Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

A few years ago my sister and I were living together. As we always did on Saturdays, we ventured to the farmers market getting produce for the week and looking for new treasures. One particular Saturday we came across a booth that was selling zucchini blossoms. We remembered eating them from the garden before but never really knew how to prepare them just right. Once we got home my sister then proceeded to whip together a filling and we stuffed and battered the blossoms for frying. They were so amazingly good we have been talking about them for years. This year I have been growing my own garden and I have had plenty of extra male squash blossoms so I thought I would give it a shot.

Bacon and cheese stuffed zucchini blossom

You will need:
10-15 Squash Blossoms (I recommend Zucchini)
1/3 C Cream Cheese (Softened)
1/4 C Shredded Romano or Parmesan Cheese
1/4 C Chopped Cooked Bacon (Optional)

Tempura Batter
Vegetable Oil

Gently clean blossoms and remove anthers from the center of the flower by snapping off or cutting. 

Mix together filling then 
gently fill each blossom to division of the petals. Tuck and tie petals so stuffing will not come out.  

Bring temperature of oil up to med-high. Mix up tempura batter according to directions on package. Cover blossoms on all sides. Spin blossom on spoon in batter to help petals stick together so stuffing does not come out in oil. Once all sides are golden brown remove from oil to cool then eat.

Stuffed zucchini blossoms with tomato basil pasta

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What is Love?

Other than a rockin 90's classic this idea has been kicking around my brain as of late. I think I know what it is to me, but I wonder what it is to others. As a woman of faith, my idea of love is heavily based in what I know in my heart to be true about life and what I am here for. Acting on that love is the hard part. People can talk big when it comes to love but don't live it each day. Some examples that come to mind are Bob Marley and John Lennon. Both were beautiful musicians and poets. They wrote and sang with their souls about love and how we need more of it but neither one seemed to grasp what that really meant in their personal lives.

I am far from perfect, infact I struggle daily with showing love to those closest to me. If my neighbors only heard how I scold my son through out the day for being a crazy menacing three year old they would think I was a shrewd woman unfit for motherhood. I find it difficult to keep it together some days when I have had little sleep and have to repeatedly tell him to stop trying to sit on the dog or not just break down in tears when he stomps on my plants.

So how do we love when it is hard? How do I swallow my pride and take a breath when I just want to scream and be alone for a measly 30 minutes. Every now and then I have to give myself a pep talk, reminding the crazy lady inside that I chose this lifestyle. I wanted to be a stay at home mom. Some people cannot do this, I am blessed beyond measure and three year olds turn four one day. I think a lot of people find it easier to show love to strangers than the family they see daily. 

Can love get used up? I don't believe that is true. I know that we do need a spiritual refill from time to time. How one chooses to do that is different for everybody. I personally needs music in my life. Music can speak to me in a way simple words alone cannot. I can't explain it but I know my life without is bleak. When a song speaks to me I feel the spirit move through me. I start to cry and smile. I can't explain why, it just touches my inner core in a way nothing else can. 

The band System of a Down came out with the album Toxicity in 2001 , They do not make any claims specifically about faith in their music, but the song Science has always lingered in the back of my head when I think about the power of music to move or convey a feeling. The lyrics repeat "Spirit moves through all things". I think there is so much truth to that. In love, the spirit is what carries us through each trial. Love sets us apart from other animals and other people. When someone has love in their heart it shows in their life. How we treat one another verbally and physically, how we care for our planet and how we care for animals. It is all connected and is a reflection of love.

I try to base my life from the teachings in the bible, it is the text I am the most familiar with and for me holds true time and time again. I am continuously seeking love in different ways and trying to learn how to show it more. I recently looked into Dr. Gary Chapman's "Love Languages" to try to get a better understanding of what is important to me in how I receive love. The more completely you receive love the better chance you will be able to give it more freely.

I think that love, when given freely, can be a very powerful transfer of energy for your spirit. It fills you up so then you can in turn give it away. That constant cycle is what I am striving for in my home. As a wife and mother I want to be able to be a conductor in the recharging station of love.

What are your thoughts on love? Where does it come from? Where does it go?

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Gardening the soul

All God, All knowing, all good.

Chanting to myself, I am.
Within me.

All God, all knowing, all good.
All God, all knowing, all good.

Cleanse my soul,
underfoot.
Cleanse my soil.
Tap, roots, down.
Into the home.
My home, my temple, my body.

I am, within me.
The place I go for rest.
Comfort, provider.
More than sustainable.
Everlasting.
Renewing. 
Forgiving.
From earth and, more.
Mire.

Good boots needed, to walk this path.
A soul built to withstand.
Drought, disease, damage.
A new beginning, life, growth.

