Without a trace

It’s blueberry season down here in the South, so blueberry picking we’ve gone.

We made a wonderful family outing of it; picking and eating, and picking and eating. Thankfully, they only weigh the bucket before and after it’s been filled… and not the children (or the parents!!!) before and after they have (eaten) their fill.

Because we love blueberries. And we ate a lot.

(Yes, that is a Play-Doh bucket. It was all I could find that was Noah-size)

And then we came home from blueberry picking and ate a lot. Because we’d picked a lot.

On top of eating fresh blueberries by the handful, we had blueberry pancakes made my wonderful breakfast Chef husband. Then we had blueberry coffee cake. It didn’t last long. We concocted homemade blueberry smoothies (basically yogurt blended with frozen blueberries and strawberries) that would have done Jamba Juice proud. The following week, we made blueberry syrup to top plain made-from-scratch-pancakes.

And when we had the new First Sergeant over for dinner, I made the most amazing blueberry pie ever using my friend Rita’s recipe.

Best Ever Blueberry Pie

2 pints blueberries (4 cups), 1 unbaked pie crust, 1/4 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg beaten, 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp. vanilla. Wash blueberries and place in pie crust. Cream butter & sugar in bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Spread over blueberries (or use cookie scoop to dollop). Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes or until done. *I topped it with vanilla icecream and it was melt in your mouth, oh so perfect, blueberry pie. I’ve never tasted one this good.*

 

We also added fresh blueberries to every bowl of cut fruit; put them in salads and in our breakfast cereal. We brought them to church potluck in the form of blueberry cobbler. And munched on frozen blueberries as an afternoon snack.

Then my husband called while I was typing this blog post and said he’d like to bring his soldiers breakfast tomorrow. So I immediately responded, “6 dozen blueberry muffins, coming right up, Dear!!” (which means we’re both working late tonight. Haha! Such is life for a Commander and his Wife!)

So the huge bucket of blueberries we picked a few weeks ago?? It’s gone. It’s gone without a trace.

 

 

Well… almost without a trace.

There are few tell tale signs here and there.

 

 

We love our blueberries, can you tell?

Shades of Green

I love my garden.

Sure it’s not very big, and there are a few stray weeds climbing through the dirt…

And the peas are falling over in the back because the trellis I bought was really not tall enough. My oregano is all in one clump because the rain washed the seeds into a pile and my chives are still not thriving.

But to me, it’s the best garden ever.



Tomatoes


My hubby kindly donated the start-up fees (wood, compost, manure, seeds), and my boys helped me dig it one sunny spring day, but really, I’m the sole gardener. I’ve tended. I’ve cared. I’ve planted.

And I’ve loved.

Peas

I don’t know how it happened, but it happened still. These plants, each one, I love them. I love to smell the mint and basil, to find green beans and peas hiding among the leaves. I love my strawberries even though I haven’t tasted a single one. (Darn old squirrels!!)

Mint

Whenever I work in the garden, I feel peaceful too. And my mind almost always wanders to thoughts of our great God, who I’m sure loves gardens as much as I.

After all, didn’t He make all the lovely herbs and vegetables at the beginning of time? By the word of His power? And didn’t he make each plant ready to yield fruit in its season? Create humidity and rain, fertile soil and sun? Yes, I’m certain that God loves gardens too.

Strawberry

I’m also pretty sure God hates weeds, but loves weeding… just like I do.

Parsely

I always think about uprooting sin in my life when I’m weeding. The analogy is just to strong for me to ignore.

I love getting down on my hands and knees, sorting between plants, and carefully working my hands through the soil to pull up the bad guys while protecting the life of the good guys.

Man. One could go crazy with the life analogy’s (both Biblical and not) hidden in gardening.

Basil

I think it’s another reason why I love my garden and gardening.  I pull weeds and feel like I am vanquishing the enemy. I water the herbs and imagine the Holy Spirit reviving me with refreshing rain.

Oregano

I watch my plants grow… and think of how God nurtures and cares for His people; providing for our every need, saving us, and teaching us to bear good fruit.

Cucumbers

Thank you, Lord, for tending me… and my garden too

January Reflections: Homemade

Two thousand ten was a year of homemade goodness in our house. While I have almost always made things from scratch, from pizza crust to vegetable soup, this past year I really stepped it up a notch.
Why in 2010? Because in 2010 we had cable for the first time and I developed an addiction for the Food Network. Sad, but true.

Or maybe not so sad, when you consider that watching people cook while I did the household chores, paid bills, and nursed babies whet my appetite (haha) and helped me discover a hidden love for food and cooking.

Well... I've always loved food, but now I love it with new measure. Aged cheese, fresh herbs, well trimmed meats... and then cooked up in my own kitchen...oh boy, music to my ears. And stomach. I'd call myself a foodie, but then I'd run the risk of sounding like a food snob.

Which I'm not. Not completely anyway.

While I love dabbling with new ingredients and creating gourmet meals, practicality keeps me from going to Snooty-ville. As much as I'd prefer to proudly purchase high end ingredients, my pocketbook demands that I make the best foods possible for the lowest prices possible. Not as easy as it sounds, but I do my best. It's a challenge I enjoy... though I frequently dream outloud to my husband of the day I can buy blocks of aged pecorino romano and freshly butchered lamb chops.

For now, it's pork chops and cheddar.


Anyway...


One thing I started making fom scratch this year was a good basic roux. I have found this to be an amazingly delicious way to thicken soups, make cream sauces, and even rev up a regular old casserole. It is the perfect alternative when you're tempted to use the "cream of" canned soups, and so much more delectable and creamy when you've made it from scratch.

Another food that's been consistently homemade this year is granola. Trial and error, as well as tips from Dolly's and Emily's recipes, I've come up with our family's favorite granola. Even the boys ask for it every morning instead of cereal. I suppose I should write it down for you, but I'm not sure if I can remember it. Now that I'm a whiz in the kitchen (wink wink) and know my ingredients, it's often just a mix of what we have in the house.

But here goes:

Homemade Granola

• 4 cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 2 cups Quick Oats (this is just to add different textures in the granola)
• 3/4 cup Coconut
• 1/2 cup Chopped walnuts (or sliced almonds)
• 1/4 cup Brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Mix together in a bowl. Then on the stove top melt together

• 1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tbls Butter
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 1/4 cup Jam or Maple Syrup (which ever I have in the house, I've also substituted with orange marmalade or boysenberry syrup)

Once butter is melted, add

• 1Tbls Vanilla or Almond Extract

Combine dry and wet ingredients together till well mixed. Smooth out on two cookie sheets and bake at 300 for 20 minutes, stirring after half way though.

 
 
Linked with January Reflections at The Glorious Impossible