Don't Miss this One: Whidbey Island Farm Tour this Weekend!

Bur Oak Acres, picture courtesy Bill McInvaille, 2008

http://whidbeyfarmtour.wordpress.com/

Looks like there will be many great farms on the tour this year.  It is definitely worth taking part in if you ahve any interest in food, farming, Whidbey Island, or animals!  The tour is self-guided and will be this Saturday and Sunday October 3rd and 4th from 10-4.  Also checkout the Farm Tour website for special events and maps/directions to the farms.  Here are the farms taking part in the tour this year, click on them to get more information on any particular farm:

• A Knot In Thyme
• Bur Oak Acres
• Case Farm
• Chocolate Flower Farm
• CSA Training Center at Greenbank Farm
• Forget Me Not Farms
• Good Cheer Garden
• Greenbank Cellars
• Horse Tales Nursery
• Hummingbird Farm Nursery and Gardens
• Island Bliss Alpacas
• Lavender Wind Farm
• Lord’s Garden and M&M Flowers
• M Bar C Ranch
• Penn Cove Shellfish
• Rosehip Farm & Garden – Cancelled for 2009 Farm Tour
• Sonshine Alpacas
• Whidbey Island Vineyards & Winery
• Wildwood Farm
• Willowood Farm

Home Prices

picture courtesy: http://yellowpress.com/2009/08/22/rare-cacti-of-pacific-northwest/

Home Prices

I wish I was a little bird:
I would make my nest
on the bluff
where the yellow grass
dances in rhythm
with the waves
in the sea below.

my babies would grow up
to the smell of kelp,
a salty breeze caressing
their bare wings.
And one day
they would follow
the scent of the salt
and the kelp
back home again.


~~Candice 9/27/09
Did you ever think what kind of a place you wouuld choose for home if you could live anywhere? 

Making Long Run Routes for Langley!

What do you have that will last hundreds of years?

Stella smiles high atop her daddy's rock wall project

Luc is currently making a very long rock wall that's about 4 feet tall.  The wall frames the home owner's property line, then curves around to meet the driveway.  Stella and I stopped by on a sunny weekday to record the progress.  Luc is using his excavator to place the large rocks and shape the earth.  It is an often times tedious process, but it is incredibly rewarding to see the wall in all of it's magnificence!  It may stand for hundreds of years, who knows?  It will likely last longer than the house itself.  That is some kind of responsibility!

Visit Luc's landscaping blog at: http://www.livelylandscapes.blogspot.com

or for a free job estimate call: 360-914-6022

Flying High this Weekend?

Whidbey Island Kite Festival this weekend, September 26th and 27th at Fort Casey!  Should be lots of fun.  Visit the Whidbey Island Kite Flyers website for more information: http://www.whidbeykites.org/

or http://www.whidbeykiteclub.com/.  Word has it that the festival is from about 9 AM to 3 PM, but I would check those times, just in case.  There will be many fun events, including kite making for the kids.

Above: Kites at Fort Casey, picture courtesy http://www.whidbeykiteclub.com/gallery.asp?Category=Fun%20Flys

For fun, visit this person's web stream of pictures that are taken form atop their kite, above Fort Casey!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30901290@N03/

Just like Mama

Just like mama

Marina at Goss Lake, Whidbey Island

Keep Fucking that Chicken & the Urban Dictionary

I want to share with all of you another good waste of your time: the Urban Dictionary
Which defines all sorts of hilarious words.  Below is their definition of the term "keep fucking that chicken":

Keep up the good work.

Coined by television anchor Ernie Anastos during a live broadcast of the Fox 5 New York local news. (See videos on YouTube.)

News anchor to weatherman: "Great forecast. Keep fucking that chicken."

Langley's 2009 Soup Box Derby Success

Luc with his giant trophy

South Whidbey's Soup Box derby is as quirky as Langley itself.  From the unique, handmade, one-of-a-kind trophies to the lack of reverence for an overall winner, the derby is full of surprises.  The point of the race seems to be more to see who can put on more of a show.  And a show it was!  Checkout the pictures below and my post chronicling the 2008 derby.  

above: pre-race party and pre-race race down Saratoga Road, in the dark of course.  Partiers (above) cheer Luc on.

 

Above: Saratoga Road in the dark.  Luc and his pit crew are somewhere up the hill.

 

Race Day!  Luc and his Lively Landscape Mobile adorned with blackberries and a gold throne.

 

Above: Julie and Emily win for cutest costumes, always a crowd pleaser.

 

Above: Ellie and kids watch the race from the sidewalk

 

There was quite a crowd along Langley's 1st Street.  Good turnout!

 

Peter Lawlor races as a Mole this year.  Last year he raced in a "coffin"

 

More cool mobiles, including Gary Piper's "outhouse" mobile

 

 

Whidbey Island Winery is always the racer to beat, their wine barrel mobile is quite fast!

 

Two of the faster derby vehicles, pictured above.

Luc and friend Eric zip down the hill.

 

Me, pictured on left, with my sister and her husband avec the kids.

 

The kids love the race, and love playing with each other even more!  Above, left to right: baby Ellis, Shamus, Forrest, Oceanus, and Marina.

