Tag: holidays

The Shortest Day

~ Crystal Sands ~ 1 Comment

I have been so busy this week with all the work that goes into Christmas-ing and all the work that goes into parenting and all the work that goes into homesteading and all the work that goes into, well, work, that I haven’t been able to write, though I have started two blog posts that will remain unfinished.

However, despite today being the shortest day of the year, I can the light–and it’s coming, isn’t it?

The holiday season is a lot of work for so many of us. I can’t help but think I am definitely doing this wrong. As a professor, my work picks up greatly in December, and as a cello mom, I get extra busy in December because that’s when all the music things happen. It’s joyful, of course, but between my long COVID and my son’s long COVID, it’s just extra hard to keep up this year. My son, the cellist, has been in a borderline crash state for at least a week, but his whole semester of work has been bearing fruit this week. I had to keep him going with good food, lots of support, and lots of nagging about the importance of rest (something that is harder for a teenage boy that one might think). Dear readers, I am happy to report he made it–and he played so beautifully.

Last night, he played a gorgeous piece of music with a violinist partner, and it was breathtaking, but honestly, the whole night was breathtaking. It was a winter concert featuring Swedish folk songs, Vivaldi, Bach, poetry, and warm, wonderful people. The night ended with some Swedish hot cider that was so perfect on a snowy night that I am determined to find out what it was and get the recipe. I’ll keep you posted on that because I think it was elderberry, and elderberry is so good for you in the winter. It was definitely spicy.

I talked to a violin mom before the concert, and she expressed her desire for rest. We talked about how hard the holiday season can be on moms, and she told me a story about the years she lived in Sweden. She said, when she got there, she was given a book with instructions on how to prepare in November for rest in December. “Rest in December,” I said out loud with longing. We agreed that there must be some way to get some of that here in the states, but we agreed that we didn’t know how. Still, I need that book because, well, maybe one day…

In the meantime, I have much work tonight, but after I finish grading some essays, I am getting a bit of a break. I am also treasuring a lovely day I have had.

I woke up this morning still hanging onto the beautiful concert from last night. I shoveled snow before breakfast and then finished the Solstice cake you see pictured here. It came out perfectly! I was super thankful because, when you make something just once per year, you forget some of the strategies. I took my son to a cello recording, took a gift to a loved one, and then came home to find one egg when I put up the chickens for the evening. Ron made dinner and cooked up some of his purple cauliflower. It was so pretty.

Tomorrow, the light begins its, but tonight, I am going to finish grading my students’ essays and enjoy this warm fire in the wood stove and reflect on a lovely evening last night and day today.

The cycles continue, and I am reminded that I am a very fortunate human. I am tired in my bones, but rest is coming. I hope you all have a lovely Solstice.

I’m sharing my recipe for my Solstice cake below. It’s from Volume II of the Farmer-ish annual.

Ingredients

Cake

¾ cup unsalted butter, slightly melted
1 ½ cup sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cardamom
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk

*Please note that my version of this recipe is a much milder spice cake. The recipes I adapted this from use more ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg. Some also add a small amount of black pepper. Our family, especially our youngest, prefers a milder spice cake. You can adjust if you like spice cake a little more spicy.

Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 to 2 cups powdered sugar (just add until your frosting is the thickness you want)

Decorations/Toppings

For the toppings, you can use anything you want. I sometimes use plain gingerbread cookies (to match the ginger-colored cake) with the berries. I have added golden candied ginger in the past as well, but the berries are everyone’s favorites. I use raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, and the colors are lovely.

I also have these two little handmade snowmen candleholders that make an appearance every winter Solstice, and I adore them.

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans thoroughly and set aside. 

With a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue mixing. Add in your vanilla. In a separate bowl, add all of your dry ingredients, whisk them together. Then, in little bits at a time, add your dry ingredients and buttermilk to your egg, butter, and sugar mixture. Pour your batter evenly into your two pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Be sure to check early and often on your cake. You do not want this cake to be dry. 

Allow your cakes to cool a bit. When they are cool enough, remove them and let them sit on wire racks to cool further. During that time, mix your frosting ingredients with your mixer. Just make sure to add enough powdered sugar that your frosting is the right texture to work with. Tasting is encouraged. 

