Sunday, November 30, 2014

Holidaze 2014- Thanksgiving and falling behind!

 Holidaze is my term for the complete craziness that starts with Thanksgiving and goes through New Years. i typically take a break with my craft business and spend all of december making cookies, handmade gifts and focusing on family. This year i took a break on blogging as well, and this is my attempt to catch up.



Winter came early this year. We were hit with a pretty good snow storm on November 26th.  


The kids were excited to play in the snow and go sledding.  i went outside just long enough to snap a couple pictures then came back in to warm up.  i'm really not a fan of snow.


Earlier this month we purchased a small woodstove as a supplemental heat source. i had some pretty mixed feeling when we first brought it into the house (i may have even cried a bit), but i was truly glad to have it when the storm hit and our power began flashing on and off. We have plenty of firewood too get us through the winter, thanks to the beautiful oak tree we had to cut in order to build the house. We had so much wood that we shared with several neighbors that were in need of firewood. 


The day before thanksgiving, i was just beginning to prep food for our feast and the power went out. We spent our day outside in the snow, reading Harry Potter and playing board games.  The woodstove was very appreciated, keeping us nice and toasty and heating water for my tea. 

On Thanksgiving day we were still without power.  This was our first Thanksgiving in the new house  (last year we were in the camper) and we had no way to cook our meal. The roads had cleared and most of the snow melted away.  So we ended taking a drive to NC and having a rather non traditional thanksgiving meal at the Golden Corral. :)   When we returned home that evening we found the power was back on. 


We decided to celebrate our traditional feast on Sunday instead of the day after. As always my favorite part of the feast is that it is almost entirely homegrown.   This thanksgiving we had a beautiful garden salad, roasted root veggies, green beans and mashed potatoes. Sweet potatoes with garlic and rosemary, garlicy greens, deviled eggs, apple sauce, canned peaches and a blueberry/blackberry cobbler. i did purchase a Quorn roast as our vegetarian 'turkey' substitute. 


It was a small feast with just the four of us, simple and nice.  We are constantly reminded of our blessings; a warm home, food on the table and a family to share it with.  Although i believe we should thankful every day, and not just on Thanksgiving it is still nice to take a day together to truly reflect on all of our blessings. 

Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture. ~Kak Sri



Sunday, November 23, 2014

Bee Kind Family Farm Feature and Giveaway!




Bee Kind Family Farm is a homesteading family of 3 located in the Mountains of NW North Carolina. Rob, Jaime and their daughter Norah  live in a Solar/ Off Grid home in the Pisgah National Forest where they organic garden, raise chickens and honeybees. They sell their goods at local farmers markets and online.



i've known and admired Jaime for many years. We first met (online) back when she was selling patchwork on the website Back Porch Boutique . It has been amazing to watch their family grow, their business evolve and follow along on their off grid/homesteading journey! They are truly an inspiration.

What started off as a garden, some chickens and a few beehives, has turned into an incredible off grid homestead that include 65 bee hives, multiple vegetable gardens,  laying hens, meat birds and shiitake logs.  In the summertime Bee Kind Family Farm can be found  set up at the local farmers market, selling fresh produce, chicken, eggs, shiitake mushrooms, honey, candles and cold process soaps.




In 2013 they added solar panels, disconnected from the electric company and officially went off grid. They heat their home and cook with wood, heat their water with wood and solar, grow and preserve much of their food and live as simple as possible,  All of their gardens are organic. They do not treat their bees , their honey is not heated (it is raw) and it is minimally filtered, leaving all the good stuff, pollen, trace vitamins in there. When you purchase honey from Bee Kind Family farm you are getting honey straight from the hive!!!  They also make lovely candles with the beeswax, and have started making cold process soaps as well.   By purchasing from Bee Kind Family Farm you are helping them support their dream.

You can connect with the folks from Bee Kind Family Farm in the links below. 
Bee Kind Family Farm on Facebook This page is for their honey and product sales.
Off Grid Homestead on Facebook  This page follows their daily life and homesteading journey. 
Bee Kind Family Farm on Etsy.  This is where you can purchase their non-perishable goods.
Off Grid Homestead Blog   A glimpse into their offgrid daily life, recipes, tutorials and more.

Now for the GIVEAWAY!

Bee Kind Family Farm is generously giving away a sample pack to one lucky reader!
The Sample pack includes a bar of homemade cold process soap, a beeswax candle and a 2.25 oz jar of raw honey. 


