A Moby, a Stroller, a Garden, and a Mama

Whoa, 2 posts in 2 days...I'm obviously on a roll! Just returned from the farm and the baby is sleeping peacefully out in the car. Yes, I have decided that it is perfectly acceptable to leave my little babe in the comfort of the car because she ALWAYS wakes up when I try to bring her in. But be not afraid, I check on her constantly and make sure the temp of the car is Goldilocks perfect. And when I say a lot I mean it...shoot I have checked on her 3 times while writing this paragraph;-)

Anyhoo...this are really heating up out at the farm. Framing inspections are being done Monday and then full steam ahead with sheetrock. The blueberries are all in bloom and weeds are beginning to infiltrate the garden. Because I was pregnant...and hot...and lazy last year I basically grew 3 tomatoes and a bunch of lovely weeds. I am not paying for this. I have approximately 300,657 hours of work to accomplish in order to be able to plant and about 3 weeks to get it all done. No biggie;-) But the super stellar news is that we have picked our first asparagus spears of the year! And they will be soup tonight. We have come to realize that both Jon and I love asparagus. And did you know that it will grow without much help for 20 plus years!!!! Providing you with lovely green veg early early in the spring.

So, I decided that we made the asparagus bed much much too small and decided to plant more crowns today. And so came the conundrum of new motherhood. "Where does baby go when mommy needs to work?"

I pulled out the Moby first, a wrap that allows me to wear Katelyn securely on my chest. (And yes the proper term is "wear" its called "babywearing" its a big trend...all the cool kids are doing it) However, bending over with said baby on said chest is laborious and felt dangerous and uncomfortable to her.

I then got out the car seat stroller combo thingy and wheeled it through the bumpy treacherous garden...are you getting a visual? She proceeded to scream when placed in said stroller. Even when given loud music playing toy...and soft teething toy...and homemade bunny toy. GRRRR...

So my big lesson for today? Mama is the best baby "holder thingy" Which is fine with me because I love holding me some baby Katelyn...just not when I need to plant asparagus.

So I did what any good mom in my situation would do, I fed her, put her in her carseat, drove 5 min away from the farm so she would fall asleep, turned around, and finished my garden chores:-0

Like a boss!

Hola!

Whole Wheat Goodness

Thursdays are my Mommy's Bible study morning and today I was reminded that "yes I do in fact have a blog" and maybe I should post more consistently, or at least more than once every few months:-) So, when the little lady fell asleep before I even left the driveway of our lovely Bible study host I decided that God was allowing my some free time and I should take advantage of it by posting the recipe I adapted for some really scrumptious muffins this morning.

I am working to empty our freezer of last years stores so that I can begin to fill it up with all the yummy produce and fresh fish we will be soon getting out of the garden and Atlantic Ocean:-) As such, I am plowing though frozen blackberries and blueberries. I wanted to make a baked good incorporating one of these for the girls today and decided on blueberry muffins, because really who doesn't love a good blueberry muffin? Well, I also realized that I did not have white flour only whole wheat. So I did a quick search for whole wheat muffins and came up with this.

Unfortunately I also didn't have milk but I did have yogurt, basically the same thing right?! I also had a jar of homemade applesauce from Jon's grandma so I was on my way. Of course, I didn't want to use veggie oil and I wanted to add a few oats but I mean a recipe is a suggestion right?

So a few substitutions and 20 min later I had lovely moist muffins that were healthy and perfect for discussing Easter and parenting on a Thursday morning...not to say you can't have these on a Saturday...or at night...discussing the weather...or not even talking at all...or by yourself.

Hmmmm....feel free to make or not make this at anytime to

eat anywhere with anyone.

;-)

Whole Wheat Blueberry (Applesauce and Oat) Muffins

1 1/2 C Whole Wheat Flour

3/4 C Sugar

1/2 t Salt

2 t Baking powder

1/3 C Butter

1 Egg

1/3 C Yogurt

1/2 C Applesauce

1 C Frozen but thawed blueberries (preferably ones you have bought in July from Antlered Acres and frozen for use all year round...just sayin;-)

Pre-heat oven to 400 and grease your muffin tin or use cute little paper cups like I did.

Mix flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder in large bowl. Mix egg, yogurt, applesauce, and soft or melted butter in separate bowl. Mix wet and dry together and

then mix in blueberries gently trying to not break them too much.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full and bake for 20-30 min.

Enjoy!

I don't have a picture of the muffins because I wasn't planning on this post but I do have a picture of this...

And isn't that just as sweet...

