Summer

Well, officially it's summer but it has been unseasonably cool and overcast.  The upside to that type of weather is that it is perfect for growing salad greens.  Every night Brian and I eat a delicious, just picked salad from the garden.  The greens are so tender they practically melt in your mouth.  I love to add fresh dill and arugula for some peppery, herbal flavor.  Once the basil (in the hotbox) is ready, I'll add that, too!

I have a small craft fair coming up early in July and I've been working on some inventory for the event.  I've had a lot of requests for more zippered pouches, so I've been sewing up some of them.  I love this one with the chicken print!  I lined the inside with a green woodgrain print by Joel Dewberry.  It's very "down home on the farm, I think!"

Happy Summer, everyone.  I hope some of you are seeing some sun!

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

It's abundance time!  I find that mornings are usually the nicest time harvest out of the garden because it's less stressful on the plants and it's downright beautiful to be amongst the veggies at sunrise.  Very inspiring! 

I picked lettuces, beets, broccoli, and zucchinis this morning and I have to say, it was a great way to start the day!  And the lettuces were so delicate and sumptuous that I had to eat some for breakfast.  Lunch will be more salad and dinner will consist of roasted beets, zucchini, and steamed broccoli.  And let's not forget about the pesto!  I love summer!!

Up Early

I'm up early this morning.  Brian is digging clams at the beach and Bronwyn is still sleeping.  The yard is glorious!  I thought I'd share a couple of pictures that I took.  It was so lovely to have some time in the morning to myself!  Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Taking Care

While it is practically spring around here, elsewhere it is decidedly otherwise.  And truth be told, our bodies here aren't fully convinced that it is spring.  We even have another cold, just to put a fine point on it. 

This past weekend, it was 60 degrees and we decided to get the garden ready for planting time (still a few weeks away).  I harvested the rest of the leeks and onions and Brian and I shoveled and raked four inches of new compost over the whole bed. Our plot is now absolute pornography for the gardener.  The soil is lucious and black and ready to bring seeds to life.  Today it is 40 degrees, raining, and we all have the sniffles.  Luckily, we have leeks; washed and ready.  I'm making my favorite leek/potato soup: comfort food and healer of colds.  Here's my recipe for those of you who may also be up to your noses in snow and cold.

Colleen's Leek/Potato Soup:

4-5 nice fat leeks, or twice that many smaller ones, washed and sliced in thin rounds

1 yellow Spanish type onion, chopped

4 self-respecting potatoes.  I like the yellow, thin skinned kind, scrubbed and cubed. (If you only have bakers, peel them)

2 TB Olive Oil
1 TB Ground (powdered) mustard
2TB Bouillon (I like the brand, "Better Than Bouillon") either vegetable or chicken
Salt, to taste
Ground Pepper, to taste
8 Cups of water

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and add the leeks and onions.  Sautee until the onions begin to get soft and then add the potatoes and the ground mustard.
Sautee a little more (5 minutes) and add the remaining ingredients.
Simmer until the potatoes are tender, adjusting seasonings to taste.

If you like a smooth soup, you can blend it, but I personally like mine more chunky.

Serve with a lovely french bread, and feel better!

A HOT one in the Garden

Good Morning, July!

I've got SO much to do, and really don't have time for new projects but I got this new fabric in the mail that I just MUST sew into a bag. It's from Anna Maria Horner (so of COURSE I love it) from her drawing room line. And I've got four bags that I'm finishing, and I want to make an outfit for Bronwyn but I made the mistake of trying to use a commercial pattern. Why oh WHY doesn't my brain want to cooperate with these silly patterns? Anyhow, this is a quick post just so you can feel my pulse. Maybe I should skip the coffee today....

Summer

It has arrived in its official capacity:

Summer.

I always have mixed feelings about this: Summer is such a beauty in it's chaos: The abundance of the garden, the overtly sexual flowers, the heat, the frantic schedule of fun and the cramming of time. I'm sad because the summer solstice represents the last of the waxing of daylight. And I'm so glad that I don't have to keep this pace all of the time! So I resign myself to just enjoying the moment for what it is.




Here are some shots of my yard that I took just a few minutes ago. The top flower is called "Red Hot Poker" and it is a favorite of the hummingbirds and honeybees right now. The collage represents (from left to right and top to bottom): Ocean Spray (a native), Tiger Lily, and Italian Plum (I need to thin these!).

Happy Solstice, Everyone!

Diligence

This past couple of weeks my daughter has been sick with a nasty cold. And then I got sick. And it was really rainy outside. We laid on the couch together and sipped tea. It sounds so idyllic and wonderful when I put it that way, but we were snorkling snot, coughing, and moaning. We got little sleep. We were cranky and frankly, we got tired of each other. FINALLY we're feeling better, and yesterday the sun was out. We went for a long long walk, and I noticed that my daffodils are not only up, they're trying to bloom! It's almost December up here in the Pacific Northwest. What the heck?? But it was a nice little spiritual reckoning for me, seeing those tender bittys standing up tall and ripening their buds. Maybe I'll have daffodils on my Thanksgiving table this year; that would be a first!

New Arrival

She Didn't Want to Open
Originally uploaded by BCharmer

Yesterday, one of my dearest friends had her baby. I got to go and see him last night, and I was filled with love and awe and respect for the whole process of becoming a parent. Looking at him, so new and tiny, reminded me of how much my own child has grown, and how much time has passed from the day she was born until now. I feel like savoring my moments right now. Everything feels so precious and fleeting. Here is my challenge for today: to be present and awake in what I am doing, even though I have so much to do!