it was a little bit cooler yesterday and so we canned some pickles.
the kitchen got a bit steamy but it was worth it.
afterwards we headed to my sisters pool for a swim and some barbequed chicken.
Archives for July 2013
Summer has been good to us
it’s been hot and humid which makes me grumpy.
i wish i had more tolerance for the heat.
you would think that i would have accepted by now that summer is just hot around these parts.
i have not been out in the garden much, although it is looking happy thanks to all of the rain we have had.
we have been eating lots of tomato sandwiches, smoothies, homemade popsicles, watermelon and snack bar food at swim meets. i don’t think i have turned the stove on in almost a week. thank goodness for the food processor.
we have been going for either a late night swim or taking an ice cold shower just before bed each night to cool down.
but aside from all of that, summer has been good to us. really good.
:: chris makes a few jars of sun tea every other day in old pickle jars.
:: harry is adjusting beautifully and goes where ever we go. his breed is known for adapting well to an active family. he plays hard and sleeps hard like all of us.
:: earl still continues to stop by for a few nuts. i saw him playing with two other squirrels this morning, circling the big maple tree in my neighbor’s yard.
:: today we make pickles from an overabundant crop of cucumbers. i harvested loads of dill flowers from the farm last night to top each jar.
:: i miss the cicadas. i have hardly heard their song this summer.
:: i am counting down the days until we head to the lake. it’s my reward for getting through the dog days of summer.
Meet Harry
meet harry!
a white dog with black spots like this fellow.
we are smitten.
he’s a coton de tulear.
and a lovebug.
he’s a 4 month old pup and a perfect mix of playful, friendly and mellow.
the girls have been begging us for a year now for a dog.
i always just said no with excuses like our house is too small. norah and i have allergies. too much time. too much money.
but luckily their persistence got me thinking more about it and we started to do some research on breeds and what kind of pup might fit well with our family.
well we found him and i can’t even believe just how perfect he fits in.
it’s like he has always been here.
A pond party
on a very humid and sticky saturday last weekend we loaded in to the car all hot and bothered and headed out to a pond party.
it was a gorgeous spot in delaware on the property of a friend’s grandparents home.
the cement bottom pond was clear and refreshing and the rope swing was incredible.
everyone brought along a picnic and we ended the evening with fireworks and sky lanterns.
we walked back to our car with flashlights to the song of frogs and cicadas.
we drove home with the windows all the way down, our bodies cooled down to the core.
it was the perfect summer evening.
Hand pies
my new favorite way to enjoy summer fruits (other than just eating them fresh from the fields) is filling hand pies with them.
i love the simplicity of this recipe and the ease of bringing them along to a picnic or party without worrying about plates and forks.
and they make the perfect breakfast. a homemade pop tart!
summer fruit hand pies
makes about 15 pies
dough
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
4 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
filling
your favorite summer fruits cut up or whole mixed with sugar and lemon zest
whisk together flour, soda and powder. with electric mixer beat butter and sugar til fluffy. add egg cream cheese and vanilla until well combined. add flour mixture and beat until smooth. form dough into ball and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
pull out dough. on lightly floured board roll into 4 1/2 inch rounds and about 1/8 inch thick. transfer rounds on parchment lined baking sheet to freezer for 30 minutes.
pull out dough rounds and let stand at room temperature for a few minutes. spoon a tablespoon of filling onto one half of round and brush edges with water. fold round in half and fork around edge to seal. repeat with rest of rounds and transfer pies to freezer for 30 minutes.
preheat oven to 375 degrees. pull out pies and sprinkle evenly with sugar. bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. cool on wire rack.
serve warm or at room temperature.
enjoy!
A fourth of july tradition
i know i’ve told you before but i just love my neighborhood.
many traditions have been formed here over the years that we hold near and dear to our hearts.
i love thinking of my girls carrying them all with them wherever they may go.
one of our favorites is our neighborhood fourth of july party.
our neighbor travels to new hampshire to buy an amazing selection of fireworks each year.
we host a big potluck and then at dark the show begins.
people from all over town come out to see the festivities.
good hometown fun.
Chickens take baths too
nothing is more entertaining than watching my hens take a bath. a dust bath that is, the ultimate spa treatment for a chicken
they dig a shallow hole, loosen up the dirt and toss it up letting it fall in between their feathers and skin.
this little ritual helps keep them clean of lice and parasites.
it also seems to be a social and relaxing event.
once one starts a bath the others soon follow till they are all dirty and happy.
when they are finished they all hop up shake off the dirt and begin preening and cleaning their feathers.
i read that fireplace ash makes for good bath dust. now i can save my winter ashes for my roses AND my hens.
call me weird but i just love to sit and watch their quirky little ways.
it’s better than tv!
Rainy days
it’s been very rainy here. there has been a thunderstorm almost every day for the last two weeks.
but there are little respites here and there to weed, go for a walk and we even got to romp on the beach for an entire day on saturday.
we are hoping there will be a break on thursday for some fireworks, friday for some berry picking and then on saturday for a pond party.
i don’t seem to mind the rain and clouds all that much. must be my irish roots.
i do appreciate not having to water the garden. things are really happy out there.
my houseplants even got to enjoy as they went on a little summer vaca the past few days to drink up the rains.
you can’t really see our living room floor as it’s covered in board games.
and we’re going to the movies tomorrow.