Summer Recap: Where Do I Continue?

Even more weeks and months have passed since a real update on life here on the prairie. For the beginning of catching up, see my June 28th post: Where Do I Start?

Today I will attempt another pictorial overview of this intense summer.





Near the end of June we moved out of the house again for several days while our attics and basement were spray-foamed with a special, low-VOC product developed for chemically sensitive people like us: Ultra-Pure SPF Systems.



The spray-foam crew was amazing, plus a couple of men from the development and distribution branches of the company arrived from PA and TX to help with quality control and documentation on this specialty project. See a short video describing this product with some footage from our project HERE.



These knowledgeable guys love their jobs!



While the place was throbbing with machinery, the distributor interviewed Elsa and me to hopefully be of help to others with chronic illness who are in the process of rebuilding their homes (and lives). That interview is still to be released.



After coming back for more air samples the next morning, the foam-developer's assistant (with a PhD in the science side of the job) gave us a little piano recital by memory on my 100 year old Baldwin.



Then after yet another day of highly ventilating the basement, the local foam-company owner came back to pick up his high-powered fans and make sure we were doing okay.



He was thrilled that even Elsa and I could be in the basement by the new foam!



Now Dad has to hook up an air-exchanger to keep moisture from building up in our well-insulated house.



We moved back into the house in time for Dad's birthday a week later. (Though Elsa and I still slept in the camper until our bedroom could get a deep cleaning.

Dad's birthday always includes garden tours.

Summer recap to be continued...

Family Read-Alouds: Adventures of an Arctic Missionary

Autumn is a great time to start a new family read-aloud! Evenings are getting longer, and there is nothing quite like the memories made, stories enjoyed, and lessons learned through sharing a good book.

 

Last winter our family read Mik-Shrok aloud together. This month we began the second book in the series. 

No matter the age [from my 2 year old nephew to his 71 year old grandpa], families will find these stories interesting and well-written. 

Set in Alaska before it became a state, the adventures, challenges and joys have a foreign feel. Look for the Adventures of an Arctic Missionary series by Gloria Repp!

A few tips for family read-alouds:

- Pick a book that will last through several days or weeks of reading.

- Make it a screen-free zone.

- Have activities available for busy hands, such as drawing, play-doh, handwork...

- Do not allow the reader to read ahead alone!

- Never feel that you have to be a professional reader or do any special voices or accents unless that is something you do naturally. Your family already loves your voice!

From Basil to Nut-Free Pesto

For years Elsa had to be on an Autoimmune Protocol [AIP] diet to lower inflammation and food sensitivities. During that time, we learned that nuts are not needed to make delicious pesto!

Simply start with organically grown basil, which is so easy to grow in your own garden! Combine all the following ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Then use as you would any pesto.

~ I like a thin layer on my tortilla before making a wrap.
~ For flavorful chicken strips, toss chicken tenderloins in pesto before grilling.
~ Tell me your favorite use for pesto in the comments. I can use more ideas!

Pesto (AIP)
www.beyondthebite4life.com

4 cups basil
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
3 T olive oil
1/4 cup canned artichokes, drained
1 T lemon juice

Makes about 1 cup pesto. Lasts some weeks in refrigerator. Freeze extra pesto in blocks in muffin tins, pop out when solid and freeze until you need another block out for use.

See a short video demo HERE.