Apple Chutney

It's going to be a bit unbelievable for most of you who truly know me, but I made homemade apple chutney last weekend. Louisa "supervised" and helped peel the 20 granny smith apples. We filled 10 quart sized mason jars - and they will end up being holiday gifts for the children's teachers at the Montessori school. I want to share the recipe here, so anyone who is interested in a homemade alternative to Christmas gifts may be bold enough to attempt (if I can succeed, anyone can!).

Recipe:
2 quarts chopped, cored, pared tart apples (about 16 medium).
1 cup chopped onions.
1 clove garlic, crushed.
1 cup chopped sweet red peppers (about 2 medium).
2 pounds ORGANIC seedless raisins.
4 cups brown sugar, packed.
1 quart vinegar.
2 hot red peppers (or a little cayenne if you want children to eat).
1/2 cup fresh ground ginger.
2 teaspoons salt.
2 teaspoons ground allspice.

Combine all ingredients; simmer until thick, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking to pot. Pour, boiling hot, into sterilized Ball Mason Jars, leaving 1/8 inch head space. Shut caps tight. Turn upside down for an hour to cool and create vaccuum seal. *Will take about 1 week for the flavors to meld together. Will last stored in a cool, dry place for 1 year. Refrigerate after opening.

This chutney is awesome in omelets or as a sweet/spicy side for poultry and pork. ENJOY!

Just when you thought it was safe...Lead in Balsamic Vinegar

For those of you (and your children) who eat balsamic vinegar - and thought you were safe doing so...

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/lead-balsamic-vinegars-47110902?src=nl&mag=tdg&list=dgr&kw=ist

We're going to have to return to lemons and less exotic vinegars for our salads, I guess.

Our First Holiday at the Beach

We all started off the morning with a long walk on the beach - and actually had a surprise run in with Uncle B and Aunt CC - as they live just blocks away from us. Dad took several fun photos of the day. So, I've uploaded a few.

Thanksgiving Festivities 2009

We have been quite busy the last few weeks. John and Louisa (aka Pop Pop and Lovey) have been here since November 15th; Sister Mary Anne (John's sister) came in the day before Thanksgiving; and Bryan and Corinne (Uncle B and Aunt CC) have spent quite a bit of time with us over the last few weeks. And, of course, we're spending lots of time with Uncle Joey - as he has recently moved to Mount Pleasant, and tons of day visitors have dropped in to say hi to all these out-of-towners.

So, Thanksgiving is over. We're all fat and happy (and sleepy). And, we are relaxing this Saturday afternoon. So, where do I start?

We took Mom and Dad to FIG the first weekend they were here (Food Is Good). It's an all natural, all local food establishment. Michael had sweetbreads for his entree (bold move - but he said they were amazing). I got the fish stew - which was awesome! It had trigger fish as the base - which is a local, firm white fish...YUMMO.

We went to the Farmer's Market the Saturday before Thankgiving - to get 8 dozen farm fresh eggs (which we ran out of the day of Thankgiving because Lovey's dressing took the last dozen), brussel sprouts (which Michael broiled with pancetta), sweet potatoes (which were mixed with naval oranges and scooped into orange peel cups and topped with vanilla marshmallows), homemade cornbread - Lovey's recipe, 2 ten pound turkeys from my CSA (which have been referred to as "special birds" by everyone all week), ricotta cake (Aunt CC's bubby's recipe), chocolate chess pie (Uncle B's specialty), pecan pie (Reynolds, GA recipe), and a pumpkin pie made with a white heritage pumpkin that was the sweetest thing I had all day! Oh, and my favorite - fresh cranberry relish...

And, then we finished up the festivities with an oyster roast on Friday after Thanksgiving, with pickup games of frisbee, football, paddle ball, etc. We had tons of folks stop by - including our Floridian cousins: Scott, Julie, Ansley and Ella. Michael made his "famous" gumbo - well, it's known as his famous gumbo now - as it was perfectly done with chicken thighs and sausage - and everyone took home the left0vers. No one left here hungry Friday night.

Aunt Maryanne, Pop Pop, Uncle Joey, the boys and I are going to the Unitarian Universalist church tomorrow morning. We want to make sure we give a BIG thank you to God - as we have been truly blessed this holiday.

Tazo

The Duke of Tazmania (aka Taz, Tazo, Tazman, Tazalicious) has been diagnosed with lymphoma. He had a tumor (the size of a golf ball) removed from his throat on Friday, November 13th and has been recovering in the comfort of our home at IOP. The pathologist has been very clear that Taz will not survive this cancer. He has had a pretty good 15 1/2 years. At least, that's what everyone says. If you asked him, he may waffle a bit on whether the last 5 years were as joyous as the first 10 (I think the kids may be to blame there). But, somehow I am still filled with grief.

