Sunday Supper: Rosemary + Popcorn

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to have everyone back under one roof! However, after reuniting and sharing stories and unpacking and doing mountains of laundry and getting back to work, neither Jake nor I have had a lot of energy leftover to cook. So, we've been eating simply, as we often do. So simply, in fact, it barely requires an explanation: A few nights over the past few weeks we've popped some popcorn and sprinkled it with fresh rosemary.

Rosemary is an easy herb to grow here in the Midwest and I find that it's quite useful. I love the way the piney needles smell and I love its strong, pungent flavor. It's a great addition to things like potatoes and chicken, and I sometimes chop it and mix it with goat cheese, honey, and sliced almonds to spread on crusty bread.  But, if you're tired or just in the mood to simply sit and relax or maybe your house is hot and you don't feel like turning on the oven, well then, skip the fuss and pass the popcorn—the perfect Sunday Supper!

(Thanks, Jen, for introducing me to this great little trick at your Little Library Party last summer!)

Home

Jake went back to work this week so we're back to somewhat of a routine. It's amazing how quickly—even after two weeks apart—the three kiddos start fighting with one another again. :-) Between arguments, we've had some fun though. The weather has been perfect this week, so there has been a lot of biking and playing at the park. Mostly though, weekdays look like this:

As I've said before, this pool crushes all dreams of sophisticated, special-occasion, adults-only garden parties with fresh food, a long table, beautiful friends, and twinkling lights. However, the sort of garden party it enables—the kind that is full of laughing children, is loud and chaotic, and happens nearly every time the sun shines—is really pretty spectacular.

Sunday Supper: Blueberry Vinaigrette

So we actually ate this on a Wednesday, but I think it would make the most perfect summertime Sunday Supper! It's seasonal, healthy, and super easy to whip up after a long weekend.

We visited my mom recently and she sent us home with some leaf lettuce (very easy to grow) and kale (easy for her to grow, the bunnies ate ours!).  If you don't have greens in your garden (or have a generous mom/friend/neighbor willing to give you some from theirs), go directly to your farmers' market. We tossed the lettuce and kale with a simple blueberry vinaigrette (recipe below) and then threw on a few details from the cupboard and fridge: chopped red onions, almond slices, and raspberries. That's it!

Last night we made smoothies (kale + strawberries + a banana + more blueberries (!) + coconut milk) to accompany our meal, but on a weekend I'd much prefer a glass of crisp white wine. Blueberries are plentiful this time of year and inexpensive at the grocery. Delightful!

I modified the recipe a bit from an article that I developed it for several years ago. You can read the article HERE. In doing so you'll find a few more blueberry-based recipes. Or, you can just check out the recipe below:

Blueberry Vinaigrette

1 cup blueberries

2 tablespoons sugar (I bet honey would work, too!)

1 healthy teaspoon Dijon mustard (or more to taste)

2/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

Rinse and drain blueberries. Place them in a blender or food processor and pulse to chop finely. Add sugar, mustard, oil, vinegar and water. Serve immediately over greens. Use additional oil (or water) to thin out the vinaigrette if you're so inclined. Makes approximately 1-1/2 cups.

DIY Mother's Day Gifts :: Painted Pots

Here's one more idea for an easy DIY Mother's Day gift. You can't go wrong with flowers, and painting and planting makes for a fun project!

A few weeks ago, I spray painted a half dozen terra cotta pots. Some of them were thrifted, some of them were from Habitat ReStore, and some were new last year. It doesn't matter. Just spray paint them white (two coats). I did this in the garage on a rainy day while Sinta rode her bike in the alley. (Please note that she typically wears a helmet but since it was raining, I knew she'd only last a few minutes and wouldn't be going far.)

This week, I painted on gold polka dots with the paint and brushes pictured above (both purchased at Hobby Lobby). I love the gold on white, but you could use any color you'd like. The polka dots took a couple of coats and required a little bit of fix-up with a regular paint brush. None of the kids wanted to help with this, which was probably okay. Polka dots are not terribly forgiving. And frankly, I enjoyed the alone time in the garage after they went to bed! I sprayed on a coat of sealant to finish the job.

Yesterday afternoon was gorgeous so Sintayehu and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and planted flowers in the pots. She was a terrific helper!

We also planted a few flowers in the backyard. 

Last year, we did a similar project for Mother's Day. The kids painted terra cotta pots, but did so with little guidance from me. They combined colors and shapes at will and I love how they turned out! We used acrylics and I put a layer of sealant over the pots after the paint dried. I was so happy to pull a few of these pots out once again this year. They make me so happy!

