Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Broccoli, broccoli everywhere: Creamy Broccoli and Mushroom Soup (vegetarian recipe)

Luc called the soup, "his favorite" and we enjoyed it on day 2 with long noodles

Broccoli is overflowing in our garden and I began to think of ways to use it. Large quantities of vegetables usually brings me to the idea of soup. Soup, soup . . . maybe a creamy, sort of cream of broccoli or chowder soup. Some brainstorming came up with this vegetable version of clam chowder sans the clams, instead, I used mushrooms, also slimy ;-)

White Sauce:
1/4 cup butter (1 cube)
2/3 cup flour (substitute wheat for a wheat free flour mix, try quinoa flour)
1 quart milk (I used whole milk)
2 1/2 quarts soup stock or water (chicken or vegetable, make your own for best flavor and freeze extra for recipes)

Saute:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds mushrooms, washed and quartered
1 large onion or 2 medium, sliced small
4 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil for cooking

Other Important Stuff:
1 pound long green beans, sliced into approx 1/2 inch pieces
2 large head of broccoli or approx equivalent in small pieces, chop into smallish florets
2 ears corn, cut kernels off ears, set aside
2 large russet potatoes, chopped into small 1/4-1/2 inch pieces
2 TBS fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by making the White Sauce: melt butter in large 5 quart size soup pan, slowly add flour while stirring. Add quart of milk to flour and butter mixture, whisking it while it heats up. Stir frequently until sauce has thickened then add 2 1/2 quarts of water/soup stock. Stir frequently and heat slowly to avoid burning the flour mixture on the bottom of the pan.
Once you add the water/soup stock you can add the chopped russet potatoes, green beans, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook for 30 minutes*, then add Mushroom-onion saute (see below), corn, and broccoli. Cook soup for another 30 minutes or more on a slow, slow boil.

*Meanwhile start the mushroom-onion saute on medium heat with chopped onions and olive oil. When the onions have softened add the mushrooms and garlic, stir, cover and let cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add to soup.

mushroom-onion-garlic saute

Monday, June 29, 2009

In the Dark

In the Dark


I really scared

I want my mama to sleep with me

All night long

Daddy too

And Baby Stella

Then I not be scared

All night long


I not like the bad things

At night in the dark

I cannot see them anymore


Monsters

Black, claws, tear you away

A meat dinosaur steps on the roof

I call for mama again


It is dark outside

Light inside the kitchen and wrapped

In mama’s bathrobe

Reading storybooks

Waiting for sleep


Collaboration between Marina Daignault (4 years old) and Candice Burt Daignault ::: June 20, 2009

The Puppies' Summer Vacation

Above: Rocket and Whidbey explore the farm on their daily walk

I think technically Rocket and Whidbey are adult dogs now, being one year old in last May. They will always be puppies to me though. When our dog, Lucy, had puppies last year we didn't expect to get 12! We really enjoyed raising them and finding homes for them, which was no small task. They were born in May and all off to their new homes by late July. Rocket and Whidbey were the first two to leave the farm and the ones that visit us the most! Visit our puppy blog for pictures, stories, and more about the puppies.

The pups are visiting the farm for a few weeks while their owners are on vacation. And they sure are enjoying farm life here: checking out new animals~ ponies and cows (our neighbors), swimming in the pond, running through the tall grass, and romping around with their mama Lucy, who also happens to be a good disciplinarian.

These ferns (above) were up to my waist, at least.

Whidbey plays in the water. All the dogs took a dip or two while playing in the field.

Silly Whidbey, above

Field of grass, this wasn't even the tall grass. The canary grass grows, in some areas of the field, up to my head!

The ponies lead the way, Rocket follows

What beautiful scenery and weather!

Above: Rocket and Whidbey LOVE to doggie wrestle. One of them will "tackle" the other and they will roll around or even run into things.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Secret to Living to 96 years old and longer. . .

Grandpa Vernon receiving a Father's Day present June '09 with Marina (4 yo)

Alright, I am not going to tell you the secret, yet. I have to discover it, which I plan to do today. I will be sure to share with you my very secret and exciting findings. How? You ask. My grandpa Vernon turns 96 today (well really yesterday, but the party is today) and I am going to do us all a favor and ask him a few questions.

96 years of life is certainly something to celebrate. Here are a few things about Vernon: he lives on his own (alone), goes out to dinner at his favorite restaurant most of the week, is clear and quick mentally, has a keen sense of humor, doesn't eat his greens, walks a bit, and drives.

Perhaps living to a ripe 100+ doesn't need to be so uncommon? I plan to ask him some interview questions today at his 96th birthday celebration, and get some pictures of him and the littlest family members-- baby Ida (10 days old) and baby Stella (1 1/2 years). So until then, the mystery resumes . . . what is his secret to healthy longevity? It just might not be so hard to accomplish after all . . .