I can't help thinking that there is a lesson in all of this. I can use this to teach my children something about the cycle of life - that in order to have life, you must have death. But, how do you use something so raw to teach a lesson? How much do you let your children in on the reality of death when your parental instinct is to protect them to the end?

Michael and Miguel

As most of you know, I live with a male version of Julia Child. My husband rocks in the kitchen. I must admit I am a pretty good grocery shopper; I go to the farmer's market weekly, belong to a local CSA (community share agriculture), stop by Whole Foods several times each week, etc. And, I do dishes! BUT, I cannot and do not cook.

So last weekend, I was in Whole Foods and saw a "young duckling" in the butchery section. When I found out it was from a local farmer and was raised with Level 5 humane treatment rating, I just HAD to purchase this little guy.

For those of you who know me, I don't do dark meat; I don't do bones; and I definitely don't do duck! However, I am a changed woman! I am trying to not be so detached from where my food comes from and to appreciate the fact that my food looks like an animal. After all, I am an omnivore! Why should I pay someone to put a lot of chemicals on my food to bleach it, disinfect it, mould and shape it, and package it with a pretty little bow? By the time the factory does all of those steps, it really isn't much of anything any longer. And, as you know from my previous blog...Processing plants can wreck your food - you may even find "rat tentacles" in the packaging, according to Bowen.

So, anyway...I broke all of my "old" rules and bought this duck for my man to prepare for me on our Friday Date Night In at Miguel's Bistro. Michael did quite an amazing job preparing this bird. This was one of my favorite meals of all time. And, Michael made a duck bone broth from the carcass (the old Tami would never have been able to say that word). When Michael's parents came into town on Sunday, we served them a duck and exotic mushroom risotto that was my second favorite meal of all time.

So, I had to brag on my man's meal. I am happy to post his recipe if anyone is interested. Bon Appetite!

Finding Time for Exercise

Michael is much better than I am when it comes to finding time for exercise. He goes to Jiu-Jitsu three times every week, he walks on the beach every morning when I take the kids to school, he does squats and dead lifts between phone calls in his office, and he serves as the gym teacher for the kids most evenings.

All four children are tumbling the length of our house, doing mountain climbs, and compete with one another for the maximum output of push-ups, sit-ups, and squats in a given period of time. I am amazed that Wilhelmina has just fallen into this nightly routine.

I have read several books recently on the detachment from nature that today's children suffer from; how the obesity rates in this country are off the charts; and how technology and homework has replaced good ol' outside playtime. So, this is definitely one way Michael has chosen to encourage the kids to maintain a certain level of physical activity. And, I approach this phenomenon with "making good food choices." The school incorporates daily doses of PE, Karate, gardening and playground visits. Hopefully, these steps we are taking now as a family and community will decrease the potential physical challenges for our children that most children will struggle with in the years to come.

Sickness Strikes Even When You Drink Raw Milk and Don't Watch TV

Well, I should have knocked on wood or crossed myself or something, because I just bragged the other day about how none of the kids caught Michael's cold. I attributed their boosted and mighty immune systems to the organic diet and, specifically, the raw milk.

Long story short, Talula got bronchitis last week and it turned into pneumonia. So, that threw the entire family for a loop. She is such a trooper though - even when she was suffering with a 104 fever and a very nasty cough - she was able to keep her sense of humor, as well as undo 6 months worth of efforts around limiting the television. We had pretty much eliminated TV from our daily routine (prompted by our summer in Maine). So, Talula is on the mend, but we are back to square one with the boob-tube.

Note: Photo of Talula watching Dora the Explorer in our room while recovering.

The Joys of Being a SAHM...

Well, today was my first parent-teacher conference at the Montessori school. Bowen's teacher, Ms. Laura, schedules a conference for each child 4 times throughout the year. Most parents would be looking forward to this event; however, I must admit I was a bit nervous. So, I prepared the only way I knew how. I got a babysitter for the morning, got my hair cut and highlighted, treated myself to the facial I have been promising to get for the last 12 months, and finished the first half of my day with a Moe's burrito. I was feeling quite prepared, but needed just a little something else...so, I decided to grab a Starbuck's latte (only a Tall though) and headed for the school.

