the usual & the unusual

i have been enjoying both.

:: the usual ::

{snake necklaces, fur shoes, spontaneous craziness}

:: the unusual ::

{children and ducks peacefully napping, hither & yon}

 {while granola bars bake in the oven}

♥

:: duck update :: field trip #1 ::

yesterday, we took rosa

on a field trip to the duck pond

she can't yet fly, 

so it's too soon to release her,

but i knew she would stay at our heels

and follow us when it was time to go home.

she is an "only duck" and has never

even seen other ducks before.

i think we will do this several times more

before she's ready to stay at the pond.

we have been seeing pip every day,

and she was there to meet rosa.

thank you, mary & matthew,

for helping us with this.

♥

earthly delights :: csa bounty :: week 8

our share this week

reine de glaces lettuce head

lettuce mix

☼magic garlic☼

{makes your dreams come true}

bulls blood beets

kale/collard green bouquet 

basil

chives

superschmeltz kohlrabi

lovage

{tastes like very strong celery}

patty pan squash

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

our salad greens with lovage

beets with garlic sauce

recipe from our csa newsletter

1. boil beets until tender

2. boil one potato until tender

3. in food processor, combine cooked potato with

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup red wine vinegar {i used balsamic}

2 - 4 cloves garlic

salt & pepper

pinch of crushed red pepper

4. cut the beets into wedges & top with sauce

♥

happy birthday, mom!

♥ happy birthday, mom ♥

we love you.

♥

:: t-shirt bracelets & flip flops ::

we made this super fun & easy craft

at marian's party last night.

we started with old navy bangles
{from the clearance bin - $1.50 each},

{i removed the denim}

old navy flip flops {$2.50 a pair},

{the girls picked their color when they arrived}

and colorful thrifted t-shirts

cut into 1" strips.

here's how:
to begin, tie a knot

{leaving a tail long enough to tie the other end}

then wrap tightly around the bangle
or flip flop strap.
continue until covered,
then tie the ends together.
{do your best to hide the knot}

the girls loved doing this project,
and they loved the end result.

thanks to camilla
at family chic for this idea.


♥

happy birthday, marian!

she is 12 today

she wanted s'mores brownies

{in lieu of cake}

~s'mores brownies~

{we invented them!}

quick & easy recipe:

make your favorite brownies & allow to cool.

top with marshmallows & broil until golden.

add chocolate & graham crackers

to toasty marshmallows just before serving.

serve with vanilla ice cream.

yum.

pink sparkly toms

elephant tshirt

~happy girl~

we have a house full of girls tonight.

i'll post our fun craft tomorrow.

happy birthday, marian!

i love you so much.

♥

:: vitality :: healthy sodas ::

a change i've made recently

is switching our occasional sodas

to a homemade healthy version.

we are drinking vanilla sodas

made with pellegrino 
and vanilla-flavored liquid stevia.

{sometimes with a splash of cream for vanilla cream sodas}

just a tiny bit of the liquid stevia flavors an entire glass.

this is what we're drinking
with popcorn for movie night.
this was an easy trade,
and everyone is happy about it.


note: the stevia is from the supplement section of my co-op.
it costs around $8.00, and lasts a very long time
as you only need a small amount.


♥