What in the world is that??

That is the question that many people ask when this vegetable arrives with the latest bunch of CSA goodies.  So, in case you're wondering what it is or what you can do with it, I have some ideas!  First, it's called kohlrabi.  Kohlrabi means cabbage turnip in German. It tastes like turnip or the stems of broccoli.  The greens of the plant can be eaten; cut them off right away and store no longer than a few days.  If they're not crisp, they're probably not as good any more.  Store the bulbs in the fridge, unwashed and in a plastic bag.  Tender, young kohlrabi is delicious eaten raw. Peel the outer skin with a paring knife (the skin is really fibrous and tastes yucky, in my opinion). Slice, dice, or grate, and add to salads. Use on raw vegetable platters or serve with a creamy dip. Substitute in recipes calling for radishes. Grated kohlrabi can be added to slaw, but lightly salt it first and let stand for several minutes. Squeeze to remove any excess water before adding dressing. Kohlrabi can also be steamed or boiled. For this preparation don’t peel until after they are cooked. Steam or boil until bulbs are tender, peel skin, and season with butter, salt, and pepper, a cheese sauce, or just enjoy plain.

Ok, so that's the boring info.  Now for the good recipes.  Here's an easy slaw-type recipe for you to test out. This one incorporates beets, carrots, and kohlrabi so you can use up lots of your CSA veggies in one go!  It's incredibly easy and quick to throw together!

 http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2008/06/raw-beet-carrot-kohlrabi-salad.html

I have not yet tried this recipe but I am so excited about it!  I know that Peter will love it because of the ginger that the recipe calls for.  Here's the link to the recipe:  http://straightfromthefarm.net/2007/06/17/something-original/  How could you resist any sort of empanada??

To-do Tuesdays (er...On Wednesday)

Summer has really taken off with a bang and I'm enjoying spending time with the kids!  This week, both kids are in swimming lessons and they're doing a great job.  I'm especially proud of Alexander who, at the beginning of the week wasn't confident enough to swim and after three days of lessons swam across the pool on his own using pizza arms, kicking legs, and face in the water!  Charlotte is catching on to the whole face in the water thing and is not a huge fan but she does like to play in the pool.  She'll be a fish in no time!

Alexander can float on his back for at least 20 seconds!

That's Alexander's head; he's swimming!  I sounded like such a dork when he was swimming across the pool!

Glad she looks happy here!

Things to do this week:

Cut out Charlotte's dress for Robert and Irene's wedding

Work on baby gift

Get quotes on honeycomb blinds for the office (has anyone used these before?)

Star for a Day!

At the beginning of the year, Alexander was asked to sell Citisaver Books to generate funds for his school.  We sold quite a few, mostly by scanning a hand-written (by Alexander) request and sending it to Peter's work colleagues.  Alexander got to attend a magic show and was put into a drawing to win a trip in a limo.  Well, all of Peter's our hard work paid off and Alexander got a bowling trip of a lifetime (or at least his lifetime thus far).

The Limo arrives!  It's HUGE!

Limo interior (without kids)

Zoe and Alexander are excited about the ride

Kids who hold hands are so cute (especially when one is mine)

All loaded!

Arriving at the bowling alley (still holding hands!)

Bowling shoes (note: size 13 is too big!)

Getting his game on!

Sweet friends!

Free lunch (he ate it all!)

Heading back home (That's Ms. Clark, the principal!)

 I think all of the kids had a great time!  They ended up bowling about 9 frames but were so hungry that they didn't seem to mind not finishing the game.  Thank you so much to Citisaver and Legacy Limousines who made this trip possible!

Kindergarten Graduation!!

I'm so proud of Alexander!  He made it through kindergarten with flying colors.  I'm thankful for his teacher, Miss Lash, who taught him to read, introduced him to Spanish, encouraged his creativity, and loved him for who he is.  Miss Lash, we'll miss you and wish we could keep you here in Nashville at Glendale!

Kindergarten graduation wouldn't be complete without a fun photo with friends (and a feverish little sister butting in)

It was hard to get a photo during the program but Peter managed a few while I sat in the back holding a squirmy Charlotte) 

Graduation?  Check!  Next stop, first grade!

CSA Goodness!

