Farm Friday

[caption id="attachment_2288" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Sania gently removing the hook from the fishes mouth"][/caption]

I am joining along with Wabi-Sabi Wanderings in posting beautiful images on and around the farm. Last week Fabien was moving a lot of compost to our vegetable and herb garden and the boys were delighted to find the hugest, longest worms.  Sania immediately suggested to go fishing.  Our little duck pond that lies at the foot of the ravine just below our house has an abundance of fish.  I was amazed at how Sania and Sasha handled the rod and fish, removing the hook gently so as not to hurt them.  They were thrown back into the water after the children played with and observed them.

[caption id="attachment_2289" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Sasha feeding bread to the ducks and geese"][/caption]

The many ducks and geese we have were saved from confined cages on the streets of the city of Santiago De Caballeros.  Some of the geese had never swam before so they found it awkward in the beginning.  It didn't take long for these beautiful creatures to enjoy the coolness and freedom of this space.

[caption id="attachment_2290" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="We were given some loofahs from the vine"][/caption]

Rosa, the lady that helps us in our home, kindly brought us some loofahs from her vine.  I remember we had one in our garden in Zimbabwe when I was growing up.

[caption id="attachment_2291" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="After peeling the skin, many little blacks seeds were hidden within"][/caption]

The children shook them, making their own musical instruments and collecting the little black seeds hidden within.

The softly textured loofah sponges are now used as a bath sponge to massage and wash all that mud and dirt away.

[caption id="attachment_2292" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="The children shaking the loofahs to collect their seeds"][/caption]

Our living room is open to the outdoors and our home is nestled amidst the jungle, the air is always cool and fresh as those merry little breezes play within the branches of our trees, an earthy smell emanates from the jungle below refreshing us with cleansing oxygen. Sometimes we are greeted by wonderful crawly, creepy, slithery, creatures in the mornings.

[caption id="attachment_2294" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Loofah seeds"][/caption]

These little seeds are cosy and warm in a bed of rich soil, hopefully ready to push forth into sprouts and offer us a beautiful vine of our own loofahs.

[caption id="attachment_2300" align="aligncenter" width="533" caption="The bark that holds the seeds"][/caption]

The bark that holds the seeds of the Royal Palm splits open and allows them to hang tightly to the branch presenting many little seeds  for the birds to snack on.  The bark which looks like a boat then falls to the ground.  These are sailed as boats by the children and the one below we saved and varnished to ornament the dining table.

[caption id="attachment_2293" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Part of the palm that holds the seeds"][/caption]

Catching little fish

This morning Fabien prepared his delicious whole-wheat buttermilk waffles for breakfast.  He prepares the batter with whole grain flour and fresh buttermilk left over after making butter the night before and leaves the batter overnight.

Served  with bananas, fresh cream and agave or maple syrup. Recipe below post.



The children realized that their teddies that they fed Molasses to the night before were covered in Fire Ants.  They popped them in the washing machine for a good bath, whilst waiting for them we began preparing a gift for Papa's birthday next week.  We have made a few things already but I can't post them just yet.



Sania had a desire to go fishing.  The fish are so little and are an easy catch.  They like to observe them and then we set them free again.  Small pine cones as floaters.  The ducks are always curious.



We had many worms left so made a little worm box with soil like my dad did when I was little, (they were his pets).  Feed them vegetables every day, it makes amazing compost.



The children made a little fort around the sofa's with sarongs.



Late afternoon we admired the horses swimming back home to their night pasture.



Recipe for Waffles from the book "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon, my favorite recipe and nutritional information book.

• 2 1/2 Cup Spelt, Kamut or whole wheat flour (I prefer Spelt)


• 2 cups buttermilk, kefir or yoghurt


• 2 Egg yolks, lightly beaten


• 2-4 Tbs of maples syrup


• 2 Tablespoons melted butter (preferably raw)


• 1 tsp sea salt


• 4 egg whites


• pinch of sea salt

Soak flour in buttermilk, kefir or yoghurt in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours.  Those with milk allergies may use 2 cups water plus 2 tbs whey lemon juice or vinegar in place of undiluted buttermilk, kefir or yoghurt)  Stir in egg yolks, syrup, melted butter and salt.  In a clean bowl, beat egg whites with pinch of salt until stiff.
Fold into batter.  Cook in a hot, well oiled waffle iron.  Serve with melted butter, fruit, maple syrup, raw honey.

Note: these waffles are softer than those made with white flour.  however, they will become crisp if kept in a warm oven for several hours.

"Soaking whole grains and flour overnight in a medium like cultured milk or warm acidulated water activates the enzyme phytase, which then neutralizes phytic acid.  Studies show that salt added to the soaking medium inhibits this process, so the time to add salt to porridges and batters is just before cooking not during the soaking period.  Under the right conditions, phytase is also activated in the human intestine, which explains why some people do not develop mineral deficiencies on a high-phytate diet while others do.  However, extrusion - which is a high temperature, high pressure process used to transform whole grains into breakfast cereals like bran flakes and shredded wheat, totally destroys phytase but leaves phytic acid intact.  Therefore cold breakfast cereals deliver a double whammy of mineral blocking phytic acid without the phytase that can deactivate at least a portion of phytic acid in the intestinal tract. This renders certain proteins very toxic, essentiail oils rancid and many vitamins useless.  Cooked breakfast cereals are far more nutritions, even when not soaked beforehand.  Best of all soaked with quality fat of butter or cream.  The fact that phytic acid is a strong chelator has led to claims that phytic acid can be used to remove toxic metals." Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon