Little Coffee Beans

{this moment}

Playing along with SouleMama - in her words {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, {extra}ordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  

Happy weekend!
                                                                                                                     

around the garden :: green tomatoes!

This spring weather has already brought the heat of summer, more so than any other CO spring I can remember. This week we've been in the mid 80's. That's way too warm for April! It's this kind of weather that can really test the patience of a gardener. With nighttime lows in the 50's (!) we've been getting itchy to get our tomatoes in the ground. But this wacky weather will surely turn cool again and I wouldn't be surprised to see snowflakes in May at this point - it's definitely happened before. 

Like most seasoned gardeners, we'll (not-so) patiently wait until mid-May to do the bulk of our planting. 

So how do you like our little sign? This is our attempt at hosting a suburban farm stand. We sold a few plants last year and with Steve's over zealous planting we have many that need homes this year, too. We talk about putting out a little cart in the front yard with fresh produce for sale, but we stop ourselves from doing it every year. But slowly, this neighborhood is turning more toward the homesteading way - we have one neighbor with chickens and another who's planning her coop now. One neighbor with several hives of bees and we're seeing many more folks who are starting to grow edibles. I'd love to see a neighborhood produce co-op come together with each of us trading our extras for new flavors. 

Around our garden this week, our chores included harvesting the last of the chard that overwintered. Zinnia and I collected a huge bucket-full, all of which we managed to eat for dinner the same night. Washing, re-washing and washing "one more time" was her favorite part.

We also replanted our tomatoes into larger pots. This is the last upgrade for the tomatoes until they're buried in the soil of the garden. And remember that tomato flower I was excited about last week? During our transplanting we noticed several green tomatoes.

Green tomatoes! In April!

I was aiming for Fourth of July tomatoes, but I think we may luck out and have ripe tomatoes by the Summer Solstice. Fingers and toes crossed!

What's happening in your garden this week?

in the kitchen :: crunchy granola goodness

After years of spending way too much on pre-made granola, I finally got around to making it myself last winter. It's funny that something so simple to make can be roadblocked by procrastination. Do you know the feeling? It's the same with making bread. Once I'm in the routine of making it regularly, it's no big deal to make a daily loaf. But if I fall behind for a week or so it seems like such an ordeal to get it going again. It's silly really, this perceived notion of what feels like a lot of work.

Anyway, if you understand what I've just written then this is the granola recipe for you. It's easy. It stores well, it's made from stuff you likely already have in your pantry and it's delicious. So, let's get on it, shall we?

Crunchy Granola Goodness

Recipe adapted from Cynthia Lair's Nut and Seed Granola found in her book Feeding the Whole Family.

Gather ::

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup almonds, chopped

(note that you can use any combination of nuts and seeds - use your favorites!)

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (any flour works here, even gluten-free varieties)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins (save these for after cooking)

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup fruit juice or honey & water

1/3 cup vegetable oil, I use cold-pressed canola

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. In a smaller bowl, combine wet ingredients and stir. Slowly pour the wet ingredient mixture over the dry and mix well with a spatula. Spread the granola on a cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes - every 15 minutes make sure to give the granola a stir so that it cooks evenly. While the granola cools I stir in 1/2 cup raisins. Once cooled completely, store in an airtight container. 

We regularly eat this as a mid-day snack over yogurt or by the handful when we're on the go. 

And while I was making granola...

she was cooking, too!

Happy and healthy eating to you! 

seven things ::

 Thankful. Smiling. Laughing. Appreciating. Adoring.

Loving. Holding. Remembering. Sharing. 

Here are seven little things that I'm loving today.

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:: Fuzzy kisses

:: Ladybugs, on patrol in the garden

:: Visiting new (to us) playgrounds

:: Cozy spots to read

:: A good and stylish sun hat (thanks cousin Chrissi!)

:: This new little friend, handmade by Grandma M

:: Two hours naps - they're rare, but I'll take 'em!

What simple little things are you loving today?

close to home

Zinnia and I flew solo this weekend. We stayed close to home - gardening, meeting up with friends and enjoying time at new playgrounds.

Hope you had a lovely weekend!

{this moment}

 {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, {extra}ordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.  