Whenever I mention our CSA goodies, I get a lot of questions.  What is CSA?  Do you have to drive all the way to the farm to pick things up?  How do you use all of those strange vegetables?
First, CSA stands for Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA Explained).  We belong to a CSA through Avalon Acres Farm.  Each week during the spring/summer we receive a box of Tennessee grown produce.  You can also choose to get a meat selection.  This season, we are sharing a full-share of produce with friends and our delivery is taken to Otter Creek Church on Sunday mornings.  There are lots of different delivery options and as of today, you can still sign up for the summer program.  I'd suggest sharing with someone so that you get a bigger variety of veggies to try.  
And, how do I use all of this stuff that we get?  I have to be honest.  There is a big learning curve when it comes to using up the produce.  Last year, I'm pretty sure that I had quite a bit of stuff go to waste because I didn't know what to do with it or just didn't have the patience to figure it out.  I'm trying to start out this year with a bang.  There are so many resources out there to help me identify our veggies and to figure out what in the world to do with them to make them taste fabulous.  Avalon Acres has a recipe blog and a facebook group that are great resources.  It's great for me to break out of the carrot and broccoli rut!  
Last night, I went a little crazy and tried to use up lots of our items in one evening.  I made a cream cheese and radish spread, a recipe that I got from my friend, Carrie.  I made stirfry with chicken, broccoli, and spring onions.  I roasted kohlrabi and beets that I sliced in the shape of fries (gotta trick the kids somehow!).  And for our lifegroup the night before, I made a strawberry cake with strawberry cream cheese icing.  I'm going to include the recipes for the radish spread and strawberry cake because I could eat both of them all day long.  Oh wait, I did eat them.  For breakfast.  Don't tell anyone.  


Radish Spread (Recipe given to me by Carrie)
10 radishes (about 8 ounces)
3 green onions, white and green parts
4 ounces (preferably) or 8 ounces neufchatel (low-fat cream cheese)
Salt & pepper to taste

Whizz all the ingredients in the food processor. Season to taste. Serve & enjoy!


Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Cream Cheese Icing
Cake Ingredients:8 ounces cream cheese, room temp2 1/4 cups cake flour (sifted)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup butter, room temp (2 sticks)
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons strawberry extract (you can use vanilla if you can't find strawberry)
1 cup whole milk, room temp
3 eggs, room temp
3/4 cup hulled, pureed fresh strawberries
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice

strawberry cream cheese frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temp (1 stick)
1/2 cup pureed fresh strawberries (or frozen thawed)
1 teaspoon strawberry extract (or vanilla)
3-6 cups confectioners' sugar (powder sugar)

1. 1. Combine sifted flour and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time; mix well after each addition. Next add pureed strawberries and extract and combine well. Gradually add the flour (and baking powder) and the milk alternating between them until completely mixed. Then add lemon zest and juice and mix well.
2. 2.  Lightly grease and flour a 13 X 9 pan or (2) 8" round pans. Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 min or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.  (My cakes fell a little bit when I took them out of the oven but it didn't affect the taste one bit.  In fact, it may have been better. *Suggestion: have your 6 year old help you and you'll probably have flatter cakes too!)
3. 3.  For the icing : using a mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until nice and smooth. Add the extract and pureed strawberries. Gradually add the powder sugar until it has the consistency and sweetness you desire.  If it gets too sweet, add a little bit of lemon juice.  I ended up doing this because Peter doesn't like icing to be too sweet.

To-do Tuesdays

That's my not so little boy sporting his first gap due to a lost tooth.  He was SO excited for the tooth fairy to arrive!

Back to the normal grind.  I'm still in my broken foot boot but am getting around a lot better.  I've mostly given up the crutches although the end of the day still calls for a little bit of crutching around due to being sore.  I go back to the doc in a week or so and hope that I'll be all done with the boot!  I need to get better so that I can safely drive and sew!
Things to do this week:

Laundry (why is this always on the list)

Send thank-you notes

Call my mother-in-law who has left me two messages on my voicemail (I'm not avoiding you Irene, I promise!)

Order everything in my amazon cart to prepare for our trip to England/Italy

Yes, I made this week fairly light in to-dos because it's still pretty hard to get around.  The boot is not all that comfortable to walk in any further than from bedroom to kitchen.  Maybe I'll do more next week before school is out for summer (Does anyone want to break into song?).  

Broken foot and kale.