Needless to say, everything went better than expected. Bowen is writing stories using full sentences about pirates, robots, and (of course) Sponge Bob. He is doing 4 digit addition that requires him to "carry numbers to the next column." And, he has already received and accepted his first proposal for marriage, Stella Fox! So, I think I can lay off worrying about Bowen for a while. I'll just have to accept the fact that it is natural for a 6 year old boy to lose his $20 stainless steel water bottle on a daily basis, forget his jacket at least twice weekly and to leave his homework assignment at school every Friday! The trials and tribulations of a stay at home mom begin in kindergarten...

And, still no Diet Coke for this SAHM. Note: You should buy stock in tea bags though - as I am drinking my body weight in iced tea these days - just as any good Southern Lady should.

Read Labels...Halloween candy is the only exception

Well, I finally broke down and saw Food Inc. It's a documentary that focuses on where our food comes from. The movie actually didn't introduce any concepts I wasn't already somewhat familiar with; however, I was absolutely shocked at the conditions our animals live in, the conditions of the processing plants, the amount of "cloned" foods and animals Americans ingest on a daily basis, and how oblivious most of our country is to this fairly new "fake food" phenomenon.

I won't be preachy here, as my audience is mostly family and close friends - and you all already think I am a tad "crunchy." So, I'll just say that my brother, Joey - who had two double cheeseburgers from Burger King's dollar menu for lunch yesterday - was absolutely appalled by what he watched last night. I don't think he went back to get his BK Broiler today :)...

Anyway, if I had to summarize the movie in 10 words or less, I would say "Read labels on everything you buy. If your grandmother wouldn't recognize the ingredient on the label, then don't buy it!" This is easier said than done, but it is a healthy exercise even if you end up buying the product. I find I enjoy the product less (unless the product is Oreos or Doritoes - somehow I can handle the ick on those labels :)), and end up finding a replacement for the product that is a bit better for us - if not eliminate the product altogether. For example, Bowen used to be my pickiest eater and he demanded Kraft Singles for his grilled cheese sandwich. So, I just turned a blind eye to this "fake food" and bought it for the first 4 years of his life. Then, I read on the label "may contain milk" - and realized how FAKE this "cheese" really was. So, we are on our second year without Kraft cheese. We pay more for our organic cheese; however, I put one slice on the sandwich (instead of 2) and it stays with him longer because it is real protein.

Day 1 and Counting...

Well, I have to say I was taken back this morning (at a very early 7:30 am) on my drive to Montessori. I thought we were all in pretty good moods; all had full bellies, brushed teeth, lunchboxes in hand, and classical music was playing in the white whale. And most importantly, I had my daily allowed portion of Diet Coke over a big cup of ice. And then it all changed. Bowen and Kells started talking about bad food choices and how they didn't want any food that came from a factory ever again...I knew this conversation was prompted by a Discovery Channel episode on "Food Nightmares" that they had seen last night. There was a mouse head in a box of macaroni. So....here is how it unfolded.

"Mom. Why do you like to worry us? We don't want you to die. We don't want you to make bad food choices. Can you please stop drinking Diet Coke? It's a fake food. Yeah, and who knows if you'll have rat tentacles in your can of diet coke..."

The rest is a blurrr...Anyway, I am officially giving up Diet Coke. Day 1 and counting...

Unpacking is a family affair.

So, yogurt is in the oven. Kids are in the bed. Hubby has recovered from the funk. Wine is poured. Dishes are done. Boxes are still waiting to be unpacked!

We had an amazing walk on the beach tonight with all of us. Bowen and Kells are awesome shell hunters. We came home with a lot of broken shells - and two perfect sand dollars. We need to somehow teach them to be a little more discriminating when it comes to bringing shells home with them - I think this concept will resurface years down the road with girlfriends and boyfriends...hmmmm.

Good night.

Today's Contribution - Yogurt Recipe

I picked up my "raw milk" this week from a farmer on Wadmalaw Island. To be exact - I picked up 9 gallons of this liquid gold. It costs $7.50 per gallon, but it is totally worth that investment (more on that later). So, I am making homemade yogurt tonight.

Recipe:

(1) Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

(2) Pour one gallon (or half gallon) of organic milk into an oven-safe pot.

(3) Mix in 1 cup store-bought, whole milk, plain yogurt (Organic Seven Stars is the best) or a packet of yo-gourmet (which is a powdered yogurt starter that you can buy at Whole Foods).

(4) Turn off oven. Let yogurt sit inside oven overnight.

(5) When you wake up, you will have ready to eat yogurt.

*Save a cup of this homemade yogurt and substitute as your starter for the next batch. You will never have to buy store bought, pectin-enhanced, slimy yogurt again. ENJOY!


