What a Difference Three Weeks Makes!

I have recently posted a couple of garden related antic-dotes at Eat Right Racine and A Sustainable Life, I realized suddenly that I hadn't done much garden talk here.  Our very cool start to summer finally gave way to a sustained warmth that this week will turn into a potentially record breaking heat wave.  We have been incredibly dry which forced us to prioritize getting our irrigation set in the garden.  We laid drip line throughout the garden and berry patches which has cut down our need to hand water substantially.

It is amazing to me the progress the garden has made in a few short weeks.  The above picture was taken when we got back from California around the 23rd of June.  The photo below was taken yesterday!

Our second farm bags went out this week and we are definitely continuing to ramp up.  We distributed arugula, baby bok choi, a few squash, swiss chard, green onions, sugar snap peas, radishes, and a small jar of our chive vinegar.  We have a bumper crop of lettuce, and this is fair warning that greens will be abundant this week.  We can see the sliver of baby beans beginning and we should have beans coming out of our ears within the next ten days.  And squash, well let's say B came in this morning with the below group that wasn't out there when we went to bed last night!

We are starting to also see the berries take shape.  We picked gooseberries and red currants yesterday and are going to tackle the wild blackberries today.  Thanks to Julochka, my new favorite past time is cordial making.  We made our first attempt last week with mulberries, and processed red currants yesterday.  We tend to drink no soda in our family, but the kids have had quite a treat with the cordials.  They make the most amazing fresh homemade sodas when added to sparkling water, and nothing tastes more like summer!

**I know, I know, this is Silent Sunday.   After the day in the garden yesterday, I just didn't have the energy to get these thoughts together when I sat down last night.  So, Happy Sunday to you! ;-)

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful:

:: for warm summer days full of activity

::  large fragrant bunches of lavender

::  for learning something new each day

::  my little girl, snuggled up, fast asleep on a lazy summer day post slumber party

:: my little man, sitting on the porch taking apart the spent fireworks to figure it all out

What are you thankful for this week?  If you don't blog, leave your thoughts as a reply here or a comment on my facebook wall.  Thanks to Miss Buckle for this weekly post!

One Enchanted Evening

Our fourth annual chili cook-off was yesterday and oh what a day!  We had a great crowd of friends, new and old, this year and and a pretty good one to one ratio adults to kids (37 adults/34 kids)!  The day was steaming hot, so perfect weather for a gastronomical competition, plenty of games for kids and adults alike, and lots of cold beer flowing (for the adults of course)! 

The evening ended with glow sticks, a few fireworks and several children turning into pumpkins~ ah as any party should end, with tired rosy cheeked kids.  :)  Hopefully sweet dreams all around!  To illustrate just how jam packed the evening was....I didn't take a single picture!  Sheesh, not a shot, nothing, zip, zero, zilch!  In fact the above photo is of one of the centerpieces I had placed around, and I took that shot this morning!!

In case you were wondering, all of the entries were fantastic.  This years chili winner was an amazing buffalo chicken chili, and our secondary pie contest was taken by a key lime meringue that was to die for!

Thanks to all of the participants and great friends who came out to celebrate a wonderful warm summer night, on this fourth of July weekend.  It was one enchanted evening!