I am trying to be okay with limbo, and it is a growing experience for me I think.  I have spent a lot of time reassessing my priorities, how I spend my time and where I want to go from here.  I have found that I am drawn lately to staying close to home and close to family.  I am also dreaming of traveling far and wide- quite the opposites, no?  I feel like right now my drive to “accomplish” to “be seen” to “go somewhere” has diminished and my desire to live in this moment right here, fully embrace the life right in front of me and make the most of it is at the top of my priority list.  I am looking forward to summer on the farm with those I love doing the things I love.  I have spent more time than I normally do in the gardens this spring, staying on top of the planting and the weeding and the maintenance and looking forward to my Dad’s visit a week from today, planning projects to work on with him.  Where I once got excited about “working” on my photography I am now excited about simply documenting our wonderful simple life with my camera.  Life is filled with unexpected and amazing changes, don’t you think?

I thought I would share a bit of what we have been doing this spring.

The hummingbirds have returned and I never tire of seeing them visit the feeder throughout the day.  They seem to visit often while we are eating dinner and I’m sure the boys have already tired of finding me gazing out the window over the dining table during our meal…  I believe our hummingbirds are Rufus hummingbirds and it seems we have three- one male and two females.

{the hive sits in the upper pasture by the blackberries}

We have also added a bee hive to the farm this spring!  Bees are something I have wanted to add for quite some time, but was nervous about not knowing what I was doing, thus killing the bees.  I took the plunge after seeing a few fabulous friends doing it and knowing that I have endless resources if I need help.  I worked with the Beez Neez in Snohomish, WA and honestly they have been absolutely wonderful.  They are so helpful and there whenever I have a question.  I am surprised at how comfortable I am with the girls and how much I love just watching them come and go.

{I waxed the frames before putting them in the hive}

{the girls seem happy here}

{yes, I look a bit silly, but feel much safer- I like my eyes just as they are}

I also want to share a recipe with you- although calling it a recipe really doesn’t seem right, seeing that it was really just a throwing of things I had on-hand into a pot and slow cooking it for the day.  That being said, it was really good and the boys loved it- so that should count for something, right?

The following is what I did- you can alter it to whatever you have on hand.  While I don’t always have fresh tomatoes, I always have canned so those would work as well.

5-6 vine ripened tomatoes, coarsely  chopped

5 cloves of garlic, diced

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup water

1 tsp salt

Put it all in a pot and simmer for the afternoon.

I fire-roasted a yellow and a red pepper on the stove (see this post) and then chopped them up and added them to the tomato mix.

If you want to add meat, which I did:

1 large onion, chopped

1 lb.  ground beef

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp dried basil

1 Tbsp dried thyme

1 tsp garlic salt

salt and pepper

An hour before you want to serve it, brown one chopped onion with 1 lb ground beef.  When the beef is partially cooked, add the spices and mix well.  Finish browning the beef and then add it all to the simmering sauce.

Cook your pasta just before you want to eat, toss it together with your sauce, top with lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve!  We add a salad and a baguette and call it dinner~

As spring arrives in the pacific northwest, so do the strawberries.  We are fortunate to have them all through the summer and one of our favorite meals includes a spinach and strawberry salad.  I’m pretty sure we have this salad once a week, and almost always when entertaining guests for lunch or dinner in the summer.  It is easy and so delicious- all five of my men love it~  As with many of our salads, we like to add chevre if we have it.

strawberry & spinach salad

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 c. oil

1/4 c. white vinegar

2 TBSP sesame seeds

2 TBSP poppy seeds

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp minced onion

enough spinach and strawberries for you and your guests

(this dressing makes enough for two nights of salad in our house- with six people.  I occasionally half it if I’m only making one big salad but it can be easily stored in the refrigerator)

Mix dressing and toss with spinach and strawberries.

This week on the farm I am feeling like I have died and gone to heaven. It truly is spectacular- the weather is absolutely stunning! The gardens are beginning to really bloom and it smells amazing all day long.  I have been planting seeds (lima beans for the first time, peas, beans, radishes, tomatoes) and filling pots and barrels with color. I have added three new clematises- two different varieties and I am crossing everything that they are happy and thrive (because my track record in this arena is not a winning one…). There are buds everywhere- on the climbing rose on the chicken coop, the espalier asian pear tree, the grape vines and the peonies. Meanwhile the lilacs are in FULL BLOOM- and they are my very favorite spring flower. They are GORGEOUS this year and I am loving cutting baskets full and bringing them indoors. They have grown so much since last year and are filled with huge bunches of flowers.  We have a number of different varieties and I love each and every one.  The herb garden is coming along nicely with all of the older plants and new editions. I grow oregano, chives, thyme, mint, french tarragon, parsley, cilantro, rosemary and strawberries in the herb garden, as well as poppies, peonies, fairy roses and cosmos. That is one garden that really shines in the summertime. I have been pruning things that tend to get unruly this time of year and weeding in an attempt (most likely futile) to stay on top of the barrage of weeds that tend to be present come July.

