guest blog: garden tour

Remember my sister Kelly?  She once gave us some tips for yoga for runners and also a recipe for delicious zucchini hummus.  Today she's back to give us a tour of her amazing backyard garden!

Once upon a time, I was a growing manager on an 100+ acre organic vegetable farm, complete with tractors, a greenhouse, fowl, goats, horses...and 80 hour workweeks.  Since moving back to Pennsylvania, I've been slowly building a much more manageable "farm" in my backyard.  I'm drawn to farming and gardening for many reasons.  I enjoy the excitement of picking seeds out of a catalog in the most depressing months of the winter.  I love the work of turning the soil and planting seeds with a little prayer.  I appreciate how growing vegetables means I notice sunshine and rainstorms differently, since they're gradually contributing to some future scrumptious meals.  I revel in the ability to come home from work, walk to the garden with no dinner plans and return to the kitchen with armfuls of the freshest, most downright healthy and extremely cheap veggies and herbs that have inspired their own unique menu.  Last night the garden provided us with a tomato, basil, nasturtium salad to top our millet patties, with swiss chard with thyme and red onions on the side.  I love the way gardening tastes when it's on my plate and I know it's charging my body with only goodness. 

This year, we added chickens and ducks to the yard so my husband could have fresh eggs in the morning and eventually some chicken in the freezer.  The ducks contribute a lot of cuteness and constant peeping.  Next year, I think we'll add fruit bushes and trees, more drying beans, squashes, and Jerusalem artichokes.

Here's a few pictures from our garden!

Swiss chard (left) and collards (right).

Nasturtium (an edible flower) hiding behind some dill flowers (left) and nasturtiums, basil, and tomatoes (incidentally all starred in last nights amazing salad) (right).

Heirloom borlotti beans that I'll dry for use in winter pots of pasta fazool (left) and basil - one of 30 some plants (right)!

Yellow pear tomatoes (left) and sunflowers towering a good 9 feet above the basil and tomatoes (right). There may be nothing more beautiful than a bursting garden with sheets flapping in the sun in the background!

Our Plymouth Barred Rock hen who lays an egg a day (left) and the meat birds (right). They're close to crowing and therefore the end of their time in our backyard. Plenty of room for them in the freezer though.

The Peking ducks, Peep and Repeep (left) and the tiniest of the new Plymouth Barred Rock pullets we just got (right). We'll keep three of these ladies to replace the older hen (who will rejoin her sisters on a friend's farm--seriously, that's not a nice way of saying something horrible).

Isn't her garden crazy?  And I'm totally in love with her little ducks and chickens!  Thanks, Kelly!

Are you keeping a garden?  What are you growing?  We haven't put in a garden at our house yet but we have plans to put in a large one next spring!

PS - Caramel ice cream won the reader recipe poll!  Thanks for voting!  Look for a recipe and review Friday morning!

dried basil 4 life

I've had my new basil plant... a week? 10 days? I've watered it here and there (neither too much or too little, I don't think). It's been in a sunny window. I haven't overplucked it. And yet:

Dead. Or close to it. I'm feeling pretty resigned to just using dried basil for the rest of my life.

Had a great weekend in Chicago. Being in Soldier Field was AWESOME. Dave and I enjoyed the four business men sitting in front of us who clearly where there because their corporation bought them tickets. Proof: the guy who asked "so are they supporting a new album or what?" He also sat with his arms crossed most of the time, surveying the crowd with a curious/slightly annoyed expression. We enjoyed that two super-exuberant fans sat in front of him, standing the entire time, dancing wildly, and singing along.

Monday we spent the day walking around Northerly Island, enjoying the sun. Then got in free to the Adler Planetarium and went to a really cool show about stars, constellations, astronomy. On the way home we stopped at Michigan City Outlets... but came away with only a shirt for Dave and a subway sandwich for our dinner.

I don't have any recipes planned yet for the week, or any cravings or ideas. So feel free to supply some! The only thing thus far is probably another batch of red pepper hummus, when we finish this one.

august round-up

I ran 140 in July, so I decided I wanted to hit 150 in August. My final total was 152 - just over. I really think the fruit has helped these past two days - my legs have felt much much better. Bananas are definitely proven to be great for runners, but I'm building my faith in all fruit for that.