For decorating, I followed the method of leaving the sides of the cake exposed to show the pretty ginger color. Add your frosting and colorful toppings in whatever way makes you happy.

Enjoy on the Solstice with some warm tea or cold milk. 

Homemade Gifts for the Holidays

~ Crystal Sands ~ 4 Comments

Every year during the holiday season, I see the memes on social media that focus on normalizing homemade gifts, and they make me hopeful. Truly, there is nothing better than a homemade gift, one that is made with love but is also useful in some way. I guess that’s a caveat I have about homemade for the holidays–usefulness goes a long way in my book. Of course, some things are just special even if they aren’t super useful, but if I can manage to make a special gift that is also useful in some way, I am most pleased.

With that in mind, I wanted to do a round-up of homemade gift ideas and instructions from the journal over the years. Whether you can eat it, wear it, or light a room with it, we have some great homemade gift ideas for this holiday season. I hope this list inspires you in some way to give a lovely, useful, homemade gift this year.

Just click on the blue title to be taken to the directions.

Easy Cranberry Bread

I have given this as a gift to rave reviews. It pairs perfectly with good salted butter, so I will buy some of the really good butter and put that with the bread in a cute little bag. It’s so good and such a treat warmed on a cold winter’s day.

The Best Homemade Cookie Box

You can substitute any cookies you like, but a box of well-made cookies with enough to share with others is such a special treat. I highly recommend those Starry Night cookies!

Beeswax Candles in Up-cycled Jars

What is better than the gift of light? These beeswax candles are easy to make and are so simple and good. They last for close to 40 hours, are unscented, and the beeswax is actually a bit of an air cleanser. You can add scent by adding some essential oil, but this recipe, as-is, uses some organic coconut oil, which gives the candles this very slight sweet smell.

Box of Fat Archie Cookies

This recipe is the most popular on the site, especially during this time of year. It gets thousands of hits, probably because these cookies are so comforting and cozy.

Old Maine Flag Quilt

This quilt is relatively simple to make and can be made in about a week with even a busy schedule. It’s a great idea for anyone in your life who loves Maine or that old Maine flag.

A Jar of Jam

Even if you don’t have fresh berries right now, you can use frozen, and jam on toast or fresh bread is such a special treat in the long winter–kind of this sweet reminder of the summer. You can also make Christmas jam, which I have not done yet but am about to try today.

A Sheet Music or Story Ornament

This one is one that is just sweet and meaningful. If you have special ornaments that have stayed with you throughout your life then you know how meaningful something like this can be. Whether you are using music your child wrote or a poem or story they wrote to make an ornament for grandparents, this is wonderful homemade gift to consider.

Homemade Vanilla in a Beautiful Bottle

You will have to plan ahead for this one, but if you make it now, the vanilla will be perfect for next year’s holiday season. Homemade vanilla is delicious and saves a lot of money. In a beautiful gift bottle, a bottle of homemade vanilla is the perfect gift for the baker in your life.

Other Ideas

This year, I am giving the gift of seeds from Ron’s garden and homemade hot chocolate, complete with vintage thrift store mugs and homemade marshmallows. Other ideas include a poem, a letter, a photo book, and if you know how to crochet or knit, well, you have all the power.

I would love to know if any of these ideas speak to you or if you have any homemade ideas you are willing to share with readers. What are you best homemade gift ideas?

photo credit: Sweta Meininger, Unsplash

Here’s how I never bought wrapping paper again…

~ Crystal Sands ~ 2 Comments

It was about four years ago when I was in the basement wrapping presents on Christmas Eve. I had just worked all day grading essays and was so grumpy. As I wrapped the presents with paper from the store that I just knew was going to go right into the garbage the very next day, I made a promise out loud to myself that I would never do this again.

This was the year I put up the Christmas tree but never had time to put ornaments on it. The presents were lovely though!

In 2017, we lost recycling services in our area, and I became highly aware of what I brought and what I put into the trash. I remember just about crying when I would hold an item over the garbage that I used to put in the recycling bin. It pained me to drop it in the garbage. I now understand that most of what I recycled wasn’t recycled at all, but I wasn’t aware at the time. So, in some ways, I am thankful we lost recycling because it set me on a path to become much more aware of how much trash we were producing as a family and what I could do about it.

