Full House, Full Bellies, Full Hearts

We celebrated Thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family this year. Our day included a bit of sledding, baby rabbit-petting, and a thankful tree. And lots of scrumptious food, of course.

So thankful for this little life that provides enough challenge to keep me dependent on God, and enough friends and family to keep my spirit buoyant. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! 

Summer Garden

One of my favorite parts of summer was watching how much the kids enjoyed our little garden. 

They filled their gator with lettuce

Showered the Zinnias with affection

Dug in the dirt to their hearts' delight

Picked a wagonful of onions (When I only needed one!)

Helped Daddy pick beans for supper 

Learned to identify that pesky "Creaking Charlie!"

Hoed some flowers (and a couple weeds)

Chowed down on all the red tomatoes before we could even get them into the house

And begged to water whenever possible

If there's a happier place than a garden, I don't know what it is!

Watermelon Ice Cream

This Watermelon Ice Cream is in the running for my favorite discovery of Summer 2015. It's super easy, cheap, and healthy enough to justify serving bowlfuls to the kids for breakfast. Fair warning: don't attempt this recipe unless you're prepared to make it several times over. It's that addicting! 

Here's all it takes:

4 cups seedless watermelon
4-6 strawberries (not necessary, but I add them for an extra burst of color and flavor)
1 can full-fat coconut milk (if you only have low-fat coconut milk, add a few tablespoons of heavy whipping cream)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup lemon juice

Blend ingredients in blender until smooth. Pour into ice cream maker and mix until thick, about 20-25 minutes. Texture is similar to a sorbet, only creamier. 

Enjoy!

Adapted from recipe in Kinfolk Magazine, Volume 16

Our Third Child (For Now)

We have another baby in the house! And no, it's not what you think. 

Our backyard garden is pretty much like a third child right now: labor-intensive and incredibly time-consuming! But oh-so-rewarding. Beautiful, too, wouldn't you agree?

The kids love the abundance of late-summer backyard time and are often content to play on a blanket near the garden's edge while I pick. (Until Gray gets a notion to stomp Nasturtiums or poke tomatoes, that is.)

There's something so satisfying about snipping and cutting beans on a warm summer evening as cricket songs drift through the kitchen screen door and a whirring fan cools a pan of freshly cooked beans. It's funny how a dreaded childhood chore now makes me so nostalgic. (And yes, I can't wait for the day when I can dump another mountain of beans in front of my children who think they are finally done snipping and cutting. I will just tell them how much longer the rows and higher the piles my mom made me tend to when I was their age!)

Soon the garden will be covered in snowdrifts and juicy tomatoes reduced to a distant memory. Until then, bring on the weeds and watering, picking and preserving. Everything else can wait...we have a garden to tend and freezer to fill! 

Homemade Strawberry Milk

What could be better than sitting on the back porch on a sunny spring day, sipping a tall glass of homemade strawberry milk? Especially when the milk is fresh from your auntie's cow!

Here's the gist of the recipe, in case you are interested:

3 cups cold milk

1 ½ cups hulled strawberries

Dash of vanilla

Handful of ice cubes

Blend until smooth. Pulp can be strained for a smoother texture, but not necessary.