This post originally published in  October 2009.  I’m baking a raspberry batch for homeschool co-op and a peach butter batch for the neighborhood kids/my kids today.  I make this recipe several times a month, even for breakfast, and the recipe is frequently requested, so I thought it was worth republishing.

PLEASE NOTE –   I no longer make it in a 9×13 pan, but instead on a large jelly roll pan with the parchment on the bottom – I freeform a rectangle in the middle (it will not fill the entire pan).  This makes it easier to cut and serve afterward.

These raspberry oatmeal bars were a hit with the kids, so I thought I’d share the recipe.  It’s an adaptation of this recipe, which can also be found in Martha Stewart’s Cookies. The original recipe called for a more complicated raisin puree in the middle,  and my girls weren’t so thrilled with it.  Also, I found it didn’t fit the pan requirements very well,  and made a few other small changes.

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

For the filling:

approx 2 to 2 1/2 cups raspberry preserves (Edit 2011 – or any berry preserves or fruit butter)

For the bars:

1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg (edit 2011 – a great way to use our duck eggs!)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups old fashioned (not quick-cooking) rolled oats

organic sanding sugar, to sprinkle on top

Directions – 1.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a 9 x 13 casserole dish with parchment paper and grease with butter.

2.  In a large bowl, combine flours, salt, baking soda, oats.  In a stand mixture with paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening until fluffy.  Add brown sugar and beat thoroughly.

3.  Lightly beat egg and vanilla together.  Add to the mixture and beat until combined.  Reduce speed to low and slowly add the flour/oat mixture and beat until just combined.  Mixture should be crumbly (see above).

4.  Spread half of the flour/oat mixture into the bottom of the pan.  Push thoroughly into the bottom of the pan.

5.  With a spatula, spread the preserves in a liberal layer over the flour/oat crumb mixture.  Lastly, add the remaining half of the crumb mixture until over the top, gently pressing it down.  Sprinkle with sanding sugar (optional).

6. Bake approximately 30-40 minutes (rotating half-way through) until bars are beginning to brown on top and preserves are bubbling up around the edges.  Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting into 2-inch squares (this is a very important step, if you cut them while the preserves are hot and have not reset, the bars will crumble.)

Enjoy!

(This post originally published in Oct 2008, but we’re making a batch again this morning!)

My favorite fall snack as a child – roasted pumpkin seeds.  Growing up, we only got this once a year, when we carved pumpkins at Halloween.  Now that I am the keeper of my own home, I cook pumpkin many many times in the fall and winter and always save the seeds for roasting.  They make the perfect thrifty, tasty, healthy snack.

Larksong’s Mother’s Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

All the seeds scraped from the inside of a pumpkin, washed, and arranged in one layer on a pie plate or cookie sheet (most any winter squash will work, however, I have found that a few large heirloom varieties have very tough, thick seeds, and are not ideal for cooking)

a little salt, paprika, garlic powder tossed together. (If you’re feeling lazy, use any spice blend from Penzeys, but pick one that includes salt – I like Ozark or Old World seasonings.)

Drizzle a little olive oil over the pumpkin seeds, and sprinkle with the spice mixture, tossing to coat.

Bake in a 350F oven for 10-20 minutes (watching closely to prevent overcooking.  time depends a lot on the variety of pumpkin used and the size of the seeds).  Some seeds may pop and bounce out of the pan when they’re almost done.

Let cool and enjoy!  Little Hen thinks they’re “super good” with hot apple cider!

The mason jar – gotta love it for carrying coffee, tea, ice-water – you name it.   Since it’s glass, a mason jar is non-reactive (unlike plastic water bottles).   The screw-top lid keeps drinks from spilling in the car/in my backpack.  And they’re super convenient (I’ve got stacks of them in my cupboards).

I used to tie a dishtowel around my jar to catch condensation (on iced drinks) or help insulate (hot drinks).  I figured a knitted cozy would work much better than a towel, and, yes,  there are knitted jar cozies you can purchase online.   But buying one would take all the fun out of working out a pattern myself and doing some stash-busting/saving some pennies at the same time!

I wanted the cozy to 1) be made of wool to wick water and insulate well, 2) fit snugly, so it wouldn’t slouch and slump down, and 3)have a handle for carrying or attaching to a carabiner.