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Kids Craft ~ Magazine Cutout Cards

Magazines + Glue + Construction Paper = Fun cards

When your kid(s) are big enough to cut out pictures from magazines you can have lots of fun seeing what they put together, and how cards differ depending on who they are making it for. The above card was made by Marina (4 yo). She cut out pictures from what looks like National Geographic magazine and pasted them on to the construction paper color red for father's day. She chose a turtle, a rainbow, two bear pictures, flowers and a butterfly. Try making your own magazine cutout cards and see what your child picks. . .

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Around the World on Bicycle: Orphan Ride Brothers

Whidbey Island natives, brothers, and local residents Andrew and Randall Leese are riding 25,000 miles on bicycle through 25 countries to raise money for an orphanage in India. To find out why, visit their website. The brothers are currently in Wisconsin. They began their travels in Bellingham in April, see their day 1 blog entry. To donate to the orphanage, wish list, or check out their website/blog visit: http://www.orphanride.org/index.php?s=home

Monday, June 22, 2009

Baby Plays Harmonica

A Great Place to Fly a Kite

Kids can fly kites too!

Maxwelton beach is often windy and makes a great place to fly a kite. Like most waterfront locations on Whidbey Island, the sea breeze makes it ideal for kite flying. Add in a playground, sandy beach, BBQ, and picnic tables and you have special place indeed.

Also, try Fort Casey, Freeland Park, & Double Bluff Beach

There is a Kite Club of Whidbey the Whidbey Island Kite Fliers. Some evens of note on their calendar are:
June 21 - WIKF Club Fun Fly 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Fort Casey
July 19 - WIKF Club Fun Fly 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Fort Casey
Aug 16 - 17 - Cutting Edge Kite Summer Heat Sportkites, Ocean Shores, WA
Aug 16 - WIKF Club Fun Fly 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Fort Casey
Aug 18-24 - WA State Intl Kite Festival (WSIKF) Long Beach, WA www.kitefestival.com
Sept 13-14 - UP Your Wind Kite Festival, Pacific Beach, WA
Sept 15 - WIKF Club Fun Fly 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Fort Casey
Sept 20-21 - Whidbey Is Kite Festival. Camp Casey, WA
www.whidbeykites.org
This will be fun ~~~ Sept 20-21 - Whidbey Is Kite Festival. Camp Casey, WA www.whidbeykites.org


Sunday, June 21, 2009

Planting Trees to Celebrate the Summer Solstice

SUMMER SOLSTICE
Celebrating the height of summer, the warmth, growth, fertility, and plant life of all types characterize a good Solstice celebration. And why not celebrate an event that brings us closer to the earth ~ nature ~ ultimately who we are~

We planted about ten tiny little evergreen trees tonight as the sun was going down, choosing a special place for each one. Then we watered them all. It made a nice solstice celebration that my daughter loved helping with.

Some ideas for celebrating summer solstice

Plant something * seed * tree * flower *
Make your own may pole
Have a bonfire
Take a walk in nature
Go for a special solstice swim in a lake, ocean, pool
Star gaze
Find a good place to watch the sunset
Throw a party and celebrate with friends (can include some of the above as well)

Here is an interesting link ~~~~
WSU cooperative extension: Propagating deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs with stem cuttings

~ Appreciating Fathers & Husbands ~ on the Summer Solstice

I found some interesting information on the Summer Solstice at the blog "The Wild Hunt" that describes the solstice as,

Today (and last night) is the celebration of the Summer Solstice*, also known as Midsummer, or Litha. It is at this time that the Northern Hemisphere is tilted closest to the sun (the opposite being true for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere). It is a time of fertility and celebration: bonfires, maypoles, dancing, and outdoor festivals have been traditional during this time for most of human history. In some modern Pagan faiths it is believed that this holiday represents the highest ascendancy of masculine divinity. ---The Wild Hunt, http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/happy-summer-solstice-2.html

Hmm, the 'highest ascendancy of male divinity'? That is an interesting connection to Father's day, no? And on to Father's Day . . .

Here is my Father's Day Top 10 list, to my husband:

1. I get to be a stay-at-home mama for my young children
2. He supports my running and swimming by watching the kids and encouraging me
3. He takes the girls on a walk every evening to put them to sleep
4. He makes dinner and does dishes when the kids need my attention (clam and garlic tortilla pizza anyone?)
5. He can work on a bike, car, house, fence, garden . . .
6. He was right there to catch our newborn daughters as they entered the world
7. He has been interested and supportive in the many different parenting choices we have made
8. He is willing to try new things
9. He likes seaweed & bicycles
10. He jumps on the trampoline with my four year old daughter at 9:30 at night, because she says it is really important to her

Also visit my blog entry for Father's Day 2008 (last year): Daddy's Circle: A Poem for Father's Day


Working on a gate, Marina watches

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Emily Day's Dance Class for Kids ~ Dancing Colors is in Langley on 1st street now!

