CSA: Week 2

This week we received in our box:

-bunched arugula
-collards
-spinach
-dandelion leaf
-Red leaf lettuce
-bok choy
-spring onions
-parsley

Here are the meals I planned to make use of our greens:

have already enjoyed...

-Cornish Game Hens with Garlic and Rosemary, field peas, collard greens, arugula salad

-Red Leaf Lettuce Salad with Balsamic Vinegarette (for a side at small group)

-Spinach Noodles, pasta sauce, mixed greens salad from our community garden

will soon enjoy...

-Dandelion Greens with Garlic Croutons and Hard-Cooked Egg

-Shrimp & Bok Choy Stir Fry

-Parsley Chimichurri for Ribs

Sara & Will

Jessica Wright did an amazing job capturing the sweetness and warmth of Sara and Will's wedding. I'm speechless! Here are a few of my favorites, but you can view (many, many) more here.

Mom & Me

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

Community Supported Agriculture

Inspired by Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbra Kingsolver, I have been trying to think more about how to purchase fresh local food. One of the easiest ways to do this is to buy a share in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). We signed up with a farm north of Philly, Wimer Organics. You pay for the share upfront and then pick up a box of 8 different vegetables weekly for 21 weeks. We will be getting eggs starting in June as well! Our pick-up place is only a few blocks from our house, so it is super easy. I confess, opening the box was like Christmas. This week, our first box contained:

-salad mix
-radishes
-spinach
-chives
-lettuce
-kale
-tarragon
-cilantro



So, in order to eat all of this, I had to make a plan. Here are four meals that incorperate the ingredients in our box:

Gingered Kale and Tofu with Rice
Dijon Tarragon Cream Chicken & Salad with Radishes
Spinach and Potato Frittata
Asian Lettuce Wraps

If you are interested in local food in Philly here are a few places to start:
www.farmtocity.org
www.localfoodphilly.org

If you live anywhere in the United States, visit Local Harvest to learn about farmer's markets, restaurants who support local farmers, and CSAs in your area.

Quilting Continues

The quilt continues to be a work in progress. I am finished piecing the top and back. Now the quilt is "sandwiched," which means I've temporarily sown the top, batting and back together with large 4" stitches. When the quilting is completed, they will be cut out.



Quilting is actually the act of stitching the three layers together by hand or machine. There are all kinds of quilting designs one can find or create. I sketched my design on tracing paper, which I placed over a printout of the quilt top and then the bottom; then, I translated it into my computer. That way I could see what it would look like on the front and the back.





I found a way in Adobe Illustrator to create a brush that draws two lines equally 1" apart. This helped me to make the spacing in the quilting pattern consistent.



I loved the ladies in my quilting class. I actually looked forward to Mondays for 10 weeks! If you live in Philly, Fleisher is offering the class again this summer. Here are a few more pictures from the class.



When I went home for Sara's wedding, I got out the many quilts that my grandmother and great-grandmother made. They were so sweet and beautiful. My mom said that part of my great-grandmother's quilting culture was to make every single tiny stitch by hand. The ladies in her community quilted all winter long. Farming in summer; quilting in winter. So, that's the perspective I'm adopting with this project. I am so involved with the garden right now, that I think quilting may be my winter sport.

Trees

A few weeks ago, I had gone home for lunch when all of a sudden I heard jack-hammering outside our door. I've never been so excited to hear so much noise!

(Bonus: Click on the two pictures below to see the lovely sign on notebook paper "waitin 4 tags".)




When we came back from the wedding, we were met with our new baby tree! It is an Acer ginalla - Amur Maple. We had the sidewalk inspected, the concrete cut and removed, and received the tree all for free through TreeVitalize. Communities then come together to plant and care for the trees.



We were a part of the fall planting for our neighborhood back in November (see below). Over 100 neighbors in Newbold have applied for trees for the coming fall planting! How beautiful.

Broad Street Run

Go friends!
View more pictures here.

1) Matt Danielson in the lead.


2) Our good neighbors, Beth (white tank) and 3) Leslianna (red shirt)


4) My own love, Gene


Can you find 5) Drew and 6) Joyia?


7) Ben rockin' out to some tunes


8) Sweet Jenny took a moment for a kiss



9) Stacy looked great out there!


10) And Adam pulling up the rear.


11) Oh, wait, here come two more! Ginger and Melissa both at 8 months pregnant.



Sorry Cara, Susie and Chris; we must have missed you!

Cheering Squad:


Getting ready for the race:

Wedding Prep

What an amazing week I just had in Alabama as we prepared for my sister's wedding day. The rolling hills of lush green growth, expansive quiet, and the laughter that only a Southerner can produce was nourishment to my heart.

Most of all, I enjoyed talking and spending time with Sara, which I actually had a lot of opportunities to do. We shared a table for two at the Bridesmaids' Luncheon. We went together to have her hair done. We spent the morning before the wedding dancing, "cuttin' up" and getting ready together. She. Was. Stunning. You'll have to hold your horses for wedding photographs as neither Gene nor I had one chance to snap a shot at the actual wedding. I can't wait to see what Jessica came up with!

View more of my photos here.

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Bridesmaids' Luncheon:






Rehearsal:
















Morning of the Wedding:

Mineralogical Records

I have been delighted by these beautiful little compositions over the past week. There are literally thousands of labels archived in the Mineralogical Record Label Archive. The site is unbelievably difficult to navigate (keep advancing the number at the end of the URL http://www.minrec.org/labels.asp?colid=3), but after combing through the first mere 500, here are a few of my favorites.

Here's why:
-bleeding ink
-scratch marks
-yellowed paper
-the mix of printed type with handwriting
-purple typewriter ink
-beveled corners
-big fancy numbers
-stamps
-coffee stains
-enumeration
-tiny sketches
-the use of sticker labels

What's on the menu...

...this summer?


fresh mixed green salad...



...with garlic bread...



...and pasta with tomato sauce.




The next night maybe we will have sugar snap pea stir fry...



tossed with sweet peppers...



...and mint tea to wash it down. For the weekend, we'll have herbed chicken...



...with sauteed squash...




...and steamed green beans.



all in the backyard as we enjoy the sweet scent of roses...



...and the bright greenery of the boxwoods.



I'll end the night soaking and scrubbing in the tub with my luffa sponge.

These are a few of the things sprouting in and around the house. Bring on the harvest!