Wanted: furry scuttlebutt with scratchy claws

We have been chasing groundhogs from our property all season.  We caught one that perished before we got to it and smoked a few in their tunnels.  Kris has also played the role of Bill Murray in Caddyshack hunting them down and I have to say that seeing him out of the corner of my eye trying to sneak up on one was beyond hysterical.  Just the other day, I came down the stairs and saw through the sidelight of our front door, a pretty gutsy guy snackin' away on the clover right in front of the house in the middle of the morning as if  he owned the joint. What nerve!

This may be why when I got home on Monday night and saw one lying on his back in front of the mailbox, lifeless, I silently did a happy dance....and then hopped out of the car to take a pic and send it to Kris.  No, don't go calling the UN on me.  I merely 'documented the evidence for identification purposes'.  This picture will not be found plastered on the enemy's news bulletin.

When I left for work Tuesday morning, the body had apparently been relocated as I didn't see it anywhere.  I assumed a car had pushed it off the road into the ditch or another animal found it.  I returned at the end of the day to find some thing (s) black blocking the road in front of my house.  As I got closer, I was given the once-over by a venue (million dollar word right there) of turkey vultures.  They had successfully located the remains and were having dinner right in the road.  That's nature, right?  Well how do you explain this to a curious almost-four year old?

I try to be as simplistic & honest as I can when I an asked explain things like this. In this case, I just reminded Giada of the dead woodchuck and said that just like people eat chicken and cows, these birds eat meat, they just get it naturally instead of going to the store.  That seemed to be enough to satisfy her.  About 10 minutes later, I saw her standing at the same sidelight where I noticed that nervy groundhog  and she was just staring at the birds.  She told me that when they eat, they stand right on the groundhog.  Nice observation, G.  A few minutes later, she walked into the kitchen and asked me if they eat the face first. "Umm....well....gee....I think they actually start at the belly and eat the organs first".  Really,?  That's the answer you give a 4 year old?  What ARE you thinking?  Hey, the kid acted as if that must be right so I'm not going back on my word.

Kris got home and since this was what seemed to be the highlight of the day, Giada gave him the 411 on the vultures and without waiting for what my response was to the face eating question, Kris told her that he thinks they eat the eyes first.

If I were an outsider, I might think that Kris and I are a bit too blunt with her. We are a bit sarcastic and inappropriate at times but I really think that it will help her in the long run.   Unless she's tired, she takes things in stride and gives it back as good as it's dished out and her sense of humor is awesome.  After some comment by Kris last night where Giada wanted to prove her dominance, she casually walked away and said, "look it up online".  We've created a monster.

clean up on aisle 5

My mind is is swamped. I need to write it all down but I can't do it fast enough.  I keep thinking all of the thoughts over and over in hopes that I won't forget anything and all the while, I am showering, folding laundry and scooting a little one back to bed.

It's par for the course this week.

I had plans to meet up with someone I'm writing a piece on Tuesday night.  I was early and decided to treat myself to a Starbucks Venti Anniversary Blend.  As I sat in my car waiting for her, I spilled half of the coffee ALL OVER MY LAP.  Thank goodness I learned the power of baby wipes four years ago and I try to keep them in the car. I laughed to myself as I was cleaning up thinking about what a klutz I am and wondering how I was going to explain this to a person I was meeting for the first time. First impressions really are important and she could think that I was a total mess or (fingers crossed) understand that I am just a dork.  Yes, dork was a better option in this situation.

She pulled in and I grabbed by bag, locked up the car and met her at the door.  As she apologized for running a few minutes late, I said something like, " I hope you like the smell of coffee because I just spilled 1/2 a cup in my lap".  That was it.....ice broken.

The interview was easy going and wonderful.  I'm still in the midst of putting the piece together but I will be sure to share it on here once it's complete. Diane's business is focused on good food and teaching people how to incorporate it into their lives.  Can you see any possible reason we'd get along?

I left the interview to discover that my phone didn't work. I stopped at Verizon on the way home to try to get it fixed but they determined at it was dead and had to send out a new one.  I got home around 10pm to a sleeping family and Chinese food in the fridge (steamed veggies, tofu & rice).  I warmed up a small bowl and ate it while I checked my e-mail and caught up on Facebook.

This week at work, we were doing soil testing.  I don't mind it since it's a break from the office but no matter what I did, sprayed. wore, the mosquitoes found me and by the end of the week, I had been bitten in almost every place possible.  If that wasn't enough to tucker me out, I had the aforementioned interview,  invites to get ready for an upcoming lia show, had to re-secure Giada's 'listening ears' , 16 phone calls to the cable company, plus all of the general household stuff like dinner, cleaning and laundry. I get it.  There are people that have more going on than me and I bring some of this on myself but this week kicked my a**.

