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I made baked beans last week for a side to dinner with the mr and Barb. They ate them all. I didn%u2019t get more then a spoonful. I was sad for me, but also was like %u201cShit, if I had known you guys were bean fiends, I would be making baked beans like all the time.%u201d

And maybe not all the time, but I made them again this week. And again, they ate a lot, but I got me some this time, and I will probably make them again next week too because they will be perfect for Thanksgiving. See, homemade baked beans are a thing of beauty. Sure you can buy them in a can and be just fine, but these baked beans, well these are waaaayyyy way better. These baked beans are soft (not canned bean soft) and tomatoey and a little spicy with a tang. Not sickly sweet, (not sugar added) and not too salty.. They are just about perfect. You can eat them on their own, toss them into salads or wraps, stick on some toast, serve as as side, or just eat them cold straight from a jar from the fridge right before bed. (your loved one will thank you for that). Plus they are baked in the oven and I love me a good warm oven on a cold day. And the obvious, but all the protein and all around goodness. A great dish to serve if ever you need to feed people like me who don%u2019t eat meat. It%u2019s a win win win win.

Baked beans in all their glory. No cans in sight.

The stuff. White beans that were soaked overnight, strained then added back to a pot with 6 cups of water. Also have crushed tomatoes. an onion, a few cloves of garlic, chili powder, mustard powder, apple cider vinegar, and some salt and pepper.

First step is to start boiling you beans. But while that is happening, mince garlic and chop the onion into really small pieces.

Toss the onion and garlic in a pan and cook on medium low until soften and fragrant.

Cooked beans. All you need to do to cook them is place the pot with soaked beans and water on high, bring to a boil, then turn heat to a medium. Let beans cook until tender. It should take about an hour and a half.

Beans are cooked and the garlic and onion are soften so now all you do is combine everything together. Don%u2019t drain the beans, just toss in the tomatoes, the vinegar, the spices, and a few pinches of pepper and a pinch of salt. Stir in all together,

Looks like soup right? This is right before you stick it into the oven.

Now look at that, oven baked beans. The best part%u2026 The crispy sides. ALL MINE!

Not much left to do but eat them. Straight up with a hunk of bread. That is a good way to start anyway.

Enjoy your beans!

-C

Makes a big pot of beans

• 1 pound (2 cups) white beans soaked in water for at least 8 hours (I used great northern but navy would be good too)

• 6 cups water or veggie stock

• 3 cups (or a 28 oz can) crushed tomatoes

• 1 onion

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili pepper

• 1 tablespoon mustard powder

• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

• salt and pepper

Strain soaked beans and place them into large oven safe dutch oven almond with the water and stick on the stove. Bring the beans to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook util the beans are tender. Should take about 1 1/2 hours.

Sometime while the beans are cooking, mince garlic and chop the onion into very small pieces. Place in a skillet and cook on medium until the onion and garlic are soften and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside until beans are cooked

Preheat oven to 425

One beans are tender, dump in the cooked garlic and onion, the tomatoes, the spices, the vinegar, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir it all together and place into the oven. Bake for about 2 hours, staring about ever 30 minutes, until the bean sauce is nice and thick. If at any point you think they have gotten to dry, just add more water. Pull the beans out of oven once you are happy with the sauce consistency. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

And then eat them. As a meal, as a side, or as a snack. Beans are good anytime.

Any leftovers should be stored in the fridge. Beans can be reheated very easily on the stove top. Just place the pot back on stove, stir in a little water and cook til hot.

Beans are also fantastic eaten cold from the fridge.

We have been super busy the past few weeks and haven%u2019t seen any of the littles for a while and I am starting to miss them. So the other day, (when it was actually kinda cold. its been way to warm here!) when I was in the neighborhood, I stopped by my sisters house after the kids got out of school with pumpkin hot chocolate supplies and to hang out. Unfortunately, one of those littles (Miley Lu) was to cool for me and went to hang out with her friend, but whatever, that just left enough hot chocolate supplies to make the one that stayed the biggest cup he could handle, look through all his pictures, and sit around talking about his fart hole.%u00a0

Pretty great visit it I do say so myself.

This hot chocolate is just a little seasonal twist on regular old hot chocolate. I bet that some of you out there might end up with a bit of extra pumpkin puree come next week and this is a great way to use some of that up. The pumpkin make the hot chocolate a little thicker, a bit more hearty,%u00a0and adds a nice smooth creaminess to the drink. And some fiber, which is always good.

%u00a0Now all we need is some snow.

The stuff. Milk (any kind you drink) pumpkin puree, cocoa powder, crown sugar, and a pinch or so of cinnamon.%u00a0

Oh, and pick out your most favorite kick ass mug (it will just sate better that way).%u00a0I brought over the rainbow bug cause Judah loves him some rainbows.%u00a0

Dump all the stuff into a pot and stick it on stove on medium heat.

Whisk it all around, and continue to whack until the its as hot as you want it to be.

Pour it into a cup (preferably one with rainbows on it)%u00a0and %u00a0top it off with whatever you like on top of your drink %u00a0(I added a bit more milk froth and a spinkle more of cinnamon)

And serve up, to yourself, or to the monster little waiting for his chocolate fix.

Have a great day!

