save handmade toys

we have all been warned about buying plastic toys, especially those made in china, and the importance of choosing wooden toys that are made with non-toxic paint, for some time now. it is encouraging that so many companies have responded with safer alternatives and there have been new safety standards placed upon toy and clothing manufacturers. unfortunately, it seems that now the careless actions of many mass-producing companies are possibly going to ruin it for the rest of us. the "rest of us" meaning anyone who makes, uses, or supports independent, handmade, and small toy manufacturers.

i have recently learned that congress has passed the consumer products safety improvement act, which will go into effect in two months. this is good news for the regulation of large toy manufacturers, but,with the way the law is currently written, it is possible that we could see the end of independent and small-business toy crafters.

as a mom who prefers to buy locally made, handmade, natural items for my daughter; a former montessori teacher who knows that these also what comprise the materials used in montessori classrooms; and as a crafter myself...this is scary. there needs to be modifications made to this law so that independent and small toy makers are not put at risk.

if you'd like to help prevent this from happening, go here to find out more about what you can do. you can also learn more on etsy, where many of these small toy manufacturers sell their products, and at the handmade toy alliance website. it only takes a few minutes to take action on something that can make a world of difference to our children.

today!

i have been busily preparing for my very first venture into the world of craft shows (artisan market? art show? i haven't decided which term i like best yet). i am excited and anxious to see how it goes! every free moment in the past month or so has been spent either sewing or preparing in some other way (making postcards and flyers...painting my sign...spreading the word...tagging and ironing...procrastinating on facebook). i have sixty onesies and tshirts to take with me, plus some bibs and holiday cards. i'll be happy even if i only sell a few (although i'd be happier if i sold a bunch!) i see this as an experience, to spread my name, to learn what works and what doesn't.

if you're in the charleston area, stop by and see me at lowcountry local first's holiday bazaar today! in addition to the artisans selling their wares, there will be food from local restaurants and musical entertainment. is there a better way to support local artisans and the local economy while scoring some cool gifts?

i love soup

 

as the days get cooler and evenings get cozier, there is nothing better than a big pot of homemade soup. i love soup any time of the year, but there is something about fall soups that is especially comforting. we are members of a csa, and it is exciting to see what each week's box will bring - and thus what kind of soup we will be eating that week! a recent box brought us an acorn squash, and supplemented with a butternut squash from the local market, my talented husband came up with this scrumptious soup. i have attempted to capture his masterpiece in the following, very loose recipe:

roasted squash and garlic soup

preheat oven to 400-425

cut the top off a bulb of garlic, drizzle a little salt and oil on top and wrap in foil

cut each of the squash(es?) in half, scoop out the seeds, and dust with the following: salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg (pretty much whatever looks good in your spice cabinet - a mixture of the sweet and savory flavors of fall)

place garlic and squash in oven for about 20 - 30 minutes (until you can easily stick a fork in each)

towards the end of baking the garlic and squash, take a big pot and cook up a bunch of pancetta or bacon. render out the fat and cook until crispy. take out and set aside. when cooled, crumble it up. if cooking pancetta, you can leave the fat in the pot; if using bacon, you'll want to get rid of most of the fat.

in the same pot, saute one chopped onion with salt, as well as some celery and carrots (if you haven't noticed yet, hubby doesn't measure. just use what feels good to you.) add some thyme and a bay leaf.

when the squash is cooled off a bit, scoop out the insides and add to the onion mixture in the pot. open up the garlic - the bulbs will be soft and squishy, so scoop them out with a fork and add to the pot. pour in about 4 cups of stock (we use chicken). cook for awhile (maybe 20 minutes), adjusting the seasonings as needed. hubby likes to add sage towards the end.

puree (we use this nifty device to puree our soups). you can add a little cream to thicken and add body to the soup. garnish with some sage leaves and your crumbled pancetta or bacon.

we enjoy our soups with paninis. we recieved this panini grill as a wedding gift and it has been very well loved. the paninis in this picture are simply homemade crusty bread, soppressatta, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil. oh, yum.

now i must run as tonight's white bean soup is about finished!

 

move over, giada

 

olivia started eating solids a few weeks ago, and though she's not the hugest fan yet, it's a fun activity to add to our day. so is making the food - a pleasant surprise to me as cooking often stresses me out and ends up with me throwing things around the kitchen. but making baby food has so far proven itself easy and rather enjoyable - satisfying might be the right term. i've been using a cookbook that alan got me and a website recommended by my friend sara to determine what is best to give at this stage and how to prepare it. to me it feels better to know where the food is coming from - much of it i actually made months ago with food from our spring CSA and froze - plus it's a whole lot cheaper than buying pre-made food. 'cuz you know i'd be tempted into buying the organic jarred stuff from whole foods otherwise. and being at home with the babe, I've got no excuse!