Archive for the “food” Category…the parents will play! After a slow morning with coffee and pups in bed, we went to lunch @ Gordon Beirch. Yumm O! Then to a winery in VA this afternoon. Casanel. It was so relaxing. The breeze on the patio. The guitar duet. The Cabernet. We played a few hands of Rummy–Rich claimed “how do you play?” and then totally creamed me! We enjoyed the early evening there before driving home for a walk with the dogs and grilled portebello mushrooms! My tummy is happy! What do you do when the November cold and rain is IN your house because of this?
And This:
You do this: Bake sweet potatoes
and cranberry bread
and cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving!
The end result is a much more energy efficient house this winter AND a tax credit!
I am Thankful for new windows. For some reason this year, I was all about Halloween. I usually put up the spider web and that’s about it. This year, I reinvented / recycled a bunch of stuff. I made a mini grave yard from cardboard and paint I already had around the house. A few ghosts from an old sheet, some stuffing, and a sharpie. The kids’ costumes are all from the thrift store for no more than $5 ea. I made James’ mustache (felt) and Kate’s parasol (from an old lampshade). I also decided to spend some serious time carving a pumpkin. (I got the stencil from WWF.) The kids each carved a pumpkin too. For dinner we had a fabulous soup I made up using a bunch of the produce from our farmer Ray. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, leeks, mushrooms, carrot, zucchini, and a bacon seasoning mix. Yummy! The neighbors and friends gathered around 6:30 and they were off. The rain held off to a slight drizzle so that didn’t stop the excitement. I sat on my front step with a glass of wine, my knitting, and wearing a “Black Eyed Pea” costume (thanks mom). The treats were flowing! I think we have enough candy to last for months– and that’s AFTER I ate more than my share! I grew up hearing the phrase: “If I’d have known you were coming, I’d have baked you a cake!” I guess it’s one more Southern phrase that sticks in my head… But it came to mind as I enjoyed my kids baking me one! There were whispers, mutterings, and cabinet sounds. Followed by: “Mommy, you can’t come in the kitchen! OK?” Daddy enters to pick up the questions… The familiar sounds of measuring and mixing and the oven timer float to my hears. I “ignore” it all. “You don’t know what we’re doing…do you?!” they question. I state that it’s obviously covert operations and that it sure does smell good! As the night wore on, the cake was baked and iced before cooling in an attempt to eat it before bed. We did. It was fabulous! Thanks guys. That was so nice! I spent hours today with wet hands. I cut and peeled countless apples. I even have a “gizmo”, but the misshapen apples proved too much. I had to cut out the yucky parts on every single apple before tossing it in the pot. My hands found a rhythm; wash, peel, cut, toss… I even listened to more of the audio book while I worked. I took a few breaks to rest my hands. My goal was to peel and cut all of the huge haul before I had to leave to take Kate to dance class at 5… I did see a single layer of apples in the sink, and then a stainless steel patch! I didn’t make it. I gave up and put the rest in a bowl for another time. The end result is fantastic! Seventeen pint jars of apple sauce! WHOOO HOOOO! Today I drove out to my brother’s house. It’s about 45 min. from me. He and his family aren’t there now, they are on vacation. I had hoped to take a few friends to a farm for fall apple picking, and maybe still can, but for now, an unkempt, but fruitful apple tree for free! I took a lesurely morning…walking Shadow (with a coulple of doggie friends) and then puttering around the house. I packed my lunch, camera, and an audio book and hit the road. The fall colors are slight and sporadic and today was so humid, I think it should qualify as a summer day! But I am a fall advocate so I was not hindered! I was a bit discouraged when, upon arrival I did NOT find the apple picker by the fence as promised. Careful digging revealed it under the grass and weeds! I picked. I took pictures. I drank a lot of water. I hauled a couple of boxes of apples to the car. As I’d decided to leave, the front garden caught my attention with tomato plants still laden with fruit. I grabbed another box from the car and picked a few tomatoes–enough for more spaghetti sauce! So thanks Bubba for the free produce! I promise to share the results!