-C

Makes 1 cup%u00a0

• 1 1/4 %u00a0cup milk (cow, nut, soy.. whatever)
• 1 heaping tablespoon cocoa powder
• 3 %u00a0tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar(more if you like it sweetness)%u00a0
• a pinch or two of pumpkin spice blend (or just some cinnamon works)

Take all ingredients and place into a pot. %u00a0Whisk everything together until fully incorporated. Place pot on medium heat and keep whisking until the hot chocolate is heated to your preferred temperature.

Pour into a mug and feel free to top with whipped cream, sprinkles, marshmallows or whatever you heart desires.

%u00a0Today I am going to spend the day hiding inside (it’s suppose rain all day)%u00a0binge watching Top Chef, while baking as many cakes and cookies as I can. For%u00a0I stumbled upon the amazing world of aquagfaba (bean water, which when whipped, act almost exactly like egg white). It’s freaking amazing%u00a0and I now I must%u00a0devote my life to it. (no, not really).

Other then the bean juice, this week had been good. Lots of amazing clouds in the sky,%u00a0more super fresh summer veggies, bke rides, gardening, summertime fun.%u00a0We really wanted to go camping this weekend, but sadly our plans fell through, which is probably a good %u00a0because I really don’t think my body can survive any more bug bites.%u00a0I think I might have contracted west nile from the 100 trillion bug bites that I got while strawberry picking.%u00a0I also%u00a0might have gotten a little poison ivy%u00a0(can’t tell if its just more %u00a0bug bites).%u00a0Either way, my skin is destroyed and I am ready to tear it all off. Oh well,%u00a0we did get to spend %u00a0a day on a river where the mr fished%u00a0and I played with rocks. Good times.

So today,%u00a0baking with aquafaba, a little T.V, some%u00a0watercolor painting,%u00a0and maybe a little of that stinky pink lotion on my legs. And coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Sounds like a pretty good day to me. Hope that you out there are going to do the same (maybe not play with bean water, but have a relaxing day)%u00a0

Some fun and awesome internet stuff to peruse if you are hanging around the old computer.

–%u00a0This is such a great design%u2026 I want one.%u00a0%u00a0Tiny Footprint: A Prefab Home for Two, in 183 Square Feet by%u00a0Michelle Slatalla%u00a0%u00a0

– How To Make Slime%u2026. My life is now complete.

-2015%u2019s Crime Stories Are Riddled With Hangry People%u00a0. My headline %u00a0would be ..”Vegan girl reverts to cannibalism. Eats boyfriends arm off while stuck in traffic on the way to the farmers market”… HAHAHA

-Are You Flossing Or Just Lying About Flossing? The Dentist Knows. Just so you know.%u00a0%u00a0

-%u00a0J.K. Rowling Announces ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ Will Hit London Stage.%u00a0And of course it’s all the way in London. What about me?

– Really need to get me one of these.%u00a0Camp in the Air: New Suspended Treehouse Tents and Hammocks

-Andr%u00e9s Jaque’s giant water purifier unveiled in MoMA PS1 courtyard%u00a0

– I am so going to be making this as soon as the chard is ready in the garden .A Genius Trick for Lighter, Smoother Hummus%u00a0

-This is Real:%u00a0The Baby Cage. NOO..but YES!!!!

And some pictures from the week.

       TGIF!!!! For reals, because Monday-Thurday were monster days. And now that its friday, I can dig a hole and hide in it until it’s at least 30 degrees with some sunshine. (I might never get to come out.)

A few things I will bring in my hole:

• food (lots of food and coffee, lots of coffee)
• a soft blanket and pillow
• a few books, preferably with pictures, on farming and gardening (think spring!)
• the entire series of the Fresh Prince of Bel-air and a device to watch it on
• toothpaste (I can use my finger to brush my teeth)

But before I leave for my hole in the ground, I made these little cake bites to get my people through the weekend. Sweet little lemony bites of rich dense cake dipped into bittersweet chocolate. (I am just so nice)  They have all the pleasure or cake without the need of a fork and are much easier to give away then a big slice of cake. Plus, they are fun to make. My little sister helped and did most of the chocolate dipping. Then she and another little used their mouths to clean up the chocolate mess. It was an afternoon of chocolate all over the kitchen fun day. 

So make some bites to have and to share. Or if you, like me, are digging a hole to hide in, make a batch of bites to bring with you. That’s the beauty of cake covered in a harden chocolate shell, they travel really well.Simple lemon cake stuff. Flour, baking powder and salt whisked together, Sugar and soft butter in a bowl. An egg, some vanilla, milk, and of course, the lemon. 

To make the batter, cream the soften butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Zest lemon(1 big or 2 small) into bowl with the juice of the lemon(s), the vanilla and the egg. Beat until combined. Now beat in the dry and then the milk. Keep beating for another minute until all mixed. Batter should be light and fluffy.

Batter goes into a greased and floured  9×13 baking sheet and stuck into a 375 degree oven for about 30 minutes (You can use a 9×9 baking pan. Just bake fir another 10 minutes and you will end up with thicker bites). Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes and flip to remove cake from baking sheet. Cut cake into small pieces (I cut 4×6   to get 24 bites) and place bake into sheet and into freezer (I stuck mine outside, it was -2 degrees ) for at least 2 hours. 

Frozen bites ready for the chocolate coating… Bittersweet chocolate chips and a little bit of coconut oil. Melted together all nice and shiny smooth.Now dip and slather those bites in the melted chocolate. 