To enter, wait for the rafflecopter to load.


Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Maleficent and Elsa themed bendy doll and new projects.


Just showing off a few of my new dolls. This one is Maleficent inspired.  She was a bit tricky to make, so i'm not sure how many i'll have available before xmas, but i am hoping to have a few. They'll be available on my FB page.


Snow Queen Elsa, was a special request from my daughter. i listed a few on my page for sale and will have a few more soon.


i have lots of Elves available for immediate purchase!. 


i made my daughter a few playsets several years ago and enjoyed them so much i decided to make them again.  These are definitely going to be a limited edition thing, i don't plan to make a bunch but you can expect to see these available on my page soon. i also plan to have a few mermaid playsets and a 'Frozen' themed set as well.

To keep up with my new work and see what is aailable for for sale  head over to my facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Enchanted-Tree/339122860346


Monday, November 10, 2014

The 4th Secret Stocking Project -Orion Strong



The Butterfly Fund is a non-profit organization that was started because of the need for awareness and help of those children who suffer from the horrific disease Epidermolysis Bullosa-also known as EB.  EB children are known as Butterfly Children, due to the fact that their skin is as fragile as a butterflies wings. 

The Butterfly Fund has since expanded it's hope and is dedicated to helping families who have a child diagnosed with any serious life altering disease or event in their lives. Any child who is FRAGILE is one of their Butterflies.

They help families in many ways including, but not limited to, minimal financial aid, clothing, services and care. The Butterfly Fund does not discriminate any anyone and everyone who has a child within the US with a serious illness or event, may inquire with us. The Butterfly Fund is run solely by volunteers and no salaries are paid.


i was introduced to this organization through Orion Strong, the son of a friend.   On June 15th, 2013, 14 year old Orion Strong was diagnosed with AML , a rare type of leukemia, with long treatments and many expenses.  

After four successful rounds of chemo and complete remission for five months, Orion went to his six month check up to learn that his white blood cells are super low again or "neutropenic". His heart check also showed signs of weakness from the prior chemo. On May 19th he was readmitted into UCSF, where he was expected to remain inpatient for several months for chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. His first round of chemo after relapse was unsuccessful and he got a fungal infection in his lungs and colon. The doctors were very hesitant to go forward with transplant and after discussing the risks, Orion has made the very brave decision to spend his life out at home with his friends and family.

Orion is home on hospice care. He was given a few weeks to live. The family is trying to savor the moments and make his last wishes come true. They have a Youcaring  fundraiser link set up to help with the expenses and allow the family to stay together through this time without stressing about bills as well.  If you are able, please consider donating. 

Orion told his mother he wanted to be a hero in his life and that he feels like he's gotten that chance... He said that if there was one thing people could do to remember him, it would be that... When you walk into a room and you see groups of people hanging out, take a moment to look around and notice the one or two people not hanging out with anyone and take a minute, to go say hi. To make EVERYONE feel like they count. To let them know they're not alone. :)

Another simple act that you can do to honor  Orion's kind spirit and make a difference in the life of a child is to help bring a smile to other children who are medically fragile, by purchasing a gift for the Secret Stocking project. 


* At 1:35pm, Nov 10th Orion Elijah Strong passed on. He was surrounded by family and his transition was very peaceful. He was blessed to know that his dream of becoming a HERO had been realized and continued to want to serve even after his passing




The Butterfly Fund organization has been helping Orion and his family. This is how i came to learn about the organization.  They are currently collecting gifts for children who are medically fragile and their siblings. 

There are HUNDREDS  to choose from - each one guaranteeing our Butterfly Children a wonderful Holiday! We thank you for your beautiful support!!!


Christie’s list: goo.gl/Vp4Lkx
Dana’s List: goo.gl/5rLNzF
Elizabeth’s List: goo.gl/GcNm8s
Kim’s List: goo.gl/W9w9W9

Purchasing a gift is easy,and there are all different prices ranges. On each wish list you will see a child's name, age and gift they wish! Simply add the gift to your cart and checkout. A shipping address will show for this volunteers location. You ship directly to the Volunteer. On the gift tag you can write 'In Honor of Orion Strong', if you'd like.

Please do not choose gift wrapping, the volunteers will wrap the gifts when they receive them. Also please do not purchase multiple gifts from different wish lists and have them shipped to the same address. Each wish list has it's own shipping address.

