Friday, December 2, 2011

Bonus Pick up Day!

It's December 2nd today and I just got an email from the Farm Share. There are more vegetables!!!! Here is what they said...

For the first time in our twenty year history, we have edible produce this late in the fall. Our last planting of broccoli and cauliflower that was transplanted late due to the abundant rain has finally sized up in the warm days of the past week. We are offering an extra pick up day. We anticipate that there will be a nice quantity of hakurei turnips, beets & arugula and transitional sustainable broccoli & cauliflower. Produce will be unwashed but delicious. We will also have pick your own kohlrabi.

Fresh veggies in December, I love this farm share!

**update**
We happened to be going to a holiday party in North Jersey Saturday, so I twisted MJ's arm and we stopped to pick up some veggies. I don't remember exact quantities, but we picked up our share, and a friend's share and the back of the mini was full!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Last Box of the Season Week #24

Today is the last box share of the 2011 season.  I have been very happy with Honey Brook Organic Farm. We will be signing up for a share next year.

Here is what was in the box:
Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Daikon, Lettuce, Lettuce Mix, Rutabaga, Sweet Potatoes, and White Turnips.



Thursday, November 3, 2011

Never too early...

...for Hop on Pop.



Please pay no attention to the snotty nose, tis the season!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Box Share # 23

We have to be nearing the end of our share at HoneyBrook Organic Farm. If only for the fact that I'm all veggied out!

Here's what is in the share today...

*Broccoli, Carrots, Daikon, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, *Lettuce Mix, *Radishes



Monday, October 31, 2011

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Box Share #22


This week's box:
Arugula, Broccoli, Carrots, Cilantro, Hot Peppers, Lettuce, Lettuce Mix, Peppers, Radishes, Spinach
Pick-Your-Own in Chesterfield:
We have herbs including assorted mint, sage, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chives, catnip, rosemary and thyme. We also may have cherry and sauce tomatoes, international eggplant, ground cherries, okra and flowers for PYO.



Saturday, October 22, 2011

Trick or Treat

I am getting ready for all the trick or treaters this year. What do you think???

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Box Share Week #21

In your box:

Arugula, Braising Mix, Broccoli, Carrots, Cilantro, Hot Peppers, Lettuce, Spicy Mix Peppers, Slicing Tomatoes, and Hakurei Turnips
Pick-Your-Own in Chesterfield:
We have herbs including assorted mint, sage, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chives,
catnip and thyme. Rosemary is closed for the season. We also may have cherry and paste/sauce tomatoes, international eggplant, ground cherries, green beans, okra and flowers for PYO.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Box Share #20

A picture is worth a thousand words.
Bok Choy, Carrots, Cilantro, Fennel, Hot Peppers, Lettuce, Parsley, Peppers, Slicing Tomatoes, and Turnips.



Pick-Your-Own in Chesterfield:
We have herbs including assorted mint, sage, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chives, catnip, rosemary and thyme. We also may have cherry tomatoes, international eggplant, ground cherries, green beans, okra and flowers for PYO.



Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Box Share #19

What's in this week's box:
Bok Choy, Cilantro, Eggplant, Hot Peppers, Kale, Parsley, Peppers, Grape Tomatoes, Slicing Tomatoes, Swiss Chard, and White Turnips.



Pick-Your-Own in Chesterfield:
We have herbs including assorted mint, sage, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chives, catnip, rosemary and thyme. We also may have cherry tomatoes, sauce tomatoes, international eggplant, ground cherries, green beans, okra, flowers and sunflowers for PYO.





Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Farm Share Week # 18


What's in this week's box:

Beets, Cabbage, Cilantro, Eggplant, Garlic, Lettuce, Parsley, Peppers, Pumpkin, Slicing Tomatoes, Grape Tomatoes, and Winter Squash



Pick-Your-Own in Chesterfield:
We have herbs including assorted mint, sage, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chives, catnip, specialty basil, rosemary and thyme. We also may have tomatillos, cherry tomatoes, ground cherries, green beans, okra, flowers and sunflowers for PYO.



Thursday, September 22, 2011

Peach Salsa

This turned out ok. I wimped out and didn't put in as much hot pepper as the recipe called for. I should have. Live and learn.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Box Share #17

What's in this week's box:
Cilantro, Eggplant, Garlic, Green Beans, Hot Peppers, Lettuce, Peppers, Tomatoes, and Winter Squash.

