A photo essay: the Eastern Sierra

San Joaquin River heading West toward San Francisco

For ten days, we were in the middle of the Eastern Sierra Nevada. For ten days, we saw nothing but crystal clear blue sky during the day, and millions of stars against the deep black velvet canvas during the night. For ten days, we devoured the pine-scented mountain air, soaked in natural hot springs, lived and slept under the big California sky.



Those were some pretty good ten days! (Someone did lose a toe nail, and is recovering from a small fracture. The law of balance made itself known here, as usual).



You would think that during our decade as Californians, we would have frequented this part of the state more often. The truth is, it was pretty far away from the coast. The coast was where we lived and explored and used as our playground. We heard about people and friends who would venture into the steep Eastern Sierra mountains in the winter time with their skis and boards and whatever other winter toys they had. Us? We were quite happy frolicking in tide pools and apple orchards and strawberry fields.


Paddle Boarding in Lake Tahoe

Little did we know what we were missing.



The grandeur of those mountains and everything that came with it!


Mono Lake and its Tufas

Grover Hot Springs, on the other hand, was a place we had discovered and enjoyed for the past few years. It's not too far from the southern part of Lake Tahoe, and very family-friendly with the hot/ cool pools, gentle hiking paths, evening ranger programs fun enough for adults as well as children.



There was, of course, some good camp-eating to be had, right on top of the campfire!



We were happy that the 2,000 miles that now separates Grover Hot Springs and Ohio did not deter us from returning to our favorite campsite this summer.


Bristle Pine cone

More than the mountains and the streams and the waterfalls, we were able to learn and see some interesting places on this trip as well. One of them was Bodie National Historical Park. A "Ghost Town", as it is known. Over 10,000 people lived in Bodie during the gold rush days of the late 1800s. A very pretty ghost town, I'd say.


Bodie National Historical Park

We also hiked in the Bristle Pine Cone forest housing the oldest living organisms on earth (some of the trees are over 4,000 years old and still going). We enjoyed and explored the wonderful salt water of Mono Lake (with more brine shrimp floating about more than you would like to know).

We came back to Ohio, our current home state (which by the way has its own unique beauty as well), full of the beauty that is California.


Bristle Cone Pine Forest

There is so much to see in the world, but I would not be surprised if we find ourselves back there next year, to do it all over again.

Postcards: From The Eastern Sierra Nevada

Greetings all! Just a couple of images from the beginning of our 10-day stay in the Eastern part of the Sierra Nevada. Boy, it's beautiful here!



We have swam in the clear blue lakes that reflect the same color as the big open sky. We have hiked in the ancient forests of the Bristle Cone Pines that if they could talk, would have more than 4,000 years of history to share.



We are still to visit some more sites, and spend some more time in the wilderness. I will come back with more proper stories, and photographs once we have soaked it all in.

Harvest Before Take Off

For the next 10 days, we will be away from our garden. We will miss some ripening of more tomatoes, beans, zucchinis greens, herbs and more. However, it appears that we have had frequent visitors around here who do get to enjoy the bounty for us. To our dismay, naturally.



They are not picky either. They will happily chow on a large green heirloom tomato, or a ripe one...you know...according to their culinary taste at that time. So, we have to not wait for these to ripen on the plants anymore...hence the partly ripe-looking fruits. Oh well.

They are going to have a wonderful feast, these little (bushy tailed rats) beasts! I can only bid them, Bon Appetit!

Simple Pleasures: growing sweet potato vines

Sometimes, it just takes a sweet potato to make one happy. Make that a sweet potato, a few toothpicks, a jar, and some water.



One day last winter during a first-grade drop-off, I saw a meandering green vine at one of the activity tables (I took notice of this, of course, since we had been enduring months of grey, lifelessness of winter). I followed the vine, and found that it ended in a jar filled with water and a forest of tiny white roots.



The kids' class had started it during one of their projects. How simple, I thought, to grow something so beautiful. If the potato were to be planted underground, it would not have quite the same result. Sure it would produce more potatoes, good for the tummy. But to be able to see the roots and the shoots together – the whole plant growing – gives an entirely different benefit.

Seeing this plant gave me inexplicable joy. I left the classroom a bit fuller, happier, and made a note to self that I would start one at home, too.

Simply, what that plant did for me was it fed my soul. And sometimes, that is what one needs more than anything else.

Making Sauerkraut

Between farmers markets and CSA shares, we recently ended up with three heads of cabbage in the kitchen. Cabbage is one of those cruciferous vegetables that is rather versatile, but you've got to plan a bit ahead of time (since most cabbages are rather large heads of tightly folded leaves). A commitment of sort, actually.



I find cabbages quite beautiful to look at and I am always amazed that one tiny seed can become a work of art with patterns and spirals and different shades of green and purple. The best thing about it is that after admiring it, and photographing it, one can eat and benefit from its multitude of nutrients! My kind of vegetable!



We had been dreaming about making our own sauerkraut for a while now, since our exposure to some amazing homemade sauerkraut back at our old farmers market in California. We asked what went into their classic plain kraut and were impressed that the answer was: cabbage and salt.



We went ahead, with a bit of guideline from here, and chopped up our three heads of cabbage. A little sea salt and resting time later, we packaged our first ever sauerkraut jars. They are now living (and growing probiotics) in our basement. Results are to be determined and tested in a couple of weeks. Now... if we can do this, kimchi can't be too far fetched!

Eggplant Inspired

I was on my way out of the farmers market this morning. My hands were full with an overflowing basket in one, and a full bag of Snowville Cream and Whole Milk in the other.



I walked by the stand with all of these eggplants just as I was approaching my vehicle. As if I was star-struck, I stopped, put my belongings onto the ground, and swung my camera to the front.



We have no plans of cooking dinner at home tonight. And yet I was compelled to bring some of these beautiful eggplants of different varieties home. They are too pretty to pass up. Or so said my impulsive-self.



On my way home, my mind started working on the possibilities. Babaganouj? Eggplant parmesan? Roasted eggplant salad? Oh, who knows? And really, who cares? They are home now, and they will become something scrumptious...as soon as we decide on that their fate will be.

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.

Purple Twins

Just an image of two florets of purple cauliflower purchased at a farmers market in Michigan during our last visit there. Beautiful, tasty, and nutritious. Happy week to all!

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!

Black Raspberries

It's become a tradition of sort in our family: black raspberry hunting in Western Michigan. We won't tell you where exactly because, you see, it's our private territory. Once fourth of July comes around, we won't let anyone know where we go to find these black jewels!



I am saving you, in many ways, from an incredible amount of mosquitoes that take up residence in the said territory once the weather is warm and humidity is high. They are big, vicious, and numerous. It's better if you don't venture into their home because you will most likely be eaten alive.



But our kids love this tradition. And so do we. So when we were back up there last weekend, we put on our mosquito-brave faces and out we went.



There was enough for a tub full of black raspberries. This time I think they are going to be turned into scrumptious sorbet, hand cranked the old-fashioned way in an ice cream maker. I know...that is a story in itself.



You will have to come here again (to this blog) to find out what that is all about! I can tell you it will be worth a visit back (but you will have to wait a few days)!