out of control garden!

This is how big our zucchini has gotten. I just picked these this afternoon and still have a couple still growing. Looks like I need to be making some Zucchini Bread this weekend!!!

The garden is completely out of control and it needs to be deadheaded and weeded SO badly! However, this picture is to show how big our broccoli has gotten. We have already had 3 good sized heads that were delicious and waiting on the nine more that are growing quickly!

This is the zucchini plants! They are huge and there is lots growing. Can't wait to taste the two above!

loving summer.

Life is SO busy these days. Guess that means it is still summer and we are headed into fall. We love it!

Today we are having lunch with a good friend from college who has been out on military training. So excited to have him back in Colorado for a couple weeks and hang out with him.

Tonight I have a work event! I am actually really excited about this one. Our preschool has rented out Splash Water Park in Golden. I can't wait to go play around in the pool with my cute kids for the evening. Kevin will be sporting his Five Finger shoes and aren't we all so excited! :)

Saturday is cleaning day in this messy dusty house of ours as well as our community garage sale. We won't be participating this year as this garage sale was just determined and advertised starting on Wednesday. That is not enough time to get stuff around for us but we are excited about finding some treasures from our neighbors!

Sunday is cooking club and I love cooking club! We have been meeting for over a year now and we have cooked and tried may things we would never have thought of ourselves. So fun! I am hosting for the month of August and I picked the ingredient Zucchini. I have some growing in my garden but for the recipe I am making I needed a really large one.

I picked this one!!!

Kevin shoe: size 12 - Zucchini: 5.6 lbs - Moose: 4.2 lbs

haha, I was pretty excited and it only cost me $2.50, what a steal! Check out our cooking club blog (click on link above) to see our yummy recipes for August!

Friday: What's Cooking In The Kitchen...

Seems like a long time since I have had a Friday at home to just relax and get some stuff done. Our weekends have been so busy and fall isn't looking like it will slow down much. I am loving all the time with friends and family we are getting but I do treasure my time at home with my amazing husband and super cuddly puppy!

Today in the kitchen I am getting some meal prep done. We have been getting an order of organic fresh fruits and veggies from Door to Door Organics, such a great company! We refer everyone to them and already have several people ordering as well. So every other tuesday we receive a 30 lb box on our doorstep and I get to be creative. Loving it!

Today in the Kitchen:

1. Coleslaw - our box contained a head of cabbage, carrots, and onions and I happen to have the ingredients for the dressing on hand. Can't wait to try this! Here is the recipe I am using:

• 8 cups finely diced cabbage (about 1 head)
• shopping
• 1/4 cup diced carrots (finely)
• 2 tablespoons minced onions
• Dressing:
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Directions:
• • Cabbage and carrots must be finely diced.
  • Pour cabbage and carrot mixture into large bowl and stir in minced onions.
  • Prepare the dressing, mix until smooth and creamy.
  • Pour over Slaw and mix thoroughly.
  • Cover bowl and refrigerate several hours or overnight before serving.
  • 2. Pulled Pork Burritos - a coworker of mine gave me a great idea the other day! I told her I was making pot roast in my crockpot and she said her mom use to make that and then use the leftover pork to make burritos the next night. Mine will be more like fajitas with the onions and green peppers but I am so excited for this meal. Today I am preparing the pork with some cumin and green chilis to use in burritos sometime this weekend.
  • 3. I am also thawing chicken for Stir Fry this week and marinating the other part of the package for Buffalo Wings too. So I am cutting up all kinds of veggies (cabbage, zucchini, carrots, tri colored peppers, onion) Oh yeah and Lentils too! (the veggies reminded me)
  If I find the time I might make some chocolate chip cookies for a bbq this weekend but with Kevin's new schedule on Fridays coming home at noon that just might not happen! Well, except when he reads this and pouts they probably will get made afterall :)
  
  
  Have a great weekend and hope you all are enjoying summer! I know we are and are excited for Fall too.
  • 
    

Florida - July 1-6, 2010

In July we traveled to Florida for an extended weekend vacation. We got to spend time with Brad, Kevin's little brother in Orlando. Brad works for Disney World and showed us a backstage tour and did some resort hopping with us!

We loved Port Orleans Riverside ! We rented a "bike" and rode around the property to check it out.

One evening we played Mini Golf. When we took this picture Brad taught us that all cast members must learn to point with two fingers and not one. Only Mickey is allowed to do that otherwise it is considered rude in many cultures.