Oh what a lovely sister I have.. Look at her dunk….. like a boss!Fully coated and placed on a rack for the chocolate to harden. I  ended up sticking the rack in the freezer for 10 minutes…They harder really fast in there.

And now you have some it, bites of cake covered in chocolate. 1 bite, 2 bites…5 bites. Eat however many you want because its Friday and because there small little bites and just because you can.

Now if you need me, I’ll be in my hole. 

-C

Chocolate Lemon Cake Bite

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup  white sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) soft butter
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large or 2 small lemons
• 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Add butter  and sugar to a large bowl and beat on medium unit light and fluffy. Ass in vanilla egg, the zest of the lemon and the juice of the lemon. Beat to incorporate. Now beat in the dry and lastly the milk.

Grease and flour either a 9×9 pan or a 9×13 baking sheet. dump batter in and smooth out.  Stick in oven and bake for about 3o minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out clean. Remove and let cool  for a few minutes on a  wire rack. Flip cake to remove from pan. Cut cake into bit sized pieces, 4×6 is a good size, and place back on baking sheet and stick into freezer for at least 2 hours.

When cake bites are as good as frozen, get the chocolate ready. Take the chocolate and the coconut oil and either melt in a double boiler or the microwave. Mix until smooth and make sure to full incorporate the oil. Now remove the cake bites from the freezer and dip each bite into chocolate, trying to full coat all sides. Stick onto a wire rack or a parchment lined pan to harden. They can be stuck back into the freezer to harden faster.

Once chocolate has harden, your good to go!

My brain has been slightly fogged this week with being kinda sick, which is almost worst then feeling sick cause you don’t act sick, you do normal life stuff, but you feel like shit. I think that today I am calling it.. I am sick.. official

But besides feeling like crap, this week has been pretty great. All fall and lovely.The weather is nice and cool (even cold) and the trees, the mountains, the world, all look like they are on fire with all the crazy amazing foliage.(so many pictures to come) and I have been just soaking it all up.%u00a0%u00a0I away love living in Vermont, but this past week, oh man, I could not imagine living anywhere else.%u00a0

Anyway, not much in the way of news. Just going to take the day to chill out. cozy up with a book, nap, tea (coffee too), and try to shake the kinda sick out%u2026%u00a0

Hope you are having a great week.. and that you are not sick too!

Interent stuff to check out.

– I kinda really like painted black floors…

–The Difference Between a Squash and a Pumpkin

-Could All Really Come From Nothing? Just something to think about.%u00a0

-What the hell%u2026%u00a0Lucky Charms to Release 10 Magical Marshmallow-Only Boxes

–Pretty interiors %u2026 love the bed!

-8 Fun Halloween Costumes That Basically Just Require a T-Shirt.

-%u00a0Why Do Leaves Change Color in the Fall? If you don’t know.

-How Food Waste Ended Up on Restaurant Menus.%u00a0

-This place looks amazing!%u00a0I so should live here!

-I am a,%u00a0more time then not, a not soaker..%u00a0Worth It or Not Worth It: Soaking Dried Beans%u00a0%u00a0

And some pictures from the week.

First official week of summer plus #popsicleweek means we all have to make popsicles. It is not a option, it’s a must. The question is what kind of popsicles to make.

Well here you go, I got one for you right here. Pineapple, cucumber, spinach popsicles.%u00a0I highly, highly recommend them because they are amazing and you and everyone will love them.%u00a0No joke. I had two littles tell me that they are the best popsicles they have ever eaten. Then Koko damn near ate my hand off when I was trying to slow the baby down while he was eating his so he didn’t get brain freeze. After he finished off his popsicle, he turned around and went after his brothers popsicle. It was crazy. Screaming, green faced, baby charging after a popsicle. It was like an animal planet episode.%u00a0

%u00a0And so there you have it, all the littles we into them, the mr was into his, and me, I might eaten one or two and maybe I was licking all of them in between taking pictures. Ha. And big plus, unlike a lot of popsicles,%u00a0there is no extra shit in these, like no added sugar. And there is veggies in them.%u00a0They are basically an all around, eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, or dessert popsicle.%u00a0%u00a0How can you even go wrong with that.%u00a0

You can’t.

Now it’s popsicle time!

The stuff. Fresh pineapple, fresh spinach, a cucumber, and a lime. That’s it, nothing else.%u00a0

Pineapple and juice from lime into the blender. Blend until smooth.

Add in the cucumber, blend until smooth%u00a0

Last but not least, add in spinach, blend until smooth.

Bright green goodness. And that’s pretty much it. And really, you could just stick it all into blender at once, I just blended the ingredients one by one for the sake of the pictures.

Pour that goodness into popsicles mold and either stick th sticks in now if they don’t sink or wait about an half hour after they have been in the freezer, just don’t forget the sticks (I almost did).

Mid freeze stick sticking.

Once they are frozen and when it’s feeding time,%u00a0%u00a0you pop them out of the mold and feed the people. Watch your fingers.%u00a0

Happy summer, Happy #popsicleweek

-C

Make 8 3.5 onze popsicles%u00a0

• 2 1/2 cups fresh pineapple*
• 1 Lebanese %u00a0cucumber (or half of an English cucumber)
• 3 large handfuls of spinach%u00a0
• Juice of a lime

*Note. You can use frozen pineapple, just thaw it out so it starts to release some of it’s juices. That way you don’t need to add water to the blender to blend everything up.%u00a0

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour puree into popsicle molds and stick into freezer. After about 1/2 hour, remove from freezer and stick the popsicle sticks into the molds. Place popsicles back into freezer until completely frozen (about 4-6 hours)%u00a0

Enjoy anytime.

