Kids, Lakes, Loons and Pines

Around Here...

Around here...

We are enjoying a mild winter. We have enough ice and snow for our winter pastimes, and temperatures have been very comfortable (ranging from the teens to 30+ degrees Fahrenheit). So we've been spending a lot of time outdoors with activities, such as ice fishing, fat tire biking, skiing and snowshoeing.

The nordic ski season has also started back up and our bigger kids had their first race today. We're hopeful that they'll have a full season of the sport and that everyone will stay healthy and have a lot of fun along the way too!

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This act of sharing photographs and ramblings of our daily life is a practice in gratitude that brings me joy.

I encourage you to reflect on the good in your life.

What are you grateful for today?

Welcome 2021

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Sending you love and light as we embark upon a new year!

We've been keeping busy and healthy, getting out every day we can.

I've been busy with lots of freelance opportunities working from home including some new work for BobVila.com.  You can check out some of my first contribution through this link or the new sidebar button I just linked up here on this site.

Wishing you the best in the year ahead!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Wild Ice

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This afternoon I loaded up 4 kids, a German Shepherd, helmets, life jackets, rescue ice picks, and my fat tire bike with studded tires and we went out on a nearby lake to bike and ski on the beautiful clear ice. 

The conditions we are experiencing on the lake are called WILD ICE and it is nothing short of extraordinarily beautiful and FUN! We are taking our safety precautions, staying close to the shoreline and making the most of this amazing experience.

Here is a link to a short videos:

Wild Ice 1

 

 

 

Thanksgiving 2020

Well, Thanksgiving looked quite a bit different this year than it has in years past.   We had a smaller gathering, but made connections with extended family over the phone and zoom.

Our day included rhythms of preparation, feasting, rest and fresh air.

We are full of gratitude for our blessings.

Minnesota Parent November/December...the end of a chapter.

The November/December issue of Minnesota Parent Magazine is available throughout Minnesota and online now.

My ramblings in my School Days Column this month are my recommendations to promote family resilience in the challenging times we are living in.
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Pick up a print copy of Minnesota Parent Magazine, or read the full issue by clicking -->HERE.

Find the online link to my School Days column---> HERE.

It is with regret that I share that this is the last post of this kind, for now, sharing my contributions to Minnesota Parent Magazine.  The pandemic has had a major affect on Minnesota Premier Publications and, although the magazine is still for sale this will be the last issue of Minnesota Parent.

It has been a privilege to contribute to this publication, which has helped me grow my skills and voice as a writer over the past six full years.

 

Find the online link to my School Days column---> HERE.

It is with regret that I share that this is the last post of this kind, for now, sharing my contributions to Minnesota Parent Magazine.  The pandemic has had a major affect on Minnesota Premier Publications and, although the magazine is still for sale this will be the last issue of Minnesota Parent.

It has been a privilege to contribute to this publication, which has helped me grow my skills and voice as a writer over the past six full years.

 

Around Here...

Around Here...

I recently spent some time wreath making.   In this season that we won't be gathering for the holidays I wanted to put together something special to send off to the nana and papa, grandmas and grandpa that we won't be seeing this holiday season.   Bo helped gather evergreens on a short hike in our backwoods and the wreaths came together nicely!  The gifts were well received and the extras are on display both inside and outside of our home.   

 

Gifts that Give

Help me support food scarcity needs in my local community while empowering small-scale global artisans and farmers by placing an order through THIS LINK (or clicking on the image above).

In this GIFTS that GIVE fundraiser,

 SERRV will contribute 20% of funds raised on online orders to the organizing entity (St. Mary's Episcopal Church) and our church will be donated those funds (plus more), to the local food shelf in our community.

I recommend opening the full catalog when you are checking out the selection of offerings, there are a lot of great items.

 

 

Nurturing My Creative Side...

Hello friends!  

I thought I would just take a minute today to connect and share some of the ways I have been using my leave of absence from my full time teaching position to nurture my creative side.

Here's what I have been doing:

Knitting

I have been knitting for several years...incorrectly.   I have completed a variety of projects, but I had developed some inconsistencies with the process.   About a month ago I took a class on Craftsy to relearn the basics, and since then I have been making oodles of hats.   But, I am certainly maintaining my beginner status when it comes to knitting.   I have not yet mastered gauge, nor can I make good predictions of what size my creation will be given the needle size and yarn weight.   So with my hats I have one too big and a lot of too smalls, whereas I am making a pile of giftable handmades for when I find the perfect sized heads to share them with.    

I have no complaints however, I am going about knitting with the perspective as a learner.  And it is proving to be a productive pastime while I am listening to my 3rd grade son read, during our ZOOM church services and/or in the car while I am a passenger.   

Writing

I have spending a lot of time putting words together here on my MacBook with freelance writing opportunities.   I mentioned in a previous post that I started back up writing for mothering.com.  I have also been doing some other ghostwriting freelance work, which has been fun and different.   

I recently put together a piece that about will publish in Taproot Magazine in January, where I not only contributed text, but also photos and illustrations.   I am very excited to see how it all comes together.  I will certainly share more about that with you in a couple of months!

