Mystery Vegetable...

As we have been getting boxes from our CSA, we have been getting things we have never heard of or seen before. This is one of them, garlic scapes. My understanding is that it is the shoot of the garlic that is above the ground. It is pretty, if nothing else. I love the way they curl over and around themselves. This is two weeks of scapes. I had no idea what i was going to do with it but with a little research and looking around i found this recipe for garlic scape pesto. It was gone before i could take any pictures of it....otherwise there would be more photos!! The kids even loved it and ate all that they were given. I just threw the roughly chopped scapes into my mini chopper with some basil(also from the farm), and olive oil....once it was all whizzed up together i added the juice of one lime, S&P to taste and about 1 cup fresh parmesan. We used it to make little pizzas with some mozzarella on top, but i bet that it would be good on pasta or even as a veg dip.

Strawberries, Round 3

This morning my boys made strawberry pancakes for breakfast. I love pancake mornings. Mitchie was a great helper and was very excited to stir the batter himself.

Chris took some pictures of the making and I must say they turned out very well(not the pictures, well the pictures were good, but i meant the pancakes turned out well.). I thought i did not like them, but i guess i was wrong.

Although, there were not many berries used for this. We still have a bunch more to eat and to make yummy things with...hmmm, i wonder what will be next?

Strawberries, Round 2

Sooo, last night was jam night. Here are the results of my work. For anyone that has not made jam before and might think it is hard, really it is not. It is a time commitment once you start, because you literally can not walk away form that pot and you have to stir, stir, stir. I would have taken some pictures of the making but i was tied to the pot. No extra hands. This batch of jam was the first time in a few years of jamming that i finally decided to just relax and not stress myself out about it. Once everything is prepared i usually feel like a spaz trying to get everything done and done just right...last night i told myself to calm down and just enjoy the process. I really did and this time i did not make a mess or burn myself, thank goodness. It was nice to get it done so fast and smoothly, and all 9 jars sealed!!! All you need is 4 pints of berries, some pectin(I use sure-jel), some jars and sugar. Follow the directions in the box of sure-jel and "viola" you have jam. I think strawberry jam is my favorite.

Strawberries, Round 1

I was on unfamiliar ground...territory unknown. Chris has one absolute favorite combo...strawberry rhubarb, and that is one combination i have never, ever tackled before. But i love my husband...i want to make him happy, so i promised i would give it a go. Not having a recipe to follow did not help but i figured i could improvise a little. I referenced my friend Mary's recent strawberry rhubarb crisp...a recipe by emeril and my mom's apple crisp topping.

With all those combined I managed a pretty fantastic result if i do say so myself. We have been wandering past it all day long(i made it about 10 this morning) taking a spoonful and savoring every bit of it. There are more spoons in tonights load of dishes than anything else.

Here i need to give "props" to my tiny photographic assistant. Avery was home watching and helping make this and asked if she could take some pictures for the blog. And i can honestly say that this middle one, taken by my 6 year old, is the best picture we got of the whole undertaking this morning. I love how she captured the movement of the crisp topping being poured and shaken out over the fruit.

So I am going to give you my best recollection of what i used and what i did..... here it goes

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

3-4 c. Strawberry, washed/hulled/halved
3-4 c. fresh Rhubarb, washed/medium chop
1/2- 3/4 c. Sugar
2 T Cornstarch

chop and combine fruit. Add sugar and cornstarch and pour into bottom of 13x9 pan.

3/4 c. rolled Oats
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 c. flour

mix oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour....cut in butter to make it a crumbly consistency. Pour this on top of fruit in baking dish, spread evenly. Bake at 375 for 35-45 minutes...until fruit is bubbling up and crisp is golden brown. Enjoy

Strawberry Blogging Madness

I think this sign says in big bold letters what we did today!!! And quite a haul we had...about 10 pounds of berries. I have plans for those berries...shortcake, strawberry/rhubart(says Mitchie) something, jam, random eating and some freezing for a later date. They sure were pretty, and sweet but a little tart too.

I have a Strawberry Ache

That is what Mitchell told us after he ate his way through the strawberry patch. We seem to have started, inadvertently, making family field trips every Thursday. This week was strawberry picking and baby animals...last week was the beach...the week before Avery got to go geocaching with daddy...the week before we all went geocaching...and i think the week before that we went to the amusement park.

