The Fruit of My Fruit Labor

Slowly I've been working through the waiting fruit from last Thursdays picking session. I still have some blueberries that may get frozen or turned into a dessert but I've cooked or canned the bulk of it. Other than the blueberries that have been eaten, which was probably 2 pounds of blueberries. They're like nature's candy. Yum.


There are three batches of jam so far... nectarine, nectarine and raspberry, and blueberry.


This nectarine and raspberry jam came out oh so good. There are only five jars so I'm saving them for a special occasion or the dead of winter when I need a taste of summer.


This morning I made a blackberry cobbler before the heat of the day. My kitchen is the hottest room in the house without cooking and like a sauna on a summer day if I bake something. There was too much berry sauce compared to the topping so the extra sauce is in the freezer waiting for another day.


This is what I had for breakfast. Shhh. Don't tell anyone.


And zucchini isn't technically a fruit and it wasn't technically my labor but I made cheddar and zucchini biscuits with our CSA zucchini. I'll serve them with dinner tonight.

Fruits and Vegetables

My new passion is our menu. I'm trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods into the family's diet. This is something that I was conscious of and concerned about when my babies were actually babies but over the past few years I've slacked off and have gotten lazy about the foods that we eat.

We didn't eat junk every day, I almost always used whole wheat bread, and rarely had chips in the house but Josh was consuming very few fruits or vegetables, crackers were a staple and if I didn't feel like cooking we'd get takeout. I wanted to improve our diet.

It was something that had been sitting in the back of my head but I didn't really take action until I stumbled upon The NDD Book (nutrition deficit disorder) at Barnes and Noble one day. After browsing the book, I bought it and brought it home. I'd read books by Dr. William Sears when the kids were young and I agree with his philosophies on parenting and child discipline. Although my children haven't been diagnosed with any "Ds" (disorders), I feel what they eat is one of the most important links to their behavior and learning ability. I've enjoyed reading the book and although I'm not completely through it yet, I've learned more about good foods and bad ingredients and I have started employing some of it's ideas.


photo by Carley
In order to get more fruits and vegetables into my kids I've put "grow food" bowls in two easy-access places around the house.


photo by Carley
One bowl is in the living room so while watching TV anyone can just grab a bag of raw nuts or a nectarine to nibble on instead of looking for crackers.

I took the kids berry picking up at Apple Hill this week. Even though they both told me before we went that they hate blueberries, they came home loving them.


I wanted to get them involved in literally picking their food.


They were such great pickers too.


We came out with almost 6 pounds of blueberries.


I plan to make jam with most of it and probably a homemade blueberry cobbler or turnovers. Yum.


It wasn't completely free labor. I bought my pickers fudgesicles because they did such a great job. It's not exactly "green light" food but they need treats occasionally.


We stopped by another farm and picked blackberries and raspberries.


This was his bucket holder. Until we needed that one too.


It was hot and the kids had been picked out so we didn't get as much. Enough for a blackberry pie though. Yum.

This week we joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) farm and pick up weekly boxes of fresh picked organic fruits and vegetables at a location not too far from our house. Our farm is Terra Firma Farm.

We picked up our first box yesterday. It was so exciting to open the box and see what we got. The kids were excited about it too.


This is what came in our box except maybe four apricots, which only made it home in our bellies.

And this is what I'm doing with our food.
Basil - making pesto tonight. It's one of Josh's favorite foods.
Summer squash - some of it was worked into a burrito last night. I'll make zucchini biscuits with the rest.
Red onions - salads, sandwiches, cooking.
Watermelon - the kids will eat this in one day. Maybe this weekend since it's HOT outside.
Peaches and apricots - into our "grow food" bowls.
Green beans - probably will sautee with some sesame seeds.
Sweet corn - served along side burritos last night.
Tomatoes - one was used in burritos and salad last night. The other two will probably be eaten plain by me. (I'm still waiting for my tomatoes to turn red!)
Carrots - not sure, maybe just sliced for snacks.
This isn't enough to last us a week but I'll supplement with items from the grocery store.

I can't wait until next week to see what's new in the box.

Fun in the Dark

While camping, Josh and I played with the slow shutter speed on the camera and a flashlight after dark. Here is some of the fun we got.


Josh did figure eights but he moved the flashlight back at the curves. It created this.


I tried to write 'Nicole'.




Peace!


Then we moved into trying to get a picture of the face lit by the flashlight.




This was my favorite.

Josh and I really had fun trying different things with the camera and flashlight.

Summer Fun

The kids have been out of school for just over two weeks now. We try to get out of the house every day, even if it's just a trip to the gym. Here are just a couple things that have been going on.

Last week, my friend, Christy, took the week off. She and her son hung with us for a picnic at the playground and then a couple hours of $1 bowling.