You'd think that  Friday would have brought some relief but you'd be wrong.  I had to race out of work to get Giada and be home in time for the cable guy.  Unbelievably, he was here at 2pm for a 'between 2 & 5" appointment and although he couldn't solve the ongoing issue, he was able to identify it and be on his way by 3pm promising it would be solved early next week. As soon as he was gone, Kris called to let me know he was meeting friends for a drink and asked me to meet him there after I was done with my errands....before we had to sub for my parents in their bowling league.

I have my....well, everything, crossed in hopes that next week will be a bit calmer.

csa-week 16

Week 16 pick-up:

• 1/2 lb. carrots
• 1/2 lb. kale
• 3/4 lb. red peppers
• basil tips
• sm. bunch of scallions
• 1 piece of squash-our choice
• all u-can-pick grapes, beans & herbs were available

Last week (week 15) was very similar with potatoes in lieu of the squash.  We also got a few beets. I didn't get a chance to photograph or blog about it because we had a very busy day and weekend.  We raced from the farm to a birthday party last week and didn't even have a chance to wash the veggies until Sunday. The week was a blur and I'm sure I made something or other to eat at some point but I can't recall what!  All I remember was roasting the beets to have on a salad.

Before we  headed to the farm this Saturday, I made eggs and potatoes (from the farm with farm red onion and garlic) for breakfast. We had to get there by 10 as we'd signed up to volunteer our time setting up for the Fall Festival.  We moved tables, set up hay bales, made signs and assisted with the parking before our shift was over.

I've been trying to find a good use for kale.  I find it tricky because of the texture but Diane at The Food Evolution gave me a great idea. Kale Chips!

chop the kale (minus the large stems) and tops with a touch of EVOO & sea salt

place on a sheet pan lined with parchment and cook @ 350 deg. for 10-15 min (until crispy)

enjoy!  They are light,crispy, nutty & salty.

I'm not exaggerating when I say I couldn't keep Giada away from these Kale Chips.  Every time I'd turn my back I'd catch her sneaking another off the plate.


We took time for a hike after volunteering and then came home to make calzones and test out a new cookie recipe. A packed day, indeed, but so, so worth it!

press pause

Its a little odd, I know, but sometimes when I am all sweaty and gross from exercise or yard work, I feel a million times cleaner when I use Kris's body wash.  It is crisp and clean and although mine is clean smelling as well, there's something about using a different scent that is refreshing.  So, here I sit with hair still wet from the shower and the smell of clean surrounding me and I am thinking that soon, I will have to wrap myself in ten blankies to keep warm.  I love fall.  I love long sleeves and boots. I love the coziness and the rituals and the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg. I love that everything looks so pretty. and hiking is a given.  I do not like that it means winter is right around the corner.

September offers us a taste of fall with some flashbacks of the warm summer weather. This past Saturday, as Kris was sleeping and G and I went to the farm, I couldn't escape the draw of the mountains.  The ridge was calling me asking me to just stop and enjoy what it had to offer and as beautiful as it was, how could I resist? Instead of lunch, Giada and I returned home after pick-up to get Kris, a bag of snacks and a big blanket.  We headed right down the road to our favorite local winery once again and had a picnic. 

 picnic time

 

We weren't the only ones with that idea.  All of the tables and chairs that are usually scattered on the deck and on the lawn were being used and there was a line inside to buy a bottle of wine.  As Kris waited his turn, Giada and I set up camp in a shaded area of the lawn with views of the ridge, vines and tasting room. 

We had wine, of course as well as some cheese, crackers, hummus, olives and grapes.  We nibbled and drank and nibbled some more as we relaxed and just enjoyed spending uninterrupted time together.

I think back on this summer and I have so many amazing memories. For as many things as we did, I still feel like we could have or should have done more.  I have a list of things in my head that I want to do and I wonder; even if I had all the time in the world, would I ever get to them all?