Chomp Chomp Chomp… The sound I make as I eat this freaking fantastic crunchy granola. You know it’s good when the person sitting next to you is annoyed by the sound of you face while eating.  I eat a lot of crunchy stuff. And I am pretty sure I annoy the mister a lot. 

Oh well, he will live, and he eats his fair share of annoying stuff too so we can just call it even.

So granola. I love it. I make a batch every few weeks or so, and I usually make it just for me. (I almost never make things just for me) I like to keep it simple but flavorful. A tad sweet, but not really, and crunchy, without the oily fried taste. I also like a variety of sizes, some big clusters and some small pieces. 

This granola fits the bill perfectly. Made with 5 ingredients, no oil, and the perfect sweetness level.  It’s one of my favorite flavors yet. And I know I said I made it just for me, but the mister really liked it too. (I can’t help sharing)

The simplest of stuff. 1 smashed banana, a cup of pureed butternut squash, Vietnamese cinnamon*, honey, and old fashion oats. (and a dash of salt, not shown)

*Note. I only ever use Vietnamese cinnamon because once I start using it, regular old cinnamon just won’t  cut it anymore. It is a bit sweeter and a lot more spicy. If you don’t have it or don’t want to use it, use regular cinnamon and add in 1/2 a teaspoon of all spice.Toss the cinnamon and salt with the oats. Mix together the banana, squash and the sweetener and combine with the oats until full incorporated. 

Another note. Because I made this granola for me and no body else, I actually omitted the honey (I think that banana abs squash make it sweet enough) But if I was making this for lets say, the mister, or a friend, I would use add a bit. The sweetness level and sweetener of choice is up to you, but 2-3 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup is usually sweet enough for  people.

Dump the mixture on a parchment lined baking sheet and give it a little pat, you know, to settle all the bit and pieces together, all cozy and evenly spread out. Now stick into a preheated oven and after about 20 minutes, take out of oven and give the granola a toss, breaking apart any super big chunks or overly wet pieces. Put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (I like my granola super crispy crunchy so I cook it a little longer, like 30 more minutes)And when you are happy with the crunchiness of you granola, remove from oven and let cool, trying not to eat all of it while it sit’s on the counter looking all pretty and smelling like happiness. 

Grab a bowl, stick the rest into a jar with a lid, hide it from others, and chomp chomp chomp away!

-C

Banana Butternut Granola

• 3 cups old fashion oats (use gluten free oats if needed)
• 1 ripe banana, mashed 
• 1 cup butternut squash puree (can use canned)
• 2 tablespoons Vietnamese cinnamon (or 2 tablespoons regular cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of allspice)
• 1-3 tablespoon honey or sweetener of choice (use greater amount for sweeter)
• dash of salt

Preheat oven to 375

In a large bowl, mix together oats, cinnamon and salt. Mix the mashed banana, squash, and sweetener of choice together and combine with the oats. If the mixture seems really dry, add in a very small splash of water to loosen just enough to mix.

Dump mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet and evenly disperse the mixture. Give it a kind of smoosh to compact the oats and to make sure all its all the same thickness on the pan.

Stick into oven for 20 minutes. Remove and give granola a little toss, maybe breaking apart any really big chunks (unless you like really big chunks) and put back into oven for another 20 minutes. (30 for a crunchier granola) Remove from oven and let cool on  baking sheet before storing in an air tight container. If you find that it is not as crunchy as you would like or is a few days old and lost some of its crunchiness, just stick it back into the oven for a few minutes to re crunch.

Eat as is, as a cold cereal,  dip in peanut butter, add to popcorn or whatever way you want to eat it. No utensil required.

And all of a sudden the world is green and it is mazing and magical. The best time of the year, when all the cool and wet weather pays off with sunshine and flowers and the greenest greens. No longer freezing and it is yet to be too freaking hot. Spring spring SPRING. It is not lost on me. I take it, I suck it up, I appreciate it all. Even the cray cray rain storms. What a time, what a time.

Last week we started off Sunday going to see some jumping fish. We packed our lunches, grabbed the camera, drove the 2 hours to the river and sat around watching and waiting. Sadly we saw no jumping fish. And that was that in case you were wondering. One of these years we will see it.

The rest of the week has been a little crazy. In between work and chores and life stuff, just about every day we have had anywhere between 2-4 littles. What for their parents needed a sitter or a ride here and there cause their car broke down. Or just some aunt and uncle hang time because who doesn%u2019t want to hang with us? So beside the mr finish off the trophies for the Lund Family Fund Raiser, me working the pug mill at the studio, or us trying to trade off the car in hopes that we both can get where we need to go in time for getting there. (Oh man the car thing, that is a whole other beast.) Yeah, it%u2019s been busy and hectic. On the bright side we have spent a lot of the time running around outside, drawing, and eating. A few little highlights. One of the nights So was feeling a little sick and Coco was feeling mean and wouldn’t let her nap on the couch so she ended up dragging a bunch of pillows into the pantry and falling asleep. It just made sense. Then there was Judah with his mad drawing skills drawing me pictures of vegetables (amazing) then farting with his armpits. And Miley, with her tude and phone. Getting her to hang out and just be sweet was nice. And Coco. That freaking little. Always happy, always eating, always causing trouble. Loves to run into the garden and jump all over the couch covered in peanut butter. (that is the baby, not me. ha) We found him a three wheeler. His legs might be too short but we will figure it out. It is gonna be a fun summer!

