Making time for a busy day!

I just tallied up all the things I did today:
Got up at 5:30am
Headed to my (day!) job from 7am-3pm
Stopped by North Star on the way home to pick up fresh peaches and tomotoes
Ran an errand (with the kids in tow) to the vision center
Took the kids to the bookstore
Picked up some local sausage and pasta sauce
Added above ingredients to some pasta, local chicken, and fresh summer squash from Old Path Farms for dinner
Started the process for cucumber salad (has to sit overnight!) with local whole-milk yogurt and homegrown cukes!
Worked a little in the back garden checking out the damage from the heavy rain of last week
Picked, washed, blanched and packed a gallon of bush beans for the freezer
Gave both girls a full bath
And now...working on my blog.
It's amazing to me how much I am actually getting done in the few hours I have each night after work.  In comparison to a few weeks ago, when it was all I could do to stumble in the door and get dinner on the table, I think I'm figuring out my new schedule.  One other thing has drastically changed, too.
A couple weekends ago, I spent an entire Saturday cleaning.  I started when I woke up, and I didn't quit until I went to bed.  I sorted, I straightened, and mostly, I purged.  Out with the old, hardly used, and should never have bought.  In with...well, not much besides a tote or two to corral what was left.  Due to the unusual heat of this summer, we moved both girls into one bedroom to make better use of the one window unit we have in our house.  Thus, the playroom was reborn.  This left me with the perfect opportunity to clean out the toys.
And clean out, I did.  I packed up all the non-age appropriate toys, the toys no one really played with anyway, and the toys with all those little pieces that seemed to get dumped in the middle of the floor.  And, with the new organization came a new rule: anything left out when playtime was done was going to be packed away for a week.  I have to admit that happily, I have not yet had to pack up anything.  How did I work this magic?  Simply put, I simplified the clutter.  There just isn't as much "stuff" to get out, so there isn't as much "stuff" to put away. Was I heartbroken to pack up some of those toys?  Yes!  Was I filled with regret for some of the purchases I had made in the past?  Yes!  Do my kids miss any of those toys?  NO!
They still have dolls, dolls, and more dolls.  They still have all sorts of puzzles, games, and coloring books.  They still have books and magazines to read.  And, they still have the backyard, their imaginations, and each other.
So, with less time spent on cleaning up the mess, I have more time to...well, you saw the list!  Never a dull moment for me!  And, at the end of my day, I feel satisfied!

Basil walnut pesto

Per request of my new followers, I am including a few of my favorite recipes!  

Not all of these are my own creation, so I'll try to give credit where I can.  I have to admit that pesto is one of my favorites.  Basil is so plentiful in the summer in so many varieties(see three of my 5 varieties above)!  I make this with traditional basil, lemon basil, cinnamon basil, or a combination!  If you prefer a milder taste, substitute some fresh baby spinach leaves for some of the basil.

This recipe is so simple, and only takes a few minutes to make.

2 cups packed basil leaves

3 fresh garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup water

kosher salt to taste

1/2 - 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1 package (13-16 ounces) angel hair or spaghetti, cooked and drained

Blend basil, garlic, walnuts, water and salt in a food processor.  Add the olive oil, blend well.  Add the Parmesan cheese, blend well.  Add to the cooked and drained pasta.  Serve with additional shredded Parmesan cheese on top, if desired.

YUM!

The changing of the guard

This weekend, I officially traded seasons in the garden.  The pea shoots that sent my 3 year old into the garden every night for crunchy, sweet goodness were ready to come down.  Last year we had a cool summer, and our peas lasted almost into August!  This year was more typical with the vines yellowing mid-July.  We had had our fill of peas by then, and were ready for some new arrivals.
My garden seems to be lagging behind a little this year, but we are finally seeing the start of some tiny fruits!  Most impressive was our haul of bush beans this week.  On two separate days, I filled a quart size container to the brim.  I never can decide what to plant, so this year it is golden wax, contender, blue lake, empress, purple pod, and a flat, curly spotted bean called dragon tongue.  They are so delicious picked fresh, rinsed and thrown right into a steam basket with a few green onions!  Kira, who is 5, loves to crunch them raw (especially tasty dipped in blue cheese dressing!).
There is only a small crossover between the spring and summer veggies in most parts of the country, but here in the normally cool NE, we often have peas mixing with green beans.  This year, with the early heat, I think I am lucky to have any cool season veggies at all!
I am excited to see what will be successful in my garden this year, but nervous, too.  The first week of August last year I spent cutting and destroying my beautiful tomato plants that had succumbed to the dreaded late blight that plagued most farmers in my local area.  This year, the threat seems to be less, but I still check on my babies every night and pinch off any leaves that look the slightest bit discolored.
Until I'm spending more time harvesting, I am snatching up the local seasonal berries.  I've moved to blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.  I love to watch those gallon bags fill up as I freeze and stock them away for the colder months.  My new deep freezer finally arrived on Monday and it will be full faster than you can read the manual.
I also took a canning class this weekend.  I always wanted to learn, but the cost and lack of experience kept me away.  It was a great experience to learn, risk free, and get some hands on experience making jam and pickled beets.  I think I may be buying a large pot and canning rack soon!
Next on the list?  Root cellaring!

