A Real Beauty

We were turning onto Gulf Stream Pkwy, and saw a large bird in the median... as we got closer, I realized that it was a juvenile bald eagle! These beautiful birds live near the coastline, but I've never seen one so close up before. We were literally 10 feet from it. I didn't dare get out of the truck for fear of scaring it away...



I think it was making lunch of an opossum! As you can see from its head, it is not a full-grown bald eagle- the brown spots on its neck and head will eventually turn white. Such a majestic creature! And right in our neighborhood! I'm in awe of God's creation.

Our Trip to Historic Sanibel Island

We arrived well ahead of the group for our tour of the Historic Sanibel Village. Google Maps told me it would take over an hour to get there, but it took a total of 45 minutes, including a pit stop for gas. We took the extra time and explored the surrounding grounds of the museum...




Here are the kiddos- this is the closest shot I got at a group picture. The boys were just not into picture taking today!

Our tour guide today was the father of one of our homeschooling moms! He was a wealth of information about Sanibel history. He also had enough patience to deal with a large number of homeschoolers!

In the first room of the museum, we learned about the first inhabitants of the area- the Caloosa Indians. Did you know that it was the Caloosa who killed Ponce De Leone as he searched for the fountain of youth?

Here we are in the kitchen of the historic home/museum. Gabe was interested in the old wash bucket and accessories... There was also a Hoosier cabinet, an old-fashioned ice box and a primitive vacuum cleaner! Also, our guide introduced us to a mosquito chaser that the islanders used to use to swat the pesky critters out of their homes.

Here we are in the garden area where we are learning about island produce. Their garden plot already had full heads of cabbage and tomato plants bursting with green tomatoes! We picked tangerines from two large trees on the outskirts of the garden, and the kids left orange peels all along the tour path :)

Peek-a-boo! Here's Annalee, checking out an old wagon.

I couldn't help but get a picture of Noah by the outhouse. He and his friend discovered it was now used as a garden shed, but it still looked cool from the outside!

We got to see what a real classroom looked like in the 1920's. Our guide was telling us that grades K-6 were all in one room, and the kids didn't think that was strange at all! Sounds like homeschool to me :)

Here's the group with our tour guide. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot on our trip to Sanibel!

Adult Soap Class

I hosted my adult soap making class this afternoon- right before the heavens let loose and drowned us out! Thankfully, the deluge waited until after the class was over because all our kids were playing outside :) I'm sure getting wet wouldn't have bothered them...


Anyway, the class was a lot of fun. The ladies and I made 2 1/2 lbs of lavender/lemon soap, which turned out to be a really pretty chartreuse color! I think it's because I used an extra virgin olive oil that was dark-colored. Here are some pictures of the finished product:





Here's the soap, freshly popped out of the mold! I used a 13"x 9" commercial-grade baking dish for a mold, and the soap came out really crisp and smooth!

The final count was 9 large bath bars, 3 large hand-sized soaps and 7 guest bath-sized soaps.

Here's a close-up of the color- it's a really clean, light green. In just a short few weeks, these babies will be ready to use! And, for all those who didn't get to participate this round, I am planning another class later in the year :) I'll get everyone making homemade soap before long!

Winter Fun

We've had some wonderful weather lately! I have been getting the kids outside after school work is done and getting some sun... Here's Gabe trying to avoid the camera! That's my reading /sunning chair behind him- when the kids aren't dragging me along on a bike ride, I am watching them and drinking tea from my folding throne :)

The kids have been building a fort beside our neighbors' house in the trees. Each of the kids has their own mini-fort, and Elena is even building rustic furniture for hers!

Here are my girls having fun in the shade! Happy winter, everyone :)

My Kombucha Story

It was about the time my forth (and youngest) child turned one, I recall telling my mom that my body was falling apart on me... I was 29. Her response to me was, "Just wait until you're 50." At the time, I was having digestive issues- I blamed it on the fact that I was chasing around 4 small children, running a home, and starting to homeschool my oldest son. I just didn't have the time to eat right, much less find the extra energy to exercise!


I started researching herbs and natural "remedies" for the issues I was faced with. The one thing that kept coming to my attention was an ancient fermented drink from Asia called kombucha. I was a bit sceptical of the claims being made of this drink's health benefits but decided to try it anyway...

Here's the first step to making homemade "Booch"- the SCOBY ("Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). It looks and feels like wet, slimy, dense Jello. Apart from its mucus-like appearance, this little guy is packed full of beneficial probiotics! The SCOBY is used to turn regular black and green teas into the epitome of digestive aids.

Here's the SCOBY at work on a freshly brewed batch of black tea. While the tea was still hot, I added 1/2 c white sugar (don't worry, the microbes in the SCOBY will consume all the sugar during the fermentation process). The general rule is 1 c sugar per gallon of tea. When the tea cooled to about 100F, I added my SCOBY and about 1 c booch, reserved from a previous batch. The extra booch is to help lower the ph and discourage mold growth.

Next step is covering your container with a clean cloth, securing it with a rubber band. Then, move your booch to a cool, dark place. I have the best results when I store mine in the pantry on the top shelf. This way, there is plenty of air circulation but it won't be near any sunlight that could harm my culture. I let my booch ferment for about a week to 10 days before I bottle it. As you can see in the first picture, I re-use bottles and cork them for an airtight seal. I like to add a fresh squeeze of lemon to the bottle before corking, then leave the bottle out for 2 more days before refrigeration. This way, the booch has extra time to produce a nice effervescence. Yes, it even has bubbles!

I drink my kombucha every day. It is great over ice with dinner or in the morning before breakfast! It's my coffee replacement and my tummy's best friend :)

If you are planning on making your own kombucha, there are many helpful sites online. One of my favorites is http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/. This wonderful site has informative videos on kombucha-making that will get you on your way! If your body is "falling apart" like mine was, this is the natural way to boost your energy and pull yourself back together.

By the way, you don't have to buy a $20-$30 SCOBY online! Make your own from a $3 bottle of booch from your local healthfood store... http://purpledancingdahlias.blogspot.com/2010/12/how-to-make-your-own-kombucha-mother.html