Harvest Monday 6.24

 

This week we had a few new garden treats -- like broccoli! I've never grown broccoli before and now I wish I had. The heads that I harvested were minuscule. So.Tiny. But so delicious. The broccoli had a rough start from seed and I think I transplanted them a little late. So I'll do better this fall and next spring.

Look -- we had enough raspberries to actually take some in the house! This happened twice this week. That never happens. Usually we just stand at the bush and eat three times this much in one standing.

• And I harvested a bunch of overwintered onions. These usually want to start flowering due to our crazy not warm enough all the time spring/summer weather. And they end up so small. But they still take great! There are plenty more that are bulking up well in the new sunnier spot for this year. The red marble looks particularly yummy.
• The rest of the pac choi was also pulled as it was starting to flower. I froze it for future stir fry's.
• We picked two new potatoes. One blue fingerling from last year and another red potato from a potato left over from the grocery store. Amelia and I gobbled these up for lunch.
• Of course, we've also been snacking on small mountains piles of sugar snap peas. There were a few Dakota shelling peas that weren't snacked on garden side that I ended up cooking in a curry.
• Lastly, Amelia has picked every last strawberry to be found. Man...we need more of those things. STAT. I hope I get another late summer harvest. I'm not sure what type of berries I have.

 

Overall, things are growing...slowly, but growing.

• The tomatoes haven't really started fruiting yet. Just a few green cherry's and grapes. I just gave them a little fish fertilizer, so hopefully they will takeoff.
• The beans are flowering and there are tiny tiny little beans growing. Can't wait for fresh green beans!
• And I think my 1 zucchini plant has a load of baby fruit. So that should be exciting in the next couple weeks.

• Next week, I anticipate pulling a garlic stalk to see if the rest are ready to pull. They are starting to fall over and yellow a bit. But I harvested my garlic mid-late July last year. I'd really like to use the space for something else. Maybe another summer squash or some carrots or even fall brussel sprouts or broccoli?

 

Check out Daphne's Dandelions for more delicious harvests!

 

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7 years...?? for what?

June 16th

Dan: 7 years...7 years

Carlie: [looks over at him, then looks away and goes back to what she's doing]

Dan: 7 years, ya know?

Carlie: what are you talking about [invoking a real snotty like attitude, ya know]

Dan: It's been 7 years.

Carlie: 7 years...?? for what? [still keeping the snotty attitude]

Dan: [smirking] June 17th, tomorrow.

Carlie: .....ohhh

Dan: [still smirking, real devil like]

Carlie: oh crap....

Dan: Isn't that so kind of me to remind you?

.....

Carlie: you want to go to dinner tomorrow night?
Dan: Nah. I'm dieting.
Carlie: OK.

---------

Apparently, that's how you celebrate your 7 year anniversary

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Dan graduates!

Finally! 

Dan has his BFA!

I can't believe how incredibly hard he has worked these past four years.

And how patient he was.

We celebrated with a family lunch, his commencement ceremony and then checked out the PNCA BFA Thesis show.

It was really great to see his thesis work shown at a better venue than our house!

It looked so good. Even Mia thought so!

Now.

To enjoy the summer.

Create.

Prep for grad school.

He is off to Oregon College of Art and Craft to get his Masters of Fine Art in Craft [i giggle a little at that...] here in Portland in the fall and we couldn't be more excited that he gets to pursue his passion here in Oregon

Oh!

....

And is currently being represented by UGallery over here! 

Check it out!

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So so much more wonderful

I swear I've waited my whole life for this picture.

I've spent most of my days on earth waiting. Just waiting for things. Waiting for the future.

Now?

I just want it to slow the heck down.

.....

A few weeks ago, I was reminiscing about how wonderful it was to hold a sweet tiny baby girl in my arms and how much I miss holding her.

But now these days-- I've got something that competes with those beautiful little moments.

The happy little awkward open mouth kisses (hundreds of them!) and the sweet moments where she chooses to come over to me giggling and smiling. You know...the thumb-sucking, let-me-lay-my-head-down softly on your knee and then give your knee little kisses moments...those. Those are just soo soo much more wonderful.

And I'm very happy about that.

.....

 

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Harvest Monday - Lettuce and Chinese cabbage

I always wait too long to harvest all the lettuce. I worry it will go bad in the fridge...so instead I let it bolt--oops! But I managed to pick all the rest of it today before it gets too bitter. I'm really loving the small miniature butter heads, the ones with the crinkly leaves. Although I can't remember what it is....Victoria? Little Jem (I think this is the mini romaine) or Tom Thumb?I have some growing in labeled containers so I hope to figure it out this time around.

The raspberries are finally ready! This is the best part of summer...going out every morning to pick a handful of berries.

