PINS AND LINKS

Summer's End.

 

Link Love:

I'm a sucker for a coming of age movie. Which means I want to see this.
Yoga for kids. And grown ups who need to get back on the yoga train, hint hint, self.
I'm starting to plan out my fall garden. I just bought this for a little additional inspiration.
This is sort of our dream place, fixer upper and all. PS I think I love Nesting Place.
This family got serious about cutting back.

 

Pins of the Week:

 

1. Wellies for littles. 2. Life Motto 3. DIY Cork Coasters. 4. Campfire Cooking

FIRST

 

My baby boy started first grade this morning. He was happy and ready to go back; confidence fairly dripped from him this morning. He chose his own clothes, down to his socks, and was feeling good about it.

 

"Really?" said my husband, as he looked at Dylan's black socks and neon shoes, things he would have never worn as a boy. Things he would never wear now, for that matter.

"He's got style! He's HAPPY." I said.

"True," said the husband, shaking his head, but smiling too.

 

Last night I made a cake and Dylan's favorite meal, spaghetti, for dinner, as a little back to school celebration.

 

This morning, I packed him a lunch ("Peanut butter with honey, not jam!") and wrote him a note.

 

Every first day of school, we measure him, and I cannot get over how much he grows every year. It makes my mama heart ache and fill with pride at the same time, because even though he drives me crazy, he is sweet and kind and polite and funny and respectful and growing up only makes him more fun, more loveable and how is that even possible because look at this. This is loveable!

 

 

And yet, I wouldn't go back. Not back to first day of kindergarten or preschool. Not to little plaid shorts and baby smirks. Not to first steps, or first days, even. Because I love the person this boy is, and is growing into.

 

Happy first day of school, baby son.

SCENES FROM A COUNTY FAIR

 

 

 

This time each year in our hometown
The county fair comes our way
Where the folks gather round to be happy and spend their day.

 

-The Beach Boys, County Fair

HOMEMADE CUCUMBER PICKLES

 

There are cucumbers in the garden, and that means homemade pickles.

 

 

Canning scares some people. It screams of grandmas stuck over a stove during the hottest time of the year. The science behind it seems to promise that if you don't do everything JUST SO, you will contract botulism.

Botulism + old fashion grandma = canning is scary.

 

I'm here to walk you through it.  Even if you have never canned before, have no fear.  Let's be old fashioned together. Haven't you heard? Grandma is in. Canning is awesome.

 

You want to do this, trust me.

 

Pickling is a great way to start canning; it's both easy and quick. And you end up with little, vinegary, pickles, just to your taste. Like spicy? Add hot sauce. Garlic is your thing? Add it. Go beyond dill!

 

All you need are cucumbers and a brine. The brine is equal parts vinegar and sugar, boiled together. That's it.

 

 

Chop up your cukes.

 

 

Place them in glass jars. You'll want to pack them pretty tight. Pour over the brine. Add your flavors. I had three jars, and did: Salt and pepper pickles, spicy pickles, and garlic onion pickles.

 

 

 

 

They're ready to eat in about an hour, but taste even better after two days in the fridge. They normally last, refrigerated, for several weeks. Please use common sense for this.

 

There. Don't you feel wholesome and (in a good way!) grandma-ish? Old fashioned. Don't knock it till you try it (pickled).

 

Homemade Cucumber Pickles

Adapted from Averie Cooks

 

Ingredients:

4-6 cucumbers, sliced into 1/2 inch thick spears

3 cups of vinegar

3 cups of sugar



For Salt and Pepper Pickles:

2 tablespoons coarse salt, 1/2 tablespoon black pepper

For Spicy Pickles:

2 tablespoons hot sauce of your choice

For Garlic and Onion Pickles:

1 small purple onion, thinly sliced

5 whole garlic cloves

 

Pack cucumber spears in glass jars very tightly, add garlic and onion to one jar. Set jars aside. In a medium sauce pan, combine vinegar and sugar, and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Pour liquid over each jar to nearly the top (it might be helpful to pour from a spouted measuring cup; this is what I do). Add salt and pepper to one jar, and hot sauce to remaining jar. Seal lids tightly, and shake gently to distribute spices. Allow jars to cool on the counter and then refrigerate.

 

Enjoy! 

 



GROWN LOCAL: FAIRYTALE TOWN

Our family tries to do local things on the weekends, either staying in our town, or in the surrounding areas. Grown Local posts showcase some of the best things to do in our area.

 

 

Fairytale Town is one of my absolute favorite places in our area.  It's a large park, full of play structures inspired by fairytales and nursery rhymes. I went there as a child, and love taking my own two there now.

King Arthur's castle surrounded by a moat greets you as you enter. To the left is Captain Hook's pirate ship.

 

 

 

To the right, the Old Woman who lived in a shoe.

