My house these days feels very “before” all over. Do you know what I mean? I’m a bit horrified of taking any pictures.
Of course there was the intense heat for weeks (remember, we don’t have AC! Normally that’s fine and we can even take a week-long heat wave but this one was something else, let me tell you).
That wiped me out. I could barely function. I was like a shadow, a melting, sweating, roasting shadow of my former self.
And we’re currently re-doing the porch steps and railings, and pondering a kitchen rehab, which of course means too much time looking at pictures and pinning things and talking to people…
But of course, normal putterings still go on… thought I’d chitchat with you about some of them!
My husband suddenly figured out what he would do with some random boards of good, solid wood we had lying around — cherry from our yard (most of which went into our dining room table) and rock maple from some long-ago benches.
He worked like a madman, cutting and gluing and recutting and re-gluing — it’s like making a scrap quilt, but with wood — and made me an end-grain cutting board!
I really love it! It’s heavy and just beautiful. My pictures can’t really do it justice, but as time goes on you will see it here and there. It’s truly lovely.
On a lighter whim, I collected fennel pollen, as I read that it makes a lovely seasoning. You just tap the pollen out of the flower heads onto some parchment paper.
I made Basbousa, which is a traditional Egyptian cakey, cookie, honey-soaked semolina kind of dessert, and sprinkled it on there. I will hold off on sharing a recipe for the Basbousa, because I tinkered quite a bit with the one I was using and definitely need to test it. I love how Arabic desserts are all variations on “butter + sugar + some pastry + soak in sweet syrup, what could go wrong”!
I don’t know if we tasted the pollen, to be honest. The information is that the fennel pollen is strong and to use it sparingly, but maybe I needed a heavier hand. I will try again with something else… I have a tab open with Smitten Kitchen shortbread, and that might be different! I was just holding off making it until the Basbousa is eaten, since I plan to make Deb’s recipe with the optional semolina (or maybe farina) and how many sweets of that kind should two people have around tempting them, anyway?
Perhaps I was so gutted by the heat because I kept baking, but I can’t help that. One overwhelming day I put my dough in early to try to beat the worst of it, and decided to test whether it makes a difference to bake in a Dutch oven or on baking trays with a pan of boiling water on the other shelf.
Here you have two loaves (circled in red), baked the latter way, and two the former. (I didn’t dust the pan ones with flour, and they are all slightly different sizes due to my different size bannetons, but otherwise they are the same.)
Here’s the crumb (again, slightly different-sized loaves):
My conclusion?
I think they were very similar!
And I dehydrated garlic to make powder! You can see the method here in my Instagram highlight.
I will put the full comparison of the loaves in my IG stories as well later on!
I have a new podcast up on the Restoration of Christian Culture site: The Summa Domestica: A Homeschool Retreat for Mothers and Fathers. I go over the contents of Volume Two, offering a sort of mini-retreat to set goals and ponder vision!
I meant to end my talk with this passage that is actually the last one in that book, but I will tell you now:
In the sanctuary fo the home, we can teach the child the way he should go, with all the love, affection, and firm authority that suit the task perfectly. Have hope and be of good cheer in the beautiful enterprise of educating your children.
I would love for you to give a listen and share!
bits & pieces
- The baby formula shortage continues. Please share my post about the importance of breastfeeding and encouraging others to breastfeed (it includes a recipe for formula for those who truly can’t). I have shared this podcast before, that I did with Eric Sammons on the subject, but it’s still relevant.
- There is a lot of misinformation out there, including among experts, about breastfeeding — and a lot of it leads to failure to breastfeed and sometimes to the baby’s failure to thrive. This site is informative and this article is worth reading, about human milk fortifiers and preemies.
- Some of us who were formed as conservatives before the age of clickbait, when reading essays in journals was a thing, not to mention whole books, would love to encourage others to delve into the seminal works. The arguments today are the same ones that were addressed so trenchantly by the giants of the movement. It’s heartbreaking to see people ill equipped to spot and refute the same fallacies — and to observe the culture embracing them all over again. This article revisits one of the greats, Brent Bozell, and offers a bit of a reading list.
- A detailed review of mask evidence (spoiler: they still don’t work). I’m only saying lest we all succumb to the inevitable, again….
- In my book, The Summa Domestica (as well as in a series here on the blog), I write at length about the moral education of children. I think we ourselves and our children can benefit from this review: 9 Ways You Might Be Sharing in the Sins of Others. A younger child just needs your gentle guidance in your own words as the situation warrants. An older one could read this article for himself.
from the archives
- Here is that moral education series (all linked within) here on the blog. It’s also a section in my book!
liturgical living
Hat tip to Peter Kwasniewski for this quintessential Fr. Schall essay, a bit longer than most, on that saint and some profitable musings on education.
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My book, The Summa Domestica: Order and Wonder in Family Life is available now from Sophia Press! All the thoughts from this blog collected into three volumes, beautifully presented with illustrations from Deirdre, an index in each volume, and ribbons!
My “random thoughts no pictures” blog, Happy Despite Them — receive it by email if you like, or bookmark, so you don’t miss a thing!
My new podcast can be found on the Restoration of Christian Culture website (and you can find it where you listen to such things) — be sure to check out the other offerings there!
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We share pretty pictures: Auntie Leila’s Instagram, Rosie’s Instagram, Deirdre’s Instagram. Bridget’s Instagram.
Auntie Leila’s Facebook (you can just follow)
The boards of the others: Rosie’s Pinterest. Sukie’s Pinterest. Deirdre’s Pinterest. Habou’s Pinterest (you can still get a lot of inspiration here! and say a prayer for her!). Bridget’s Pinterest.
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