Yummy garden goodies

Made this fabulous Zuccinni Pie.  The family loves it.  Got the recipie from: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/mimis-zucchini-pie/detail.aspx  it is very, very good!

Ready to bake - comes out like quiche

Also made a batch of freezer pickles:

Filled up 10 pints. 

Kitchen changes

We have been remodeling our house.  The main project is to turn two bedrooms into one master suite.  However, to do that we had to take out some closets which were adjacent to the kitchen.  So we removed the bi-fold doors and walls and had a cabinet maker build two custom units.  The one on the right is an entertainment center so that I can watch TV while I cook.  I am in the kitchen most of the evening each night and now DH can hang out with me too (and help some).  The unit on the left is a pantry.  It in not real deep, so items do not get buried.  I just love the result.  The cabinet maker did a wonderful job.  We are enjoying our new space very much.

Kitchen before - after wall removal

Kitchen after!

I don't know which grows faster . . .

teenage boys or sunflowers ;)

My son, Ethan, on the left, his cousin Daniel on the right. 

This is just such fun!

I have not posted in a while, as my computer was hit by a storm and is still in the repair shop.  I brought a few pictures to work to post.  This gardening thing is just a blast!  I just love discovering what has grown overnight.  Last night we went to the garden and I did not see a single cucumber.  My mom, then came down to the garden, "Oh Marilyn, here are some cucumber".  We then found 8 nice size ones. Here is what we have grown over the last few days.

July 6, 2011 - first broccoli picking - head on the right from
night before.

July 6, 2011

July 11, 2011

July 11, 2011

July 13, 2011

July 13, 2011

Gotta relax after all that pickin' !!

Bring on the squash!

My brother-in-law told me that I was going to have plenty . . .  and so I do.  Wow, I'm impressed with how quickly the squash come on and get ready to pick.  Time for some zucchini bread!



July 1



July 2

July 3 - Not sure why the orange colored ones, maybe they will not be any good ?

The first "fruits" of our labor . . . from the gardens

 If we had known how easy the snow peas would be we would have planted more than two plants, and in the square foot garden instead of the big garden.

This night we had squash, green pepper and onion stir-fry!  Yummy!

Wabi-Sabi Eating

Now maybe the term wabi-sabi, in a traditional sense, can not be applied to diet, but I am trying to apply it to all areas of my life and believe me eating is a big area.  Let’s face it – I love to eat.  I think I am basically a Carbatarian.  I do love my daily bread! 

Last fall my family began to simplify our diets.  I read through “The Raw Food Detox Diet” by Natalia Rose.  http://www.detoxtheworld.com/books-the-raw-food-detox-diet.php   I also re-read a book which I had studied and followed in the past, The Hallelujah Diet” by George Malkmus http://www.hacres.com/hallelujah-diet

We began by cutting out all meat.  We focus on foods that are easily digested and as close to their natural state as possible.  Our goal was to eliminate processed foods and eat more fruits and vegetables.  We try to follow the food combination table but we are still working with that.  Here I have summarized what I got from the Raw Food Detox diet information.

