Michigan's Summer

One of the perks about living in Ohio, as opposed to California, or New Zealand, is that we are finally living somewhat closer to family. Still a long drive, but we can leave Columbus at noon, and get to Western Michigan for dinner. That is very close for our record.



Another perk about having family in Michigan is that we now have access to a large body of water, a constant in my life since I was born. Ohio can be beautiful, it's true, but the lack of water in central Ohio is palpable. And during a heatwave like the one we just had, the palpability was not the least appreciated.



Also, Michigan (like Maine - another place we had called home) has the ideal soil for blueberries! We are lucky to know some friends who had revived a blueberry farm, now tending it organically. We went there last year to store up berries for the winter. It was a success: 20 lbs of organic blueberries were enjoyed from summer to summer.



If we lived closer, we would be going up to Michigan more often. Maybe even spending most of our weekends on the shore of the Great Lake. Instead, we have made it up twice, both times blessed with perfect weather while Ohioans tolerated the muggy hot days in the flat plains.



Perhaps we will get another chance to play in those waves again before fall sets in... But already, our memories of this summer by the lake, on the farm, in the fields, and with family, will linger the same way that the 20 lbs of blueberries sustained us for the year.



When winter comes, on the other hand, we enjoy staying put further south of Michigan. They get the more severe winters, more snow, and frigid temperatures. Yup, nothing and nowhere is perfect. But Michigan in the summer sure is a sweet spot to behold.

Backyard Farm Update July 16

The garden is in full force now. There are enough chores to do that before we knew it, it was time for a late breakfast.



The kids asked if they could have a 'big breakfast', in their case it usually means eggs, home fries, toasts, and sometimes bacon and pancakes make it in as well. After agreeing to go inside and make the feast, I suddenly remembered that I had used up all of our potatoes for the last 'big breakfast' that we had.



So what did we do? We dug for our potatoes! Last time we checked, they were still small...but why, they had grown! They are beautiful real-looking potatoes now (we had ordered the seeds for them since late winter). We harvested enough for the meal, washed, cut into cubes, and before we knew it, we were enjoying them as part of our Saturday's big breakfast. Homegrown. Organic. Well-earned.

The chooks, on a different note, are doing very well. They get to roam around the garden now, when we are back there to make sure they are safe from the neighborhood hawks that we have spotted flying about. They are enjoying our left-overs, beef being their favorite (surprisingly!)!

More reports to come, stay tuned!

Slate Run

Oh summer. It's a bitter-sweet time, really. On the one hand, life is more fluid: children get to sleep in, and have free play in and around (and in and around many more times) the house. We are loving the garden, and the animals that are thriving along with the vegetation.  We love eating most of our meals outdoors, next to the fire pit that does not only act as an insect repellent, but the perfect dessert cooking station for the kids. There are also still trips to take, memories to make, and the bags that get packed and unpacked many times over. We all love the adventurous side of summer, truly.



Then there is also a lot of time in the summer. Time to cherish, but also time to fill with the little ones who are always hungry for more. What are we doing today? is a popular question around here, especially when the calendar is wide open, not filled with camp activities or itinerary to places far beyond.



This week is one of those that I had to draft a general plan of attack (knowing full well that I won't get much of anything else done). We made a list of places we would like to visit, activities we would like to pursue, and then we were free to change it however we wanted, down to the last minute.



Today, instead of going fishing at a metro park nearby, we decided to visit another of our favorite metro park. It's summer after all...who needs to stick to a plan?



Slate Run Farm is everything you would want a 'park' to be. It's a 1880's living historic farm with fields of corn, a lush garden, a pasture with chickens, ducks and geese. The farm house stays the way it used to be, with old-fashioned toys, old fashioned sewing machines, artifacts and antiques everywhere you look. They also have several animals that work on the farm, a wonderful attraction for children and adults alike. All of their farm equipment stays true to the time period. You definitely feel transported back in time when people were busy with chores and outdoor life with no flat screens or gadgets to distract them by.

I overheard a young man, no younger than 13, telling his brother in that crackling in-between growing phase voice: "Hey, I forgot how much I like it here!"