It's incredible to me that what used to be a longer-ish runs for me are now my daily runs. Earlier I commented that the book Born to Run changed my attitude about running and really helped me get to the level of running I'm currently at. And I do believe that. If you like running at all (or just want to read a phenomenal story) get that book. It is so dang worth it. But something else I've learned as I've been running, especially in the past two months, is that the capabilities and desires have always been there, hidden or dormant or trapped. And the book maybe helped me see them, but it was God who really helped me release them. Running has been an incredible way for me to experience the strength of my own body, the possibilities I possess. I run now for positive reasons - its healthy, it feels good to be outside and moving, I like seeing how far I can push myself, pure enjoyment - instead of the old reasons - mainly ones tied to negative self-image and weight issues (neither of which really helped me enjoy running or go very far... and I always quit after a bit). Running has been a way for God to really break down some old lies that I believed about myself and to heal me. I am an incredibly different person mentally in regards to my body and my self-image at the end of these two months than I was at the beginning. Running was definitely the key, but God was the one turning the key. I didn't really want this entry to be a sermon, but I also felt strongly that I needed to give God the credit for what He had done, and not say it was just running or just a book. Both played a large part, but they weren't THE part. September's goal is 175, just to see if I can. I am thankful for new freedom and continued growth.

Egg roll update: couldn't find egg roll wrappers in the grocery store (new leads have suggested the produce section??) so used corn tortillas instead. The filling tasted really good but I thought the tortilla was a bit too much for the filling... so I still want to try it egg-roll style. If all else fails I might get phyllo dough and try it that way. Still, a good recipe. And the filling really was delicious. Would be excellent as a salsa-like dip for tortilla chips.

Also got a new basil plant from Meijer - a bigger one. Trying to grow it indoors and hoping it keeps. I probably need to get it a new pot this week. I should move my oregano now, while it's still alive, and before an early frost comes in (which seems likely considering it's AUGUST and 45 degrees this morning). Our friend Irene gave me a tiny hen and chicks plant. She said the chicks should start coming out in a week. I am very excited about this plant!!

Also. Random: Dave and I have watched the Bourne Trilogy this weekend and in the movies the killer/assassins are called "assets." We have taken to calling Mosie "The Asset" when she is in play mode since she loves to stalk and hunt.

hodge podge

Aunt Penny and Uncle Lyn came up from Fort Wayne yesterday. We spent the afternoon in Shipshewana, then came to Goshen for dinner. Walked around downtown after we ate, then played Uno and Hand & Foot. Since we were gone all day I put boneless pork in the crockpot with apple juice. Then when we got home I drained the juice, shredded the pork (just using tongs - it fell right apart), then added a bottle of bbq sauce. Let it cook together for another hour, then had sandwiches! We tried to find fresh corn but didn't see any roadside stands - can you believe it??

Had my first "harvest" of home-growns this week. Even though it's only about 11 beans I'm still immensely happy. (Note: they're not that great tasting. I think the key to good produce - big zucs and delicious beans - must be room and space to actually grow. Novel concept.)

And Aunt Penny took our first "family" picture:

I'm not sure if this will work or not (I've never tried to post a video), but here is a video Dave took of Mosie playing:

We're having staff over for dinner tonight - eight or more people in our little apartment! I'm going to make a pasta throw-together - wheat pasta, marinara, ground turkey, sundried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, sauteed zucchini and onions, goat cheese. Everyone is bringing a side to contribute as well! Hooray for good fun!

pizza pizza

We tried this pizza crust recipe last night and it was soooo good! We topped ours with fresh marinara, basil, oregano, carmelized onions, yellow peppers, turkey sausage, sundried tomatoes, and cheese. YUM. The crust was kind of biscuity, not too dense, and very delicious. I used only wheat flour and it still came out great.

Off to Kelley's Island this weekend!

And I have beans growing! I think I can harvest a few today!

July challenge

The July 100 Challenge is over, and I rocked in 140 miles! It's mostly exciting because I'm not sure I've ever had that much mileage, and really enjoyed all the miles while doing them!

And last night I noticed that I do indeed have the start of little beans growing off the stalks. Finally! Hopefully they'll make it to full growth and not be ravaged by the squirrels.

We're off to Chicago this weekend for Mark and Lauren's wedding. Will maybe post a picture or two next week!

squirrels

I've discovered a little bit more about why my zucchini plant has not been faring well: squirrels. I came out the door this morning and found a squirrel sitting in the pot. Of late the plant has been looking like it's being uprooted... and now I think I know why. Dang squirrels are digging in there.

I have yet to produce beans, and they're looking a little bit like the squirrels have been frolicking around in there, too. Oh well. At least my herbs are staying strong.

Tomorrow is the final day of Kelly and I's 100 mile July challenge. I'm over 100 as of right now, and excited to see what my total will be tomorrow after I run.

Tried a sundried tomato and white wine risotto in the crockpot last night... for how awesome it sounds like it would be (you can't go wrong with any of those ingredients) it was mostly just average. I want to keep trying other recipes with risotto though. It's got such a delicious texture.

Off to enjoy my favorite breakfast: honey nut scooters. :)