So, here’s the finished pattern to share with you (In two sizes – quart wide-mouth, and pint wide-mouth)!  You know the drill -please, don’t reproduce the pattern or use it for profit without my express permission, but feel free to knit oodles for yourself and as gifts (they are quick to make, taking less than a day!).

Larksong’s MASON JAR COZY PATTERN

copyright 2010 by Angela Baker

For the Quart Jar: Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted, content: 85% wool, 15% mohair; 190yd/173m per 113g skein; Color: Aqua Waves; #: half a skein or less

Set of US #6/4.0mm double-point needles

Quart wide-mouthed canning jar

Tapestry needle

2 stitch holders

Gauge

19 sts/30 rows = 4 inches stockinette stitch before blocking

Pattern

For the Quart Jar (with optional handle)

CO 8 sts  Divide amongst 3 needles

Join sts, being careful not to twist.

Base -

Round 1- (k1, kfb) repeat around.  You will have 12 sts.
Round 2- (knit 2, kfb) repeat around.  16 sts.

Round 3 and all subsequent odd rounds – k around.
Round 4- (knit 3, kfb) repeat- 20 sts.
Round 6- (knit 4, kfb) repeat- 24 sts.
Round 8- (knit 5, kfb) repeat- 28 sts.
Round 10 (knit 6, kfb) repeat- 32 sts.
Round 12 (knit 7, kfb) repeat- 36 sts.
Round 14 (knit 8, kfb) repeat- 40 sts.
Round 16: (knit 9, kfb) repeat.  44 sts

Round 18: (knit 10, kfb) repeat, 48 sts

Round 20: (knit 11, kfb) repeat, 52 sts

Body and Neck–

knit around for 30 rounds

[If you want to add a handle - Divide for handle starting here  –

work in (k2,p2) rib all around, on sts 21-26 k1fb of each st, placing each increased st (the one knit into the back) on a stitch holder to the inside of the work.  (You will have 6 sts on a stitch holder).

Continue in k2, p2 pattern, repeating the increase/stitch holder portion for sts 47-52 (putting 6 more sts on a 2^nd stitch holder.).

You should now have the original 52 sts on double points, and 6 sts on each of two stitch holders.

(k2, p2) repeat for 7 more rounds (8 rounds total)]

(If you do NOT want a handle, simply (k2,p2) repeat for 8 rounds instead.)

K around for 4 rounds

Loosely BO.

Optional Handles –

With two dpns, work 6 stitches (from one holder) in I-cord for ten inches.

K1, k2tog, k2 tog, k1 (4 sts)

CO and weave in ends.

Repeat with 6 sts on other holder.

Finishing

If making a handle – tie ends of I-cords together in a knot to form the handle.

Block finished cozy on the jar (taking care, Lamb’s Pride felts easily.)

Materials:

For the Pint Jar:  Scraps of any heavy worsted weight wool yarn – a great way to showcase small skeins of handspun! – about 70 yds total.

MC: Lamb’s Pride Worsted.  Content: 85% wool, 15% mohair; 190yd/173m per 113g skein; Color: Winter Blue

CC: any handspun or remnants of any (Pint shows some spindle-spun 100% merino)

# set(s) US #6/4.0mm double-point needles

Pint wide-mouthed canning jar

Tapestry needle

2 stitch holders

Gauge

19 sts/30 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch before blocking

Pattern

For the Pint Jar (with optional handle)

With MC, CO 8 sts  Divide amongst 3 needles

Join sts, being careful not to twist.

Base -

Round 1- (k1, kfb) repeat around.  You will have12 sts.
Round 2- (knit 2, kfb) repeat around.  16 sts.

Round 3 and all subsequent odd rounds – k around.
Round 4- (knit 3, kfb) repeat- 20 sts.
Round 6- (knit 4, kfb) repeat- 24 sts.
Round 8- (knit 5, kfb) repeat- 28 sts.
Round 10 (knit 6, kfb) repeat- 32 sts.
Round 12 (knit 7, kfb) repeat- 36 sts.
Round 14 (knit 8, kfb) repeat- 40 sts.
Round 16: (knit 9, kfb) repeat.  44 sts

Round 18: (knit 10, kfb) repeat, 48 sts

Body and Neck–

knit around for 12 rounds

[If you want to add a handle - Divide for handle starting here  –

With CC, work in (k2,p2) rib all around, on st 21-26 k1fb of each st, placing each increased st (the one knit into the back) on a stitch holder to the inside of the work.  (You will have 6 sts on a stitch holder).