                                                                                                        playing along with SouleMama

around the garden :: hardening off

There's a lot happening in the garden this week. In fact, we're starting to see more and more pops of green in what otherwise feels like a big ol dirt plot. I look at pictures of our garden from last summer and it's hard to believe that it'll be so full, lush and bountiful again. I start to get a little anxious and fidgety that we'll never see knee-high chard again.

And then, I'm reminded by the miraculous sprouts, poking their heads out of the soil. I'm reminded that patience is a gardener's ally. As is trust. Without patience, trust and a deep appreciation of the process, one might be better off skipping the hard work all together. The waiting is part of the magic. Seeing the transformation from bare soil to abundant growth, one miraculous sprout at time. 

Most of our plants have begun the journey of hardening off, which means they're spending their days in the sun (and shade) and their evenings protected from the elements in the basement nursery. This is a necessary step with anything that's started indoors. Slowly introducing the plants to life outdoors prevents them from scorching in the sun, blowing over in the smallest breeze and generally speaking, going into a state of botanical shock. 

Here's a bit of what's happening in the garden this week ::

Eggplant. It's funny actually, but neither Steve, nor I really love (like?) eggplant, yet this year we've decided to grow it. It's such a beautiful plant. Let's hope we get inspired enough by the beauty that we actually want to cook with it.

The kale plugs that we started a few weeks ago (in the basement nursery) are finally in the ground. Lacinato, blue and red Russian. It's not really necessary to start kale plugs indoors, as they don't mind the cold, but my man likes to ensure a speedy germination. Also pictured are chard plants that resurrected themselves from last winter. We're enjoying snacking on them for now, but soon I'll pull these plants to make room for more kale. While they're a nice gift at the moment, these chard plants, because they're from last year, will bolt soon and that means they'll just be taking up space. There's no room in the garden for chard that bolts in May.

We haven't had much luck the last few years with our cucumbers. Our cuke spot was too shady and the plants let us know it by barely producing. This year we've moved their bed and they'll now be climbing a full-sun fenced area along the back of the garden. Yay for pickles!

Also pictured here are Moon & Stars melons. I've read so much about these beautiful fruits (that actually look as if moons and stars are painted on the rinds). I can't wait to dig my teeth into their sweet, orange-y flesh.

Butternut squash is our favorite of the winter squash. We tried growing acorns as well, but we don't have enough room to prevent cross pollinating and we ended up with chalky tasting squash. So when we had to pick just one, the butternuts won, hands down. Soups, burritos or simply baked with just a touch of salt and olive oil - delish! 

We have two foot high tomato plants! In April! That's dedication from my husband. He is the master of seedling tending in that basement nursery. I don't have much to do with our garden until it moves to it's proper outdoor setting, but I'm so thankful for his efforts in the cold months of seed starting. We're planning to have about 30 tomato plants this year. And don't feel too bad for these little plants. They always look frightful in their first weeks of hardening off outside. They look a bit timid, leaving the security of the nursery, heading out into the real world of sunlight and breezes. But they'll perk up as soon as they get their toes in that garden soil.

We usually keep our tomatoes from flowering until they're planted in the garden (I read that somewhere...), but this year we're going to see what happens to these early blooms. It's been about four years, but we once had our first tomato on the fourth of July (a not-so minor victory for Rocky Mountain gardening) and who knows, maybe this will be our year again. I'll take maters over fireworks, any day.

The garlic from last fall is looking good. Let's hope we don't forget to harvest it this year. (Don't ask!)

Italian basil. What would we do without it. I have two more pints of pesto in my freezer from the ten or so I put up last fall. We'll seed an eight foot row of basil, but these little starts will soon make their home in my flower pots.

The radishes are up and getting their real leaves. We planted a few rows, a week or so apart. We'll be adding these cherry bells to salads and stir-fry's soon.

And then there are gardening moments like this: Zinnia, on her own, busied herself by taking up the watering chores of the day. As I was occupied with thinning the mustard and spinach, I looked up to find her filling her can and going back and forth between her bucket full of water to the "small plants".  Such a thoughtful little garden caretaker. 

We're raising more than vegetables. We're raising a gardener.

What's popping up in your soil?

 

birthday {sweet} ness

No birthday is complete without a {sweet} pile of goodness, topped with a candle. How else are those wishes going to come true?