I want to emphasize, of course, that I am far from perfect. It’s a process. I have made great strides since 2017, and we have cut our waste in half at least, maybe more. I also want to emphasize that I also realize it’s not right to put the burden for all this on the individual when corporations are absolutely trashing the place up one side and down the other. However, it can’t hurt to try. I am a believer in the saying “every little bit counts,” and while I am reducing my footprint, I am also saving us so much money. It’s a win-win, I think.

After that Christmas when I promised I would no longer put Christmas paper in the trash, I decided to buy some holiday-themed fabric on clearance (along with some nicer ribbon in bulk) and make gift bags. Somehow, however, in the chaos that is my life on this little farmstead, I never made the bags, but when the next Christmas rolled around, I decided I was going to use that fabric anyway.

So I cut the fabric into small, medium, and larger pieces, and I just rolled the presents right up in that fabric and tied them with a bow. When I was done, I thought the whole thing was so beautiful! I mean, rustic and a little bit like a first-grader did it, but still beautiful. It just looked humble and pretty to me. So I was like, forget the bags, this totally works, although I would still like to have a bag or two for the oddly-shaped gifts.

After that Christmas, I saved all the ribbon and fabric and used all of it again the next year. And the next. I have found that I sometimes have to cut new ribbon, but you would be surprised at universal a long ribbon is. Sometimes, presents get a little much on the ribbon. Sometimes, presents get a very small bow. But I am reusing the ribbon as well.

Over time, this is saving us a decent amount of money, and I feel so much better not throwing a bunch of stuff in the trash. So, if you want to try this, grab some lovely fabric and some good ribbon, and I think you will be pleased. Humble is good.

Humble But Beautiful

~ Crystal Sands ~ 4 Comments

It’s Christmas Eve, and I am a mess from the holidays. I worked all day long, literally, to finish my daughter’s quilt for Christmas. I kept trying to work on it all December, but something always comes up–like an injured duck, a duck who won’t eat, a chicken who stayed out all night, a kitty trying to get a duck, lots of frozen water, a storm, loss of power, cello rehearsals, essay grading, and so on and so forth.

It has been a wonderful month though, and by some miracle, my daughter’s quilt is finished and is beautiful. It’s purple floral, and I love it! Ron and I also wrapped the presents tonight. We do not use paper. Every year, we reuse the same holiday fabric and fancy ribbons I bought several years ago. I had meant to make gift bags out of the fabric, but I have never had time. Hopefully, one day! Still, I refused to buy more paper, so we just wrap our gifts in the fabric and use the ribbons to hold everything together. Then, after we open presents on Christmas morning, we roll up the ribbons, fold up the fabric, and we are all set until next year.

It’s a little rustic. It’s definitely humble. But there’s no waste, and, to me, it’s beautiful.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! This year, our family celebrated three winter holidays, and our Christmas is the last of them. It’s been lovely. I hope your holiday season is lovely as well!

A Farmer-ish Jolabokaflod: 2022 Book Gift-Giving List

~ Crystal Sands ~ 1 Comment

Day 214 of 365

I recently learned about the Jolabokaflod tradition in Iceland. The word “Jolabokaflod” literally means Christmas or Yule “book flood.” In Iceland, the tradition is to give the gift of a book on Christmas Eve, and then, everyone spends Christmas Eve reading. Is this magnificent or what?

The tradition is so big that it helps keep the publishing industry in Iceland thriving, and it sure seems like we could use such a tradition here in the U.S. With the hopes of our own little Jolabokaflod, I am sharing a holiday list of my favorite Farmer-ish books. Shop small if you can. Support individual authors when possible. And check out some of these fantastic Farmer-ish reads for this holiday season of cozy reading.

The Heirloom Gardener by John Forti

This gorgeous book is arranged as a series of essays in alphabetical order, and within each entry, John Forti provides instruction, history, and lore about gardening and the natural world. With entries on topics like apple cart, edible flowers, tea, and Thanksgiving grace, this book is truly a treasure that your friends and family will love holding in their hands. The essays read like little meditations are good for the soul. Grab a few as gifts, but be sure to grab one for yourself–if you don’t have a copy already.