One thing that I have been doing more of lately is stopping (even when I don’t want to) to sit in the gardens and enjoy something to eat and/or drink. I tend to eat lunch outdoors and I have been making sun tea to enjoy while I am outside as well. I have also been playing with simple syrups and right now I am absolutely loving rhubarb syrup! The rhubarb is still doing really well and I want to take advantage of it while it is here.

I would like to say that the one downfall to this glorious weather and productivity in the gardens is that I feel like I am completely and utterly neglecting those that I love but tend to communicate with online. I simply don’t spend much time at all on the computer, thus find that days go by before I realize I have talked to NO ONE outside of my family. I honestly feel badly about this and hope and pray that those dear friends whom I have not talked to for far too long will forgive me in my absence. I am secretly hoping they are as busy as I have been and haven’t even noticed!

Happy week mes amies.
x

Sometimes you need to be spontaneous.  You need to jump on a plane bound for people who have known you for your entire life.  You need to rent a car and drive down country roads with the windows rolled down, music playing, warm spring air on your skin.  There is something magical about starting each morning with a cup of coffee on the front porch as the sun rises and warms your face.  Time in the country replenishes your soul.

This past weekend I was blessed to be surrounded by family that I grew up with.  We spent time together, we ate wonderful food, we caught up for the past 25 years.  I loved on old family, met new family whom I adored, and felt like a part of a family.  I spent time with one of the most important and influential men in my life, a man who was a huge part of my childhood.  He took me to all of the places that I love most- old historic cemeteries, farms that have been in the family for years and years, complete with the most amazing outbuildings and very old farms that have been more recently acquired.  Beautiful old buildings, weathered barns, and fabulous old chicken coops.  It was wonderful.  Hours and hours of wonderful.

Those three days gave me something that I didn’t even know I needed.  It reminded me how life can be uncomplicated and leisurely.  It reminded me that gathering with those you love can be as easy as a few phone calls and a pot luck of really great food.  Perfect is so overrated.  Stressing about everything being “just so” takes so much more energy than looking at the people right in front of you and loving every moment with them.

I am grateful for a husband who supports my need for times like this.  I hope that when I return home to my family I am a better person, a calmer person, a happier person.

Not long ago I reconnected with a friend from high school.  Facebook has a way of making that happen.  It just so happens that this friend is incredibly talented and makes THE. BEST. SIGNS.  ever.  Our arrived yesterday and I can’t begin to tell you how much I love it.  Now only do I love the look and feel of it, but I adore what it says.  It really does define how life is lived here on the farm.

If you have a saying that you love and want to display in your own home, visit Janie at her shop- blue eyed girl.

x

https://tiggygrace.bigcartel.com

I must admit, risotto is one of my very favorite things to make.  I love that it is a slow process.  I love that there is wine and homemade chicken stock involved.  I love that the risotto itself is like a blank canvas and that pretty much anything goes once you have arborio rice, wine and stock.  No matter the season, the day of the week or the state of the refrigerator, there is always something in the house that will go into risotto.

Today I had one of my easy, multiple use and oh so tasty favorites on hand- a rotisserie chicken from the grocery.  Almost every grocery store offers them and they are so incredibly tender and juicy.  I have at least half a dozen quick and easy options for meals using a rotisserie chicken and risotto is definitely one of them. Tonight, seeing as #2 is in Mexico for spring break, I gave each of the littles a leg and used the breast meat for the risotto.  It left me the rest of the chicken for another meal in the next day or so.  (most likely a salad with chicken for lunch tomorrow or Saturday)

If you haven’t made risotto I suggest you give it a try.  It is the perfect comfort food, you can add summer vegetables soon and it works as a side dish or main course.  I’m also guessing it’s gluten-free! (but make sure to verify that rather than taking my word for it…)

Risotto- the base recipe

4 cups stock- chicken or vegetable

1/4 cup butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 shallots or 1 small onion finely chopped

1 1/2 cups arborio rice  (you can use other risotto rice such as carnaroli, vialone nano, baldo or Calriso)

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup grated parmesan cheese (I also use pecorino)

sea salt and pepper

Heat the broth in a sauce pan and then keep it at a simmer.

