Archive for the ‘garden’ Category

freezing:

i had such a wonderful time freezing spinach with my grandfather. it’s such an amazing time for us to be together and be productive for both of our households. i have such love and admiration for him, and whenever we spend time together, it fills my heart with love, gratitude and peace.

the kids had fun playing in “pop’s” toy cupboard, and wyatt was so excited to bring home a bag full of spinach to put in the freezer. i can’t wait (well, okay, i can wait) for cool weather so i can make some tortellini and spinach soup. you want the recipe? oh, okay…

heat some oil over medium heat. add a chopped onion and cook until its translucent. add a jar of diced tomatoes (if you haven’t preserved any, you can use diced tomatoes from the store), some chicken stock or bullion, as much spinach as you’d like, a few cups of water, a little garlic powder, salt and pepper. bring it to a boil then turn back and simmer for a little while. toss in some cheese or spinach tortellini and cook it according to directions. (i’ve never made my own tortellini, but it’s on my list of things to do this winter.) done!

this soup is so quick, yet so tasty!

peas please

i took the kids to the garden for a little pea picking adventure. they weren’t quite ready, so we just picked a few that were plump enough. the kids enjoyed wandering through the rows and trying to guess what veggies each plant was going to yield. on the way back to the house, we stopped at the black cap bushes and had another harvest. it’s such a peaceful and centering experience to walk through your own garden barefoot. especially when you look down the rows and see two beautiful children enjoying it with you.

berry patch

nothing really says “summer is here” like that first trip to the berry patch. this year, our opening day was at the charlotte berry farm. organized by our fearless outdoor adventure group leader, we had a wonderful day of picking, tasting, playing and hanging out. here’s the proof:

i think all of the ladies that went picking made freezer jam last night. but for me, the question remains: what will i do with all of these berries?