The $8 Chicken Challenge

So recently I have been reading a lot of blogs as I am currently doing a lot of feeding the baby...aka sitting around for long periods of time for most of the day;-). Although this time is precious and a nice respite from the previously crazy pre-baby 9+ months preggo and need to get stuff done time I will admit I get a little bored hence, the blogs.

One thing I have been exploring is the concept of real food eating. Basically, eating foods made from scratch from whole food ingredients. Cutting out the processed foods that most of us have come to rely on as food staples. A true "real foodie" makes her own bread, cultured dairy products, tortillas, chicken stock, soups, and all her veggies come from the produce section not cans. The produce is organic and the meat, dairy and eggs are grass fed. Although I have not progressed to making my own sourdough tortillas...or my own sourdough anything as of yet, I do think that this way of eating is much healthier and worth

taking a good look at.

One conversation that seems to come up very often is "can real food be affordable?" We all know that canned foods, frozen foods, and conventionally raised meats and dairy are cheaper than their organic and grass-fed alternatives. However, if you are making a lot of these foods from scratch can you stretch a buck?

All this to say that I challenged myself to see how many meals/products I could make out of an $8 free range, no hormone, but not organic chicken. Sid

e note: The organic chicken was $14 bucks and I felt the

free-range chicken was very good as well.

So here is my chicken ready to be roasted. I put carrots, onions, and mushrooms below it as a side but also to use as roasted veggies though out the week. So 3 hours at 300 degrees and I had a perfectly roasted juicy chicken for dinner.

The next day I took off the rest of the meat, put it in a container in the fridge and made stock in my crockpot with the chicken carcass and some onion skins, carrot skins, celery tops, bay leaves, peppercorns, and garlic cloves. 12 hours later I had 3 quarts of beautiful healthy and tasty chicken stock.

The rest of the breakdown included:

Dinners:

Chicken tacos

Chicken with Salsa rice

Lunch:

Chicken and olive salad in lettuce wraps

Chicken sandwich

So in the end I had 3 dinners, 2 lunches, and 3 quarts of stock for future soups. Not bad for $8!

I think that this real foods things might not only be affordable but frugal. I could have even bought the organic chicken and still felt like I got my moneys worth!

Does absence make the heart grow fonder...or not?

So its been almost an entire year since I have even been on my blog. I found out I was pregnant a few weeks after my last post and was going to wait to post until I was allowed to tell everyone, and then I didn't post...then it got to be awkwardly long since I had posted so I decided not to post, then I got really big and pregnant and busy and forgot to get back to posting...so yeah. Please forgive;-)

Anyways, I now have a beautiful 10 week old little girly named Katelyn, that's Katelyn, not Katie...at least not yet. Mommy wanted a unique name she could have all to herself ( I wonder where that comes from?) and daddy wanted something traditional...so Katelyn it is.

We are also in the midst of building our soon to be dream farm house...complete with wood stove, geothermal heat, 3 porches, and big kitchen for preserving the garden goodies. After many fallouts with the state of NJ and a couple problems with the farm itself we are finally on our way! The foundation is in and currently curing and the framing starts next week. Although last year at this time I was savoring all the snow and posting copious amounts of pictures of the outdoors on my facebook I have to be happy that we are having a mild winter...repeat have to be happy about the no snow winter...blah.

So now that I am a stay at home but not yet my home mom I thought I might get back into this blog thing...I promise to be more committed...at least when little K is sleeping;-) Pics of the build process to follow.

A weekend away in Saratoga Springs

I just spent a wonderful weekend in upstate NY. Now to be fair, I like both winter and snow. I don't mind cold weather and my idea of a great winter weekend has nothing to do with beaches. So, Saratoga Springs in January may not be for everyone but it is an amazing town and would be a blast any time of year.

I arrived right around dinner time on Thursday night and after checking into the Hilton Garden Inn I headed my car toward downtown. The hotel was really in a nice location, just outside of downtown, probably a bit too far to walk but only a 10 minute drive. There were quite a few cute little vintage retro motels in between that I cannot really comment on the quality of but had a nice vibe from the street.

I pulled into some on street parking spot across from a restaurant called "The Wheat Fields." I had looked it up on my gluten free app and it was supposed to have a great gluten free menu. Once, inside I realized it had a great menu, gluten free or not, full of fresh local ingredients. I had a salad and a little pasta puttenesca.

I did not wake up for breakfast the next day but I did have a snack at what became my favorite place, "the Olde Bryan Inn." It was right across the parking lot from the hotel I was attending the conference at. It had the most amazing atmosphere. Old brick and stone interior, with a roaring fireplace, big wooden beams, and a very friendly staff. I ate here three times before the weekend was over! The menu had a mix of basic american comfort foods and nice hearty entrees.

