Summertime Finds

In some parts of the world, people stay indoors during the extreme weather that comes with the winter chill.  Folks around here cloister away inside during the triple-digit summertime heat.  Like today.  It's currently a balmy 105 degrees where we live.  We've escaped five of those degrees while our visit with my parents continues.  You know it's hot when you're jumping into an unheated pool at 8:30 in the morning and it feels good.  Ah, summer...

So as I sit here, enjoying my folks' air conditioning, I thought I'd share with you a few new fun finds.

Presently, there's a double-batch of sourdough English muffins proofing in the kitchen.  This would be the third double-batch I've made in two weeks.  This amazing recipe found on Gnowfglins is prefect to make in the summer because it's cooked on the stove top.  I get to keep my no-oven-use-in-the-summertime challenge and my family adores these whole-grain treats.  The healthiest part is, all the flour used has been lacto-fermented, making the bread easy for your body to digest.  Take a look at the English Muffin recipe here.  While you're at it, you might want to spend some time on that blog; my lacto-fermenting-loving heart finds great joy in it.

It's that time of year when I start thinking about Christmas.  You read right.  Christmas.  In late July.  Yep.  It's okay, I'm used to the odd expressions.  The frugal, artsy side gets so excited to play with materials, learn new things, and make special treasures to give loved ones at Christmastime.  A friend recently introduced me to this blog.  Be careful of it's potential life-consuming powers.  It's called Design Sponge and it will change your life.  Or at least make it an even prettier one.  And what better a thing to do than enjoy crafty time in the coolest place you can find, thinking of everything you love about the people you're making gifts for during the heat of the summer?  Happy.

Between these two sites and preparing to home school a 2, 4, 6, and 8-year-old, I can easily say there is plenty to do while I hide from the summer heat.  I can't say I mind it a bit.  And about homeschooling...  I have some news. Well, that's a whole other post that will have to wait until next time.  Until then, dear friends...