Excess

If David had his way, the garden would be nothing but delicata squash and cherry tomatoes. I had to talk him down to 2 cherry tomato plants this year. The problem is they all come on at once and we cant keep up with them. Well I just read about a way to preserve them. I sliced them and put them in my dehydrator (that was gathering dust) for about 24 hrs and whalah! Sun Dried Tomatoes! They have a great flavor, I keep munching on them plain. I am envisioning these in soups, pizzas and casseroles this winter. They are delicious! Do you have a favorite sundried tomato recipe?

The mysterious hybrid

Two years ago I took the kids to a pumpkin farm and bought some of those cute mini pumpkins. I decided to save the seeds and grow them in my garden. (I think they make fun teacher gifts) Last year when we planted the seeds we got half cute mini pumpkins, and half warty gourdy pumpkins. This year we tried again and only got these warty gourdy pumpkins.

This is what I have learned the hard way about hybrid seeds. They are created with two different varieties of plants, a mother and father of different characteristics. The offspring is a perfect blend of the two. However the offspring of the hybrid (the grandchild) is totally unpredictable. It could be characteristics from both grandparents, just one or a complete dud. They want you to keep buying the seeds. Great marketing scam huh?

Now an heirloom seed is a seed that will guarantee the same crop year after year (unless it accidentally crossbreeds but that can be avoided.) These are the seeds that have been passed down from generation to generation and have stayed out of the laboratory. These are self sustaining and hearty. I have heard these terms before but didn’t really understand what they meant. Thought I would pass this info along to any fellow gardens. I for one will not waste my time saving hybrid seeds any longer.

Daddy Daughter Time

I think daddy/daughter time is sooo important. So I was thrilled when David and Perrie went on a overnight backpacking trip a few weekends ago. They went with Dave's brother and his son as well. It was a perfect trip for all. The weather was great, they caught fish to eat for breakfast and there were thousands of little frogs everywhere for the kids to catch. Not to mention the heavenly surrounding. I hope this will become an annual tradition.

Today was such a beautiful summer day and Owen was feeling a bit left out of school. So we went to one of our favorite haunts, Mukilteo Beach on the Sound. I couldnt imagine a more perfect day. It was heavenly. Owen played in the sand and chased seagulls while I read my book in the sun. The park recently added a fun playground too so Owen got alot of exercise. Maybe summer is still alive after all!

First Day of School

Good Luck Perrie!

Sweet

I really like using natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup and fruit juice concentrate. I had seen one called agave nectar at the store but didn’t know much about it. Then I learned agave nectar has one of the lowest glycymic index numbers for natural sweeteners. I was diabetic my last pregnancy and my dad is diabetic too, so I am always looking for low glucose solutions. I got some and tried it. I LOVE IT. Yum, it is similar to honey but more mellow and sweeter. It is easier to pour, won’t get hard & I don’t have to use much at all. I have and will use it on:

Pancakes/ French toast
In smoothies
In hot cocoa or steamed milk
In a peanut butter sandwich
To sweeten yogurt
On cereal
In salad dressings

I haven’t tried to bake with it yet, but I will. It is a newer product so there are limited recipes out there for it. Let me know if you try it.

having a pregnant wife means...

Things David likes about having a pregnant wife:

1. I totally crave meat. Usually we eat meat 1-2 times a week, but lately it is 1-2 times a day.

2. No PMS. I don’t think I am that moody regularly, but I have been very happy and content since being pregnant (besides the tired & sick part)

3. I am too tired to argue or disagree. You want a new fishing rod, OK. You want a new sleeping bag, OK. (He hasn’t actually caught on to this yet.)

4. I do not want to spend money on new clothes right now. Just too depressing.

5.How could I not write, BIG Boobs. That and I crave romance books, movies or the real thing. Enough said.

Things David does not like about having a pregnant wife:

1. I find myself borrowing his clothes more often. He did not appreciate me wearing his wakeboarding shirt but my old swimsuit just didn’t fit me all in anymore. He doesn’t want the boob part to get stretched out. Haha.

2. Yes, I am tired a lot. He sometimes has to take care of someone besides himself.

3. I need about 5 pillows at night to get somewhat comfortable. I predict this number will continue to increase.

4. He has to start thinking about Labor and Deliver. Like most men he does not like hospitals, blood, needles and all things labor related. For the first child he stood in the furthest corner like a ghost. For the second child he was braver and sat in a chair next to me but stared at his feet for the majority of the night. Number 3?

5. I’m sure there be more to come…