A garden treat

I worked in my little garden this morning.  We've had some beautiful, sunny weather, but this morning was a bit overcast, not cold though, just about 70.  Perfect for gardening.

I've noticed that when I head out in the mornings, I seem to beat the bugs.  If I garden in the afternoon, when the sun is out and the temperatures are warmer, the bugs are out and especially willing to keep me company!  Last week I was stung by a bee.  :-( 

This morning....NO bugs! No flies, no bees, no hornets, not even any slugs or spiders. 

The peas have produced abundantly this year.  I pick them clean and then in a day or two they are loaded again.

The beets did well. Much better than my last attempt.  I should have planted two rows. 

The lettuce is ready now too. 

Cucumbers, summer squash, and pumpkins are coming. :-)

 

It's so tempting to me to plant a really big garden.  It would be wonderful to be able to enjoy produce from only the garden in the summer months, but I am thankful that our garden is small...and manageable.  We are enjoying all that it produces with nothing going to waste. 

 

We'll enjoy fresh salad and roasted beets along with some grilled salmon for supper tonight.  True Northwest fare.  

 

 

 

Multiple Choice

A. She is THE cutest child ever.
B.  She is the CUTEST child ever. 
C.  She is the cutest child EVER.
D.  All of the Above.

Old School

Look who got a new toy.

This is one of Eric's favorite things to do.

Sidewalk surfing is second only to ocean surfing.

Eric has skated since he was a young boy.  He even competed for a while.   It's so fun to watch him, not only because he looks so natural on his board, but because he gets LOTS of looks. 

Living in the country has its many perks, but the long work-day commute and smooth, paved roads are not on the list.

After sitting on the commuter bus for over an hour, he is ready to move.  He used to walk 1-1/2 miles from the bus stop to his office building - now he carves his way there.  His backpack is NOT light.  He's getting a nice little daily work out.

 

The coolest thing about it is that work, in an effort to motivate its employees, reimburses for fitness equipment!  Yep, this Sector Nine long board with Gull Wing trucks, Cloud Nine wheels, and Swiss Speed bearings was covered 100%. 

SWEET!

 





 

Bakin' with bacon

Do you know what this is?

It's quite possibly the best ever meatloaf I've ever made!  I got the recipe from Pioneer Woman.  I love this recipe for a couple of reasons.
  1.  It's wrapped in BACON!
  2.  It's baked on the broiler pan so it doesn't sit in the grease.  {As she suggests, I put a sheet of foil on the bottom tray to catch it all and make clean up a cinch...and it was!}

We had to tweak the recipe to make it dairy/gluten free, but it was still sensational.  You can click on the link above for Pioneer Woman's original recipe with all her glorious step-by-step pictures.

Below is our version.  You really must make this...TODAY!  :-)

Mom's Meatloaf
1 c. rice milk {if you don't like that - you could use 1 cup of beef broth}
2-ish c. rolled oats
1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. dried parsley
3 eggs
8 slices of bacon {1 package from Trader Joe's - Uncured apple smoked bacon}

Tomato Gravy
1 c. ketchup
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. dry mustard

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Place a sheet of foil lengthwise on the bottom portion of your broiler pan.  Secure on the sides.
• Mix the meatloaf ingredients {minus the bacon}.  Shape into a loaf.  Place the loaf onto the slotted upper part of the broiler pan.  Wrap with bacon slices and tuck under. 
• Mix the tomato gravy.  {perfect for kids who think ketchup is vegetable serving}
• Spoon half evenly over the meatloaf.
• Bake for 45 minutes.  Then spoon the remaining tomato gravy over the meatloaf and cook an additional 15 minutes. 

I served it with a big salad and roasted potatoes which are ridiculously easy to make and so delicious! 

In a large Ziploc bag, place
8-12 red potatoes, cubed
A generous drizzle of olive oil
A generous shake of salt and pepper

• Seal the bag {make sure it's really sealed!} 
• Shake to coat all the potatoes.
• Pour out onto a rimmed cookie sheet or jelly roll pan and spread out in a single layer.
• Bake either at 450 for 45 minutes OR at 350 for about an hour.

