Spring Is In the Air

Call me a liberal, but I love the fresh smell of the earth in the spring time.  After a weekend of rain, the weeds easily pulled out of the garden.  Last year was my first vegetable garden and, though it was fun, I learned A LOT about placement.  We are organized and ready to go.  Tomato, lettuce, pepper, onion, cauliflower and leek seeds are sprouting in a mini-greenhouse in the basement. The fresh air calls to me to come play and I obey.

The crazy fencing is to keep the hungry deer and their new babies away from the garden. Our neighbors aren't so fond of it, but it really has worked.  They won't jump into anything they perceive may be entangling. 

Some day I may have a rototiller, but today I have a hand tiller. Hard work equals a very good night's sleep.

Getting organized.  Visualizing each plant and their space requirements is the biggest challenge.

I will not spend my entire summer weeding! Hay is down for mulch in between rows. Hope this works!

This season should be really fun.  The kale, swiss chard, oregano, rosemary, thyme and lemon thyme survived the winter as if it had never come (come to think of it, winter really never did settle in).  I am looking forward to a more organized sanctuary for the spring summer. Seeds will go in over spring break and I will hope that what little frost may be in the forecast has seen it's last days.

Crayon Rolls

There is no one more fun to try out new ideas on than my nieces!  I made these darling crayon rolls for them.  No more spilling baggies of crayons in the car. They should make to my girls in about a week. Hopefully my guinea pigs like them.  I am thinking about making one for each of the students in my class for a summer send off. They have done such a great job this year.

Hello Sunday: Blue-Rasp. Breakfast Cake

Although I love the sunny weather, the rain has encouraged to bust a move inside so I can get outside as soon the sun shows it warm face.  Sunday breakfast is here again. And it was delicious. 

Recipe: 

Cream together:

1/2 cup coconut butter (room temperature)

1/2 cup raw honey (room temperature)

zest of one lemon

Blend in the following ingredients:

1 TBS pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 cup plain (or vanilla) yogurt

1tsp salt 

2 cups gluten free baking mix

Stir in: 

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Top with a dollop of butter and enjoy this delectable Sunday treat! 


***Note: because of the raw honey and the lack of 48 cups of bleached, processed sugar, this will not be the sugar blast that you may expect from the photos. Be prepared for a healthy way to enjoy a cakey breakfast dish.

My Latest Baby Clothing Bouquet

This bouquet features something unique...my mom embroidered these adorable baby hoodie towels with the name of the baby-to-be's very excited Grandma and her very special last name, Starr.  They are so sweet I almost thought about having a baby (for about three seconds and then I pictured the sleepless nights and moved on :-).  The photos don't do the towels justice. They are just so precious. A bit awkward to place in the basket, but adorable. I can't wait for this basket to be delivered!

Chocolate Espresso Waffles

After a wonderful weekend at the VSRA conference in Richmond, I needed some real food. Gluten and lactose free is turning out to be a very unfriendly combination in public eateries. :-(.  Needless to say, gluten and lactose free chocolate and espresso waffles were just what we needed.  I found a new gluten free mix at Whole Foods in Richmond.  That place is like a playground for me!  They turned out great...light and fluffy, which is a concern with gluten free mixes.

Can you guess where I am from?

Recipe

1 1/2 cups of Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix

1 TBS finely ground espresso grounds

1 TBS espresso sugar (or brown sugar and add another TBS of espresso grounds) 

1 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder

1 TBS olive oil

2 eggs

Add almond milk and whisk until desired consistency 

Bake in waffle iron and enjoy!

Runny Noses Be Gone!

First of all, I want to give credit to Snot Spot for creating this semi-gross, but very useful product.  They have a patent-pending, so this is definitely not for sale. However, as Spring has settled in and we have gotten the bikes down and tied the running shoes on, I decided to make my own nose wiper upper.  I made the fleece one for mounting biking so that it will fit over my gloves and the flannel one for running because it is lighter (and cute).  Just wanted to share my rainy Sunday project.

Sunday Treat

Normally I try to make a special breakfast/brunch on Sundays, but we spent the weekend outside in the delightful weather. A month early and a bit frightening, but we thoroughly enjoyed it.  Thanks to a wonderful friend and her creative ideas, I made a chocolate chip cookie dough pie instead. The taste is sinful...the secret ingredient is shocking!  Scroll down to find out how to enjoy a slice of cookie dough without the guilt.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pie

• 2 cans white beans or garbanzos (drained and rinsed)
• 1 cup quick oats (or certified-gf quick oats)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 TB olive oil
• 2 TB pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 and 1/2 bags chocolate chips

Blend everything (except the chips) very well in a good food
processor (not a blender). Mix in chips, and pour into an oiled pie pan.  Cook at 350F for around 35-40 minutes. Let stand at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Would you have ever guessed?!

Fuzzy Wuzzy

 Another snugly blanket for a baby girl!  This one is for my sister's penpal for over 20 years now. She lives in Australia and recently had her first baby. Sweet, homemade with love, and light for shipping across the Pacific.I was so excited to get an order from my wonderful sister that I made a special card to go with it. Hope you love it!

Mini-Baby Clothing Bouquets

These bitty bouquets are the perfect gift for a new baby!  I wanted to try to make bouquets that are smaller and less expensive. They turned out cute as a button! These mini buckets can be used after the bouquet is taken apart, too!

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