csa-week 11

one of the many treats you get with farm-fresh food :)

Week 11 pick-up:

• 1 lb. heirloom tomatoes
  
• 1 head of red-leaf lettuce
  
• 1 head of cabbage
  
• 1/4 lb.cucumbers
• 2 yellow onions
• 1/4 lb. patty pan squash
  
• bunch of cilantro
  
• 1 red pepper
  
• 2 stalks edamame
• 2 small hot peppers
• u-pick tomatillos
• u-pick sun gold cherry tomatoes
  
• u-pick herbs (parsley, sage)
  

parsley, sage, lettuce... green is good!

salsa verde. yummity, yum yum!

Tonight's Dinner

start with heirloom & sun gold tomatoes

add in olive oil, basil, s&p.
drizzle with balsamic vinegar reduction

irresistible!

This morning, I found an article that Michael Ruhlman wrote for Men's Journal. If you love tomatoes as much as I do and want to drool....I mean if you'd like some inspiration.... Check it out. I already want tomato and mayo on toast. Sometimes, simplicity is best when it comes to food. Article here

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csa-week 10

I feel so lucky to have friends that share the love of good, wholesome food!

Once again, we were unable to pick up our share at the farm and I was able to gift it to someone. I am listing what the farm said was available this week since I haven't spoken with my friend yet.

Week 10 pick-up:

• tomatoes
  
• salad mix
  
• red onions
  
• summer squash/ zucchini
  
• cucumbers
  
• basil tips
• carrots
• edamame
• kale
  
• u-pick herbs, flowers, beans
  

I got this email message last night in reference to the share and trip to the farm:

"Just wanted to tell you how much we loved it! We had a great time there and met some really nice people. We have been eating the veggies daily and will continue to! I will be on board with that next year too! Thanks for sharing your share! We really appreciated it and are very thankful for the bounty!"

That sure put a smile on my face.

Vrooom!!!

Stories of speed and racing were promised and I can finally deliver!

It all started with a postcard I got in the mail. It was an invitation to join Cadillac at Monticello Motor Club for an afternoon to learn about and drive the Cadillac CTS-V. Kris insisted that I sign up immediately so I did. I then spent the next month trying to contact someone with authority to get Kris a spot at this event. I would even have been happy if I could have gotten him on a waiting list but I couldn't get anywhere.

Never having been to anything like this before, I had no idea what to expect. I read all of the FAQ's and recommendations and prepared myself for the event. The day of, I dressed in a tank-top, jeans and comfy sneaks in hopes that I would just blend in. I have no trouble doing things alone but I was going into this blind and like I said, I had NO idea what was ahead of me. A little envious, but still excited for me, Kris boogied to get home, pick up Giada and meet me at the track in hopes that he could watch.

I arrived at the track a little early and quickly discovered that I knew the people that were catering the event. They spotted me and gave me the low-down on the facility and a quick overview of what I'd be doing. I also got talking with a couple of the girls working at the event and explained that Kris was on his way and asked if it would be ok for him watch. They assured me that it was not a problem and they would keep an eye out for him.

Each person was assigned one of three colored lanyards. We would be going through the three modules as part of the white, red or black team. Two of the teams started in class while one team started on the track. I thought that the classes would just be a way to sell us the Cadillac product but in addition to that, I learned a lot about driving and cars. Some of the guys ( there were only a few girls at this event) seemed to know quite a bit about cars so I was worried that I would be the dumb blonde but the people leading each session were great and explained everything in a way that was accessible to even someone like me.

I got to drive the STS-V Sedan for my first trip around the track. It started with my instructor driving a lap to show me what I should be doing and what to look for. We were a bit spoiled that day because our instructors were from the Skip Barber Racing School and in essence, we got free driving instruction from very experienced people. I was nervous as all get out when it was my first time at the wheel. I definitely under-used that car and my opportunity just getting a feel for the car and track. When we completed that session, I was interviewed about my experience. As I was signing the media release for the interview, I was asked if I would be able to stay after the event for a ride around the track with Andy Pilgrim. For those of you into cars and racing, you know that this is huge. Until that day, I had never heard of him but now, I'll never forget him. Duh! Of course I could find time to stay for that!

After that bit of excitement, I went to one of the classes and as we were wrapping up and heading back to the track, I spotted Kris and Giada. One of the girls that I'd spoken to earlier met them at the clubhouse and drove them up to the track. I can't say enough times how amazing everyone involved in the event was. They treated all of the participants like gold but what got me was the way they treated my family. They made sure that Kris and Giada were by me at all times and if I left, they would get an Escalade and drive them to where I was. Some of the girls even gave Giada some treats to quell her hungry belly. Other people brought their spouses but they stayed at the clubhouse for the whole five hours. My family got to watch everything and sit in on the lectures. Unreal!

