What Happens When you have a Strong Willed Child...

and you happen to be a trigger happy Mamarazzi on the hunt for a really cool picture?

yeah, a NOT SO COOL picture...that's what! You might be able to see that "leeetle" piece of licorice sticking up over the bench by Little Munchkin's blue shirt...yeah, I tried candy, chocolate, "wanna see Mommy's picture"...EVERYTHING...it didn't work...she refused to lay down on that wet grass, stick her feet on top of the bench that was way too high for her stubby legs and stare straight into the sun...I mean, come on, WHAT is NOT fun about that?

My other two little blessings are so very compliant and truthfully speaking, are old enough to know just to pacifiy their crazy mother so that she gets the picture taking out of her system for the day...besides, they also know that if they cooperate there is usually some "benefit" if there is a "coolness" factor to any of the photos that are taken...

Little Munchkin, needless to say, has NOT learned these valuable lessons yet and so I end up with the Negative Coolness rating...BUMMER!!!

What to do with my camera time for the day...WHAT TO DO??? I know...let's just take pictures of things that don't move and I don't have to bribe...sooooooo, here are some more pictures of our growing garden...I know you are just DYING to see them...and I am here for you...here to oblige!

In case you need a refresher on my last post about my garden...

Now, Fast forward to the end of July and here's what you get:

Below are my gigantor sunflowers...this is the ONLY one that has flowered...they are about twice the size of Italian Stallion...I'm not sure how much taller they can get for pete's sake, but I sure do wish they'd just flower and get it over with!

So far, we have 4 gallon bags of frozen green beans in our freezer...we pick 'em every other day...it's the never ending supply I guess...We've cut off about 5 of our 9 broccoli heads...they're in the freezer too...along with 12 bags of shredded zucchini (2 cups each)...I'm thinkin' that with the 200 potatoes, and 6 onions chillin' the basement and the EIGHTEEN tomato plants about ready to burst, well, we're about set for the long, cold winter Ma! Pa just may have to get out and chop down some wood to keep the fire roarin'!!!

Made a Killing!

I'm not quite sure...

But, I think the kids were rather excited about the farm market today...

Not because of the comradery...

Not because it's just a joy to work beside your best friends...

Not because they got to serve homegrown, organic, healthy foods to their wonderful and generous neighbors...

Nope...I pretty much think it was about the money...

That's about all they were eye-in' there at the end...count it up Mr. T...let's go...

It was a great day! Kids had fun...adults mingled...they made about $50 to split 7 ways...more of a "socialist" approach to it...but it made it easier for the parents, and you know, we're all about the dictatorship:)

If I have said it once, I know I've said it a million times...we LOVE this neighborhood! We have the best time here! We're already plannin' a "fall farm market" again because this one was such a success!

I think I may have to ditch the "teacher" attitude though...I kept trying to teach them how to make change...but all the neighbors kept trying to tip and make them KEEP the change! Gotta love that generosity!

Not Even Half of It

Ooooooooooooooo we've been B.U.S.Y. today!!!

Pickin', cleanin', blanchin', freezin', gratin', packin', wrappin'...you name it..we've done it today!

The girls are wayyy excited about tomorrow...so today we just got to preparing for the market...

We started harvesting:

Doesn't it remind you of a scene from Little House on the Prairie, minus the dresses, the bonnets and field of wheat? Okay, well, maybe it doesn't resemble that at all, but it looks cute nonetheless!

This is what we get on an every other day basis:

Okay, minus the ONE carrot sticking out of the top of Mount Vegetable...Anyway, so you can see why we don't mind gettin' rid of some of it...especially if we can actually chalk it up to some sort of "learning experience" along the way.

If you live close to us and would like to stop by tomorrow at noon...please do! This isn't even half of what we are putting out there...we still need to pull some carrots and peppers and the other 3 neighbor "farms" have to add in their "loot" as well!

That last picture is all the zucchini bread that I made for the market as well...we've got plain and chocolate chip...now, if I can keep them out of the girls' hands until tomorrow, we'll be doing well...

And, we're gonna have some cookies and lemonade too...cuz, you can't have a "stand" without lemonade! It just isn't done!!!

An Understatement

To say that my girls are excited would be putting it lightly! It's that time of year again...the annual farm market. Now, at this point of the year, the produce we have in the garden isn't really something we need to get rid of as was, say...THE LETTUCE!! All the rest of our food is able to be canned or frozen for the winter. However, this really is the culmination of the entire garden experience for our girls.

We pick some of our green beans, a couple of zucchini that might be left on the vine, a couple handfuls of cucumbers, a few peppers, and some carrots...we strip Mommy's herb garden...or maybe they refer to it as pruning, but that's not exactly what happens...anyhoo: Then Mommy makes a bunch of little tin loaves of zucchini bread...the rest of the kids in the neighborhood that have gardens, bring their little loads down as well...And if they don't have gardens, they make cookies or lemonade to add to the event.

