I’m calling you out!!!! On a roll … call, here’s where you can read about the amazing accomplishments of Sisters who earn Merit Badges. “Hear YE!”
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is Hope Johns!
Hope Johns (woolybunny28, #7249) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Quilting Merit Badge!
“A talented quilter in my knitting group offered to teach me how to quilt! I jumped at the opportunity, since quilting has always been on my wish list. We started out with the basics, how to properly cut your fabric, and different methods of piecing (I now love strip piecing!). I learned how to read a quilt pattern and how to select colors for a quilt. I made a mini quilt for my kitchen table using fabrics I had purchased a while ago in the hopes of using them in a quilt. I quilted it on my sewing machine and sewed the binding down by hand.
I LOVE how my mini quilt turned out, and I learned so much. The whole experience was so enjoyable that I have already started on a second quilt—the next one is definitely going to be bigger! I see many quilts in my future …”
The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 7,504 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—10,886 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! MJ
Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life …
For this week’s Each Other/Big Kid Now Expert Level Young Cultivator Merit Badge, Andy asked me to help him by shadowing him as he shadowed another.
I know. Sounds shady. Like a film noir, Humphrey Bogart/Lauren Bacall, cue the Magnum P.I. theme music shady. But in order to earn his badge, he needed to follow in the footsteps of someone (a mentor or Farmgirl Sister) who was working in the profession he was most interested in. He had waffled a bit, I admit, while earning his first two badges in this category, but he finally settled on what he thought was his dream job.
Donut Maker and Baker Extraordinaire.
He added the Extraordinaire part, as I’m sure you deduced.
I knew he was coming at it from a purely preteen, adolescent, constantly hungry, sugar-crazed, glazed and frosted, point of view, but I figured he could learn that the hard way.
Also, I enjoy a good maple bar like any red-blooded American farmgirl, so I didn’t mind waiting in the wings. The sprinkled, deep-fried, apple fritter wings … where was I?
The neighborhood baker at the local donut shop was only too happy to oblige Andy’s request. In fact, I thought I heard something mumbled manically under his breath about slave labor and needing the fryer deep-cleaned, but I couldn’t be sure. Probably just my imagination.
Bright and early the next morning, we were off. And by ‘bright and early,’ I of course mean, in the dead of night with nothing but moonlight to light our way to the donut shop. Andy resembled a cast member of the Walking Dead, and I must admit, I didn’t look too good myself. Nobody looks good at 3:30 a.m., except maybe the aforementioned Bogey and Bacall. But they had makeup artists and better lighting.
Mr. Donut Maker and Baker Extraordinaire Senior was already up and ready to go. I’m not sure what his veins are pumping with, but I’m fairly certain it’s caffeine and sugar, not the normal blood the rest of us have. I got myself to the coffeemaker faster than you could say ‘good morning, sunshine’, and when I couldn’t find a mug fast enough, I used a large mixing bowl.
It was either that, or put my lips directly beneath the coffee spout and guzzle. And I am a lady, let me remind you. Most of the time.
Mr. Donut Maker and Baker Extraordinaire Junior found some energy somewhere in that gangly body of his, and jumped right in. He had been hoping for a hot breakfast of chocolate-glazed goodness before any actual work, but one narrow-eyed squint from his new boss kept him on the straight and narrow. He was put to the test by cleaning out some ovens.
He spent half the time reenacting the witch scene from Hansel and Gretel until Mr. Baker plugged his donut hole with a pastry just to keep him quiet.
All in all, it was one long day … that somehow was over by 2 p.m. Baker’s hours are a thing not to be taken lightly.
Me, I take mine with extra sprinkles and a mixing bowl of strong coffee. Because I am a lady.
Just not before 9 a.m.
Karlyne says: Yep, that’s the life of a commercial baker – nailed it, MBA Jane (and Andy)!
Krista says: Super early mornings are not my thing either, but since having kids I have gotten better at being a morning person. I do have limits still though. I think I will leave the donut making to those who function better in the mornings and have caffeine for blood!
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is Peggy Smith!
Peggy Smith (Forever Young, #1815) has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning an Intermediate Level The Secret Life of Bees Merit Badge!
“The health difference between regular honey is being pasteurized and filtered. Pasteurization is the process where it is heated at high temperatures to kill any yeast that may be present in order to prevent fermentation. Raw honey comes straight from the beehive. It is totally unheated, unpasteurized , unprocessed honey.
I buy pure raw honey from a local bee farm, Bekemeir’s, in Neosho, Missouri, which is close to where I live. I read the book Nature’s Little Wonders.
I have been taking a teaspoon of this honey every morning for a year now for allergies. I have not been back to the doctor since; it really works for me. I also cook with it.”
Gerald says: Good to know all the differences. It makes a difference in what type of flowers they feed upon in flaver.
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is Erin McBride!
Erin McBride (notathreatinsight, #3762) has received a certificate of achievement in Cleaning Up for earning a Beginner Level Water Conservation Merit Badge!
