Random Strangeness

The girls have been back to school for about a week now.  So far, things seem to be going well - we are managing to get off in the mornings without the prerequisite craziness that became the norm last year.  Homework is getting done for the most part.  Between JP and myself, we are getting the girls to and from their after school activities on time.  Whew!

L has Algebra this year.  3 years ago, when J took Algebra, she was spending 2-3 hours nightly on homework.  It was a BAD year from a Math standpoint, but I've already blogged about that and moved on.  L has been spending at least 2 hours nightly "doing Algebra homework."  The quotes are meant to imply that she is not actually focusing on the homework.  I'm convinced that it wouldn't take her as long if she could focus!

JP recently bought a couple of Echo Dots and rigged them up in different rooms of the house.  It has been kind of fun asking Alexa questions, playing games, and having her play songs on a whim.  Last night, she started playing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" out of the blue.  Tonight she says she isn't connected, all the while playing music from Pandora.  Perhaps Alexa is ill?

At work today, I moved into my 6th office space since December.  I am on my own again, which has been kinda nice.  I will move again in a few weeks, and this should be my permanent office.  I will be sharing with one of the NPs at that time.

My garden, which has normally been my pride and joy, has been quite an embarrassment this year.  It is more weeds than anything.  My 2 beds of corn grew a total of about 20 stalks, but at least we'll get a taste.  The tomatoes are producing well, and I have been making and canning pasta sauce about twice a week for the past 3 weeks.

We have also been eating a lot of tomatoes.  On Tuesday we had Pasta with Pesto alla Trapanese.  On Wednesday, we had tomato pie.  Tonight we had the Trapanese again because we like it so much!

The makings of my pesto:  cherry tomatoes, pine nuts,
garlic, purple & green basil & one pepperoncini.

JP has been reading a book recently about eating insects.  He informed me last night that Tomato Horn Worms are edible and delicious.  They creep me out, and I decline to even try one, thanks anyway.  Check out this person's post about it:   http://www.greatlakespermaculture.org/?p=260.

That is enough random strangeness for one post.  I must go and be productive!

Back to the Books

As has been our tradition for the past several years, we took another week of vacation at the 11th hour right before school started back in session.

We spent part of a day at Meadowcroft, where we threw the atlatl and tomahawk, visited a one room schoolhouse and blacksmith shop from the 19th century, and the rockshelter that housed early humans 16,000 years ago.

L was the only one who actually
 hit the target with her tomahawk

Later, we travelled East to visit JP's sister and BIL outside of Philadelphia.  The girls and I went into the city for an afternoon - walked through China Town, and the historic district in Philly, and bought items for dinner at the Italian Market.

The last few days were spent in back to school shopping and last minute doctor appointments.  L had her first middle school soccer practice on Wednesday, and both girls were up bright and early for school on Thursday.

We have had a wonderfully relaxing weekend, full of good food (homemade pasta and fresh sauce; salted caramel praline ice cream; apple pie with chocolate, caramel and bourbon; curry soup) and rest.

I spent several hours working in the garden, and a little time working in my flower bed.  I will discuss that more at another time, but I did manage to pick this little bouquet.

Blooming now:  zinnias, mums, Russian sage, mint

L has her first soccer game on Tuesday, so more photos to come.  I hope you are enjoying your transitions to Fall as well.

Waffling

For breakfast this morning, I made President Kennedy's Favorite Waffles.  I recently read that the lovely Jackie O. fixed this recipe on a regular basis for JFK, and what's good enough for the President is good enough for my family.

These waffles were AMAZING!  They are melt in your mouth light, but crispy on the outside.  You should definitely give this recipe a try:

The President's Favorite Waffles

1/2 cup butter

1 T sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 c buttermilk

1 c + 1 T cake flour

1/4 t salt

4 t baking powder

- Beat egg whites until stiff.

- Stir together flour, salt and baking powder.

- Cream butter and sugar, and then add egg yolks.

- Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk.

- Gently fold in egg whites.

- Cook in well greased waffle iron until golden and crispy.

Blooming Now...

It is typically Calla Lily season in July, but for some reason, I don't have as many as normal this year.  This bouquet features several different Callas, Russian Sage, Butterfly Bush, Purple Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan's and Cosmos.  I also have some Bee Balm and Balloon Flower blooming, but they don't make for good bouquets.