Notes:

- Do not use an aluminum pot for your yogurt.
- Do not use ultra-pasteurized milk. Normal pasteurization makes fine yogurt, but the ultra pasteurized milk doesn't have the right composition for yogurt making. And, definitely use organic milk.
- My kids eat this daily with Aunt CC's homemade granola recipe. This recipe will be on my blog soon.
- Book Source: Just ordered the book The Untold Story of Milk. I hear this book will help me break my Starbucks habit - as Starbucks does not offer Organic milk for their lattes.
- Raw Milk Source: http://www.westonaprice.org/.

Why am I blogging? Shouldn't I be napping?

For those of you who really know me, you know I am an over-achiever. At least I like to think I am. Anyway, now that I have 3 of my 4 curtain-climbers in Montessori school (which I think rules the world - by the way), it is time to figure out how to fill my time with meaningful "work." So, you'll all be glad to know I am going back into Real Estate - JUST KIDDING!

I am simply taking on my family as my new project. I have purchased the iPhone and the OmniFocus project management application and have just ordered Get It Done...OK. I'm not going to be that neurotic about this new endeavor. But, I am taking it extremely seriously - and hope to learn something about myself along the way as well.

My project entails the following:

(1) Ensuring at least one person in the Enright household puts his/her toes in the sand EVERYDAY for the next 365 days.

(2) Making one change to our lives (for the better) each day for the next 365 days.

(3) Documenting our metamorphosis with photos and commentary via my blog.

Am I crazy? Perhaps. However, I like to think these goals just fall into that "over-achiever" category once again. The cool part about this project is that this character flaw of mine might actually help me make some really hard decisions regarding the way we live, what we eat, how we shop, how we spend our time, etc.

Off to the beach...

Excuses and Surviving...

Well, I cannot stand it when people make excuses (especially when they are slack on some new commitment they have made); however, today I fall into this category of excuse-makers. My goal when I started this blog was to write in it EVERYDAY - as it will end up serving as a momento for my children's 2009. However, we moved last week and just got our internet capabilities setup last night. So, I have been sans web access for one week! Yes - it is hard to believe one can survive in such circumstances.

But, I have not only survived the move with four children and the lack of internet access, I have survived Michael's H1N1-look-alike virus, the crashing of my blackberry, and the spilling of an entire gallon of liquid laundry detergent on myself, inside the dryer vent and on my 15 year old chihuahua.

So, enough of the excuses. The point is the 6 Enrights have survived! And, we are now living on the beach. Somehow, nothing really seems all that bad when you can hear the surf in the background.

Who needs a red velvet "love" couch?

We supported our locals' community today - in a big way! We started the day shopping at the local hardware store in Mount Pleasant. Instead of going to Lowes (which was much closer), we went to the Ace Hardware and made the trip into a game: How many folks will ask us "Can I help you find something today?". We were in the store no more than 5 minutes and had 6 people ask us if they could help us AND were greeted coming and going by 2 additional employees. We are soooo blown away by the customer service in this local shop. And, we found everything we needed (even found an oyster roaster that may be a Christmas present for one of the 6 Enrights).

We lightened our load (our household burden) quite a bit as well today! We visited the Habitat for Humanity Restore and donated tons of things (while the kids were in school, of course), and then we made our way to the church where Mina goes to the Mother's Morning Out program and donated the Thomas the Train table (that nobody plays with) and a ton of other items that just collect dust (and provide places for the lovely palmetto bugs to hide under).

And finally, I dropped off all furniture and rugs that I could carry by myself to a new consignment shop, Karson's Kloset, on Daniel Island. Relieved....I headed for home. And to top off the day of "downsizing," I got a call from a furniture dealer who wanted to buy both of our Baker dining room tables and the red velvet "love" couch that we can't seem to get rid of!

So, now I am pounds lighter and feel awesome! I finished the day binging on wine and take-out Chinese food with my man to make up for all the purging (and, of course, Talula joined us for a second dinner).

Hello from the 6 Enrights

Well, we are coming up on our one year anniversary in South Carolina. I am so excited about the decisions we have made in simplifying our lives and really living every day to its fullest potential. With four children under six years old, it is challenging to slow down enough to take a bathroom break - much less smell the salt in the ocean breeze. However, we did make huge strides our first year on Daniel Island, SC: downsizing from the macmansion, supporting our local businesses, making natural/organic choices when available, appreciating nature and all it has to offer, and enjoying every moment we can with our amazing children and extended family.

As we embark on our second year, I hope to do an even better job of "Making the most of this life." So, I invite you to follow along on our journey. I am going to take the leap into blogdom and attempt to document our times together.