 

Above: Stella eats popcorn

 

Oceanus and Forrest are good buddies

 

 Candice (me) and kids, watch the derby

Above: Luc's mobile was fast!  Above: Katja rides passenger.

Below: Luc gets the biggest trophy!  Wahooo!  Now what to do with it?  

 

 

Above: Katja and Nina get a trophy too.

 

Sue Frause mc's the race and helps give out the trophies.  Visit Sue's Seattle PI blog and see more pictures from the Soup Box Derby: http://blog.seattlepi.com/whidbey/archives/179725.asp

A Long Run

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 *
My sweat runs like time

a fawn bloated on roadside

birds fly with each step
*
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*

Late Summer Apple-Plum Crumble Pie

What better way to use summer's bounty than to make a pie?  And what is easier than my version of a crumble?  Inspired by my friend Ashley's mixed fruit crumble, in which she let me in on her secret to a good crumble top.  And it requires no crust.  That's good, because for me, crusts take a lot of time to make!  Here it goes... thanks Ashley!

Crumble: (for 1 pie)
1 cup oatmeal, whole grain
1/2 cup brown sugar
approx 1/4 cup of butter at room temperature or melted
Mix the oatmeal and brown sugar then mix in the butter.  Set aside.

Pie Filling (fruit):

~enough fruit to fill up your pie dish(es), filling a bit over to top of the dish
I used apples, plums, and a pear.  You can use just about any fruit, keeping in mind that some fruits, like plums, are best mixed with other less flavorful fruits (like apples).  Cut fruit into small 1/4 inch pieces.  For a smooth taste peel apples.  I did not peel mine as the apples were quite small and it was still great!
~5 TBS flour
~3 TBS lemon juice
~1/2 cup sugar
~1/4 tsp nutmeg
~1/4 tsp cinnamon
Mix all the above ingredients (minus the fruit).  When thoroughly mixed add to the fruit and spoon into the pie pan.   Next, cover the fruit mixure with the oatmeal crumble.  Bake at 350 F for as long as it takes, making sure not to burn the crumble layer.

above: Marina makes her own creation, and in the foreground, the crumble

Enjoy with whip cream or icecream, hot or cold, and with friends and family!

 

above: I also made a cobbler, with the same fruit filling ingredients and it was wonderful.  I thought I had a picture of the crumble, but alas, no.  

Easy Yogurt-Basil Sauce for Pasta

This recipe is great for late summer as it includes a lot of summer's bounty from the garden: basil, zucchini, tomatoes, and peas.  If you don't have your own garden, then you can pick up these items at the farmer's market.   I especially liked the yogurt-basil sauce that I mixed in with the noodles.  Here's how you make it:

1 pound of spaghetti cooked
1 1/2 cup yogurt, whole milk plain
1 1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped small

Mix the yogurt and basil then add to the warm noodles.  I got his recipe from Martha Stewart's website.  Checkout the website if you want the entire recipe for Spaghetti Peas and Zucchini Ribbons

One of the Best Classes for Young Children on Whidbey!

 

 Marina dancing in the foreground with Teacher Kat Fritz in the background

 

Do you have a young child from newborn to 5?  If you do, I highly recommend you try the Music Together  class with your child.  The class has been a blessing in so many ways for me and my children.  I have a little bit of experience with music as a child taking piano lessons and a few classes here and there in school. But---  here is what I really like about Music Together: the philosophy is that ALL children are musical.  Just think for a moment how that idea can change a child's life . . . think about how that idea can change your perception and enjoyment of music!  

I have often felt that I was missing out on a important piece of life by not playing an instrument or being 'muscially inclined', so I wanted to introduce my children to music in a fun and playful way, with me present, and at an early age.  My first daughter, Marina, entered her first music class when she was about 8 months old.  We enjoyed the class so much that we continued for the next 2 years!  We have almost all the music CDs from the classes and a solid base of musical enjoyment and participation.  From here, who knows?  I am confident that my daughter feels comfortable with instruments, singing, and basic musical understanding.  Please consider trying this class out, you will be glad you did!

Want to see if this class is for you?  Checkout the free Demo Classes: 

This September 14, 16, 17 at 10:15

The Classes run from September 22nd to November 24th from 10:15-11 AM.  You can choose between a Monday, Wednesday or Thursday class. 

Price: $97 plus a $38 materials fee and $75 for second sibling over 7 months old

Class is located at Island dance 11042 State Route 525 in Clinton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, visit:

http://www.musictogetherwhidbey.com

 

In Disguise

Stella dresses as a leopard. Halloween is around a few corners and we always love finding costumes for dress up at our local thrift store, Good Cheer.

Cute Kiddos, Babies, and the Naming of PJ

Stella told me, above picture, that she was giving baby some "booby". She loves her babies. We haul them into stores, take them in strollers, feed them, and fetch them out ofthe car when they are missing from the house. All at Stella's insistence.

Marina and the ever-lovable PJ the cat. He was born and raised at our house with the girls around and is incredibly tolerant of their noise, energy, and hugs. He, in fact, seems to thrive on it. What a sweetie. PJ was named after a pony that Marina became attached to at the Island County fair a year ago. After trying out several other names on him, the name PJ fit just right.