Soil at peace.
Cycles that have a revolution.
Revive, thrive, produce.
Good fruit, so the cycle can begin again.

~Kristen Cola

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Life happens

I know it has been a long time since I posted anything on this blog, but a lot has happened since my last post. After we moved into our new home we have slowly been making small improvements and planting planting planting. When we moved into this house the yard was pretty bare. Since then we have added garden boxes, berry bushes and vines. Planted an herb patch and continue to add more each week. We have been harvesting as the greens become ready and loving every minute.

 ***Check out my Youtube channel HandmadeByKristen 

to see what we are working on. ***

Through all of this I was still working part time until a week ago. I finally quit my job and am trying to focus on my family, home, blog and store. I am excited to be able to have the energy to tackle these tasks without feeling crazy but it has not been an easy start. All last week my almost three year old would not sleep through the night. That Thursday we discovered our roof was leaking at one of the vents. Thankfully it is something we can fix and it was not leaking in a bedroom or main living area. We know that it could have been so much worse. So needless to say we have not gotten much sleep lately but we keep pushing on. Meditating has been helpful.

In an attempt to bring some normalcy back into my life and get back into the projects I love, I attempted making homemade lip balm.  I did not want to buy new containers so I just used some old tins and plastic containers that were on the way to the recycle bin. You could also just pour into a small glass jar. Here is how it turned out!

You will need:
1/4 C Coconut Oil
3 T Bees Wax
2 Gel capsules of oil (Fish, Flax, Sun Flower, Vitamin E, etc.)
4-8 drops of Essential Oil of choice.

Heat wax and coconut oil in a small sauce pan on low heat. You can do this in the microwave but start with the bees wax as the melting point is higher than the coconut oil. Once melted, add the oil from the gel caps and essential oil. I used a blend of Mint and Lavender oil. Stir all together then pour into container  or tin. Let solidify and you are ready to use or give as a gift.

So far I love it. It is soft, smells good and I know exactly what is in it.  If you try this recipe please let me know how you like it. Thanks for reading!

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Raw Rainbow Salad

This last week I have been fighting an annoying virus, the weather has been cold and rainy but at least the Seahawks are going to the Super Bowl! I am trying to stay in high spirits but this running nose has got me lagging so have been needing something to help me get back on the path to super mom. As usual on the weekends we go through the house and throw a bunch of food together for a smorgasbord. This particular evening we had a some freshly sprouted lentils, kale and carrots that needed to be used right away. We have been on a winter salad kick so I bumped it up a notch with a rainbow salad that was filled with vital nutrients during the long winter months. Plus this would be a great healthy super bowl party dish!

Raw Rainbow Salad

4-6 C Chopped Kale (I used 3 different kinds but use whatever you have.)
2 C Shredded Carrots (I used orange, yellow and red)
3 C Sprouted Green Lentils
1 C Raisins
1 C Sunflower Seeds (You can substitute with Flax)

1 C Apple Cider Vinegar (with the 'Mother')
1/4 C Honey
Salt to taste

Chop veggies and mix with lentils, raisins and seeds. In a separate bowl mix vinegar honey and salt until well incorporated. Toss salad with dressing then serve.

This takes about 10 minutes start to finish and makes a large bowl worth of salad. I think it is enough for large family or to bring to a potluck. If you do not eat right away you can refrigerate but texture can change a little after 12 hours.

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Crockpot Ginger Shredded Pork and Broccoli Salad

I have been trying getting in the habit of buying meat and cheese to freeze when it is on sale. It is something my family has always done, but now that I have a secondary freezer part of me wants to fill it. Maybe it is the need to feed my family or the security of knowing no matter what issues we are facing having extra food storage is never a bad thing. I had recently stocked up on small pork roasts. If you know me well, you know I rarely eat pork, not for any religious reasons, just... I don't really care for it. Bacon is the only pig I eat with any regularity and that only about once or twice a month.

I don't like buying food that my family won't eat so I went into the store with the idea that if my husband and son like it, I will try to enjoy it. Fast forward to a month or so later, I have a couple roasts left and I am sick of making pot roast. I looked up some different pulled pork sandwiches then decided to give it a shot but make a recipe of my own. Sorry for any one who does not eat pork for what you are about to see.

I was thrilled with how this came out! Less then five minutes of work then you let the slow cooker do the rest. You could use a dutch over too, you may just need to adjust your time. It is easy enough for anyone that can measure and plug in a crockpot.

Crockpot Ginger Shredded Pork

2.5 - 4 lbs Pork Roast
1/4 C Apple Cider Vinegar (with the 'Mother')
1/4 C Soy Sauce
1/4 C Worcestershire Sauce
2 T Unfiltered Honey
4 Cloves Garlic (peeled and smashed whole)
1 Thumb of Ginger (about 1 T grated)
1 t Sea Salt
1 T Ground Pepper

Mix together liquid ingredients, honey, grated ginger, garlic and salt & pepper. Once combine add to slow cooker then place roast in mixture. Set to high and let cook for 6-8 hours or until able to shred. Serve on bun or roll and enjoy!