More Summer

J has spent the last week at Myrtle Beach with a friend, she had quite an uneventful trip home on Allegiant Air into Clarksburg, WV, as compared to the relatively awful trip there.  She was supposed to ride down to SC with her friend's family, leaving last Friday at 5:30 AM.  They decided to leave Thursday night, and drive through the night in order to have an extra day at the beach.  J called home Friday morning, and reported that they had been camped out in a parking lot about an hour from home the entire night, with a flat tire.  They finally got repairs and headed south by 9:30 Friday morning, but lost their "extra day."

On the way home from the airport, we stopped at a little restaurant that we were told had amazing desserts, for dinner and amazing desserts.  Lauren got a slice of "mile high pie" to go, as she wasn't feeling great.  This is what JP, Jenna and I got:

Yes, these milkshakes are in quart jars.  Yes, mine actually has an entire slice of pie on top AND a sparkler.  Yes, they were a bit pricey...but oh, so worth it!

On the home front, the blueberries are still producing, although we are down to the last few pickings...I think.  I have frozen some more, and made syrup and another cobbler, including some wild blackberries that I picked out back, plus peaches.  On the docket after I pick today:  blueberry pie.

I will bake said pie in my new oven.  My top oven died a couple of weeks ago, and after the headache of it croaking and having to be home between 10 and 2 for the repair men on 6 separate occasions before it was finally repaired last summer, we decided to just get a new one.  Although JP ordered one that was 1) on sale, and 2) supposed to be the same size, it was not.  He and my dad worked for the better part of Wednesday getting the cupboard renovated to install the new ovens, and actually getting them in.  I did try them out right away by baking my friend, T's, amazing molasses/ginger cookies, and a batch of dark chocolate/peanut granola.  It works just fine!

During all that renovation on Wednesday, L had a friend over for the afternoon.  They spent most of their time in the pool, which JP finally finished working on.  He has now surrounded the pool with netting in order to keep balls and assorted pool toys IN, and a gate to keep various and sundry random people/children OUT.  I think it is very innovative, and looks great.

I'm sure we will need to get in to cool off after picking those blueberries this afternoon!

I hope you all are staying cool this summer!

Back to Work

As I said, we've been back to work this week.  JP, J and I have been at our jobs, and L was at Basketball Camp.  It has been a super hot week - until things cooled off this weekend (we even had our windows open all day yesterday!)

The blueberries have been producing for the past couple of weeks.  I think that I picked about 7 1/2 gallons myself this week, and several friends and neighbors picked last week and this weekend as well.  I have frozen over 4 gallons of berries, dried about 1 1/2 gallons, made jam, blueberry muffins, blueberry cobbler, blueberry cheesecake and blueberry pancakes, and eaten them with my yogurt every day!  I think they are starting to finally slow down!

I managed to get 2 beds of corn planted before vacation, and it looks like it might be starting to come up!  I spent a couple of hours in the garden yesterday, just weeding the paths, and it is STARTING to look better.

My herb garden is looking good.

Clockwise from front:  Purple Basil, Oregano, Sweet Basil

Chives, Parsley, Thai Basil & Rosemary (center)

John built a shade structure for the chickens so that we could move the electric fencing for their yard.

As you can see, they completely denuded the ground behind the fencing.  They seem to be enjoying their access to greens!

That's about the extent of work at the farm in the past couple of weeks!  How does your garden grow?

Back From the Beach

We actually got back from the beach about a week ago, but I have had problems transferring photos from my phone to the computer.  JP finally moved them all for me this AM, so I am FINALLY posting about our wonderfully relaxing vacation in Erie, PA.

We stayed in a great Airbnb house about a mile and a half from Presque Isle, that was completely tricked out with screens in every room and fancy lighting.  There was even this guy in the garage (with 2 screens of it's own.)

We rode bikes on Presque Isle a couple of times.

The water was cold, but the sun was warm, and the beach had lots of flat rocks that were perfect for skipping.

One day we took a day trip up to Ontario, so that the girls could visit Canada and Niagara Falls for the first time.  We rode a boat down under the falls, decked out in red ponchos.

This is where our boat sailed...

J was completely closed up in her poncho!

This is what it looked like up under the Horseshoe Falls

We had a really great vacation.  Due to his new job, JP did not spend the entire time working.  We came home refreshed and (for a change) not exhausted.

This past week has been spent getting caught up around Poplar Ridge, and heading back to work.  L spent the week at Basketball Camp at the new Rec Center in town.