I imagined much more enthusiasm. Not that they did not want to do it or want to help, it just was a little harder than i thought it would be. We did pick it fast though. We had two full buckets before we even picked down half of one row. Mitchie just wanted to eat them and carry the bucket...Avery, well she was picking with great care. In the time i picked half a bucket i think she had five in hers...because she was examining every berry to make sure that it was blemish free and perfect in every way! And, believe it or not Avery wore white and there was not a single berry stain on that girl.

Baby Animal Days

As part of Field Trip Thursdays, after berries, we went to a local farm that was having baby animals for the month. So inside this little barn we got to meet a whole bunch of incredibly adorable, completely irresistible babies. Before we left the barn i was convinced that we needed to have baby farm animals at our house, most especially the baby goats and some ducks and sheep and maybe a pig and a cow too. How much cuter could those goats get? Obviously we were all quite taken with them and could not get enough of them. Mitchell was especially in love with that little red goat.

Kicking it Farmer Style

The farm had a sweet little playground where Mitchell could not tear himself away from this old, rusty tractor. It was parked right in the middle of the huge sandbox and he "drove" it for ages. He would still be on it if we would have stayed there. How cute is he in those farmer overalls and rain boots?!?

While Avery finally had a turn driving, Mitchie spotted a ladybug and they both were entranced. I love their little heads together, concentrating so hard on this one tiny little creature. Avery had it on her finger and when it got tired of all the attention it flew away and hit Avery in the head. Suddenly this favorite of all buggies turned into any other bug, as she swatted at it and jumped about a foot off that tractor bench. She is a very cute girl, my Avery!

Feeding Frenzy

These were some of the very adorable farm animals we got to see today. The grown up versions. Mitchie fed this sheep some corn or something....

Have you ever seen a more beautiful, stunning cow? Scotch Highland it was called. When you got up close it even had highlights in that patch of hair, and some eyes under there.

Avery made fast friends with this donkey by giving him a handful of the yummy green grass on the other side of the fence. Gives meaning to "grass is always greener on the other side", huh?

And isn't this the coolest sheep. We affectionately dubbed him Bob...any takers? Of course, after Bob Marley....rasta sheep, with his dreds hanging over his face.

Tuesday Dinner

In a effort to use the things we get in our CSA box, I have been hunting high and low for recipes that look like my whole family might eat them. This one here was to incorporate the kale we got this week. I had never bought, used or made anything with kale before. And in all honesty, it was not that bad....it definitely ranks higher than the spinach(for me). My other measuring stick was that the kids both ate it in the rice bowl. Chris, he is easy and will pretty much eat what is in front of him...as long as it is not sauerkraut!!!

I found this one online here. It was a pretty all around easy to make meal as well....fast too as long as you have your brown rice made ahead of time since it takes 40 minutes. Thanks to my stand in photographer....my husband. Again this is not a professional blog, so our pictures...well, they speak for themselves.

Isn't it cute?

This is our tiny attempt at gardening. We had originally wanted a big one, but then we joined the CSA and knew that we would have more veg than we could handle just from that, so the garden plan got called off. However, Avery really loves the dirt and just wanted to see something grow, so we started a windowsill garden....that eventually began to overtake our windowsill. So, we ended up with the garden anyway. I am sure there is no self respecting farmer or real gardener that would have planted it the way we did but...we are expecting little and hoping for much! There are tomato, and squash, a watermelon, sugar snap peas , carrot and golden beets. Wow...that is a lot. Maybe soon i will have some home harvest pictures to share.

Fun in the Sun?

Yesterday we thought that we would go out for a little family fun...take a break from the everyday ho-hum of life...escape the heat(if you could even call it that, that day). We packed the car and headed off for the beach at a nearby lake. The kids loved it...all they wanted to do was swim and splash.Daddy even got in on the fun, he helped do a little digging on the beach to build a castle with a moat and an elaborate river and lake system. Mitchie, just wanted to water it with his trusty watering can...all day, he watered the beach and got watered himself a few times by his sweet sister.

The weather really was not that warm.I think it did not get above 70, with a good strong breeze. I personally like it like that(reminds me of Washington beach), but the kids got a little cold right out of the water. Here is Avery soaking in a little sun...see there she is, the little feet poking out.

I am not sure what he was finding here...it might have been a bug or some other fantastic beach treasure like a rock or something. I love his face. He looks so taken with whatever it is!

There were a few calamities...like me getting attacked by the beach umbrella and a little sunburn for everyone. But we always have fun together.