My cell phone contract is about to expire. I am finally free to choose the best company and plan currently on the market. (and subsequently get locked into another contract.......but that's another problem altogether.)
As I peruse the available phones and plans, I don't know which phone to get. The plans are pretty much all alike, with the exception of who actually offers even the smallest tidbit of service away out here in the sticks. I just can't decide which phone to pick. I love my smartphone. I can do all manner of things with it, whenever I want. I especially love that I can text and chat via wifi, which is a huge bonus out here where there is no cell phone service available on my sofa. I consider myself a chronic "over-sharer" although I do make an effort not to. There are days when I share everything though! (appropriate things anyway.......)
In utter contrast, part of me craves the simple life, without all the (literal) bells and whistles. A life where I can just go out and be. A life that was once the norm, is now considered weird and difficult. I shock enough people when I tell them that we don't have cable television at our house and mostly watch PBS. Imagine the looks of horror I would get if I pulled out a flip phone! It would probably make the 6 o'clock news. (Although most people would read about it on their Facebook newsfeed........)
Is it possible to live simply while being completely connected? We read about air pollution affecting our environment every day. But what about social pollution- can't that be just as toxic?
I feel extremely hypocritical sitting here writing an online blog about the simple life, social pollution, and questioning my capacity to over-share. But, then comes the question- if I don't put it out there, who will? I once wrote a blog entry (elsewhere) about the merits about physical books versus e-books. A "friend" read it and proceeded to mock me viciously about my use of electronic media to talk about why e-books will never replace real books. He remarked that I should have "just written the blog entry into a notebook and stuck it on a shelf in the hopes that someone might read it" because that was essentially what I was arguing for.
I see commercials urging people to get outside and "unplug" at the same time that I see commercials about a new camera that you can snap a picture with and it INSTANTLY uploads it to your Facebook feed where your friends can comment, like, and share. I think my favorite is a commercial where two people are hiking in the mountains when suddenly the trees and landscape morph into a casino. Instantly the hikers are jubilant and their hiking garb is swapped for casino swag.
So what can I do? It seems to be an all or nothing proposition. Either embrace the social media world and succumb to social pollution (if there isn't a pic, it didn't happen!) and essentially become one of those people who drive through the mountains and stop only to snap a picture of the black bear on the side of the road while the Rangers try to keep people away..............OR..............become some sort of crazy person who eschews social media and is seen as elitist or reclusive, depending on who is doing the viewing.
Is it possible to have the best of both worlds?
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Mountain Mornings
"The mountains are calling and I must go."
-John Muir-
It's been unusually cool in my part of the world for the past few days. Cool enough to have all the windows open to let the cool air in, pretty much unheard of in late July. Late July and then into August typically leave us in the throes of what I call "suppression heat" where it is so hot and humid that you just lay there, trying not to sweat. I love the lush green that comes along with that humidity and heat, but I love it from the confines of the air conditioned living room. So, to be able to keep the windows open for three days and nights straight.............amazingly wonderful.
Yesterday, I woke up in the chilly air buried under my quilts and blankets in a warm little cocoon of perfect snugness, whacked the snooze button on my alarm (it was 0430!!) and gave myself 5 (or 15) minutes to enjoy the cold outside and warm inside. I love that feeling- when I was a kid, I grew up in a house that didn't have a lot of heating in the back where the bedrooms were. It would be around 40 degrees in our rooms most mornings, so you learned early that you leapt from bed and hustled down to the kitchen or living room where the woodstove was. I grew up in the "frozen north" where I once saw the thermometer reach 56 below zero. Not counting the windchill. Living in the south doesn't often provide those cool mornings to enjoy.
Once, I spent a significant amount of time in the mountains not far from here. (Not the Smokies.) I had the opportunity to spend weekends up on the top of a mountain in a little house and I was able to wake up to mountain mornings that are cool and beautiful, where you can see the steam coming off your coffee and you need a hoodie to ward off the chill. While I no longer go to that house, I have held onto that feeling of peace and contentment that I would always feel up there. The last three mornings have reminded me of that feeling and how much I miss it.