After the week long little marathon that ended with sticky littles eating pancakes (and being dangerously low on maple syrup), thrift store shopping (I scored the best new photo piece), and stopping in on my maybe future new bike(???), I came home and cleaned the crap out of everything. It never fails to amaze me how gross kids can be. The toilet alone, well, lets not go there.

Today, as it is Mothers Day and all, I am going to be a dutiful daughter and go see my Mama. Right now (at the wee early hour of 5 am, I%u2019m about to pop some bread and then a cake into the oven as offerings. We are going over around lunch so I%u2019m going make focaccia grilled cheeses (with the fresh bread) and hand over the blueberry cake that she loves. Then hopefully just spend a couple hours drinking lots of coffee and chilling on the porch.

Look at me, I am such a good daughter.

Links of interest on the internet.

–Yes, I’m In School for Nutrition. No, I Don’t Want to Hear About Your Diet. I feel this. Sometimes people feel like they need to tell me everything they eat, for approval or something. And I actually don%u2019t mind talking about what people eat. I’ll even make suggestions about foods that I like to eat or ways to prepare certain things but I stay away from telling people what not to eat%u2026 (people always assume I am going to tell them to not eat meat. I say, I do me. You do you.)

-I don%u2019t know how may times I have seen Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure. This should be good. PlusI totally have a thing for Keanu Reeves. Bill & Ted are embarking on a third excellent adventure next year

–How Weeds Help Fight Climate Change. Weeds are not the problem friends. The chemicals that people use to get rid of them are!

-If you are interested in VT State Parks, here its the list of all the parks opening days. Can%u2019t wait for CAMPING!!!

-Did you go through an Arizona iced tea phase? I had a very brief stint with the green tea%u2026 I can%u2019t even imagine drinking one now. The Dream of the %u201990s Is Alive in AriZona Iced Tea

–An Interview With A Man Who Eats Leftover Food From Strangers’ Plates In Restaurants. I think this is awesome and have much respect.

-A question the I didn%u2019t know I wanted answered until I read this article. Why do cats%u2014and so many other animals%u2014look like they%u2019re wearing socks?

-I get all sorts of feels when I see pandas. MY favorite favorite animal growing up. I carried a pink polka dotted panda around with me for years. SO many panda things. So this is fantastic and I hope to visit one day and hug me a panda (with pink polka dots) China%u2019s new panda park will be three times bigger than Yellowstone

–I have heard and seen some crazy fights in the past in places we have lived. A good few actually. It is never a comfortable thing but sadly, we got used to it. Listening to My Neighbors Fight

-Mothers Have Been Complaining About Mother%u2019s Day Breakfast in Bed for More than Half a Century. Why Does It Go On?. I am a strict, NO FOOD! in bed person. It just have zero desire to eat in bed so breakfast in bed sounds terrible to me. Plus I am awake at 430 every morning and I don%u2019t eat for a few hours after I wake up. It just wouldn%u2019t work.

And pictures from the week.

First off, the Happiest Day to all the mothers out there. You are great and make the world possible so thank you for that. Take care today to you. We are all better off when you are happy or to quote a sign hanging in my moms kitchen..When Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy.

Whoa did we spend a lot of time outside this week. The mr upin the trees cutting them down. Weeding out gardens and cleaning up lawns. So many trips to the wood chipping plant to get ride of all the wood. My arms have been sore all week and it’s mostly from hauling large chunks of wood to the truck. That and all the dirt moving. 6 yards of dirt dropped off to fill up our raised beds. The garden is on it’s way to being a real garden and I couldn’t be any happier. First time in my life where I have had a yard with a garden to do what I please. It’s freaking amazing. And now I am struggling with what to plant. I know that I will get a butt load of veggies form the farm but what do I want more of? Lots of greens are on their way and we need to have tomatoes but do I do an entire bed of carrots and beets? If so where while the husk cherries go?. And the pumpkins, should we just plant them out front? (the mr wants to turn the front lawn into a pumpkin patch. I am not entirely sure that is a good idea) So many things to consider.

Sunday has got me busy. I want to finish planting what needs planting, the laundry is backed up a few loads so I need to get on that and I have a mess of paperwork that I need to get through. Good day for it though cause it looks like a chilly rain today so hanging out on the back porch with my pile of crap won’t be so bad. At least there will be lots of coffee.

Internet whatnots

-Checked the pollen count when my face blew up, snot running, and itching my eyes out. Allergies, blah.

-Garden planting takes some planning. An In-Depth Companion Planting Guide

-I don’t know why I have never thought to add color to bread dough. On my list of things to do this week. HOW TO MAKE MARBLED RAINBOW TOAST

–New York Times Puzzles. I like to play sudoku and the mini.

–What Is Avocado Hand? I guess that it is a real thing so watch yourself.

-Feeling stresses? Thinking About Happy Memories Can Shut Down Your Body%u2019s Stress Response

–Here’s What Michelle Obama Thinks About Trump’s School Lunch Rules. Oh Michelle, I miss you.