The rain came in just as we were getting on the track for the second time. Any professional driver will tell you that it just adds another dimension to driving skill and you learn a lot from different conditions. Believe me, these cars have no problem in the rain. I was driving the CTS-V Coupe this time and it was sweet! For this round, they put a camera in the car and recorded everything. You get to see the road, and the interior as well as hear it all. Unless you spend your experience looking at the speedometer, you have no idea how fast you're going and anything feels like its in excess of 50 mph because there are constant turns and jigs but when you watch the video, you see that you only have a few chances to really gun it and even then, I only maxed out at 104 mph. Hey, It's nothing to laugh at but now I wish I could beat that!

The last track run was in the CTS coupe. We did a series of control exercises. We did a slalom between cones then, from a dead start, we gunned it and braked as we rounded a curve. The coolest was the drag race after that. One foot on the gas, the other on the brake,....Three, two, one....GO!!! I won 3 of my 4 races and the last one was a photo-finish so I don't think it really counts as a loss...right?

As everyone was leaving, I was pulled aside and we were all driven up to the track to meet Andy Pilgrim. A few others also got this chance and I was the last one to go. By this time, with all of the rain, there was standing water on the track but I was going with a professional race car driver and there was no way I was backing out! He was unreal and though I could see his concentration, he was chatting away as if we were old friends out for a Sunday drive as he took every twist and turn in stride. There are no words to describe it. For a girl that had no clue about racing, I think it would now be fair to say that my interest is piqued.

You'd think that this was the end, but nope! I left Andy to hop back into the Escalade and go back to the clubhouse for another interview about the day and the experience with Andy and then back into the Escalade for a ride to our cars. Top shelf everything that day. None of us will ever forget it and I only hope that everyone involved knows how special they made us feel. I must have said thank you a hundred times that day but even so, it wasn't enough for how they treated us and for the experience we had.

I didn't have much time for pictures that day so, do you want to check out the promo video or my driving? Check out the links below and turn up the volume. If you get the chance to do anything like this....jump on it!

Cadillac V-Series Performance Lab

Cadillac Video



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csa-week 9

I'm pretty happy with myself this week. After a friend asked me recently if I was using the Auto setting on the camera or not, I decided that I really do need to learn more. I took photo classes in High School with a fully manual camera and I passed so there is some knowledge in this brain of mine. I also spent many weekends throughout college immersed in a darkroom with the nostalgic scent of film developing chemicals. I have some work to do but we're off to a reasonable start. All the pictures here are taken by me using the M (manual) setting on my Nikon D3000. I even got to break out the ol' tripod. Good times....



I had to post this pic. I took it the other morning as the sun was peeking in behind the blinds and I sure love a cowboy. For purposes of this post, we can say that he is Sheriff of Organic Farming. Truth be told, he is the much-adored, Sheriff Woody.



Lets take stock of this week's distribution
Week 9 pick-up:

• 1 sm. bunch lemon basil
  
• 1 bulb of garlic
  
• 2 lbs. assorted tomatoes
  
• 3/4 lb patty pan squash
  
• 1 sm. head of lettuce
  
• 1 pint of u-pick tomatoes
• 1 pint of u-pick beans (oops...we picked edamame...not wasted on us!)
  
• 7 stems of u-pick flowers
• u-pick herbs (parsley & thyme)

Isn't it obvious? Caprese Salad this week!!! Basil, tomato, mozzarella, balsamic, evoo, s & p. Summer at it's finest. When the tomatoes are perfect, I could eat this for days on end!

We picked the edamame by accident. The beans are super fuzzy and a bit intimidating but you just need to steam them, add a touch of salt and they are delightful. If you try this on your own, keep in mind that you do not eat the shell, just the beans. You can bite down on the pod and pull it out of your mouth, leaving you with the delicious, nutrient-rich beans.

L to R : the infamous beet salad, thyme & lemon basil, edamame

Last night I tried a new recipe that has been ear-marked for life. Linguini Carbonara ala Giada DeLaurentiis. The linguini, basil aioli and asparagus was topped with slightly runny, sunny-side-up egg. Cosi Buono!

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fun-filled summer day

Trip to the farm? Check. Bite to eat at the cafe? Check. Run to a store in the next county? Check. Too lazy to be productive on a perfect summer day? Also Check. Ummm.. maybe would could stop by for a dip in the pool? Maybe? ..... It's a deal!

Giada has been a uh-may-zing in the pool this summer. We started with a floating device to assist her in learning to swim and now she swims just as well without it. She looks like a little tadpole, kicking her feet and pulling herself through the water to her destination. She likes to tell you that she's scared to jump in but she really does love it. Kris is a great motivator for her. He turns the scary things into fun and his words of encouragement are the carrot she strives for.