Continue in k2, p2 pattern, repeating the increase/stitch holder portion for st 47-52 (putting 6 more sts on a 2^nd stitch holder.).

You should now have the original 48 sts on double points, and 6 sts on each of two stitch holders.

(k2, p2) repeat for 7 more rounds (8 rounds total of ribbing)]

(If you do NOT want a handle, simply (k2,p2) repeat for 8 rounds instead.)

K around for 4 rounds

Loosely BO.

Optional Handles –

With two dpns in CC, work 6 stitches (from one holder) in I-cord for ten inches.

K1, k2tog, k2 tog, k1 (4 sts)

CO and weave in ends.

Repeat with 6 sts on other holder.

Finishing

If making a handle – tie ends of I-cords together in a knot to form the handle.

Block finished cozy on the jar  (taking care, Lamb’s Pride felts easily.)

This afternoon, while the children built a fort on the driveway out of spent sunflower and cosmos stalks, I spent a good two hours in the front yard, harvesting Golden Hubbard and Buttercup winter squash from the bed closest to the street, and removing and chopping the dead and dying vines for the compost.

Overall, not a bad harvest from a small bed!  And the front of the house looks much cleaner and nicer now that the dead vines have been pulled up.

Buttercups are considered by many to be the perfect winter squash, and we’re looking forward to enjoying some this winter.  I think they’re absolutely gorgeous.

The Golden Hubbards will keep for months and contains a tasty, rather dry, orange flesh that is perfect for Moroccan tagines or beef & barley stews.

The Sweet Meats, more Buttercups, and many, many Delicata squash will be ready for harvest in the coming weeks, as the garden yields forth its final offerings for the year.

Temperatures have been dipping down into the low 50s and high 40s at night, and there’s been a crispness to the air that says Autumn is on her way here. 

Many plants are waning, having set seed and beginning to shut down for the year.  So, this afternoon, in the bright sunshine, we cleaned up many, many wheelbarrows full of biomass for the compost. 

Cosmos and sunflower stalks have to be chopped into small pieces to break-down well, but the chickens feasted on heads full of sunflower seeds. 

Most of the sunflower seeds were set out to dry on the picnic table, so that the chickens can have them for snacks throughout the winter, and we’ll have seeds to plant next year.

As we pulled up spent flowering plants all over the yard, we carefully collected their seeds as well, so we can replant them in the spring, and share them with friends:

Calendula seeds, still in the seedhead.

A bucketful of nasturtium seeds, in various stages of drying out. 

Coriander seeds.

Sadie’s Horse Beans (a rare heirloom similar to a Scarlet Runner Bean, but with immense beans – I purchased them through Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds many years ago, and have been saving the seeds each year.)

The patches of amaranth are almost ready to harvest as well – there isn’t enough for chicken treats this year, but we’ll save the seeds and plant a large patch next year just for the hens. 

We’ll continue to harvest green beans, summer squash, tomatoes and tomatillos as long as the weather holds, and look forward to bringing in the winter squash, kale, chard, leeks, and some remaining herbs. 

Are things winding down in your garden?  Or still going strong?

I’ve been given permission to put up a section of a recent post from Andrea’s blog, Babe of My Heart:

Every month, I have to deal with what most girls deal with…a monthly cycle. Sorry if that’s too personal to say–but it should come as no surprise to you. I take for granted that every month I stock up on the things I need…and I can get them in any size, weight and style I would like. And not only that–I complain about my cramps. I complain that I am a bit inconvenienced and I remind my husband that he is lucky to be a boy and he doesn’t have to endure such hardship each month.

SO…let me ask you this—what do you think the women and young girls of Korah do during this time? What will it be like for the hundreds of girls who are (praise GOD!) being sponsored to leave Korah this Fall and go to a boarding school? What will they do as they try to sit in class during this time? What do the woman and girls we support in Zambia do?

EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THIS?

Well, let me tell you what they do. They squat. They wait for their week to end. On their heavy days, some roll up newspapers and make their own tampons. Many get infections. The infections make their parents and husbands think they have STDs and they endure being left or abused. Some use a single piece of old clothing–and when it’s soiled–they rinse it and use it again…although it’s still wet—it’s some what clean.

Did you know that in Africa the dropout rate for for young girls in school is 40% when they have no sanitary supplies? BUT when they are provided them–it rises to just 8%?

What can we do about it?

Andrea, and also  Sarah at Titus Home, have put out a call, and given us a practical way to help these girls – they are encouraging ladies around the country to have sewing parties and make washable feminine products to be sent to these girls and young women in Ethiopia and Zambia.

So, if you’d like to take up the challenge, and spend a few hours in service to these young women (and make a concrete difference in their lives!), I’d like to invite you to join me

on September 25 · 9:00am – 12:00pm

at Central Bible Church

8815 NE Glisan St

WHAT TO BRING: your sewing machines, sergers, cutting mats, scissors, rotary cutters, thread, old towels or flannel sheets (for batting). Any spare velcro, snap closures you might have.

WHAT IS PROVIDED: patterns, ALL FABRIC, a few extra sewing machines and sergers. Coffee, snacks and CHILDCARE.

Last night, I made a sample kit today using the pattern supplied by The Red Tent Project.  The kit consists of 5-6 envelopes, each with snap closures, and half with leakproof PUL, for heavy days (see above).  It also includes 4 thick, “maxi” pads (see below), which unfold for easier drying on the line,  and 8 regular pads (see 2nd picture in this post),  which can be doubled up if needed.

If you are interested in making kits, but are unable to attend on the 25th, please e-mail me at angela.baker.knits@gmail.com, and I will send you the pattern and instruction details, as well as shipping addresses.  Or, if you prefer, select a pattern you like from the internet.  They are requesting that you use bright or dark print fabric, and prefer foldable inserts, since thicker pads and AIO designs do not dry well on the line.

To round out the kits, we are sewing a drawstring bag for all of the pieces, and attempting to collect 2-3 pair of new undies to include, as well.  If you might like to contribute to the project by donating funds for new undies, please contact me at the above e-mail address.  Thanks!

The tomatoes are starting to ripen!  Can’t wait to take them in to BCS on Friday!!  Families have been asking for the last month when we’d have fresh, ripe tomatoes.

90 percent of the tomatoes are still green, including many gigantic beefsteaks, like this Brandywine (look at that sucker in my hand! HUGE!).  If you’ve got a moment, say a quick prayer that they’ll all ripen before the cooler weather sets in, or I’ll be sending out lots of green tomato recipes with the week’s harvest (green tomato chutney, green tomato pickles, fried green tomatoes…).

The first of the tomatillos are ripe as well – these are the DeMilpa, which have  a purple blush, and regular old green tomatillos mixed together.  We have ten tomatillos plants, so there will be many MANY pounds of tomatillos to harvest in the next two or three weeks.

How to use tomatillos?  Well, there are several uses, but after removing the husk and washing these sticky little cousins of the tomato, I like to make them into the best salsa verde ever:

Larksong’s Super Simple Salsa Verde (this is sort-of a recipe – just wing it!)

Two to four double- handfuls of ripe tomatillos, husks removed and washed (how many did you pick in the garden today? Use what’s on hand…the amount is flexible!)

(optional – if you like it spicy!  I leave it out for the kids) 1 small jalapeno, whole

3 or 4 cloves of garlic (add more or less, to your taste), crushed

lime juice, to taste

sprinkling of sugar

flake sea salt.

Directions:

1)Line a broiler tray with foil, and oil very lightly.  Place tomatillos (and optional jalapeno) on the tray and broil, checking every 1-2 minutes, until blackened.  Remove tray, and with tongs, flip tomatillos (and jalapeno) over.  Place back under the broiler until all are blackened on the other side.  Remove from oven and let cool.  (Remove stem and seeds from jalapeno and slice, if using.)