Breakfast!

The breakfast of a local food lover.  Excuse the picture, because it really doesn't do justice to the taste or appearance of this meal.  It's become my standby meal of choice.  You can ask my friends from the night shift at RMH: this was my midnight snack almost every night!  I just can't tell you how yummy the Maple Hill cream top yogurt and granola from Rosemont Inn tastes with berries! Of course, until now, I had to settle for frozen fruit.  Now, I use fresh, tart blueberries mixed with raspberries and sweet juicy peaches.  YUM!  If you have a source of local yogurt, I demand that you try this dish!  You'll never think about yogurt the same way again!

the start of a good summer crop!

Finally things are looking up in the garden this year.  To say we got off on a slow start would be an understatement.  Between the unusually warm spring in NY and my acceptance of a new job just at the start of the growing season, the timing of things was a little off from the start.

Just a few days ago, I wondered if I was going to get anything but the bowls and bowls of sugar snap and snow peas that Alayna (my 3 year old) picks every night.  Most bowls don't make it in the house, as she looooooooves to eat peas off the vine!    My salad greens were a hit in early spring, but the heat caused them to bolt extra early, leaving them bitter and limp.  My radishes were tasty for about a week and then they got woody and tough.  Most of the veggies I had planned for love cool weather.  The weather this year has been anything but cool.

I also had a buggy issue in the big back garden.  Despite my watchful eye, most of the leaves off my pepper plants have been eaten nearly off.  Luckily, I had planted one of each variety in the ground and one of 

each in a pot.  The potted ones are small, but leafy.  The in ground ones are starting to recover, but slowly. 

My corn plantings are my biggest "failure" of the year.  I planted blue jade, sweet corn, and strawberry popcorn.  Most of the corn seeds were dug up by some hungry creatures, who left the sad stalks to waste on the ground. 

My tomatoes were started late, due to damping off of the first round of seedlings.  The second set of seedlings all survived, but are much smaller than usual.  The weekend saw a lot of green, but no blossoms or fruit.  But, now, all the plants have at least a few blossoms, and some have hundreds.  I have 4 potted cherry tomatoes, and my sungold looks like it will have the first tomato of the season, with one ready probably by tomorrow!  Now, I hope I can get to it before Alayna!  Last year I ate very few of my yield, as she would sit in the garden and just eat them one by one!

My eggplants have beautiful purple blossoms, and are huge compared to years past.  Hopefully this will be my first success with them.

My beans all look fabulous.  I planted several varieties of string beans.  A handful will be ready in the next 24 hours and I see hundreds of purple and white blossoms in the front of the garden!  

I thought my squash, both winter and summer were a loss due to the slow start, but it looks like all summer squash will be coming soon!  Lots of blossoms for all!  The winter squash is not vining as well as last year, and I hope it takes off soon!  The cucumbers are just starting to climb the trellis.  I tried for watermelon and charantais again this year.  All are small, and with our short growing season, they may not grow any fruit in time for picking.
My best surprise this year is the random pumpkin vine growing right out of the bottom of my compost pile.  My guess is that it is from a seed in one of the pumpkins we tossed in last fall.  I can't wait to see what happens!  I also planted 2 mini varieties and 1 sugar pie that look good so far.
For first time plantings this year, I tried onions, which are looking good.  Every few weeks I am able to thin them and eat the thinnings!  Yum!  I do the same for kale and swiss chard, also first time crops.  My potato crops are growing in bags near the garden, and they are large and leafy.  I hope they are growing goodies underneath the soil!
So, what started as a dismal year is looking up this week.  My guess is that soon, we won't be able to keep up with the produce!  For now, we are enjoying the produce from our CSA farm box and from the local farmers here in upstate NY through farm stands, farmers markets, and the foodshed!
The past few weeks have found me blanching, chopping, and freezing.  Some peas and beans, but mostly the super sweet strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries we have here in the NE.  I have my first canning class on Sunday, where I hope to learn other ways of putting up food for the bleak months to come.
For any who are local, come by and visit my gardens anytime.  I'll show you around!  For the rest, enjoy my updates and pictures as the season gets in full swing!

Katie's Bread Recipe!

I tweaked the recipe for Classic Sandwich Bread from the King Arthur Website www.kingarthurflour.com to make a no-fail bread recipe.  I wanted to find a dense loaf made with real, whole ingredients.  Plan for this loaf to disappear quickly!  It tastes best when toasted and slathered with real butter and local honey!  I am lucky enough to have access to locally grown and ground flour, local honey, and local cream-top milk for this recipe.

2 cups unbleached All-Purpose Flour 

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup 2% milk 

1/2 cup hot water
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) melted butter (real butter, not margarine!)
3 Tbsp honey, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoon warm water 

Mixing: 

In a small bowl, mix the yeast, 2 Tbsp warm water and 1/2 teaspoon honey.  Let sit until doubled in size.  

In a large bowl, combine the flours and salt.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with a damp towel, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with damp towel, and allow the bread to rise for about 60 minutes, until it’s domed about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.

Baking: Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for about 35 minutes, until it’s light golden brown. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow).  Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature. Yield: 1 loaf.