Heat the butter and oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the shallots or onion and cook until softened. Add the rice and stir with a  wooden spoon until the grains of rice are coated.  Pour in the wine and stir until it has been absorbed. Add one ladle of stock at a time, stirring until the stock has been absorbed.  Continue to add the stock one ladle at a time, stirring continually.  You may not use all of your stock as you want the rice to be firm (al dente) but creamy.

Once the rice is done, stir in your cheese.  Voila!  Risotto.

As far as adding vegetables is concerned, you can add things like peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, fresh peas, roasted root vegetables, spinach, kale, tomatoes, leeks, etc…  My very favorite book- my go-to idea source is a little book called “risotto: 30 simply delicious vegetarian recipes from an Italian kitchen” by Ursula Ferrigno.  I love all of the ideas and inspiration in it.  You can find it here.

Now, on my list of things to try…

~friends RAVE about fava beans, and this recipe looks like the perfect first try!

~it’s rhubarb season and this sponge would be divine under a rhubarb compote!

~speaking of rhubarb (and I think I will be speaking about it a lot in the coming weeks) I am looking forward to trying these this weekend.  Even the photo has my mouth watering!

~this looks like the absolutely perfect spring salad, don’t you think?

Have a wonderful weekend mes amies!

x

It is the only camera I took with me when spending three magical days with four amazing girls in the California sunshine~

{oh how this city captures my heart and imagination}

 {this gorgeous girlfriend greeted us with blood orange mimosas upon arrival}

The images from the gardens make me love our little farm on the hill even more~

And capturing moments in our home in a way that brings me back to my own childhood~

{the light leak makes this photo even more dreamy}

I would like to say that with spring upon us all sorts of things are getting done on the farm.  Oh, you have no idea how much I would like to say that…  However, with how wet it has been (read: frequent torrential downpours) it is difficult to get much done.  And there is a LOT to get done.  The weeds are winning the war, seeds should be in the ground, as should the beginning of the privacy hedge I want to add.  Mabel needs a clean out and air out, benches need painting, not to mention the chicken coop and playhouse.  Thank goodness my dad is coming next month and he pretty much rocks the to-do list.  (can I get a round of applause for daddy?  I’m pretty sure he is SO excited to come out!)

I have gotten a few things done in between cloud bursts- a bit of tidying up, a bit of herb planting, and at least the peas and kale are in the ground.  While out there I have noticed signs that while it may not feel like spring, it is definitely coming.  The rhubarb is nearly ready to be used, the espalier pear tree is completely filled with blooms and the earliest flowers are making an appearance.  We have a gorgeous evergreen clematis that smells divine and fills one of the pasture fences with white this time of year.  The peonies are up and bigger than ever this year, promising some beautiful flowers in the next few months.  As they are one of my very favorite flowers I always get excited to see their red stems coming out of the ground.

Yesterday was one of those dark wet days that normally cause me to sigh when opening the windows in the morning.  However yesterday it felt appropriate.  M. Louis was admitted to the animal hospital two nights ago with an intestinal obstruction.  He hadn’t been feeling well for the past week and had definitely lost his spunk these past few days.  He took a notable turn two days ago and I felt that worry that a mama feels when her intuition knows something isn’t right.  So yesterday they did surgery on him to remove the blockage, which turned out to be a dog toy that he had swallowed.  Poor little buggy.  He is still at the hospital enjoying his morphine drip and they are keeping a close eye on him.  We are hoping that he may come home tonight and I have a feeling there is going to be a pretty spoiled little French Bulldog in this house.  (and when I say little- I mean LITTLE! he lost a fair bit of weight and he was only 17 lbs to begin with)

So, with the cool weather I decided that chili sounded right.  I didn’t have any peppers but always keep canned tomatoes and tomato paste as well as dry beans on hand, so I simply grabbed some ground beef, onions and garlic as well as some spices and chili it was!  Topped with a dollop of greek yogurt (or sour cream) and you are golden~

Chili

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 lb ground beef (I use low fat content so I don’t have to drain it)

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

I large can of diced tomatoes

1 small can of fire roasted tomatoes

1 really small can of tomato paste

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa

3 cups kidney beans

In a soup pot saute onions and olive oil over medium high heat.  When the onions are slightly translucent add ground beef and brown.  When it is nearly brown add garlic, chili powder and red pepper flakes.  Finish browning the beef, stirring occasionally.  Once beef is completely browned add the three cans of tomatoes and mix well, reducing the heat to medium.  Add cocoa powder and cook for about five minutes, stirring to completely incorporate cocoa.  Add beans- I use dry and soak them the night before, then cook them the morning I plan to make chili.  Canned work just fine as well.

Simmer chili for at least an hour on low heat.  Serve with a dollop of greek yogurt or sour cream.  Also divine with corn bread~