After a few laps with and without the vest to show Issa-Aunt how well she's doing, Kris offered to jump with Giada. She held tight as they jumped into the deep end and popped up ready to do it again. I remember never wanting to get out of the pool when I was little and she is the same way. She'd be content floating, kicking and playing all day.



As it does every evening, the discussion soon turned to dinner. Our grill was finally laid to rest this season without being replaced yet so Kris has been chomping at the bit for a good burger. We were at a loss for where to go because, quite honestly, after a few hours in the pool, I had no desire to be seen in public. We then remembered that there is a restaurant at a small airport nearby and summer is the best time to visit because you can sit outside an watch planes and helicopters come and go.

Without telling Giada, we invited her dear friend and his parents, OUR dear friends, to join us. While both kids are very well behaved at restaurants, when you get them together, oh boy! Its not that they aren't good, but they do get a bit wild and they wind each other up. Thank goodness for outdoor dining and sympathetic patrons!

Can you see them at 80 on a cruise together?

now do you see it?

We probably started a hundred conversations that went nowhere because of distractions but as always, we left feeling like we had added to the scrapbook of our friendship.

take a bite outta.....

“Lolly doesn’t remember, but when we first met, I bit her cheek and later she wet the ground.”
This line ran though my head about a million times last night. Its from a book that I read over and over in my teen years. The story is about two unlikely friends and how their friendship develops and it was one of my favorites. I often find myself looking back to the book as if it were a catalog of my own memories, only to be reminded that I was neither Pat or Lolly and I don't recall biting anyone. Now though, I can share this story with Giada when she is older and she will be able to relate.

I got to daycare yesterday to pick her up and she bounced over calling, 'Mommy!!'. As I asked her to make sure all her toys were picked up, one of the teachers gruffly told me that she needed to speak with me. Oh boy..... now what?! Last week, they moved Giada's seat because she said that another child kept kicking her. I believe that it was unintentional as they sit them pretty close together and some are more fidgety than others and they had three of them sitting at the end of the table. That's two sets of legs going one direction and a third set going the opposite direction. There is bound to be an issue.

So back to yesterday...."Giada's Mommy..,Giada bit another child today". "BIT? Giada? What happened? Is the other kid ok?" Oh for the love....really? What I got from the rest of the conversation was that the teacher relaying the info was not there when it happened but apparently while the kids were in line, Giada just leaned over and bit the kid in the arm. When asked about it, she said she did it because she wanted to. Super. Do I even need to tell you what my reaction was? All of this on the heels of a dear friend having her first baby yesterday afternoon. This is the thing that you are never prepared for. There is no way to avoid this other than by crossing your fingers and for me, that's worked pretty good for almost four years.

Last week I emailed a friend saying that in a moment's notice, Giada can go from acting like a baby to being a hormonal teenager. I guess this act demonstrates that pretty well....not that I needed an example.

So the car ride home was a 20 min. discussion of who it was, why it happened (still no reason...completely un-provoked) and why we don't bite, hit or use mean words. I was calm but stern because I know that the moment I yell, she clams up and then cries so I won't get ANY info and the discussion will go nowhere. I went on to tell her that we would be discussing it with Daddy when we got home and that was when the waterworks started. Hysteria, gasping for breath...the whole bit. She knows that Kris is pretty good at raising his voice and that's pretty scary for a little girl. I told her that I was sure he'd yell but she needed to be strong and tell him the truth. We then discussed what a proper punishment should be. I told Giada that she needed to write an apology to this child and she had to apologize to him and the teachers again the next day. I went on to say that I would talk with Daddy about what else would happen as a result of this action.

Kris had about the same reaction as I did and he said that the letter wasn't enough of a punishment. I agreed, but really, what else can you do? She rarely gets dessert or treats, so that is out. TV she barely watches and we'd already accepted the invitations to two birthday parties where we're friends with the parents, so not going to those would punish us as well. Kris suggested that we take her bike away. Even though she doesn't ride it terribly often, she loves her bike and after she 'talked' with Kris, taking away the bike did make an impact. She was a very unhappy girl last night and by the time she went to bed, I was just as wiped out as she was.


I always said that if I had a kid, I would never be one of those parents that said, "not my child". In addition to the picture and note she wrote to the little boy, I wrote my own note to his parents. I was mortified that she went so far as to bite another person. Especially when this boy has always been so nice to her and she even admits that he didn't do anything. Ugh. When Pat bit Lolly, she explained that Lolly was a new girl and she was so amazed by her red cheeks. They reminded her of apples and she loved apples and just wanted a taste..... What could Giada have been thinking? I may never know.