These pictures are from Marina's final performance for her creative dance class. This is her second year in the class. Teacher Emily just moved her studio into downtown Langley on 1st Street.

The class is a lot of fun for the kids. They love making up stories to dance to, expressing themselves though different types of music, and playing with the colorful scarves and props. You can visit Emily's website at: Emily Day and Dancing Colors

Marina's class was for 3 to 5 years old kids. For their performance they each chose a musical piece and choreographed a dance that included a solo part and a group part. It was wonderful to see how each child had a different style and idea!

The dance studio is in the back of Emily's store. You can access it by walking through the alley that goes past the Star Store toward what used to be Linds Drug Store. The studio/storefront is across from the Pizzaria in the old Violet Fields building.




Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The Vegetable Garden in June

Flowers in the garden

Chard stem, up close

Chard, leaf

Above & below: potato bed is flowering


Lettuce & peas, peas climb up old raspberry canes

Above: Marina's flower bed

above: drip irrigation, and nice moist soil

Recently planted squash starts, above


Above: planting starts

I think this one, above, is a pumpkin start

Colorful lettuce

Some of my many June starts, above

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

How and why to bury a trampoline in the ground part 2



We love our buried trampoline. The girls can safely run right on and off of it. Even when one of them tumbles off they get up unharmed. And we don't need to lift them up and down from the trampoline at their every whim, they just enter and exit as they like.

It is important to have grass planted around the trampoline, as you do not want the kids tracking dirt or wood chips onto the trampoline every time they get on it. That was something that we had to deal with last fall and winter while the grass grew in. We are now in the process of seeding the path to the trampoline too. What a pleasure to have a beautiful, grassy area around the trampoline to sit and relax in!

To bury our trampoline Luc dug a large hole with his excavator of approximately the trampoline size plus an extra few feet on every side. You could probably dig it by hand depending on the size of your trampoline. Ours is a 14 footer, which would be a lot of hand digging. He then placed the trampoline by hand and by himself into the hole, no small feat either. Using the excavator and a shovel he filled in the area around the trampoline until it reached the sides.

It looks pretty messy while you are doing it. And the trampoline gets dirty. No worries though, there is plenty of time later to clean it. You can then seed the ground as you would a lawn, all around the trampoline. It is really pretty simple in theory: dig a big hole, place trampoline, fill in the gaps, then plant grass. Done.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Riding Joey

Marina on Joey with Caspian snacking in the background

Marina has some new riding boots and she enjoyed using them on one of our beautiful sunny days here on Whidbey Island. When I take her riding I put little Stella in the Ergo backpack, saddle up one of the ponies for Marina and lead her through some of the most beautiful trails around, especially this time of the year with the canary grass standing taller than the ponies, the yellow splashes of buttercups, the continual sound of birds singing and chirping, and the green, green, green of everything sprung to life in early summer.

Stella has no fear of the horse or any other animal for that matter. Above: trying to feed the horse flowers, Below: posing on the horse for a picture. Stella is still too young to ride without assistance, but she loves sitting on the horse




New boots


Saturday, June 13, 2009

The BEST pizza!! Waterfront Pizza, Port Townsend

Stella checks out the goods

No kidding!

You are going to need this too:
951 Water St
Port Townsend, WA 98368
(360) 385-6629

This is the best pizza I have ever had. And it's in our very own neighboring town, Port Townsend. There are many interesting and delicious combinations of toppings to choose from at good prices. The unusual thing about their pizzas is the amount of toppings they put on your pizza. There is a lot, enough in fact that my daughter Stella was grabbing olives and pineapples left and right and I didn't even notice they were gone. The crust is also spectacular. I usually leave mine for the birds or dogs, but this crust was special. I am told it is their own signature sourdough crust. For a really special treat take your pie to go and eat it on the beach while watching the sail boats. Like this one:
What a great excuse to go over on the ferry for a relaxing and yummy one-day trip. You could even do what we did, just visit for dinner and a little family bike ride. We parked on the Keystone (Whidbey Island) side, unloaded our bikes and bike trailer, loaded our gear and kids and rode right on the ferry. The kids had a great time and we loved saving the money (it's a lot more to take a car on the boat) and skipping car lines!

On a side note, if you are a walk-on or bicyclist you can get your tickets on a machine inside of the building that hosts the bathrooms and a sitting area. You will need to pay with debit or credit, but it is a nice quick way to buy tickets, especially if you are like me and you get to the ferry just minutes before sailing (not recommended).

Visit Yelp.com for more reviews on Waterfront Pizza: http://www.yelp.com/biz/waterfront-pizza-port-townsend