my first apple cozy

you may remember when i posted these adorable apple cozies last fall. recently i found a free pattern and tried making my own.

ya know, 'cause apples get chilly too!=)

csa week eleven

muth family farm's organic csa week 11: kale, fennel, basil, green onion, parsley, collard greens, sweet peppers, yellow squash, beets, tomatoes, tomatillo, jalapeno, kohlrabi, raspberries, canary melon and watermelon

 tomatillo - great in salsa

sweet bell peppers

 canary melon (we were able to take an extra because it was bruised)
for those who haven't tried canary melon, it's like a sweeter honeydew.

kohlrabi - delicious in stir-fry
kohlrabi reminds me of a broccoli stem but milder and sweeter.

this is a very sweet time of year! i'm savoring the last fruits of my favorite season and getting our first fall garden ready. the nights are feeling cooler and the days shorter - but still hot and sunny and full of summer goodness, like cicada songs and swimming pools.

"Summer is the time when one sheds one's tensions with one's clothes, and the right kind of day is jeweled balm for the battered spirit.  A few of those days and you can become drunk with the belief that all's right with the world."  ~Ada Louise Huxtable

food sculptures

the children i watch were inspired by the incredibly creative book fast food by saxton freymann and joost elffers to create their own food sculptures with cucumbers, clementines and olives.

evie made a pirate ship...

and j.t. made an airplane.

they loved their creations and played with them all morning. 

until the fruit flies attacked! the ship, plane and passengers all made it safely to the fridge.=)

fast food was at my local library.

freymann and elffers have created other books with their food art. how are you peeling? foods with moods looks especially cute!

 source

 source

i hope you're peeling happy and well this weekend!=)

choosing the right watermelon

when choosing a juicy ripe watermelon, remember these two words: look and lift


LOOK

• watermelon should be symmetrical and free of major bruises or soft spots

• a sweet watermelon will be deep green with a light yellow or creamy colored spot where it sat on the ground to ripen

LIFT

• the ripest watermelons are the heaviest, so choose a watermelon that feels heavy for its size
• feel the spot where the watermelon was attached to the vine - it should be firm and clean (not soft or rotted)

source

csa week ten and rain on the scarecrow

a pint of blueberries instead of raspberries would have made a rainbow in this basket!

muth family farm's organic csa week 10: kale, basil, sweet corn, collard greens, green leaf lettuce, eggplant, white, orange and purple bell pepper, zucchini, eight ball and patty pan squash, beets, onion, cucumber, assorted heirloom tomatoes, raspberries and watermelon

the photo of week nine's basket was accidentally deleted. it was very similar, though last week we brought home yellow doll watermelon and this week red.

john cougar melon-head

after that caption popped into into my head, i decided to look-up an old john cougar mellencamp song my dad would blast for us in our basement and WOW! below is a link to the song and the lyrics. all the more reason to support local farms! 

Rain on the Scarecrow

Scarecrow on a wooden cross, blackbird in the barn
Four hundred empty acres that used to be my farm
I grew up like my daddy did, my grandpa cleared this land
When I was five I walked the fence while grandpa held my hand

Rain on the scarecrow Blood on the plow
This land fed a nation This land made me proud
And Son I'm just sorry there's no legacy for you now
Rain on the scarecrow Blood on the plow

The crops we grew last summer weren't enough to pay the loans
Couldn't buy the seed to plant this spring and the Farmers Bank foreclosed
Called my old friend Schepman up to auction off the land
He said John it's just my job and I hope you understand

Hey calling it your job ol' hoss sure don't make it right
But if you want me to I'll say a prayer for your soul tonight
And grandma's on the front porch swing with a Bible in her hand
Sometimes I hear her singing "Take me to the Promised Land"

When you take away a man's dignity he can't work his fields and cows
There'll be blood on the scarecrow Blood on the plow

Well there's ninety-seven crosses planted in the courthouse yard
Ninety-seven families who lost ninety-seven farms
I think about my grandpa and my neighbors and my name
And some nights I feel like dyin' Like that scarecrow in the rain

Rain on the scarecrow Blood on the plow
This land fed a nation This land made me proud
And Son I'm just sorry they're just memories for you now
Rain on the scarecrow Blood on the plow

This land fed a nation This land made me so proud
And Son I'm just sorry they're just memories for you now
Rain on the scarecrow Blood on the plow
Rain on the scarecrow Blood on the plow

garden veggie salsa recipe

ingredients

4 tomatoes, chopped
1 tomatillo, chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 ears corn, kernels cut from husk
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 jalapeños, minced
1 T olive oil
1/2 lime, juiced
salt and pepper to taste

optional: add 1-2 cups black beans, half an onion, diced, or cilantro, to taste. 

directions

combine all ingredients and chill in refrigerator at least one hour before serving.  

note: for a mild salsa, remove the jalapeño seeds before mincing. 

enjoy with chips, tacos or burritos.

brown rice tortilla with lettuce, salsa, chipotle lime mock chicken and red pepper hummus

figs!

our young fig tree has finally produced a petite but sweet harvest. last summer and this spring she produced fruit that fell off before maturing. just when i thought all hope was lost for a summer crop, the small green fruit plumped up and turned a pretty purple hue. yay!

 

sunflower with multiple blooms

one of our sunflowers at the community garden has produced at least twenty blooms. you may remember when i showed how thick the stem was back in june. it's more than doubled in size and the plant stands at least ten feet tall. i went a little crazy with the camera - hope you enjoy!

this week i...

enjoyed cooler days with the trio in the "treehouse"...

the cat goes down the slide!

...took lots of wagon walks...

 

my childhood friend's chickies, bubby and evolet

and their gymnast cat, oscar

...finally let the munchkins explore my "white car"...

 oscar included

...ate lots of tasty salads with raw eggplant bacon...

 green leaf lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green onion and eggplant bacon with leftover nacho cheeze made with white bell pepper and cashews

 

 green leaf lettuce, heirloom cherry tomatoes, cooked quinoa, and raw eggplant bacon with extra-virgin olive oil, himalayan salt and pepper

...was rustled out of dreamworld each morning by this lil' piggy...

new nickname, claws

...started the last book of the lovable anne of green gables series...

  my mom gifted me with the collection=)

...henna'd my gray hairs

and received my new specs in the mail.

plastic aunt jemima head-wrap

...made rawlmond joys and peanut butter cups

yummy

and took photos only with my cell, just because. 

complete the sentence, if you'd like...

this week i __________.

sunflowers and edamame

the two loveliest plants in our garden this time of year.

(thanks missy for inspiring me to grow edamame this year!xoxo)

this is where i blog

in case you were wondering...=)

csa week eight

muth family farm's organic csa week 8: red russian kale, sweet corn, green onion, green leaf lettuce, green and white bell pepper, green beans, bok choy, zucchini, eight ball and patty pan squash, cucumber, canary melon, cantaloupe, heirloom and cherry tomatoes