“I checked for leaks from our faucets, toilets, and shower heads. I didn’t find anything that needed to be fixed. Since we live in an old house, that was a pleasant surprise.
Some of the ways I’ve found that we can conserve water as a family are to turn off water while brushing our teeth, turning the water off in the shower between soaping up and rinsing off, being conscious of how often the water is running needlessly at the sink in the kitchen, and operating the dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full.
I must admit that my husband already implemented most of these water-conserving strategies, and he’s been on me for a while to pay more attention to how much water I waste. I have really tried in the past couple of months to be more mindful of how much water I’m using. Since I have small children, putting these ideas into practice falls mostly on me. I’ve tried to emphasize to them the importance of water and that it is a resource that we need and shouldn’t take for granted.
By implementing these water-saving plans I estimate that we have saved weekly 250 gallons of water from running the dishwasher and washing machine only when full, 670 gallons a week from “navy showers,” and 250 gallons a week by turning off the water while brushing our teeth.”
Winnie Nielsen says: Great work, Erin! I love that you are fully embracing how you can help preserve our
Precious water resource in your everyday home activities. Our water is vital to all of us and sharing your work on this badge is evidence of how easy it can be with just a few adjustments and knowledge. Thank-you!
Lisa Von Saunder says: Wow thats alot of water you are saving now ! congrats!
The adorable, always humorous MBA Jane is my way of honoring our Sisterhood Merit Badge program, now with 7,466 dues-paying members who have earned an amazing number of merit badges so far—10,836 total! Take it away, MBA Jane!!! ~MaryJane
Wondering who I am? I’m Merit Badge Awardee Jane (MBA Jane for short). In my former life…
For this week’s Farm Kitchen/Table Talk Expert Level Young Cultivator Merit Badge, I enlisted all three of my fab favorite kitchen minions: Andy, Nora, and Piper. After all, they were all ready to earn this badge and a bird in the hand is worth three in the kitchen. Or something like that.
Anyway, they got to work planning out their menu, since this Expert Level badge was all about making dinner and being adventurous about it, to boot. Adventure is in these kids’ blood, I tell ya, so this was not going to be a problem. At least, that’s what I thought.
Trying to get them to agree on supper plans was pretty exhausting and time consuming. I needed a snack just to keep my blood sugar up. Finally, after some serious arguments, tiffs, quarrels, and squabbles (not to mention arm-wrestling matches), they decided they would each pick out a dish. After all, it was going to be a full meal deal, righto?
Going with their spirits of adventure and trying new things, I steered them away from standby favorites, such as macaroni and cheese, hamburgers, and pizza. I let them browse through my cookbook collection and scroll through Pinterest, and they came up with some pretty interesting menu ideas.
Okay, so they didn’t flow together all that great, but we decided to call it A Trip Around the World Buffet. Andy chose fish tacos, Nora picked Savory Crepes, and Piper had her heart set on Ratatouille.
photo by Arnold Gatilao via Wikimedia Commons
I wished I had a bigger kitchen.
I ate another snack.
Piper’s dish was going to take the longest to prepare and cook, so I let her get started first. She learned how to use a mandoline (no, not the instrument, my peeps—that’s a mandolin, but the slicing kind). The bounty from my garden was getting some serious lovin’. We used eggplant, yellow squash, zucchini, red and green peppers, fresh basil, garlic, plum tomatoes, and red onion. The smell was divine! She artfully arranged all our slices in a beautiful pattern and we put it in the oven.
Then Nora was up with her Savory Crepes. Crepes are fun for everyone because you can put anything inside of them. Nora took this decision seriously and really got her knickers in a twist over the pairings. She finally decided on mushrooms, pesto, and turkey. We made a simple batter and I must say, she got pretty darn good at flipping. One or two or seven might have ended on the floor, but practice makes perfect and she figured out her crepe-making mojo.
Then we let Andy back in the kitchen, and he was a whirling dervish. It was like the Tasmanian Devil was whipping up the fish tacos. Back and forth he went, stirring his Sweet and Spicy Chili sauce, dipping his halibut in salt and pepper and cumin, heating up his corn tortillas, and chopping up lettuce, cilantro, and radishes.
At the end? We had a feast of epic culinary proportions. We were all so full, it felt like we had eaten Thanksgiving early!
And the state of my kitchen?
Don’t ask.
Winnie Nielsen says: At least they chose healthy options! Getting consensus about food with children is not an easy task, or least least that was my experience. Those were the days when my high schooler came home and declared she was Vegan. Great. A carnivore Dad, a picky, picky sister, and me. I just wanted OUT of the kitchen trying to come up with one meal. Did I mention Cheerios were a constant staple in my pantry??!!!
Krista says: Oh I am so excited for when I can teach my boys to make me dinner! Hopefully they will take after my dad and be awesome chefs! I haven’t had the opportunity to try Ratatouille but I definitely want to try it sometime. Maybe one of my boys will make it for me. Fish tacos sounds pretty yummy right about now. Must be lunch time!