Enjoy!!

How country kids beat the heat

 

 

How low can you go?

London Bridges

She'd rather blow bubbles

Mary-sized sprinkler fun

Just messin' with the settings on my camera.

It's not what's on the calendar...it's what is NOT! 

Lovin' the free days,  the sunshine, the kids, and oh, the sunshine! 
:-)

My top ten reasons why I love to shop at Trader Joe's

10.  Hawaiian shirts are cool - so are surfboards!
9.   They ring a ship's bell as a signaling system instead of a P.A.  {gotta love that!} 
8.   They have beautiful fresh cut flowers for a great price.
7.   Their prices are terrific. {I found Udi's gluten free bagels for only $4.99.}
6.   They carry things like organic yellow mustard and organic ketchup.
      {my kids eat a lot of ketchup - they think it's a vegetable serving}
5.   Their cheese selection is amazing.  {all kinds from all over the world - even sheep cheese}
4.   They carry uncured nitrite free BACON.
3.   They have a great selection of organic produce.
2.   They have fresh coffee to drink while you shop.
and the number ONE reason why I lerve Trader Joe's....drum roll....

1.   Their private label {Trader Joe's, Trader Jose's, Trader Giotto's, etc.} products are non-GMO!
http://www.traderjoes.com/about/customer-updates-responses.asp?i=4

Corn is especially nasty when it comes to GMO issues, but you can know that if it has a Trader Joe's label - it is safe and non-GMO.  We have been using their corn pasta and really like the taste and texture.  It is not slimy like rice pasta. 

I have shopped at Trader Joe's since forever {ok, well for about 25 years} and I love that Trader Joe's has stayed small and personal.  

Trader Joe's makes it possible for our large family to eat organic and healthy, but still have some fun with food {hello BACON!} that is full of flavor, not "healthy cardboard".  

Sometimes when I shop there, I'm on a tighter schedule so I just go by my list and get the usual stuff, but once in a while I take my time and meander through the isles.  I always find such great stuff.   They make it fun to shop even for exciting things like... vinegar.   

So what's the big deal?  What does Trader Joe's have that the ordinary grocery stores don't?
Besides ambiance and super friendly, helpful staff, they have things like soy-free mayonnaise.

  only 2.99

 1.99

 2.29

 2.49

So not only are the prices cheaper, but the quality is far superior than what I can find elsewhere.  I dare you to compare the ingredient labels.   {What, no high fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated soybean oil, no preservatives?}

And a little side note.  Did you know that they hide Freddy the frog somewhere in the store.  The kids keep a careful eye out to find him.  The Hawaiian shirt clad men give out a treat - usually fruit leather as a reward for finding him.  Just plain fun, I tell you. 

Oh, and they have all sorts of amazing dark chocolate.  :-)

They are opening stores all over the U.S. now - so check it out, there might be a store near you.  You'll love it, I promise.

New on our little farm

Two little brothers joined our farm today.

Aren't they the cutest?  They are so soft too!  This was the first kidding for this doe {Sydney} and she did great - no help needed from me {WHEW!} 
Mama and babies are doing very well.  She is very attentive {sometimes the new mama is clueless as to what to do with them} and both little boys have been able to nurse {crucial in the first hour or so}.

Today was her due date.  This morning when Matthew was moving the goats to a different pasture, he checked in on her.  No babies then, but definite signs it would be today. 

About an hour or so later I went to go check on her and the dark one had already been born.  I called to Ellie and Abbie, who were playing outside to come see.  He was probably about 5-10 minutes old.  We watched as he wobbled a bit trying to stand, mama still licking him clean. 

After the birth of the first one, Sydney continued to lie down and get up, and lie back down - usually a sign there is another coming.  Ellie, Abbie and I were able to see the second one be born and praise the Lord together for the miracle of new life!  It's just amazing.