In searching for the perfect not-so-sweet birthday goodness for Zinnia, I went to my go-to cooking site, 101 Cookbooks where I found this yummy desert. I totally jive with Heidi's approach to food and I've tried and shared many recipes from her site. For this birthday goodie I wanted to make something for my girl that was sugar-free (or close to it) so I made a few adaptations to Heidi's recipe. The end result was de-lish and I'll definitely be making it again.

The recipe combines many of my favorite things - dark chocolate, bananas, lemon and olive oil. I made three main changes to the recipe: 1) I substituted maple syrup in place of brown sugar 2) I left the chocolate out of the kid's portions 4) I used freshly whipped cream for Zinnia's portion and used the sugary glaze on the remaining cupcakes 3) I made cupcakes instead of a cake, which cut the baking time in half.

Here's how it came together.

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Lemony Banana Birthday Goodness

1 cup + 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large bars coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate 
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups mashed, VERY ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup whole milk yogurt
1 Tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 
For the glaze (that I used on the grown up cupcakes)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350° F, and place a rack in the center. Line cupcake tin with liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, and salt. 

In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil, eggs, mashed banana, yogurt, zest, and vanilla. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and fold with a spatula until just combined.

At this point I used a spoon to fill several cupcakes 3/4 full. These chocolate-free cupcakes are for the kids.

Then I folded the chocolate chunks in to the batter and filled the remaining cupcake holes. Cook for about 20-25 minutes, until the cupcakes are golden brown, but not at all dark.

Let cool completely before applying the glaze or whipped cream. 

Recipe makes ~18 totally delicious, not-too-sweet cupcakes.

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And in other sweet news... You may remember that my girl picked out her birthday dress from two that I recently made. The day before her not-really-a-party party, the weather forecasted chilly temps with a chance of rainy/snow. The birthday dress wasn't exactly a good fit for that forecast so, at the last minute, I whipped up a pair of pants to match. These are definitely not an example of my finest work but they turned out just fine to be worn under this dress. I love the way this outfit looks and it's actually become my current favorite. And Zinnia wears it especially well, with those shoes on the wrong feet.

Celebrating my girl, in little ways all week!

seven things ::

 Thankful. Smiling. Laughing. Appreciating. Adoring.

Loving. Holding. Remembering. Sharing. 

Here are seven little things that I'm loving today.

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:: This family trip to the zoo

:: Our friendly neighborhood horse

:: Ladybugs that come by to say hello

:: This shade of pink

:: More weekend family walks

:: The star lilies are blooming in the hills

:: The contrast of crisp snow up there and spring green down here

What simple little things are you loving today?

a second trip around the sun

We celebrated Zinnia's second birthday this weekend. We were set to have a proper party, but when a case of the sniffles hit we pared it down to just family. With a Grandma and a Nana in town though, it ended up being just right. 

Steve has been working on a kick-bike for our girl for weeks. With another brilliant trade on Craig's List (a 12" bike for a six pack!) he got busy on her birthday project. He stripped all the paint, removed the pedals and we spruced this baby up with new colors and some sweet accessories. It's still a wee-bit tall but in another month or two it'll be just right for some serious kick-bike riding. (Check out the before picture here.)

Needless to say, Zinnia was thrilled when she stepped out in the garden and saw her new helmet and bike. Or as she says, "Rae Rae's new bi-bice".

Seeing the joy on her face is the only Thank You we need; Steve and I both receive so much pleasure from making things for this little girl. It's these birthday milestones that really amp up my sentimentality. Watching her grow from infant to toddler has been the most amazing, fulfilling journey I've experienced. I look at these pictures and I tear up seeing what a "big girl" she's becoming. Then I see those baby creases in her wrists and I'm reminded that the "baby" is still there. For a little bit longer, anyway.

Zinnia's second trip around the sun will be complete on Thursday morning at 5:41 AM. We'll be celebrating in little ways all week (that's just how I am with birthdays). There will still be more gifts. More cupcakes (I'll post the recipe soon) and more candles to blow out. And certainly more singing to light up those big, beautiful eyes.

And in the quiet spaces of the week there will be two love letters written in her birthday journal - one from Mama and one from Dada - for her to read when she's much, much older.

I can't wait to see what her third trip around the sun brings. For all of us.