Saturday, February 2, 2013

Potato, Bacon, Cheddar, Beer Soup

Prep time: 45 mins, Cook time: 30 mins, Serves: 4-5

Ingredients:
8-10 potatoes (we used red)
4 cups of whole organic milk
1 16 oz beer of your choice
2 cups of water (use potato water)
6 pieces of bacon (see rue recipe below, omit if vegetarian)
3/4 cup diced sharp cheddar
1 diced onion
4 cloves of garlic
Spices 
1 tbls salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp onion or garlic power or both ;)
Few sprinkles of Oregano

Directions:
1) Start your water boiling and bacon cooking
2) Start dicing 1/2 of the potatoes and the other half boil until soft
3) Prep and saute onions and garlic
4) Once potatoes are boiled and soft pour aside water and mash up cooked potatoes as fine as you can
5) Add 2 cups of potato water, 3 cups of milk, and beer to ALL potatoes (mashed and diced) along with cheese and cooked onions and garlic
and put on med low heat
6) Start your rue, directions are below, if you are vegetarian skip this step or make with 3 tbls of butter instead of bacon grease
7) When rue is done add to soup, if omitting use a thickening agent such as arrowroot if its not creamy enough, but the mashed potatoes should be creamy enough.

8) Cook down all ingredients for 30 mins












To make bacon rue:
1-2 tbls grease
1 cup of milk
6 pieces of bacon cooked and crumbled


Cook down bacon, remove from pan, pour off all but 1-2 tbls of grease, add crumbled bacon back in, and slowly sprinkle in flour as you heat up the grease and bacon. The bacon should be coated, and grease soaked up. I usually only use a 1/4 cup total, once bacon has coat slowly add in some of your milk. We will use 1 cup of milk for this particular rue. Pour hot rue directly into already warming soup.












Sunday, January 27, 2013

Mother's Blessing Way


Here we have a table with a Prayer flag station and beading supplies for a lovely rainbow catcher hanging crystal.

My friends and I held a really beautiful baby shower for our good friend and mama to be, but getting closer to the date we decided to gather up the girls to plan out a meal train for mom and dad to be. We found a really great website for this and decided that our meal planning session could be inclusive to mom, since the site would organize most of it anyway and what we were really craving was quality time together before she had her baby.

I made sure everyone knew to bring a bead for one of our crafts; which was making a rainbow catcher for the birthing space and a decoration for the babies room. Were we would all add a "special bead" and discuss where it came from and why it was sentimental and add it to the chain with the hanging crystal.
A collection of our beads along with the rainbow catching crystal in abalone shell. 

Planned ever so perfectly, we started her day by planning a pregnancy photo session, that turned out beautifully! When she arrived at my home later, we pampered her with a warm essential oil foot bath and massage, braided her hair. While she sat we made her a belly cast, talked and ate an amazing dinner, all while creating beautiful memories together and a event to remember! 
Mama belly cast 

To make a belly cast: Buy 2 packages of plaster of paris strips, coat moms belly in olive oil first! The process is pretty simple, just find a comfy chair and area you are not worried about getting wet or messy. Fill up a medium sized bowl with warm water and as you go soak the strips and set them on mom's oil coated belly and smooth out as you go. Once it is dry is should slowly come off with a little assistance. Once its dry it can be painted and hung up.
Prayer flag station. 

To make prayer flags: Cut fabric to small rectangles of your size choice and leave out with sharpies, paints, and a prayer flag for ideas and artistry. The goal being to inspire positive thoughts and meditation. This can also be hung in babies room after they are born. Once all flags are made, simply sew of even glue gun onto long string about an inch apart. I glued the corners of the fabric squares as well to prevent unravelling, I suggest you do this too. 
Our finished collaborative prayer flag, so much love!

Finished Blessing Way Care Package

Hi, I hope you enjoyed this story! Don't forget to follow my blog and find me on pinterest!!

Thanks so much for stopping by!   -Stacy


P.S. If you are interested in buying a Mother's Blessing Way Kit, I would love to put together one special just for you with everything you need to host your own Blessing Way. You can email me directly: celebrationexperts@gmail
 Each kit cost $25 for everything you need including hanging crystal, prayer flag, and belly cast (shipping is extra). 

Urban Gardening and Homesteading

The "Lot" in the Whitaker area of Eugene is run by a friend and local artist/plumber who has been in the Eugene area for many years. He purchased this small and wonderfully central parcel of land in the heart of town. As you will see already in the short amount of time he has put a "lot" of love into this once gravel parcel of land and totally transformed it.

 Behind is the water tower with a loft bed, lookout, outdoor shower. In front is a garden made from straw bales soil and some very nice and mature plants. 

Another image of the straw bale and chicken wire garden beds

 Garden beds and rustic bus 

Small greenhouse build next to bus with tomatoes inside

 This is outdoor solar shower and water tower. Want a custom showerhead or work done in the local Eugene area ? The number is above (area code 541).


 Pyramid Plumbing, also famous for signature shower heads, this one is for a goddess! Love!

 Water storage for small outdoor/indoor kitchen  

 Pyramid Plumbing artistry workshop, its showerhead dreamland. Custom showerheads!!

 Outdoor/indoor mini kitchen, hand built and with lots of recycled materials

 Mini burlap stage, and my shadow, hello!!

 Outdoor countertop and kitchen area


 Garden set up with straw bales, small greenhouse and bus storage area. 


 Whats a "lot" without a "lot dog"? Kitchen, water tower, greenhouse, and garden areas.

 That is how you create your own garden when you have a garden lot, and highly attractive and abundant as well!!!

 Another view of the outdoor/indoor kitchen structure and lovely tree!

 Myself in a dirty lil mirror I found, ello!

 Myself in the loft area of the watertower, log stacked steps, and bamboo curtains.
 This is the "Lot" summer 2012, we will see what 2013 summer brings!!! 

Thanks for stopping by, hope you will be back soon!!! -Stacy-
PS Don't forget to follow my blog!!! I sure would appreciate it!

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