The deadline to purchase gifts from this list is Nov. 24th.

Thank you so much for helping to honor this amazing young man and help to spread smiles and love to those that need it.  Thank you!

Formore information on The Butterfly fund, Secret Santa Stocking Project and Hope For Orion click on the links.
https://www.facebook.com/sonomabutterflyfund   
https://www.facebook.com/4thsecretstockingproject
https://www.facebook.com/hopefororion






Monday, October 27, 2014

Handmade Doctor Who Halloween Costumes!

i have always loved halloween. In the past i would dress up every year, always making my own costume.  Now that i have kids i make their costumes almost every year.  Sometimes the costumes are easy to put together and sometimes they really challenge me!  This year both kids wanted to dress up as characters from the BBC show Doctor Who.  My daughter's first costume choice was a Weeping Angel, and i admit i was a feeling a little stress on how i was going to pull that one off. Thankfully for me, i knew she would change her mind several times before deciding on a final costume choice. 

i was right. She bounced back and forth between a few different ideas before deciding on a Sister of Plenitude (Cat-nun) from the New Earth Episode of Doctor Who.  


This is an image from the episode.  The costume is pretty straightforward. A gray dress/robe, white apron, white gloves, a headscarf and a flying nun's hat.  The most challenging part of the costume would be the cat nun's hat. Lucky for me, i found a tutorial for a Sister of Plenitude hat online. You can view it here and  here.   i had a really hard time following the tutorial, but still managed to come up with something that resembled the hat. 



Here is our finished costume!  i'm super pleased with how well it turned out!!  i need to work on the face paint a bit, but this was just a test run and i didn't want to use it all up before Halloween.  Her costume was made from a mens xl dress shirt. i cut up and sewed into a dress/robe. The apron was made from Sequoia's Saruman robe from last year, that was made from a sheet. Lots of recycling and repurposing around here! 


My boy's costume choice was the 11th Doctor (Matt Smith).  He wanted to go for this look, with the 'Silence' eyepatch which is from the Wedding of River Song episode.  He always wanted a fez which isn't in this episode, but is often associated with this doctor. 


First thing we did for his costume was hit the thrift store. We were able to find a tweed jacket, black skinny jeans and suspenders!  He borrowed the dress shirt from his dad, and already had the Sonic Screwdriver which can be purchased on amazon or at Hot Topic.



 Next we needed a faz!  although they can be purchased online, i knew it was something i could easily make. i found the burgundy-red felt at Joanne's craft store, and lined it with stablizer. i did a quick search online for a 'how to make a  Fez' tutorial and found this one which included a pattern. The first one i made was too small for my son so i gave it to my daughter. i made another just a little bit bigger, and it was perfect for my boy.


i'm pretty excited about the costumes this year (total Doctor Who nerd  :) )! i really think they turned out great and the kids love them! i'm just hoping it's not so cold that they have to totally bundle up to go trick or treating.  :)

Thursday, October 23, 2014

October Garden and New Projects.


October garden is still going strong.  Although most of my summer crops are done i replanted many back in July/August and i'm finally beginning to get a good harvest from them. The peppers and tomatillos that were planted in the spring and are just now ripening and ready for harvest.  We have had two frosts so far but i've had most things covered and so they are still doing well.  My fall carrots are still a bit small but i'm getting lots of snow peas and swiss chard.  Zucchini and yellow squash are still hanging in there despite the cold temps. 

i have lots of new lettuce, kale and spinach planted in the tiered garden.  Kenan bought a tiller so two of my four gardens have now been tilled!  Nasturtium and marigolds are finally in full bloom.   Seems like every year they wait until right before it freezes/frosts to finally come into bloom. Hoping they stay pretty another week or two. 



With the cooler weather i am spending more time inside, which means i'm attempting to focus on my business again.  Although i keep saying i'm done making bendy dolls, i always go back to making them. :)   i'm really hoping to focus more on Waldorf dolls this winter, but until them i have lots of these bendy dolls available.


i've mainly been focusing on Halloween themed dolls, trying to sell a few so i can buy the supplies needed for other projects.  The two witches and wizard above are sold, but the pumpkin girls and ones below are still available. 


i've mainly been working on Halloween themed dolls, trying to sell a few so i can buy the supplies needed for other projects.  :)


i've also been working on organizing and creating a craft space.  i'm setting it up inside the tiny little laundry room. The space is really just a place to store my supplies and keep them organized, as i tend to take my projects into what ever room i am in at the time.  i'm hoping to eventually put cabinets and a counter top in here  so i can set up my sewing machine.  