RAW FOOD DETOX DIET
A fun, fresh and delicious way to eat and live!
GOALS	*  To restore our diet to foods that are absorbed more efficiently by our digestive system.		QUICK EXIT HIERARCHY OF FOODS
	*  Eliminate processed foods		1	Raw fruits and vegetables
	*  Promote the intake of more fruits and vegetables			Raw honey
				Stevia
HOW	Step 1	Stop poisoning your cells	2	Lightly steamed, low-starch vegetables
	Step 2	Eat quick exit foods in quick exit combinations		Pure maple syrup
	Step 3	Infuse your body with live enzymes		Agave nectar
	Step 4	Take the garbage out - cleanse	3	Raw nuts and seeds
	Step 5	Determine your raw food transition number	4	Cold pressed plant oils
			5	Cooked starchy vegetables
REMEMBER			6	Raw unpasteurized dairy
Rule 1	Eat foods that are the easiest to digest		7	Whole grains
Rule 2	Eat in quick exit combinations
Rule 3	Eat light to heavy throughout the day
QUICK EXIT COMBINATION TABLE
Never mix these 4 categories with one another with a few exceptions
1	STARCHES		NEUTRAL FOODS
		avocado		all raw vegetables
		brown rice		70% chocolate
		cooked corn		spices
		legumes		almond milk
		pasta		raw honey
		sweet potatoes		pure maple syrup
		whole grain breads
		young coconut	TIPS
			*	Foods in different categories should never be mixed in the same meal, but foods in the same category may be enjoyed a the same meal.
2	FLESHES		*	Fruit should only be consumed on an empty stomach
		Raw cheese	*	Fruit can be eaten 3 hours after food
			*	You can eat other food about 30 minutes after eating fruit
3	NUTS/SEEDS/DRIED FRUIT		*	Ideally eat fruit for your morning meal
		Raw nuts	*	Wait 3-4 hours after eating before switching food groups
		Raw seeds	*	Nuts, seeds and dried fruits go better with raw vegetables than cooked vegetables
		Raw, unsulfured fruit	*	Beginners can get away with mixing starches because there are plenty of enzymes to help digestion
4	FRESH FRUIT
		Citrus	*	1 - 2 - 3 may be mixed with unlimited amounts of RAW vegetables
		Bananas	*	1 - 2 may be mixed with raw or cooked vegetables
		Plums
		Berries

Here is what we eat now on an average day.

Breakfast – smoothie made with frozen fruit or fresh in season fruit.  Toast with almond butter.

Lunch – veggie salad

Snack – almond nut bar and fruit

Dinner – More salad, a variety of cooked foods usually using: lentils, beans, rice, pasta, fresh veggies on pizza dough, home made vegetarian soups.

We have not completely given up eggs or cheese.  I buy only organic eggs and we stick with the less fat harder cheeses like parmesan.  We also have not kicked the white sugar habit yet, but that is a goal!

Both my DH and I have felt so much better.  My twelve year old son loves it too!  Most people automatically think that eating more fresh fruits and vegetable is expensive, but leaving off the meat makes a huge difference on your grocery bill!  Twice a week, my DH and I spend about 45 minutes chopping up all sorts of fresh veggies for a huge salad.  We then pack our lunches and fix are dinner salads from this.  We like to add sunflower seed and craisins as toppings!

It really has simplified our life.  I am in the kitchen less and outside tending the gardens more!  We are more satisfied after a simple, nutritious meal and have more energy then ever to enjoy life!  That to me is Wabi-Sabi!

Wabi-Sabi Decorating

In a given room or setting (could be indoors or outdoors) allow and encourage your guests to visit better with one another by moving or rearranging the seats in a comfortable, conversational way -at some get togethers this may happen on its own J

After the party, before you begin to straighten up, notice how the chairs have been arranged.  They are probably placed in a way that is great for conversation.  Use this as the basis for redesigning your room in wabi-sabi style.  The arrangement could possibly be the spark of idea you need to create a cozy, comfortable living area. 

I noticed this happened on my deck last night.  Now, I am coming up with more ways to make that area more comfortable hang out space. 

Our First Garden

My darling husband and I planted our first gardens together this year.  DH has gardened more than I have in the past.  My experience consists of putting out 1,000 tomato plants one summer with my parents when I was a teenager and doing a minimal amount of hoeing and weeding in my mom's gardens.  By the time my parents moved to the country I was almost out of the house and did not learn all my mother's garden tips.

But, we are so blessed now to be living in the country on my parents homestead place, next door to my parents. So, when I'm not too stubborn to listen to my wise ole mom I can get gardening advice whenever I want.

We started out with several square foot gardens this year.  My lettuce did wonderfully.  We have peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots and squash coming on now.  We have a traditional garden spot as well with vine crops, corn, sunflowers, and more tomatoes.

Our square foot gardens at start:

Our square foot gardens in June:

We love walking out to the garden each evening to see what is new.  I never thought I would enjoying gardening as much as I am now.

The dogs like to go along with us too!

The squash in the big garden:

The sunflowers in the big garden: