ate my snow ice cream except for Mr. Rogers who took pitty on my broken spirit.  Of course, I took the opportunity to indulge myself in two helpings of snow ice cream.  Later Maggie woke up wanting some snow ice cream, I should hav known she would pull through for me, but it was down the drain so she just got a bowl of snow and she was pretty excited about that!

Those kids don't know what they were missing!

Snow Ice Cream Recipe

Our Snowy Visit to the Historic Santa Fe Plaza

My kids had never been in snow until we spent this Christmas in Santa Fe.  We live an hour away from snow but for the past five years we've either had a newborn or been pregnant and just not up to tracking down snow clothes for the kids and chains for the car.  Not to mention that I openly mock California drivers who are required to use chains with a millimeter of snow on the ground - that's just a SLIGHT exaggeration!  Spending most winters throughout my life in the snowy mountains of Northern New Mexico, never did we own or use chains but I digress.  I guess when it comes down to it Mr. Rogers isn't really a snow person.  His mom is from the Philippines and his dad is an old time Oklahoma farmer....they just didn't grown up doing snow!

With that, one can see that the definition of snow for Mr. Rogers and myself are very different. My high school was a huge campus that could literally take the entire 10 minute passing period to walk from one end to the other and you would barely make it to class on time. We had to walk through whatever elements happen to be raging upon the high school at any given moment. I also had to walk about a mile on any given day when I worked on the Plaza during high school or winter and summer breaks in college.   A little snow is a warm welcome to my heart, especially with hot chocolate in hand!

Regardless, a trip to Santa Fe is not sufficient without visiting the Santa Fe Plaza.  One of the best things about Santa Fe is the food.....amazing!  We had breakfast at Tia Sophia's, a place I spent many mornings my junior year of high school instead of being in my first period Spanish II class, which attributes to my horrific Spanglish!  While downtown we headed to the Plaza where I began wheeling and dealing with the Native Americans (I MUST buy art and jewelry whenever in Santa Fe) who sell their handmade goods on woven blankets under el portal at the Palace of Governors, where the Spanish governed Santa Fe in the 1600's.  After breakfast it began to snow and the Mr. Rogers and the kids took the opportunity to add to an existing snowman leftover from the last snow. 

They proudly added that freakishly small head to this pre-existing snowman!  It was just beginning to snow.

It really was a perfect morning thus far.  Mr. Rogers and the kids were only about 100 feet away from me and with every glance over my shoulders to check on them they seemed to be enamored by the snow.  About fifteen minutes had passed since the snow had begun to pleasently fall on the Plaza.  Estatic over my purchases I turned around only to see Mr. Rogers yelling my name about 50 feet from me like a deranged lunatic!  Jack was holding his hand over a cut he obtained by slipping on the ice, while Lincoln and Maggie were caked with snow from frollicking and falling down in the snow...Mr. Rogers was mad, perhaps furious, a rare thing indeed.  I look at my phone to see three missed calls from him and observed the snow was falling much more heavily, you know that feeling when you realize you have done something wrong.  Guiltily I say, "So did you guys have a great time playing in the snow?"  Looking around I notice that the snow is sticking but am thinking it is not too bad and I notice lots of people still walking under the portals all around the Plaza.  However, in Mr. Rogers' head we are in a down right blizzard and I am selfishly drooling over the Native American goods while my kids are battled wounded, cold and do to the packed snow on their clothing becoming wet....a little true I must confess!  Freezing children in hand we rushed off to the car and I was only able to snap a picture of the scene while we drove back by.

The snow cut our Plaza visit short.  I wanted to take the kids to the St. Francis Cathedral, since they have been into California Missions, and to he miracle staircase at the Loretto Chapel but needless to say Mr. Rogers was not willing to venture downtown in the snow again...next time!  Santa Fe is so unique and dating back to 1590 is has many of the oldest sites in the nation, being established by the Spanish in the late 1500's and early 1600's.  Other cultural and uniquely Santa Fe events at the Plaza include Indian Market each August, Spanish Market every late July and Fiesta's each October and in Albuquerque is the International Balloon Fiesta every September.  Hopefully over the years the kids will embrace their Spanish heritage and learn to love Santa Fe and it's nostalgic downtown too.  This visit was the first of many....deranged Mr. Rogers and all, ha ha ha!