Our Garden

Back at the end of April I posted about the beginnings of our first legit garden. Lots of the veggies started as seeds (above:carrots, cucumbers, peas, and some flowers). The kids have been very into it. They check on the plants every day and make sure they get plenty of water, but know not to give them too much. It's been amazing to watch a little tiny seed turn into some amazing fruits and vegetables.

The raised garden box that Luke and Matt built.

It's about six weeks later and our garden has transformed. We are so excited.

(Our cucumber plants have finally flowered and have little cucumbers finally growing - between the flower and the plant.)

Luke has already enjoyed a few of our home grown carrots. Here are some pics of maya and luke harvesting a few.

I'm most excited for our tomatoes. I love snacking on sliced up tomatoes.

And who doesn't love strawberries?!

Since April, we have added pumpkins, corn and watermelon to our garden. We'll keep you posted.

You have a little something on your face

I was making cookies this afternoon. I always put the mixer piece on the table for those in my family who like the cookie dough. Seth was ready and waiting when I took it off the Kitchenaid. I put it on the table and didn't think anything of it. After I put the 1st batch in the oven I noticed Seth going to town on the mixer. It was smashed up on his face as he was working hard to reach every corner and not miss a spot of dough. I had to take some pictures.

First time Jammin'

I finally took my first stab at any kind of canning (and this isn't really canning). My parents canned all kinds of good stuff as I was growing up. I remember canning pickles, tomatoes, peaches, pears, applesauce, grape juice (once the grape juice was done wrong and we got something a little stronger than we wanted...good latter day saints makin some wine - by accident of course!) and of course jellies - canned and frozen varieties. I've been married just about 11 years and have never done any of these things. My main excuse was having room enough for it, but that excuse was really only good for about the first 5 or 6 years. Then we moved a whole bunch (Air Force) and I wasn't all that excited about my produce options in Texas (other than lots of great watermelon - who knew, Texas?) When we lived in Maryland I would drive up and visit my parents in NY a lot and steal some of their freezer jam and bring it back with me. Didn't have to do any of the work - just had to make a 5 1/2 hour drive to get it. Totally worth it!

We move here to Cali last summer and didn't get settled in this house until mid August. By then the strawberry season had passed. We have a stand/farm really close to our house and I've been waiting all winter to get my hands on some of these fresh picked strawberries. They are so sweet! So I got the recipe my parents use and got a bunch of strawberries today. Strawberry freezer jam is a pretty simple thing to do. (I'll know for sure tomorrow when we can test it out - it has to set for 24 hrs) Since it was my first go at this I thought I'd take some pics to commemorate it.

First I got everything set up and ready to go, including washing and drying all the containers. I measured out the sugar very precisely (I never do this when I bake but I want this to turn out well) and started mashing the strawberries a little at a time.

I got Maya in on the action too. Since it was my first time I wanted to do most of it, but next year I'm going to have her do more. This is the type of thing I want her to know when she's all grown up.

(She sporting her new glasses, by the way. So cute!)

Once I got the strawberries mashed and mixed with the sugar, I boiled the water and pectin then added it all together. Man, strawberries smell good! My mouth was watering like crazy!

Next we poured it into our containers so they'll be easy to fit in the freezer.

Luke was happy that he could finally get into the strawberries. Here's our finished product.

While I was doing this, Matt and Maya and Luke were out working on our garden project.

Here's the kids by our new berry bushes. (Black, blue and raspberry. I think there's even a boisenberry bush - I've never had a boisenberry before...I think.)

Here's the plants the kids have been growing for the past month or 2. They all started off as little seeds. They love checking them every day and seeing how they are growing. We've got cucumbers, carrots, peas, and different kinds of flowers growing.

Along with some other supplies, we picked up some strawberry and tomato plants to add to the bunch, but these have already been started for us, so we hopefully won't have to wait as long to see the "fruits" of our labors. (I know, stop groaning. I'm aware it's cheesy.)

We're renting this house (since being in the Air Force will only have us here a few years). Our landlord is fantastic and has given us lots of freedom in using this home as our own and we plan on taking great care of it. The only part of the yard that would fit a garden doesn't get any sun. So Matt and Luke have worked hard on building a portable garden bed that won't hurt the yard here and we can do whatever we want with. We'll see how well the plants grow in it.

Luke and Matt mixing the soil and pete moss. Luke and Maya really love gardening...so far.

(Sorry, these last 2 pics were taken through a window, so they're hazy)

No one's food is safe!

For those of you who have young children (now or in the past) you know that you cannot sit down and eat something without your little coming and helping him or herself to the food on your plate. Well, you can't leave your food unattended on the table and expect to come back to it later either.

I've learned how to make my favorite Jamba smoothie at home. (Saves a lot of money.) Everyone loves when I make up a batch. Unfortunately for Maya and Luke, they haven't quite learned that they can't leave their goodies on the table. Seth is our little smoothie addict. Here's a few occasions of him finishing off Maya's and Luke's smoothies while Maya and Luke were playing in the next room. He loves the stuff! (In the top left picture - fruit bits from the smoothie are all over his face including his eyebrow. We need to work on aim.)

Seth has also become coordinated and strong enough to move our chairs around the kitchen to get to whatever he wants. This Christmas season there has been a pretty much constant supply of treats on our counter and Seth pulls up a chair and helps himself. Chex mix and cookies have become the main source of nutrition for him over the past 2 weeks. We pop him a clementine or banana whenever we can.

Oh Happy Day

A Jamba is coming soon to a shopping plaza near me!!! I'd heard rumors that one was going to open in this big new shopping plaza that just opened its first stores this past summer. So everytime I drive through the plaza I keep an eye out for the Jamba sign in one of the yet to be filled shops, hoping against hope that the rumor is true. Today, as I was driving through headed to one of the stores, I saw a sign in the window of one of the empty buildings: Jamba Juice Coming Soon!

I love Jamba! Hopefully it will be open in time for me to pick one up on my way to the hospital to have this baby in March - and we'll be picking up many more Jamba's after.

I have to say, I'm shocked that a place as hot as San Antonio Texas doesn't have a lot more frozen treat franchises. There are ice cream places but not a lot of frozen smoothie/fruit drink places. Shocking.

My personal favorite is Orange Berry Blitz. Every so often I'll try another flavor, but Orange Berry is by far my favorite. What's yours?

Ode To TastyKakes

(This is for you Rach!)

Oh, sweet TastyKakes, how I love thee so!

Your chocolate and peanutbutter truly make me glow!

The only thing about you that makes me sad at all,

is that I cannot find you on my grocery store wall!

Cheesy? Yes. But if you have had this wonderful treat you would understand. I've only seen them out east which means I've had to go without for the past 2 years. I was so happy to be able to buy them during my trip to NY. My sister, Rachel, understands this dilemma. In order to get some out west, she had to order them by the case. You would think it would be hard to eat a case worth, but they go faster than you'd think. I should've thought to bring some backt o Texas with me, but they got eaten out of my parent's kitchen pretty quickly.