Pick-Your-Own in Chesterfield:
We have herbs including assorted mint, sage, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chives, catnip, specialty basil, rosemary and thyme. We also may have tomatillos, cherry tomatoes, ground cherries, green beans, okra, flowers and sunflowers for PYO. Note that the Pick-Your-Own fields are muddy.



Tuesday, September 20, 2011

How old are your herbs and spices?

We have been picking herbs at the farm now for a few weeks. We pick thyme, sage, lemon balm, chives, basil, rosemary, and catnip. I love to cook with herbs so I have been hanging them up to dry at home.

 I finally had a few minutes the other day to store some of them so I started with the thyme.
I was going to put it in a new container until I used up my old thyme, but once I pulled out the old stuff, I quickly realized that it was well past its prime.
So the old stuff on the right got tossed, and now I can cook with the freshly dried kind on the left. Hmmm what to make with thyme... anyone have a good recipe?

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Box Share Week #16



What's in this week's box:

Cilantro, Collards, Eggplant, Garlic, Heirloom Tomatoes, Lettuce,
Parsley, Peppers, Sauce Tomatoes, Scallions, and Summer Squash.
Found outside of your box: 1 Pumpkin per share.

Pick-Your-Own in Chesterfield:
We have herbs including assorted mint, sage, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chives, catnip, specialty basil, rosemary, parsley and thyme. We also may have cherry tomatoes, ground cherries, green beans,
okra, flowers and sunflowers for PYO.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Today we remember

Ten years ago, I was a sophomore in college, living just outside Chicago. I received a call from a friend, telling me to turn on the TV. I was shocked and saddened by the images I saw that morning. Yet, I had no real connection to the devastation. I did have a crush on a boy from New York City, but I was pretty confident that he wasn't in the city that day.

Fast forward ten years, that boy from New York is the father of my three precious girls. Their grandfather works in Manhattan, as does their uncle. There is a new perspective I now hold, and I am so grateful that they were able to walk out of Manhattan that day.


Today we remember
Firefighter Andrew Jordan, Ladder 132
(a Jordan cousin)
Gone, but never forgotten

Let us cherish the lives we've been given, be thankful for the men and women who serve our country, and hug everyone a little longer today.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Potty Time

Preschool starts on Monday so we are really down to the wire on this one, but look who's going potty on the big girl potty. Some day she's going to love this photo!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Box Share #15

What's in this week's box:
Arugula, Basil, Collards, Eggplant, Garlic, Heirloom Tomatoes, Hot Peppers, Parsley, Peppers, Scallions, and Slicing Tomatoes
Pick-Your-Own in Chesterfield:
We have herbs including assorted mint, sage, lemon balm, lemon verbena, chives, catnip, specialty basil, rosemary, parsley and thyme. We also may have cherry tomatoes, ground cherries, green beans, okra, flowers and sunflowers for PYO.



Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Back to school

Little Miss's First Day of First Grade!

She already loves her teacher, her friends, and having lunchtime/recess at school.
Oh, to be six again...

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Box Share #14

I got this email from HoneyBrook yesterday:
We are pleased to report that, other than the loss of a few pepper plants at the Pennington farm, Honey Brook Organic Farm sustained no damage in Hurricane Irene. You can expect the same quantity of produce in this week's Delivered Boxed Share.


What's in this week's box:

Amish Paste Tomatoes, Beets, Eggplant, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, Green Beans, Hot Peppers, Parsley, and Peppers.
FOUND OUTSIDE OF YOUR BOX: 1 box Heirloom Tomatoes and one Watermelon.

Pick-Your-Own in Chesterfield:
Sunflowers, cut flowers, raspberries, green/snap beans, okra, hot peppers, international eggplant, cherry & sauce/plum tomatoes and herbs are near the Distribution Center, including assorted mint, rosemary, stevia, lemon verbena, specialty basil, sage, lemon balm, chives, catnip and thyme.





Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Garden Extras

I am putting up veggies as fast as I can. I pickled okra and now I'm working on some green beans for the freezer. I am looking forward to cooler months with good produce straight from my pantry and freezer!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Box Share Week #13

We are still in Iowa so MJ is home eating...

This week's box:

Beets, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, Green Beans, Heirloom Tomatoes, Hot Peppers, Parsley, Peppers, *Potatoes, Summer Squash, and Slicing Tomatoes
FOUND OUTSIDE OF YOUR BOX: Watermelon

Pick-Your-Own in Chesterfield:
Sunflowers, cut flowers, raspberries, green/snap beans, okra, hot peppers and herbs are near the Distribution Center, including assorted mint, specialty basil, lemon verbena, sage, lemon balm, chives, catnip and thyme

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Box Share Week #12

I am on my way home to Iowa today. It also happens to be my 29th birthday, so I'm celebrating in true Iowa style. We are heading to the Iowa State Fair!

