We grew beans!
Which by the way make you itch and itch and itch after picking them, but it’s so much fun.
Archive
I wonder why my parents didn’t raise me with the desire to work out, to exercise? And, how do I change that? How do I number one consistently commit to a work out routine, and number 2 teach my future children to enjoy exercise?
Any ideas?
I know it starts with finding something you like, but then it seems like I end up paying and arm and a leg to stay fit. Yeah it’s important and I assume I’d rather spend money on a yoga class than on a Chicago dog with everything and onion rings but I want free or relatively cheap exercise that I can also enjoy.
Hmmmm.
I guess I’m just going to have to kick this dog and cat out and lay down a yoga mat in my living room - 3 days a week.
I can’t believe it is already Friday. Where did time go this week?
I’m in love with this wedding! It makes me want to throw a fall party in a park somewhere! And, everyone must dress up.
via Once Wed via One Love Photo
Three years ago today I met Mr. Nathaniel Griffin.
We created an energy together that day I had never felt before. It was magical, and I knew there was no looking back. I found him.
We spent this weekend quietly enjoying ourselves - my favorite kind of celebration.
My energy has been so sporadic lately that I haven’t been as good at taking farm photos and such. But there is some news on the front - some good some not so good.
Good news - We have harvested about 8 summer squash and 5 or 6 zucchini.
Not so good news - All squash plants have Powdery Mildew, and some form of root rot. Two years now I have had squash plants and each died due to Powdery Mildey (a condition that forms when the weather is too humid/hot/wet), but never root rot. It seems as though some kind of bug has eaten through the stem of the plant, down to the root, and is beginning to gnaw away at the roots. We have not seen the tale tell signs of wilting leaves yet, and fruit is still producing - yummy as ever.
We’ve made this summer squash soup twice - delicious! And, this zucchini cake.
Good news - Our tomato plants have started to grow new baby tomatoes after that bit of HOT HOT weather.
Not so good news - Our heirloom tomato plant is having an adverse reaction to the change in weather - HOT days, cool nights and is beginning to scar. It is called radial cracking, and begins at the stem part of the tomato growing around to the bottom. The tomatoes are still edible, but the heirloom are not ripening fast enough which seems to be causing the cracking. We may have to whip up some fried green tomatoes, or green tomato chutney.
Good news - The basil plants are out of control!
Not so good news - I have had no energy to make a huge batch of pesto! Must do pronto. I need to find a nice binning solution to freezing it. It can last for months, but my freezer isn’t that big.
Good news - The green beans are flowering.
Not so good news - No beans yet!
Good news - Lots of cucumbers
Not so good news - One of the plants is NOT burpless - You can imagine how we feel hours after ingesting a good cuc.
Good news - The peppers - red and yellow have finally started to grow.
Not so good news - none to report.
Good news - Our seeds from Seed Savers showed up - we have romaine lettuce, beets and carrots to put in for fall.
Not so good news - I don’t really know when to put them in as it is still so hot outside.
That’s about all the news so far. I can’t believe the summer season is almost winding down. I don’t know what I’m going to do come winter. Any ideas?
This morning as I sat down to eat my simple, delicious breakfast of raisin bran with skim milk, wheat toast with butter, and orange juice I remembered two things. Of course you might already know this too but breakfast is amazing. Secondly, it reminded me of Belize.
Nathan packed snacks for our trip down to Belize. You know the essential processed sugary foods like poptarts and granola bars. We had remembered that our resort offered a complimentary breakfast, but being naive as we are we didn’t quite understand what that meant. We know complimentary means to give free, but we couldn’t find the breakfast anywhere! We had assumed that complimentary also meant buffet style.
So when Nathan walked barefoot through the sand to the dining area to retrieve two coffees on our first morning in Belize with no breakfast to be seen we counted our blessings in shiny pop tart packages, and munched away. This would be our fate the next day, too.
I don’t know why we didn’t ask anyone.
On our third morning in Belize we decided we needed real food. Substance, ya know. And, we knew we could order breakfast off of the menu for something around $15 a platter. So this time we both walked over barefoot in the sand to the dining area, took a seat, and a menu. Our server approached us with coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice, and said, “It’s complimentary. Our breakfast for you includes cereal, yogurt, toast, baked goods, fresh fruit, and orange juice.”
WHAT?!
You mean we’ve been eating poptarts for days on the front porch of our casita for no reason at all!
We had a laugh.
And, we each ordered everything off of the complimentary breakfast list.
Summer time and frozen treats are two of my favorite things. I love popsicles, ice cream, sherbet, you name it! So when Nathan recently picked up a blender I went wide eyed in hopes of fresh fruit smoothies!!
I made my first one with blueberries from one of my favorite local farms Ellis Family Farms, ice, milk, and yogurt!
Delicious!
Greta and I have been equally as lazy lately.
There is nothing like a good cat nap.
I wish I could hire someone to scour Craigslist for a cheap couch for my house. This ole love seat has got to go!
Number 1. It cost me $50, and has served its time.
Number 2. It is currently the dog’s bed. Guh-ross.
Number 3. The pillow cushions are all lumpy now, and make for not so comfy back while sitting on it.
I’m looking for something simple, clean, easy to take care of. And, I promise I will not let the dog get on it. Maybe leather, maybe cotton. Anything but this loveseat will do.
I just tried to find a photo of it, but can’t.
We had more special visitor’s last weekend! Kelly and Steven are traveling cross country from Tampa, Florida to one city and campground and state after another! How exciting is that!? Once they stopped in Chicago they had already been to DC, Philly, NY, and NH. We tried our best to show them Chicago though I wasn’t feeling well most of the weekend.
Bean… check!
Jugband show…check!
Card games….check!
Farmer’s market….check!
Movie in the park… well, almost!
Wheat Pasting …check!
Kelly is an amazing artist, and she brought Nathan and I each a piece from her art collection! I love her style - so endearing! I can’t wait to hang it up in its special spot in the house.