So you're probably wondering where my to-do Tuesdays have gone.  I didn't stick with that for very long, did I?  Well, two weeks ago, Peter went on a trip to Hungary and Turkey for his MBA program (check out Vanderbilt's Executive MBA program - it's fabulous, aside from all the work).  I did my best to stay busy and didn't do much on top of regular kid-care.  I certainly have a lot of respect (and lots of awe) for my friends whose husbands travel on a regular basis.  I would go crazy!
Then, last Tuesday I was on my way out the door to hunt for cicadas with the kids and fell down our deck stairs, breaking a little bone in my foot.  So, I'm on crutches for a little while and then will transition into a walking boot.  Hoping that it will heal quickly!
We were privileged to get to go to a friend's Harvest Kickoff party and I took my favorite Kale recipe.  I modify it a little bit each time I make it but here's the main recipe:

CREAMY WHITE BEAN SOUP W/ KALE, GARLIC AND SAUSAGE

 8 oz. kielbasa, thinly sliced (I use a turkey sausage that doesn't have skin)

1Tbs. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

29 oz of reduced sodium chicken broth (2 cans) (I make my own and freeze it in plastic canning 'jars' or in freezer bags)

4 cups chopped kale (sometimes i use fresh spinach but the kale holds up better)

2-3 cans of white Canellini or great northern beans (You can also use dried beans but make sure you soak them overnight and cook them before adding to the soup).

 

1. Brown kielbasa in large saucepan over med-high heat about 4 mins. Remove from pan.

2. Add oil to pan and cook garlic about a minute. Add broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add beans,

and simmer 5 minutes.

3. Remove 1 cup of soup, including beans, and puree in blender until smooth (I use my immersion blender instead). Stir bean puree, cooked sausage, and chopped kale into soup and simmer until kale is tender, about 5-7 mins.

Makes 6 1/2 cups (4 servings)

I always double this recipe and freeze half so that I can pull it out for a quick, easy meal.  And, just in case you've gotten SOOOOO much kale that you don't know what to do, here's another kale soup recipe that's yummy!

KALE, LENTIL, AND CHICKEN SOUP: 
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 C. chopped onion
1 C. coarsely chopped carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 C. chicken broth
1 Tbsp. basil ( fresh) or 1 tsp. dried basil
4 C. coarsely chopped kale
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground pepper
1 1/2 C. cubed cooked chicken
1 med. tomato chopped
1/2 C. lentils

1. In a large saucepan heat oil over medium low heat.  Add onion, carrot, and garlic.  Cook, covered, for 5 to 7 minutes or until vegetables are nearly tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Add broth and, if using, dried basil to vegetable mixture.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in kale, salt, and pepper.  Return to boiling, reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in chicken, tomato, lentils, and, if using, fresh basil.  Simmer, covered, for 5-10 minutes more or until kale and lentils are tender.

Lily's Birthday Gifts

For those who might be interested in seeing the things that I made for Lily's birthday, I'm adding a few photos.  You might recognize the ideas as I made them for Charlotte for Christmas.  Thank you, again for the fabulous tutorial from 12 Crafts Till Christmas.  Here's the link to the tutorial and here's the one that I made for Charlotte.  

Baby Doll Bassinet

Doll Diaper Bag with pocket (and lots of junk in the background)

Accessories: Changing pad, wipes case and wipes, taggie blanket, and diapers (I'm working on the tutorial on how to make these little doll diapers; they're a hit with Charlotte who was disappointed when I packed them up to give to Lily).

I highly recommend the tutorials for the wipes, bassinet, diaper bag, and changing pad.  I used the diaper tutorial for Charlotte's gift but got a little fancier for Lily's.  I did use a ribbon for the handle of the diaper bag because I'm lazy it looks fancy with the satin ribbon.  The 'taggie' toy that I made has a little bit of the gray towel that I used at Christmas time to make Lily's elephant towel.  I just made mine without a pattern but I'm sure there are lots of tutorials out there for this sort of thing.  If it's supposed to be for a human baby, just make the dimensions smaller and voila, it's perfect for baby dolls!  

I hope that Lily enjoys stuff as much as Charlotte does!  It was certainly fun to put it all together!

To-do Tuesdays

Charlotte's Easter dress in action.  (Disclaimer: I am not the one who tucked in Alexander's shirt)

Do Peter's laundry for next week.

Finish baby doll diaper tutorial (still without a camera). 

Call to find out when my camera is going to be fixed.

Call all of my friends and ask them to please stop doing their rain dances.

Firm up a house for Disney World.  (We're not going for a long while so don't get your hopes up burglars!) 