We ran races, drove on race tracks, visited with dear friends, welcomed family from foreign land, rode bikes, spent entire days fishing, went to Mets games, saw live music, went to parties, had playdates, learned to swim,  got to Vermont before the flooding, watched butterflies, held worms, said good bye to wonderful neighbors and formed closer bonds with others.......and it was all wonderful. 
Every bit.

she still loves this tree and insists on taking her picture with it

So, fall is just about here and apple picking, pie making, warm apple cider spiked with Captain Morgan's and pumpkin carving are all knocking at the door. I will let them in soon but I think I need at least one more day to wear a sundress and just sit outside with me eyes closed and soak up some of that summer goodness to get me through until spring.

csa-week 14

just a glimpse of this week's bounty

Week 14 pick-up:

• 1/2 lb. carrots
• 1/2 lb. kale
• 1 1/2 lbs. red peppers
• 1/2 lb. patty pan squash
• 2 red onions
• 1 rutabaga
• 1 sm. eggplant
• eat 'em soon, 'damaged' potatoes
• all u-can-pick grapes
• all u-can-pick tomatoes & tomatillos
• all u-can-pick beans
• all u-can-pick herbs 

We started Friday nite with bowls full of veggies.....potatoes topped with yellow beans and sun gold tomatoes.  An ear of steamed corn with butter finished the meal.  Kris had gone out with friends and in his absence, Giada and I decided to 'camp-out'.  Kris and I used to drag our comforter and pillows out to the living room where the TV was and lay on the floor to watch a movie.  At the time, we were as giddy as kids when we'd do this because it was such a treat.  We'd even gone so far as to drag the whole mattress out on occasion. Giada and I didn't go that far but pillows and blankies were for sure, part of the camp-out.

Even after a full night of camping and movie watching, Giada and I got up fairly early and I figured that we'd be to the farm and back before Kris ever opened his eyes. That certainly did not happen! After a million distractions I looked at the time and realized that now I had to boogie.  I still needed to shower and then  run into town to get gas before venturing to the farm.  Last week, we were busy picking up the yard and missed the distribution by 25 minutes. I refused to let another week go by without our veggies.

rutabaga, red peppers & eggplant, green, soon to be fried, tomatoes and......lemongrass!
I have learned to love the imperfections in my farm fresh food.

We got to the farm with 15 minutes to spare and we grabbed what had been pre-picked and headed off to the u-pick fields.  On the way, we passed a free class on canning and pickling that had started at 10:30am.  I would have loved to have gone but it wasn't meant to be this week.

beans, beans, grapes, yum!

If you didn't know what to look for, you would have thought that the fields were picked over with nothing to spare.  Fortunately for us, we love just about everything we've gotten this season so we were happy to have free reign.  There were 3 to 4 different types of beans so we picked the prettiest.  Some bright green ones like haricot verts and some we haven't tried yet which are broad and pale yellow with purple striations. I believe they are called  'Dragon Tongue'.    We easily picked 5lbs. of  green zebra tomatoes and some plain green tomatoes.  I have never had fried green tomatoes but it looks like this will be the week to try them.  I believe we can just dredge them with flour and cornmeal and them pan fry.  In addition to all of these things, we got grapes! Giada, being only 3' tall, was the spotter.  She'd point and I'd grab.  I don't know what variety but they are very similar to concord grapes, just not that dark, powdery skin and although they are tart, it's nothing compared to the traditional concord.

fresh oregano, lasagna with farm-fresh, homemade tomato sauce

 As I mentioned in the last CSA post, I was looking forward to lasagna dinner with that homemade sauce chock-full of farm veggies. This morning, I got it all together and finally broke in my Le Creuset lasagna pan that Kris got me for my birthday.  I usually make two separate pans; one veggie and one with meat.  This pan is large enough to do both so I just did 2/3 veggie and the remainder with meat for Kris and G.  It's not that I don't want to be fair and go half and half but this way, when I have to freeze some, I will just freeze veggie ( I know Kris will have already devoured the meat) and when I re-heat, anyone can have it. I mix it up and try different veggies but this time, I used zucchini. The beef I used was local grass-fed from someone my parents know and I seasoned it with CSA herbs and garlic before adding. 

Before I wrap this up, I want to thank you for reading this blog and especially the CSA posts.  I started adding the CSA pics and posts for myself  to see if this was a worthwhile investment.  I continue to get feedback from friends that are interested in or have joined a CSA because of my experience.  I can't begin to tell you how happy it makes me.  I hope everyone can have a farm as great as we do.  Please continue to share with me and let me know about your own experience!

Giada and I got to witness our butterfly bush with probably a dozen 
butterflies on it.  We stood right next to it with the butterflies swooping 
around us to get to the next flower.  Simply amazing.

FYI: If you've tried before and had trouble, I have added an option to comment without creating an account so, get commenting!!! I LOVE feedback!

csa-week 12 & 13

mmmm...garlic!