Just for fun, i made my boy a Doctor Who Tardis hat. 

i've been thinking about stocking my etsy shop again, but until them i'm still just selling on my FB page.  i have bendy dolls, jewelry and a few hats for sale.  i rarely take custom orders, but if it sounds interesting and i have the materials i may consider.

i'm still spending a good amount of time in the garden.  i have quite a few fall crops in and i won't give up on it until it's buried in at least a foot of snow. :)   

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

September Garden update- Slowing Down.

Hard to believe it is already September. The summer went by way too quickly, but i'm looking forward to slowing down  bit. i've neglected my crafting all summer and am ready to start picking it up again. 


End of August and beginning of September, my tomatoes began to succumb to the early blight and septoria leaf spot. i picked the remaining tomatoes and pulled almost off of the plants. i still have a couple in pots, and a couple hanging on in a different garden, but i don't expect to get much from them.

i'm still getting a few summer squash, but pulled most of the squash plants too.  i put in new plants in July, but the squash borers killed most of them before they been started blooming.  i have two surviving plants, but one is starting to show signs of mosaic virus so this might be the end of my summer squash this year.  Tomatillos are starting to ripen and my peppers re finally starting to produce.



i planted a ton of  sweet peppers again this year. i've been watching them closely waiting for them to start to change color.  i always plant California wonder and they do really for me. They spend the first half of the summer looking a bit stunted, than once August hits they take off! They are now loaded with blooms, baby peppers, and fat green peppers waiting to ripen. They freeze really well, and i like to dice them or cut them in strips to use in all kinds of recipes. 


My winter squash struggled at the beginning of the summer and then made a comeback near the end of August.  i cut vine borers out of the stems really early July and didn't expect them to make it. My pumpkins did extremely well and their vines took over the patch. It wasn't until they began to die back that found the acorn and butternut squash. i also planted Red kuri, Delicata and Galeux D' Eysines but the vines died before they ever matured. i have one mystery vine that keeps producing small round yellow squash, but they rot before the mature and i haven't figured out which variety it is yet. i'm hoping at least one of them will make it to maturity just so i can figure out what it is.

Last year voles destroyed my sweet potato patch, but because they were just eating the potatoes underground, the plants continued to look healthy and i didn't have any idea about the voles until i went to dig the plants. This year, i've been digging them up and checking them constantly.  i pick off any tubers that are a good size and leave the rest to grow bigger. i've dug about 40 lbs so far, and still have lots in the ground.  i think the rest will do fine if i leave them until right before frost.  


Apples!!  Apples are a special treat, because we do not get them every year.  Some years are good for peaches, and some years are good for apples.  This year we got very few peaches because of a late frost,  but the apples did fantastic. Kenan has picked probably 2 bushel so far, and i've been canning and freezing applesauce a fast as i can. i also made a couple batches of apple butter.  These apples do not store well, they often have worms on the inside and have to be process quickly or they begin to rot within a week.   i look forward to pulling out some of this applesauce in the middle of winter. :)



This spring i was getting mostly white eggs and really wanted some color variation.  i purchased new chicks this spring, but have had to wait all summer for them to start laying.  Yesterday i collected these from the nesting box. The large brown egg on the left is from a Blakstar hen, the green one came from my Olive egger. The pink one on the right is brand new from my Tetra tint, this is her first egg and it's a pale pink. The white egg came from one of my wild girls, and the speckled on in the center is a complete mystery. i'm guessing it had to come from one of the Cream legbar mix, but i haven't seen either of them in the nesting boxes yet.  i'm hoping at least one of the CLB mix will lay blue eggs. Both of my Black Copper Marans ended up being Cockerels, so i'm still on the lookout for a BCM hen. Marans lay really dark brown eggs.  i'm really happy with the variety of eggs i am getting right now, and am eager for the other new pullets to begin laying. 

 i've been working this last week to clean out the spring and summer garden, and get the fall garden planted. i put in broccoli, cauliflower, purple cabbage, bok choy, kale, lettuce, spinach, peas, beets and carrots.   i have some things already planted, others started in containers and i keep planting more every time i go outside.  The weather has already begun to cool down, so i'm starting to slow down as well. 

Although i'm never really ready for winter, i feel really good about the amount of food i've put up this year. Especially since this time last year we were living in an RV, with no room to can or to store food.  i'm not yet done with the garden, but i've lost that manic urgency to grow as much as i can.  i have never liked the fall and winter, but i feel myself falling into the natural rhythm of the season and because that i am learning to embrace it.


Monday, September 15, 2014

Saving the Monarch Butterflies and a Giveaway!



The number of migrating monarchs has been declining at an alarming rate. Right now it is at a record low since scientists started documenting them.  The monarch population has been dropping for a few reasons; widespread loss of the plant milkweed, which is the sole food source for the monarch caterpillars; changes in weather in North America and deforestation. 

Along our road there is lots of milkweed plants growing. During the summer the county road crews mow down the weeds that grow along the edge of the road, including the milkweed. So every summer we go out and gather as many monarch caterpillars and eggs as we can. Last year we did not find any, but this year we did. :)


The tiny eggs are very hard to spot if you do not know what you are looking for. i was lucky enough to witness a monarch laying her eggs a few years ago, so i've been able to spot them easily ever since.  They are typically white, but this one is just about to hatch so you can see the dark spot where his head is. 


The newly hatched caterpillar is less than 1/8" long. The first thing it does after hatching is eat it's egg. It then begins eating the milkweed.  Milkweed is the only food they eat.


We collected 10 caterpillars and eggs and set up a simple habitat for them in our laundry room. We used one of the insectlore butterfly garden enclosures and keep fresh milkweed in a vase of water, changing it out whenever necessary so the caterpillars have a constant source of fresh leaves. As the caterpillars grow they will shed their skin several times before they are fully grown and ready to pupate.


When the caterpillar is full grown it usually leaves the milkweed plant. It crawls off the milkweed until it finds a safe place to pupate. The caterpillar lays down a silk-like mat and then attaches itself to the mat. The caterpillar hangs upside down in a J-shape for about 24 hours.


The caterpillar then sheds his skin for the last time, exposing the chrysalis that is underneath. The new chrysalis is very soft at first, but hardens to create a protective shell.  In 10-14 days the chrysalis will darken and the butterfly will emerge.


Right before the butterfly emerges you can begin to see the color and pattern of it's wings as the chrysalis becomes transparent. 


When the new butterfly emerges it's wings are crumpled and wet. It will climb onto a branch and hang upside down letting it's wings straighten out and dry. On sunny days the wings will dry quickly, but when it is cool and overcast it can take a few hours before the butterfly is ready to be released.



Once the wings are fully dry we release them.  We have released five this year, and have 4 in chrysalises waiting to emerge. i love watching our newly released monarchs fly away. They seem to dance in the air and spin circles around us before disappearing.  These butterflies would not have survived if we had not collected them from the milkweed and provided a safe place for them to grow and pupate. Helping the monarchs on our road has become an annual activity for us, and we look forward to it every year. 

What can you do to help the monarchs? Plant milkweed in your flower gardens! Although milkweed is considered a weed to many, it is an important food source for the monarchs. They can not survive without it. Increasing the amount of  milkweed and native pollinator-friendly wildflowers and decreasing the amount of pesticide/herbicide use is a great way to help the butterflies.  

i want to help you help the monarchs by hosting a milkweed seed giveaway!  5 winners!

   One winner will receive a seed prize pack with milkweed seeds, cosmos, sunflower seeds, bachelor buttons and several other native wildflowers and nectar producing plants.

 Four runner ups will receive a pack of milkweed seeds.  US only.

To enter, fill out the rafflecopter form below. You may have to wait for it to load.


Friday, September 5, 2014

Summer Garden Meals


There is something magical about planting a tiny seed in the ground and watching it turn into a plant that produces food to feed the family.  Often times a garden just supplements what we buy from the grocery store, so it is always extra rewarding when we can create a meal that was entirely (almost entirely) grown at home.  Here are some of my favorites from this summer.

i rarely use recipes, i just sort of throw things together without measuring anything. So i'll give you a description of each meal, link to the recipe if i've posted one or link to a similar recipe if i haven't for those of you that prefer recipes with exact amounts.