These are a few Dakota shelling peas. I should have planted way more. Also, not pictured are all the snap peas we've eaten. Those never make it into pictures or the house.

And these are only 1/4 of our strawberries. Every day for the past week or two we've been eating at least 6-7. Amelia has learned to pick the ripe red ones and quickly shove them in her mouth. It's about the cutest thing ever.

And I have two big heads of Chinese cabbage that's ready. Plus 3 bunches of bok choy. This is my first year growing it and it did really well in the garden. Now I just have to figure out how to eat it, other than in stir fry's. Although, the stir fry I made last night was totally delicious. So I'm glad I chose to grow it this year.

 

Today, I also noticed the broccoli heads starting to form. Wahoo! This is my first time growing broccoli. This is typically my lettuce/greens bed because it gets more shade.

Everything else is looking good. There are even a few green fruits on my tomatoes. Although the plants aren't very big.

As usual, the pretty cilantro is taking over. The garlic will be ready soon and I just filled that bare patch where the cabbage was with some late zucchini.

I'm excited about all the onions this year. I never get very big bulbs, but at least this year I'll have a ton (for our little family anyways) even if they are small.

I also have a row cover that I move around. Right now it's over some peppers, since its a little cooler today

And I'm excited to try a few new varieties of beans this year.

 

So far I'm really enjoying our garden this spring/summer.

Check out Daphne's Dandelions for more delicious harvests!

 

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Amelia is 13 months

Isn't she hilarious?

As soon as Mia learned to walk, she's been literally running all around keeping us chasing after her.

We are so impressed with how fast she picked up walking.

Her new trick is to do a funny yoga pose and get us to giggle at her. Clever. There is nothing better than seeing a baby shake her little bum in the air.

For her 13 month celebration we went for a drive.

Can you believe she's picked up driving, too?!?

Just kidding.

Dad was out shooting guns with friends, so we had a little shopping, dinner and frozen yogurt date.

The girl can eat her weight in French fries.

And holy cow...frozen yogurt is the best thing ever.

Now that she is much more mobile, we really enjoy going to our neighborhood playground.

Amelia has no fear and climbs right up the stairs the the highest slide.

It terrifies me.

But the giggle going down the big kids slide is well worth it.

 

She's also picked up skateboarding with Dad.

Again, I'm terrified. But she loves it.

She also loves to read. Her favorite book is The Little Blue Truck. I'm pretty sure I've got that one memorized. She picks it out of her book bin every night before bedtime.

But she also loves this one page of Hop on Pop (Dr. Seuss).

She thinks this lion creature is a dog and basically it's the best thing ever that they are biting each other.

Him

Jim

Jim is after Him.

Ya, know. Hilarious stuff. Completely profound.

 

Anything with a dog these days keeps her attention. Every animal is a dog. And there is lots of pointing involved.

Her current favorite words are:

• Dog
• Dad
• Done (as in "all done")
• Uh-oh
• Ohhhhh!! (while pointing with a nice oval shaped mouth)
• No (while shaking her head)
• Mamamamaaa (usually when she's tired or wants me)
• She sometimes says other words too, but won't ever repeat them more than once or twice. Like tonight she said "hot" to her dinner. But she's hardly says it. Or "down".....she really likes her "D" words. :)
• She understands a lot of words too, like: bye-bye, night-night, hi, outside, Amelia/Mia/Millie, play, milk, dinner, and more.

We just can't believe how wonderful it is to be her mom and dad. We love just staring at her and all the neat things she does. She makes it so easy to be her parents. She's so sensitive when we tell her no or uh-oh. It's kinda funny. She doesn't like getting in trouble (not that she ever does...) Although, lately I have seen her throw her little body back in tantrum mode when she wants to go somewhere or do something that we just can do. We might be in for real trouble later.

But her dancing is the best. I wish I could get video of it, but I'm just too busy laughing and giggling along with her.

And she sometimes just crinkles up her nose and giggles at us. For no reason other to make us laugh. She loves to pretend laugh or copy other people laughing. Funny girl.

It's going to be a wonderful summer!

 

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Harvest Monday: strawberries

This little girl loves strawberries.

Good thing we have quite a few ripe berries!

We've also been enjoying some pac choi, Chinese cabbage, fresh lettuce, spinach, a little Swiss chard, and some basil. Oh and lots of stored onions or fresh green ones from the garden. Cilantro is also almost always available for fresh picking.

And finally FINALLY! I've been snacking on some delicious snap peas. Not one has made it into the house.

I think it's time to update my pictures soon. The garden has grown a lot from when I posted a few weeks ago.

Check out Daphne's Dandelions for more delicious harvests!

 

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