I also found a wonderful breakfast spot a little off the beaten path called "A Country Corner Cafe." I ate here on Saturday morning, so I realize it was busy with both local and tourist traffic but getting a seat here can take a little while. I lucked out and got a booth almost immediately but many others had to wait awhile or left. In the cafe section there are probably only 20 seats but they have a larger space next door that many customers ended up in

. The whole vibe is a kitschy grandmothers kitchen, with lots of eye candy one may have found in the 1960's. I had a breakfast bowl with eggs and veggies but they had a lot of option that sounded great! A PB&J cristo, a interesting take on huevos racheros, and a whole board of specials daily.

I also checked out the local farmers market while there. It was amazing how much produce was available! Mostly root veggies that are obviously being stored in the various farms root cellar, but even among these the choices were astonishing! Purple potatoes, rainbows of carrots, garlic, onions, shallots, and even many choices of greens. There were also great options when it came to meats, cheeses, even some raw milk. The atmosphere was perfect for a cold Saturday morning, very warm and lively inside the middle school gym. They even had a little band playing away!

What I did not realize before I arrived was that Saratoga Springs is known for its mineral springs. As such, its a bit of a spa mecca. There is actually a spa within the State Park called Roosevelt Baths that offers mineral baths, in a private setting or with a group. Obviously the spa also includes all the typical treatments, massages, facials, etc. When I did finally realize this I attempted to get in for a mineral bath but they were booked up. If this is something you would want to try make sure to call ahead and book.

My last recommendation is one final restaurant that was just down the street from Wheat fields called "One Caroline Bistro." I ate here twice for dinner and although I can only vouch for the antipasto platter, which was fantastic, I think the rest of the food would probably measure up to standard. With a menu that also features produce, meats, and cheeses from local farms this little restaurant is small but packs a punch. Located below street level it is a juxtaposition of old and modern. A little jazz group plays in the background every night while you dine. My only tip, don't sit at the bar, where I was regulated as a single. Every time the door opens you get a big rush of bitterly cold air, which takes away from the pleasure of the meal.

I really loved my time in Saratoga Springs and these are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the dining options and entertainment choices. If I was looking for a great little getaway in the next few weeks this would be high on my list!

NOFA-NY Winter Coneference

Whiling away my time while I wait for my next workshop here in Saratoga Springs NY. I am attending the Northeast Organic Farmers Association of New York Winter Conference. Yesterday I took workshops on both growing blueberries and achieving organic certification. I am pleased to say that both were highly entertaining and informational. The plus side of the trip is that it is located in this gorgeous bustling little urban area. Yes, a lot of adjectives to describe Saratoga Springs, but I am taken back by the homey feel that is has coupled with the immense choice of restaurants, shops, and entertainment. It is like the perfect marriage of urban and hometown. I plan to include my best picks for a perfect weekend away in Saratoga Springs in a later posting. For now, I will keep focusing my time on mulching, composting, orcharding, and general farmer merriment.

Life Without Water

Unfortunately, the small leak that the hubs fixed was not the only issue. I woke up Friday morning with frozen pipes again, no idea why at this point. However once I defrosted them there were burst pipes again so I made many desperate calls to local plumbers until someone called me back. Once he got out here he announced that one, my crawl space was small, cramped, and nasty and two, we really needed to re-do the entire plumbing system to fix the issues. Well that's just great. So he wasn't able to get the water running Friday but would be back in the morning.

Saturday morning rolls around and no plumber. It was somewhat of a misunderstanding slash miscommunication. Either way, no water. Of course, I was attempting an organizational feat that day and so I and my very girl scout friend had to use the "outdoor" bathroom. Wink, wink. However, when push came to shove, I thought I would try melting snow to use the indoor toilet. If you have never done this let me tell you, it takes at least 20 minutes to melt enough snow stove top in order to fill that tank!

Sunday came and went without water. Same sad story. Also, just so you know I have been showering regularly in a different location so at least I am fairly clean and smelling nice at this point.

Monday dawns and I have a bit of an issue. The plumber is due very soon and I need to do...well a number 2. I don't have the requisite 20 min to melt snow and I can't leave that in the bowl when the plumber gets there. I race around the house and find a box. I am sad to say that this morning I was forced by the elements to go in a box!

Now it is 6 pm and the water is still not on. Although the pipes have all been replaced and insulated the pump is not working. The thought is that it burned itself out during the great freeze of 2011 and we need a new one.

And so is my life at the moment...both dogs and chickens have water though!