Ripe tomatoes and etc

Finally, a kid after my own heart: Lydia eats tomatoes right from the garden!  Yesterday, I picked a tomato, and she wanted to hold it.  I let her.  I checked on the zucchini (which is not doing well), and when I turned back around, she had already eaten half of it!  Her little face was covered in tomato juice.  She kept saying "MMMM" after each bite!  It was too cute.  She ate another one today.

In other news, Malachi has finally tried the zucchini cake, and now loves it.  He refused to try it the first 2 times I made it, but the third time, he finally took a bite and discovered that it doesn't taste like zucchini, and now he loves it, too.

Elijah and Malachi have assured me that they will try cherry tomatoes, but not "real" tomatoes.  I guess that's progress.  They were very excited to pull out their own carrots today and munch on them for a little snack. 

I have lots of basil, and it's doing great.  I've made a couple of batches of pesto.  Malachi and Lydia love it, although Elijah won't eat it.  We like to top ravioli or tortellini with fresh pesto.  I also like it on salad and veggies. 

So far, I've only had a few tomatoes a day, and Lydia and I are eating them up, but soon the garden should be absolutely exploding with tomatoes.  Yummm.... I'm looking forward to canning lots of salsa and tomato sauce.

I will try to get some pictures and write a bit more soon.  It's been a bit hectic this week; Nathaniel's in England, and Lydia wants to nurse all the time, so it's hard to get much done.

ORANGE

This morning I did it.  I painted my kitchen orange.  And I mean ORANGE, as in so bright my husband claims it makes his eyes hurt.  I love it.  I don't have any pictures yet, because I want to wait until I get another coat on it.  Covering up the stenciling the previous owners did is taking quite a bit of paint. 

Now I just have to figure out exactly how I'm going to incorpoate the blue I want as an accent color.  Fun stuff.

Zucchini Cake and gardening

It's so nice to have fresh zucchini.  I picked my first one from the garden yesterday, and I had some from my sister's neighbor, so I have been happy to make zucchini cake.  This is my grandmother's recipe, with some (healthier) modifications. 

Preheat the oven to 325 and mix together:

2 c grated zucchini

1 c applesauce

3 eggs

3 c whole wheat flour

1 c sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 or 3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

Bake in a greased 9 x 13 pan for about 45 minutes.  Let cool, then top with icing:

Cream together:

1 (8oz) cream cheese

1 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 T softened butter (optional)

YUM!!!

It disappears fast around here.

Also in the garden now, the tomatillos look pretty:

And I even have 3 orangish tomatoes.  The cantaloupes have blooms.  Two pepper plants have little peppers.  And I have found that I have husk tomatoes growing in my yard:

These daylillies are looking good.  I transplanted them next to the deck last fall, so I'm glad to see them blooming.

Short hair and zoo days

I cut the boys' hair last night with the clippers.  Malachi loves his; Elijah demanded that I get his hair back long "RIGHT NOW."  He didn't want anyone to see his buzz cut.  Now he is resigned to it, I think.  Malachi looked in the mirror and declared, "I look like Dalton!"(our good friend)  He has been thrilled ever since.

Lydia and I have become very familiar with the zoo.  We have lots of time to explore it while the boys are at zoo camp.  She can say turtle y tortuga.  Also she will say frog and fish, but everything else is "doggie".  She loved petting "doggies" (goats) and looking at everything.  She is really observant.  She even points out the chipmunks running along the edges of the grounds. 

Baked Granola Bars

I love homemade granola bars.  My sister makes a fabulous stove-top granola bar.  This recipe is a baked bar without nuts (so that Malachi might one day eat them).  It is good and easy, and I love the taste.  They are great for a filling snack or breakfast.

4 1/2 c rolled oats
1 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c softened butter
1/2 c almond butter (You can use peanut butter, but
I love the subtle nutty taste the almond gives this.)
3/4 c honey
1 c chocolate chips (preferably dark chocolate)

Mix together the honey and butter, then add everything else.  Press into a greased 9 x 13 pan and bake at 325 for 25 minutes.  Let them cool about 10 or 15 minutes before cutting into bars.

Busy Summer

Summer is in full swing here!  Last week, the kids attended Bible School. I was in charge of the crafts, and it was fun.  Then this weekend, good friends came to visit.  That was lots of fun!  We moms left the dads in charge Saturday morning and headed yard-saling and to the farmer's market.  I bought local bacon and tomatoes, which made an excellent BLT!!  I love summer food.  My own tomatoes are looking good, but they are not near ready to eat yet, so I was glad to see some local ones at the farmer's market.  Summer to me tastes primarily of two great foods: tomatoes and cantaloupes.  I am growing both, and I hope they continue to thrive!
The boys enjoyed their first day of zoo camp this morning.  Lydia and I walked around the zoo for 3 hours.  It was hot!  But we stuck mainly to the shade, and since it was morning, it was not as bad as it could have been.
I know this is so short, but I will post a recipe either later tonight or tomorrow. 

Orange Coconut Muffins

I had fun creating this recipe, and it has been a success.  The kids love these muffins!  The coconut oil gives a nice flavor and sweetness.

1 3/4 c whole wheat flour
1 small orange
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1 c plain yogurt
1/3 c coconut oil, in liquid form
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c maple syrup

In a large bowl, mix together egg, yogurt, syrup, and vanilla.  Zest orange into bowl.  Then cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice of one half into the bowl.  Add half of the flour and mix in, then add coconut oil.  (I add it here so it stays liquid.)  Then add the rest of the dry ingredients.  You can bake these at 400 for 16-18 minutes (makes about 18 muffins).  Or you can make mini muffins, and bake them at 400 for about 9 minutes.