Winnie Nielsen says: These are the prettiest heirloom pumpkins. It sort of has a outer skin like a cantaloupe but is colored a bright orange outside and inside.
Happy Trick or Treat to you, MaryJane! Are you planning some fun at the farm for the Grand girls? I decided to take the idea from our current MJF magazine and create a scarecrow outfit with my overalls to wear. I always like to dress up on Halloween since we usually get lots of kids stopping by. After Halloween, maybe I will travel on to Oz and get a new brain!! LOL!!
MaryJane says: The Raes got dressed up yesterday afternoon for an event with their friends last evening. The girls have Harry Potter costumes that my daughter was still fussing over until the last minute. And they’ve already carved pumpkins from our garden (and I got a bowl full of roasted seeds drenched in butter). New brain, ha! Me too.
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is Martha Koukios!
Martha Koukios (Martha K, #508) has received a certificate of achievement in Stitching & Crafting for earning a Beginner Level Sew Wonderful Merit Badge!
“I put together a sewing kit in a canning jar, and made a pinkeeper out of the top. I included straight pins and needles, scissors, assorted buttons and thread colors, safety pins, measuring tape, and a thimble.
It came out very nice. I am partial to bees, so I made the pinkeeper out of a beehive fabric.”
Lisa Von Saunder says: very sweet sewing kit Martha.
Winnie Nielsen says: Love your pin keeper and mini sewing kit! Great job and a wonderful gift idea too.
Lisa Von Saunder says: such a sweet photo of child and Jersey cow
Winnie Nielsen says: Oh my but this is one sweet photo!!! Two little darlins’.
Frances Brevis-Martinez says: Beautiful!
Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is Cyndie Parzuhoski!
Cyndie Parzuhoski (cyndieparz72, #7407) has received a certificate of achievement in Make It Easy for earning an Expert Level Mindfulness Meditation Merit Badge!
“I researched and contacted a “Mindfulness Centre” on Walking Meditation and I continued (and still am continuing) daily meditation.
From the Mindfulness Centre I contacted:
Wherever we walk, we can practice meditation. This means that we know that we are walking. We walk just for walking. We walk with freedom and solidity, no longer in a hurry. We are present with each step. And when we wish to talk, we stop our movement and give our full attention to the other person, to our words and to listening.
Walking in this way should not be a privilege. We should be able to do it in every moment. Look around and see how vast life is, the trees, the white clouds, the limitless sky. Listen to the birds. Feel the fresh breeze. Life is all around and we are alive and healthy and capable of walking in peace.
Let us walk as a free person and feel our steps get lighter. Let us enjoy every step we make. Each step is nourishing and healing. As we walk, imprint our gratitude and our love on the earth.
We may like to use a gatha as we walk. Taking two or three steps for each in-breath and each out-breath,
Breathing in “I have arrived”; Breathing out “I am home”
Breathing in “In the here”; Breathing out “In the now”
Breathing in “I am solid”; Breathing out “I am free”
Breathing in “In the ultimate”; Breathing out “I dwell”
I have practiced this a minimum of once a week for the past few weeks, and I love it!
Over the past month plus, I have continued to do Breathing Meditation every morning and Guided Mediation in the evenings before bed (which is assisting in a much better night’s sleep!).
I have also begun to practice “Noble Silence” for three hours every day, from the time I finish work until my husband gets home during the week, 3 hours on Saturday when my husband spends time with his mother, and then 4 hours every other Sunday from 12 to 4. This is a period of deep silence where I speak no words (I am alone, so I am able to do this during the week), and even though I am doing other things (such as making dinner or cleaning), I allow my mind to be free of thoughts. It is amazing how I have been able to clear my mind at the end of my work day.
I find that the meals I cook have tasted better, as if the silence until my husband arrives home is awakening other parts of my body (such as my taste buds). During the weekend, I have been sitting outside, near my enormous Russian sage plant that takes up almost half of the one side of my home, and I concentrate and mediate on the bees that engulf the plants. I watch them take nectar from each little petal and move on to the next one. I watch them dance with each other. All without a word from my lips. I took my camera outside with me and I have attached a photograph from my Noble Silence meditation this past weekend.”
Winnie Nielsen says: Congratulations Cyndie for learning the art of quieting your mind! It is no easy task to incorporate the silence times in your regular busy week. Your photo of the bee is beautiful.
Lisa Von Saunder says: Congrats Cyndie for one of the best written badge essays on all that you have learned. We all could use more mindfulness and this is a great way to do it.
Cyndie Parzuhoski says: Thank you Ladies SO MUCH! I just found this, as I have been tied up working 80 hour weeks for 3 weeks straight!
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
Fantastic Hope! How wonderful that a friend took the time to teach you the basics of quilting. I wish I could see you first completed project . Enjoy making future ideas turn into beautiful quilts for your home. Post us a photo over in the MJF Chatroom to share. Here are so many other Farmgirls who love to quilt or wish they knew how. Everyone would love to admire your newest project .