Here's hoping MJ survives two weeks only eating vegetables!


What came in the box this week for MJ:

Basil, Beets, Dill, Eggplant, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, Hot Peppers, Peppers, Shallots, and Slicing Tomatoes
FOUND OUTSIDE OF YOUR BOX: Bouquet of Flowers.

Pick-Your-Own in Chesterfield:
Sunflowers, cut flowers, raspberries, okra, hot peppers and herbs are near the Distribution Center, including assorted mint, specialty basil, lemon verbena, sage, lemon balm, chives, catnip and thyme.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Box Share Week # 11

What's in this week's box:

Basil, Cabbage, Cilantro, Eggplant, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, Hot Peppers, Onions, Peppers, Potatoes, and Summer Squash.
FOUND OUTSIDE OF YOUR BOX: 1-Box *slicing tomatoes. Please take only 1 box per share.
Pick-Your-Own in Chesterfield:
Sunflowers, cut flowers and herbs are near the Distribution Center, including assorted mint, specialty basil, sage, lemon balm, chives, catnip and thyme.



Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Box Share Week #10

What's in the box...
Basil, Beets, Cilantro, Dill, Eggplant, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, Onions, Melon, Peppers, Hot Peppers, Potatoes, and Summer Squash.
FOUND OUTSIDE OF YOUR BOX: 1-box *Slicing Tomatoes; 1 Watermelon.

Pick-Your-Own in Chesterfield: Sunflowers, cut flowers, red raspberries and herbs, including assorted mint, specialty basil, sage, lemon balm, chives, catnip and thyme, are near the Distribution Center.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Box Share Week #9

Here's what's in the box this week:

Basil, Beets, Cilantro, Dill, Garlic, Grape Tomatoes, Onions, Peppers, Potatoes, Summer Squash, Slicing Tomatoes
PYO - flowers and herbs

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Box Share Week #8

I promised a picture this week, so here you go....
Basil, Beets, Cherry Tomatoes, Cilantro, Parsley, Potatoes, Scallions, and Summer Squash.

Look How Cute...

I loved the idea of Summer Fun Flip Flops... so I made some of my own.
I had everything I needed at home, and I made these in about 15 minutes!

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Box Share Week #7

Again no picture this week. I ran out of room on my camera, and I have yet to figure out how to back up all my pictures. Any ideas welcome.

So once again.... here is the list.
Basil, Beets, Chard, Sweet Corn, Lettuce, Salad, Onions, and Summer Squash

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Box Share Week #6

It has been such a crazy time that I totally spaced on taking a picture of the box this week. I can tell you what was inside....
Basil, Beets, Sweet Corn, Kale, Lettuce, Onions, & Summer Squash.

Friday, July 1, 2011

Squash

There is a reason that you are supposed to check the zucchini plants and squash plants everyday. Because if you don't, you end up with these:
Looks like there with be lots of zucchini bread in my future!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Box Share #5

Some weeks I have no words. I'll be here eating vegetables till I turn green!

Monday, June 27, 2011

Garden Update

I showed you before pictures of our 2011 garden back in May. It has been growing steadily and this is what it looks like today.

We have lots of squash.
 Here is our green beans (a funny story to come about these), the lettuce upfront, and okra standing tall in the back.
 This is our tomato garden.
 It shares garden space with cucumbers and jalapenos.
 We have bell peppers this year!
Not to shabby, but with the farm share, we are eating only veggies!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Baby Birdies


I so wanted to knock down the bird nest the second the birds started building it. They make a mess of the front porch and leave bird poop everywhere. Today I'm ok with letting them stay one more season. Look what we found. BABIES! It's not everyday that we get to witness feeding time.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Box Share Week #4

Here is our produce for week 4.....


4 heads of lettuce, summer squash, cucumbers, scallions, broccoli, something that resembles bok choy, cabbage, and beets. It's a lot of produce for a week. We are doing our best to eat all of it.

Monday, June 20, 2011

School's out for the summer!

It was Little Miss's last day of school today. She had a wonderful Kindergarten teacher that will be missed.
I can't believe my baby will be in first grade next year!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Playing catch up

While I have a few minutes tonight, I am catching up on my posts. I post dated them so just keep scrolling down.
Enjoy!

Happy Father's Day Dads

A big Happy Father's Day to MJ, my dad, and father in law! I am truly blessed by each of you.