The above quote from John Muir keeps cycling through my mind and makes me "itchy" which is to say, makes me want to run away from home and live in the mountains (with my family, of course). This isn't logistically possible, since I just got a new job in the city, kiddo is in school, and a host of other things that make me a grown-up and limit my ability to simply drop everything and run off into the sunset with abandon.
But at least I know what I want, so that someday, when the timing is right, I will be able to point my compass in that direction and drink my coffee every morning on my mountain porch, where the sun is crisper, the birds sing sweeter, and all the world is in harmony.
-John Muir-
It's been unusually cool in my part of the world for the past few days. Cool enough to have all the windows open to let the cool air in, pretty much unheard of in late July. Late July and then into August typically leave us in the throes of what I call "suppression heat" where it is so hot and humid that you just lay there, trying not to sweat. I love the lush green that comes along with that humidity and heat, but I love it from the confines of the air conditioned living room. So, to be able to keep the windows open for three days and nights straight.............amazingly wonderful.
Yesterday, I woke up in the chilly air buried under my quilts and blankets in a warm little cocoon of perfect snugness, whacked the snooze button on my alarm (it was 0430!!) and gave myself 5 (or 15) minutes to enjoy the cold outside and warm inside. I love that feeling- when I was a kid, I grew up in a house that didn't have a lot of heating in the back where the bedrooms were. It would be around 40 degrees in our rooms most mornings, so you learned early that you leapt from bed and hustled down to the kitchen or living room where the woodstove was. I grew up in the "frozen north" where I once saw the thermometer reach 56 below zero. Not counting the windchill. Living in the south doesn't often provide those cool mornings to enjoy.
Once, I spent a significant amount of time in the mountains not far from here. (Not the Smokies.) I had the opportunity to spend weekends up on the top of a mountain in a little house and I was able to wake up to mountain mornings that are cool and beautiful, where you can see the steam coming off your coffee and you need a hoodie to ward off the chill. While I no longer go to that house, I have held onto that feeling of peace and contentment that I would always feel up there. The last three mornings have reminded me of that feeling and how much I miss it.
The above quote from John Muir keeps cycling through my mind and makes me "itchy" which is to say, makes me want to run away from home and live in the mountains (with my family, of course). This isn't logistically possible, since I just got a new job in the city, kiddo is in school, and a host of other things that make me a grown-up and limit my ability to simply drop everything and run off into the sunset with abandon.
But at least I know what I want, so that someday, when the timing is right, I will be able to point my compass in that direction and drink my coffee every morning on my mountain porch, where the sun is crisper, the birds sing sweeter, and all the world is in harmony.
 |
| Photo Credit |
Monday, July 15, 2013
AuntaLee's Sugar Cookies
My sister, now known as AuntaLee by all the assorted nieces and nephews, found this absolutely amazing sugar cookie recipe a few years ago when my son was little. We grew up on our Gramma's sugar cookies, but the recipe she found........soooo good. It's probably got something to do with the 1.5 cups of butter.
Last month, when Little Man turned 7, he got a giant duck cookie cutter for his birthday. Let me back up a minute and explain that he loves ducks. LOVES. I don't know where it came from, but there it is. He has been chomping at the bit to make some duck cookies, but everytime he's asked about it, the timing is off. It's late Sunday afternoon, or I just made banana bread, or we didn't have butter.
On Saturday, the stars aligned. He went to run errands with Grammy-Gram, and I cleaned the kitchen. In the process, I realized that if I made the cookie dough while he was gone, it would have time to chill, and we could have the cookies finished before church Saturday night. Imagine his glee when he came home to discover that I had sugar cookie dough chilling in the fridge.
He was very patient in waiting for the dough to be ready (I let it chill about 2 hours. Overnight makes it too stiff to really roll out.) Then began the fun of rolling and cutting. We had our giant duck cookie cutter, as well as a little duck cookie cutter. We alternated filling pans of BIG Quacks and little Quacks.
One note- These cookies do not brown on top. They stay very pale and soft. The first time I made them, I overbaked them waiting for them to turn brown on top. Check the bottom instead.