–See the Awesome March of the Milky Way Across the Night Sky

%u00a0-The mr has always said her wanted some type of hot tub or sauna. I could get down with something like this. A Mirrored Golden Egg Sauna is Hatched in Sweden

–Vermont Legislature Votes to Legalize Marijuana. I mean it’s about time.

Pictures from the week.

What a week. Was it summer where you %u00a0are this week as well? I mean jeez, talk about one extreme to another. Oh well, at least the world has turned green, the winter stuff is completely out of sight and I found the box that contained all of my shorts and summery clothes (pants and long sleeves in 90 degrees is just gross)%u00a0 And honestly, it’s been great. In between work, chores and just plan old being busy, we have manage to get a few bike rides and long walks in. Plus all the veggie starts are doing great, the flowers are coming up everywhere and life just has a little bit more of a relaxed feeling. So what if my allergies are turning my face into big red puff or that the past few night have been so hot that the act of sitting has caused me to break a sweat. I’ll take it.

Oh and I can’t forget%u2026.%u00a0

Happy Mother’s Day ladies!!!!

Here I give you a few thing from the internet this week …

– I didn’t believe they were paintings at first. Hyper-realistic Cactus Paintings that Bristle with Detail by Kwang-Ho Lee

-I’ll take any one of these%u00a0The 5 Fanciest French Press Coffeemakers We Could Find

-Love love the floors in This house.

-Spending a bit of time making summer camping plans here…Vermont State Parks. I can’t wait to get the tent out!

%u00a0-I think this should be happening everywhere.%u00a0Recycled Drinking Water: Getting Past the Yuck Factor

– And there is this.%u00a0ABC Brings Muppets Back To Prime Time As News Emerges About Fall Shows

And that, here are a few pictures from the week.

%u00a0My boys. I long socks and sneakers%u2026 these guys know cool.%u00a0Took the super cutie cuties out for an ice cream cone.Our first bike ride picnic down on the waterfront. I love bike ride picnics!So many succulents. I didn’t actually buy any because I need to stop being a plant whore.I have made a batch of this stuff evey day this week. I can’t stop eating it, it’s like eating summer. So good

Have a wonderful day and to all that it applies to…

Happy Moms Day!

-C

It’s Mother’s Day weekend which means that you and I and everyone out there should feel the slightest bit obligated to at least do a little something nice for your mom for the mere fact that you were borned. And really what better way to celebrate mom than with food%u2026 It really is the least that you can do. (I think mom’s also like flowers and cards and handmade pasta necklaces) My mom is defiantly about the food. (she has had her fair share or pasta necklaces) %u00a0A many years back on Mother’s day, this sweet little girl (me) made her mother a special %u00a0breakfast treat%u2026blueberry scones. And ever since that day, for every freaking holiday, birthday, whatever day, my mother requests (demands) a batch of those scones. She is always saying that these are her favorite treat and that no one has ever made them as good as I do. (I guess that just reiterates that I am her number 1 child)

And for the last few months my mom has been up my butt, trying to get me to make her some. Not going to lie, I have been saying I’ll get her a batch, but for some reason, I haven’t gotten around to making them. So two birds here.. Make the scones and she gets off my back for a least a little while (a month.. maybe 2) and I give her a fantastic Mothers day gift that I know she will love.

So here they are , oh mother of mine. Blueberry scones!

The stuff. Flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. A bit of sugar, vanilla, buttermilk, and butter (use vegan butter and nut milk if you want to make them vegan) And of course we need the blueberries which can be fresh or frozen. I usually use fresh, but the store I stopped at only had really big containers of fresh that were like $1000 dollars a piece and the organic frozen happen to be on super sale. So you know, the cheap in me won that battle.%u00a0So into the bowl goes all the dry stuff; flour, baking powder and soda, salt, and the sugar. Give it a good whisk.

Now for my special trick for a perfectly distributed cold butter in a pastry. Freeze your butter and grate it!

With a large wholed grater, grate the frozen butter directly into the bowl with the dry, stoping a few times to toss the butter chunks around so you don’t end up with a huge pile of grated butter. When it’s all grated, gently toss around so the butter is evenly distributed.%u00a0Now dump the blueberries into the flour mixture. Toss them around to give them a coat of flour. Add in the buttermilk and vanilla and give a little mix until liquid is absorbed. We are trying to handle the dough as little as possible.Turn mixture onto counter. It’s very loose, but thats what it should look like. Very gently and with as little handling as possible, gather dough up, knead a few times till everything %u00a0just comes together. Press dough into a disk that is roughly an inch thick%u2026. and it doesn’t need to be perfect.%u00a0Cut the disk into even sized pieces. Do 6 big, 8 normal, maybe even 10 smaller. Whatever size you like. (I did 8) Place the scones onto a baking sheet, using a spatula to transfer, and sprinkle the tops with a little bit of sugar. Into a preheated oven for about 20 minutes.And when the scones look all nice and browned and a tester comes out clean. remove and either serve right away warm, preferably with huge cup of coffee or tea, or stick on a rack to cool before storing in %u00a0air tight container.

Perfect to serve as a breakfast pastry, at brunch, or even as a dessert. A nice little treat for a special lady. (dudes can eat them too)%u00a0

Happy Mothers Day Mom! Thanks for having me!

And Happy Weekend!!!