Saving up for Winter and the Rabid Tiger Crazy Lady

Tomato Coulis Recipe

It seems like everyone is scurrying around collecting their nuts for winter and storing them away. The weather has shifted and my primordial instincts are kicking in gear. Well, that and the heavy rainfall inspired me to pick a huge pile of tomatoes that were ripe on the vines. We actually had a huge rainstorm with some lightening and thunder all day long. Meanwhile, I made 6 quarts of tomato sauce, which I will freeze for later.

A bit of a deviation from the canning theme, but along the lines of the rain theme . . .

All week I planned my usual Sunday run with excitement: a 16 mile road run to the beach. The run would be 8 miles out and 8 miles back. It also happened to be the day that would replenish the lan
d with almost 4 months worth of withheld rain. I was working on mile 7 when the Big Rain hit and I was instantly soaked. Really, really soaked. Like: "What is that Crazy Lady doing all wet, running like a rabid tiger?"

Rain has never deterred me from a run, and although it was pouring on and off at 7:30 AM I figured I might as well go off and run anyway. I am tough. I haven't gotten that wet from a run in a long time. Years. And it was just minutes that it took for me to become soaked. I had figured that it would be the cumulative rain that would do me in over the course of 16 miles. Nope. It was like a bucket was dumped over me, and all of a sudden I wasn't just struggling with pacing myself (running fast is just more fun). I was also struggling to look like I was supposed to be out in the pouring rain, "Oh, hey driver, I'm cool, yeah look how tough I am. I meant to be out here all soaked." This is Whidbey Island and the Pacific Northwest after all. We go outside in the rain, otherwise we would hibernate. There are just no two ways around it.

Being all wet and tough wasn't as gratifying as I thought it would be. I became more obsessed with keeping my breathing low so as not to touch my belly to my wet, cold and increasingly heavy shirt. Yet, I could not let my soaked clothing keep me from reaching the beach, just one mile away (and 9 miles from home).

Lucky for me, rescue was on the way! I had tried, unsuccessfully I thought, to get my mom to join me on my run. I reached the beach, turned around and completed yet another mile (9 miles into it, 7 to go) when she showed up via car with a fresh t-shirt and water. Perfect timing as it did not pour down rain the rest of the run!

Happy Canning and running! Don't let a little or even a lot of rain stop you from enjoying the outdoors this fall...

Raw Recipes: Banana-Blackberry Cream Pie with a Nut-date crust

I promised pictures: Raw Banana-Blackberry Cream Pie adapted from http://www.veganchef.com/rawstraw.htm
I changed the recipe that I found at the above site a bit. Here are my changes highlighted in red:

Crust:3/4 cup raw almonds
3/4 cup raw walnuts
3/4 cup dates, pitted
1/2 t. cinnamon
Filling:
3 T. gelatin, I couldn't get a hold of agar agar and my research said that the conversion was equal parts, but I would not use as much next time-- I would only use 1 TBS
1/3 cup apple juice
6 bananas, rather than the 5 it called for, peeled, and cut in half lengthwise
1/3 cup dates, pitted, and I think I would soak the dates for a few hours so that they would mix in better
1/2 t. lemon juice
1 cup blackberries, rather than strawberries.


In a food processor, place all of the crust ingredients, and grind for a few minutes until mixture is finely ground and holds together when you pinch it with your fingers. Press the crust mixture into a 9-inch pie pan or cake pan, evenly covering the whole pan. Set aside and make the filling. the crust can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.

In a small bowl, place the agar-agar flakes or gelatin, pour the apple juice over the flakes, and set the mixture aside for 10 minutes to allow the flakes to soften. Add the bananas to the food processor and process for 2 minutes or until very smooth and creamy. Add the agar-agar or gelatin mixture, dates, and lemon juice, and process an additional 1 minute. Add 1 cup of blackberries to banana mixture and mix with a spoon. Then pour the filling over the prepared crust. Cover the top of the filling with a piece of parchment paper, place the pie in the refrigerator, and allow it to chill for 2 or more hours. Just before serving, decorate the top of the pie with blackberries
Yield: One 9-inch pie.

My Garden Fresh Tomato Coulis with Spaghetti Noodles

~~~TOMATO COULIS~~~

Summer Recipe: great for canning or to emphasize the flavor of fresh tomatoes in a dish.

Ingredients
lots of fresh & ripe tomatoes, about 4 pounds +/-, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2+ garlic cloves, chopped
1 TBS butter
1 TBS olive oil
several sprigs thyme, one sprig rosemary, 2 bay leaves
salt and pepper

Saute chopped onions and garlic for 5-10 minutes. Then add chopped tomatoes, herbs, and salt and pepper, bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes at low temp. Remove from heat and process through a food mill, like the one below:

food mill

Recipe adapted from: http://www.easy-french-food.com/homemade-tomato-sauce-recipe.html

Add to spaghetti noodles, polenta, meat, seafood, or anything else that you feel inspired to combine it with. You can also freeze the sauce for later use, with great results.