Homemade Lemonade

Wednesday, on Mel’s Kitchen Cafe , Mel published a recipe for Homemade Lemonade .

I read the recipe and also comments.

Commenter Kendra wrote:

This looks wonderful! And this post has me singing. If you are not familiar with Tom Chapin and his song ” Homemade Lemonade” you should give it a listen. Your kids are the perfect ages to enjoy his music!

Hmmm. I loved Harry Chapin’s ballads: Taxi Driver, Cat’s in the Cradle, W.O.L.D. and 10,000 pounds of bananas being my top favorites. Harry Chapin was killed in a car crash in 1981. Was Tom Chapin a relative? Yes, his brother. And Tom does ballads also, including “Homemade Lemonade”.

I found this YouTube video and if you can watch this and not be smiling, laughing, singing the chorus and generally feeling glad to be alive, well…

Warning, though – if you watch, you will likely have the chorus in your head for days. I’m not sure how many as it is still rolling around in my head and it continues to make me smile.

Still – WATCH THIS – you will not be sorry. And watch the entire 4 minutes and 26 seconds! It is classic “Chapin” a story song.

I played this for Bear this evening. Bear got skunked on the after supper walk. It was only 6:30 and sunset is after 9:00 p.m. I think there is a den and probably kits… I have the skunk neutralizer which works pretty well. He’s in the house but a bit upset about the entire ordeal.

I wish he liked lemonade. The song was the best I could do.

Homemade Lemonade, not from concentrate!!!

Lily of the Valley

It is definitely “Lily” of the Valley…

Lots of beautiful foliage, but just one blossom.

But it is a gorgeous blossom: lily of the valley

CSA Week 1: eatin’ green!

I eat omnivore, but in the last several years I eat less meat and meat has become more of a side dish with vegetables and legumes getting top billing … with a few exceptions like CHEESEBURGERS!

I have been looking forward to the local growing season as fresh from the ground vegetables are the absolute best. I eased into things with two Farmer’s Markets before my CSA started.

So, all went very well with Week 1 CSA box.

The arugula looked like it needed to be used quick-like so after a salad on Day 1, I processed the remainder into a pesto which I froze for later use.

A scramble of spinach and some leftover taco mix made for a nice nest for a poached egg!

There were several green smoothies using the kale and/or spinach with lemon and frozen berries and kefir.

Bok Choy.

I roasted Bok Choy (and radish!) several times, dressed with a lemon-Dijon-tahini dressing from Dishing Up the Dirt and then chopped all, combined with some chopped spinach and had a gorgeous and delicious warm salad.

That little cast iron dish went in the oven during preheat. Add the Bok Choy and radish with a drizzle of olive oil to the hot pan and then into the hot oven for a quick char.

Then chop and add to chopped spinach…

… some sliced apple and a bit of shredded chicken made for a great supper!

This morning as pickup for week 2 loomed … I made a spinach/kale/ham/cheese hand pie for breakfast.

A wee bit of kale and 2 radish made it into Mel’s Italian Pasta Salad for lunch.

Early this evening I picked up my week 2 box:

https://instagram.com/p/BUat28nlTSs/

Location, location, location

AKA Attitude and Perspective adjustment!

I use a LOT of paper towels.

In an effort to use less paper towels, I bought flour sack towels (cloth).

About 2 years ago.

I’ve since added more of the flour sack towels and also some “bar” towels.

I’m using less paper towels but I do have to wash (pump water, run washer/dryer) the cloth towels.

I am unsure if the exchange of paper making/landfill space taking is negated by the washing/drying/manufacture of cloth towels.

But I proceed.

And for some time I grumbled about the washing/drying/folding part. Particularly the folding part.

And then!!!

One morning I grabbed the dry cloth towels, dumped them on a clean-ish counter top in front of a window and folded there.

It was an awakening… an ah-ha moment.

Folding towels, and looking out my kitchen window … a kind of blissful time, a restful, peaceful time.

And so, it happens that the task of washing/drying/FOLDING towels becomes something/some time to be looked forward to.

I am sure there is a lesson here.

Maybe, just maybe … those tasks, those things in life … those things that we dislike and/or dread … can be made pleasant … by a change in location or a change in attitude or a change in perspective.

Friday morning

That is actually Thursday evening: my first CSA pickup of 2017! Boc Choy, Kale, Arugula, Spinach, Pea shoots, Radishes.

The spinach is an overwintered variety specifically grown for an early spring harvest. The leaves are huge and the note accompanying my box notes that it is sweet, tender and does not cook down as much as “regular” spinach.

This is Friday morning … an early planning session for how to enjoy those gorgeous vegetables. I browsed my new cookbooks: Six Seasons: a new way with vegetables and
Dishing Up the Dirt

Auggie “assisted” by stealing my chair when I got up to refill my coffee.

Bear waited outside, checking frequently to see if I was EVER coming out to go for a walk.

Friday morning.