I do not know their name

these smell amazing

the boy agrees

hello little friend

Spring is here and with it are the flowers that smell really amazing that I do not now the name of. I feel like I’m in a tropical paradise when their scent wafts past. Even with all this rain, the second the sun comes out, there they are again with their fragrant communication. I love the look on Lukie’s face when he checks out a flower, like it’s his little baby!

tasty bites

a rainbow of tastiness!

We have been cooking lots of tasty things over here thanks to Heather’s class, but one of the best has been the simplest: Roasted Vegetables.

Chop up a couple rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, sweet potatoes, beets and fennel bulbs (and maybe a garlic head too) and roast in an oven for 30 minutes at 425 with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Stir them halfway through. Then you can add some sliced mushrooms and roast for 20 more minutes. You can add more olive oil afterwards mixed with chopped garlic and maple syrup or leave them plain. So delicious.

gluten free quesadillas

Another favorite are these gluten-free quesadillas made with home-cooked black beans and mashed sweet potatoes. They are just so good with a little guacamole and salsa.

Since we stay home and cook a lot, it has been wonderful to learn some new ideas from such a knowledgeable mentor. I am grateful to have access to such good food from our local farmers, and also to learn how to use it in as many healthful ways as possible!

vernal equinox

In our excitement over the equinox yesterday, there was not a single photo taken!

In the morning, we made raspberry bars, (snack treat from the cooking class) then headed over to green string farm to pick up squash and greens. Here, Lukas began helping the interns build a path out of recycled concrete leading to the little playhouse (OK, the two story playhouse) An hour and a half passed by before I called lunchtime.

At lunch, we made a vegetable stir fry and I took a nap while Lukas drew pictures. Then we met a friend at a café with her two boys. The five of us wandered over to the River Heritage Center and spent the rest of the day “fishing” and meandering (and running) around McNear peninsula.

In honor of the fishing expedition, we had fish for dinner. No seeds were planted, our gardens were not worked in, but we were outside most of the day, a great way to spend the equinox!

springing!

It’s Springtime! We can feel it warming up and being windy. A huge tree fell over in the park next to our house the other day there was so much wind. And dandelions are out, and little green shoots are appearing from the ground. Today we are planning on planting some seeds and checking out what spring has to offer, and what we can offer, this year.

on the menu

We’ve been enjoying our online cooking class for almost two months now and I have learned so much!

The best thing I have learned, (among many things!)  is meal planning. I have tried to do this before but I usually don’t have actual recipes to work with, since I throw things in the pan most of the time. Now I have this method mixed with actual recipes from the class, so I can evolve my thinking to make a recipe out of what I might do if I am making a vegetable stir fry.

First, I pick seven dinner ideas, write them on a weekly menu list, and take an inventory of produce and cupboards. What veggies need to be used up first? I figure lunch is leftovers from some other day and breakfast is a constant rotation of four different meals. I make a grocery list of whatever isn’t already here for all those things and go to the store.

I don’t decide that “Monday is chicken night” because I know from experience that if I decide that, then I probably won’t feel like having that on Monday or I won’t have time to make it that day. So I just decide on seven things and then in the evening, I look at the options and decide what fits the schedule and what we’re in the mood for and pick one of the seven. Then I take whatever is needed out of the freezer or soak beans, etc.

I am down to once a week shopping with an occasional trip for more salad and chocolate… AND, I always have what I need to make dinner. So much easier!

handkerchief madness

one handkerchief

two

Well, allergy season is here, so I made some handkerchiefs. They are double sided flannel and nice and soft. A little bit of coziness in the midst of the discomfort of allergies or colds.

I made two but every time I sew I’ll make a few more so there will be a good supply eventually! Just launder in hot water when needed. The inspiration came from the Rhythm of the Family book. Hope all our locals are enjoying the beautiful rain!

{this moment} egg

 

Inspired by Soulemama {this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

maple moon

maple goodness

It’s syrup season in maple and snow country. We live in a non-snow area so we don’t benefit from this spring rite of passage, but we have been reading about it this time of year for a couple years with Lukas. We use more syrup this time of year to emphasize that it is sap season (any excuse for eating more maple syrup, right?)

We have also made it an annual tradition to read this beautiful book, discovered at the library. I love this book. It makes us all want to move back east and make maple syrup! The illustrations are exciting, full of animals and colors and maple syrup action!

alpaca on the needles

on the needles

I made this scarf for my aunt last Christmas and I have been knitting away on another one for myself ever since. Between a few cowels and lots of whole food cooking, I have been enjoying the slow adding of stitches on this project. With thin alpaca yarn like this, it takes some time, but the lacy warm, soft result is worth it! It can scrunch up to be a textured, warm neckscarf, or open up to be a lacy shawl.

fairy dancing

She had a white leotard ad two yards of green fabric. “I need a fairy costume!” So we made one… It was like Project Runway. We had an hour and a half total to sew it into something that would look like the same drapey thing when she put it on for the fairy dance next week. We did it!

It was a simple idea, it wasn’t fine sewing, but so much fun to create something together. More sewing will now be on its way, now that I’ve been given a taste again…