-C

Blueberry Scones%u00a0

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar plus%u00a02 tablespoons %u00a0to sprinkle on top
• 1 %u00a0teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted %u00a0butter frozen or really cold (use non dairy butter like Earth Balance for vegan)
• 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 teaspoon %u00a0vanilla%u00a0
• %u00a03/4 cup buttermilk (use non dairy milk for vegan)

Preheat oven t0 400 degrees

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Take the frozen butter and grate directly into flour mixture, tossing around to evenly disrupted. Add in blueberries and toss around till coated with flour, then lastly, add vanilla to buttermilk and mix into mixture until just barely coming together. Turn mixture out onto counter and with your hands, knead mixture a few times until it forms a solid dough. Shape into a disk and smoosh down until about an inch thick. Cut into 6-10 triangles %u00a0and place on a non greases baking sheet and sprinkle tops with remaining sugar. Stick into oven and bake for 20 minutes or until tops start turning a golden brown and a tester in the middle of a scone comes out clean.%u00a0

Remove from baking sheet and serve warm or let cool on a rack.

Mom gets first dibs, and if she is willing to share, eat one yourself with%u00a0your face.%u00a0

I don’t know if I have bitched enough about it, but I only have one window in my living space. And as much as I love love love our little tiny loft, I am a person who needs the sun. So when I am home I spend a lot of time siting in front of the window.%u00a0 Over the past few weeks I have been doing a lot of watercolor painting in front of that window and somehow %u00a0between drawings of carrots and %u00a0vintage fans, I ended up making these marbled window stained glass hoops. And I am glade I did because these little watercolor gems really do make a big impact on my one source of sunlight. Even when the day is kind of gray and gloomy, having these in the window make the light seem brighter and happy.%u00a0

We can all use a bright happy window.

So this project is really easy and fast. I recommend that if you are going to go to the trouble (it’s really no trouble) of making one, you might as well make 2 or 5. I actually made a bunch (think Mothers day or Easter presents) and ended up only keeping a s couple. I am going to have to make a few more soon.

You will need-

• Watercolors%u00a0
• water
• paintbrush
• Sketch paper*
• A pan or tray with a bit of water%u00a0
• Embroidery Circles * (As many as you want to make)

*Notes

• -I tried to use a few different types of paper and found that the sketch works the best. Watercolor paper was a bit to thick and printer paper just kept ripping.
• -You can buy embroidery circles at any craft store and they usually have a good variety of sizes. Use the sizes that you like.

Take a piece(s) of paper a little bit bigger then the hoop you are working with and stick it into a pan or tray of water. Let it sit there for a few minutes until the paper is completely soaked.Take the wet paper and, oh so gently, crumple into a ball. This part can be a little tricky. You want to make as many creases as possible without ripping that paper. (I ripped a few pieces) I found that if I folded that paper a few time, then crumpled that it was less likely to rip.

Uncrumple the paper and lay it gently onto the inner part of the hoop. Now the fun part. Go to town with the watercolors. I used 2 colors per piece, but you could do 1 or 3, or more. When applying the color, use big gentle strokes and let the colors kind of meld together. Watch as all the crumple veins soak up the paint. Try using different dilutions of color. I applied some color on thinly and some on the thicker side. But really, you can’t go wrong, just keep applying paint until you are happy. I stopped a few times and held it up to%u00a0the window just to see what it looked like. When it looked good, I was done.

When you are happy with the colors, let the paper dry for a while on the hoop %u00a0until it is not longer super wet. I would say about an hour or so, but if you stick it near the heater, it might dry faster. (Just don’t stick it in the oven while you are making bread like I did with one.. It just ended up setting on fire. Oops)

Once its pretty much dry, take the outer ring of the hoop and gently place around the inner hoop and tighten. Being super careful, trim the extra paper from the back of the hoop.

Place your pieces in a window and watch them glow. %u00a0Yow now have a happy window.

-C

A few month ago I read an article about NYC seltzer water (which I have still yet to have) and fell in love with those super cool glass seltzer bottles. (I really want to get my hands on a few). In the article, there was the mention of egg creams. Now at first I was kind of disgusted because who the hell drinks eggs, but then after doing super duper internet research (google) I found that egg creams are not actual egg.. It’s pretty much just bubbly chocolate milk.

Yesterday I was thinking of a non alcoholic beverage that people that are opting out of the alcohol can drink, something maybe a bit different and fun and I had that brain spark.. Egg creams! And I just so happen to be babysitting a gaggle of littles for the day and who better to serve a fun non alcohol drink too! (after that, save all he alcohol for me!) It was perfect cause these littles are down for anything with chocolate and it just so happened to be one of those littles birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUDAH BUG!) .so special party drinks were in order.

Here is how the egg creams when down. I made the chocolate syrup. The kids all loved it and where sticking there fingers in it. Then I assembled the egg creams. All the kids took a glass, drank some, and took off. I found 1/2empty cups of drinks around the house. But here is the thing. When I asked if they liked it, two said yes.,one said it was weird but good, and one little ran away from me with the bag of chocolate quinoa bark ! brought. (I didn’t run after her) The mr came by a few hours later and tried some of the dregs of one and he wasn’t into it at all , but then again he hates chocolate milk and it was sitting around for a while. So the verdict …. not sure.%u00a0 Kids like it if they like chocolate milk but treat it like they would treat any drink (drink half and abandon the rest). Adults could totally get into it if there is some nostalgia behind it or maybe a shot of vodka added.%u00a0 So yeah. I think anyone that is interested should definitely try it. And if you do, let me know. I am very curious what people think.