One thing I did find out recently is that Minnesota Parent Magazine will soon be ceasing publication.   I have had the privilege of contributing to the magazine for over six years and have been writing a monthly School Days column.  The upcoming November/December issue will the last issue until further notice.  This is certainly sad news, but I have been very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of such a great publication.

Making & Teaching Art

I have also been making art and teaching art on a regular basis.   As I share in the piece I put together for Taproot, I have been creating phenology wheels as both a mindfulness practice and as a outlet for creative expression.   I have been drawing in both pencil and pen and exploring watercolors with all different kinds of artistic experiments.

I am also having fun teaching art to three students in Russia two days a week.  I have been developing and teaching a art class where we are exploring line, shape, texture, form, space, color and value through different exercises and projects via ZOOM.  This experience has been fun and works with my life - even though my classes are at 5:00 a.m.!

I also have been teaching some art classes on the Outschool Platform.  I just posted a class I will be offering:  

Nature Journaling Through the Seasons

Please share with anyone who you think may be interested in joining me!

So, that is what I am doing to nurture my creative side!  

All of these experiences are providing me with opportunities find purpose, balance, connection and joy.

Interview with Ashley Leonard from the Darling Apron

Today, I am happy to share with you an interview with the founder of The Darling Apron:  Ashley Leonard.

Can you tell us about yourself?  Where do you live?  Tell us about your family & your interests.

Hello! I’m Ashley, the creator of The Darling Apron food blog. I have been following Megan’s blog for years and am so excited for the opportunity to be featured here! Megan is my cousin and we also happen to share the same birthday. How cool is that? 

A little about me: I live in the SW suburbs of Minneapolis with my husband David and our two girls, Clara (4) and Brielle (2). I grew up in northern Minnesota, went to college in Wisconsin and made the move to my husband’s hometown after we got married. 

I have a degree in Hospitality Management and have worked in the food service industry since I was 15. After the birth of my second daughter in 2018, I could no longer ignore my heart’s desire to become a stay-at-home mom. It was quite the adjustment, but I can say that I have no regrets. They grow up so fast!

Cooking and baking have always been a huge part of my life. My mom was a chef whose mom was also a great cook so I think it may run in the family. Besides cooking, I enjoy doing DIY projects around the house and embracing many of the outdoor activities Minnesota offers throughout the year. 

Please tell us how you found your way to creating the Darling Apron. 

The thing I was not prepared for when becoming a stay-at-home mom was the challenges of loneliness and the feeling that I lost some of myself in the daily grind of raising my girls. There is a mindset that as a stay-at-home mom you need to love every moment and need to devote all your energy into your kids. I love my girls more than anything and I feel so lucky that I’m able to be home with them but bundle the general stay-at-home mom feelings with a global pandemic, and I knew I needed an outlet. Hence, The Darling Apron was born. It took a little while for me to settle on creating a food blog, but when thinking about my passions (cooking, my family, entertaining) it seemed like a no-brainer. 

Do you have any particular inspiration?

I grew up with my family sitting together at the dinner table nearly every night. In the hectic pace of the world, I think it is something that is becoming less and less common. I also think the value of it can’t be underestimated. While I don’t expect everyone to have the same passion for cooking that I do, my hope is that I can help people find cooking more approachable and valuable for their family. My family is on a budget each month, and everything I make for my family needs to fit within those means. I’m out to prove it doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive. Great tasting food is attainable and the memories you make with your family while enjoying or making it together is priceless.

I am also a believer that food is a universal love language. I am the kind of person that enjoys cooking for others. I love coming up with new ideas to make for my girls’ birthday parties, or if a friend recently had a baby, I’m sure to bring over a meal for them. 

What's next for you?

My blog only launched a few months ago, so my hope is to continue to gain readers and followers to The Darling Apron. Having people write reviews or send me pictures of the recipes they have made from the blog is so fulfilling! In the future, I’m hopeful that The Darling Apron will continue to grow and that I can turn blogging into a career that gives me the freedom to be flexible and present as my girls grow up. If I’m really dreaming, I’d love for there to be a Darling Apron cookbook one day! Stay tuned!

Anything else?

I hope you have enjoyed learning a little bit about me and will come visit me over at The Darling Apron! If you have any other questions or thoughts please send me an email @ thedarlingapron@gmail.com . I’d love to hear from you! If you are on social media, be sure to follow me @thedarlingapron on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest.

Thanks again to Megan for the opportunity to reach all of you. I’ve been very grateful for her support these last few months.

I’ll leave you with a quick recipe for my Banana Oatmeal Cookies. They are the perfect mix between banana bread and an oatmeal cookie. I hope you’ll give them a try!

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, ground
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon, ground
• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup mashed bananas, about 1 cup
• 1 3/4 cup oats, regular or quick
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, like walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices.
3. In mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well.
4. Stir in mashed bananas, oatmeal and nuts.
5. Finally, stir in flour mixture and mix well.
6. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Bake 10-12 minutes until light golden brown.
7. Let rest on cookie sheet 2 minutes before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container.

 

Some of life’s greatest memories are made gathered around the table. Let’s make sure we’re eating some good food while we’re at it!

-Ashley Leonard

Be sure to check out:

https://thedarlingapron.com

https://www.instagram.com/thedarlingapron/

https://www.facebook.com/thedarlingapron/