Once they were baked and cooled, we had just enough time to ice them with "ducky yellow" lemon icing, which is fairly easy to create, and extremely delicious on these cookies. For the smaller cookies, the dipping method was the easiest way to ice them. For the big ducks, I used a spoon to dump some icing on the cookies and then spread it out. Kiddo added yellow sprinkles to some, but we made sure to ice ALL the cookies. Otherwise, I end up with a container of unadorned, uneaten, stale sugar cookies. And that's just sad.
Without further ado, I give you.......AuntaLee's Sugar Cookie Recipe, as well as a quick primer in how to make lemon icing.
AuntaLee's Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 Cups (3 sticks) Butter, softened
2 Cups white sugar
4 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla
5 cups flour (I use 2 cups white whole wheat and 3 cups all purpose)
2 Tsp Baking Powder (Rumford or Trader Joe's are the best ones)
1 Tsp Salt
1) Beat butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy
2) Add eggs and vanilla, beat until combined and fluffy
3) Add flour, baking powder, and salt (I use my dough hook for this part)
4) Cover and chills dough for at least 1 hour.
5) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
6) Roll out dough- about 1/4-1/2 inch thick
7) Cut into shapes and place on ungreased cookies sheet.
8) Bake 6-8 minutes (look at the bottoms, not at the tops!)
9) Cool completely, ice with lemon icing, and ENJOY!
Mama's Lemon Icing
Take about 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix in straight lemon juice to desired consistency. It makes a lemonade type icing that is so good on these cookies! We also added yellow food coloring so our ducks would be yellow.
Here's how I dip them:
Questions, comments, concerns- let me know below. I would really love to hear about your Hippie adventures.
Peace & Love Y'all- Hippie Mama
 |
| I love whipped butter and sugar......so fluffy, so sinful..... |
Last month, when Little Man turned 7, he got a giant duck cookie cutter for his birthday. Let me back up a minute and explain that he loves ducks. LOVES. I don't know where it came from, but there it is. He has been chomping at the bit to make some duck cookies, but everytime he's asked about it, the timing is off. It's late Sunday afternoon, or I just made banana bread, or we didn't have butter.
On Saturday, the stars aligned. He went to run errands with Grammy-Gram, and I cleaned the kitchen. In the process, I realized that if I made the cookie dough while he was gone, it would have time to chill, and we could have the cookies finished before church Saturday night. Imagine his glee when he came home to discover that I had sugar cookie dough chilling in the fridge.
 |
| Cookie Dough........... |
 |
| Be liberal with your flour- this stuff gets sticky once it warms up a bit. |
He was very patient in waiting for the dough to be ready (I let it chill about 2 hours. Overnight makes it too stiff to really roll out.) Then began the fun of rolling and cutting. We had our giant duck cookie cutter, as well as a little duck cookie cutter. We alternated filling pans of BIG Quacks and little Quacks.
 |
| Ducks in a row....... |
One note- These cookies do not brown on top. They stay very pale and soft. The first time I made them, I overbaked them waiting for them to turn brown on top. Check the bottom instead.
 |
| These guys are baked......see how pale they are? |
 |
| But their bottoms are perfect! |
Once they were baked and cooled, we had just enough time to ice them with "ducky yellow" lemon icing, which is fairly easy to create, and extremely delicious on these cookies. For the smaller cookies, the dipping method was the easiest way to ice them. For the big ducks, I used a spoon to dump some icing on the cookies and then spread it out. Kiddo added yellow sprinkles to some, but we made sure to ice ALL the cookies. Otherwise, I end up with a container of unadorned, uneaten, stale sugar cookies. And that's just sad.
 |
| I think he ate as much icing as he used....... |
Without further ado, I give you.......AuntaLee's Sugar Cookie Recipe, as well as a quick primer in how to make lemon icing.
AuntaLee's Sugar Cookies
1 1/2 Cups (3 sticks) Butter, softened
2 Cups white sugar
4 Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla
5 cups flour (I use 2 cups white whole wheat and 3 cups all purpose)
2 Tsp Baking Powder (Rumford or Trader Joe's are the best ones)
1 Tsp Salt
1) Beat butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy
2) Add eggs and vanilla, beat until combined and fluffy
3) Add flour, baking powder, and salt (I use my dough hook for this part)
4) Cover and chills dough for at least 1 hour.
5) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
6) Roll out dough- about 1/4-1/2 inch thick
7) Cut into shapes and place on ungreased cookies sheet.
8) Bake 6-8 minutes (look at the bottoms, not at the tops!)
9) Cool completely, ice with lemon icing, and ENJOY!
Mama's Lemon Icing
Take about 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix in straight lemon juice to desired consistency. It makes a lemonade type icing that is so good on these cookies! We also added yellow food coloring so our ducks would be yellow.
Here's how I dip them:
 | ||
| Holding the cookie upside down, touch the face of the cookie to the icing. Don't push it down into it or you will end up with WAY too much icing. |
 |
| When you pull it back up, let the extra drizzle off for a few seconds and then turn the cookie over and let it dry on a wire rack. Some may run off the sides on the first few while you get the hang of it. Don't worry- they are still delicious. |
Questions, comments, concerns- let me know below. I would really love to hear about your Hippie adventures.
Peace & Love Y'all- Hippie Mama
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Choosy Moms Choose..........Hippie
My son hated peanut butter. Hated. Jif, Trader Joe's, Peter Pan, Creamy, Crunchy................nothing worked.
So I gave up.
Until.......I tried Hippie.
Oh Yeah. Hippie Peanut Butter hits the spot. He LOVES my Hippie peanut butter. And who can blame him? It's fresh and he watches it go from peanuts to peanut butter before his big brown eyes.
There is something magical about watching something morph or grow or change. As soon as we get home from school/work every day, he is in the garden, checking to see what's grown, what's changed. When I make bread, he likes to watch me work with the dough and then watches it bake through the little window on the oven door. He is learning to make his own cookies, and prefers to test the dough before they are baked and then eat them hot immediately after, complete with dramatics of "MAMA! These are TOO good! MAMA!"
This kid is the kid that steals cooling pies off windowsills and eats them in the hayloft.
My favorite part of making Hippie Peanut Butter is how easy it is. And I know what's in it.
Here's what's in Jif Creamy Peanut Butter:
MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT.
Uh-huh. Rapeseed? What is that? Mono and diglycerides? Ew.
Here's what's in Hippie Peanut Butter:
Peanuts, Salt.
Uh-huh. See what I'm saying?
So let's get down to business, shall we?
First things first- peanuts. I go to (surprise surprise) Trader Joe's and get my peanuts there. I use one bag Honey Roasted (so obviously more than just peanuts- I know) and one bag 50% less salted. The combination is ideal for my family, who prefers their peanut butter be a little sweeter than just straight peanuts, and the 50% less salt helps keep the saltiness and sodium in check.
You may use whatever peanuts you prefer. And if you feel a little "yeah, right Hippie Mom, homemade peanut butter. Psh." Then make a small batch first to try it.
Here's what you do:
Dump the peanuts in the food processor. Press go.
If you have a teeny tiny food processor, please be aware that you may have to give the little motor cooling breaks so you don't fry it. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything. Let's just say that after I made my first batch, I received a new GIANT food processor that can handle the load and doesn't smoke when I use it.
At first, the peanuts look like pebbly dirt.
Then they start to clump.
Then they do what I call the Peanut Tsunami where this giant peanut wave works its way around the processor bowl, devouring all the other peanut pieces.
Eventually it starts to smoooooth out.
When it hits smooth and creamy, without any weird lumps or bumps twirling around in there, it's done. (If you like crunchy, toss in some more peanuts and run the processor again just to break them up into smaller pieces.)
Go ahead and taste test it- it will be a little soft and warm. Grinding peanuts causes friction, which causes heat. It's all good, because warm, soft peanut butter pours so much easier into a jar. (I use an old Jif jar, or a glass Mason jar- whatever is handy.) Once you pop it in the fridge for a few hours, it will stiffen up to a firmer consistency, or you can leave it out and it will stay soft.
