in the garden

About the only things ready are the strawberries, lettuce and rhubarb. Patience.

Me turning the compost into the new raised bed. Lots of chicken goodness went into here over the winter. Look at how serious I am, I should have worn a hat to keep the sun off my scrunched up face. Oh, you don't see the sunshine.....that's because there isn't any.

We spread hay over the walkways to keep the weeds down, and also as a mulch around the base of the plants. There are a few potato plants that came up on their own, and strawberries around the border of the cinderblock bed. We are growing blue lake pole beans in the barrel with the white trellis. More romaine lettuce is planted in the other barrel.

Volunteer tomato plants, gotta love this.

A giant bale of hay, yay!

Zucchini trying desperately to grow with no sun around here.

It is coming along, even if it feels torturously unproductive at the moment. If only we could get a little sun and warmth around here.

I am off now to do a little grocery shopping and maybe....a little jaunt to the thrift store.
Have a blessed day, Tami

black bean & corn dip

Wait.....this doesn't look like black bean and corn dip!

I made this dip for a potluck last weekend and it was a hit. I have no photo, that's how fast it disappeared.
But here's a pic of some yummy chocolate cake I made..........the cake disappeared too.

Black Bean & Corn Dip
3 cups fresh or frozen corn, cooked and cooled
1 - 14oz. can black beans, drained
1 cup diced tomatoes, canned or fresh
1/2 cup plain yogurt (plus a couple tablespoons if needed)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
taco seasoning (I used 1/2 of the packet)
diced green onions

(you can substitute 1 cup of sour cream instead of the mayo/yogurt.)

Mix up the yogurt and mayo with the taco seasoning. I used 1/2 an envelope of mild taco seasoning and added a few red pepper flakes for flavor. If you make your own taco seasoning, just add enough to your taste.
Combine the corn, beans, tomatoes, and cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add mayo/ yogurt dressing. Mix in cheese. At this point if it seems too thick add in a couple of extra tablespoons of yogurt. Top with green onions.
We like it chilled and served with tortilla chips.
You could add in green chiles, jalapenos, salsa, olives, etc.
It would also be yummy warmed up as a hot dip.

Enjoy! Tami
BTW, today is my 300th post! Wow, it took awhile to get here. ;~)

update: I put this on my recipes page.

vintage goodness

Spending all last week volunteering at church, I was the first to dive into the treasures that were being sorted for our annual rummage sale.
At this point in my decluttered existence, I only see fit to bring home very practical treasures. A tray, scissors, and a colander. Utilitarian for sure, but oh so vintage.
A sure cure for the most dedicated junk collector, is to sort and price the amount of discarded clutter we went through. It is always worth it in the end, raising money for so many worthwhile charities. Volunteering for this each year keeps me in check. The week ended with a deep thankfulness that I no longer collect. I spent too long getting rid of the stuff to let it creep back in now.
The few items that I brought home will be put to good use.

Only 5 more days of school for my kiddos!
I cannot wait.

Have a blessed Monday, Tami

one of my favorites

When I first started the blog, I would post a favorite verse or quote on Sunday. I am going to do that again. It starts my week off right.
Have a blessed Sunday, Tami

{this moment}

Joining Amanda.

june in bloom

{my first *mama flowers* of the season}

{kniphofia in the chicken garden}

{this beautiful perennial planted itself in my garden-I love it}

{snapdragons....I think}

{my orchid trying so hard to bloom}

Have a truly blessed Thursday! Tami

nourish

It feels like I haven't been nourishing myself very well lately. I have been busy. When I get busy, I forgo salad making, I forgo good food choices, I eat things that my body hates. Then I feel really bad, and it takes me a week or so of detoxing to rid myself of the bloat and gross feeling.
Why do I let myself get caught up in this vicious cycle?

It seems that unhealthy eating perpetuates itself. When I eat too many refined foods, my body craves even more. Then I am eating all the time, even when I am not hungry, my body craves this junk. I am getting off this crazy ride right now. I am sick of it.

I don't normally feed my family like the majority of society does. We are whole foods, homemade, simple nourishing food eaters. When I am in social situations, I try and make wise food choices, but sometimes I just get tired of people looking at my plate. I imagine them thinking that I am dieting or something, when I really just want to avoid the processed foods being served.  I have been giving in this last week, while volunteering at church, to a plate of yuck for lunch including about a billion cookies. I had no will power at all. I feel yucky just thinking about it. I really just should have packed my own food. Then we had a weekend family party. There were fruits and veggies, yes, and lots of chips and candy, and lots of soda and chocolate sheet cake. Ugh. Enough of this rant. Now onto what I am going to do about it.

I believe a little home prep can go a long way. If I have healthy food ready, it makes my choice easier. Last week, I had a load of fresh veggies cut up in the refrigerator. It was so nice to have them ready for snacking. And they went fast. I need to make a habit of this, instead of preparing them as the meal is coming together. We would eat so much more good stuff this way.

I was reading a blog post today. This very wise woman makes a hearty salad the foundation of one meal every day. I want to do this. My family would love it, I would love it. I feel good just thinking about it.

I am going to admit that diet soda has invaded my life - again. I am such a health freak, I can't believe I let this stuff pass my lips. I am done.

If I can stay away from refined sugar long enough to get it out of my system, I will be good. Sugar is not my friend. Sugar makes me want more sugar. Vicious cycle ya know. I am done.

This looks like a good plan. No more church lady lunches, out with sugar and soda, in with big hearty yummy salads EVERY DAY!

I am going to take a break from a very busy week and be kind to myself today. I am going to take it easy, eat some restorative food, work in the garden, and knit. It will be heaven.

Have a blessed day, Tami