Put a Lime in the Coconut

Well, it looks like Ethan is allergic to coconuts. Bummer. Remember when we had coconut milk? He was totally fine. But this time, we decided to crack open a coconut and eat the meat. It was fun. We watched this little video and things were going swimmingly until Ethan's eye and ear got red and itchy. Rats. But we took a little Benadryl and he was all better. Could've been worse.

Company Visits!

Our good friends, the Caldwells, came to visit (the kids were in their wedding, remember?) What do we do when good friends come to visit? Make them watch our kids, do our dishes, play "sisters" and Trouble, get in lots of workouts and cook.
Tommy and Becca made stuffed chicken, and then Becca & I made this Sage-Flavored Gratin Dauphinois with Potato, Sweet Potato and Pink Turnips. I've been wanting to make it since I saw it, because the photos were so beautiful!!! I finally broke in my mandolin slicer. And guess what? It was yummy too!

Flowers in Mason Jars

I have some blue mason jars like this. Aren't they pretty? So simple & beautiful.


Here is even more inspiration on how to put those mason jars to use. (Unfortunately, I do not know the original sources for these above photos)

Recipe: Rainforest Crisps

Have you ever tried Lesley Stowe's Rainforest Crisps? Whether or not you've tried them, you must make this recipe!!! Our friends Tommy & Becca came to visit us and brought some homemade crackers. They are so amazing!

Running Update

On New Year's Eve, I made the decision to attempt to train for the half marathon. I felt that (no pressure) If it was too time consuming to balance training & family, I would just bail and not feel bad about it. But I'm almost there! I have 5 weeks to go and this morning ran 11 1/2 miles. Running & Nursing is still going fine, for any of you who might have concerns about exercising while you are nursing a baby. (Is this too much information? If so...sorry.) I've been staying very well hydrated & it hasn't been an issue! Any of my blog friends running the half or full marathon this Spring?

Added Note: Thanks to Caroline, I changed this to be more grammatically correct. Thanks, grammar nerd.

Guide to Spring Cooking

I'll be checking this out in a few weeks when the CSA starts. Stuff to eat right now that's easy to find around here: Asparagus, Ramps, Garlic Snapes, Rhubarb, Arugula! Check out these & other recipe ideas on thekitchn.com.

Lilac

I've been filing away photos that I found online of flowers that we have in our yard. Unfortunately, I don't know from where these images. But my lilac has started blooming in the past 2 days. Time to bring some indoors. Isn't this lovely?

Also in Bloom

You know what's a bad idea? Stuffing hyacinth branches into a cool old glass water container that you find left in your attic. Reasons: You will lose little flowers in there that you'll never be able to get out. Also, you can't clean the inside of the bottle. They don't make bottle brushes that long. It will be nice while it lasts though. Next spring, I'll just copy Emily Henderson (ps. have you seen her show? i haven't, but love her blog!) and do something like this with hyacinths:(above photo by emily henderson)
That's alright though. Because I LOVE SPRING! Also blooming in our yard - anemones, and more little bitty daffodils.

Hyacinths & Daffodils

Our yard is beginning to bloom! I love Spring. But...it seems like hyacinths & daffodils do not play well together in the same vase. The daffodils started to wilt right away. So now they are living in separate vases. Next up is lilac. Another one of my favorite smells!

5 Months, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Baby Jewell is now rolling all around, playing with her feet and her hands, staring at her fingers, and laughing out loud! She's a giant compared to her sister at this age. And she thinks her daddy's shaved head is hilarious.
After 3 babies, I finally got the hang of taking a baby's photo in a fun way! Here's Katie Belle's first 4 months.

And here is Jewell again, at 4 months, 3 months, 2 months, 1 month. If you are wondering how the other 2 didn't sneak into the picture, it's because they are at their grandparents!

Yesterday

Clearly, I've been taking a trip down memory lane lately. It feels like just yesterday that we took these pictures, but it was 4 years ago!! For the first 5 years of motherhood, I eagerly awaited the next stage of parenting. But once we began approaching Ethan's 5th birthday in January, I wanted to slow everything down! I know that I can't go back (nor do I have any real regrets), but I am so ready to be completely in the moment, cherishing every minute of my life with my husband and three precious babies. As my mother reminded me, "Life is a vapor." I am blessed beyond measure.

James 4:14, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes."

Tummy Time

Our baby is 5 months, and we're still crazy about her. She is the sweetest little thing, and she actually doesn't mind tummy time!!!! She's baby #3 though, so I hardly ever remember to do it. Good thing she has a sister to flip her over & make her do it. :)

Kitchen - Before & After

I ran across this picture of our old kitchen, before the wreck & subsequent renovation. (Look at that little kid. So cute!) And here it the kitchen as it looks now!Similar in many ways, but with a major facelift. It's fun to take a look back! And here's another shot, looking across the other direction in the kitchen. And now I have to squeeze this next picture in there for old times sake. The day after the wreck, Ethan (age 2 1/2) raced to get his tools to fix the damage!

If I had my Way, I'd give Coconuts to Everyone.

Sometimes my husband rolls his eyes at me. Sometimes, when I bring home something like a coconut, and tell him I have no idea how to cut it open. But my wonderful husband does it anyway. This time he got a "new" drillbit, and got it open. Doesn't this look good?Coconut is full of electrolytes. In fact, these guys say it's "Nature's Sports Drink." I think they all liked it! I did have some left over. I used it instead of water for our steel cut oats (our daily breakfast). I get way too excited about food, I know.

Seasonal Spotlight: Asparagus

This morning, we picked this asparagus right out of our yard! I've been waiting for this moment - you aren't supposed to eat your asparagus for 3 years after you plant it. (Anyone know why? Anyone know what will happen if you do eat it early?) I can't remember exactly when we planted it, so I'm hoping we're on year #3. It popped up last April looking very tasty, but we didn't get to eat any. This year, Ethan has been eating it raw out of the garden!
Tonight it's going on our dinner plate though. Here are a few recipes that look great, and easy. Right up my alley.

Simple Steamed Asparagus.
Steamed Asparagus with Lemon Butter
Grilled Asparagus
Roasted Asparagus

And here are some of the reasons we should love asparagus. Want it in your yard too? It comes back for 15 years! Check it out!

Avalon Acres - 2010 Season Recap

Here's a recap of 2010! (I started late July, so this is missing half of the season from Avalon Acres CSA. Here is early and late July. (Remember, there are a few weeks of July we didn't get). We received:lemon cucumber, zucchini, pattypan squash, corn, yellow squash, yellow & green stripe squash, cucumber, potato, green beans, blackberries, carrots, kohlrabi, purple green bean, tomatoes, green bell peppers, & casaba (or canary?) melon.

In August (posts are here and here), we received: corn, melon, cherry tomatoes, yellow tomato, red tomato, yellow squash, peaches, green bell pepper, cucumber, potatoes, pattypan squash, eggplant, okra, butternut squash, various hot peppers, onion, green zebra tomato, & green beans.

In September (one week pictured below) we received: sweet potato, watermelon, cucumber, green zebra tomato, acorn squash, spaghetti swuash, purple okra, cherry tomato, tomato, eggplant, yellow squash, green bell pepper, lettuce, okra, melon, radish, pattypan squash, beets, green beans, delicata squashIn October we received: okra, butternut squash, acorn squash, pumpkin, cucumber, parsnip, apple, greens, cherry tomato, yellow squash, bok choi, eggplant, delicata squash, okra, green beans, kale, daikon radish

If you are interested in finding other local foods, I have thoughts on that here! And if you want a chuckle about how ridiculous the whole quest for local foods can be, you should watch this!