Once you realize how easy homemade Peanut Butter really is, you can make it and give it to your friends and family. Introduce them to the wonder that is Hippie living. A fresh loaf of bread, a jar of Hippie peanut butter, and a jar of local Honey would make an excellent housewarming or hostess gift.
Questions, comments, concerns- let me know below. I would really love to hear about your Hippie adventures.
Peace & Love Y'all- Hippie Mama
So I gave up.
Until.......I tried Hippie.
Oh Yeah. Hippie Peanut Butter hits the spot. He LOVES my Hippie peanut butter. And who can blame him? It's fresh and he watches it go from peanuts to peanut butter before his big brown eyes.
There is something magical about watching something morph or grow or change. As soon as we get home from school/work every day, he is in the garden, checking to see what's grown, what's changed. When I make bread, he likes to watch me work with the dough and then watches it bake through the little window on the oven door. He is learning to make his own cookies, and prefers to test the dough before they are baked and then eat them hot immediately after, complete with dramatics of "MAMA! These are TOO good! MAMA!"
This kid is the kid that steals cooling pies off windowsills and eats them in the hayloft.
My favorite part of making Hippie Peanut Butter is how easy it is. And I know what's in it.
Here's what's in Jif Creamy Peanut Butter:
MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT.
Uh-huh. Rapeseed? What is that? Mono and diglycerides? Ew.
Here's what's in Hippie Peanut Butter:
Peanuts, Salt.
Uh-huh. See what I'm saying?
So let's get down to business, shall we?
First things first- peanuts. I go to (surprise surprise) Trader Joe's and get my peanuts there. I use one bag Honey Roasted (so obviously more than just peanuts- I know) and one bag 50% less salted. The combination is ideal for my family, who prefers their peanut butter be a little sweeter than just straight peanuts, and the 50% less salt helps keep the saltiness and sodium in check.
You may use whatever peanuts you prefer. And if you feel a little "yeah, right Hippie Mom, homemade peanut butter. Psh." Then make a small batch first to try it.
Here's what you do:
Dump the peanuts in the food processor. Press go.
If you have a teeny tiny food processor, please be aware that you may have to give the little motor cooling breaks so you don't fry it. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything. Let's just say that after I made my first batch, I received a new GIANT food processor that can handle the load and doesn't smoke when I use it.
At first, the peanuts look like pebbly dirt.
 |
| Peanut Pebbles.......... |
Then they start to clump.
 |
| It's hard to get a good picture of peanuts in the processor........ |
Then they do what I call the Peanut Tsunami where this giant peanut wave works its way around the processor bowl, devouring all the other peanut pieces.
Eventually it starts to smoooooth out.
 |
| Smooooooth |
When it hits smooth and creamy, without any weird lumps or bumps twirling around in there, it's done. (If you like crunchy, toss in some more peanuts and run the processor again just to break them up into smaller pieces.)
 |
| Refilling the Hippie jar. |
Go ahead and taste test it- it will be a little soft and warm. Grinding peanuts causes friction, which causes heat. It's all good, because warm, soft peanut butter pours so much easier into a jar. (I use an old Jif jar, or a glass Mason jar- whatever is handy.) Once you pop it in the fridge for a few hours, it will stiffen up to a firmer consistency, or you can leave it out and it will stay soft.
 |
| Deliciousness...... |
Once you realize how easy homemade Peanut Butter really is, you can make it and give it to your friends and family. Introduce them to the wonder that is Hippie living. A fresh loaf of bread, a jar of Hippie peanut butter, and a jar of local Honey would make an excellent housewarming or hostess gift.
Questions, comments, concerns- let me know below. I would really love to hear about your Hippie adventures.
Peace & Love Y'all- Hippie Mama
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Thirty-One
Let's take a moment and talk about 31.
Not the company, but the age.
I've never considered 31 to be "old," probably because as the [much] youngest of 4 girls, considering any of my sisters old was asking for it, plain and simple. I always thought of it as grown-up. I don't know what I thought the 20's were- probably cool. My sisters seemed very cool in their 20's, although realistically they were more than likely Hot Messes, just like I was.