We visited the animals, noticed several swallow nests with baby birds' beaks poking out chirping away. We walked through the barns and petted baby turkeys and remarked on how big the piglets had gotten since we were there last. My favorite part of all is the 'summer kitchen' - a room outside of the main farmhouse where they cook during the hotter months. A batch of cinnamon and sugar cookie was cooking in the wood-fired stove when we entered. The aroma was enough to want me to live there forever.



But summer is still young, indeed. There is still a lot more time and a lot more things to do. I am glad that Slate Run was part of this summery day I got to spend with the kids, as part of our 'doing' today.

Homemade Black Raspberry Sorbet

Remember these black jewels we picked in Michigan last week? Well, we had wanted to turn them into something cold and delicious, but did not have enough time while we were up there. So, we took them home, one state south, and yesterday was the day for sorbet-making.



One of the reasons that I married my husband is that if we were given a choice, we tend to go with the old-fashioned way for most things. Almost always. One day when I came home from running errands without the rest of the family, they all had giddiness about them. All three of them. Should we tell Mommy what we got? He said to the kids... We had just gotten the chooks, and the coop to go with them. We also acquired a wheel barrow for our little backyard farm. I was hoping that they had not set up a composting toilet without a little bit of consultation.



We got an ice cream maker!! Yelled the kids. The old-fashioned kind!! They added. Oh phew. I can live with that, I thought.

When it arrived, my husband might have as well been a kid on Christmas day. The three of them attempted at the most basic of all: vanilla ice cream. We had Snowville cream and milk on hand, and so, they cranked and cranked. And 30 minutes later, we tasted the labor of love. It was not half bad.

In fact, it was good. It was not quite Jeni's - good...yet. But it was better than store-bought for sure. They went on to making more flavors...and this last, hand-picked wild black raspberry sorbet. I think it's the best one yet!

This is the recipe they used, from our trusted magazine friend Saveur.

Our Sunflower

They are finally blooming, our own sunflowers, planted from seeds. We must have planted two or three packets-full of sunflowers, but only three made it (we suspect all the happy squirrels around here are the culprits). Survival of fittest at work!

The Colors of Now

It took me by surprise, as I am still getting used to living in a place with four distinct seasons again, that we are in full growing-season mode now. It didn't quite happen over night as I recall vividly the evening I went to bed with the temperature below zero degrees and falling.



It hit me tonight when we dined on a bowl of salad, mostly grown in our front yard. To also browse through my iphoto albums and be hit with bright colors from the most current photos again is a sure sign that the dreary grey days are behind us. At least for now.



The kids are finding goodies in the garden, above and below the ground. They love pulling up radishes to find the perfectly round bulb hiding beneath the soil. There are also plenty of wiggly worms that our little boy savors, the way only little boys do.



And then, there are these chicks! Our very own chicks! They became part of the family about a week ago as tiny little 2-day old fluffs. They are growing fast now, and their stories reside on their own blog (I know... we will see for how long I can manage all these different blogs...they might have to all become one). For now, find them (and their friend, all in one garden) at Two Chicks and a Bunny! They are eager to meet you!

Market Mushrooms

I love mushrooms. Too bad the rest of the family does not share this sentiment. But in some ways, more mushrooms for me!

The Clintonville Farmers Market (one of the best around here!) has a vendor who has an urban farm right there in Clintonville. And he grows these beautiful Shitake mushrooms... Oh, I think he already has a new loyal patron!

If you like mushrooms, too, I am sure you know that fresh mushrooms don't need a lot of fuss. The simpler, the better.



Today in the garden, we pulled up (to 'check') on our garlic patch growing underground since last fall. Knowing that we aren't supposed to harvest these until this fall, we felt a little guilty, but up came one small head of garlic anyway (mother and son has the same amount of patience...the former perhaps having less of it).



But we put it to good use. I diced up the fresh garlic, sauteed the mushrooms in it with some good olive oil. A sprinkle of sea salt and herbes de Provence and some chopped up parsley ended the dish. Voila, the most earthy, delicious mushrooms you will have in central Ohio!