Food - Organically Grown, A night on the farm

This summer we have done a CSA 1/2 share. For those of you that are not familiar with this -- it is Community Supported Agriculture. We pay for our vegetables from a farmer during the winter, giving the farmer a chance to get their seedlings started and so forth with a guaranteed amount of money. Then, each week during the summer we got a box of wonderfully fresh, organically grown vegetables. Let me tell you this was an experience! We learned to cook every green imaginable (Kale, Spinach, Swiss Chard, and more), as well as lots of japanese veggies like endamame, bok choy, and others that we love, along with the traditional carrots and potatoes and tomatoes. As much as I loved all the food, we had a problem with an old refrigerator that kept freezing my greens if I didn't use them right away (now replaced with a new one), and when we traveled we had to find someone else to use our share.

Paul Littman is an awesome farmer and marketer. He knows how to talk about his vegetables, and to put them out in extremely attractive arrangements (nicer than a lot of the tail gate farmers). This was his first really big year of doing the CSA shares, and last night we went to a pot luck dinner at the farm. It was awesome. They had music, and food, a beautiful night, and farm tours. Have you ever seen shitake mushrooms growing on oak logs? And be told that it takes over a year to get a log to produce for the first time? And then learn all sorts of organic and sustainable ways to farm? Paul is a great educator, giving us lots of information without boring us. Although I might not do a CSA share next year, he will continue to be my tailgate farmer of choice. We saw some people we knew at the farm, and met lots of new people. I definitely want to get to know the person better who brought about 10 loaves of hot out of the oven fresh baked rustic breads! And Paul's wife Anna made some awesome eggplant lasagna (no noodles) with fresh tomato's and eggplant.

I had forgotten what fun an informal gathering like this can be. We stayed until the last light leaving with just enough light to walk back through the field down to our car. And we left with big smiles on our faces.

Tomorrow I leave for Chicago. I am almost all packed, just a few last minute things to throw into the suitcase. And, another friend will get my CSA share this week.

How I Spent my Summer Vacation - Part 2

After the time in Maine, we came home for a fast couple of weeks, unpacked, and then repacked for our planned long vacation to Utah and Nevada. The original itinerary was 8 nights away from home, the final itinerary, 10 nights away from home. We tacked on an extra night in Las Vegas to see a show that was "dark" on our planned 2 nights there, and then tacked on a night on Charlotte, NC to go to a Comic Con. But, I think I am getting ahead of myself.

Quite a few years ago, we did Bryce Nation Park, North Rim of Grand Canyon, and Zion National Park as a long family vacation. Adam kept asking that we repeat this vacation, but add in Las Vegas for shows. So, we dropped North Rim of Grand Canyon, and made our plans 11 months before the planned trip. We like to stay at the National Park Lodges, and those fill up quickly.

First Stop: Bryce National Park. This is not one of the more well known parks. Most people say, have you been to Arches? No, not been to Arches, but would return to Bryce in a heartbeat. Of all the 3 parks that I've mentioned, our favorite for trails, for view, for less crowds and so forth. Only negative, not many places to eat (choice of Ruby's just outside the park) or the National Park Lodge (good food, a bit pricey).

I had worked hard over the winter to get ready for a hiking trip. Treadmill, bike, zumba, yoga and more. I wanted to build stamina and some muscles. And it worked. We hiked about 5 miles each day and although it was still tough, it wasn't out of my ability. At Bryce you hike down first into the canyon, and then go back up at the end.

Our cabin at Bryce. Complete with resident mice. We stopped at the store to pick up food supplies for picnics and bought a big plastic container to put them into. Last time here we shared our food with the mice. This time, no sharing.

At the edge of the canyon, all ready to go for a hike. It took an extra suitcase for all of our gear.

A Hoodoo

National Park Lodge at Bryce

We saw a lot of deer both at Bryce and at Zion. 

At night we would play card games back at the cabin after sunset. We watched the sunset from the rim of the canyon each night. Very peaceful, very beautiful and typically a bit on the cool side. Then we would go back to our cabin and play card games or read books. No internet access which was awesome. My plans to download pictures and write each night didn't happen either -- too tired from hiking. But what a nice tired.

I forgot how long it takes to upload pictures into blogger. So, I am going to post this part of the trip, and then work on the next park - Zion.

What Happened This Summer?

I cannot believe that I have not blogged since May. I guess it was because my summer started off so strange, and then with my dear son home from school, the evenings were filled with watching movies, and playing games, and some how now it is past labor day. So, as my New Years Resolution I am back to blogging (faithfully I hope). There is so much to write about, but I will start with one major event at a time and hopefully also post some pictures.

Well, right after college got out, we headed up to Maine for the burial of my father in law. Yes, he passed away during the winter, but in Maine they don't bury until the ground has thawed out. We coincided the date of his burial with his birthday. The best part of the trip was seeing all of my husband's family, whom I hadn't seen for quite a few years. We rented a big van, drove around the coast of Maine, ate and drank, and talked and reminisced.

What was really hard for us, is that my father in law and husband used to talk every Sunday evening at about the same time. So, for months I planned our eating and so forth not to coincide with the normal phone call time, even though we knew no call would come. Force of habit.

So, here are a few photos from the trip

Yes, this is a 1500 pound chocolate moose! What a tourist attraction -- in the back of a really nice candy shop.

My brother in law - walking around ruins of an old building on the coast.

Pizza had to come from Pat's. We worked at the original one during our first year of marriage while going to school full time. What memories. There are definitely better pizzas out there, but none that evoke the feelings of seeing a Pats Pizza Box (and we still knew the old prices from way back when!)

Two brothers and a sister.

My favorite picture from the trip. Lighthouse in South Portland, ME

In Memory.