Week 12 pick-up:

• 1 bunch of basil
• 1 bunch of dill (we left for someone else)
• 1 head leaf lettuce
• 4 sm. peppers (2 hot)
• 2 garlic bulbs
• 1/4 lb. patty pan squash
• 1/2 lb. swiss chard
• 1 pint u-pick sun gold cherry tomatoes
• 1 pint u-pick beans 

  This was the day before we expected to see Hurricane Irene arrive.  In preparation, we cleaned up anything that could blow away, fueled the cars and bought extra gas just in case.  I made a pound of pasta and Kris made burgers so at least we'd have something to throw on the grill of the power went out at all. The birthday party we were supposed to attend was cancelled so we invited friends over for dinner and hang-out time.Plans for the afternoon were foiled when our friends cancelled due to a sick little boy at home.  Instead, we watched a movie and took showers in the even that we wouldn't be able to in the morning.
   Sure enough, Kris woke up to the sound of wind ripping some flashing off our roof  at 3:30am and realized that we didn't have power.It would be three days until it was restored.  We only lost a bit of food but were bummed that we didn't get to enjoy the chard or basil.

Week 13 pick-up:

• u-pick beans
• u-pick tomatoes
• u-pick tomatillos
• u-pick herbs (thyme, sage, parsley)

(We were late for distribution pick-up and missed out on potatoes, swiss chard, leeks and squash) 

It has been "one of those" weeks and we didn't get to the pounds of tomatoes we had.  Knowing that another pick-up is quickly approaching I wanted to use what we had on-hand before it went bad. Giada and I made a batch of sauce using our farm tomatoes, garlic & onions.  Fresh herbs were ones we grew ourselves and I even threw in a splash of wine from Whitecliff Vineyard.  I can't wait for Sunday's lasagna!!!

beautifully colored swiss chard

sun gold & heirloom tomatoes with basil

Side note:
Kris stops by a shop on the way to work each morning and has seen a Hello Kitty cookie there often.  As a surprise for Giada, he brought one home for her.  She loved it and ate it piece by piece over several days, savoring the gift her daddy gave her.

G & her HK cookie

Food Rules

What a week! First an Earthquake and then a Hurricane..... All is well here and I will soon be back to fill you in on our storm story. Until then, take a minute and read through the following list by the author of Omnivore's Desire.

I just sent this lest to some friends but thought everyone may find at least one 'rule' that resonates with them.


Michael Pollan's list of 'Food Rules':

1. Eat food

2. Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food

3. Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry

4. Avoid food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup

5. Avoid food products that have some form of sugar (or sweetener listed among) the top three ingredients

6. Avoid food products that have more than 5 ingredients

7. Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce

8. Avoid food products that make health claims

9. Avoid food products with the wordoid “lite” or the terms “low fat” or “nonfat” in their names

10. Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they are not

11. Avoid foods you see advertised on television

12. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle

13. Eat only foods that will eventually rot

14. Eat foods made from ingredients that you can picture in their raw state or growing in nature

15. Get out of the supermarket whenever you can

16. Buy your snacks at the farmers market

17. Eat only foods that have been cooked by humans

18. Don’t ingest foods made in places where everyone is required to wear a surgical cap

19. If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.

20. It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car

21. It’s not food if it’s called by the same name in every language (Think Big Mac, Cheetos or Pringles)

22. Eat mostly plants, especially leaves

23. Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food

24. Eating what stands on one leg [mushrooms and plant foods] is better than eating what stands on two legs [fowl], which is better than eating what stands on four legs [cows, pigs and other mammals].

25. Eat your colors

26. Drink the spinach water

27. Eat animals that have themselves eaten well

28. If you have space, buy a freezer

29. Eat like an omnivore

30. Eat well-grown food from healthy soil

31. Eat wild foods when you can

32. Don’t overlook the oily little fishes

33. Eat some foods that have been predigested by bacterial or fungi

34. Sweeten and salt your food yourself

35. Eat sweet foods as you find them in nature

36. Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk

37. The whiter the bread, the sooner you’ll be dead

38. Favor the kinds of oils and grains that have traditionally been stone-ground

39. Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself

40. Be the kind of person who takes supplements – then skip the supplements

41. Eat more lie the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks.

42. Regard nontraditional foods with skepticism

43. Have a glass of wine with dinner

44. Pay more, eat less

45. Eat less

46. Stop eating before you’re full

47. Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored

48. Consult your gut

49. Eat slowly

50. The banquet is in the first bite

51. Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it

52. Buy smaller plates and glasses

53. Serve a proper portion and don’t go back for seconds

54. Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like pauper

55. Eat meals

56. Limit your snacks to unprocessed plant foods

57. Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does

58. Do all your eating at a table

59. Try not to eat alone

60. Treat treats as treats

61. Leave something on your plate

62. Plant a vegetable garden if you have space, a window box if you don’t

63. Cook

64. Break the rules once in a while