For a side dish I made a broccoli salad. I have never been a fan of raw broccoli. It is kind of funny because broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables. For this salad you will only need 5 ingredients. Broccoli, raisins, sunflower seeds, apple cider vinegar and honey.

Broccoli Salad

2 Heads broccoli shredded (about 4 cups)
1 C Raisins 
1 C Sunflower Seeds
1/2 C Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 C Unfiltered Honey

Mix together honey and ACV then set aside. Toss together broccoli, raisins and sunflower seeds. Pour dressing over mixture then toss again. Salad is ready to eat or can be chilled until needed.

This combination is  perfect meal for anytime of year. Great for summer potlucks or cold winter days. Please let me know what you think of these recipes!

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Heart help in cookie town

After months of pleading and obvious hints from my husband, I made a couple batches of cookies. I have been kind of purposely putting it off to avoid sweets in the house. After the holidays we felt awful because we ate so much garbage the last few months with moving, traveling and holiday decadance. So I broke down, but atleast I made them my way.

I had once posted a recipe for an oatmeal cookie that was loaded with goodies. (Click here to see the original) I used the same basic recipe for the batch you see below. Due to not having everything and wanting to use what was in the cupboard, I switched it up a bit. The ingredients crossed out is what I did not use. What you see in bold is what I used instead.

1 C Butter (Softened)

1 2 C Sugar

1 C Brown Sugar (firmly packed)

2 Eggs

¾ C Milk Almond Milk

3/4 C Nut butter (Peanut, almond, sunflower, etc.)

1 1/2C Flour

¾ C Whole Wheat Flour

1 t Vanilla

1 t Cinnamon

1 t Baking Soda

1 t salt

3 C Instant  Old fashion Oatmeal

1 C Dried cranberries

1C Almonds (slivered / chopped) 1C Flax Seeds

1 Pkg Chocolate Chips 1/2 C Carob Chips

Once everything is mixed together, scoop out small ball then gently press onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Place on wire rack to cool. This batch makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

I also wanted to make some valentine inspired cookies so I went with my tried and true sugar cookie. Check out the recipe here. Instead of a frosting, I used food coloring. You can use watered down food coloring or concentrated fruit and vegetable juices.

Simply add a few drops of coloring to the dough after you roll it out. You can then paint it around like water colors or blow it like I did. This is a great alternative for those of you who may be anti-valentine as well. The marbled looking cookies are what the dough will look like once you re-roll it for the next round of cuts.

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Home is where you are

The last couple of months have felt exciting, stressful and long. My family and I moved into our first house and started right away making it our own. We have a growing list of projects we want to do and thing that need to get done. I am really excited for this challenge and pray that we can keep up momentum to finish what we started.

We have been making progress in making our manufactured home not feel so, well manufactured. In all of the bedrooms we have textured wall paper. It is not too bad, I am actually ok with it for the most part. We started by removing the wall paper in one of the rooms because it was starting to peel off anyway. It looks like it was the original wall paper when the walls were put up in 1988. My husband seemed together all of the panels then put drywall compound over it to give a smooth wall surface. We then primed and painted. Now it looks like any other room, with the exception it is now a multipurpose guestroom, office, library and studio. I am still trying to figure out how to fit everything in there and still make it functional, not just a storage area which it is at the moment.

Aside from that room, the rest of the house inside is in pretty good shape. I love the amount of light that comes through the windows. After years of living in dark apartments it is nice to see sunlight through my windows. When we moved in, the house was white in every room. I look at this as blank slate so I am excited to get to paint! We started by painting the living room. We have plans to paint the dinning room and kitchen once finances allow.

Outside, the yard is pretty barren. There are 3 large Red Cedar trees and one smaller tree I have yet to identify. Other then that, the yard is a hill of grass over run by moss. Their are existing flower beds along the back fence and front of the house but the dirt is loaded with moss and weeds. Once that is cleaned up they will be used for food production. My husband and I have been brainstorming different garden beds and raised garden ideas to avoid using the soil here until we know it is safe. We do not know what is in the soil and found a lot weed killer and other poisons the last owners left so we would like to clean up the soil before we plant food in it. So for now, my husband is building a cold frame garden box and a raised bed with some scrap wood we found on the property. We will be posting more pictures and video once we get things built and start planting.

We live in zone 8 in Washington state. We plan on growing a lot of vegetables and some berries. Do you have any have any recommendations or suggestions on what we should grow?

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