We celebrated on Saturday by going into the city with the girls. We took the train, which the girls loved, and had lunch at Reading Terminal Market.

 We spent the rest of the afternoon at the pool. They had a great day with their dad!
A big LOVE YA to MJ who let me sit like this most of Father's Day.
He spoils me! Happy Anniversary Babe! It's been a great seven years so far.
 I wouldn't change a thing.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Strawberries

The strawberry picking at our farm share is over. But it is a happy time, not sad. Since Memorial Day we have picked 32 quarts of strawberries! I have more strawberries than we could possibly eat before they go bad. It will only be a sad day if these berries go to waste!  I have been scouring the Internet for some preserving ideas. Somewhere in my research, I read that whole frozen berries do not defrost well. They get all mushy and soggy. So I will freeze some to drop directly in smoothies, and the rest of the berries will turn into jam or oatmeal topping (if they are not eaten first).
There are lots of different recipes for strawberry jam. I am trying a few different methods this year, so I can taste them all and figure out what I like best. So far I have a freezer jam, that I am not sure set properly, we will see how it turns out once we open a jar. I also made a canned strawberry jam that set well, but we have not tasted it. The other canned jam I made is a strawberry pineapple jam that turned out excellent! We barely waited long enough to let it set before we tested it on our toast. It set well and tastes heavenly, in my humble opinion!
I also crushed some strawberries and froze them plain in jars to top our oatmeal and ice cream. Can't wait to enjoy these in the fall and winter. Now I just need a bigger pantry and a bigger freezer!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Box Share Week 3

Welcome to week 3 of our box share program.
This week we received 4 heads of lettuce, beets, zucchini, cucumbers, garlic scapes, collards, and broccoli.
I can already tell you that the cucumbers are delicious! They are also hard to resist! We still have our collards from last week, so I will be making those soon! Wish me luck! Would anyone like to try garlic scapes? I think I have more than I can use.

Blueberries and Cherries

\We have enjoyed our strawberries at the farm so much this year. It has me in the mood for more fruits. The only other fruit the farm offers is raspberries. We are looking forward to those but we were also hoping for blueberries. I did some homework on http://www.pickyourown.org/ and found a blueberry and cherry farm just south of here. It took us about 30 minutes to drive down to Mood's Farm in Mullica Hill, New Jersey. They have a beautiful farm and we enjoyed our afternoon at the farm.
There were so many blueberry bushes filled with ripe berries, it was easy for the girls to pick. Peanut fell asleep in the car on the way down, but we were just across the driveway picking berries, so we let her finish her nap in the van. She woke up a little while later and enjoyed picking with us. I think she ate more than she picked, but I couldn't really blame her. The blueberries were excellent straight from the bushes!

After we had picked our share of blueberries, we drove over to the cherry trees. They had sweet cherries to pick and we were lucky. Sweet Cherries at Mood's sell out quick. The season opened on Monday and they were nearing the end already on Wednesday. There weren't any cherries low to the ground, but they had lots of ladders around the cherry trees. The girls loved climbing up the ladders to pick the cherries. Even Peanut did it without a problem.





 Can you see all the cherries still up in the tree? Little Miss did her best to reach all the high ones. Next year, I think we are bringing Daddy!

We even picked up some apple cider donuts and a cherry pitter while at the farm. A big thank you to Mood's Farm for a "fruitfull" day! We had so much fun! Can't wait for next year.
The girls are begging to go back to pick sour cherries when they open next week. We will wait and see if that happens. I don't know what to do with sour cherries. Any ideas??

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Pick your own week 3

The girls and I went up to the Farm one last time for pick your own strawberries. We came home with 10 quarts of strawberries, 2 quarts of green beans, and lots of herbs.
We got stuck in a rain shower but we managed to get enough strawberries to make it worthwhile. We also picked a few flowers while we were there.
Still lovin the Farm Share!

Eating Box Share week 2

Once again, we did pretty well eating the box share this week. The pile of strawberries joined the pile we already had to make jam. The bok choy I made into stir fry. The zucchini I grilled with hot dogs for a quick dinner. The herbs are drying in the dining room. We attempted to make a pesto out of the garlic scapes. I even froze some because we have so much! It is super pungent so we need to tweak that recipe. We will smell like garlic all week! The kale MJ sauteed with excellent results. The collards are the only thing we didn't get around to trying.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Patio Door

Last weekend, my new patio door arrived. MJ and our good friend Brian installed it. I now have blinds in my kitchen! The best part is they are between the glass so there is no cleaning! Love it!