Thursday 26 June 2014

In my kitchen

Linking up with http://beautythatmoves.typepad.com/beauty_that_moves/2014/06/this-1.html

Taking these pictures this week I've realized something.  I love to cook.  I love making hearty, healthy food for my family.  Do they always eat it, no, but I can get the youngest to try things sometimes.  This week it was kale chips.  My oldest would not even look at them and went running from the room, literally!  Friends have told me how good these things are but it took me until this week - when there was some kale ready in my garden -  to try it.  I'm a fan.  Lots of olive oil and a bit of salt - the perfect snack.

I put kale into a few things this week including an omlette and a stir fry.  This dinner was pork, sausage, cabbage, yellow peppers, potato and kale.
And the strawberries, so many strawberries.  I have several bags of them frozen that I will use for smoothies and parfaits and oatmeal.
Sundays are my favorite day to cook because I can make a big meal or a soup without any rush.  This dish was made with the leftover bacon from breakfast - cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts.  

I made stock from our leftover chicken.
Added some split peas, cabbage and mushrooms and it turned out pretty good!
Of course I was the only one to eat it.  
I'm starting to notice a theme here with the cabbage are you?  One head of cabbage and all these meals it's a very versatile vegetable.  We also like it on the bbq.  


These darlings I made last night for the girls to bring to the last day of school.  That is the first dozen of 50 that I'm making.  That was pretty much my week, which considering I was out of town for three days and worked 40 hours is pretty darn good.  Have a great day!


Tuesday 24 June 2014

Garden update

What a learning process this has been for me.  And oh how my legs ache from all the work.  But it's been well worth it this last week with our first crop of strawberries in the freezer ready for smoothies and my first batch of kale chips made and quickly devoured.

I asked Donny to make me a gardening seat for all the time I spend pulling weeds and he made me a nice, sturdy one to use but I still find myself bent right over from the hip pulling weeds.  And on the weekend this corporate girl took off her shoes and just got right in there barefoot instead of bothering shaking the sand out of my shoes each time I left the garden.  

I know it doesn't look like much but my "kitchen garden" has 10 tomato plants, three pepper plans, two rows of lettuce, a row of spinach (which hasn't sprouted yet), and just last weekend I planted bush beans and sugar snap peas.  The beets seem to be winning the battle against the ants and the celery seems happy enough.  I do worry about my peppers though.  They are not very hearty and don't seem to be growing much.  I bought the planted ones from the store already started and I have 3 seedlings I started myself in the house which I've yet to plant.  And some jalapeno plants too.  

I was away at a conference last week so all day Sunday was spent outside with my hands in the soil - what a great contrast.  I also did a lot of cooking that day which I'll post later this week and link up with http://beautythatmoves.typepad.com/beauty_that_moves/2014/06/garden-visit-june-24.html for "in my kitchen."  
The little cage I've made for the sugar snap peas - may need to make a bigger one.  

I'm happy to report that the other garden, despite the weeds that almost took over while I was away, is doing well.  The lone pumpkin plant is thriving and the cucumber, squash, zucchini and onions are also doing well.  Sadly my golden beets didn't come up at all.  I blame this on lack of watering on my part.  And lastly a list of items I didn't plant, which I should have planted and certainly will next year:  carrots, potatoes, more kale, cabbage, swiss chard and more bush beans.  How is your garden growing?  Do you think it's too late for me to grow a crop of carrots?  


Wednesday 11 June 2014

I'm still here

I'm checking in just to say "I'm still here."  I think about this blog everyday but it's been a busy time of year for me.  Even my garden isn't getting as much attention as I'd like.  And my family?  They've been wonderfully accommodating to my work and travel schedule.  Tonight it's only one night away from home but last week I was away Friday to Sunday.  This weekend I promised my youngest that we will move her into her own room.  My room just needs one more coat of paint - which I'll do Friday night - and Saturday we'll move everyone around.  Next week I'm away again from Wednesday to Saturday and then in 2 more weeks I have a week's vacation.  It's all very good and exciting except my mind is not on the farm these days but miles and miles away at other places.  I'm trying to post Thursdays of "in my kitchen" blog link up but I'm not in the kitchen much.  The last thing I made were some brownies that turned out quite - bland.  And my Friday "this moment" was not done last week either.  I will get back on track this week - promise!  Have a wonderful Wednesday.