Of course, if you don't feel like making a Mother's Day gift, in my experience a nice bottle of wine, a pound of good coffee, a pedicure, or a piece of jewelry is just as appreciated. Regardless of how you celebrate the women in your life, celebrate them well! If you're like me, it's the mamas/aunties/sisters/friends that make this world extra sweet.

Here I am in the garden laughing
an old woman with heavy breasts
and a nicely mapped face

how did this happen
well that's who I wanted to be

at last a woman
in the old style sitting
stout thighs apart under
a big skirt grandchild sliding
on off my lap a pleasant
summer perspiration

that's my old man across the yard
he's talking to the meter reader
he's telling him the world's sad story
how electricity is oil or uranium
and so forth I tell my grandson
run over to your grandpa ask him
to sit beside me for a minute I
am suddenly exhausted by my desire
to kiss his sweet explaining lips.

I've always liked this poem and am posting it today because I'm thinking about our backyard and our garden and the passage of time. After the longest case of the Januaries ever, there are finally hints of spring to be thankful for!

Gardening Requires Stamina...

Much like anything you'd like done well, it takes time and a certain passion and commitment. Well, I was very excited about our garden at the beginning of the growing season, but unfortunately my interest waned as the days went on. It didn't help that the garden started making me sneeze and rub my eyes incessantly, but also—and I hate to admit this—I have tired of tomatoes and grown lazy in my food preservation plans. So, the garden is out there, barely hanging on. I'm still rooting for the brussel sprouts, but the broccoli has flowered (beautiful, delicate little yellow flowers that they are) and the basil has gone to seed. The zinnias are still lovely, but are enjoyed only while outside, or while peering out the kitchen window, rather than in a mason jar dressing up my kitchen table. Eli, I think, has been slightly confused by my neglect and yesterday he took matters into his own hands. I'm thankful for his gumption and for this bowl of herbs and vegetables, which will likely be one of the final harvests of the season...

Preserve your herbs!

If you have some excess herbs in your garden or that you've picked up at the farmers' market and you're  wondering what to do with them, allow me to suggest using them to flavor salt. I first came across finishing salts when I was researching DIY Father's Day gift ideas on Etsy. I was intrigued right away, and then, while perusing the aisles in a little grocery in Rome over Spring Break, I noticed shelf after shelf of infused salts. After that trip, I decided to do a little experimenting and came up with some recipes and combinations that I think are just great.

Ultimately, I pitched this as an article after falling in love with the idea and the process. In the name of research, I've made several different types of infused salts: Sriracha salt, basil salt, rosemary salt, citrus salt, rosemary-citrus salt...you get the idea. It couldn't be easier or more interesting and I've found that it's not only a nice addition to your summer supper table, but makes a lovely gift as well. For specific directions, click here! Happy infusing...and happy weekend!

End-of-Summer Garden Tour

The tomatoes are looking and tasting great. We've had a ton of cherry tomatoes and have gotten a half dozen or so large tomatoes as well. The herbs (as you can see above—look at that basil! it's nuts!) are doing very well. We let the lettuce get overgrown, but hope to plant a fall crop later. The raspberries have been plentiful, but I haven't been able to get a photo because I swear they are gobbled up as soon as I pick them! My very favorite part of this year's garden is that I planted flowers specifically for the purpose of cutting. This brings me so much joy!!! (Sintayehu likes to pick vases of "sinta" flowers as well—I'm pretty sure this is a family trait.)

This bouquet features tarragon and parsley as fillers!

Sintayehu likes to pluck marigolds and zinnias. (The baby's breath isn't from our garden, but from a bouquet Jake brought home from school.)

We spent Sunday afternoon taking down the pool and doing yard work. As lovely as the above pictures are, our back yard also has a lot of weeds and trees with dying limbs. :) The rest of the weekend was lovely. We ate at the River House on Friday night, had lunch with Jake's parents on Saturday, and then enjoyed River Roots Live on Saturday night. I hope yours was lovely!

Garden Tour: Goodbye Garden Party

The backyard is looking pretty good! I planted more flowers this year and it's really starting to look nice, I think. We have our perennials, plus a bunch of pots and annuals that I planted as well. It's all rather pleasant.

I think I mentioned that we harvested some service berries that we were able to eat and enjoy for the first time. We planted the bush several years ago and enjoyed the bright red berries this year. (The birds also enjoyed them...there will be no jam.)

Our lettuce is gangbusters. I have been enjoying a salad with blueberries, sunflower seeds, goat cheese and vinaigrette for lunch almost every day for the past week.

The raspberries look like they're going to be plentiful.

And the veggies and herbs, though a bit weedy, are looking like they're going to do well. Yay!

All of this was shaping up to provide the perfect backdrop for another beautiful garden party with friends and cocktails and fresh, delicious food....