We set up shop at the end of the driveway...the kids make a huge sign and we price everything at about 50 cents. We've got to make it easy for making change purposes...In the end we make about 7 or 8 bucks (which doesn't even cover 1/8 of what we actually put into all this stuff, but hey, it's all about the experience right?) and we all go out for ice cream!!!

Due to schedules and vacations and everything else, we've had to quickly put togehter our little market in order to get it up and running by noon on Sunday. At least that's the plan as of this evening at 6:30pm...so we'll see. I'm looking forward to my girls becoming quite the sales people...especially when trying to push the lemonade, that they somehow constantly need to "test"...

I'll let you know how it goes after the weekend...but I already got busy with the advertising (see the little pamphlet above) Did I mention that we have the coolest neighborhood EV-AH!!!? Every year we also, always have a neighborhood get together, which happens to be this Saturday...now, how perfect is it that we can have everyone in one spot in order to pass out our little invites to our farm market for the following day?? Fun times I'm telling you!

So, that's about it...we're gonna get busy bakin' and pullin' and scrubbin' and makin' our signs! That is, right after I get done with how many loads of laundry did I say were on my bed? UGH... again, that's where my hubby and I differ...I just keep makin' the messes and worry about the clean up later!!! And boy do we have fun!

Zucchini Anyone?

Yeah...soooo...our zucchini is coming in now...

It's like this every year...it just keeps growing and growing...I try so hard to get out there fast enough so that it's not like we're eating Dinosaur size vegetables, but I can't seem to time it correctly...and therefore, we're eating zucchini FORRRRREVVVVERRRRRR!!! And often the SAME one...cuz it's like the never ending squash...

On another note...remember those 200+ potatoes that we pulled...well, we needed (and I use this term loosely, because seriously, do we really NEED more things in our garden?? I think not...) Anyway, we "needed" something else to put there...

Sweetpea saw this on a trip to West Virginia one summer and we thought we'd give it a try! If you can't figure it out...they are pole beans...they're gonna grow right up those strings into a little teepee. We can't wait to see if it works!

That's about it for news around here...we got our carpets cleaned...hip hip hooray...I'm sure you are thrilled to know that tidbit of information...you can now take a deep breath and continue on with your day...

Oh, and I'm on day 8 or 9 or something like that with the whole 30 day shred...again, I use that the term "shred" lightly as well...it's not like I'm adjusting my diet or anything...heavens no...I can't give up chocolate, mocha lattes, cheese, pepsi...you might as well just cut off an arm if you're gonna forbid those things...that'd be an easy way to loose the weight though...hmmm...nevermind...

I'm doin' the exercising though...much fun I will tell you...if you like that your muscles shake uncontrollably after you finish your workout and you feel like you can't breathe for the first 10 minutes...you know, IF you like that sort of thing...

I DON'T like that sort of thing...HOWEVER, I AM liking the results...not loosing weight mind you, but definitely watching that little big, flabby pooch slowly diminish!

Okay, so that's all I've got for now...hope you have a great day!

It's PEA PICKIN' time

Just thought I'd share a little piece of heaven from our house to yours!

Ahhhh...the joy of summer!!!

Amidst the sweltering (remember my daughter's word?) heat, the perspiration dripping down your face, the "aroma" wafting from bodies after running around in the yard, the arguments peaceful discussions over the thermostat, the bees, snakes, and flies...there is a glimmer of the reason I love summer even still...

My garden is beginning to produce...yes, we've had the lettuce, but now it's gettin' close...I can just taste it!!!

They aren't posing or anything right? nope, not my girls!!!

Enjoy, Mamarazzi

First Fruits

I'm so giddy I may have just peed my pants a little bit!!!

We got to pick some lettuce/spinach tonight from OUR OWN garden! Oh my goodness, I was bouncing all the way to those mounds of green. I was all giggles trying to choose which bunch I was going to rip from the dirt. I am not much of a decision maker, but boy oh boy, I was ready tonight! I've had my eyes on those growing green leaves for the past month.

We've never grown lettuce before...this year is the first and I'm happy to add that it will NOT be our last! I got back to the house with a bag filled with romaine, bib lettuce and spinach for Anthony and I to share with some grilled chicken, etc...he asked me how much I had picked...10%?, 20%, is there a lot left?

Honey...I probably picked about 3-5% of what is out there...we are SET! And, man it was good! IT was delicious, who am I kidding? Now, don't take this as bragging...I mean, what in the world did I do but put little seeds in a pile of dirt? It ALWAYS amazes me to see what comes from those itty, bitty seeds!

I am READY for planting the rest of the garden...I'm READY for summer and then for a harvest! YUMMY!!!

So in case you are just dying to see our beautiful, delicious, wonderful greens...I took pictures! Just for you! Enjoy (although not as much as I am about now!!!)