My Chickens and I by Isabella Rossellini

This is a book would make a wonderful gift for both beginning and long-time chicken keepers, as well as for those who are considering chickens. Rossellini’s clear love and respect for these amazing animals comes through the pages of this book so beautifully. After keeping chickens for so many years, I have developed a deep reverence for these resilient, intelligence, resourceful, and helpful birds. This same reverence leaps off of the pages in My Chickens and I. Rossellini does a fantastic job of weaving science with her personal story with chickens, and this is definitely not your typical celebrity book. Rossellini gets chickens. I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s a book I will treasure my whole life.

Birdology by Sy Montgomery

This beautiful book by the brilliant naturalist writer Sy Montgomery (author of How to Be a Good Creature) would make a wonderful gift for the chicken keeper or anyone who loves birds in general. Montgomery shares one chapter each on the following birds—chickens, cassowary, hummingbirds, hawks, pigeons, parrots, and crows. In the opening chapter on chickens, you read about the fantastic individual personalities of chickens. Montgomery weaves science and personal story as you learn about her own flock of chickens. One of my favorite things about this book is that you can sense how much Montgomery loves and deeply respects all of the magnificent birds covered in this book. Anything by Sy Montgomery would be a great gift for the holiday season. Her work is life changing and is helping to change the cultural conversations we have about animal intelligence.

Processed Meats by Nicole Walker

This book about the way we connect with food during times of crisis is just good writing. It’s funny and sad and so very interesting. Nicole Walker’s beautiful collection of essays, Processed Meats, would be a wonderful gift for anyone interested in food writing, but there is also a wonderful weaving of the story of motherhood in this book. Processed Meats was so much more than I expected. As we continue to deal with one crisis after another, more and more of us are turning to food–both cooking and food preservation. Walker’s book is striking in its relevancy. I think her sharp insights into our bodies, our food, our culture, and our histories will be as thought provoking and entertaining to anyone on your gift-giving list.

Knocked Down by Aileen Weintraub

Knocked Down is a fantastic and often hilarious memoir from Aileen Weintraub about her experiences being on bed rest in an old farmhouse during a difficult pregnancy. From the heartbreaking moment she learns that her pregnancy was at risk, Weintraub takes us on her powerful journey into rest and isolation in the old farmhouse that is in every way possible different from the life she has been used to. To make matters even more difficult for her, her new husband has purchased a tractor company, which requires long hours and a lot of stressful work. As he’s working hard to keep the new family afloat financially, the author is left home alone in the old farmhouse, listening to coyotes, making friends with the people who deliver the mail, and hanging out with a dog who is not like the usual dog. Even though Weintraub’s humor is worth the price of admission and her stories about planting seeds and talking to Robins will make you laugh out loud, there is also a really important message about women’s healthcare in the book. This book would be a great gift to women of all ages in your life.

Farmer-ish Print Annual Volume II edited by Crystal Sands

Of course, I have to recommend this collection of beautiful essays, poetry, recipes, and education for anyone Farmer-ish in your life. This book is thick and beautiful, and the writing is gorgeous. The essays are meaty and are perfect to cozy up with on a winter’s read. The poetry is gorgeous and is perfect for a winter cup of tea or cocoa. And the educational pieces will certainly inspire. Because I make this book with the goal of making the writers proud to be in it, I think it’s just an extra special, extra beautiful collection. With stories about apples, woodpeckers, baby llamas and more, this book is a great gift for gardeners, homesteaders, farmers, and nature lovers in your life. So many people have told me they treasure this newest collection from Farmer-ish. It’s a lovely gift for this holiday season for sure.

Children’s Books

I am a huge fan of giving children’s books as gifts to both children and adults, and I have some beautiful recommendations for your shopping list this year.

Honeybee Rescue by Loree Griffin Burns and Ellen Harasimowicz

Beautifully written and photographed, Honey Bee Rescue: A Backyard Drama, written by Loree Griffin Burns and photographed by Ellen Harasimowicz, is a children’s book that tells the real-life story of what happens when a colony of bees settles into a beekeeper’s garage. This book is both educational and fun and would be a great addition to any children’s library. The photographs in this book are breathtaking and informative, and I love that the book includes detailed back matter that features an interview with a bee rescuer and a glossary. If you have a little bee lover in your life, or even a grown up bee lover, this would be a wonderful gift. Also, who doesn’t love bees?