Turning 30 didn't phase me. I ran a half-marathon (and blew out my IT Band) the day before my 30th birthday. It was awesome. I was wheeled off the finish line in a wheelchair after finishing with a limp, while crying, but still running, DANG IT!! I wanted that finish so bad I could taste it. The race nearly did me in the previous year. One day, I will go back and beat it. Believe me you.
ANYWAY.........31.
31 has been fairly liberating thus far. I've finally managed to begin the arduous journey of moving past what "they" think of me, whoever "they" may be. I've also begun to forgive myself for past transgressions which make me cringe just to think of them. I wish clarity came at 21, but alas it did not. I've learned the power of the word NO and that sticking to it won't cause the world to implode. I've learned that information is in fact power, but sometimes too much information can lead to overload and make you want to move to Canada and build a self-sustainable bunker in the northern territories where nobody will ever find you. (But I don't think I could give up Pinterest........) I've learned that family is family, no matter what and that You Do For Family. No questions asked. And I've learned that there is no such thing as a perfect mom-- except to your child.
31 is pretty awesome. And terrifying. I know that there are still life lessons I have yet to learn and I'm certain that they are, even as I type, building speed as they snowball down a massive hill in my future, ready to smack me backwards and lay me out cold for awhile.
Fall down 7 times, stand up 8.
31 isn't old. 31 is ideal. You have some wisdom without wrinkles and grey hair, and enough energy to chase your kids around while they are little before you have to start imparting (read: hammering mercilessly) your wisdom to them as they absorb every bit of it where it will stay stored until they too turn 31. (God willing they make it that far. There are days...........) ;)
So, here's to 31! Here's to being an adult and accepting life as it comes without any expectation that Karma will pay you back, or that Karma will take out your worst enemy and move on. Forgive them, move on, take a breath, and just enjoy what you've got while you've got it.
Okay?
Okay.
Not the company, but the age.
I've never considered 31 to be "old," probably because as the [much] youngest of 4 girls, considering any of my sisters old was asking for it, plain and simple. I always thought of it as grown-up. I don't know what I thought the 20's were- probably cool. My sisters seemed very cool in their 20's, although realistically they were more than likely Hot Messes, just like I was.
Turning 30 didn't phase me. I ran a half-marathon (and blew out my IT Band) the day before my 30th birthday. It was awesome. I was wheeled off the finish line in a wheelchair after finishing with a limp, while crying, but still running, DANG IT!! I wanted that finish so bad I could taste it. The race nearly did me in the previous year. One day, I will go back and beat it. Believe me you.
ANYWAY.........31.
31 has been fairly liberating thus far. I've finally managed to begin the arduous journey of moving past what "they" think of me, whoever "they" may be. I've also begun to forgive myself for past transgressions which make me cringe just to think of them. I wish clarity came at 21, but alas it did not. I've learned the power of the word NO and that sticking to it won't cause the world to implode. I've learned that information is in fact power, but sometimes too much information can lead to overload and make you want to move to Canada and build a self-sustainable bunker in the northern territories where nobody will ever find you. (But I don't think I could give up Pinterest........) I've learned that family is family, no matter what and that You Do For Family. No questions asked. And I've learned that there is no such thing as a perfect mom-- except to your child.
31 is pretty awesome. And terrifying. I know that there are still life lessons I have yet to learn and I'm certain that they are, even as I type, building speed as they snowball down a massive hill in my future, ready to smack me backwards and lay me out cold for awhile.
Fall down 7 times, stand up 8.
31 isn't old. 31 is ideal. You have some wisdom without wrinkles and grey hair, and enough energy to chase your kids around while they are little before you have to start imparting (read: hammering mercilessly) your wisdom to them as they absorb every bit of it where it will stay stored until they too turn 31. (God willing they make it that far. There are days...........) ;)
So, here's to 31! Here's to being an adult and accepting life as it comes without any expectation that Karma will pay you back, or that Karma will take out your worst enemy and move on. Forgive them, move on, take a breath, and just enjoy what you've got while you've got it.
Okay?
Okay.
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