 

 

In between there are animals, (the three little pigs! Mary's lamb!), Mr. McGregor's Garden where children can water plants and see an alphabet garden, Cinderella's coach and horses, Sherwood Forest, and the all time favorite of children everywhere, The Crooked Mile, a raised path through bushes that children run, walk, and laugh through, over and over.

 

 

Fairytale own has been in Sacramento for over 50 years and it is truly a treasure. Promoting both literacy and imagination, Fairytale Town inspires children to simply play. 

It is such a gift to have this park close to us to take our children to.

 

Planning a Visit?:

 

Fairytale Town

3901 Land Park Drive

Sacramento, CA 95822

Get directions

‎

(916) 808-7462

fairytaletown.org

 

Admission: $4 Weekdays, $5 Weekends and Holidays

Children 1 and under, free

 

Parking: Free

PINS AND LINKS

Photo of the Week: (Sun)Flower Power

Link Loves:

Back to School is approaching, and I'm planning on doing a "homeschool preschool" year with my daughter. Ideas!
Speaking of back to school...teacher gift ideas.
And one more for back to school: think lunches. I can't wait for this cookbook to come out!
I like this series on Hello Giggles about words people are most likely misusing.
An Ultimate to Do List.
A list of breakfast smoothies. Easy morning/yum.

Pins of the Week:

1. 9 Steps to Becoming a Master Canner. 2. Root Beer Float Ice Pops. 

3. Baskets Galore. 4. Elbow Patches and Bracelet Love  

BOOKS FOR BOYS

 

 

My son started reading his year. Really reading. Sit down with a book and read the whole thing himself reading. And I was so joyful, bursting with happiness really, because reading is such a gift that I have wanted so much for him.  Watching him read, sounding out words, knowing that he can do it, is not only a gift for him, but a gift for me to watch.

We've spent a lot of time lately looking for not only books at his reading level, but books for boys at his reading level. Here are some of our favorites.*

Here's what my son's reading right now.

 

1. Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes, Eric Litwin.  Pete the Cat was a BIG DEAL on the kindergarten circuit. We love all the Pete books, but right now with school approaching, we're rereading School Shoes. These are great books about not letting the little things get to you.

 

2. How Rocket Learned to Read, Tad Hills. Rocket is a dog that is learning to read. Dylan likes this book especially because it encourages the reader to sound out the words (D-O-G, R-E-D) and it was one of the first books he was reading words in on his own.

 

3. Race Team (Step into Reading), I'm not a huge fan of character books personally, but my son loves reading about familiar characters. The Step into Reading books are great for him, because he can read them completely himself, and the characters make the books fun for him.

 

4. Bernstein Bears Series, Stan and Jan Bernstein. Classics. These books are slightly challenging for an early reader (which is good).

 

5. Close Up Sharks, This book focuses on facts about sharks in an easy to read format. It was a set of three about marine life. Dylan loves books about facts, so these are a perfect fit.

 

6. I Can Read! Biscuit Books, Dylan is a big fan of books about animals, and finds the Biscuit stories funny.

 

7. The Big Green Book of Beginner Books, Dr. Seuss. These classic stories come in one big book. Dylan loves this because there are several to chose from, and there is something about reading from a "big" book that makes kids feel smarter and more accomplished. These stories are also funny and familiar to him.

 

*I'll be writing more about the challenges we face with reading and boys in the next coming weeks.

CARROT AND YELLOW PEPPER SOUP

I recently had a fabulous girls' vacation to Napa. And oh boy, did we have a good time. We shopped, we had cocktails, we had a spa day, we sat by the pool and did absolutely nothing. And we ate. I mean, it was basically a food vacation. Our first night in town we went to Bouchon. Where we had a celebrity sighting and a fantastic meal. I started with a cold carrot and pepper soup, which I haven't been able to get out of my mind since. I went to work trying to recreate it at home, and this comes very close. It's creamy and sweet; a pale yellow soup that tastes great hot or cold. A perfect meal, even without a celebrity.

 

We start with leeks, yellow peppers, and carrots. Chop, chop.

 

 

We cook them with a little butter and spices.

 

Add some chicken stock ( I make homemade stock and freeze it, hence the ice cubes) and some heavy cream.



Drizzle with honey. Soup's on.

 

 

 

Carrot and Yellow Pepper Soup

adapted from Martha Stewart

 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds

2 cups white part of leeks, cleaned and cut into 1/2 inch lengths

2 large yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces

4-6 sprigs of fresh rosemary

Large pinch of cumin

6 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of heavy cream

Salt and pepper, to taste

Honey, for garnish

 

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add carrots, leeks, yellow bell peppers, rosemary, and cumin. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Add stock and salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Remove rosemary. Puree in a food processor or blender in small batches until smooth. Add heavy cream and return to medium heat. Simmer until soup is heated through. Adjust seasonings. Drizzle with honey and serve either hot or cold. Serves 4.

 

Enjoy!