Today marks the end of the 3rd week of school. What I want to know is how is it that these 3 wks. are gone so fast and those last 3 wks. of summer were so torturous and slow?!!! I know that it’s all my perspective…
I have been enjoying the time,
but not entirely. In these 3 weeks, three out of five of us have been sick. Yep. School gompus has infiltrated our home! James started it and graciously shared with me. I lost my voice for a couple of days… now Kate is home from school!
I have been busy too. Both schools had “Back to School Night” where I got to meet the teachers. The Elementary School is familiar. I had 3 teachers to meet. There were three segments. Perfect. The Middle School format is nuts. The mission, should you choose to be a good parent, is to grab a map and a schedule from your kid and report to first period at the sound of the bell. (I was late) Then, every 6 minutes, after the teacher has spoken at super sonic speeds about course requirements and expectations, you must navigate all the other good parents with maps to the next class…Before the bell…Repeat for all 7 periods. Leave with handouts and prayers that your kid has a better clue than you! I also have begun the school volunteering. Realized that I have racked up about 7 hours so far! Made a dish for the staff welcome back breakfast, and one for the staff dinner before back to school night. Took 2 stints at the fall book fair. That’s a trip– Little kids with handfuls of change and crumpled bills (totaling $2.04) wanting to buy a $4 wacky pen all before the late bell rings. Soccer, Ballet, and Hockey have all started for the kids. Still working out the kinks in who goes where and when do we eat…
Meanwhile, the grass is growing and my garden is dying. Kirsy hooked me up with a local farmer who delivers a box of produce every week to my door. It’s been fabulous. I had to come up with a dish for lots of eggplant. I made kind of fried chips–the kids loved ‘em! I have been sneaking this veggie into sauces for over a year!
Here’s to hoping the year is not filled with loads of illness, but instead loads of fun and productivity! I have realized that I do a lot of things that are “green“. I either forgot I made the change, or it seems so normal now, that I just take it for granted. This weekend we had a BBQ for some of the teachers from our Children’s Ministry Power Hour. We didn’t buy a bunch of paper goods. We used silverware and glasses and cups from our cupboards and compostable plates. I learned about them from the elementary school were my kids go. It is a certified “Green School”. The PTA has helped that effort by having compostable paper goods at events they sponsor. I set up a “Think Green” area. It included a plastic bin of soapy water for the silverware, a bin for cans and bottles, a bin for the compostable plates, and a bag for trash. When all was said and done, we did not even fill one bag for the landfill! Many of the guests were interested in the garden and compost; we had a “tour” and they were a bit freaked out by slugs and caterpillars. I have been gradually making changes. Now I am taking a challenge.
I am focusing on the lunch boxes for the kids. No trash! I am hoping that will get them more on board at home too! Will let you know how it goes. I’ve been reading this book:
It’s very interesting. How we live has evolved with societal norms. I find the evolution of the kitchen interesting. Moving from the back of the house with little or no thought given, to the central hub of the home where entertaining and family life revolve. Some would argue that the kitchen is a status symbol; a place that can make or break the sale of a home. I view this important room with an increased love. A place of “domestic science” and of a “women’s safety, productivity, and well-being”. I love this quote: “Women’s power is in the home, and they are the spiritual and moral counselors to the nation.” As I continue on my journey of simplifying, I am excited to say that I purchased a Pressure Cooker! I have been wanting one for many years. I remember my mom and her mom making sweet pickles. mmmmmmm! Life goal: make those pickles! I don’t think it will happen this year…only one of my cuccumber plants survived the Spring monsoon we had this year. In the meantime, I will practice on farm produce and maybe my own garden produce later this summer. First up: Blueberry Jam. Yummmy! We went Blueberry picking. It was a beautiful day. But what we didn’t count on were the crowds! Since it was the beginning of the holiday weekend, many families had the idea to pick. So, we were in lines alot. In line to catch the tractor out to the fields. Told which bush to pick from. In line to catch the tractor back in. In line to pay… Ended up with $27 worth of berries. They are soooo sweet. But next time, we’ll go to a less commercial farm–one more off the usual path! |
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