Halfway through our trip we rented a car, 2010 Ford Mustang Convertible and drove to Jacksonville for Matt and Kay "Ethel" Jacobs Weddings. The wedding was beautiful and it was so fun to see some old childhood friends and celebrate their marriage with them. (we have no wedding pictures... sorry it was a little busy with us both being in the wedding)

AND then I got to come home to this face! Doesn't get much better a WONDERFUL and FUN vacation and a CUTE welcome home!

Peach Season!

We are in Colorado Peach Season.

Favorite!

Kevin and I both love peaches and want to enjoy them year round. Last week we went to Sunflower Market and bought 5 lbs of peaches because they were only 0.49/lb! I have been busy preparing them to keep for later use. A friend asked me the other day what I was going to do with all of them... well here we go:

First I peel them: it is pretty easy here are the steps -

1. bring a BIG pan of water to boil

2. cut an X with a knife in the bottom of the peach

3. place the peaches in the boiling water and let sit fully emerged for 3-5 minutes

4. prepare a cold bath for the peaches to go into, I place 3 cups of ice cubes and 3 cups of water in a metal bowl

5. use a slotted spoon to remove the peaches from the hot water to the cold, let peaches sit in the ice water for 2 minutes

6. pick up the peaches and rub your hand against them and the peel should come right off

THEN...

* dehydrate them: i sliced two of them up for dried peaches to put in our dried fruit mix

* freeze them: sliced three of them and put in 1 cup portions in ziplocks for our freezer

* eat them of course, we love them in the morning with yogurt or for an afternoon snack

* make PEACH COBBLER!!!

I have several Peach Cobbler recipes that I love but here is by far the simplest and best on

e.

Serves 6Hands-On Time: 10mTotal Time: 1hr 10m

Ingredients

• 8 peaches (about 2 1/2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, toss the peaches with ¼ cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of the flour; transfer to an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. In a food processor, combine the remaining 1¼ cups flour and ¼ cup sugar with the butter, baking powder, and salt. Pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add the cream and pulse just until moistened (the dough will be slightly shaggy). Drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the peaches.
3. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown and bubbly, 40 - 50 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Friday.

If you have been following me on facebook you will know that I have had bronchitis for 14 days now. I first started with a cold and slight symptoms on Saturday July 3rd while we were in Florida. It was a rough weekend with lots going on, little sleep, and the start of a horrible cough. All very well worth it though being able to celebrate with Matt and Kay on their wedding day!

I am not much into doctors. They are some of my least favorite people to go visit to deal with my health. I would much rather walk into Whole Foods and have them help me and take a natural organic route than to be given antibiotics. However on day 11, tuesday, I caved and went. It was confirmed I had bronchitis. (i already knew this! thanks!)

It is now day 14 and since day 11 I have been on 10 different medications and been to the doctor twice in a 24 hour period. I have been taken off all 10 of those medications because I had an allergic reaction to most of them. My body broke out in hives and my throat began to swell shut, on top of everything else I was already dealing with! Now in order to treat my bronchitis I am using an inhaler every four hours. For 48 hours I couldn't be further than 5 miles from an Urgent Care and Kevin or someone couldn't be more than 5 miles from me either so they could take me. Good think he works close to our home!

This is not working! I am not going to give up on it but my cough and the tightness in my lungs is not going away. I feel fine, other than this pesky cough. Now i'm going back to my own route since I can't have any antibiotics.

Thank You Doctors for well basically nothing... other than now you have $300.00 of our paycheck and I have missed 2 days of work. My sickness was escalated with a rash and my time was wasted in your office. Thank You for releasing me to go back to work as of Monday and allowing me to go White Water Rafting with my husband on Saturday, because I was going to go ANYWAYS!!!

There.

That is my soapbox. Because I have set at home for 3 days now.

Oh and as far as being in the kitchen. Not happening today, again. I am supposed to be "resting" anyways!

AND I just want to say my husband is the BEST EVER! He has taken care of the garden for me, went grocery shopping, taken me to the doctor, lived on less than minimal sleep because I lay in bed coughing, and so much more! Thank You Honey!!!

Garden Update: July 11, 2010

sorry the pictures are so tiny! I just can't get this to work today, check my facebook page for a better look!

I finally took some pictures of our garden for a little update on how it is growing. Now I just need to get out and pull some weeds! Below is broc and squash.

We have enjoyed several strawberries already this year and although they are growing slowly they are totally worth the wait! I also picked our first tomato this afternoon. The plant itself is not looking so great so it might be our only one :(