Oh, and to make the afternoon that much more interesting, I am currently still suffering from laryngitis (hahaha) So yesterday was some fun stuff.%u00a0

The stuff for the chocolate syrup. Cocoa powder, sugar, water, a pinch of salt and a little splash of vanilla. And for the actual egg cream.. milk (a plain plant, nut, or animal) and strawberry flavored seltzer water. (if you don’t like strawberry use any flavor or plain)

To make the syrup, combine the cocoa, sugar, water, vanilla and salt into a sauce pan and bring to a boil while whisking continuously. Keep whisking until sauce starts to thicken then remove from heat and pour into a jar and let cool.

Now for the egg cream assembly

Syrup goes into glass.

Milk into syrup and mix it all around.

Give it another little whirl with a spoon or straw and if you want a more bubbly head, blow into the straw(works the best!)

and get down to business.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

-C

For the chocolate syrup (makes enough for a few egg creams but the syrup is good for anything calling for chocolate)

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• pinch of salt
• splash of vanilla extract

Stuff for one egg cream

• 1 cup cold strawberry flavored seltzer (can use plain or any flavor that you like)
• 1/2 cup cold, plan flavored milk (plant, nut or animal)
• 4-5 tablespoons chocolate syrup

To make the syrup, combine the cocoa, sugar, water, vanilla and salt into a sauce pan and bring to a boil while whisking continuously. turn heat down a little and keep whisking for another 2-3 minutes until sauce starts to thicken. Remove from heat and pour into a jar and let cool.

In a glass that holds are least 16 oz, add in the milk and the chocolate syrup. Mix together (can be shaken or stirred) then pour in about 1 cup of the seltzer water. Give the drink a good mix with a spoon and serve it on up. A straw is recommended to blow bubbles into drink!

Note.. I am aware that there are a few different ways to prepare an egg cream so if you know of a way that is better (milk in last. seltzer mixed with chocolate syrup..). then do it your way!

This time of year, there are so many reasons for popsicles, but I think that main reason is that%u00a0I don’t want to willingly turn on the oven for any amount of time. It’s just to f-ing hot.

Lately, it’s been hot. And humid. And gross. Just way%u00a0too hot to make anything in the oven.%u00a0So when I grabbed the rhubarb out of the fridge, knowing that if I didn’t use it soon it would go bad, I immediately thought to make pie. Then I was like,” hell no, not going to happen. I need to freeze this shit”. And freeze it I did..into the greatest, slightly sweet, slightly tart, bright pink popsicles of happiness. They are really the perfect little frozen treat. Not overly sweet and sticky, have a lot a fresh clean flavor, and takes the edge off of the super summer heat and humidity, even if only for a few minutes.%u00a0

I love popsicles.%u00a0

But sadly this is probably the last rhubarb for the season (Or maybe the second to last..I think I saw some for sale at the coop a few days ago)

So get it while you can and make these%u00a0popsicles!%u00a0

The stuff. Rhubarb, a lime and a little bit of honey (or any sweetener you like). Plus you are going to need some water, but I bet you have some of that on hand.

Chop the rhubarb into inch chunks and toss into a big pot with the water. Stick on the stove and bring to a boil then turn heat to low and let simmer.%u00a0

Once the rhubarb is so soft that it falls apart, remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

With a fine mesh stainer, strain juice into a large jar or bowl.%u00a0

Now you have the juice for the popsicles and the left over rhubarb stuff%u00a0is the%u00a0rhubarb butter.

Place the%u00a0rhubarb butter into a jar, adding a little honey(or whatever)%u00a0if you want and eat with anything and everything%u00a0%u00a0(%u00a0I’ve been adding%u00a0%u00a0it to the mr’s%u00a0yogurt and just%u00a0eating it with a spoon)

And now add the juice of the%u00a0lime%u00a0to the rhubarb juice and add a little honey or whatever%u00a0sweetness to taste.

And add the rhubarb juice to your popsicle molds and stick in the freezer with sticks tops or wait two hours and add wooden sticks.

When frozen, run the mold under a little hot water and pop those suckers out.

A two for one deal here. And timed perfectly. You%u00a0%u00a0have the rhubarb butter%u00a0to eat while%u00a0you wait%u00a0for the popsicles to freeze.%u00a0So smart

Happy Tuesday.. Keep it cool!

-C

makes 6%u00a04oz popsicles and about a cup of jam

• 3 cups chopped rhubarb
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 lime
• Anywhere from 4%u00a0tablespoons honey (2 for popsicles and 2 for jam)

Chop the rhubarb into inch ish chunks and stick into a big pot with water. Turn on high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer until the rhubarb is so soft its falling apart. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Take a big jug or bowl with a fine mesh strainer,strain the liquid from the solids. You can use a wooden spoon to stir around to help get the juice flowing. Place remaining solids into a jar and add as little or as much or as little honey (any sweetener you like) and give it a stir. Thats your jam

Now for the popsicles. Add the juice of the lime and a tablespoon or two of honey (or whatever sweeteners you like) and mix around. Pour into popsicle molds and stick into freezer.Know your mold.. if you need to insert a stick, do so after about 2 hours.%u00a0

When pops are frozen, remove from mold and eat your heart out.