I'm completely fed up and done with thunderstorms and severe weather.  Rain in the spring is fine but 3-4 weeks of tornado warnings is just over the top.  Maybe next week will be sunny and perfect.  We can always hope!  Oh, and as for last week, I did get the laundry done (and most of it sorted and put away).  I didn't finish an old project but I did complete a new one; I appliquéd a lollipop on a little pink knit dress that I purchased at a consignment store.  I wanted Charlotte to have a cute dress to wear to her cousin, Lily's 2nd birthday party that had a candy store theme.  I wish I had my camera at the party because Michelle, my sister in law, is so creative. Maybe I'll have her write a guest blog someday (when she's not working or chasing Lily or sleeping or eating or pregnant.  Ah, well, I guess she doesn't have much free time but when she has a little she makes some really cute stuff!

All of the kindergarten classes at Alexander's school put on a musical, The Little Red Hen.  Alexander had a small speaking part as Farmer 16, "And when she got home, it was time to make the tortillas."  He memorized it on his own and delivered his line with confidence and poise.  We were so proud.  Oh, and for those that thought that the little red hen baked bread, keep in mind that the kids at Glendale are learning Spanish so part of the show was in English and part in Spanish. 

To-do Tuesdays

Charlotte's Easter Dress

I finished Charlotte's Easter dress!  Hooray!  I think I would be happy if that was the only thing that I did this week.  However, I also finished Lily's birthday present, and went through Charlotte's clothes.  I didn't get to Alexander's yet.  What do you do about changing from winter to summer clothes?  Every time I think it's ok to weed out the warm stuff, we have a chilly day so I feel satisfied that my procrastination has paid off.  However, there must be some rule that organized people go by!  I started the post about my sewing area organization and tried to take some photos but they really were quite terrible taken using my phone so I'm going to wait until my camera returns to finish the post.
Things to do this week:

Wash and pack clothes for our trip to Indiana

Finish one of the sewing projects that has been sitting around for ages

Cook dinner 3 nights (warming up chicken nuggets doesn't count)

Go to bed before midnight at least 4 nights this week (I'm tired and I'm pretty sure it has to do with staying up too late watching HGTV!).

I'm working on my first tutorial blog post.  It's nothing fancy, just reusable babydoll diapers.  If I can get the scanner to work, I'll have a 'pattern' and plenty of cruddy pictures (from my phone) to share.  

Easter is on the way!

Just in case you forgot, Easter is only a week away.  So, you better get your chocolate bunnies and Easter grass and get ready!
Here are a few pictures of the kids at an egg hunt that we went to today.  Alexander was so excited to go and Charlotte had no idea what we were doing...until she got going.  I think Charlotte is an egg hunt natural.  This picture is of her finding one of her first eggs but she filled her entire basket and would have continued if I hadn't stopped her!

Can I complain a little bit? (As if you have a choice.)  Cell phones do not take good pictures.  I want my camera back.  Hurry up fix-it people!  I need my camera!  (Example of bad cell picture below; I wish I had gotten a better picture of Alexander at the hunt.)

Phillips Toy Mart in Bellemeade always has a fancy bunny exibit before the Easter holiday.  We decided to check it out (and purchase a birthday present for a friend).  The bunnies in the exhibit are a little hard to pet since the rails are so tall (for the kids) but we got lucky.  There was a bunny breeder outside the store that had about 25 bunnies available for purchase.  We did not purchase one.  But we did get to pet them and cuddle them.  Peter was at school so I wasn't able to juggle bunnies and photo taking.  Maybe next time.

Stay tuned for a short post with a picture of Charlotte's Easter dress!  It should be done soon!

To-do Tuesdays

Well, I'd like to say that I got everything on last week's list accomplished but that would be a lie.  I picked up my sewing machine and used it to make my niece, Lily's birthday presents (photos to come after her birthday party). I did four loads of laundry but only put away one.  Thanks to my loving husband who put away the other three.  Now, I only have about 18 loads to go.  I've made some phone calls and set up a few appointments for people to look at the fence.  Apparently you can't just tell them to drive by and give quotes.  So, hopefully we'll have someone scheduled to power-wash and paint by next Tuesday.  And the kid's clothes...I didn't do it.  I thought about it. A lot.  But...I didn't do it.  This week's list:

Put finishing touches on Lily's birthday presents

Make Charlotte's Easter Dress

Do a blog entry about organizing my sewing area (and finish organizing my sewing area?!)

Organize the kid's clothes

Send my husband subliminal messages about how I would like a Silhouette machine for Mother's Day.