The Sun is Late and So Is the Farmer by Phillip C. Stead and Erin E. Stead

I just discovered this gorgeously written and illustrated children’s book and adore it. The books relates the story of farm animal reactions one morning when the sun is late to rise and the farmer is still sleeping–and the animals are hungry for breakfast. The illustrations are heavy with blue hues, giving this book a perfect vibe for any of the winter holidays. My favorite part is that the farm animals talk about animal dreams. My other favorite part is that the owl tells the hungry animals “Rooster will know what to do.” Because, of course, the magnificent rooster knows how to bring the sun. My other, other favorite part is that the farmer is a woman! I promise, this book is one that will be treasured.

The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper and Carson Ellis

This book is one of my favorite children’s books ever. In a book that both children and adults with adore, Susan Cooper eloquently tells the story of the Winter Solstice, accompanied by brilliant illustrations from Caldecott Honor winner, Carson Ellis. In addition to the main story, the book also includes a beautiful scientific, historical, and cultural explanation of the significance of the shortest day of the year. This is a must for a Solstice gift.

Why The Moon Tumbled Out of the Sky by R.James Sand and Ronan J. Sands

I am super biased on this one, as it is written by my husband and illustrated by my son when he was little. It’s a treat, I promise. My husband is a master of lyricism and rhythm in his poetry, and the topics are full of whimsy. I have also had many moms report that their children loved just staring at the illustrations made by a child. This hardcover book is a collection of children’s poetry arranged by the seasons, so it is a wonderful gift for the Solstice. The winter poems are wonderful, with a poem about a very unique snowman. The title poem will make you laugh out loud when you learn why the moon tumbled out of the sky, but there are also poems about a grumpy garden gnome, an eccentric chicken, and a very-well dressed beetle.

I hope you, your family, and your friends will love these beautiful books as much as I do. I think these would be wonderful winter holiday gifts, and I hope to continue the Farmer-ish Jolabokaflod list with a list of my favorite cookbooks coming soon.

Bairre, the Celebrity

~ Crystal Sands ~ 3 Comments

Day 207 of 365

Today was a great day! We had to take some copies of the Farmer-ish annual to the MOFGA store in Freeport, Maine today, and the MOFGA store is in LL Bean park. Since the trip was so long, we had to take Bairre, so we decided to take Bairre for a walk through the park area to let him stretch his legs and to give all of us a chance to see the beautiful holiday decorations–okay to give me a chance to see the beautiful holiday decorations. Truly, the decorations in the park were gorgeous. I had never been to LL Bean part during the holiday season, and it was lovely!

But the best part was Bairre. He was a celebrity! It took us nearly one hour to walk about three blocks, and it was because people were coming from every direction to see Bairre! People were oohing and ahhing and asking if they could pet him. And, when they did, Bairre just leaned in. He is a charmer! He grunted and wagged his tail and gave hugs. Two ladies actually came back after a first round of Bairre snuggles and asked for more. We were like, “sure!” Two little girls, both under the age of 5, just kissed and kissed him on his little head. Children were squealing with delight when they touched his fluffy fur. He is fantastically fluffy! A couple of times, there was actually a line. For real, people were waiting in line to get their turn to pet Bairre. I’ll bet Bairre officially greeted 100 people today. Maybe more.

And, of course, there were a million questions, so Ron and I had to give a few TED Talks on Great Pyrenees: Yes, they are quite chill. But, yes, they are still difficult dogs. Yes, they are great with children. Yes, they get very, very big. And, yes, they are very, very fluffy.

It was the best day. I could not stop smiling. The whole park was all festive, so it was like Bairre added this mini polar bear experience to the whole thing. Even Ron and our son were smiling all afternoon, and they are usually quite Grinchy about holiday festivities.

It is interesting to see who Bairre is as a person. Neither of our other Pyrenees have been so charming to people. In fact, Gus was suspicious of everyone–for ever. But Bairre just loves to be admired. I swear, I could see his little puppy head getting bigger by the minute, but I was glad for it. He’s a beautiful creature, inside and out. He should be admired.