The container gardner

A gift from my hubby.
So we are trying to revamp this cement patio into our little green space. This is half of my new garden box.




2 rows of broccoli





a row of zucchini




We also planted a row of peppers and turnips from seed. Now I just have to keep the cats out of it. Maybe they need there own pot of catnip.

An Eader Eagle

Last Thursday was Mia's Open House and like the proud parents we are we came toting cameras and took pictures of everything! Each child made (well really each parent made) a community doll which reflected what they wanted to be when they grew up. Here is Mia's doll, she wants to be a chef, actually a Top Chef when she grows up.




This is our adorable family picture

What are you planting?

The last frost was February 11th!

We are in the process of moving things so my container garden is a work in progress. I grew up with a garden full of tomatoes, zucchini, corn, Brussels sprouts, etc... It's hard work keeping up a garden, but it also benefits children immensely. It encourages and enables healthy connections and fosters a love of learning about our environment. From garden to plate is always the best!



Heirloom Tomatoes

By their very nature, an heirloom variety is not an unstable hybrid, it is open-pollinated, and should, with a little care, breed true to type from year to year.



These are Mia's strawberries


So I have been reading this book to get some ideas on gardening projects with my kindergarten class. It has also been super helpful with gardening at home with my daughter as well.



I don't know why the thought of saving seeds never entered my mind before, but what a brilliant idea it is. Obviously not an original idea but I think in a time where we go go go it just seems faster to buy a pack of seeds or a seedling. This book has instructions on how to properly save seeds (another thing I really didn't know is that there is a proper process to this)




This was an awesome spaghetti squash that I had bought from the farmers market! We enjoyed this roasted with some TJ's marinara sauce on top and some fresh grated Parmesan reggiano. I cant wait to enjoy it again.

Will you be my Valentine?

It's Valentine's Day and goodie bag making time! I found this awesome idea for a candy alternative valentine in a Family Fun magazine a couple years ago. We wrap microwave popcorn (Newman's Own Organic Pop's Corn) in a cellophane bag, tie it with some red polka dot ribbon, and add the little "corny" note.




I also like to make Valentine's with a picture on it so each child knows who gave it to them. This is an adorable picture taken by http://www.michellegreenephotography.com/

and I added a valentine border through shutterfly.com and had them sent to me at home.




We also made her teacher's these yummy chicken noodle soup jars (with heart noodles from cost plus world market). From my own personal experience I know teachers get a bunch of candy for Valentine's Day, so I thought these would be a cute candy free gifts.

start the day with a good breakfast

How come the most vital meal of the day is the meal we put the least thought into? OK so I'm one of those moms who deprives their child of all her breakfast wishes, we don't have pop tarts, cereal (unless it's from Mother's Market of Trader Joe's) and french toast sticks from burger king. I know what kind of mother am I? How could I do that to my child! Hahaha, but you know what I don't think my child minds at all. She actually has formed a more sophisticated palate then that and that makes me a proud mama.

This is how are trip to the farmers market benefits our breakfast. We picked up two bunches of fresh leeks for a buck fifty and we are turning that into an awesome healthy and hearty breakfast dish that will last us all week long.

* 1 cup half-and-half (fridge staple)
* 2 eggs
* 2 pinches kosher salt
* Freshly grated nutmeg
* 2 bunches Sauteed leeks
* Gruyere cheese
* chopped ham (no nitrates)

I use a cast iron skillet to saute my leeks then mix in the rest of the ingredients and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. then voila.

I just cut a slice in the morning and microwave it for about 30 seconds. Now my daughter has a nice warm breakfast that is easy to even eat in the car on the ride to school.

A trip to the farmer's market

Today we loaded up our red wagon and hit up our local farmer's market. We love sampling the fruits, and also then we are not stuck with a bunch of under ripe, early picked sour fruit. The fruit and nut guy also let us sample almost everything he had to offer.
We left with some glazed pecans, banana chips, and dried strawberry/cranberries, leeks, vine ripen tomatoes, onions, and cabbage. Mia and her cousin Madison enjoyed blue raspberry snow cones too.
Our plans are to make a Sauteed leeks and Gruyere cheese Quiche and with the cabbage we are going to make super yummy sumi salad.

We also brought home a strawberry plant and heirloom tomato plant to start our new spring garden

On the way home we stopped at the park so the girls could run around.

Dear Santa can I please have...

My own cooker stuff! That was Mia's Christmas wish. I know she is going to grow up to be our next food network star or a future winner of top chef. She has this passion to mix spices and herbs like girls usually have for make-up and jewery. Believe me she still loves her make-up and jewlery but she finds her heart in the kitchen.