The beauty of produce

My boys decided to help me out and harvest my root veggies.  I had been ignoring them and we had had several freezes.  We thought they were probably perfect to dig!  Plus, we have a big storm system headed our way and wanted to get them out before it hit.

Our carrots did really good this year.  Carrots are one of those forgiving veggies.  You put down seed and up they come.  Well, it does take awhile but they are worth the wait!

YUMMM!  Look at the fat ones!

Zaddy got a big one.  These are perfect for roasting.

Asher took on the manly job of digging them out. 

Every season I like to try a new veggie.  When it got too hot for my lettuce, I collected the seed and then pulled it up.  In it's place I threw down some turnip seeds.  They came up like crazy and I underestimated how much space each plant would need.  So we ended up with a big lump of greens.  Today we were able to see what was growing under the greens.  I can't wait to roast these! 

What a mess!

But they sure clean up nice.

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Little energy bites A.K.A, the best darn snack ever!

I am always looking for creative after-school snacks for my kiddos.  We get bored with the same old things.  I found a great recipe on, where else, PINTREST!  They are called No-Bake Energy Bites.  I have made them a few times and modified the recipe to our tastes.  We love 'em!   (For those with food allergies or intolerance, don't let the peanut butter scare you.  You can substitute sun butter or almond butter or whatever you like!)   Here is the photo recipe...

First you start with oatmeal.  These are old fashioned oats, not quick oats.  You need a cup of them.

Then there is the peanut butter.  I was scraping the bottom of the jar on this one.  You need a half cup.

Then there's the honey.  Ahhhh, honey!  You need a third of a cup of that.

Here is where I parted a bit from the recipe.  It calls for a whole cup of coconut.  When I made my first batch, I found that it was too much coconut flavor and not enough peanut butter for our tastes.  So I cut the coconut down (to maybe 3/4 of a cup if that) and added a bit more peanut butter (about the same, 3/4 of a cup instead of a half cup). 

This is another deviation.  The recipe called for a half cup of flax seed.  I didn't have flax seed but I did have bran.  So I used bran!  Totally flexible recipe!

This I did not change.  A half of a cup of mini chocolate chips.

 I took out some of a dry ingredient (coconut) and added more of a wet ingredient (peanut butter), but I wanted to keep the ratios about the same.  So I added more of a dry ingredient.  Dried cranberries (half of a cup)!  It was a great addition.  I have also made these with chopped walnuts.  Yummy.

Put it all together and what do you get?

Vanilla?  OH!  I forgot the vanilla.  1 tsp of vanilla extract will round out the flavors.

I mixed mine in a mixer but you can certainly do it by hand.

After they sit in the fridge for an hour, you can make bite-sized balls of goodness.  These are easy to eat, way too easy to eat.  So be prepared to have some self control.  Or be prepared to stuff six of these in your face at a time.  Whatever works.  The kids love them.  Especially if you call them cookie dough bites!  Enjoy!

Here is the listed recipe:

1 cup oats
3/4 cup of peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup wheat bran or milled flax seed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries or other dried fruit
1 tsp vanilla

Mix until blended.  Chill for an hour then form into bite-sized balls.
(Of course I double this for my family:) 

Snowday!!!

This is what my yard looked like today.

Mommy!  Can we have a snow day?  PLEASE!!!!

Sure baby.  Lets make a snowman.  An indoor snowman. Cause mama doesn't really do freezing cold snow fun.  Party pooper!

I want this in my home forever.  Chubby baby fingers rock my world.

My niece sent us a Flat Stanley.  So we let him make cinnamon rolls with us.

Beautiful.

Before the icing.

The kids finally decided to go outside.  I didn't let Levi go so we pulled a chair up to the backdoor and let him watch.  Of course he became a target for many snowballs.

Much to his delight!

I love to catch these times.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Stanley! :)  Love you Ava Grace!

Dancing Around Obsession

I am sure you are getting sick of produce pictures.  Well, tough.  It is my current focus.  You will only have to deal with it for another 6 to 8 weeks.  That all depends on Fall.  But for now, I hope you can happily share in the depths of my focus.

/

Dill seed.  Awesome.

The humble beginnings of my stockpile.

Amazed at creation.  Such color and glory out of something so practical.

Poor, sad potatoes.  I did not water you like I should have.  The dry season overwhelmed me.  Yet look how you still managed to grow!  Next year my friends, will be your year.

Who let the chickens into the garden?  Hmmmm.  Someone looks guilty.

I do love to see their little fluffy bottoms in the tomatoes.  They are great at picking bugs, which makes me happy.  But also great at picking perfectly ripe tomatoes.  That does not make me happy.

Oh Summer, you have been torture at times.  But there is no other season that can make ice cream taste so good.

Right Zaddy?


This post is linked to Homestead Revival's Preparedness Challenge!  Go check out the rest of the links.  Great stuff.

What to do with the things we grow...

This is where the child labor comes in.  And it is just dandy.  All kidding aside, it's good for them.  They get to be a part of the cycle of our home.  They have responsibilities.  They feel like an important link in the chain.  Plus, now that they are bigger, it really cuts down my load!  They are actually helpful.  I have come to depend on them.  I love that bond we have built.  I am hoping that knowing what goes into running a household will make them more thoughtful about how they live. 

My Asher-man loves to help in the kitchen.  I put him on food processor duty!

I know, I know.  This looks dangerous.  But we have taught him how to work safely with a knife.
See how good he does!

Jolie was helping too so Levi decided that he needed to help.  So we gave him a "baby" knife and a banana. 
He did just what his siblings were doing. 

I took the zucchini that the kids sliced for me and blanched it to prepare it for freezing.

Then I packed it, in usable portions, into freezer bags

We also did some in shreds for breads and spaghetti sauce.  It's a good way to trick the kids into eating zucchini.

This is a very special jar.  It is not only a neat jar, but it belonged to my Great-Grandmother Gilger. 
Isn't is beautiful?

My sweet Papa gave me this jar too.  It is special to be surrounded by things that belonged to people that I love!

I have been in a canning state of mind.  These green beauties are going to be pickled!  Our peppers have done great this year.

I get the whole clean kitchen thing.  I do love it when mine is clean.  But this is how I really like to see it!
Lots of hours of love have been poured out in this place.

Lots of love and lots of yummy things.
 These babies will be just delicious on a big bowl of chili or beans this winter!