This Is What Summer Looks Like To Me

Onions and eggplant ready to be frozen (eggplant is not local), cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes ready to be eaten (grapes are not local), and green beans snapped and ready to be cooked.

Not to mention the delicious foods in my refrigerator ready to be consumed - zucchini and squash from my parents' garden, local tomatoes, cucumbers, peaches, plums, blackberries and corn!?!? 

My stomach loves summer.

Local Produce

Oh yum! Just picked up my box from Farm 2 Table and it had all kinds of yummy goodies in it! This week we got carrots, potatoes, sweet corn, sweet potatoes, squash, zucchini, peaches, tomatoes, and blackberries!! Oh I am in produce heaven!

I haven't blogged much about our food co-op experience this year but I am still loving it! The only thing we had just way too much of was cabbage. There are only so many ways you can make cabbage taste good (or disguise the taste), in my opinion. Hunter is eating so many new foods now that these are great for him to cut his teeth on, so to speak! I love that we're all getting fresh, local produce. There are always going to be some things I have to supplement (apples, bananas, bell peppers) that we use constantly but this is such a good thing for us. Can't wait to dig in later!

Lots of Miscellaneous

I never blogged about getting my hair chopped off. It's not really a fascinating topic, but I have these pictures on my camera so I figured I may as well post them. I've been wanting to get my hair cut for forever - I hadn't had it cut since I found out I was pregnant with Brianna... August 2008 people!! It just seemed like if I had someone that could babysit Brianna I shouldn't waste the time getting my hair cut, I should be working or getting things done around the house. And there just never seemed to be a good time to take her with me. Hence, my hair was very long and stringy, and always in my way.

Finally, Jennifer came to my rescue. She told me about this great stylist, Jada, who was working from home because she was so close to having her baby. She said that it worked out great because Claire could just play around Jada's house while Jenn was getting her hair cut. So we worked out a time that we could both get our hair cut at the same time, plus the babies were entertained, plus we could go to Chick Fil-A afterward. So, win-win-win situation!!


Brianna is so happy to be in that picture with me. Actually I was going to post this one but I look like a goofball:


Well now I've posted it so it doesn't matter anyway. That was the day we were getting ready to go to the lake with Jenn & Claire, Nana, and Grace, Elizabeth and Amelia. That was a great day!

For the Fourth of July, we had family in town. This is Brianna gnawing on Oma's leg. It tickled Oma which made Brianna laugh very hard!!



We played a game called Apples to Apples (we are always playing some new board game around here!!) and Bri didn't want to be left out. Her card-loving days started at Grandpa and Grandma's house and now she loves to play with cards wherever she goes!


After a rousing card game, Brianna's uncle Josh thought it would be a good idea to sit her on the coffee table to read a good book. I thought it would be a good idea to take a picture before removing her.


Every year we go to Stephen's grandma's for Fourth of July fireworks. I actually dressed Bri for the holiday since I saw this dress in her closet and realized she'd never worn it and probably will never wear it again... These are her favorite magnets at Grandma Betty's house!! I believe Kathy got them for her.


And at the end of a long day, sometimes you just want to sit down and read a good book...


And then when Daddy gets home, you just want to play with him... even if he doesn't play back!

Determined to wake him up!!

And last but not least, here is our yummy produce from this week! I exchanged the lettuce for more tomatoes because we still have lettuce from our last box.


Squash, green pepper, 3 lbs of potatoes, tomatoes, peaches, okra, blueberries, and corn. Yummy!!

Sandhills Farm 2 Table

I have mentioned before that we joined a local food co-op for the first time this year - Sandhills Farm 2 Table. Overall I have been so happy with it. Not only are we privy to a large variety of beautiful, local fruits and vegetables...



But we also have opportunities to buy in bulk! For the last three weeks, Billy Carter Farms (a local farm) has offered 25 lb cases of tomatoes for $11 - $0.44/lb!


One week mom and I split a case, and the next week I purchased a case for a friend. This week it is being offered once again and I think I'm going to do it again even if mom doesn't want to split it with me this time. Tomatoes are not Stephen's favorite food, but I use them all the time in soups and sauces for myself and when cooking for mom and dad, so I want to stock up while I can! Plus, there is always the other advantage of being a member of the co-op...


Canning classes!! Just for being a co-op member I was able to take advantage of a canning class last Saturday at the Agriculture building in Carthage. I had to bring my own tomatoes and $5 to cover "materials". For that $5 I was able to use someone else's kitchen, someone else's equipment, know that I was canning correctly (I never realized how many things can go wrong when you are canning!!), I didn't even have to clean up (but I did offer, mom), and I spent four glorious hours out of the house with six other women who were so much fun! It was actually only supposed to be two hours but there was a glitch with one of the stoves and it took a little extra time. Trust me, I was not complaining. I came home with two beautiful quarts of tomatoes that will last in my pantry for approximately one year.

We spent the whole time laughing and exchanging recipes. I felt really at home with these women, and I loved showing my "granola" side when we shared stories. One woman shared with me how she gets her children (5, 4 and 2) to try new foods, and I shared with her how I switched out the cookies in our church nursery for banana bread (whole-wheat banana bread, no less!) and the kids ate the entire container in one night! I told everyone how easy it is to make peach-applesauce (we tend to get a lot of peaches through the co-op) and one woman actually brought fresh banana bread straight from the oven to class! She used whole-wheat flour as well and advised me on how to use the whole-wheat flour and still have incredibly moist bread.

The co-op offers other classes such as jam-making and things like that. I didn't do those classes because I already make jam, but this was so much fun it makes me think I should do every other class offered, just because!

Check out the website, because they are taking subscriptions for fall boxes. We are not going to do a fall box simply because we would not get our money's worth out of it because of the food selection, but it may work great for you. If you don't sign up for the fall produce, check back in the summer. I will definitely be signing up once again and you should too!!