Now that Ben is eight (eight!) months old, he is happily surviving on more than just breast milk. We started him on smooshed fresh bananas, and those continue to be one of his favorite snacks. However, smooshed foods have not become Ben’s primary source of supplemental calories.  Rather, he gets little nibbles of whatever the […]

Monday was so glorious! A high near 80 degrees!! The decidedly un fall-like weather kept us outdoors nearly all day. After school, the kids spent the afternoon splashing around with the hose. Maybe winter will skip us this year?! Despite the summer temperature, I prepared a fall dinner. I had planned the week’s menu before […]

Now that little Ben is seven months old, we are introducing him to big people food. As far as pureed foods go, he loves bananas, blueberries with oatmeal, and mango. However, just like his big brother did, Ben much prefers real food that hasn’t been smooshed up. So, I dutifully feed him little bits of […]

Last weekend I hosted a little Sunday supper at our house.  My brother Wes and his fiance Lexi came along with my sister Colleen and her husband and son.  We all live within a mile of each other, and whenever we get together we always say we should do it more often. Lexi put it […]

It is Earth Day! As a Homemade Mother, I consider April 22 to be a very special day for our family.  This day gives us a chance to reflect on our stewardship of the planet, and I always take some time to think of new ways we can better serve our planet and Mother Nature. […]

I can’t believe Christmas came and went so fast!  I must say I am kinda happy it is over.  I am totally exhausted and ready for a break from the nonstop holiday excitement.  We had so many things to do and places to go during the past month, and like most moms I put pressure […]

A couple years ago I wrote about a tour I took through a lovely rural Illinois garden. The organic garden belongs to my mom’s dear friend Pam, and every year her garden grows in size and selection.  I saw Pam last weekend, and she very generously offered to gift me with some of this season’s […]

I’m posting this Broccoli Cheddar soup recipe at the request of my cousin Monika, who is spending the month with our family.  I prepared this soup for dinner last night, and she wants to make it once she returns to Poland in September.  She’ll be heading off to university in Krakow, and this is a […]

As I’ve written about before, if Mack isn’t busy Mack is causing trouble.  In the afternoons while Evie is at school and Vivian naps, he and I are buddies. We have lunch together, clean up the house, play outside, read books and watch a cartoon or two.  And, we almost always do some sort of […]

I’m so happy! The farmers markets are back in Chicago! This weekend, Chris took Vivian and Mack while I enjoyed some much needed quiet time at home with Evie.  The three of them brought home a bounty of fresh romaine lettuce, asparagus and a good bundle of rhubarb.  I used three rhubarb stalks to bake […]