....that is, until Jake went shopping for a kiddie pool and came back with a 12-footer!!  (I believe he was inspired by this family.) Our patio, my friends, has disappeared!!

Though the garden party may have to wait, the pool has been a huge hit. The kids have spent hours in it every day since Friday when we filled it up. I have enjoyed lounging in a chair poolside, listening to them laugh and watching them play. I suppose garden parties can wait for a few years; childhood is fleeting and my kids are crazy happy with the new addition to the backyard.

Garden Tour

This week's garden tour is a little pathetic. Mostly we've been using the backyard patio to dry out everything that got wet in our basement when we were ankle deep in water. It's not so pretty out there right now. However, I'm starting to see some red strawberries and that makes me very happy.

Luckily, my parents' garden is in great shape. We visited last weekend and my mom sent me home with the most gorgeous peonies. You know I love them. Like some of life's most wonderful things, they are so beautiful and yet last for just a moment.

To be wild and perfect for a moment...

Peonies, by Mary Oliver

This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready
   to break my heart
     as the sun rises,
        as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers

and they open--
   pools of lace,
      white and pink--
       and all day the black ants climb over them,

boring their deep and mysterious holes
    into the curls,
      craving the sweet sap,
        taking it away

to their dark, underground cities--
   and all day
      under the shifty wind,
       as in a dance to the great wedding,

the flowers bend their bright bodies,
   and tip their fragrance to the air,
     and rise,
       their red stems holding

all that dampness and recklessness
    gladly and lightly,
      and there it is again--
        beauty the brave, the exemplary,

blazing open.
    Do you love this world?
      Do you cherish your humble and silky life?
       Do you adore the green grass, with its terror beneath?

Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden,
   and softly,
      and exclaiming of their dearness,
       fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,

with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling,
    their eagerness
      to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are
        nothing, forever

Catching up...

Did anyone else have trouble peeling their eyes open this Monday morning? I did. I think I'm a wee bit tired after another jam-packed weekend. But that's okay. I'm so obsessed with the sunshine and warm temperatures that very little can get me down right now. Since it's been awhile since my last post, here's what we've been up to:

• The boys got haircuts last week. About five minutes before we left our house to head to barber shop, Eli decided to cut his hair short again. (He's been growing it out since the beginning of the school year.) He went for it and hasn't looked back. I love how he makes decisions and lives without regret.

• On Friday night, I took the kids to Fun Night at the elementary school where Jake works. It was actually as fun as its name indicates. The principal (Jake) was in the dunk tank, and let me tell you, the line was long. It was hilarious. Eli continued our proud family tradition of winning cake walks which delighted us all.

• On Saturday, we planted the garden. It was a great family morning outside. 

• Saturday afternoon was a bowling birthday party with our sweet neighbors. Then the whole crew went out for ice cream. I love these children and love that they live across the street! (Confession: I didn't feed my children dinner on Saturday night. The boys ate two scoops of ice cream. Sinta ate a cone. And then I put them to bed.)

• Friday and Saturday night after the kids went to bed, Jake and I caught up on about a thousand episodes of The Office. We watched the finale on Saturday night and I thought it was great. I loved Andy's quote about wishing there was a way to "know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them" and Pam's final line about recognizing the beauty in the ordinary.

• Sunday was our church May Fest, which is a great big outdoor picnic with a live band. Sunday night we enjoyed a lovely dinner with great friends.  And now we're on to a new week. This week is the last day of Sintayehu's preschool and the boys last full week of school. I have several work deadlines and high hopes of sitting on our porch watching the kids play. I'm thinking a lot of one of my dearest friends whose newborn is in the hospital. Not only am I nervous for her and praying for her, but such news always slams things into perspective. Time flies. People are precious. Don't waste a minute on anything but Love.

2013 Garden Tour

We have been planting a small backyard garden now for six years and yet it seems hit or miss as to whether or not things will grow. This year, like every year, we're making a few adjustments and hoping for the best. We have two garden beds and planted a variety of flowers and vegetables on each last year. This year, one will be for flowers and the other for veggies. I went to the farmers' market to buy all of our veggies and flowers yesterday; I think we'll plant this weekend.  Here's what this year's garden will entail:

–4 tomato plants
–2 bell pepper plants
–1 jalapeño pepper plant (Eli's choice)
–2 brocoli plants
–3 brussel sprout plants (this is new!)
–herbs (dill, 2 kinds of basil, rosemary, parsley—tarragon, chives, and mint all survived the winter)
–More flowers than last year

Without lifting a finger, the strawberries and raspberries are looking good. (I love that about these two.) The sunshine, the market, and the thought of more time outdoors makes me deliriously happy!

Hanging basket:

Strawberries:

 Afternoon cuteness: