kelinmchull

Dear White Church: A Love Letter to the Forest Behind our Homestead

We bought our home 11 years ago because it was pretty much all we could afford. We were young and had few resources but big dreams. We had lived in my parents’ home for 3 years. Chloe, our daughter, slept in her own room. Liam, our baby son, slept in a co-sleeper he’d long outgrownContinue reading “Dear White Church: A Love Letter to the Forest Behind our Homestead”

Finding the Home in Homestead

Oh hi there. *sheepish wave*. So, yes, it’s been 9 months since I last updated the blog. In my defense, I got the kids through their homeschool year in the middle of a global pandemic, dealt with the uncertainty of (yet another) year as contingent faculty (“will I have a job or won’t I?”) whileContinue reading “Finding the Home in Homestead”

One-Pot Mediterranean Chicken & Rice (with pistachio-parsley pesto, za’atar roasted tomatoes, and homemade pita)

Monday it reached 90 degrees with 70% humidity in Central Indiana. It was oppressively hot. Yet, thanks to late snow and frost followed by heavy spring rain, we also had not yet planted-out the Main Garden for the summer. With several consecutive days of high heat and a forecast calling for more rain in aContinue reading “One-Pot Mediterranean Chicken & Rice (with pistachio-parsley pesto, za’atar roasted tomatoes, and homemade pita)”

Welcome Back: Late Spring Homestead Updates

It has been quite a long time since I have felt up to writing a blog. Working a full-time, demanding job in academia, homeschooling both my kids, doing as much homesteading as possible, and living through a devastating global pandemic while also in the midst of all of the historical socio-political and cultural touchstone momentsContinue reading “Welcome Back: Late Spring Homestead Updates”

Sick Food: Chicken Noodle Soup 3 Ways

I’ve been sick. No, it isn’t COVID-19, thank goodness. It’s just a sinus infection run amok thanks to a confluence of genetics, weather, and environment. I’m dizzy–sometimes intolerably so–prone to migraines from the pressure, and super tired. You know. The usual. It isn’t life-threatening in a time when that distinction feels incredibly potent, so IContinue reading “Sick Food: Chicken Noodle Soup 3 Ways”

Let’s Talk About Self-Care and “Doing it All”

Yes, We Know Self-Care is Important (an Introduction):A few years ago, just after I graduated with my MA, I was was asked to participate in a panel discussion for incoming graduate students. One of the students posed a question to the panel about self-care, and balancing work and life in grad school, and everyone turnedContinue reading “Let’s Talk About Self-Care and “Doing it All””

Homeschooling 2.0: Spring Semester Changes

Happy Saturday morning, lovely readers! It’s been a whirwind couple of months here at the Homestead, so I need to start providing some updates on our goings-on because it’ll be Spring before we know it. In fact, I just ordered seeds a few days ago! But before we get into that, I’d like to talkContinue reading “Homeschooling 2.0: Spring Semester Changes”

Christmas 2020: Bake All The Cookies!

We made it through the Fall semester, both with Homeschool and my university’s semester! Celebrate! I still have some things to button-up in both places before I can say “Winter Break!” and even then, the kids will get a break, but I will be planning the next unit for them while also planning for myContinue reading “Christmas 2020: Bake All The Cookies!”

Homestead Homeschool: The First 4 Weeks and Work-Homeschool-Life Balance

In (Pandemic) Life Updates: The “Lost” Two Months, I gave a quick synopsis of the struggles both kids were having with remote learning and announced that Chloe had decided to homeschool for the remainder of the school year, but that Liam had improved enough that we were keeping him enrolled in remote learning public school.Continue reading “Homestead Homeschool: The First 4 Weeks and Work-Homeschool-Life Balance”

Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Yes, I’m posting two back-to-back soup recipes. I love soup! I especially love how filling and warm and comforting a big bowl of soup is on a cold winter day, and I also love how inexpensive (both in dollars and in caloric value) most soups are. They’re also quick and easy to eat when I’mContinue reading “Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Soup”