Here's to hoping that we won't have to have any more tea parties in the guest bathroom or the closet under the stairs (can you say, Harry Potter?).  We've had two too many tornado warnings in the last week and that's quite enough for me!

Baked Potato Soup and S'mores Cookies

Ok, so I had to make dinner to take to friends the other night and decided that I would try something different.  I wanted to take something that would be different from the normal poppy seed chicken or lasagna.  So, I made Baked Potato soup.  I used this recipe and it was fabulous!  Peter told me that it was restaurant quality.  Just keep in mind that the soup is NOT low-fat or low-calorie.  I did use light sour cream but I went with the whole milk and used the suggested amount of butter.  One thing I have to say is that the soup really thickens as it cools.  Therefore, if you're taking it to someone and they'll need to warm it up, I would tell them to put it in a saucepan and add a little milk.  Warm it on medium and stir, stir, stir.  Yum.
So my camera is broken.  How frustrating!  I was able to use Matt and Michelle's camera for Alexander's birthday pictures.  Luckily, it's the same brand as mine so it was straightforward.  Unfortunately, they had to go back to Kentucky after the party so I'm left with my cell phone camera.  I didn't get a picture of the soup but the Kitcn website has a great one so just look at theirs for inspiration.

For dessert, I made S'mores Cookies.  I'm sure there are lots of recipes out there for these but I used this one.  I found Peter sneaking a few so I knew they were good.  He doesn't usually give in to sweets temptations.  That's annoying.  I never used like sweets. I was of the 'give me a bag of chips and I'm happy' attitude.  How things change.  Anyhow, I didn't think to take any pictures of the cookies until just now.  We had one left.  So to the left is the lonely little cookie, sitting on my window ledge trying to get enough light since my cell camera has no flash.

To-do Tuesdays

Many of the blogs that I follow include a weekly photo or a challenge of some sort.  I decided, however, that I need some motivation to complete items on my to-do list.  I figure if I put a few items online, there will be more pressure to get them done.  Even if you don't ask me if I get them done, I know that there's a possibility someone will ask if I organized the pantry or changed the sheets on my bed and this knowledge will motivate me.

Here is my to-do list for this week:

Pick up my sewing machine from the shop and begin a new sewing project (maybe Charlotte's Easter dress?!)

Go through the kids' dressers and weed out the clothes that they've outgrown.

Do four loads of laundry and put them away right away.

Get quotes on fence powerwashing and painting (if you have any recommendations, I'll take them).

Yes, I know that this isn't a huge list.  There are lots of other things that need to get done but I'm starting small!  Life has a way of getting in the way of accomplishing even the most simple of goals.  Thanks to Natasha from SamsterMommy, a blog that I read on a daily basis, for her to-do list idea!  

I love Peeps!

Easter is on its way and I can't help but get a little excited.  I have always loved Peeps!  The marshmallowy texture, the fine sugar on the outside...what more could one ask for in a treat?  My Dad likes to tease me about trying to put them in the microwave to watch them grow and explode.  I've never actually done that but it could be fun.  Maybe if we ever move out of this house, I could try it in the microwave before we leave; watch out future homeowners!
Anyway, the reason that I'm bringing this up is because I have found so many fabulous Peep inspired crafts that I want to share with you.  I may not get to all of them.  Or any of them.  But, you might have time so you should check them out!

Beth Proudfoot on It is what it is has fun seasonable printables that anyone could use and look like a professional.  Here's a link to her "Sweet Tweets"!

A Lemon Squeezy Home has an idea for Peeps t-shirts using a Silhouette Machine or freezer paper stencils.  If anyone wants to donate a Sillhouette Machine to me, I'm happy to give it a good home.  I'll use it weekly and will even share my project ideas with you.  Ah, dreams are nice, aren't they? Anyway, these t-shirts are great because they're a good project for moms of boys.  It's harder to find things to make for boys as they grow up!




What? Seriously, I could make my own Peeps?  That would be totally fabulous!  There are step by step instructions on Instructables.com.  Here's the link! http://www.instructables.com/id/Marshmallow-Peeps/.  And, if you don't like those instructions, here is another idea for making peeps:  http://www.twigandthistle.com/blog/2009/03/diy-marshmallow-peeps/

If you're not into eating the sugary treats but you want to make memories, check out this free pattern for Felt Food Peeps.

Have fun hanging out with your Peeps!  (I couldn't resist!)