(Sorry Christy, it's not the best picture of us but all I got.)







After two years of not finishing our kitchen project, there was more progress made. Walt installed the new pulls on the cabinet doors. Soon he'll do it on the drawers too. (Right honey?)



Father's Day was a nice, mellow day at home. Carley insisted on making her daddy brownies from her favorite cookbook. She sure enjoyed licking the bowl clean.



We splurged and bought a small insta-pool. Even though it was not yet full, Carley got in to enjoy it. Hopefully it will provide hours of outdoor fun for the kids.

Fathers Day

I love this man. I'm proud he is the father of my children.




















Happy Fathers Day, Walt. Thanks for being a great dad.

Subway Cave

While at the Burney Falls campground, I saw a posting about Subway Cave located in Lassen National Forrest. The camp host said it was only about 20 miles south of where we were so we decided to take a different route home on Sunday in order stop for a self-tour.

Subway Cave is a lava tube, a channel where lava travelled underground that is now hollow. It was facinating.


Carley when we first arrived in the area.


This is Carley moments later, crying because she wanted the flashlight that Josh already had.

Most people think Carley is the sweetest, easiest girl ever and she is. Usually. Sometimes she melts down. I had to share another crying fit so all you out there who think she's perfect can see a different side of her.


This is the entrance to the tunnel. It looks like it was a caved in area of the lava tube and a staircase was built on it to access the tunnel. On the other side of this pile of rock is more of the lava tube that isn't accessable to the public. Walt really wanted to check it out but we had to set a good example for the kids.


Just heading in. We had two flashlights. It was so dark. While inside and not being able to see the entrance or exit, we turned off the flashlights for a minute. We couldn't see a thing.


This is with a flash. You can get a sense of what the walls looked like. We couldn't even see that while inside. Maybe just a little when the flashlight was pointed straight at it. This is the corner of the Sanctum Room. It's really hard, even with flashlights, to see where there is a dead end or where the tunnel continued.


Heads in the darkness.


Coming around a corner, we could see where we came in at. Other than leaving the exit, we turned around and walked back to the entrance. It wasn't a very long tunnel and we wanted to enjoy it more before leaving.


Me and the kids sitting on the entrance steps.


This is a map of Subway Cave, like looking down at the tunnel. They were placed at the listed sections inside as well so visitors could see what area they were in.

Burney Falls and More

What can I say? I just had a fabulous weekend with my family.

The drive was fine. The kids loved the games I brought. Carley decided to make up some scavenger hunts of her own too.

It was nearly 10 o'clock when we got to the cabin. How great to quickly unload and get the kids in bed without having to set up a tent first. The cabin was a single, small room with one bunk bed. The kids slept there while Walt and I slept on matresses on the floor. There was no electricity but it did have a gas heater which we never needed to use.

After the kids were asleep, Walt and I sat out on the porch under the stars and watched lightning light up the horizon. Best we can figure is the storm was miles away and we could see the light but not clouds. How odd. I've never seen lightning under a clear sky before.


Saturday we woke to rain. Not hard rain but enough to wet everything. It was great to sit on the porch and not get soaked.


We had breakfast and hot cocoa or coffee while watching the rain.


Then took a walk to check out the falls.


Burney Falls are so beautiful! And wide!


It was peaceful and quiet other than the loud roar of the falls. There weren't many people out on the rainy morning.

Before noon, my brother and nephew showed up to hang out with us for the day. They live about 90 minutes from where we were.


We walked down to the falls again and followed the Falls Loop trail.


In the afternoon when the sun was out, there were lots of people at the falls. Here is perspective of how big the falls are. Look at the little people in the left corner.


After having lunch back at camp, we walked a different trail, Pioneer Cemetary trail, down to the lake. Carley was upset that Leyton was getting a piggyback ride and she wasn't. *I photoshopped this one to look like a fisheye lens. It doesn't really.*


Walt gave her a ride. That's what dads are for, right?


The kids swam although the water was cold.


Really cold until they got used to it.


But it was beautiful. *I spy Walt fishing.*


The men fished.


Walt caught and released one. Maybe his luck is turning.


Back at camp, we had dinner cooked in the campfire and of course we had s'mores for dessert. Barry and Leyton left after dinner. Carley went to bed at dark. Walt, Josh and I stayed up to watch the stars.


There was no rain Sunday morning. Walt and the kids slept in until 8. I was up early, back at the falls taking more pictures.


This is my favorite section of the falls. It was so vibrant. So colorful.


After a morning campfire and breakfast, we loaded up and hit the road. We took a different route home and went to a cave.

But this post is long enough. Come back tomorrow and I'll show you Subway Cave.