1. Raw zucchini noodles with pesto and fresh tomato

This makes a really great light lunch.  i used a carrot peeler to create raw zucchini noodles, you can also use a veggie spiraler. Mix the noodles with a bit of homemade pesto.  i topped it with fresh diced tomatoes and a sprinkle of parmesan and pine nuts. If you don't have pesto, an alternative to this recipe is to dice a fresh tomato, add diced garlic and shredded basil then drizzle olive oil over it. Mix well and and top the raw zucchini noodles with it. Then add a sprinkle of feta or homemade goat cheese if you have some or leave the cheese off if you prefer.



2. Garden Veggie Frittata and Mock apple pie.

Click on the links above for the recipes. Our chickens provide us with lots of fresh eggs, so i love recipes that use garden produce and eggs.  You can make your frittata using many different garden veggies. In the spring i like to make them with spinach, swiss chard, morel mushrooms and asparagus, while summer frittatas tend to have lots of squash and tomatoes in them. You can create them with what ever garden veggies you have on hand.  The mock apple pie, doesn't fit as an entirely homegrown meal, but it was in my frittata picture so i included it anyway.It's always a good recipe for using up those giant zucchini.


3. Sauteed squash with onion, garlic and cherry tomatoes.  This is a simple and delicious meal. i included a similar recipe. All i do is heat up some olive oil and add diced garlic, sliced summer squash and zucchini . Saute about 5min-10min. you want your squash to be tender crisp, not soft and slimy. Add some shredded basil and cherry or grape tomatoes and heat another minute or two so the tomatoes are heated through. Then sprinkle with goat cheese, feta or parmesan if you like. Salt and pepper to taste.



4. Bruschetta topped with heirloom tomatoes and goat cheese.  Here is an official recipe for bruschetta if you need one.  All i do is take some sliced french bread, brush with olive oil and put under the broiler until it's lightly toasted on both sides.  You really have to watch it, it browns quickly. For the topping dice a couple tomatoes and place in a bowl. Add minced garlic and a handful of shredded basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil and let sit a few minutes while the bread is toasting. Then spoon the tomato mix onto the bread and sprinkle with goat cheese, feta or whatever you like. Place under the broiler again, and heat just another minute or two being careful not to let the bread get too brown.



5. Garden Veggie Hash  This is favorite with breakfast dinner. Multi colored potatoes, peppers, squash, onion and garlic pan fried in a cast iron skillet and seasoned with salt and pepper. We usually serve it with scrambled eggs or omelets.




6. Rainbow Veggie Bake 

This is both beautiful and delicious.  All you do is dice onion and garlic, cook in olive oil till soft then pour in a 8x8 casserole or glass pie pan. Make sure the bottom of the dish is covered well with the oil mix. Then slice potatoes, squash and tomatoes and place them in the dish like this. add salt pepper, rosemary, italian seasoning etc. Drizzle with olive oil cover with tin foil and bake 30 min. remove foil, sprinkle with parmesan and italian cheese and bake another 15-20min. until potatoes are tender.  i used purple and red potatoes, zucchini and yellow squash, pink, yellow and purple tomatoes to give it lots of color.



 You can layer your veggies in a spiral in a round baking dish/pie pan or make rows in a square 8x8 casserole dish.  Both have a beautiful presentation and taste fabulous either way.



7. Ratatouille  This is a perfect fresh garden meal. Everything came from the garden except the olive oil, salt and pepper.  If you follow the link there is a recipe for ratatouille. When i make it i don't measure anything, i just chop a bunch of veggies and throw them all together.


8. Caprese salad with balsamic vinegar reduction
This is another really easy and delicious meal.  All that is in this is fresh tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, mozzarella cheese and balsamic vinegar. If you want to use fresh mozzarella you can learn how to make it here.   For the balsamic vinegar reduction i used about 1/2 cup vinegar, and simmered it on med heat until it had reduced to about 2 tbsp and was thick, but still pourable. You can add a little honey if you prefer it sweeter. Let it cool while you slice the tomatoes.
.
 i used pink, purple and yellow tomatoes because i love color.  Slice your tomatoes and mozzarella cheese into 1/4" slices and  arrange them on your plate by alternate between the different colors and the mozzarella cheese, like above. Then add a handful of shredded basil, salt and peppers and drizzle the balsamic vinegar reduction over the top. Serve immediately.

These were just a few of my favorite garden recipes this summer. i hope you enjoy them!