Small Fry – Page 169

Small Fry Films: Summertime

We’re so thrilled to introduce the first in our ongoing series that features children we know you’ll love and mothers who will inspire you. For our inaugural film feature, meet Ann and her two boys, Jude and August. Ann leads a beautiful life and it is evident in all she does that she is a fiercely devoted and loving mother to her boys. And when those boys look at her with stars in their eyes, you can tell they think the world of her too.

Ann owns the Etsy shop institution Lou and Lee, has the most incredible mid-century home with her husband, and always seems to find anything cool or note-worthy months before us.

Small Fry from Lumineux Films on Vimeo.

Filmed by Jenner Brown of Lumineux Films

peach basil jam

Taking full advantage of our recently acquired plethora of peaches, we knew making peach jam was essential. While we love the standard flavors, we wanted to try a new flavor profile: Peach Basil. It was a risky move with a delicious pay-off. Full recipe below!

Peach Basil Jam

4 cups of peeled and diced peaches

2 T. lemon juice

1 T. butter

1/2 C. finely chopped basil

1 pkg. powdered pectin

5 1/2 C. granulated sugar

Combine the diced peaches with lemon juice and basil in a large pot. Cover peaches with pectin and mix together. Over high heat, add butter and bring to a boil for one minute. After one minute of a rolling boil, add the granulated sugar and mix into peaches. Bring mixture back to a boil for another minute or so.

Ladle the peach mixture, wipe edges and seal with a canning lid. Let it cool and then refrigerate. Spread over buttered homemade bread, crackers with cream cheese, marinate your favorite protein, use as a chutney, and enjoy!

*no small fries were harmed in the making of this jam. we were right by them every step of the way!*

backyard tent

We’ve found the quickest way to turn a child’s day around is to put up a fort, and this tent could not be easier to assemble. You’ll need an extra large sheet, a yard of rope, 4 long stakes, a hammer to secure them in place.

Here’s how Nicole did it:

Tie your rope to two parallel stable objects, tying it about a foot higher than you want the tent’s ceiling to be. Take your sheet and tie loose knots into each corner and center it over your rope. Pull the corners out and down to the ground as markers so you know where to hammer your stakes into the ground. Once they’ve been hammered far enough that there isn’t any wiggle room, pull your loose knots over the stakes and tie them tight.

Fill your fort with pillows and blankets, maybe a kid or two, and watch the magic happen.

popsicles au natural

When your sweet baby is getting a new tooth, sometimes you’ll have no idea, but other times it’s all you hear about night and day. On those days, we all scramble to find things to help soothe their pain and here’s an all natural, yet totally effective option to add to the list!

The benefits of barley water for children and adults is endless, but the key word we spotted in the list is that it is a natural anti-inflammatory. Part of the discomfort children feel when they are cutting a new tooth is that their gums are swollen and throbbing. Mixing the magic of barley water with the cold temperatures, they are given instant relief.

To make these popsicles Emily blended a handful of strawberries, two peeled and de-pitted nectarines and barley water (barley water directions below.) The flavor combinations know no bounds, we just used what was on the countertop! Pour the mixture into your popsicle mold and let it freeze for a few hours. Once they’re set, let your baby go to town. Because they’re all natural and we know the ingredients have minimal sugar and no preservatives or other additives this is a wonderful option to get you through, a few times a day if needed. Until the next tooth comes, of course.

Barley Water

1 cup of barley water

2 1/3 cups of water

Rinse barley well before cooking, and place over a stove stop. Bring water and barley to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 30-45 minutes. (You can speed up this process if you soak your barley overnight, then it will only simmer for 15 minutes.) Drain and cool the barley water.

peach picking 1st birthday

There is something so special about a first birthday, and celebrating it is as much for the baby as it is for the parents. Our resident party genius Jenna, has the sweetest little boy, Jude. His family as long called him “Juder Pop” and combine all of that with peach season and the “Pop’s a Peach” theme was born.

Jenna brought us out to Chappell Farms’ Peach Orchard so we could all pick our own peaches as a family. If you want stress free decorating, let nature do its thing. Rows and rows of vibrant green trees with pops of orange and grassy floors created the most beautiful setting. Jenna added a few minimal touches like reclaimed wood tables decorated with white hydrangeas and peaches too, of course. The drink bar was perfectly refreshing for a warm Summer evening.

As if that wasn’t sweet enough, we celebrated Jude with a decadent chocolate cake.

Happy birthday, Jude, you really are quite a peach!

AUGUST 13, 2016