2)Toss whole tomatillos and any accumulated juice into a blender with the garlic (and optional jalapeno slices – sometimes it’s best to put in half at first, so you don’t get it too hot).  Blend, then add sugar, lime juice, and salt to taste, blend again to incorporate. (My kids like a bit more sugar, and depending on the source of your tomatillos, they may be pretty acidic and not need much extra lime juice – so just taste as you go!)

3) Serve!  Enjoy!  Make lots, because it goes fast!

Look what a $1 thrifted double bed sheet, $0.35 worth of thrifted ribbon and eyelet lace, 2 buttons, and 3 hours of time can produce:

A PARTY FROCK!

The project is based on Made by Heidi’s Tutorial, although I made a few small changes (fully lined the dress, widened the bodice, used eyelet trim for the shoulders instead of making a ruffle…).  Heidi’s method of making this dress was GREAT – easy for a novice seamstress like me to follow and reproduce – I could just wing-it and still have the dress turn out nicely, which is exactly how I like to sew!!

Firecracker usually ends up with hand-me-down dresses from her big sister, and was surprised and thrilled that she got a new, extra-ladylike dress!   However, Little Hen (who, I think felt a bit left out) very politely asked if we can make her a party frock together next.   So, instead of packing up the sewing machine and cleaning up the living room, we’ll spend tomorrow after church working on a paper-patterned dress I started cutting out for her earlier in the week.

Thanks, Heidi, for the inspiration!!

Our chicken coop got a make-over this week!  Our next-door neighbors were getting rid of an old window, and they offered it to us since it was the perfect size for the hen house.  My husband cut a hole, attached the window, and then cut a nice frame out of trim we’d removed from a bedroom in the house.

A while back, I’d scored some returned exterior paint at the home center for $0.50/jar – one orange, one yellow.   We were thinking they’d be perfect for adding a sunshine or moon and stars…something to dress up the coop.  However, I have zero sense of composition, and my friend, Jenni, came to the rescue this morning and painted me a sunshine and also painted the little window.    Thank you, Jenni!!!

Ah, summer dinners in the backyard…

Here’s one of my favorite summer dessert recipes – we’ve been making a lot lately, with whatever fruit we have on hand:

Larksong’s Farm Stand Fruit Pie

For the filling:

5 peaches, peeled and sliced or 10-12 apricots sliced

4 big handfuls of raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries

2 Tbsp cornstarch

1/2 cup white sugar

For the crust:

1 3/4 cups unbleached flour

1/3 cup cornmeal (I like Bob’s Redmill’s medium grind.  If you use their blue cornmeal, the crust will have a pretty lavender color.)

1/3 cup white sugar, plus 1 Tbsp for dusting the crust

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, grated with a box grater on the large setting

1 egg white

1.  In med bowl, combine all crust ingredients, except egg white, using clean hands to evenly distribute the grated butter.  Slowly add 4-5 Tbsp ice water, one Tbsp at a time, until nice dough comes together.  Shape into a ball and place in the fridge while preparing filling.

2.  Prepare fruit as necessary, and then, in a large bowl,  combine all filling ingredients, and toss gently (so as not to crush berries).  Make sure no lumps of cornstarch remain.

3.  Preheat oven to 425 F.   Lay a large piece of parchment paper on the counter and sprinkle with 1-2 Tbsp of cornmeal.  Remove dough from fridge, and carefully roll out on parchment into a round approx 14-15 inches.  Dough will be fragile – take care in handling it.

4.  Mound fruit filling (using a spatula to scrape out any fruit juice/sugar remaining in the bowl) in the middle of the dough, leaving a 2-inch margin all the way around.  Carefully fold edges up over the fruit – leaving a large opening in the center.  Take care to seal any cracks.  Crust should have a rustic appearance – don’t worry about getting it perfectly round!

5. Carefully transfer parchment to a large, rimmed jellyroll pan (this will prevent any juice that bubbles over from spilling out and burning onto the bottom of your oven!!)  Brush outside of crust with egg white and sprinkle with additional Tbsp of sugar.  Chill for 20-30 min.   Then, bake at 425F for about 45 min, or until crust is golden and fruit is bubbly.

Enjoy! Excellent served warm with whipped cream or ice cream.  Leftovers make great breakfast the next morning!